Episodes & Insights from Lowcountry Business Owners
Explore stories, strategies, and lessons from entrepreneurs, creatives, and innovators shaping the Lowcountry. From the challenges they’ve overcome to the successes they’ve celebrated, every episode brings actionable insights and inspiration straight to your ears.
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In this special edition of Listen LowCo, guest host and artist Leli Holmes sits down with fellow creative entrepreneur Lissy Rawl, founder of Little Fish Boateak and co-founder of Clover and Palm, for an honest conversation about creativity, entrepreneurship, burnout, and building a successful handmade brand in the Lowcountry. Lissy shares the inspiring story behind launching Little Fish Boateak from her garage over a decade ago while raising young children — teaching herself jewelry making through YouTube tutorials, experimenting with fabrics and textures, and slowly growing the business through pop-ups, trunk shows, and word of mouth. The conversation explores: Starting a creative business from scratch Turning handmade jewelry into a recognizable brand Growing a business while raising a family The realities of burnout as an entrepreneur Learning business, branding, and marketing on the fly Creativity, design, and finding your artistic voice Building authentic Lowcountry-inspired products AI and the future of creative design The launch of Clover and Palm Why community and supporting other women entrepreneurs matters Lissy also opens up about the challenges of scaling a handcrafted business, finding quality manufacturers, navigating creative burnout, and learning how to rebuild a healthier balance between work, creativity, and family life. For artists, makers, entrepreneurs, and anyone building something creative, this episode offers a deeply relatable look behind the scenes of what it actually takes to turn passion into a sustainable business. 🎙️ Listen LowCo highlights entrepreneurs, artists, and business owners throughout the South Carolina Lowcountry — sharing real stories, lessons learned, and the journey behind building meaningful brands and businesses.
In this episode of Listen LowCo, Matt and Patrick sit down with Ian Duncan, founder of The Grind Roasters, to talk about entrepreneurship, community, coffee culture, and the rapid growth happening across Bluffton and the South Carolina Lowcountry. Ian shares his journey from growing up in Kansas and working in landscaping to discovering specialty coffee, launching a roasting company, and eventually building one of Bluffton’s most recognizable local coffee brands. The conversation explores what it really takes to grow a small business in a fast-changing market — from hiring challenges and rising rents to networking, marketing, and scaling multiple locations. They discuss: Starting a coffee business from scratch Growing The Grind from wholesale roasting to two storefronts The evolution of Bluffton since 2008 Coffee shop culture and community spaces Marketing strategies for local businesses The challenges of hiring and retaining employees Rising commercial rent and development in the Lowcountry Why networking groups like BNI and Rotary matter Entrepreneurship, systems, and scaling operations The future growth of Bluffton and surrounding areas Ian also talks about The Grind’s wholesale coffee operation, local partnerships, upcoming menu additions, event catering, and how creating an inviting community-focused environment became a key part of the brand’s success. 🎙️ Listen LowCo highlights entrepreneurs, creatives, and business owners throughout the South Carolina Lowcountry, sharing real stories and practical lessons about building businesses and community.
In this episode of Listen LowCo, Patrick turns the mic around and interviews Matt Holmes, founder of 221B Studios, about his journey from corporate creative work to building a video production company and podcast studio in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Matt shares how a career in media production, nonprofit storytelling, healthcare marketing, and corporate communications eventually led him to step away from corporate life and bet on entrepreneurship. From working Olympic broadcasts and nonprofit media teams to navigating mergers inside the healthcare industry, Matt opens up about burnout, career pivots, uncertainty, and the challenges of building something from scratch. The conversation dives into: Leaving corporate healthcare marketing Starting a creative business after severance The evolution of 221B Studios Why storytelling matters in business Building a podcast studio inside The Grind in Bluffton Entrepreneurship, fear, and growth The realities of freelancing and creative work Video marketing for small businesses Scaling a business while staying creative Why authenticity beats polished marketing Matt and Patrick also discuss the power of community, networking through BNI, the future of video content, and why local businesses need authentic storytelling now more than ever. 🎙️ Listen LowCo is a podcast highlighting entrepreneurs, creatives, and business owners across the South Carolina Lowcountry — sharing real stories, lessons learned, and the journey behind building a business.
What happens when a six-figure corporate career disappears overnight? In this episode of Listen LowCo, Matt interviews Patrick, founder of Kickstart Local, to talk about the real side of entrepreneurship — layoffs, uncertainty, financial pressure, reinvention, and building a business from scratch in the Lowcountry. Patrick shares how he went from working in corporate IT for companies like UnitedHealthcare to getting laid off during a wave of outsourcing, training his overseas replacement, and ultimately betting on himself. From real estate side hustles and e-commerce experiments to Facebook ads, Shopify stores, and eventually launching a successful local marketing agency, this conversation dives deep into what it actually takes to survive and grow as an entrepreneur. They discuss: Escaping the corporate world Entrepreneurship and risk-taking Building a business after layoffs E-commerce and Facebook ads Starting a marketing agency from zero Life as a business owner in Bluffton, South Carolina The realities of financial stress and burnout Why community and networking matter Lessons learned from failure, reinvention, and persistence If you're a small business owner, entrepreneur, freelancer, or someone dreaming about leaving the 9-to-5 world, this episode offers an honest look at what that journey really feels like. 🎙️ Listen LowCo highlights entrepreneurs, creators, and business owners across the South Carolina Lowcountry, sharing the stories behind their businesses and the lessons they've learned along the way.
Welcome to the very first episode of Listen LowCo. In this kickoff conversation, Matt Holmes of 221B Studios and Patrick Malone of Kickstart Local share the story behind launching the podcast, why they kept putting it off for months, and the mindset shift that finally pushed them to hit record. The theme of this episode is simple: Just Start. From business ideas and marketing strategies to video content and entrepreneurship, Matt and Patrick talk openly about perfectionism, fear of failure, analysis paralysis, and why imperfect action is almost always better than waiting for the perfect moment. We discuss: Starting a business before you feel ready Why entrepreneurs overthink content creation Video marketing for local businesses The importance of consistency over perfection Building trust through authentic content How social media and video help businesses grow Educational vs entertainment content Why local businesses should start creating video now Entrepreneurship, marketing, and storytelling Launching a podcast from scratch They also introduce the mission behind Listen LowCo — spotlighting entrepreneurs, creators, and business owners throughout the South Carolina Lowcountry while helping businesses learn how better storytelling and marketing can grow their brands. Whether you’re launching a business, thinking about starting a podcast, creating content for the first time, or simply stuck waiting for the “right time,” this episode is your reminder to stop overthinking and start moving. 🎙️ Listen LowCo is a podcast focused on real conversations with Lowcountry business owners, entrepreneurs, and creatives sharing the wins, failures, lessons, and realities behind building something meaningful.
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