May 11, 2026
There are some places in Johnston County that just feel familiar the moment you pull in. Smith’s Nursery is one of those places for me. If you’ve ever picked strawberries there in the spring, taken your kids on a hayride in the fall, or stopped by for ice cream on…
May 4, 2026
Understanding How Divorce Lawyers Charge One of the biggest sources of confusion in divorce is how attorneys structure their fees. Jonathan walks through the most common models, and the differences matter more than most people realize. Hourly billing is still the most widely used approach. Clients typically deposit money into…
April 27, 2026
From Military Life to Main Street Selma Jim and Kim Fry didn’t follow a typical path to small business ownership. Both served in the Army, met through their shared service, and spent years building careers before ever considering owning a coffee shop. Jim grew up moving constantly as part of…
April 20, 2026
From Small-Town Roots to Big Vision Barry Woodard’s story starts the way many Johnston County stories do, with deep roots. “I grew up in Clayton… I remember when Clayton was just a small town… everybody knew everybody.” Back then, nearly everyone who lived in Clayton was actually from Clayton. Today,…
April 13, 2026
A House With History, A Vision for the Future Some places carry stories long before we ever step inside them. For Jordan Robinson, stepping into ownership of the Magnolia Inn wasn’t just a business decision, it was stepping into a legacy. The home dates back more than a century, once…
April 6, 2026
A Journey That Didn’t Start Where You’d Expect Michael Soler didn’t set out to become a dog trainer. His path moved through entrepreneurship at sixteen, military service, law enforcement, and a season of feeling completely lost. It wasn’t until a simple suggestion—“get a dog”—that everything began to shift. What started…
March 30, 2026
Why Adoption Feels Different From Everything Else Family law is often filled with conflict. Custody battles, separation, difficult transitions. But adoption stands apart. As Jonathan shared, it’s “probably the happiest thing” they handle in family law. It’s one of the few areas where the outcome is centered on building something…
March 23, 2026
From Appliance Tech to Community Connector Chet Hardaway didn’t start out building a network, he started by fixing things. After getting his start in appliance repair through a chance encounter in a home improvement store, he spent over 16 years learning the ins and outs of the trade. Along the…
March 16, 2026
From a Textile Town to Civil Engineering Joey Hopkins grew up in Eden, North Carolina, a community once deeply rooted in textiles and tobacco. Like many young people from the area, he initially planned to follow that same path. At NC State University, he started studying textiles. But he soon…
March 9, 2026
From Las Vegas to Johnston County James Woodall’s path into the fitness industry started long before his gym opened in Clayton. After growing up in a military family and spending time moving between Air Force bases, James eventually attended Western Carolina University, where he ran track. Later, he transferred to…
March 2, 2026
What Counts as Digital Evidence? Digital evidence is almost anything created or stored electronically. Text messages. Emails. Voicemails. Social media posts. Photos and videos. Parenting apps like Our Family Wizard. If it lives on a phone, computer, or tablet, it can likely show up in court. But here is the…
February 23, 2026
A Lifelong Johnston County Perspective Keith Branch isn’t new to public service. A Smithfield-Selma graduate, NC State accounting major, former state auditor, two-term school board member, and former county commissioner, Keith has spent much of his career around public finance and governance. He began with the North Carolina State Auditor’s…
“Best of Johnston County" is a heartwarming, educational podcast that dives into the stories that make this community unique. Brought to you by the trusted legal experts of Breeden Law Office and hosted by Jonathan Breeden, this show creates a platform showcasing all aspects of life in Johnston County. It features insights from business owners, political figures, community members, and even engages with significant subjects in the realm of family law. Amid the daily hustle and bustle, sometimes, we just take a step back to appreciate what lies at the heart of Johnston County.