Banner & Company

Before The Store opened, Jasmine Ledsinger would drive by and wonder what this new business was going to be. When she learned it would be a place for those in need to shop for free food, she quickly became interested — and before she knew it she was the first employee hired by founders Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley. Today, Jasmine is The Store's program director. It's not exactly where the Nashville native saw herself after studying social work at MTSU, but it's a job she knew right away was meant for her. In just a few years, The Store's mission has grown as need has grown. Even so, they have an extensive waiting list despite serving hundreds of families across the city. Early next year they'll expand their operation with a second, much larger facility. Guest: Jasmine Ledsinger, program director, The Store Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch -more episodes at nashvillebanner.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A familiar face to many, Joe West is the "house band" at Nashville International Airport. In this role, he performs regularly for ever-changing crowds as they arrive in the city for the first time, or return home from far-flung travels. His regular gigs at the airport have also earned him high-profile spots on other stages in Nashville and beyond. Joe comes from a musical lineage. His parents, Sarge and Shirley West of Fayetteville, Ark., formed the first African American country music duo, and toured together and broke barriers with every performance. Today, Joe's daughter Rebecca often joins him onstage. And after a recent health scare involving a ruptured aorta — he's fully recovered now — Joe is more grateful than ever for the chance to make music. This episode was originally broadcast in January. Guest: Joe West, musician Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producers: Andrea Tudhope and Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From 2003-2023, Jim Cooper represented Tennessee in Congress — most recently from the reliably Democratic District 5, which included Nashville. But when the Tennessee legislature redrew the congressional maps, splitting Nashville across three new heavily Republican districts, it didn't take him long to do the math, and he did not seek re-election. Born into a political family in Nashville and raised in nearby Shelbyville, Jim has always kept busy. And he still keeps his ear to the ground politically. The race to fill one of the seats carved out of his old district is a surprisingly close one, and it will come as no surprise whose campaign he donated to — but some of his other ideas might raise an eyebrow. Hint: They include changing Nashville's borders again. Guest: Jim Cooper, former Tennessee congressman Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For Nashville attorney John Day, there is no overstating how important the rule of law is to our everyday lives — not just when it comes to our personal freedoms, but also in making the economy work in a predictable fashion. He compares it to oxygen: You don't notice it until it starts to go way. John was recently named president of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a nationwide group that has advocated to preserve the rule of law under increasing pressure. He had always planned to study and practice law with his father in Wisconsin, but a college professor suggested John see some of the world first: North Carolina first, for law school, then Nashville for an internship. The law community at the time was much smaller than comparable Southern cities, and he felt like could fit in. He's been practicing here ever since. Guest: John Day, attorney Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Throughout his career, Mark Deutschmann has tried to balance preservation — he worked to develop the historick Werthan Mills complex into lofts — with progress. He's a big advocate for the development of the city's greenway system, and hopes for more ways to build attainable (rather than "affordable") housing. Mark had a winding path to Music City — one that included working with orcas, nearly getting lost at sea, and winding up on an island with only two inhabitants. Once here, he managed to take up juggling (peaking at seven balls at a time) and start his own real estate company, Village, in 1996. He was recently inducted into the Nashville Entrepreneur Center's hall of fame. Guest: Mark Deutschmann, developer, founder, Village Real Estate Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch -More local news at nashvillebanner.com -Sign up for our free morning newsletter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices