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

Resolutions for a Profitable New Year

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This week on The Localist, Carrie is diving into resolutions. Everyone has had their fair share of resolutions that didn’t stick, but Carrie shares ideas for business resolutions that are approachable, not overwhelming. As a former business owner and current entrepreneur, Carrie has tested out these tips, including building an email list, honing her brand,…

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A Long Winter’s Night: A Localist Christmas Story

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Carrie is back this week with the final installment of the small business holiday stories. The old adage “what goes up must come down” is especially true for a small business owner in their first year after the adrenaline of the holiday rush wears off. Carrie describes the immense joy she felt when she realized…

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Christmas on Church Street: A Localist Christmas Story

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This week, Carrie is back with another tale of navigating the holidays as a small business owner. Working in retail can be a tough experience on the best day, but it’s a special kind of challenge at the holidays. Carrie shares her fear about preserving her love of Christmas while owning a small business, as…

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Decking the Halls: A Localist Christmas Story

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This week, Carrie is back with another story from her experience owning a small business during the holiday season. We all love the magical feeling that Christmas decorations bring, and local shops are no exception. However, that magic doesn’t happen all on its own! Carrie tells the story of her first Christmas decorating the shop…

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The Starbucks Experience: A Localist Christmas Story

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The Localist Podcast is mixing it up for the month of December! Carrie is going solo and bringing you stories from the front lines of small businesses during the holidays. This week, Carrie describes her first experience at a Starbucks corporate event with her then-manager and future business partner, Cal. Carrie was a bit shell-shocked…

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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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