A BIG STORYTELLER- Ben Napier on what matters most

Описание: In this episode of The Heirloom Podcast, we sit down with our good friend and fellow Laurel native, Ben Napier—builder, storyteller, and co-star of HGTV’s Home Town. But this isn’t about television or fame. It’s about how stories shape identity, build culture, and create a lasting legacy.

Ben reflects on growing up Southern, learning to build with his hands, and honoring the men who came before him. We talk about storytelling as a Southern art form—and how a life rooted in humility, faith, and purpose becomes the kind of story worth telling long after we’re gone.

You’ll hear:• Why storytelling is the South’s truest art form• What Ben learned from his grandfather—and why it still guides him• How land, memory, and family all intertwine• Why being compared to a grandparent is the highest compliment• What it means to build a legacy that lasts beyond a lifetime

Favorite quotes from Ben:“The legacy I care about most is what my daughters think of me when they’re grown. That’s it. That’s the whole thing.”

"I think about my grandfather… and I think about how much I care what he would think about me. And he's been gone a long time. And that's legacy. When you care what somebody thinks about you—even after they're gone."

At The Heirloom, we’re here for honest conversations about legacy—conversations that last longer than any one lifetime.

Josh Nowell & Jim Rasberry

Recorded at The Heirloom Hotel in Laurel, Mississippi

00:00 Intro & Cold Open
00:56 Welcome to the Heirloom Podcast
01:51 Legacy and What Heirloom Means
02:57 Telling Stories that Last
03:56 Storytelling & Legacy
05:40 What Makes a Great Storyteller
07:30 Southern Porches: Stages for Story
09:10 Storytelling Connects Us to Family
10:29 The Hotel, the Project
11:05 EPIC Intro For Ben Napier
12:27 TV Storytelling vs. Real Life
13:57 Memory, Perspective & Retelling
15:19 Telling the Same Stories (Again)
17:01 Chesterton & The Joy of Repetition
18:22 Critiquing the Way Stories Are Told
19:16 Timing, Delivery & Full House
21:32 Live Audience vs. Studio Podcasting
22:26 Mississippi Power: Speaking Gig Gone Wrong
23:38 Ben’s Dad: The Ultimate Storyteller
26:11 Ben’s Gift for Connecting with Everyone
28:06 Errands, Gaskets, and Auto Parts Conversations
30:26 Why Ben Loves Old Stuff
31:30 Jim Buys the Range Rover (Backstory)
34:56 The Hood Flies Open at 60 MPH
38:03 Aftermath and Retiring from Old Cars
39:56 Ben’s Dad Rips a Hood Off a Datsun
42:10 Impressions, Storytelling Styles & Inheritance
43:55 Confident Storytelling & Family Traits
45:26 Hearing the Same Story from the Other Side
47:28 Timing a Story Right (or Too Long)
49:15 Erin’s Introversion & Ben’s Conversations
51:05 Ben Talks to Everybody (and Everything Falls Behind)
52:46 Storytelling, Laurel, and Why It All Matters
1:01:39 The Legacy Ben Wants for His Daughters
1:02:20 Caring What His Grandfather Would Think

Season 1, Episode 3
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