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Meet the Localist
Carrie Rollwagen (@crollwagen) is a writer and entrepreneur with a penchant for frequenting — and founding — small businesses. Carrie co-founded a successful coffee shop and bookstore, worked for years as a freelancer for publications like Southern Living, teaches classes on writing and marketing for small businesses, and is currently a VP at a mid-size…
Navigating Unplanned Homeschooling with Susan Rollwagen
Susan Rollwagen, Carrie’s mom and owner and founder of performance consultant company Pepperbox Solutions, is back on the podcast this week for a deep dive into homeschooling. Susan and her husband, Mike, homeschooled Carrie and her sister for a year to navigate a time with a lot of changes for their family. Susan talks about…
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?