The Localist Podcast

A Podcast for Local Businesses (and the People Who Love Them)

Wherever you are on your entrepreneurial journey — whether your business is already thriving, you’re getting excited about your first big idea, or you’re interested in learning more about local business — you’ll find your community on the Localist podcast with Carrie Rollwagen.

The Localist

Browse Episodes

Better AI Prompts for Writing

Carrie Rollwagen

Show Notes In this solo episode, host Carrie Rollwagen shares practical tips for prompting AI tools — like ChatGPT — to get better, more tailored results, especially for small business owners and content creators. Carrie emphasizes the importance of specificity when creating prompts — clearly stating the desired tone, format and length can dramatically improve…

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City Paper Co.: Evolving a Business over 125 Years

Stephanie Friedman

Show Notes In this episode of The Localist, host Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Stephanie Friedman, CEO of City Paper Company, a fourth-generation, women-owned business that’s been serving Birmingham and beyond for over 128 years. Stephanie shares how City Paper has evolved from a humble paper goods supplier into a full-service branding agency, providing everything…

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Why Entrepreneurs Need a Day of Rest

Carrie Rollwagen

Show Notes In this episode of The Localist, host Carrie Rollwagen explores the transformative power of taking a weekly day of rest, whether for religious reasons or simply as a practical form of self-care. Drawing from her experience as a small business owner at Church Street Coffee & Books, Carrie reflects on the overwhelming demands…

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Designing a Work Life You Actually Enjoy

Carrie Rollwagen

In this solo episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen explores what to do when work starts to feel monotonous or unfulfilling — whether you’re an employee or a business owner. Inspired by the book Designing Your Work Life, she introduces a practical exercise that helped her rediscover purpose and progress in her day-to-day tasks —…

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The Business of Belonging with Jesús Méndez

Jesús Méndez

In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Jesús “Chuy” Méndez, one of the forces behind Salud Taqueria, Adiõs Bar, and a growing list of standout spots in Birmingham’s food and drink scene. Chuy shares how his people-first mindset transformed him from a curious bartender into a multi-concept business owner, building restaurants…

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About the Localist Podcast

@crollwagen on Instagram

A conversation with local makers and independent entrepreneurs.

Author and local business advocate Carrie Rollwagen invites mom-and-pops, freelancers, side hustlers, and start-up founders to talk about the ins and outs of how they got their start, the pros and cons of owning your own business, how they handle the hard stuff, and yes, even the mistakes they’ve made along the way. Carrie and her guests get into the nitty-gritty details: staffing, funding, hiring, and inspiring — and everything in between.

First-hand accounts of running a business

As a former small business owner, Carrie knows the struggles and triumphs of owning a business first-hand, and that experience helps her ask questions that are often ignored — questions about failure as well as success, and details about exactly how entrepreneurs face challenges, grow their businesses and work with their staffs.

The Localist Team

carrie rollwagen in a bookstore
Carrie Rollwagen
Host

Carrie produces and hosts the podcast. She’s author of the Localist book, co-founder of Church Street Coffee & Books and VP of Infomedia.

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Taylor Davis
Show Runner

Taylor keeps the podcast running and makes sure the rest of us stay on track. She’s also a videographer, photographer and marketing specialist.

jen tucker headshot
Jen Tucker
Outreach Manager

Jen handles booking for the podcast and makes sure guests are prepped and welcomed when they visit our studio.

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Alana Harmond
Promotions Manager

Alana manages our YouTube channel and handles show notes, as well as helping concept our promotions strategies.

The Localist Reviews

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A Gem! I just discovered this podcast and let me tell you, I’m glad I did! The conversations are natural and easy going but you can also tell that Carrie has put a lot of thought and care in her questions. And I love that she’s also in Alabama!

ChelseaR83
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A Must-Listen for Those Who Love Local! So excited to listen to Carrie’s new podcast! Whether you’re a small business owner, freelancer or just looking to get inspired — Carrie offers a wealth of information from the many skills she’s picked up throughout her diverse careers. I can’t wait to hear who she brings on The Localist!

SarahCook323
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Great Podcast! I just happened upon this podcast and It is really good. It gives really great tips and I especially liked the newest podcast about maintaining company culture in the current work from home environment.

Fun for a dollar
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Carrie has an obvious talent for storytelling and making an interview more of an engaging conversation. I’ve been a listener as well as a podcast guest and I’m in awe of Carrie’s ability to connect her guests’ experiences with something helpful and relevant to a wide range of listeners, whether or not they are local to Birmingham, Alabama. I also strongly suggest her book if you are into localism!

Tacheek
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Lovely listen — I loved the “In Search Of The Perfect Storefront.” I found it entertaining, yet super informative. I even took notes, who am I?

whyyamiiwriitingthiis
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