The Places That Shape Us: From a Southern Mill Village to the World | Donald Williams

What if you could leave the place that shaped you… but never really leave it behind? The sounds, smells, stories, traditions, and struggles of our childhood can follow us farther than we ever realize. In this powerful conversation, Michael sits down with Donald Williams, co-author of Born of Nothing: From White Trash and Lintheads to Purpose Across Generations, to explore heritage, identity, belonging, travel, and the places that shape who we become. Donald grew up in a South Carolina cotton mill village surrounded by more than 80 first cousins and generations of family. He eventually became the first in his family to graduate from a major university, earned three degrees from Clemson University, and traveled and worked across the United States, South Korea, and Japan. But the farther Donald traveled, the more clearly he began to see where he came from. Michael and Donald explore what happens when we encounter cultures different from our own—and discover that beneath the differences in food, faith, family, and tradition, people often want the same things: connection, purpose, belonging, and a better life for the next generation. Through stories of the American South, family heritage, travel, agriculture, food, and generational memory, this conversation asks a deeper question: Can you reinvent yourself without losing the people and places that made you who you are? At the heart of the conversation are three ideas: PRESENCE • CURIOSITY • STORY™ Because sometimes you have to travel far from home… to finally understand where you came from. Find us on Apple, Spotify or your favorite listening platform; visit us on our YouTube channel Find everything "One More Thing" here: https://taplink.cc/beforeyougopodcast Want to be a guest on One More Thing Before You Go? Send Michael Herst a message on PodMatch, here: PODMATCH Proud member of the Podmatch Network of Top Rated- Podcasts This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy