In this episode of The Localist, Carrie kicks off her series on small business Christmas stories. Though today’s story isn’t about a small business itself, it’s a key moment in her journey. She reflects on attending a Starbucks rally with her then-manager, Cal — who would later become her business partner at Church Street Coffee & Books.

This story is part of a series to close out our 2024 season; it originally ran on The Localist podcast in 2020. For full show notes, head to carrierollwagen.com/podcasts.