Ground Up Growth

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.

  1. 5d ago

    From One Duck Hunting Bag to a Brand: B.C. Rogers of Wren & Ivy

    In part two of our conversation with B.C. Rogers, we dig into the story of Wren & Ivy, the Mississippi-based brand building heirloom-quality canvas and leather sporting and travel gear. It started with a duck hunting bag B.C. couldn’t find anywhere. After a friend in the luggage business told him to “go do it yourself,” B.C. found himself in León, Mexico, the leather capital of the world, pitching his prototype to manufacturers. The first two turned him down. The third wanted a 150-bag minimum. Then a chance run-in at his hotel led to an order of 50, which he presold to friends in a week, then did it again, and again. Within a month he’d sold 200 bags and was back in Mexico designing the first seven pieces of what would become Wren & Ivy. His first trade show? The NRA National Convention, with his very first inventory shipped straight to the show floor. B.C. shares how he runs a lean team built almost entirely on trusted outside partners, why he modeled his marketing after the music industry (new collections as “records,” trade shows as “tours”), and how COVID forced a reset from 31 trade shows a year to the handful that actually pay off. We also talk about the meaning behind the brand’s motto, “Leave a Legacy,” which came from an awkward first meeting that turned into one of his greatest friendships, and why he sees each bag as a totem of the memories made while carrying it. Plus, B.C. covers how to care for your gear, his favorite pieces in the line, what’s new in the 2026 collection, and how businesses can use Wren & Ivy for custom-branded client and employee gifts. Through it all, he keeps coming back to one theme: everything he has was given to him by friends, family, and the Lord sending the right people at the right time. Shop and follow along at wrenandivy.com and @wrenandivybrand on social media.

  2. Oct 27

    B.C. Rogers: Founder, Wren & Ivy

    Wren & Ivy builds heirloom-quality canvas and leather sporting and travel gear, from luggage and cases to wallets and just about anything that can be made from leather. Founder B.C. Rogers made his first bag in 2014 simply for himself, and when people kept asking about it, it officially became a company in October 2015. But long before he was crafting gear meant to be passed down, B.C. was cleaning out chicken houses for $2.25 an hour at 12 years old in Morton, Mississippi. In part one of our conversation, B.C. walks us through the winding road that led him to start Wren & Ivy. We talk about growing up in a small Scott County town, his high school job running errands for a lawyer and prepping the boat for afternoon water skiing, and the last-minute decision to walk away from college football at Ole Miss. A childhood moment backstage at a Lionel Richie concert sparked a dream of artist management, which took him to Belmont University and a decade in Nashville’s music industry, working for a record label and road managing bands. B.C. shares what that cutthroat industry taught him about work ethic, why he believes “you don’t know what you don’t want until you have it,” and what finally brought him home to Mississippi to be near family. From there, he and his dad stepped into retail, buying two businesses within days of each other, including Persnickety in Madison, and later opening a Viking and Wolf appliance showroom. Along the way, he reflects on what makes a good deal (one where everyone walks away happy), learning to work with the city of Madison, and why jobs people would do for free are often the hardest to make a living at. Stay tuned for part two, where we dig into the story behind Wren & Ivy, the gear, and the trade show grind. Learn more at wrenandivy.com.

  3. Oct 20

    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 left over from Prohibition, and why he puts his money into sales and marketing instead of buying his own facilities. He also talks about how real experiences, like duck hunting with his dad, turn into brands people connect with. That’s the story behind Duck Club Bourbon, which he launched with Riley Green and which is now the official bourbon of Ducks Unlimited. In this episode: → How alcohol distribution works and why every state is different → Why he thinks of himself as a CPG company, not a liquor company → Co-packing vs. building a distillery, and where the real value is → Marketing to the “aspirational outdoorsman,” inspired by brands like Yeti and Sitka → Why the best brand stories come from real life → What’s next for Morningside Brands: beer, another tequila, and a condiment Missed Part 1? Go back and hear how McCauley went from M&A attorney to getting fired from the company he built, and how he started over with a one-way ticket to Guadalajara. Follow along: @almadeljaguar | @duckclubbourbon almadeljaguar.com | duckclubbourbon.com

  4. Oct 13

    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, founder and CEO of Memphis-based Morningside Brands, we hear how he rebuilt from nothing. With a six-month-old at home and just a laptop and a cell phone, he bought a one-way ticket to Guadalajara, spent weeks learning how tequila is made, and partnered with a fifth-generation tequila family to launch Alma del Jaguar Tequila. Today, his portfolio also includes Weymar Gin House and Duck Club Bourbon, which he co-founded with Riley Green. In this episode: → Why he went to law school knowing he never wanted to be a lawyer → How a late-night idea on a Mississippi farm became a beer festival business → Buying a vodka distillery and never making a drop of vodka → Getting fired as CEO and starting over → His favorite piece of entrepreneurial advice: just ask Part 2 drops next week, when we dig into the spirits industry and the branding behind Duck Club Bourbon. Follow along: @almadeljaguar | @duckclubbourbon almadeljaguar.com | duckclubbourbon.com  |  waymarginhouse.com  | morningsidebrands.com

  5. Oct 6

    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 invest in industries they understand, and why there's no such thing as a typical acquisition timeline. We also get into the emotional side of selling a business you built from the ground up. Kathy explains why finding the right partner matters as much as the price, and what founders should think about if they want a say in their company's legacy after the sale. She closes with advice every small business owner can use today: stop telling people what you do, and start showing them how you solve their problems. In this episode: How investment bankers and deal flow work EBITDA and the lower middle market, explained (by Paul, not Kathy) Why liking the people on the other side of the table matters "The task behind the task," or why marketing gets underestimated Content that educates vs. "show up and throw up" marketing Why SEO still matters in the age of AI search

  6. Sep 29

    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 community college and an accounting job she admits she was never cut out for to selling medical devices across East Texas and Louisiana. There she learned what salespeople actually need from marketing, and that shaped her whole career. She tells us what it was like to be on the inside as that company grew from $4 million to a $100 million sale, including the late nights of due diligence and what buyers want to see from a marketing department. She then walks through her years with the Jones family of companies: rebranding founder-led acquisitions, YAK's sale to private equity, getting through COVID and market downturns, and the eventual exit to United Rentals. We also talk about how a family office differs from private equity, why patient capital appeals to founders who care about their legacy, and what's in the Jones Capital portfolio today. In this episode: Why Kathy calls herself a "sales marketer first" What due diligence looks like from the marketing side Why most deals don't close when they're supposed to, or at all Family office vs. private equity, and why the difference matters to founders Why every company needs something different (sometimes it's a CRM, not SEO) Why revenue-generating marketers get the most resources

  7. Sep 22

    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 that taught him hard lessons, and why he's never once gotten a camera wet in 15 years of duck hunting — despite the mud, water, and chaos that come with the job. Ed also shares the story behind his favorite photo of all time — a moment with his son after his first turkey kill — plus the wild lengths he's gone to for the right shot, including belly-crawling across a frozen field and swimming across a slough in near-freezing water. The conversation wraps with his upcoming travel schedule (spanning Texas, Florida, Saskatchewan, and Alaska in the same month), his advice for anyone wanting to break into outdoor photography, and why continuous learning — even 15 years in — is what keeps him sharp. If you loved part one, this episode goes even further behind the scenes of what it really takes to do this job at a high level.

  8. Sep 15

    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.

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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
    65
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Ground Up Growth

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