The Localist with Carrie Rollwagen

How do you compete with Domino's when you are running a small pizza shop with two food trucks and a brick and mortar? In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen sits down with George Gilliam, owner of Uncle G's Pizza in Birmingham. George is honest about the journey. He has pivoted his business more than once, from food truck to brick and mortar to takeout-only with a commissary kitchen. He...

AI can give you words. But it can't give you judgment. This episode is a live recording from Localist Lab, the free monthly marketing event series for small business owners in Birmingham. Janna Stevens, Communications Director at Infomedia, takes the stage to walk a live audience through writing with AI. Janna is a career writer. She has spent years honing grammar, voice and style. She talks about...

What if the app you have been wishing existed could actually be built by you, even if you don't know how to code? In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Dan Atchison, the creator of Tend+, an iOS app that helps you tend to the relationships already in your phone. You download the app, pick the people you want to keep in touch with, set how often you want to connect, and T...

Email is one of the cheapest and most direct ways to talk to your customers. So why are so many small business owners still ignoring it? In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Luke Richey, Director of Content Marketing at Uptick Marketing. Luke and Carrie are both writers, and they both know that good writing can sell services in a way most other marketing simply cannot....

What does it really take to open a bookstore, survive a pandemic in your first year, and then expand twice in six years? In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Kristen Iskandrian, co-owner of Thank You Books in Birmingham's Crestwood neighborhood. Thank You Books opened in December 2019, just months before COVID closed everything down. Six years later, they are expanding...

What if a few hours of part-time help would change your week? This episode is a live recording from Localist Lab, the free monthly marketing event series for small business owners in Birmingham. Carrie Rollwagen takes the speaker seat this time to walk a live audience through how she hired a virtual assistant, what she actually has her VA do, and where AI tools fit into the mix. Carrie covers what...

Growing a Business Without Losing What Makes It Special | Golden Age Wine In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Brandon Loper and Trent Stewart, co-owners of Golden Age Wine in Birmingham. Last time Brandon and Trent were on the podcast, it was during the pandemic. A lot has changed since then. They still have their original Mountain Brook location, but they also have Go...

Your website traffic might be down. But that doesn't mean your business is. In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Pam Darden, VP of Accounts and Revenue at Infomedia, to answer real audience questions about small business websites in the age of AI. Pam has worked with small business clients for over 10 years. She knows what actually works, and what is quietly costing you...

What if the reason you opened a business had nothing to do with profit? In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Cierra Lober, founder of Cha House, a community hub centered around a tea house in Avondale, Birmingham. Cierra did not set out to open a tea shop. She set out to build a community center, and she chose tea as the method — specifically the traditional Chinese pra...

What if the reason your small business marketing isn't working has nothing to do with your budget, your platform or your posting schedule? This episode is a live recording from Localist Lab, our free monthly marketing event for small business owners in Birmingham. Marketing consultant Laine White of Uptick Marketing joined Carrie Rollwagen on stage at Saturn in Avondale to share a simple three-que...

Can a small business in Birmingham actually work with a local influencer? And if so, how do you even start? In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Laine White, Marketing Consultant and Innovation Strategist at Uptick Marketing, to answer real audience questions about local influencer marketing. Laine made a semi-viral Instagram post about how small businesses are missing...

What does it take to build a platform that actually changes the way people see their city? In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Hattie O'Hara, the creator behind One Week in Birmingham, a weekly Instagram series that tells the story of life in Birmingham through local businesses, events and community. Over 60 episodes in, Hattie has built one of the most beloved local p...

What if the best place to make new friends turned out to be a craft table? In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Blakely O'Connor, founder of The Craft Room, a creative reuse store in West Homewood, Birmingham. The Craft Room collects donated arts and craft supplies from the community and resells them at affordable prices, while also serving as a drop-in maker space, wor...

In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Myres Allen and Stephen Peacock, the hosts of Word of Mouth Podcast, a Birmingham show dedicated to telling the stories of people doing interesting and meaningful things in the city. This is the second half of a podcast swap: Carrie appeared on Word of Mouth first, and now the tables are turned. Myres and Stephen talk about why commu...

Search has changed more in the last two years than in the previous seven combined. Is your small business still getting found? This episode is a live recording from the first ever Localist Lab event, a free live marketing series for small business owners hosted by The Localist. Our speaker is Pam Darden, Director of Account Development at Infomedia, who breaks down exactly how the rise of AI searc...

What if the secret to standing out in a tough industry was just treating people the way they deserve to be treated? In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Chris Palmer, founder of Green Garage, an auto repair shop in Birmingham's Automotive Historic District. Chris shares how intentionally hiring people with hospitality backgrounds transformed the customer experience at G...

What does your brand actually say about your business, and when is it time to change it? In this episode of The Localist, host Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Caleb Chancey, Creative Director at Infomedia, to answer real branding questions submitted by the audience. They cover what branding actually means beyond fonts and colors, whether AI-generated logos are a good starting point, why simplicity...

From Backyard Roasting to Birmingham Roastery | Bert Davis of DaySol Coffee What does it take to turn a backyard hobby into a thriving coffee business? In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen talks with Bert Davis, co-owner of DaySol Coffee, about growing a specialty coffee brand from roasting beans in his Colorado backyard to opening a full roastery in Birmingham's Pepper Place district...

Alabama Twisters: When Competitors Become Teammates What happens when nine gym owners stop competing against each other — and start building something together? The Alabama Twisters are a professional jiu jitsu team competing in the Professional Grappling Federation (PGF), a submission-only league built for action. No points. Only submissions. There's even a shot clock for stalling — because in th...

Tech startup veteran Jarrod Morgan joins The Localist to share how he grew ProctorU, navigated pandemic-era challenges, and then pivoted to physical products with Tuff Dog Coatings and Morgan Muscle. This episode is a must-listen for entrepreneurs interested in reinvention, customer-first strategies, and applying tech skills to blue-collar businesses. Mentioned in this episode: Formerly Meazure Le...

Born from a pandemic pivot, The Son of a Butcher has become a local favorite in Birmingham's Pepper Place. In this episode, we talk with Brian McMillan and John Litzinger about their journey from wholesale to storefront, the art of cheesemongering, and why food and community go hand-in-hand.   Mentioned in this episode: Website: https://thesonofabutcher.com Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/th...

Accounting doesn't have to be cold or confusing. In this episode, Carrie talks with Jordan Pridemore of LUCA about how they help small businesses use financial data to grow, not just survive. Learn why advisory services, tech-forward tools, and true partnerships are the future of accounting.   Mentioned in this episode: Website: https://www.lucahq.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luca_hq/...

Janet King, founder of The Gathering Lab, joins The Localist to explore why modern friendships feel harder than ever—and what we can do about it. From her groundbreaking Circles model to the science of trust and connection, Janet offers a refreshing and hopeful roadmap for rebuilding community in a disconnected world.   Mentioned in this episode: Website: https://thegatheringlab.com/ Instagram: @t...

Laura Smith of The Electric joins The Localist to share her journey opening a second restaurant location. From pandemic delays to vintage decor hunts, Laura dives into the highs and challenges of expanding her business without losing its soul. This one's packed with small business insight and local flavor. Mentioned in this episode: Website: https://www.theelectricbar.com/   The Electric Bluff Par...

Michael Sellers is reviving Ghost Train, launching a new brand called Porch, and building an entire beverage collective on Birmingham's Hugh Kaul Trail. In this episode, he joins Carrie Rollwagen to talk about alcohol trends, risk, regulation—and building brands that last. Mentioned in this episode: Porch Instagram: www.instagram.com/drinkporch/   Porch Website: www. DrinkPorch.com   Good People B...