Ground Up Growth

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 Ridgeland entrepreneur Jake Manning to unpack the unconventional path that led him from double engineering degrees at Mississippi State — including a stint as student body president during Covid — to building one of Mississippi's most unique smart home and technology companies from the ground up. Jake breaks down what Mississippi Smart Homes actually does, why most people end up with a tank when all they needed was a car, and how his commitment to honest, white glove service in a space full of confusing technology is setting them apart in a crowded market. In this episode you will hear about turning a pandemic pivot into a thriving business, why smart home technology is more accessible than people think, the one stop shop advantage for residential and commercial clients, selling people only what they actually need, and where AI is taking the smart home industry next.

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 financial — in the real, messy middle of life and business. Chaz gets honest about the phone boundaries he still struggles with, what it cost him to ignore the relational ball while chasing the next big project, and why he turned down a major business expansion to stay present for his family. He also shares how writing down goals has changed everything, and why he pours his time and energy into mentoring young athletes to be ready for life after sports. In this episode you will hear about building a daily rhythm around the five pillars of health, the hidden cost of hustle without boundaries, why time is your most valuable asset, mentoring the next generation with faith and accountability, and core beliefs that drive determined people to keep going when it gets hard. If you are a faith-driven entrepreneur trying to build a great business without losing what matters most at home, this episode will hit close to home. Ground Up Growth is a podcast for faith-driven entrepreneurs building businesses, families, and legacies from the ground up. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

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 a career-ending back injury at Auburn redirected his path from college football to the laundry industry, real estate, and early morning boot camps, and why he would not trade any of it. From growing up with a work-first mentality to juggling the five pillars of health as a business owner, husband, and father, Chaz brings the kind of hard-won wisdom that no business school can teach. In this episode you will hear about building mental discipline and an early morning routine, navigating failure and pivoting with purpose, accountability as the foundation of personal and professional growth, and why grinding in the dark is where real character is built. If you are an entrepreneur, a faith-driven leader, or someone trying to build a meaningful life on your own terms, this episode is for you.

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 18,000 sq ft greenhouse, why they eventually walked away from tomatoes after harvesting 56,000 pounds in a single crop, and how a double production expansion landed right in the middle of March 2020 — with 85% of their revenue tied to restaurants that had just shut down. What followed was one of the most remarkable small business pivots we've heard: an online farmers market that sold out in three hours every Monday and generated $40–50K per week, with Flora police directing traffic on Saturday pickup days. Today, Salad Days operates a 65,000 sq ft facility producing 3 million heads of living lettuce per year, ships within a 250-mile radius, and has built a cult following of self-proclaimed "Lettuce Snobs" who won't order a salad at a restaurant unless Salad Days is on the menu. We also cover: * How hydroponic growing works and why your water source matters * The shelf life advantage of living lettuce vs. California bag salads * Fertilizer costs, pricing stability, and navigating supply chain volatility * What it takes to land Walmart, Kroger, and major distributors Find Salad Days Produce at saladdaysproduce.com Ground Up Growth is a podcast for entrepreneurs building from the ground up. #hydroponicfarming #smallbusiness #entrepreneurship #mississippi #growthmindset

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 growing up in a real estate development family to launching businesses in publishing, commercial real estate, and eventually hydroponic farming, Leigh shares a career built on reinvention, grit, and entrepreneurial instinct.  The conversation explores how Salad Days was born—from researching hydroponics, securing land in Flora, and gaining support from local chefs, to creating a business centered around fresh, locally grown produce. Leigh explains why hydroponic farming is becoming increasingly important as food safety, supply chain issues, and sustainable agriculture continue to shape the future of farming.  They also discuss the parallels between real estate and entrepreneurship, the value of relationships, and what it takes to start over in a completely new industry later in life. If you’re interested in business growth, Mississippi entrepreneurship, agriculture innovation, or hearing how bold pivots can lead to big opportunities, this episode is packed with insight and inspiration.