Broadway may be where Nashville turns the volume up, but The Gulch is where the city sharpens its edges.

In this episode of Retire Southern, James Lewis sits down with the team behind one of Nashville's most compelling hospitality experiences: Executive Chef Brack May, Beverage Director Todd Johnston, and Executive Pastry Chef Natalie Moorer of The Thompson Nashville.

From oysters sliding across the raw bar at Marsh House to espresso martinis climbing toward the rooftop at L.A. Jackson, this conversation explores what actually makes a hotel feel alive. Not just the food. Not just the cocktails. The feeling.

Together, the group dives into:

• The ecosystem philosophy behind modern hospitality
• Seafood sourcing, raw bar culture, and caviar service at Marsh House
• Soft-shell crab yaka mein and elevated Southern seafood
• The rise of espresso martinis and rooftop culture at L.A. Jackson
• Building a pastry program that feels refined yet approachable
• Why locals genuinely spend time at The Thompson
• The team's version of the perfect Nashville weekend
• What Southern hospitality looks like when it is done correctly

Chef Brack brings decades of experience from San Francisco to New Orleans, shaping Marsh House into one of Nashville's defining seafood destinations with an approach rooted in authenticity over performance.

Todd has helped build both Marsh House and L.A. Jackson since opening day in 2016, creating spaces that feel elevated without ever becoming pretentious.

And Chef Natalie quietly ties the entire experience together through desserts, pastries, brunch, and small details that guests remember long after checkout.

What emerges is a conversation about hospitality, energy, rhythm, and the kind of places people return to because of how they feel when they are there.

The Thompson Nashville is not trying to compete with Broadway.

It is offering a different frequency altogether.

A little calmer. A little sharper. A little more intentional.

Read. Watch. Listen.

Rooted in the South. Driven by Purpose. Built for Living.

James Lewis sits down with author, food writer, and TrueSouth host John T. Edge to discuss his memoir House of Smoke: A Southerner Goes Searching for Home.

The conversation explores inherited identity, childhood trauma, Southern culture, accountability, unintended consequences, and the stories we unconsciously carry forward.

Best known for his work with the Southern Foodways Alliance and the Emmy Award winning series TrueSouth, John T. reflects on family, purpose, leadership, and what it means to confront the truths that shape us.

This is a conversation about more than food. It is a conversation about identity, memory, and what to carry forward from our past.

Watch. Read. Listen.

Companion essay:
"The Story We Inherit"

https://www.retiresouthern.com/lifestyle/the-story-we-inherit

Most people think success in music looks like the spotlight.

The front man. The headliner. The name on the marquee.

But there is another path. One built on preparation, consistency, and being ready when the call comes.

In this episode, I sit down with Frank Grocholski, a professional guitarist, session player, and touring musician for Cowboy Mouth, to talk about what it really looks like to build a life in music.

From getting his first guitar at three years old
to teaching himself by ear off Nirvana, The Beatles, and Metallica
to touring the world before he was 20
to stepping on stage at Jazz Fest in front of 30,000 people

Frankie's story is not about chasing the spotlight.

It is about becoming the guy who gets the call.

We talk about the grind, the moments that mattered, and what it means to build a career between airplanes and amplifiers.

If you have ever wondered what it really takes to do what you love for a living, this one is for you.

Read the full feature here: https://www.retiresouthern.com/retiresouthernpodcast/frankie-g-guitarist-cowboy-mouth-story

Read. Watch. Listen.

Rooted in the South. Driven by Purpose. Built for Living.

What if most of what we call "dining" today… isn't actually dining at all?

In this episode of Retire Southern, we sit down with Chef Kevin Joseph of Raw Lab and Blaiss Nowak of Nowak's Steakhouse to explore a new way of thinking about food, hospitality, and human connection.

On April 28 in Atlanta, they're bringing that vision to life with EPICureanism at Nowak's. A one-night, immersive culinary experience designed not as a dinner, but as a progression. A conversation. A room built for presence.

Because as Kevin puts it:

"The delta between eating and dining is discovery."

• The difference between 21st century dining and a 22nd century culinary philosophy
• How Raw Lab redefined what a meal can be
• Why presence is the ultimate luxury in a dining experience
• The psychology of shared tables, music, and environment
• What to expect from EPICureanism at Nowak's on April 28

This is not a traditional dinner.

It's a curated, multi-course experience built around:

• Oyster Flight
• Salon de Caviar
• Land & Sea
• Sea Salt Social
• Wine travel throughout

Designed to engage, challenge, and connect. This experience unfolds in real time, with every guest moving through it together.

No distractions. No separate tables. Just a room built for discovery.

This isn't for everyone. And it's not supposed to be.

This is for the curious.
For people who value presence over routine.
For those who believe the best conversations, and the best relationships, are built around a table.

📍 Nowak's Steakhouse, Atlanta, GA
📅 April 28
🕕 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
🎟️ Limited seating

This is what Life EQ looks like in real time.

Some dinners you forget.
Others change how you experience everything that comes after.

This is one of those.

🎧 Read. Watch. Listen.
Full feature

What if the problem isn't your work… but your alignment?

In this episode of the Retire Southern Podcast, James Lewis and his wife Amanda sit down with Callie and Jeff Dauler to explore a question most people avoid.

What happens when your life looks right on paper… but feels wrong in practice?

From the outside, Callie and Jeff had built successful, visible careers in media. But behind the scenes, something wasn't lining up. And instead of ignoring it, they made a decision most people only talk about.

They stepped away.

What followed was a complete rethinking of how they approach work, creativity, and life.

At the center of that shift is a simple but powerful idea they call the Lily Pad Strategy.

You don't jump the whole pond.

You move one intentional step at a time.

This conversation goes deeper into:

• Why "success" without alignment creates friction you can't ignore

• The Lily Pad Strategy and how small moves lead to meaningful change

• What most people get wrong about podcasting, growth, and audience

• Why getting the right 10 people matters more than reaching 10,000

• The tradeoffs that come with building something that looks successful from the outside

This is not a conversation about quitting.

It is a conversation about choosing.

Choosing clarity over noise.
Choosing alignment over expectation.
Choosing a life that actually fits.

If you have ever felt the tension between where you are and where you want to be, this one will resonate.

Jump small.

Because that is how you get across the pond.

What if the way you feel every day isn't actually normal?

In this episode of the Retire Southern Podcast, James Lewis sits down with clinical psychologist Dr. Matthew Campbell to explore a simple but powerful idea.

Modern life has drifted away from the conditions humans were designed for.

The result is a quiet baseline many people accept without question.
Tired. Distracted. A little off.

Dr. Campbell breaks this down into five foundational behaviors he calls Our Primal 5.

Sunlight.
Sleep.
Movement.
Connection.
And what we choose to consume.

This is not theory.

His workbook and app are built to help people apply these behaviors in a practical way over five weeks. One focus at a time. Real implementation, not just ideas.

The conversation goes deeper into:

• Why your "normal" might actually be misalignment
• How small changes can create outsized improvements
• The hidden cost of modern habits and constant stimulation
• Why behavior leads and feelings follow
• If you have ever felt off but could not explain why, this conversation will resonate.

Start with one.

Because momentum builds.

For years, when someone asked where to find the best French dip in Atlanta, the honest answer was Houston's.

That changed when Ford Fry launched the French Dip at Bar Blanc in Midtown Atlanta.

In this episode of the Retire Southern Podcast, James Lewis sits down with Ford Fry to explore how a simple sandwich became a ritual. From prime rib roasted overnight to dry aged beef infused au jus, from East Coast versus West Coast builds to bottomless beef tallow fries, this is not just a lunch special. It is intention on a plate.

But the conversation moves beyond the sandwich. Fry reflects on leadership, responsibility, and what it means to build restaurants that change the lives of the people who work inside them.

If you are searching for the best French dip in Atlanta or simply want to understand how ritual builds community, this episode is Life EQ 101.

Listen now and experience the French Dip at Bar Blanc.

Napoleon House has never tried to be anything other than what it is.

In this episode of the Retire Southern Podcast, James Lewis sits down with Chris Montero, Executive Chef and General Manager of Napoleon House, to explore what it means to care for one of the French Quarter's most enduring neighborhood institutions.

An eighth generation New Orleanian, Montero brings his family's traditions into the kitchen every day. His red beans are made without soaking and built on three kinds of pork fat, cooked the same way his grandmother made them. He favors the classic Pimm's Cup served over ice, light and restrained, just as it has been for generations. His connection to Napoleon House is not theoretical. It is lived.

The conversation moves through food, cocktails, history, and the responsibility of stewardship. It is a story about loving a place enough to protect it, about honoring history without freezing it in time, and about the people who make an institution feel like it belongs to everyone who walks through the door.

Listen to the full episode and read the complete written feature at retiresouthern.com.