Episode 32 Brought to you by Stafford's Market, Drew, Miss

Breaking Bread with Stafford Shurden
Episode 32: John “Driftwood Johnny” Ruskey | Quapaw Canoe Company

On this episode of Breaking Bread, Stafford sits down with John “Driftwood Johnny” Ruskey, founder of Quapaw Canoe Company, musician, painter, writer, river guide, educator, and one of the Mississippi River’s most passionate advocates.

John has spent decades exploring the wild places of America from his home base in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Before founding Quapaw Canoe Company in 1998, he served as the first curator of the Delta Blues Museum from 1992 to 1998 and helped co-found the Delta Blues Education Fund.

His work eventually carried him from the blues to the river. John founded the Mighty Quapaws Apprenticeship Program, introducing young people from the Mississippi Delta to canoe building, river skills, outdoor adventure, and the natural world. In 2011, he founded the Lower Mississippi River Foundation, dedicated to river access, education, conservation, and public outdoor recreation.

Quapaw Canoe Company celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2023 and has become a gateway to a side of the Mississippi River most people never experience. John and his crew guide paddlers through the islands, back channels, sandbars, forests, and enormous open spaces of the Mississippi from St. Louis all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.

And John hasn't limited himself to the Mississippi. His travels and writing have taken him down many of North America's great rivers, including the Colorado, Rio Grande, Arkansas, Platte, Columbia, Missouri, and Atchafalaya.

John's philosophy is rooted in a line from Henry David Thoreau:

His lifetime of work has been recognized with the Noel Polk Lifetime Achievement Award from the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters in 2019 and the St. John’s College Award of Merit in 2022 for his contributions to the United States, the Mississippi River, the arts, and exploration.

Breaking Bread with Stafford Shurden | Episode 31

Rory & Marisol Doyle: From Maine and Mexico to the Mississippi Delta

What happens when a photographer from Maine and a restaurateur from Sonora, Mexico, somehow find themselves building a life together in Cleveland, Mississippi?

In Episode 31 of Breaking Bread with Stafford Shurden, Stafford sits down with Rory and Marisol Doyle, the husband-and-wife team behind Leña Pizza + Bagels in downtown Cleveland.

Their story stretches far beyond the walls of their restaurant.

Rory is an internationally recognized photographer whose work documenting life in the Mississippi Delta and across the South has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Smithsonian Magazine, Reuters, The Guardian, ESPN and many others. His acclaimed Delta Hill Riders project documenting Black cowboy culture in the Mississippi Delta has been exhibited around the world and earned some of photography's top honors.

In 2025, Rory won a James Beard Media Award for Narrative Photography for his ongoing work documenting Chuck's Dairy Bar in Rolling Fork, Mississippi.

Marisol's path is just as remarkable.

Originally from Sonora, Mexico, she spent years working in the restaurant industry before experimenting with homemade bagels at the Cleveland Farmers Market in 2016. That experiment eventually led her and Rory all the way to Naples, Italy, where she studied the craft of Neapolitan pizza making.

Today, Marisol is the pizzaiola behind Leña, which has earned national attention and recognition as one of America's standout pizzerias.

But this conversation is about more than photography and pizza.

It's about two people from very different parts of the world who came to the Mississippi Delta, chose to stay, and built something special there.

Stafford talks with Rory and Marisol about their journeys to Mississippi, falling in love with the Delta, building Leña, the creative process, Rory's photography, Marisol's approach to food, and what happens when outsiders begin to see a place differently than the people who have lived there their entire lives.

It's a conversation about food, art, place, culture, entrepreneurship and the unexpected roads that sometimes lead us home.

On Episode 30 of Breaking Bread with Stafford Shurden, Stafford sits down with Ivana Williams, a former Mississippi Highway Patrol trooper, entrepreneur, driver's education instructor, and social media creator.

Ivana spent several years in law enforcement, including serving as one of relatively few women in the Mississippi Highway Patrol. Since leaving the Highway Patrol, she has built a new chapter of her career as a business owner, teaching driver's education to students across Mississippi while also building a large following on social media.

Stafford and Ivana talk about her journey into law enforcement, her experiences as a female state trooper, entrepreneurship, teaching young people to drive, social media, and where life has taken her since her days with the Highway Patrol.

It's a wide-ranging conversation about taking an unconventional path, starting over, and building what's next.

Breaking Bread with Stafford Shurden is brought to you by Stafford's Market & Deli in Drew, Mississippi.

Stafford's Market & Deli is open Monday through Friday from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM and Sunday from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM, buffet only.

Matty Bengloff moved to the Mississippi Delta after graduating from college in 2007, originally planning to teach for a couple of years. He ended up staying, and has now lived in the Delta longer than anywhere else. He and his wife, Suzette Matthews, own Delta Dairy in Cleveland, a beloved local business and gathering spot. Both are deeply involved in civic organizations and the Cleveland-Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce. In March, Matty took over leadership of the Bologna Performing Arts Center, better known as BPAC, and is excited about the upcoming fall season and the future of live music and performing arts in the Mississippi Delta.

Episode 28 of the Breaking Bread Podcast is a special one.

This isn't our typical studio interview. Instead, we're taking you inside Success Supper Club for the entire evening with our July guest, Robert St. John.

Robert is one of Mississippi's most respected restaurateurs, an accomplished world traveler, bestselling author, and a gifted storyteller. Over the years, he's built successful restaurants, written numerous books, and inspired countless entrepreneurs with his practical wisdom and generous spirit.

We also dive into the incredible work of Extra Table, the Mississippi nonprofit Robert founded that provides food and funding to 71 food pantries across the state, helping feed families in every corner of Mississippi.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, restaurant owner, community leader, or simply someone looking for inspiration, this conversation is packed with insights on business, leadership, generosity, perseverance, and living a life of purpose.

Grab a cup of coffee, settle in, and enjoy one of our favorite conversations yet.

Guest: Robert St. John
Host: Stafford Shurden
Series: Breaking Bread Podcast | Episode 28

If you enjoy the episode, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who could use a little inspiration.

#BreakingBreadPodcast #RobertStJohn #SuccessSupperClub #Mississippi #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #Restaurants #ExtraTable #Business #StaffordShurden

The Breaking Bread Podcast is proudly sponsored by Stafford's Market in Drew, Mississippi. If you're passing through the Delta, stop by, grab something good to eat, and help us keep these conversations coming.

Today's guest is my longtime friend, Chef David Crews, owner of Crews Culinary Investments, culinary instructor at Mississippi Delta Community College, and the driving force behind the Delta Supper Club, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that's bringing world-class dining experiences to the Mississippi Delta.

The Delta Supper Club has become one of the most unique culinary experiences in the South, hosting unforgettable multi-course dinners prepared by acclaimed chefs in some of the Delta's most iconic settings, from historic Dockery Farms to other remarkable locations throughout the region. Their newly reimagined season has just launched, and the first event sold out almost immediately.

David and I go way back. In my early years of running restaurants, he was one of the people who taught me what running a kitchen really looked like. We talk about the restaurant business, mentoring the next generation of chefs, building community through food, and why the Mississippi Delta continues to inspire people from all over the country.

If you love food, entrepreneurship, and great stories, you're going to enjoy this conversation.

Episode 26 | Special Guest: Brooks Bishop

In this episode of Breaking Bread, Stafford sits down with his friend Brooks Bishop, owner of Southern Summit Roofing in Cleveland, Mississippi.

Brooks is a young entrepreneur with an interesting story and a wide range of experiences. He's been a regular supporter of the Success Supper Club, has introduced Stafford at multiple events, and has built a reputation as someone who is always looking for ways to grow, learn, and help others succeed.

In this conversation, Brooks shares his journey, talks about the roofing business, discusses entrepreneurship in the Mississippi Delta, and offers insights on leadership, relationships, and building a company from the ground up.

Whether you're a business owner, aspiring entrepreneur, or just enjoy hearing the stories of people making things happen in rural America, you'll enjoy this conversation.

About Brooks Bishop

Brooks Bishop is the owner of Southern Summit Roofing, based in Cleveland, Mississippi. Through Southern Summit Roofing, Brooks helps homeowners and businesses protect their investments while building a company focused on service, trust, and long-term relationships.

Episode Sponsor

Today's episode is sponsored by Stafford's Market & Deli.

Located in the heart of Drew, Mississippi, Stafford's Market & Deli is open Sunday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., serving some of Mississippi's favorite home-cooked meals, sandwiches, daily specials, and famous fried chicken.

If you're traveling through the Delta, stop by and grab lunch.

Learn more at StaffordShurden.com.

Connect with Stafford

Website: StaffordShurden.com

Thanks for listening to Breaking Bread with Stafford Shurden. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend.

In this episode of Breaking Bread, Stafford sits down with entrepreneur, firefighter, martial arts instructor, coach, and leadership expert Ian O'Leary for a powerful conversation about purpose, perseverance, faith, and helping others discover their gifts.

Growing up in Jackson, Mississippi, Ian was raised in a close-knit family where faith played a central role. The son of a minister, he spent much of his childhood immersed in spiritual experiences while developing a passion for sports. After winning a state football championship in high school, Ian pursued baseball at the collegiate level, eventually helping lead an underdog Division II program to a national championship appearance.

His journey would take him from corporate management to entrepreneurship, personal training, martial arts instruction, network marketing leadership, and eventually into the fire service, where he fulfilled a lifelong dream of becoming a firefighter and EMT. Along the way, he became one of only a handful of instructors worldwide certified to teach Bruce Lee's martial art, Jeet Kune Do.

But Ian's story is about much more than professional accomplishments.

He opens up about some of the deepest challenges of his life, including divorce, the heartbreaking loss of twin nephews to a rare genetic disorder, caring for his father during his battle with dementia, and navigating the long-term health challenges faced by his wife, Kristina, following her diagnosis with long COVID.

Through tragedy, uncertainty, and sacrifice, Ian shares how faith, family, and purpose became the anchors that carried him forward.

Today, Ian and Kristina lead Champian International, a company dedicated to helping individuals discover their purpose, maximize their potential, and overcome life's obstacles. Their mission is rooted in personal experience and a belief that every challenge can become part of a greater story.

This episode is a conversation about resilience, leadership, personal growth, and finding hope when life doesn't go according to plan.

In this episode, Stafford sits down with Terry Roberts, a man who spent decades navigating the corporate world with companies like IBM, Procter & Gamble, Kimberly-Clark, Boston Scientific, and Medtronic only to walk away and bet on himself.

After realizing in his mid-50s that corporate advancement had a ceiling, Terry made a hard pivot. No safety net, no guarantees. Just a decision to learn real estate from scratch. Over the next several years, he built a portfolio strong enough to replace his income and step away from corporate life on his own terms.

Now semi-retired, Terry shares what that transition really looked like; the uncertainty, the discipline, and the long game most people aren’t willing to play. This is a conversation about reinvention, knowing when to pivot, and building something that actually gives you freedom.

Outside of business, Terry is a family man first. He’s been married to his college sweetheart Gina for over 40 years, with three daughters, a growing crew of grandkids, and a life centered around family, faith, and Mississippi State athletics. You’ll usually find him at a game, at the lake house on the Tombigbee, or in the shop working with his hands.

He also co-hosts the Cardiovascular Matters podcast alongside Dr. Craig Walker, where they dig into heart health and real-world medical insights.

This one’s about what happens when you stop waiting for permission and start building your own path.

In this episode of Breaking Bread, Stafford sits down with Jesse Phillips, a Marine, filmmaker, photographer, writer, and what can only be described as a true warrior poet.

Jesse is the kind of man you don’t forget after you meet him. He’s got a quiet intensity, a natural charisma, and a presence that feels like it belongs on screen. But underneath all of that is something deeper. Jesse is a man of faith, a devoted husband and father, and someone who genuinely cares about people and their stories.

A lot of Jesse’s work is centered around sitting down with veterans and giving them a space to be heard. Not polished. Not scripted. Just real. And if you had to boil it all down, that’s who he is at his core he is a storyteller.

We talk about his journey from the Marines to filmmaking.
What it means to carry both strength and vulnerability.
The influence of his father—the original “warrior poet”.
And how faith, family, and purpose all tie it together.