Page 22 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2023

Leah Sewell.
PEOPLE
Mandy Hornsby.
story by Cherie Ward photos courtesy of Don't Tell Maw Maw
KatyHall.
Katy Hall, Leah Sewell and Mandy Hornsby.
Katy Hall, Leah Sewell, and Mandy Hornsby are a trio of South Mississippi women navigating hectic lives while staying true to their lasting friendship and southern roots.
A kaleidoscope of genuine southern beliefs and sassy opinions means their conversations have always been animated with tales of their daily lives as well as “Do you remember when...” stories. So they collectively thought, why not share all those conversations with the world?
And just like that, the “Don’t tell Maw Maw” podcast was created and developed by these Gulf Coast women with only one rule – no southern subject is off limits, and, my oh my, do they spill the sweet tea. “It’s our 2020 baby,” Hornsby said. “We talked about it off and on for several months, and then after a road trip to see Leah, I said we should just do this. There’s never going to be a best time and we need to just go for it.”
And go for it they did – with almost 60 podcasts and five seasons since October 2020. The sixth season begins this month with bimonthly episodes that can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Radio Public, and several other podcast websites and apps as well as on Instagram and Facebook.
“She convinced us pretty quickly,” Sewell said, laughing. “It was one of those dreams we all had and thought one day we’ll do it and Mandy said, ‘It’s more than that, and we are going to do it now.’”
The podcast is more than just entertainment to these gal pals. It’s also a way to stay connected. Sewell and Hall are sisters and claim Hornsby as their soul sister. The ladies met in the mid-2000s and spent staggered years together at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. The coastie ladies are now scattered across the country with Hornsby, a D’Iberville native, currently living in Gulfport, while Sewell is in Arizona, and Hall is in Virginia. The sisters are originally from Ocean Springs.
“Now we talk three times more than we used to and we chat for a lot longer than you even hear on the podcast,” Sewell said. “We wanted other people to feel these connections, especially, during the covid pandemic. We always have so much fun together and we thought if we’re laughing other people might enjoy laughing with us.”
22 | January 2023
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