Running a small business should be challenging—but fulfilling. For Gail Nicholls, owner of a rural pet and livestock supply store in South Carolina, it’s become a daily struggle against endless state regulations. In this episode of American Potential, host David From sits down with Gail to hear how red tape and paperwork have kept her from doing what she loves—serving customers, growing her business, spending time with family, and going to church.
Gail shares why she stepped up to testify in support of the Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act, a bill that would require some state regulations to be approved by the legislature before going into effect. Her story is a powerful reminder of the real-world consequences of overregulation—and how one voice can make a difference.
🔹 How 81,000 state regulations impact business owners 
🔹 Why she testified before a South Carolina House Subcommittee 
🔹 What she’d do with the time regulations steal from her 
🔹 The importance of speaking up to create change
If you’ve ever wondered what small business owners are really up against—or how to help lighten their load—this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Running a small business should be challenging—but fulfilling. For Gail Nicholls, owner of a rural pet and livestock supply store in South Carolina, it’s become a daily struggle against endless state regulations. In this episode of American Potential, host David From sits down with Gail to hear how red tape and paperwork have kept her from doing what she loves—serving customers, growing her business, spending time with family, and going to church. Gail shares why she stepped up to testify in support of the Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act, a bill that would require some state regulations to be approved by the legislature before going into effect. Her story is a powerful reminder of the real-world consequences of overregulation—and how one voice can make a difference. 🔹 How 81,000 state regulations impact business owners 🔹 Why she testified before a South Carolina House Subcommittee 🔹 What she’d do with the time regulations steal from her 🔹 The importance of speaking up to create change If you’ve ever wondered what small business owners are really up against—or how to help lighten their load—this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Buried in Red Tape: Gail Nicholls’ Fight for Small Business Freedom

American Potential is a national award-winning podcast that shares how individuals are taking action in their communities to break barriers. While some of our guests may be public officials or influencers, many are ordinary Americans who decided, “enough is enough,” and are stepping up in a big way.

We share policy solutions to the most important challenges our country faces and talk to people who are doing something about it. Our hope is that when you hear about other people’s stories of success – and struggle – you will realize that you are capable of doing extraordinary things within your own community and know that you are not alone.

David From, a Regional Vice President at Americans for Prosperity, hosts the American Potential podcast. David brings a wealth of experience in grassroots advocacy and a deep commitment to advancing freedom and opportunity for all Americans.

American Potential has earned multiple prestigious honors for its impact and excellence in storytelling:

Platinum Award at the 2024 Viddy Awards for the episode featuring Mike Rowe, recognized in the long-form podcast category.

Gold Award at the 18th Annual w3 Awards in the News and Politics Podcast category.

Award of Distinction at the 31st Annual Communicator Awards in the Individual Episodes – Political category for the episode “Eco-Regulation Gone Wrong: The Unintended Costs of Colorado’s Climate Laws.”

These awards—judged by experts from organizations like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and the Smithsonian—highlight the podcast’s effectiveness in elevating compelling stories of freedom, innovation, and citizen-led change.

Society & Culture

Education

Self-Improvement

Government

Personal Journals

American Potential is a national award-winning podcast that shares how individuals are taking action in their communities to break barriers. While some of our guests may be public officials or influencers, many are ordinary Americans who decided, “enough is enough,” and are stepping up in a big way. We share policy solutions to the most important challenges our country faces and talk to people who are doing something about it. Our hope is that when you hear about other people’s stories of success – and struggle – you will realize that you are capable of doing extraordinary things within your own community and know that you are not alone. David From, a Regional Vice President at Americans for Prosperity, hosts the American Potential podcast. David brings a wealth of experience in grassroots advocacy and a deep commitment to advancing freedom and opportunity for all Americans. American Potential has earned multiple prestigious honors for its impact and excellence in storytelling: Platinum Award at the 2024 Viddy Awards for the episode featuring Mike Rowe, recognized in the long-form podcast category. Gold Award at the 18th Annual w3 Awards in the News and Politics Podcast category. Award of Distinction at the 31st Annual Communicator Awards in the Individual Episodes – Political category for the episode “Eco-Regulation Gone Wrong: The Unintended Costs of Colorado’s Climate Laws.” These awards—judged by experts from organizations like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and the Smithsonian—highlight the podcast’s effectiveness in elevating compelling stories of freedom, innovation, and citizen-led change.

Share Buried in Red Tape: Gail Nicholls’ Fight for Small Business Freedom

Sign up to save your podcasts

Buried in Red Tape: Gail Nicholls’ Fight for Small Business Freedom

Buried in Red Tape: Gail Nicholls’ Fight for Small Business Freedom

More shows like American Potential

Brian Kilmeade Show

The Ben Shapiro Show

The Playbook Podcast

The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast

The Daily

Up First from NPR

The Journal.

Advisory Opinions

Hold These Truths with Dan Crenshaw

All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg

Ruthless Podcast

The Daily Punch

The Foreign Affairs Interview

The 13th Step

Culture & Christianity: The Allen Jackson Podcast