Where Good Things Grow with Erin Napier

Season 1, Episode 10

At The Heirloom, we know that forgotten, fallow ground still holds great promise. Whether it’s an abandoned Kress store transformed into a grand hotel or a run-down bungalow watched by millions on TV, with creativity and perseverance, even the hardest patches of ground can become gardens—places that serve the local community and inspire folks from all over the world.

It may not be recognized right away, but creativity is often the seed from which legacy sprouts. We tend to celebrate the final result—the finished building, the handmade piece of furniture, the thriving business. But it’s worth remembering: every great ending has a tiny beginning. It starts as a spark in the mind, a glimpse of what could be. A little flash of creativity that, with much hope and even more pluck, becomes something tangible. Something real. Something lasting.

Erin Napier joins us in episode ten of The Heirloom Podcast. She is our business partner, the co-host of HGTV’s Home Town, and an artist, whose creative gifts brought color and murals to the restoration dreams of our early efforts to revitalize Laurel, Mississippi.

Erin has been dreaming up beauty in this small town since the days when Alf and Barney still inspired kids. In fact, it was Barney who first taught her that imagination can take you anywhere—a lesson that would later shape how she saw Laurel itself.

“If our city is a little bit boring, let’s imagine it in a different way and focus on that. Tell yourself a story.” — Erin Napier

She learned early on that small-town life doesn’t limit creativity—it demands it.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• The dark side of creativity—and how Erin steers it toward good

• How a purple dinosaur helped shape Erin’s creative worldview

• Why imagination is essential to small-town revitalization

• How the stability of family is a blessing

• How everyday legacy begins with how you see and tell the story

Erin has seen the good and unexpected things that can come from a little imagination here, a little creativity there.

But the best part? Creativity isn’t reserved for artists, designers, or TV personalities. It’s for all of us—from small-town entrepreneurs to big-city architects, from busy moms to devoted dads, from tradesmen to makers to fabricators. Creativity is a spark from God—a brief, bright glimpse of how the world might could be just a little bit better.

Who knows? Maybe the beauty you imagine will one day grow into something real—something that can change families, neighborhoods, or even entire towns.

Thanks for joining us as we explore legacy and search for all the things that make lasting heirlooms.

— Josh Nowell