Ground Up Growth

Paul Hopper & Hannah Pittman
  • 5.0 (24)
  • Business
  • Updated Monthly

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.

  1. 4d ago

    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 hunting and dog photos into an award-winning career that's landed his work on magazine covers and even the Mississippi Sportsman's License. Ed opens up about leaving a career in medical sales to go all-in on photography full time, the grueling 16-20 hour days that come with duck hunting season, and how he built a team to help him keep up with the demand. He also talks candidly about the balance (and imbalance) between passion and burnout, the importance of editing content quickly before details fade, and why duck hunting — more than deer or turkey hunting — offers the richest storytelling opportunities behind the lens. Whether you're an aspiring outdoor creator or just curious what it really takes to turn a camera hobby into a business, this conversation is full of honest, hard-won insight. Part two continues the conversation with a deeper dive into gear and how Ed protects his equipment in the field.

  2. Sep 8

    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, and always being ready for the next step opened doors he never saw coming. We talk about leading people with grace, why you never really know what someone's carrying, and the difference between an employee who's just looking for a job and one who sees what needs doing and does it. Jamey shares why Southern AgCredit hires from within, how flexibility gets more out of people than a time clock ever will, and why so many of his folks care more about being valued than chasing a bigger paycheck somewhere else. Then there's the land. Jamey and Hannah dig into the pride that comes with owning your first acre, why waiting on rates to drop is one of the most expensive myths out there, and how a great cap or a pair of work gloves can carry a brand further than most people realize. It's a conversation about steady growth, faith, and building something worth sticking around for.

  3. Sep 1

    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 and finance. He's one of the rare few who actually does what he majored in. Jamie walks us through how a college internship with Mississippi Land Bank turned into a 15 year career, and what makes Southern AG Credit different from a traditional bank. If it's land, equipment, poultry, row crop, or just about anything you can tie back to ag, they can finance it, even across state lines. He breaks down the products that set them apart, like the popular seven year fixed rate with a 30 year amortization, and explains how their cooperative structure means customers are actually shareholders who earn dividends back. Along the way there's plenty of talk about the river, the hunting lifestyle, and the relationships that make lending feel less like banking and more like community. Oh, and Hannah makes a strong first impression by killing a fly mid conversation. This is part one. Next episode we dig into leadership and the role Jamie plays across Southern AG Credit's Mississippi offices.

  4. Aug 25

    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 to day. She walks us through session, the committee process, and how a bill really becomes law (turns out most of us forgot everything from that social studies lesson). As chairman of technology, she shares the work closest to her heart, from keeping a watchful eye on data centers coming to Madison County to fighting to protect children online through the Walker Montgomery Online Children's Act. Her reminder to parents will stick with you: when you hand your child a phone, treat it with the same seriousness you would anything that powerful. But the heart of this episode is Jill's faith. She opens up about the seven-year storm that sent her to her knees for the first time, how her prayer closet became the place she truly met the Lord, and why she still gets on her face every single morning before her feet hit the ground. She talks conviction votes, submission in marriage, and what it means to serve people who trust her because they know Who she answers to first. It's honest, it's encouraging, and it's a beautiful picture of what happens when you let God pave the way.

  5. Aug 18

    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 a career in real estate, and ultimately making the unexpected transition into the Mississippi House of Representatives. She talks candidly about losing her first political race by just 37 votes, what that loss taught her, and how she came to see it as part of a bigger plan. The conversation also dives into what it’s like to live and work in the public eye, how Jill handles criticism and social media negativity, and the advice that has stayed with her: “Bow up or bow out.” Jill shares why she believes in staying true to your values, serving others even when they disagree with you, and not allowing offense to dictate how you lead. From real estate and family life to faith, public service, and the importance of fighting for others, Jill’s story is a reminder that sometimes the doors that close are simply making room for the right one to open. Ground Up Growth is a podcast about the people, stories, and lessons that shape success from the ground up.

  6. Aug 4

    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 and bad debt, why he still writes checks to dodge a 3% fee, and the "$54 a day" math behind getting money into a money market fast. He also opens up about the current rabbit hole keeping him up at night, a ranch he's developing in Montana from 25 hours away, and shares his take on what separates a great employee from an average one (hint: it comes down to initiative and doing what you say you'll do). If you've ever wanted to pick a successful investor's brain on real estate, spreadsheets, delegation, and the compounding effect, this one's for you. This episode is sponsored by Service Specialists and Environment Masters. Thank you to our sponsors for making Ground Up Growth possible.

  7. Jul 28

    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 business. The 3 a.m. phone call from Nairobi to Kitale, the flight rerouted through Dubai to avoid Europe, and the conversation on a Birmingham couch that turned into three coffee shops. Their accountant projected $50,000 in annual revenue for the Cleveland location. That is now a normal month. They get into: Why they cold called a roaster in Illinois and asked for help Telling the board they were not asking permission The CFO question that changed everything, what does a cup of coffee actually cost Flying to Kenya for a court case two days before opening day Why Greenwood was a hard no until Viking talked them into it Sending a weak drink back, and why charity does not excuse a bad cup of coffee The staffing lesson that took a decade to learn Storytelling instead of asking, and why a pledge card on the table makes them check out Coffee Outpost in Livingston opens Monday the 20th. Beans from Native Coffee and Soapbox Roasters. Learn more at zoemeanslife.org Follow @coffeeoutpost If you missed part one, go back and listen. That episode covers the ministry itself, from a $350 bank account to twelve homes, 200 well repairs a year, and a pastoral training center in rural Kenya. Thank you to our sponsors, Service Specialists and Environment Masters.

  8. Jul 21

    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 to Kenya two days later, living in a 250 square foot house and getting around on a 125cc motorcycle. Katie was a pediatric nurse at Batson Children's Hospital before spending two years in Haiti. Mutual friends connected them, they dated across two continents for 15 months, and ten years later they are still flying back every three to four months, now with three kids in tow. This is part one of a two part conversation. Here they walk through the ministry itself. Part two covers how a nonprofit ended up in the coffee business.

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
24 Ratings

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 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.

Information

  • Creator
    Paul Hopper & Hannah Pittman
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    58
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Ground Up Growth

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