Local Bella Podcast

Alyssa Smith-Cornelius
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Business
  • Weekly

Conversations with the people who make our communities what they are. Hosted by Alyssa Smith, Local Bella features local business owners, creatives, parents, leaders, and storytellers sharing their journeys, lessons, and what they're building right here in the Midwest.

Episodes

  1. 11h ago

    Sales, Podcasting & No Regrets with Julio Gomez

    In this episode of Local Bella, Alyssa sits down with Julio Gomez, Director of Sales at Lexus of Highland Park and host of the Big Man, Big Problems podcast. Julio has spent most of his life in sales, but his podcast takes him into a much more personal space. After living much of his life as a bigger person, losing and regaining weight, and even going through that journey publicly on The Biggest Loser, he created Big Man, Big Problems to have honest conversations with people who understand that struggle firsthand. The conversation moves from podcasting and vulnerability into sales, customer service, generational differences, failure, and what it means to live without constantly looking backward with regret. In this episode, we talk about: What really goes into producing a podcast behind the scenesWhy you don’t need an expensive setup to startThe importance of having a clear theme people can come back toHow podcasting gets more natural the more you do itLearning from the conversations you wish you handled differentlyWhy failure can teach you more than successJulio’s three-part approach to salesWhy great sales starts with understanding your productGiving customers an easy reason to say yesThe psychology behind buying decisionsWhy sales is a learned skill and a trade in its own rightCustomer service and creating an experience people don’t expectLearning to be comfortable with being uncomfortableManaging different generations in the workplaceGen Z, empathy, work ethic and how different generations view workWhy understanding people matters more than judging themLiving with fewer regrets and taking chances while you still canWhy every failure gives you something to carry into the next opportunity Julio also shares the deeper reason behind how he approaches relationships and conversations. As the son of immigrants, he watched his family work hard, sacrifice, and sometimes look back wishing they had done more. That shaped his own approach to life: take the chance, try the thing, and learn from whatever happens next. 🎙️ Podcast: Big Man, Big Problems▶️ YouTube: Big Man, Big Problems📸 Instagram: Big Man, Big Problems📘 Facebook: Big Man, Big Problems🎵 TikTok: Big Man, Big Problems🎧 Spotify + Apple Podcasts: Search Big Man, Big Problems Local Bella is about the people, business owners, creatives and community members doing interesting things right in our own backyard. Real conversations. Different perspectives. A little business, a little life, and usually at least one tangent we didn’t plan for. If you enjoyed this episode, like, subscribe, comment and share it with a neighbor. Basically, hit all the buttons. 😂 See you around town. ❤️

  2. Nov 2

    Bet on Yourself with Yolanda of GLOW Promotional Services

    In Episode 6 of Local Bella, Alyssa sits down with Yolanda, owner of GLOW Promotional Services, to talk about something that feels especially important in a world of social media, automation and AI, People still want to connect with people. Yolanda specializes in in-person promotional and advertising support for small businesses, helping brands get more exposure through events, trade shows, networking and face-to-face connection. Basically, she is the person you want in the room when your business needs energy, visibility and someone who genuinely knows how to talk to people. In this episode, we talk about: Why human connection still matters in businessThe difference between marketing, promotion and event supportWhat it takes to be “on” when your job revolves around peopleManaging your social battery when networking is part of your businessWhy Yolanda naturally found a niche working with nonprofits and faith-based businessesLetting your business evolve instead of forcing it to follow the original planAdvice for shy business owners attending their first trade showWhy games, raffles and interactive experiences work so well at eventsKnowing when to say no to a client or opportunityWhy not all money is good moneyStaying aligned with your values while growing a businessWhy AI still can’t replace genuine human interactionYolanda’s path from corporate America into entrepreneurshipStarting a business in her 40sTurning the thing people already came to her for into an actual companyWhy sometimes the biggest regret is simply not starting soonerBetting on yourself, even when stability feels safer Yolanda also shares how entrepreneurship wasn’t always the obvious path for her. She spent years in corporate America, worked her way up without following the traditional path, and eventually found herself getting a front-row look at business from the C-suite level. One conversation with an investor helped her see something other people had apparently already noticed: Her ability to connect with people was valuable. Years later, she built GLOW around exactly that. One of my favorite parts of this conversation is how much Yolanda genuinely loves people. For her, networking isn’t about walking into a room and collecting as many business cards as possible. It’s about bringing energy, supporting small businesses, making introductions and helping people feel seen. 🌐 Website: https://www.glow-promotional-services.com/📱 Social Media: Find GLOW Promotional Services on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok📍 Serving businesses throughout the Chicagoland area. Local Bella is about the people, business owners, creatives, moms and community builders doing interesting things right in our own backyard. Real conversations. Real businesses. Very little pretending we have everything figured out. If you enjoyed this episode, like, subscribe, comment and share it with a neighbor. Basically, hit all the buttons. 😂 See you around town. ❤️

  3. Oct 26

    Client Retention, Referrals & Pampered Chef with Sue Entwistle

    In Episode 5 of Local Bella, Alyssa sits down with Sue Entwistle, longtime Pampered Chef consultant and corporate gifting specialist, to talk about something businesses probably don’t do enough of, say thank you! Sue has built a whole side of her business around helping companies appreciate the people who keep them in business, from longtime clients to the person who simply sent a great referral their way. And her philosophy is pretty simple: a thoughtful thank-you can do a whole lot more than make someone feel good. It can strengthen relationships, keep customers coming back, and turn happy clients into the people telling everyone they know about you. In this episode, we talk about corporate gifting, client retention, referral appreciation, and why the small touches are sometimes the things people remember most. Sue also shares her history with Pampered Chef, including selling for the company back in the 1980s, stepping away when life required it, and eventually finding her way back decades later after the company pivoted to online parties during COVID. We get into: Why businesses should be thanking their clients more oftenTurning corporate gifting into a relationship-building toolWhy referral partners deserve a thank-you tooHow one simple customer gift can lead to multiple referralsClient retention versus constantly chasing the next new customerWhy useful gifts can have more staying power than something temporaryHow Pampered Chef has evolved while keeping products people have loved for decadesThe comeback of in-person experiences in an increasingly online worldBuilding a business you can run from practically anywhereWhy Sue doesn’t measure every event solely by how much she sellsThe importance of simply giving people a good experienceWhat Sue loves about the Oswego business community And, naturally, we talk kitchen gadgets too. 😂 Sue shares some of what Pampered Chef offers today, from online and in-home parties to kitchen products, pantry items, fundraisers, gift certificates, and personalized corporate gifting. Basically, this episode is a reminder that sometimes growing your business isn’t about finding another stranger to sell to. Sometimes it’s about taking really good care of the people who already chose you. 📍 Aurora, Illinois📞 630-341-8926📧 sue.entwistlepc@gmail.com🌐 www.pamperedchef.com/pws/sentwis📘 Facebook: Susie’s Kitchen Community 🎙️ Local Bella is about the people, business owners, creatives, moms and community builders doing interesting things right in our own backyard. Real conversations. Real businesses. Very little pretending we have everything figured out. Like, subscribe, share it with a neighbor, and basically hit all the buttons. 😂 See you around town. ❤️

  4. Oct 19

    Tattooing, Business & the Art of Keeping It Human with Chris Lawrence

    In Episode 4 of Local Bella, Alyssa sits down with longtime friend and tattoo artist Chris Lawrence of Black Rose Tattoo in South Elgin. Chris has been tattooing Alyssa for years, so this conversation gets personal pretty quickly. 😂 They talk about what actually goes into being a tattoo artist beyond the hours spent with a client, including drawing, running a business, social media, managing a team, staying creative, and trying to keep up with everything when there never seems to be enough time. Chris also talks about the evolution of tattooing, how technology has changed the industry, and what AI is doing to the creative process. Sometimes it can help generate an idea. Other times it creates expectations that simply do not translate well to actual skin. In this episode, we talk about: What people don’t see behind the scenes of tattooingHow much drawing and prep happens outside of an appointmentUsing AI as a creative tool without losing the human side of artWhy some AI-generated tattoo ideas aren’t realistic on skinThe pressure creatives feel to constantly make contentFeeding the algorithm gods 😂Why time is one of the hardest parts of owning a creative businessRunning a tattoo shop during COVIDHow Black Rose grew after the pandemicTattoo stereotypes that still need to disappearClients who changed their minds at the last possible secondPassing out during tattoos and other memorable storiesThe traditional and personal side of tattooingWhy a tattoo appointment can sometimes feel a little like therapyChris’s path from tattooing at home to owning a shopBuilding a team without treating artists like cash cowsManaging different personalities inside a creative businessHow tattoo machines and technology have changed over the yearsThe rise of at-home tattooing and “YouTube University”Taking care of your body when your job has you hunched over for hoursWhat happens when your hobby becomes your workBeing your own toughest critic as an artistThe growth and revitalization happening around South ElginKeeping up with the business side when you really just want to make art Chris also shares how Black Rose Tattoo came together. After spending years trying to break into the industry and dealing with shops that didn’t always feel particularly welcoming, one connection finally opened the right door. That eventually turned into an opportunity to take over the shop and build something of his own. One thing that comes through throughout the episode is that Chris genuinely cares about the craft. For him, tattooing is not just about getting as many people through the door as possible. It is about the artwork, the experience, learning from other artists, helping everyone around him improve, and continuing to get better himself. And yes, part of owning a tattoo shop also includes chiropractors, back rollers and occasionally stretching in the break room. 😂 📸 Instagram: @tatsbyclaw📘 Facebook: Chris Lawrence📍 Black Rose Tattoo: South Elgin, Illinois📸 Black Rose Tattoo: @blackrosesouthelgin Chris regularly shares his work online, and Black Rose posts work from the artists in the shop as well. Local Bella is about the people, business owners, creatives, moms and community builders doing interesting things right in our own backyard. Real conversations. Real businesses. Very little pretending we have everything figured out. If you enjoyed this episode, like, subscribe, comment and share it with a neighbor. Basically, hit all the buttons. 😂 See you around town. ❤️

  5. Oct 12

    Money, Community & Being Yourself with Colin Powers

    In Episode 3 of Local Bella, Alyssa sits down with financial advisor and professional people-connector Colin Powers to talk about money, networking, community, entrepreneurship and what happens when you stop trying to look like everyone else in your industry. Colin helps people better understand their finances, choose accounts and investments that fit their goals, and build a financial approach around the life they actually want to live. But this conversation goes way beyond numbers. Colin talks about starting his career as one of the younger people in a traditionally old-school industry and how, for a while, he wished he looked older just so people would take him more seriously. Eventually, that shifted. Instead of treating his age like a disadvantage, he started seeing it as a strength. We also get into financial shame, why so many people are afraid to talk about money, the importance of finding a budgeting system that actually works for your brain, and why professional financial guidance may be more accessible than people assume. In this episode, we talk about: Why being young in your industry doesn’t have to be a disadvantageThe difference between experience and simply doing the same thing for a long timeWhy Colin stopped trying to fit the stereotypical financial-advisor moldFinding networking groups where you actually feel welcomeHow to decide which networking events are worth your timeBuilding genuine relationships instead of just collecting business cardsColin’s work with YELL, Young Emerging Leaders and LearnersWhy listening is such an important part of leadershipThe misconception that you need to be wealthy before working with a financial professionalWhy talking about money shouldn’t carry so much shameSimple ways to start paying attention to where your money is actually goingWhy budgeting doesn’t have to look the same for everyoneBuilding financial systems around how you operateColin’s personal story and what ultimately brought him into the financial industryTurning difficult experiences into something meaningfulWhy community involvement matters to himThe power of simply being yourself in businessWhy you aren’t supposed to be the right fit for everybody Colin also shares the personal story behind his career in finance. After unexpectedly losing his dad at a young age and seeing firsthand how financial stress affected his family, his career took a completely different direction. Today, helping people feel less overwhelmed by their finances has become much more personal than simply choosing investments. And because this is Local Bella, we obviously talk community too. Colin is heavily involved around Yorkville, regularly connects people with local networking opportunities and helps lead YELL through the Yorkville Area Chamber of Commerce. His approach is pretty simple: bring people together, make them feel welcome and help them find the people and resources they need. Basically, know your numbers, find your people and stop trying so hard to look the part. 📱 Facebook: Search Colin Powers Financial Advisor📸 Instagram: Colin Powers Financial Advisor💼 LinkedIn: Colin Powers📞 Phone: 815-271-2575📧 Email: colin.powers@equitable.com Local Bella is about the people, business owners, creatives, moms and community builders doing interesting things right in our own backyard. Real conversations. Real businesses. Very little pretending we have everything figured out. If you enjoyed this episode, like, subscribe, comment and share it with a neighbor. Basically, hit all the buttons. 😂 See you around town. ❤️

  6. Oct 5

    Building a Business That Actually Works with Jenn Wisegarver

    In this episode of Local Bella, Alyssa sits down with Jenn Wisegarver, founder of We Are Coming, a small business consultant who helps business owners figure out what’s working, what isn’t, what needs to happen next, and most importantly, actually get it done. Jenn’s work spans areas like strategy, project management, business consulting, change management and operations. Jenn’s approach is refreshingly simple: the perfect plan doesn’t matter much if it never gets implemented. One of her biggest pieces of advice? Do the 1.0 version. It might not be the prettiest or most optimized version yet, but if it gets finished, you finally have something real to improve. In this episode, we talk about: Why “done” can be more valuable than “perfect” Starting a business before everything is completely figured out How Jenn made the leap into entrepreneurship Why people often want you before you think you’re ready The reality of running a business without a huge financial safety net Why systems and operations matter when you’re trying to grow Building workflows that actually fit into real life Working with busy business owners, parents and small teams Knowing what success actually means before starting a project Why expectations between a client and consultant need to be clear Using analytics instead of running a business purely on vibes 😂 Designing a business around your priorities and family Why social media works best when people can actually get to know you Learning from the risks and imperfect decisions that come with entrepreneurship Jenn also talks about building a business that works around real life. That might mean meetings from the car, kids nearby, voice notes instead of perfectly organized emails, or finding a completely different way to get the job done. Basically, business, but make it human. 🌐 Website: we-are-coming.com 📸 Instagram: @wearecoming.biz 💼 LinkedIn: Jenn Wisegarver 📘 Facebook: We Are Coming Local Bella is about the people, business owners, creatives, moms and community builders doing interesting things right in our own backyard. Real conversations. Real businesses. Very little pretending we have everything figured out. If you enjoyed this episode, like, subscribe, comment and share it with a neighbor. Basically, hit all the buttons. 😂 See you around town. ❤️

  7. Sep 27

    Why Your Local Chamber Matters More Than You Think

    What does a Chamber of Commerce actually do? I feel like most of us know of the Chamber… but do we actually know what they do? In this episode of Local Bella, I sat down with Melanie from the Hoffman Estates Chamber of Commerce & Industry to talk about what really goes on behind the scenes, how they support local businesses, and why being part of a Chamber can be way more valuable than people realize. And yes, we talked about ribbon cuttings. 😂But there is a LOT more happening than that. Melanie talks about what it’s like working with more than 250 businesses, how the Chamber helps connect people to each other, and why just showing up and being part of the community can make such a big difference. We also clear up something I honestly think a lot of people assume, the Chamber is not part of the Village of Hoffman Estates. They work together, but they are completely separate. We get into things like: What the Chamber actually doesHow membership worksWhy you don’t have to be located in Hoffman Estates to joinWhat ribbon cuttings are really forWhy in-person networking still mattersHow the Chamber helps residents find local businessesHow they connect businesses with schools and community organizationsLocal events like the Fishing DerbyWhy small business owners sometimes need to get off the computer and actually go meet peopleAnd Melanie’s reminder that you’re never going to make everyone happy, but you can keep showing upOne of my favorite parts of the conversation was hearing how the Chamber helped connect a local business with area schools so students could learn about career paths they might not have known existed. That’s the kind of stuff happening behind the scenes that people don’t always hear about. 🌐 Website: https://www.hechamber.com/📅 Events: https://members.hechamber.com/events📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HEChamber/💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hoffman-estates-chamber-of-commerce𝕏 X: https://twitter.com/HEChamber Local Bella is basically me sitting down with interesting people in our communities and talking about what they do, how they got there, and all the stuff you don’t always see from the outside. Just good conversations with good people. If you liked this episode, subscribe, leave a comment, send it to someone local, or just hit all the buttons. 😂 See you around town. ❤️

  • 7 Episodes

About

Conversations with the people who make our communities what they are. Hosted by Alyssa Smith, Local Bella features local business owners, creatives, parents, leaders, and storytellers sharing their journeys, lessons, and what they're building right here in the Midwest.

Information

  • Creator
    Alyssa Smith-Cornelius
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    7
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Alyssa Smith-Cornelius
  • Show Website
    Local Bella Podcast