In the first of a series of special episodes, guest host Connor McGovern sits down with Michelle Simmons, founder and CEO of Slow North, a popular all-natural home goods store in North Austin. Simmons sheds light on her experiences as a small business owner in one of the largest retail markets in the U.S., growing from a backyard candle-making operation into a full storefront and studio space with national sales.

For the next few weeks, listen every Wednesday for more "CI Conversations" to hear from interesting local people across the Austin metro. Regular episodes of the Austin Breakdown will continue to release each Friday.