Browse Episodes
Why Your Small Business Marketing Isn’t Working: And What to Fix First | Laine White
Show Notes Small business marketing fails for a surprisingly consistent reason — and it’s almost never about budget. In this episode of The Localist, recorded live at Localist Lab in Birmingham, marketing consultant Laine White of Uptick Marketing shares the three-question framework she uses every day to diagnose exactly where small business marketing goes wrong…
A Practical Guide to Influencer Marketing for Small Businesses | Laine White
Show Notes You’ve probably seen local influencers posting about restaurants, coffee shops and small businesses in Birmingham. You might’ve even wondered whether working with one of them could help your business. But do you know how to actually make that happen? In this episode of The Localist podcast, host Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Laine…
How Influencer Hattie O’Hara Built the “One Week in Birmingham” Brand
Show Notes What does it actually take to build a platform that changes the way people see their city? In this episode of The Localist podcast, host Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Hattie O’Hara, the creator behind One Week in Birmingham, a weekly Instagram series that has become essential viewing for anyone who loves or…
How The Craft Room Turns Creativity Into Community | Blakely O’Connor
Show Notes In this episode of The Localist podcast, host Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Blakely O’Connor, the Harvard-trained engineer who left academia to open The Craft Room, a creative reuse store in West Homewood, Birmingham. The Craft Room collects donated arts and craft supplies from the community and resells them at affordable prices, while…
A Podcast that Builds Community, Not Just Content | Word of Mouth Podcast
Show Notes In this episode of The Localist podcast, host Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Myres Allen and Stephen Peacock, the co-hosts of Word of Mouth Podcast, a Birmingham show dedicated to telling the stories of people doing interesting and meaningful things in the city. This is the second half of a podcast swap: Carrie…
SEO for the AI Era: How Small Businesses Get Found Now | Pam Darden of Infomedia
Show Notes Search has changed more in the last two years than the previous seven combined. The way customers find your business has shifted, and if your content has not kept up, you may already be invisible to AI search tools without knowing it. This episode is a live recording from the first-ever Localist Lab,…
About the Localist Podcast
@crollwagen on InstagramA 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
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.
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
Outreach Manager
Jen handles booking for the podcast and makes sure guests are prepped and welcomed when they visit our studio.
Alana Harmond
Promotions Manager
Alana manages our YouTube channel and handles show notes, as well as helping concept our promotions strategies.
The Localist Reviews
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
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
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
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
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?