The ups and downs of authorship

By Mike Switzer

Published November 1, 2024 at 6:30 AM EDT

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James D. McCallister

James D. McCallister, author, educator, and small business owner who lives, writes, and works in Columbia, S.C.

Our next guest is an author, educator, and small business owner who has recently released a new book of short stories entitled “The Night I Prayed to Elvis”, which has been receiving some positive reviews. Mike Switzer interviews James D. McCallister who lives, writes, and works in Columbia, SC.

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Mike Switzer

After almost 20 years, Mike Switzer retired from Wells Fargo Securities in 2001 as Senior Vice President/Investment Officer and Certified Portfolio Manager. In 1999, he and his wife, Maggie, purchased and operated for eight years the Baskin Robbins ice cream store on Forest Drive in Columbia. They grew the store from a bottom-tier operation in the Baskin Robbins franchise system to one in the top 5% nationwide within three years, tripling sales along the way. While operating the ice cream store, Mike and Maggie received patents for a portable ice cream sink and fold-down sneezeguard they invented and in 2002 started Magnolia Carts, an ice cream cart manufacturing company, which they sold in 2013.

See stories by Mike Switzer