Browse Episodes
The Business of Running a Coffee Shop
This week, we turn the tables — our host, Carrie Rollwagen, becomes the guest this week as she answers listener questions about running a coffee shop. Alana Harmond interviews Carrie about her time opening and co-managing Church Street Coffee & Books in Mountain Brook. The two discuss how to build a menu, how to make…
Working in the Spotlight as a Live Painter
This week, we’re welcoming Ruth Oneya of Ruth Oneya illustrations. Ruth is an artist who creates live paintings for weddings. Ruth’s business really started to grow when one of her TikTok videos went viral, but that success created the (good) problem of having too many emails (hiring an assistant has really helped). We also discuss…
Why Does Everyone Have a Podcast? Questions from Carrie’s Dad
Carrie’s dad, Mike Rollwagen, is a thoughtful intellectual, but he’s not into technology — like, not even a little bit. So on today’s podcast, he asks her all his questions about podcasting: Why does it seem like everyone has a podcast? How do algorithms impact a podcast? How do listeners express loyalty? And how exactly…
Cultivating a Collective: Working with Staff and Customers
This week, we’re talking with Beth Doyle, owner of The Collective, a salon in Birmingham’s Pepper Place neighborhood. Beth brings her creative passion to both her hairdressing skills and her business. She started as a teacher, and one of her salon’s main goals is to support new stylists through an associate learning program, complete with…
Surviving the Regulations Rollercoaster with Magic City Organics
This week we’re talking with Jenni Otwell, owner of Magic City Organics, a curated market of select CBD products in Birmingham, AL. There are a lot of misunderstandings surrounding the world of CBD and hemp-derived products, but Jenni breaks down how they handle that and educate their customers on the benefits of using their wide…
High Standards, Low Waste: Talking Sustainability with Filter Coffee
This week we’re chatting with James Little, owner of Filter Coffee Parlor in the Five Points neighborhood in Birmingham. Filter opened in 2019, not long before the pandemic began. We learn how the business had to pivot (and pivot again!), and how they’ve landed on their sustainability-focused ethos, as well as how they relay that…
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!
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!
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.
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!
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?