Send us a text

A porch story can change your life. That’s the energy Mary Ryan Brown brings as we explore how Southern culture, girlhood expectations, and the pressure of being “gifted” fuel comedy that heals. She grew up in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, steeped in cadence, gossip, and theater, and she pairs that with a literary lens that shapes jokes like short stories. From Jerry Clower to Flannery O’Connor, her references aren’t just clever—they’re the scaffolding for an hour designed to feel like a pickle shot: the burn, then the rush, and the strange relief of being seen.

We talk about the season that cracked everything open: postpartum depression. Those sleepless nights became a workshop, with specials paused and transcribed beat by beat until timing made sense again. When she finally stepped onto an open mic, preparation met chaos, and a community voice began to emerge. The Southern Mom persona didn’t appear out of nowhere; it arrived from GroupMe threads, church parking lots, monogrammed backpacks, and china patterns that signal class and comfort. It’s specific and a little dangerous—humor as a Trojan horse for cultural truth, delivered with affection and bite.

Mary Ryan ties her audacity to family legacy. Her grandmother, Dr. Frances Karnes, pioneered gifted education and modeled the courage to ask for what doesn’t exist. That spirit informs the grind: showing up, writing better, accepting that the audience owes you nothing while you owe them resonance. We trace peaks and valleys, faith and fear, New York dreams and small-town logistics, and the launch of her new tour in 2026. If you love stand-up, Southern storytelling, reinvention, authenticity, and the weird alchemy where laughter turns into courage, you’ll find a lot to savor here.

For all things Mary Ryan Brown - including her tour schedule - visit her website: https://www.maryryanbrown.com/

You can also find her on Instagram: @maryryanbrown.

Join us, subscribe for more conversations like this, and share this episode with someone who needs a nudge to take their first brave step. Your reviews help others discover the show—leave one and tell us which moment stuck with you most.

🔗 Stay connected with Pairs Well With…
Follow us on Instagram: @PairsWellWithPodcast and Watch us on YouTube: @PairsWellWith...Podcast.

Have a story or guest idea? Email us at: PairsWellWithPodcast@gmail.com

🎧 New episodes every month—subscribe, rate, and share if you enjoy the show!

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Although your hosts are attorneys, Pairs Well With… does not provide legal, medical, financial, or professional advice. Listening to this podcast does not create an attorney-client relationship. Always seek the advice of qualified professionals regarding any specific questions or concerns you may have.

Send us a text

The hosts, Serena and Sheila, begin this episode discussing a spark that starts with a simple shift: stop dressing for approval and start dressing for yourself. From a vintage bandana that feels like armor to a chaotic morning that ends with a mailbox carving a new line into a new car, we unpack why confidence, planning, and self-expression matter more than perfection. Holiday talk follows—less pressure on a single day, more joy across a month—plus a disarming fix for the online shopping spiral that keeps our carts full and our closets confused.

Then the hosts engage in a rich conversation with Brooks Eason, a retired lawyer turned author. They delve into his latest book, 'I Remember Everything,' which intricately weaves a story of lifelong friendship, tragedy, and adventure. Brooks shares insights into his writing process, the transition from a high-stress legal career to a fulfilling post-retirement life, and the pivotal moments that shaped his journey. The discussion also touches upon the importance of friendships and personal fulfillment outside traditional career roles. Eason highlights the joys of hosting house concerts, the creative inspirations behind his characters, and the discipline carried over from law to writing.

You’ll also get a candid look at the writing life—how to start with a gripping hook, build a middle that moves, and honor the people who make the story worth telling. If you’re navigating career shifts, craving more real connection, or ready to let style reflect the person you’ve become, this conversation has layers you’ll want to revisit.

You can find out more about Brooks Eason and buy inscribed copies of his newest book, I Remember Everything, (as well as his other books) at https://brookseason.com/

The book is also available on Amazon (with 5 star reviews): https://tinyurl.com/4c4rm9sr

If this episode hits home, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review. Your notes help us keep the conversations honest, useful, and alive.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction and Family Anecdotes

00:27 Fashion and Personal Style

02:26 Morning Routines and Mishaps

03:53 Holiday Shopping and Party Plans

08:24 Flexible Holiday Celebrations

13:17 Interview with Brooks Eason

25:34 The Hook and the Middle

26:01 Outdoor Adventures and Inspirations

27:01 A Tragic Twist

29:14 Developing Characters and Personal Reflections

33:47 Transitioning from Law to Writing

47:21 Friendships and House Concerts

54:00 Reflections on Retirement and Creativity

56:32 Rapid Fire and Final Thoughts

🔗 Stay connected with Pairs Well With…
Follow us on Instagram: @PairsWellWithPodcast and Watch us on YouTube: @PairsWellWith...Podcast.

Have a story or guest idea? Email us at: PairsWellWithPodcast@gmail.com

🎧 New episodes every month—subscribe, rate, and share if you enjoy the show!

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Although your hosts are attorneys, Pairs Well With… does not provide legal, medical, financial, or professional advice. Listening to this podcast does not create an attorney-client relationship. Always seek the advice of qualified professionals regarding any specific questions or concerns you may have.

Send us a text

Before our full episode with Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, Serena and Sheila provide some updates on what’s been happening behind the scenes.

At 22:50, Attorney General Lynn Fitch joins our hosts and Episode 5 begins.

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, the first woman to hold the office, to explore the purpose-driven path behind her extraordinary career. From early pivots and public-service mentorship to shaping statewide policy on women’s issues, human trafficking, and maternal assistance initiatives, General Fitch opens up about the moments that defined her leadership—and the faith that guides her through every door she walks through.

We dig into the moments that mattered: saying yes to hard assignments from Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Gandy, launching the Women in the Profession Committee and the Gandy Lecture Series, and deciding to run statewide when the odds said don’t. As State Treasurer, General Fitch turned financial literacy into a statewide movement—training 140,000 students and then bringing parents and teachers along—proving you can build capacity even when legislation lags. That same bias for action powers her approach to human trafficking: multi-agency task forces, survivor-informed care, arrests that stick, and simple tools like the Simply Report app to move tips faster than traffickers.

The conversation widens with the Mississippi Women’s Summit, where more than 600 women traded ideas, formed partnerships, and did real business—reminding us that community is an economic engine. We close with the Empowerment Project, an action plan anchored in five pillars: childcare, flexible work, child support reform, upskilling, and adoption and foster care transformation. New laws, Safe Haven Baby Boxes, and the MAMA app—Mississippi Access to Maternal Assistance—turn values into infrastructure, helping mothers find jobs, food, car seats, and support in just a few taps.

If you care about practical leadership, survivor-centered justice, and building ecosystems that lift women and families, this conversation delivers playbooks you can borrow. Listen, share with a friend who needs a nudge to walk through the next door, and leave a review to help more people find stories that move them.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Mississippi Attorney General’s Office

https://attorneygenerallynnfitch.com/

Empowerment Project

https://attorneygenerallynnfitch.com/theempowermentproject/

MAMA Program (Mississippi Access to Maternal Assistance)

https://mama.ms.gov

MS Women’s Summit (Dates & Registration)

https://attorneygenerallynnfitch.com/womenssummit/

Simply Report App (Human trafficking tip reporting)

Available in the App Sto

🔗 Stay connected with Pairs Well With…
Follow us on Instagram: @PairsWellWithPodcast and Watch us on YouTube: @PairsWellWith...Podcast.

Have a story or guest idea? Email us at: PairsWellWithPodcast@gmail.com

🎧 New episodes every month—subscribe, rate, and share if you enjoy the show!

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Although your hosts are attorneys, Pairs Well With… does not provide legal, medical, financial, or professional advice. Listening to this podcast does not create an attorney-client relationship. Always seek the advice of qualified professionals regarding any specific questions or concerns you may have.

Send us a text

The house got quieter, but life got louder in all the best ways. We swap “empty nest” for “open door” and talk about what happens when two daughters head to college and their moms finally move long-delayed dreams to the front burner. One of us launches The Green Butterfly—a vintage boutique turned creative community—learning retail tech, hiring a team, and designing events that help people find their style and their spark. The other starts saying yes to unplanned trips, deeper conversations, and guilt-free time, noticing how purpose returns when the calendar stops orbiting around carpool.

Our daughters join us to share the honest stuff: nervous first hellos, roommates, tiny dorms, and the small anchors that make new places feel safe—journals, teddy bears, even an emotional support cat. We explore majors and pivots, from psychology to dentistry, and theater design to special effects makeup, and we push past the salary script to a richer idea of success: meaningful work, real friends, and a life you actually want to wake up to. Along the way, we untangle boundaries and trust, choosing to be available without hovering, and letting our kids lead the check-ins. There’s nostalgia, laughter, and the reminder to take the road trip, capture the memory, and keep most of the photos off the internet.

If you’re standing at the same threshold—kids launching, identity shifting—consider this your companion guide. You’ll find perspective, practical ideas, and a nudge toward your own next chapter, whether that’s a business, a creative outlet, or simply more room to breathe. If this conversation resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a quick review so more open-door parents can find us.

SHOW NOTES:

You can find out more about Serena's new store, The Green Butterfly at https://www.greenbutterflyatelier.com and on Instagram @greenbutterflyatelier

🔗 Stay connected with Pairs Well With…
Follow us on Instagram: @PairsWellWithPodcast and Watch us on YouTube: @PairsWellWith...Podcast.

Have a story or guest idea? Email us at: PairsWellWithPodcast@gmail.com

🎧 New episodes every month—subscribe, rate, and share if you enjoy the show!

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Although your hosts are attorneys, Pairs Well With… does not provide legal, medical, financial, or professional advice. Listening to this podcast does not create an attorney-client relationship. Always seek the advice of qualified professionals regarding any specific questions or concerns you may have.

Send us a text

What happens when the life you've carefully built gets completely upended? Meredith Morris never imagined returning to Mississippi after establishing a successful 20-year career as a hairstylist in Beverly Hills. Then the pandemic hit.

When California's strict lockdowns shuttered her salon indefinitely, Meredith packed up her dogs and drove across the country for what she thought would be a temporary summer escape to her home state. What she discovered instead was space to breathe, reconnection with family, and possibilities she hadn't considered. "I kept thinking what if I wake up in 10 years and all I have is my success? What if I wake up and that is all I have?" she reflects.

In this candid conversation, Meredith shares how her temporary relocation evolved into a complete life reinvention. She founded her Oh Meredith brand after returning to Mississippi, found love through an unlikely Bumble match, and discovered that success means something entirely different than what she'd pursued for decades. Her journey beautifully illustrates how sometimes the changes we resist most lead us exactly where we need to be.

Meredith's story resonates with anyone facing unexpected transitions or contemplating deliberate change. Her refreshing perspective on reinvention emphasizes forward movement over perfectionism: "I'm afraid of everything... It's not brave. I just don't really see there as being an alternative other than just keep moving." She reminds us that our lives are constantly evolving - "this is just version 1.0" - and that being open to possibility creates space for joy and fulfillment beyond what we might have imagined.

Whether you're navigating an unexpected pivot or seeking inspiration to make a change you've been considering, Meredith's journey from Beverly Hills to Mississippi offers wisdom, encouragement, and a reminder that sometimes going back leads us forward in the most beautiful ways.

🔗 Stay connected with Pairs Well With…
Follow us on Instagram: @PairsWellWithPodcast and Watch us on YouTube: @PairsWellWith...Podcast.

Have a story or guest idea? Email us at: PairsWellWithPodcast@gmail.com

🎧 New episodes every month—subscribe, rate, and share if you enjoy the show!

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Although your hosts are attorneys, Pairs Well With… does not provide legal, medical, financial, or professional advice. Listening to this podcast does not create an attorney-client relationship. Always seek the advice of qualified professionals regarding any specific questions or concerns you may have.

🔗 Stay connected with Pairs Well With…
Follow us on Instagram: @PairsWellWithPodcast and Watch us on YouTube: @PairsWellWith...Podcast.

Have a story or guest idea? Email us at: PairsWellWithPodcast@gmail.com

🎧 New episodes every month—subscribe, rate, and share if you enjoy the show!

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Although your hosts are attorneys, Pairs Well With… does not provide legal, medical, financial, or professional advice. Listening to this podcast does not create an attorney-client relationship. Always seek the advice of qualified professionals regarding any specific questions or concerns you may have.

Send us a text

What does it mean to find success on your own terms? For La'Verne Edney, the journey from being the youngest of 14 children in the Mississippi Delta to becoming the first African-American female president of the American Board of Trial Advocates reveals profound truths about reinvention, friendship, and inner peace.

La'Verne joins longtime friends Sheila and Serena for a heartfelt conversation that spans decades of shared experiences. With remarkable candor, she traces her path from aspiring secretary to nationally recognized trial lawyer, crediting divine timing for each transition. Her recent presidency of ABOTA took her across the globe, fulfilling bucket-list dreams like walking where Jesus walked in Jerusalem – experiences she never imagined possible for a girl from Leland, Mississippi.

The conversation shifts beautifully between professional insights and personal revelations. La'Verne describes bringing her Black friends and white friends together on a birthday trip to Turks and Caicos, creating bonds that have lasted a decade. All three women reflect on how female friendships evolve with age, becoming more forgiving, intentional, and family-like. "Our friends one day are going to be our family," La'Verne notes, a reality that takes on new significance as they enter this chapter of life.

Perhaps most powerful is La'Verne's redefinition of success. While career achievements once dominated her goals, today she measures success by inner peace and the ability to help family. "I am at the height of peace that I've been in my adult life," she shares – a profound statement in our achievement-obsessed culture. She closes with wisdom accumulated through every transition: laugh at yourself, embrace who you are, protect your heart, and share your blessings.

Ready to reimagine what's possible in your own life? Listen now and discover why transitions aren't just inevitable – they're opportunities to become exactly who you're meant to be. Subscribe and share to join our community of women supporting each other through every chapter.

🔗 Stay connected with Pairs Well With…
Follow us on Instagram: @PairsWellWithPodcast and Watch us on YouTube: @PairsWellWith...Podcast.

Have a story or guest idea? Email us at: PairsWellWithPodcast@gmail.com

🎧 New episodes every month—subscribe, rate, and share if you enjoy the show!

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Although your hosts are attorneys, Pairs Well With… does not provide legal, medical, financial, or professional advice. Listening to this podcast does not create an attorney-client relationship. Always seek the advice of qualified professionals regarding any specific questions or concerns you may have.

Send us a text

What happens when two successful lawyers, longtime friends, and women navigating life transitions find themselves at similar crossroads? The answer is "Pairs Well With...", a podcast born from countless conversations over long dinners and late nights about reinvention, bold new chapters, and finding what truly matters.

Hosts Serena and Sheila bring their contrasting styles—one intentional and planned, the other spontaneous and creative—to candid discussions about transitions that many face but few talk about openly. As they both approach empty-nest status, they're asking profound questions: What does it mean to put yourself second (or even first) after decades of prioritizing everyone else? How do you redefine yourself when roles that defined you for decades begin to change? What feeds your soul when you finally have time to be intentional?

Their conversation weaves through the challenges of letting perfectionism go, the power of supportive female friendships, and the excitement (mixed with trepidation) of having control over their calendars for perhaps the first time in adult life. With warmth and humor, they share personal stories about motherhood, career evolution, and discovering new passions—from Sheila's love of entertaining to Serena's venture into vintage clothing with her new store, The Green Butterfly.

Whether you're facing your own midlife transition, curious about reinvention, or simply enjoy authentic conversations between friends who aren't afraid to get real, "Pairs Well With..." offers companionship for the journey. Join us as we navigate these changes together, bringing in other voices at our "Friends Table" to share their wisdom along the way. Subscribe now and become part of a community embracing the next chapter with curiosity, courage, and a healthy sense of humor.

🔗 Stay connected with Pairs Well With…
Follow us on Instagram: @PairsWellWithPodcast and Watch us on YouTube: @PairsWellWith...Podcast.

Have a story or guest idea? Email us at: PairsWellWithPodcast@gmail.com

🎧 New episodes every month—subscribe, rate, and share if you enjoy the show!

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Although your hosts are attorneys, Pairs Well With… does not provide legal, medical, financial, or professional advice. Listening to this podcast does not create an attorney-client relationship. Always seek the advice of qualified professionals regarding any specific questions or concerns you may have.