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Rashel Post really takes the adage “reduce, reuse, recycle” to heart with Peddling Post, her small business that assesses and sells valuables that are no longer wanted or needed. Rashel is passionate about giving unwanted items a second life, whether that’s through reselling, upcycling, or donating, and she shares where Peddling Post got its start and how it’s evolved from the beginning. Reselling items yourself can be intimidating, but Rashel shares her tips – as well as how she keeps her business ready for growth and change. Full show notes at LocalistPodcast.com.  Mentioned in this episode:  PeddlingPost.com Marie Kondo Poshmark  tinyurl.com/carrieconsult CarrieRollwagen.com @CRollwagen on Instagram  eBay  Goodwill  Community Furniture Bank  Sozo Trading  Grace Klein  Retold Recycling  King’s Home  ThredUp  The RealReal  Etsy  Gone for Good  Devote Studio  Antiques Roadshow

This week we’re welcoming Land Arnold of Letters Bookshop. Land and Carrie begin by catching up with how Letters weathered the pandemic )they moved to a new location!). We then discuss selling on Bookshop.org, how the book industry’s experiences battling Amazon can be useful to other ecommerce shops, and why brick-and-mortar stores are important. We get into the nitty gritty of selling both new and used books, how often inventory should turn over, and where to begin if you want to start a bookstore. Full show notes at LocalistPodcast.com. 

This week we’re welcoming Megan Cain, owner of The Zen Succulent with locations in both Raleigh and Durham, NC. Megan got her start on Etsy while unable to land a job after graduating with a business degree and deciding to pursue what brought her peace and creativity - plants! We learn how Megan went from humble beginnings in her mom’s garage to two thriving locations, features in everything from Architecture Digest to HGTV, and how she has grown her business even during a pandemic. Megan also shares her perspective on social media, multiple revenue streams, and managing customer expectations. Full show notes at LocalistPodcast.com.  Mentioned in this episode:  The Zen Succulent The Zen Succulent Press Modern Terrarium Studio  Spectrum Pay it Forward Grant The Parlour  CarrieRollwagen.com Church Street Coffee and Books  Jonathan Benton Bookseller  Infomedia  One Quick Question with Infomedia  Tinyurl.com/carrieconsult 

This week we’re welcoming Jonathan Walls, a potential business owner who’s developing a board game concept. Carrie does her first business consultation with Jonathan, and we get to listen in! We hear what Carrie learned from her branding consultant, Emily Wells, and then we talk through Jonathan’s questions: Should he start an LLC or an S Corp? Use Legal Zoom or a lawyer? What are the pros and cons of raising money through investors versus with a Kickstarter? And how should Jonathan value the contributions of his business partner? Find full show notes at LocalistPodcast.com.

This week we’re talking with Maddie Roberts, realtor and cofounder of Alabama Home Girl Group, your go-to for all things real estate. Maddie tells us how she made the jump from marketing to real estate, and how she thinks outside the box when it comes to marketing her homes and services. Maddie shares her strategy for content creation, how she connects with her followers, and how she handles pushback from fellow realtors. Consulting can get a bad rap, but Maddie shares how she consults with entrepreneurs, and Carrie shares about starting her own consulting services. Full show notes at LocalistPodcast.com.  

This week we’re welcoming Maria Underwood, founder of the Chrome extension Fundrage that follows along as you read the news and allows you to donate to related nonprofits in real time. Maria had virtually no tech experience after a career in nonprofits, but decided to found Fundrage in 2017. Maria shares how she got started with sourcing funding, finding developers, and getting the word out about Fundrage. We also learn how Maria is constantly updating Fundrage based on feedback and how all feedback has the potential to be helpful. Full show notes at LocalistPodcast.com. 

This week we’re talking with Johnny Ardis, board member of Open Books and The Prison Book Project, a used bookstore and 501c3 nonprofit in Pensacola that sends books to inmates across Florida. We dive into the origin story of both the bookstore and the nonprofit and how it has evolved over the years, including how the pandemic affected them. Open Books is 99% donation based and volunteer-run, and Johnny shares the intricacies of depending on donations and volunteers to run a business. We also learn ways to get involved with The Prison Book Project and ways to start something similar in your area. Full show notes at LocalistPodcast.com

This week we’re sharing a new quarterly series where we review the highs and lows from the previous quarter. Carrie has experimented with a ton of different systems and has honed it down to a few steps that work both personally and professionally. We break down why reviewing a quarter is better than longer or shorter periods of time, Carrie’s tried and true methods, and four different categories to focus on. Carrie also shares great resources to get inspired and start your own quarterly review. Full show notes at LocalistPodcast.com. 

We’re welcoming back Pam Sanderson, Director of Account Development at Infomedia, to dig into the mysteries of increasing website traffic. Pam has over a decade of experience and shares her knowledge on what you need to consider before you build or redesign your website, and tips to make Google happy (and thus send people to your website!). We then touch on a few digital services to drive web traffic, social media best practices, and when you should and shouldn’t try to do this yourself. Full show notes at LocalistPodcast.com. 

You’ve probably heard more about cyber attacks and hacking in the past few days in light of the war between Russia and Ukraine. These are scary words! That’s why we brought Michael Stuckey back on to break down what this can mean for us and our small businesses. We dive into how misinformation can be perpetuated so quickly, and how to identify legit sources. Cyber attacks can take many forms and we break those down as well as ways you can protect yourself and your assets. We wrap up with the best general security practices and practical tips. Full show notes at LocalistPodcast.com. 

Is it just us, or has the first quarter of 2022 felt like walking through mud? Ok, we know it’s not just us, and that’s exactly what we’re diving into on this week’s episode. Carrie breaks down some of the reasons we may be feeling like this, and other factors that may be contributing to the general malaise. She then gets into what NOT to do (guilt has no place here!), and then gives easy, actionable tips and resources to break out of the slump. Full show notes at LocalistPodcast.com. 

“Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.” That’s the motto of Courtney Matthews, tax coach and this week’s guest here to tackle all things tax-related! Taxes are intimidating to most people but Courtney gives her expert tips to help us all get ahead and prepare for 2022 taxes. We cover what you can (and can’t) deduct, whether you actually have to keep all those receipts or not, and how to avoid the mistakes she sees all the time. Courtney also shares how to find a legit tax professional, and how to handle a side hustle. Full show notes at LocalistPodcast.com.  Mentioned in this episode:  mCoreTax.com Tax Coach Courtney on YouTube @TaxCoachCourtney on Instagram  Xero Accounting software Wave Accounting Software Bonsai Freelance Accounting ScanGuru on AppleScanGuru on GooglePlay  Gusto  Systems Accelerator  CarrieRollwagen.com @CRollwagen on Instagram

This week on the Localist, we’re talking to Eric Bennett and John Easterling, two local bartenders who are opening their own bar, Continental Drift, soon. Eric and John have both worked in the most popular bars and restaurants in Birmingham, and are putting their expertise and experience to work. They tell us how they found the perfect location, how the buildout phase is going, and how the pandemic has affected their opening schedule. We also learn the inspiration behind their menu, how they’re approaching staffing and management, and the concerns they have about working together as friends. Full show notes at LocalistPodcast.com. 

This week we’re bringing you an episode from Telluride, CO! Carrie talks with Megan Ossolo, owner of The Butcher & The Baker in Telluride, about tourism, housing issues, and staffing. Housing issues have ramped up everywhere in the past few years, and Telluride is no exception. However, Telluride is struggling to find a balance between its dependence on tourism and supporting locals. Megan tells us how she’s working to incentivize home owners to rent long term, how she’s dealt with the pushback, and how important it is to take care of your staff. Full show notes at LocalistPodcast.com. 

The enneagram has been around for a long time, but you’ve probably noticed it’s blown up in popularity the past few years. You’ve undoubtedly seen a few memes, and may feel clueless if you haven’t dipped your toe in yet! Fear not, we’ve brought on Enneagram coach Jorja White to break down what the Enneagram really is (and isn’t), and how it can help you in your business. Jorja describes the main pros of using the Enneagram as a business owner, the value in investing in your staff, and her process when working with clients. Jorja also touches on the benefits to knowing your type even if you’re not a business owner! Full show notes at LocalistPodcast.com.

We’re wrapping up our goal setting series with a celebration! Why? Because that’s a critical part of the goal setting process! We know it can feel silly and frivolous to celebrate your own accomplishments, but we’re breaking down why you should do exactly that. Carrie details her tried and true methods for reviewing goals and progress, how it actually helps your brain to do so, and out-of-the-box ways to measure progress even if you feel like you didn’t make any. Then we dive into all the fun ideas for celebration! Dinner, a party, even a special cup of coffee does the trick! Full show notes at LocalistPodcast.com. 

In the fourth episode of our goal setting series, we’re diving into how to handle the inevitable interruptions that come up and derail us from our goals. Carrie starts off with how to find your focus groove in the first place, and how to identify if and when you’ll allow interruptions. Believe it or not, rest is actually really important when it comes to getting focused again; Carrie breaks down how to know if you’re getting distracted or if you really just need a break. Full show notes at LocalistPodcast.com.

We’re back with the third episode of our goal setting series and this time we’re tackling the near-inevitable hopelessness that we all feel when our goals seem a little too far out of reach. This “valley of despair” is totally normal (there are even studies about it!) and we’re sharing our best tips for how to get out of the pit. Carrie dives into the difference between tactics and goals, the importance of being honest with yourself and the goals you’ve set, and the magic of measurement. Full show notes at LocalistPodcast.com.

We’re back with the second episode of our goals series and this week we’re talking about SMART goals! We’ve all undoubtedly read at least one poorly written blog post going on about SMART goals, but Carrie takes it a step further and gives real life examples of how to set goals that are actually smart and work for you. Carrie walks us through the acronym and breaks down what works for her, the benefits of following this system, and the value in rethinking failure. Full show notes at LocalistPodcast.com.

The Localist Podcast is back with a brand new series to kick off 2022! The new year is a perfect time to both reflect and set new goals, and that’s exactly what Carrie is diving into today. She breaks down what this series is (and Isn’t), her best tips for setting yourself up for success, and the best methods for honing in on your goals. Carrie then shares a ton of resources that have helped her with goal setting (and achieving!), as well as knowing when to scale back. Full Show notes at LocalistPodcast.com. Mentioned in this episode:  CarrieRollwagen.com  @CRollwagen on Instagram Crayola Super Tips Markers The Secret  Emily Wells Design on the Localist Podcast  Infomedia  Good Job by Alicia Keys  I Won't Back Down by Tom Petty You’re Welcome with Hilary Rushford  Marketing Made Simple Podcast  Second Life by Hillary Kerr Podcast  The Tim Ferriss Show Working Girl  Empire Records  You’ve Got Mail The Fast and the Furious Kelly Cummings on the Localist Podcast 12 Week Mastermind Localist Podcast Episode About The 12 Week Year Buy the 12 Week Year Book WW  Year Compass