Why Treating People Well Is Good Business | Chris Palmer, Green Garage
The Localist with Carrie Rollwagen
Release Date: 03/24/2026
How The Craft Room Turns Creativity Into Community | Blakely O'Connor
The Localist with Carrie Rollwagen
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, workshop venue and private event destination. Blakely talks about why having your hands busy actually makes conversation easier, how she manages inventory she can never predict, why she chose to run The...
info_outline
A Podcast that Builds Community, Not Just Content | Word of Mouth Podcast
The Localist with Carrie Rollwagen
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 community, not content, has always been the real mission behind the show, how they think about building connection in an increasingly isolated world, what it is like when strangers know you better than...
info_outline
SEO for the AI Era: How Small Businesses Get Found Now | Pam Darden of Infomedia
The Localist with Carrie Rollwagen
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 search tools like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and Perplexity is changing the way customers find local businesses, and what you can do right now to make sure you are still showing up. Pam covers why...
info_outline
Why Treating People Well Is Good Business | Chris Palmer, Green Garage
The Localist with Carrie Rollwagen
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 Green Garage, and why simply doing what you say you will do turns out to be better than average in the auto repair industry. Chris also talks about 13 years of building and adapting the business, from...
info_outline
How Good Brands Evolve as Business Grows | Caleb Chancey of Infomedia
The Localist with Carrie Rollwagen
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 can be the most expensive option, and how to know when your brand needs to grow. Caleb and Carrie also pull back the curtain on the real-world branding evolution of The Localist podcast, including...
info_outline
From a Garage in Woodlawn to a Roastery Downtown | Daysol Coffee
The Localist with Carrie Rollwagen
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. Bert shares lessons about business partnerships, scaling a small business, building systems over time, managing wholesale accounts like Piggly Wiggly, and knowing when to expand even when you...
info_outline
Building a Fan Base with the Alabama Twisters
The Localist with Carrie Rollwagen
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 this league, you get penalized for being passive. In this episode, Carrie talks with Russell Marbut, Matt Elkins, and Flearoy Brown about: How the PGF rule set works Running a team with nine...
info_outline
Why Customer Experience Is the Ultimate Business Hack with Jarrod Morgan
The Localist with Carrie Rollwagen
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 Learning (Proctor U former) Website - Tuff Dog Coating Instagram - Morgan Muscle Cars Instagram -
info_outline
Relationships Come First at Son of a Butcher
The Localist with Carrie Rollwagen
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: Instagram: Evan’s Meat & Seafood: Pepper Place:
info_outline
How LUCA's Business Advisors Go Beyond Basic Accounting
The Localist with Carrie Rollwagen
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: Instagram: Fox Hound Bee Company:
info_outlineWhat 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 Green Garage, and why simply doing what you say you will do turns out to be better than average in the auto repair industry.
Chris also talks about 13 years of building and adapting the business, from starting with hybrid vehicles to adding a licensed locksmith operation, buying his own building to protect against rising downtown rents, and how treating employees like an investment rather than a cost has driven real loyalty and growth.
If you own a small business, work in the trades, or are thinking about what kind of business to start, this episode is full of practical, honest insight on customer experience, employee investment and building something that lasts.
🎥 Watch the Full Episode on YouTube
______________________________________________________________________________________________
💻 Connect with Green Garage
Green Garage is an eco-friendly, ASE Master Certified auto repair shop in Birmingham's Automotive Historic District, serving domestic, European and import vehicles.
Website: https://greengaragebham.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greengaragebham/
Auto Keyco (wholesale locksmith services): https://greengaragebham.com
Mentioned in This Episode:
Auto Keyco (wholesale locksmith & key programming): https://autokeyco.com/
Uptick Marketing (Green Garage's marketing partner): https://www.uptickmarketing.com
Thompson Architecture: https://thompsonarchitecture.com/
______________________________________________________________________________________________
📲 Follow Carrie Rollwagen
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crollwagen
Website: https://www.carrierollwagen.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/crollwagen
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@crollwagen
______________________________________________________________________________________________
📢 Thanks to OurSponsor, Infomedia
The Localist is sponsored by Infomedia, a Birmingham-based web and digital marketing company that helps small businesses get big results online.
Contact Infomedia: https://infomedia.com/contact
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Join Us at Localist Lab
Localist Lab is our free live marketing event series for small business owners, held on the third Thursday of most months at Saturn in Avondale. Each session features practical strategies you can use right away, plus free tacos and coffee.
See upcoming events and register https://infomedia.com/events
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Subscribe to Carrie's Newsletter
Get more small business insights, resources and behind-the-scenes updates from Carrie delivered straight to your inbox.