In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen talks with Jim Watkins about establishing his business, Sons Donuts, the thoughtful design and operational decisions that set it apart and how it maintains a dedicated customer base despite competition. Jim also shares insights on his previous venture, Steel City Pops, and the lessons learned from rapid business growth and eventual challenges, emphasizing the importance of quality, customer connection and sustainable business practices.

Mentioned in this episode:

Sons Donuts + Pops Website: https://www.sonsdonuts.com/

Sons Donuts + Pops Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonsdonutsandpops/

Dreamcakes Bakery: https://www.facebook.com/dreamcakesbham/

Church of Brook Hills: https://www.brookhills.org/

Southern Progress: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Progress_Corporation

Steel City Pops: https://www.instagram.com/steelcitypops

Big Spoon Creamery: https://www.bigspooncreamery.com/

Ladybird Taco on The Localist: https://carrierollwagen.com/podcast-episodes/the-magic-behind-ladybird-taco/

Rougaroux: https://www.rougarouxbhm.com/

John Evans: https://www.villagelivingonline.com/business/the-wait-is-over927/

Lane Parke: www.laneparke.com

Church Street Coffee & Books: https://www.instagram.com/punchlovecoffee

Punch Love Coffee: https://www.instagram.com/punchlovecoffee

Infomedia: https://infomedia.com

In this episode of The Localist, host Carrie Rollwagen discusses the importance of nurturing new ideas by carefully choosing whom to share them with first. She outlines the concept introduced by Tara Schuster of categorizing people into "hype men," "road warriors" and "absolutely nots" to effectively protect and develop ideas before exposing them to criticism. The episode highlights the value of positive feedback and strategic advice in the early stages of idea formation.

Mentioned in this episode:

Carrie’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/crollwagen

Sign up for Carrie’s newsletter: https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=9c59a060684d71f12f6e495fc&id=98cd3122b9

Carrie’s Website: https://carrierollwagen.com/

Tara Schuster’s Book: https://bookshop.org/p/books/buy-yourself-the-f-cking-lilies-and-other-rituals-to-fix-your-life-from-someone-who-s-been-there-tara-schuster/12072763?ean=9780525509905

 Duquette Johnston’s Localist Episode: https://carrierollwagen.com/podcast-episodes/beyond-the-brick-and-mortar-with-duquette-johnston/

In this episode of The Localist, host Carrie Rollwagen interviews sustainable fashion advocate Julie Maeseele. They discuss Julie's journey from imposter syndrome to finding joy in customer interactions, the challenges and rewards of creating one-of-a-kind garments and the importance of mindful fashion practices and supporting local economies. Julie's unique business model, collaborative projects and impact on her daughter's perception of her work are also highlighted.

Mentioned in this episode:

Julie Maeseele Website: www.juliemaeseele.com

Julie Maeseele Instagram: www.instagram.com/juliemaeseele

Birmingham Emerging Designer competition: https://www.birminghamtimes.com/2024/09/magic-city-fashion-week-gears-up-for-season-5-with-events-beginning-saturday/

Basic Shop: https://abasicshop.com/collections/julie-maeseele?srsltid=AfmBOorbZDkxsSvgjA1lQqUvFppR4ujJ2rYVIVrZlyd8TkUF9J2y6FcV

Garment Revival: https://www.juliemaeseele.com/about-the-project.html#/

Winslet & Rhys: https://www.instagram.com/winsletandrhys/?hl=en

Graham Yelton: https://grahamyelton.com/

Lillis Taylor: https://www.lillistaylor.com/

Bib & Tucker: https://bibandtuckersewop.org/pages/about-our-founders

Manuel: https://countrymusichalloffame.org/exhibit/suiting-the-sound/manuel/

In this episode of The Localist, host Carrie Rollwagen discusses the concepts of manager time and maker time, explaining the differences in workflow for managers who thrive on scheduled meetings and makers who require uninterrupted blocks of time for creative and deep work. She offers practical advice for balancing these two types of schedules both for individuals who control their own time and those working within larger organizations.

Mentioned in this episode:

Carrie’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/crollwagen

Sign up for Carrie’s newsletter: https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=9c59a060684d71f12f6e495fc&id=98cd3122b9

Carrie’s Website: https://carrierollwagen.com/

Next Right Thing Podcast: https://emilypfreeman.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/The-Next-Right-Thing-185.pdf

Paul Graham on Manager Time and Maker Time: https://paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html

In this episode of The Localist, Carrie interviews Emile Hughes, founder of RideBHM, a downhill mountain biking park in Birmingham. Emile discusses the park's creation and development, the challenges faced in transforming the land, the benefits of e-bikes, and future plans, including expanding the shuttle system and improving infrastructure to enhance visitor experiences.

Mentioned in this episode:

RideBHM Website: https://ridebhm.com/

RideBHM Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ridebhm

Kanuga Bike Park: https://ridekanuga.com/

Red Mountain Park: https://redmountainpark.org/

Dialed Dirt: https://dialeddirt.myportfolio.com/ 

Thomson Cat: https://thompsontractor.com/

Ruffner Mountain: https://ruffnermountain.org/

Turkey Creek: https://turkeycreeknp.com/

Ohm Jiu Jitsu: https://www.ohmjiujitsu.com/

In this episode of The Localist, host Carrie Rollwagen discusses common misconceptions about morning routines and provides practical strategies for sticking to them. She emphasizes the importance of enjoyment, simplicity and seasonal adjustments, sharing tips from her own experience to help listeners create a sustainable morning routine.

Mentioned in this episode:

Carrie’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/crollwagen

Sign up for Carrie’s newsletter: https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=9c59a060684d71f12f6e495fc&id=98cd3122b9

Carrie’s Website: https://carrierollwagen.com/

Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything: https://bookshop.org/p/books/tiny-habits-the-small-changes-that-change-everything-bj-fogg/11781005?ean=9780358362777

In this episode of The Localist, host Carrie Rollwagen interviews Crystal Salter from Sozo Trading, an upscale thrift store supporting the Sozo Children's mission in Uganda. They discuss the challenges and rewards of running a mission-driven thrift store, including maintaining cleanliness, offering significant discounts and the importance of mindful consumerism. Crystal also elaborates on Sozo's community engagement, sustainability efforts and exciting store events and promotions.

Mentioned in this episode:

Sozo Website: https://www.sozotrading.org/

Sozo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sozotradingco/

Sozo Children: https://sozochildren.org/

Sozo Fair Trade Goods: https://www.sozotrading.org/global-goods/

The Foundry: https://foundryministries.com/

SMco Thrift: https://smcothrift.com/

Pick up my donation: https://www.pickupmydonation.com/

Rage Room: https://www.birminghamrageroom.com/

In this episode of The Localist, host Carrie Rollwagen discusses the importance of building a personalized morning routine for success. She emphasizes focusing on elements like maintaining consistency, incorporating sensory experiences and including activities such as listening to a playlist, exercising, reflecting, and eating a good breakfast. The goal is to create a routine that suits individual needs and preferences, rather than following a strict, one-size-fits-all model.

Mentioned in this episode:

Carrie’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/crollwagen

Sign up for Carrie’s newsletter: https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=9c59a060684d71f12f6e495fc&id=98cd3122b9

Carrie’s Website: https://carrierollwagen.com/

The Power of Habit: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-power-of-habit-why-we-do-what-we-do-in-life-and-business-charles-duhigg/7843601?ean=9780812981605

Atomic Habits: https://bookshop.org/p/books/atomic-habits-an-easy-proven-way-to-build-good-habits-break-bad-ones-james-clear/12117739?ean=9780735211292

Snoop Dogg Affirmations Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGFBxoWqOV0

Morning Pages: https://juliacameronlive.com/basic-tools/morning-pages/

The Creative ACT: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin: 

https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-creative-act-a-way-of-being-rick-rubin/18543579?ean=9780593652886

The Daily Stoic: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-daily-stoic-366-meditations-on-wisdom-perseverance-and-the-art-of-living-ryan-holiday/12470416?ean=9780735211735

In this episode of The Localist, Adam Hickman of Foxhound Bee Company shares his journey from starting a beekeeping business in his garage to expanding into a full-fledged retail store with plans for further growth. He emphasizes the importance of education, content quality and a strategic approach to ecommerce and product development, avoiding rapid scaling and big financial mistakes. Carrie and Adam also discuss the value of supportive advisory relationships for business success.

Mentioned in this episode:

Foxhound Website: https://www.foxhoundbeecompany.com/

Foxhound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foxhoundbeeco

Hardware Park: https://www.hardwarepark.org/

Innovation Depot: https://innovationdepot.org/

Foxhound Bee Company Amazon store: https://www.amazon.com/stores/FoxhoundBeeCompany-BeekeeperSuppliesandEquipmentfromBirminghamAlabama/FoxhoundBeeCompany-BeekeeperSuppliesandEquipmentfromBirminghamAlabama/page/60FDD616-DA6F-4D81-B669-6C63C869725A

CAD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-aided_design#:~:text=Computer%2Daided%20design%20(CAD),or%20optimization%20of%20a%20design.

Luca: https://www.lucahq.com/

People’s Bank of Alabama: https://peoplesbankal.com/

Ecom Crew: https://www.ecomcrew.com/

Sting Stopper: https://stingstopper.buzz/

Buzzbag: https://buzzbag.buzz/

In this episode of The Localist, host Carrie Rollwagen discusses the value of running experiments in personal and business life to test new ideas before fully committing to them. She emphasizes setting specific parameters, time limits and criteria for success to evaluate whether a new approach is worth pursuing, inspired by insights from the Noom app's psychology-based methods.

Mentioned in this episode:

Carrie’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/crollwagen

Sign up for Carrie’s newsletter: https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=9c59a060684d71f12f6e495fc&id=98cd3122b9

Carrie’s Website: https://carrierollwagen.com/

“How to Read Books” (business book episode of the Localist): https://carrierollwagen.com/podcast-episodes/how-to-read-books-from-choosing-the-right-title-to-knowing-when-to-quit/

The Noom Mindset: Learn the Science, Lose the Weight: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-noom-mindset-learn-the-science-lose-the-weight-noom/18583501?ean=9781982194291

Noom book on audio: https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781797146942

“How Do I Actually Set a SMART Goal?” episode of The Localist: https://carrierollwagen.com/podcast-episodes/how-do-i-actually-set-a-smart-goal/