Browse Episodes
Finding a New Way Forward: Questions to Ask If Your Business Plan No Longer Fits
This week on The Localist, Carrie is back to discuss one of 2020’s most common business strategies: the pivot. Carrie dives into revisiting your business model with The Localist as an example for tailoring your model to fit a change in context, giving a few resources for updating (or creating!) a marketing plan, creating a…
What’s Our New “Business As Usual”?
Quarantine changed the context of convenience for small businesses, and Carrie wonders if that change is permanent, and what the ramifications of that may be. Carrie believes customers are going to expect businesses to stand for something more than just profits, and addresses how business owners can respond amidst decision fatigue and uncertainty. Carrie wraps…
New Year, New Taxes: Small Business Accounting Tips with CPA Michael Dollins
This week on The Localist, Carrie is back to regularly scheduled programming with guest Michael Dollins! Michael is a CPA and Carrie’s personal accountant, and he’s here to help demystify (and help everyone be less afraid of!) taxes. January is the best time to prep your finances for the year ahead, and Michael gives us…
Resolutions for a Profitable New Year
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,…
A Long Winter’s Night: A Localist Christmas Story
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…
Christmas on Church Street: A Localist Christmas Story
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…
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?