Have you ever wondered what makes a business not just survive, but become something people truly miss if it disappeared?
That’s what this week’s episode of Rock Solid gets to the heart of.
Bryan Eisenberg sat down with John Garrett, founder of Community Impact, for a conversation that’s raw, real, and absolutely worth your time.
This isn’t a sugar-coated startup story. This is a masterclass in building a business that matters.
You’ll hear how a guy left the big comfort of traditional newspapers to start printing hyperlocal news in an era where everyone said “print is dead.” He did it anyway. In Round Rock, Texas. With his wife. With purpose. With faith. And with a chip on his shoulder that looked suspiciously like a printing press.
You’ll hear why “all news is local” still holds true, and how Community Impact isn’t just a newspaper. It’s a heartbeat. A rhythm. A commitment to relevance over virality. To people over platforms. To product and people over buzzwords and big data.
The conversation dives into:
- Why a coupon from ThunderCloud Subs has become a business case study
- What “Main Street is the heartbeat of the economy” actually looks like in practice
- The real reason some businesses grow and others don’t (hint: it’s not Facebook ads)
- Why chambers of commerce still matter when you actually show up
- How entrepreneurs survive the “you’re crazy” phase of launching something that has to be
And maybe most important of all: what makes a local business worth talking about, and how to be one of those businesses.
This isn’t a feel-good fluff piece. It’s a jolt of hope. A roadmap. A reflection of what happens when product meets purpose, when consistency beats flash, and when you care about your customers more than your own comfort.
So go listen to the full conversation with John Garrett on Rock Solid.
You’ll walk away with more than ideas.
You’ll walk away with a renewed belief that your business matters.
Even if only to 100 households.
That’s more than enough to make an impact.
“If Main Street is healthy, the economy is healthy.”
– John Garrett, Community Impact
Go press play. Then go do something with what you hear.
