Erin & Ben Napier: Everyone's From Somewhere

Everything Happens with Kate Bowler

Kate Bowler

Society & Culture, Religion & Spirituality, Health & Fitness

4.8 • 5.1K Ratings

🗓️ 3 June 2025

⏱️ 39 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Erin and Ben Napier didn’t plan on becoming household names. They were just trying to build a beautiful life in their beloved hometown of Laurel, Mississippi, one house, one neighbor, one Main Street at a time. In this heartwarming conversation, Kate talks to the stars of HGTV’s Home Town about what happens when our plans fall apart and something even better takes root. They reflect on the surprising twists that led from political aspirations and magazine dreams to woodworking, parenting, and a television show that celebrates belonging. Along the way, they explore how creativity is born out of necessity, making a home, building a community, and loving the place where you are. In this episode, they discuss: The ache and joy of making a home in the place that raised you How small acts of community build a life The beauty of third places and why talking to strangers still matters If you liked this episode, you may also like: Angela Williams on The Caring Power of Community Sharon McMahon, Drops Make an Ocean Priya Parker on The Art of Gathering Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by clicking here or visiting katebowler.com/podcasts. Follow Kate on Instagram, Facebook, or X (formerly known as Twitter)—@katecbowler. Links to social pages and more available at linktr.ee/katecbowler. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, I'm Megan, and I've got a new podcast I think you're going to love. It's called Confessions of a
0:07.3	female founder, a show where I chat with female entrepreneurs and friends about the sleepless nights,
0:12.8	the lessons learned, and the laser focus that got them to where they are today. And through it all,
0:18.8	I'm building a business of my own and getting all sorts of practical
0:21.9	advice along the way that I'm so excited to share with you. Confessions of a female founder
0:28.0	is out now. Listen, wherever you get your podcast. Hi, everyone. I'm David DeCovny. Join me on my podcast, Fail Better, where we use failure as a lens to reflect on the past and analyze the current moment. I speak with makers and performers like Rob Lowe, Rosie O'Donnell, and Kenya Barris, as well as thinkers like Kara Swisher and Nate Silver, to understand how
0:55.6	both personal setbacks and larger forces impact our world. Listen to fail better, wherever
1:01.4	you get your podcasts. Sometimes home is where you're born, and sometimes it's where you end up, and sometimes it's where you begin again.
1:20.6	I'm Kate Bowler, and this is Everything Happens.
1:24.4	Today's conversation is with Ben and Aaron Napier.
1:27.3	They are HGTV stars of hometown, small business owners, devoted Mississippians, and two of the kindest, funniest, most down-to-earth people I know.
1:38.7	Together, they've built a life rooted in Laurel, Mississippi, a town they've helped restore house by house, neighbor by neighbor,
1:46.2	soda by soda bottle, you'll see.
1:48.9	This is a conversation about community and what it really takes to belong somewhere.
1:53.6	You are going to love them.
1:55.5	I sure do.
1:57.6	We're excited.
1:59.4	You're a really big deal. Yeah yes yes yes ben thank you i'm serious
2:05.5	like we we have so many friends when we were talking about doing this and they were like
2:09.2	oh loves yay well this is my time to be crazy nosy about your lives. Let's start with you, Ben.
2:17.6	I imagine this is exactly what you pictured for your life,
2:21.0	this that you would have a television show.
	...

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