PODCAST · business
Ground Up Growth
by Paul Hopper & Hannah Pittman
Ground Up Growth brings insightful stories around entrepreneurs, business leaders and self-development. This podcast is hosted by Paul Hopper, a Mississippi real estate broker and developer with over $1B in company sales. Join Paul as he dives into personal & business strategies, entrepreneurial insights and growing pains faced along the way. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, ”Ground Up Growth” delivers actionable advice and inspiring stories to help fuel your journey and build success from the ground up.
Episodes
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Selling the Story: McCauley Williams on Branding, Bourbon & the Spirits Business (Part 2)
Most people assume a spirits company is all about the distillery. McCauley Williams says it’s really about the brand. In Part 2 of our conversation with the founder and CEO of Morningside Brands, McCauley explains how the spirits industry actually works. He covers the state-by-state regulations...
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McCauley Williams: Founder and CEO, Morningside Brands
He went to law school on a whim, launched a beer festival business out of a meat trailer, and turned a liquidated vodka distillery into one of the largest bourbon barrel storage operations around. Then he got fired from the company he built. In Part 1 of our conversation with McCauley Williams,...
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Inside the Deal — How Acquisitions Really Work with Kathy Hopper
Kathy Hopper is back to show us how businesses actually get bought and sold. She explains how investment bankers bring companies to market, including the "speed dating" events where buyers and bankers meet. She also covers what Jones Capital looks for in the lower middle market, why they only...
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Kathy Hopper: CMO, Jones Capital
In our first-ever remote episode, we sit down with Kathy Hopper, CMO of Jones Capital, a family-owned investment firm whose roots go back to a small lumber mill in Sandy Hook, Mississippi, in 1949. (And no, she and Paul aren't related.) Kathy grew up in Cut and Shoot, Texas. She went from…
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Inside the Life of an Outdoor Photographer: Gear, Grit & Great Shots
In part two of our conversation with Ed Wall of Wall Media, we go deep into the gear, grit, and unforgettable moments behind a career built around outdoor photography and videography. Ed walks us through his camera protection system in the field (spoiler: zip ties are involved), the gear fails…
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Edward Wall: Owner, Wall Media
In this episode of Ground Up Growth, hosts Paul Hopper and Hannah Pittman sit down with Ed Wall, owner of Wall Media, a standout outdoor photography and videography company. Ed shares how he picked up his first camera at 30 years old — with zero formal training — and turned a hobby born from deer...
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Do the Job in Front of You: 15 Years, Loyalty, and the Long Game with Jamey Nicholas, Southern AgCredit
In part two with Jamey Nicholas, Market President at Southern AgCredit, we get into what it actually looks like to build a career and a culture over the long haul. Jamie started as a trainee in 2011 and never left, and he walks us through how staying patient, doing whatever role you're in well…
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Jamey Nicholas: Market President, Southern AgCredit
This week on Ground Up Growth, Hannah and Paul sit down with Jamie Nicholas, Market President for Southern AG Credit. Jamie grew up on a family farm in Sand Hill, Mississippi, drove into Jackson Prep every day as the only kid from his hometown, and landed at Mississippi State studying real estate...
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Trusting God in the Storm: Rep. Jill Ford on Prayer, Public Service, and Protecting Kids Online (Part 2)
We're back with Rep. Jill Ford for part two of our conversation, and this one goes deep. If you missed part one, go back and start there for the story of how she got to the Mississippi House of Representatives. In this episode, Jill pulls back the curtain on what the job actually looks like day…
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Jill Ford: Mississippi House Representative, District 73
On this episode of Ground Up Growth, Hannah Pittman and Paul Hopper sit down with Mississippi House Representative Jill Ford for a conversation about faith, family, resilience, and finding your way into a life of service. Jill shares the story of growing up in Corinth with four brothers, building…
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Real Estate, Good Debt, and the Money Habits That Build Wealth | Q&A with Paul Hopper
We switched things up for this one. Instead of hosting a guest, it's just Hannah and Paul sitting down for a straight Q&A on the money mindset behind a 12 year real estate career. Paul gets into what actually builds wealth over time: watching every single dime, the difference between good debt…
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Selling Coffee in Mississippi to Fund Wells in Kenya | Part 2 with Taylor and Katie Summers
Taylor and Katie Summers pitched their board a coffee shop as a five year plan. The board brushed it off. Then COVID evacuated them out of Kenya on 12 hours notice, and they opened the first one seven months later anyway. In part two, they walk through how Zoe Ministries ended up in the coffee...
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Taylor & Katie Summers: Founders, Zoe Ministries & Zoe Coffee Co
Taylor and Katie Summers built Zoe Ministries from a $350 bank account into twelve homes, a clean water program, and a pastoral training center in rural Kenya. Now they are opening a coffee shop in Livingston, Mississippi to help fund it. Taylor graduated from Delta State on a Saturday and moved…
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Jeff and Shelby Taylor: Franchisees, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®
This week on Ground Up Growth, we sit down with Jeff and Shelby Taylor of Two Men and a Truck in Ridgeland — a father-daughter duo running one of the most recognized service brands in the country. Jeff shares how a chance encounter behind a moving truck on the way to an Auburn game led him from...
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From Hobby to Thriving Business: Cedar Hill Gardens Founder, Emily Grohovsky
In part two of our conversation with Emily Grohovsky of Cedar Hill Gardens, we shift from the origin story to the business behind the business. Emily walks us through the early days of hiring help straight off the floor at Home Depot, the gradual transition from nursing to running Cedar Hill full...
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Emily Grohovsky: Owner, Cedar Hill Gardens
What started as a 30x40 plot of Mississippi clay during the loneliest season of the pandemic turned into a thriving business, a 100+ member community, and a third life entirely. Hosts Paul Hopper and Hannah Pittman sit down with Emily Grohovsky, founder of Cedar Hill Gardens, to talk about how a...
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Cybersecurity, AI, Smart Home Technology, and the Future of How We Live and Work
The future is already here, and Jake Manning is installing it. In Part 2, hosts Paul Hopper and Hannah Pittman continue their conversation with Mississippi Smart Homes founder Jake Manning to go deeper on the technology trends reshaping everyday life, and what it means for homeowners, business...
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Jake Manning: Owner, Mississippi Smart Homes
What happens when a biomedical engineering student gets a curveball from his dad junior year of college, graduates into a global pandemic, and decides to bet on himself anyway? You get Jake Manning and Mississippi Smart Homes. In Part 1, hosts Paul Hopper and Hannah Pittman sit down with…
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Balancing the Five Pillars of Health, Setting Boundaries, and Building a Life of Purpose
The conversation continues. In Part 2, hosts Paul Hopper and Hannah Pittman pick back up with Madison, Mississippi entrepreneur and community leader Chaz Ramsey to go deeper on what it actually looks like to juggle the five pillars of health — spiritual, relational, mental, physical, and…
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Chaz Ramsey: Entrepreneur, Coach, and Former Athlete
What does it take to build something from nothing — and keep going when life knocks you down? Hosts Paul Hopper and Hannah Pittman sit down with Madison, Mississippi entrepreneur and community leader Chaz Ramsey for a conversation that is equal parts faith, hustle, and real talk. Chaz shares how…
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How Salad Days Scaled to 3 Million Heads of Lettuce with an $9M Hydroponic Expansion
In part two of our conversation with Leigh Bailey, founder of Salad Days Produce in Flora, Mississippi, we go deep on what it actually takes to build a hydroponic lettuce operation from the ground up — and keep it alive when everything falls apart. Leigh walks us through the early days of their...
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Leigh Bailey: Owner, Salad Days
In this episode of Ground Up Growth, Paul Hopper and Hannah Pittman sit down with Leigh Bailey, founder of Salad Days, to hear the remarkable story of how a longtime real estate professional made the leap into agriculture and built one of Mississippi’s most innovative local food businesses. From...
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Fusing Design & Build: How Webb Emerson Is Changing Commercial Construction
In Part 2 of Ground Up Growth, Paul Hopper and Hannah Pittman continue their conversation with Webb Emerson, owner of Form Design Build. Webb shares how mentorship, leadership, and staying lean have helped grow his Jackson, Mississippi construction company in just three years. The episode covers...
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Webb Emerson: Owner, Form Design Build
In this episode of Ground Up Growth, Paul Hopper and Hannah Pittman sit down with Webb Emerson, owner of Form Design Build, to talk about building a modern construction company from the ground up. Webb shares his journey from growing up around job sites in Memphis to earning a construction degree...
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Building a Business That Could Make or Break You with Cameron Hartley
In Part 2 of this episode of Ground Up Growth, Cameron Hartley dives deeper into what it really takes to scale a business—and the risks that come with it. After building a successful equipment company, Cameron shares the high-stakes decision to invest everything into a new location in Gluckstadt,...
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Cameron Hartley: Owner, Hartley Equipment Company
In this episode of Ground Up Growth, we sit down with Cameron Hartley, owner of Hartley Equipment Company in Gluckstadt, Mississippi, to unpack his journey from cutting grass as a teenager to building a thriving, multi-division equipment business. Cameron shares how he started working at just 14...
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Service Over Scale: The Unconventional Way Dr. Grace Sturdivant Built Her Business
What does it actually look like to build a business without losing who you are? In Part 2 with Grace Sturdivant (OtoPro Technologies), we go beyond the origin story and into the real decisions that shape a business—scaling vs. staying lean, product vs. service, and growth vs. identity. Grace…
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Dr. Grace Sturdivant, Owner & Founder, OtoPro Technologies
In this episode of Ground Up Growth, we sit down with Grace from OtoPro Technologies, a Mississippi-based hearing protection company redefining how people think about hearing health. Grace shares her journey from growing up in Grenada, Mississippi, to becoming a Doctor of Audiology and building…
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Why Hard Work Still Wins (Lessons from a PBR Bull Rider)
In this episode of Ground Up Growth, we sit down for part 2 with Lonnie Stevenson—owner of Circle S Incorporated, industrial cleaning company leader, and former PBR Finals bull rider—to talk about what it truly takes to build a successful business from the ground up. Lonnie shares how his rodeo...
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Lonnie Steverson: Vice President, Circle S Inc.
From bull riding arenas to industrial job sites, Lonnie Steverson’s story is built on grit, risk, and resilience. In this episode of Ground Up Growth, Lonnie—owner of Circle S Incorporated—shares how a family business that started with painting and “figuring it out” evolved into a multi-state...
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Self-Storage Isn’t Passive Income: Development Headaches, Industry Trends & StorageMax’s Story
In Part 2 of our conversation with Nick Newcomb, CEO of StorageMax, we dive into the realities behind the self-storage industry—an asset class many people assume is easy “mailbox money.” Nick shares the real challenges of building and operating self-storage facilities, including development…
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Nick Newcomb: Owner, StorageMax
In this episode of Ground Up Growth, we sit down with Nick Newcomb, CEO of StorageMax, the largest self-storage operator in Mississippi. Nick shares his path from growing up on a Delta farm to leading a multi-state self-storage portfolio with nearly 40 locations across Mississippi, Alabama, and...
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Labor Nightmares, Burnout, and Building Tuk Tuk Boom from Scratch | Will Puckett
In this episode of Ground Up Growth, we continue our conversation with Tuk Tuk Boom owner Will Puckett. Will gets real about what it actually takes to build a business from the ground up—especially in the restaurant industry. We dive into the realities of labor shortages, managing emotions and...
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Will Puckett: Owner, Tuk Tuk Boom
In this episode of Ground Up Growth, Paul Hopper is joined by first-time co-host Hannah Pittman and guest Will Puckett, founder of Tuk Tuk Boom. Will shares the unfiltered, behind-the-scenes story of how a finance major with zero culinary background walked away from insurance, reverse-engineered...
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Marketing in 2026: Why Branding, Consistency, and Relationships Matter More Than Ever
In Part 2 of this conversation, Paul sits down again with Hannah Pittman, owner of Pittman Marketing, to go deeper into what it really means to build a brand that lasts — and how marketing is changing as people grow tired of being marketed to. Hannah shares the story behind her recent rebrand…
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Hannah Pittman: Owner, Pittman Marketing
In this episode of Ground Up Growth, Paul sits down with Hannah Pittman, owner of Pittman Marketing — and the person who’s been behind the scenes producing the podcast from day one. For the first time, Hannah steps in front of the mic to share her story: from growing up in the Mississippi Delta…
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How One Vet Built His Own Clinic: Dr. Jon David Johnson, The Vet Depot
In this episode of Ground Up Growth, Dr. John David Johnson breaks down the full owner-occupant design-build process — from buying off-market land to designing, financing, and building a custom veterinary clinic with no construction experience. This conversation is packed with real-world insight...
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Dr. Jon David Johnson: Owner, The Vet Depot
In Episode 25 of Ground Up Growth, Paul sits down with Dr. Jon David Johnson, owner of The Vet Depot in Flora, Mississippi. Jon David shares his path from growing up in West Tennessee to becoming an award-winning veterinarian and business owner in Madison County. They unpack his early work ethic,...
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Beef Industry Explained with Trey Bozeman, Bozeman Meat Company
In part two, Trey Bozeman dives into the nuts and bolts of running Bozeman Meat Company. He explains how his team raises, finishes, and markets cattle directly to consumers—bypassing traditional feedlots and packers. Discover: How a small-batch, local beef operation works from farm to table The...
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Trey Bozeman: Owner, Bozeman Meat Company
Kick off 2026 with Trey Bozeman, fourth-generation cattle farmer and co-founder of Bozeman Meat Company. In this first part, Trey shares his journey from growing up on a Mississippi cattle ranch to building a farm-to-table beef business. Learn how he: Took his family’s cow-calf operation and...
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Standout Conversations from the Top Episodes of 2025
On this special episode of Ground Up Growth, we are combining some of the standout conversations from the top episodes of 2025. From life in the major leagues to home foreclosure to running a grocery store, each episode of Ground Up Growth has provided insight through real-life experience. Be…
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Drew Hegi, John Hegi, & Wade Phillips - Owners of Brick City Drugs and Vital Care (MS)
In this episode of Ground Up Growth, Paul sits down with three owners behind two businesses: Brick City Drugs and Vital Care. Drew Hegi, John Hegi, and Wade Phillips share how they built their businesses from the ground up—balancing late-night side work, full-time jobs, and the grit it takes to...
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Joseph Simpson: Airline Pilot
This episode of Ground Up Growth features Joseph Simpson, Airline Pilot for SkyWest. Joseph shares more about his upbringing, journey to becoming a pilot, and what his day-to-day looks like. "Ground Up Growth" shares insightful stories from entrepreneurs and business leaders. This podcast is…
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Morgan Springfield: Owner, Springfield Heating & Air
Morgan Springfield is the owner and founder of Springfield Heating & Air, a trusted HVAC company serving Jackson, Mississippi, and surrounding communities. With a hands-on approach and a commitment to honest, dependable service, Morgan has built his business from the ground up—one satisfied...
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Don Clark: Attorney and Former Chairman, Butler Snow
Don Clark, Jr. is an Attorney and Former Chairman at Butler Snow LLP in Ridgeland, Mississippi, with decades of experience in public finance, government relations, and economic development law. He has played a key role in shaping Mississippi’s major finance and incentive legislation, including…
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Bridgforth Rutledge: Partner at Phelps and Entrepreneur
Bridgforth Rutledge is a partner at Phelps Dunbar in Jackson, where he leads the business practice group. He’s spent his career working on commercial real estate development, helping clients with everything from land deals and financing to building out major projects. Beyond real estate, he also...
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Alex Eaton: Owner, Aplós Simple Mediterranean
Alex Eaton is the founder and owner of Aplós, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant with locations in Jackson and Ridgeland, MS. His vision was to bring fresh, flavorful, and approachable dining to the community, drawing inspiration from the casual eateries of Italy, Greece, and the Middle East....
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George Malvaney: Managing Partner, E3 Environmental Services
George Malvaney is the Managing Partner of E3 Environmental Services, where he leads with decades of experience in environmental compliance, emergency response, and business management. He is also the author of Cups Up: How I Organized a Klavern, Plotted a Coup, Survived Prison, Graduated…
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Grant Ridgway: First Vice President, CBRE
As a First Vice President with Advisory & Transaction Services, Grant Ridgway focuses on commercial brokerage, financial analysis, market research and marketing strategies. His primary responsibilities in Jackson include direct leasing and sales of office and industrial space. He is a fourth...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Ground Up Growth brings insightful stories around entrepreneurs, business leaders and self-development. This podcast is hosted by Paul Hopper, a Mississippi real estate broker and developer with over $1B in company sales. Join Paul as he dives into personal & business strategies, entrepreneurial insights and growing pains faced along the way. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, ”Ground Up Growth” delivers actionable advice and inspiring stories to help fuel your journey and build success from the ground up.
HOSTED BY
Paul Hopper & Hannah Pittman
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Ground Up Growth have?
Ground Up Growth currently has 62 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Ground Up Growth about?
Ground Up Growth brings insightful stories around entrepreneurs, business leaders and self-development. This podcast is hosted by Paul Hopper, a Mississippi real estate broker and developer with over $1B in company sales. Join Paul as he dives into personal & business strategies, entrepreneurial...
How often does Ground Up Growth release new episodes?
Ground Up Growth has 62 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Ground Up Growth?
You can listen to Ground Up Growth on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Ground Up Growth?
Ground Up Growth is created and hosted by Paul Hopper & Hannah Pittman.
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