How Caroline Weaver Is Supporting Small Businesses In New York City With The Locavore

Small businesses don't just support local economies, they create the communities we want to live in.

For entrepreneur Caroline Weaver, that belief became the foundation of an unexpected journey. After building one of the world's only pencil stores, closing that chapter of her career, and walking every neighborhood in New York City to document more than 14,000 independent businesses, she came to a simple realization: thriving local businesses create thriving communities.

In this episode of Becoming Self Made, Mike Michalowicz sits down with Caroline, founder of The Locavore Guide and The Locavore Variety Store, to explore why supporting small businesses is about far more than where we shop. It's about strengthening local economies, preserving neighborhood character, and creating communities where entrepreneurs (and the people around them) can succeed together.

Caroline shares how a fascination with everyday objects evolved into a mission to champion independent retailers, why she believes every purchase is an investment in your community, and what entrepreneurs can learn from the thousands of small business owners she has met along the way.