On this week’s episode of The Localist, Carrie is joined by Michelle Phillips. Michelle is usually behind the scenes as the showrunner for The Localist, but the tables are turned! Carrie and Michelle dive into entrepreneurship: Carrie tells us how she learned how to manage people, how she met her former business partner and how Church Street Coffee and Books came to be, what it was like managing a coffee shop versus a bookshop.

Paul Bryant, along with his wife Courtney, own and run Kinora Films, a premier videography and production company based in Birmingham, AL. Paul and Carrie start off with what a timelapse actually is, the technology he uses to create timelapse videos, and how long a timelapse shot usually takes. Paul then tells us how he got his start with weddings, how he carved out a niche combining film and digital, and just how terrifying it can be to shoot with film.

Morgan Mondy, owner of Mae Studio, joins Carrie this week. Morgan and Carrie dive in with what it’s like to almost simultaneously open a new business and sell a business (it’s not for the faint of heart!). Morgan tells us what she envisioned for Mae, the client experience she wanted to create, how college isn’t for everyone, and how a passion for learning is one of the keys to success. Morgan describes the early days of her first salon and the importance of company culture.

Mallory Webb, owner of Daughters Baking, joins Carrie on this week’s episode of The Localist. Mallory and Carrie discuss when Mallory knew it was time to take the leap and go full-time with Daughters Baking, and how Mallory prepped for that. Mallory then shares how she reacts to feedback and her process for developing flavors. We wrap up with a conversation about the value of making connections, assessing risks, staffing, and how it feels to be a boss.

On this special Thanksgiving Day episode of The Localist, Carrie goes solo and dishes out (see what we did there ;) ) some great Black Friday / Small Business Saturday / Cyber Monday / Opt Outside tips that any local business could put into practice. Carrie serves up easy and practical tips for how to handle everything in-store from figuring out what to put on sale, how to strategically decorate, and how to train your staff for the holiday season.

Will Mason of Mason Music joins Carrie on this week’s episode. Will and Carrie start off the conversation with Will and Mason Music’s biggest venture yet: opening up a music school AND music venue in the renovated Woodlawn Theatre. Will tells us about their process for opening each of the different locations, the weird things you find when you renovate, and how they went about getting investors to really see the vision behind Mason Music’s aspirations through.

Nathan Pocus of Domestique Coffee joins Carrie this week and jumps right in with how Domestique got started. Spending time in Haiti sparked Nathan’s interest in the rich and varied coffees from the region and inspired him to bring it back to Birmingham. Nathan and Carrie discuss forming business partnerships, especially when global trade is involved, what surprised him about buying globally, and how Domestique tells the stories of the farms and communities the coffee comes from.

Dr. Lori Jasper, optometrist and owner of NowVision Eye Care, joins Carrie on this week’s episode of The Localist. Dr. Lori and Carrie touch on choosing a location and making it feel welcoming, hiring and training employees, and how Lori handles owning and operating a business while being an introvert (we’re big fans of her suggestions: self care and naps!). They wind up the conversation with how Dr. Lori competes with the Warby Parkers and other big-box retailers of frames.

Nancey Legg of Better Kombucha joins Carrie on this episode of The Localist. Nancey starts us off with the basics, then tells us about fermentation and ABV, and shares what inspired and motivated her to get started in the first place. Nancey rounds out the conversation with her revelation about managing people; finding a kitchen space and the dreaded health inspectors; tells us what the hardest part of starting and running a business; and gives us her best advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

On this week’s episode, The Localist goes live! Well, we WENT live at the the Localist Launch Party hosted at Dreamer’s Supply Company (be sure to listen to Kaitlin and Alan’s episode!). To celebrate the official launch of the podcast, Carrie’s dad, Mike Rollwagen, interviewed a few volunteers at the party about a whole host of localist topics including paying more and staying loyal to locals.