Lainie Stubblefield and Laura Beth Stubblefield Peters are sisters and Middle Tennessee natives who love talking about the South. "We are natives to the Nashville area - first Brentwood and now Franklin - and have watched so much change in our great city," says Laura Beth, "so with an increase of people moving to Franklin from all over the nation and world, we wondered if maybe it was time to share our love for the region with all the new comers; specifically, to hold on to the good parts of our culture in traditions, faith and hospitality. We see ourselves as ambassadors; explaining the why we do the things we do in hopes of preserving our heritage."
And so began Steel Magnolias. The sisters loved to listen to podcasts themselves and in the fall of 2018, began to toy with the idea of starting one. Laura Beth studied the technical next steps, and the duo purchased a microphone and started recording at Lainie’s kitchen table in downtown Franklin. "Our first episode topic was intentional to showcase the greatest of all hosting events for a southerner: Thanksgiving!," adds Laura Beth. "With over 75 episodes, we’ve covered a lot of topics, but Southern food is definitely a favorite."
Some of Lainie's favorite episodes thus far have been Heirloom Seeds, College Football Traditions and Keeneland. Lainie has an ability to pull out a story or memory from way, way back. Laura Beth loves sharing stories from her life here in Tennessee. "As sisters we can really get each other laughing so it’s fun to capture that and share with our listeners," says Lainie.
Each of them has their own unique perspective that they bring to the podcast. Lainie runs her own business and has an extensive knowledge of cooking plus a love for people, bourbon and travel. Laura Beth is a stay-at-home mom and is inclined to give you the simplest way to entertain, cook, or batch that cocktail. "As sisters, we truly enjoy each other's company and the simple joys that life in the South brings. We are 11 years apart in age and have had different life situations that give us varying perspectives. Our core values are the same, yet our experiences are different and that keeps our conversations interesting," Lainie adds.
When asked who they'd love to have join them at the table, Laura Beth replies, "There are several iconic women that we would love to sit at the table with to chat about life in the South. Dolly Parton would be at the top of the list. Our show name “Steel Magnolias” is named after the term of a strong, yet feminine southern woman, but since that was also the name of Dolly’s most famous film roll, it seems fitting to have her at the table! Additionally, I would say Fannie Flagg. I’ve been a fan of hers since Fried Green Tomatoes and that story really captures my heart."
Steel Magnolias is available anywhere you can get podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Google Music, etc.