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

Q1 Review: How to Assess Your First Quarter of 2022

This week we’re sharing a new quarterly series where we review the highs and lows from the previous quarter. Carrie has experimented with a ton of different systems and has honed it down to a few steps that work both personally and professionally. We break down why reviewing a quarter is better than longer or…

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How to Get Website Visitors — and What to Do with Them

We’re welcoming back Pam Sanderson, Director of Account Development at Infomedia, to dig into the mysteries of increasing website traffic. Pam has over a decade of experience and shares her knowledge on what you need to consider before you build or redesign your website, and tips to make Google happy (and thus send people to…

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Misinformation, Cyber Attacks and Small Business

You’ve probably heard more about cyber attacks and hacking in the past few days in light of the war between Russia and Ukraine. These are scary words! That’s why we brought Michael Stuckey back on to break down what this can mean for us and our small businesses. We dive into how misinformation can be…

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What to Do When Your Year Already Feels Off-Track

Is it just us, or has the first quarter of 2022 felt like walking through mud? Ok, we know it’s not just us, and that’s exactly what we’re diving into on this week’s episode. Carrie breaks down some of the reasons we may be feeling like this, and other factors that may be contributing to…

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Build Outs, Budgets and Stress: What Happens Before Opening Day

This week on the Localist, we’re talking to Eric Bennett and John Easterling, two local bartenders who are opening their own bar, Continental Drift, soon. Eric and John have both worked in the most popular bars and restaurants in Birmingham, and are putting their expertise and experience to work. They tell us how they found…

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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

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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.

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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!

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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!

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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.

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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!

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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?

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