We were lucky to catch up with Maggie Stamper recently and have shared our conversation below.

Maggie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you have a hero? What have you learned from them?

My grandmother, Mammie always inspired. Her work ethic and strength inspired me to dig deep in times that I don’t have the “get up and go.” The youngest of all her siblings, her sister Louise, taught her many life skills and how to prepare “fresh chicken.” She always told me stories about her when I would pulled out her picture. What she was taught by her family, was handed down to me. I always watched her withered tanned hands prepare the very best southern food for our family each Sunday. She always gave her best after working from sunrise to sun down every single day.

When I grew older, she depended on me to deliver fresh picked veggies, warm cooked meals, and canned goods.

Her passion to cook inspired me to cook delicious southern meals for my family. To give my very best, even when I don’t feel like giving my very best.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

Ironically, my grandmother never used cast iron. Instead, she was a Pyrex user. I had no desire to cook in cast iron because I didn’t know how to use cast iron. To be honest, I was intimidated by the thought in using cast iron ware. Every Friday and Saturday, I would find estate sales or yard sales. I needed more things for my kitchen, with out shelling out enormous amounts of cash. One estate sale that I went to had two very large cast iron skillets. However, the pans were very rusted and needed some love.

When I went home, I spent the day looking at blogs, Youtube channels, and other articles in cast iron care. After reading every article, I was very intimated and very much confused.

One day, while I was on Facebook, I decided to see if there was a group for cast iron cooking. During my search, I noticed a group for cast iron collectors. I joined several groups, only to be floored in how people were able to restore cast iron. After watching videos and reading step by step instructions, I was addicted!

My first few attempts were embarrassing. “Nailed it,” as they would say.

I grabbed several pieces of my mom’s cast iron and started to practice the stripping and seasoning process. I also spent a great deal of time educating myself on cast iron ID and history.

I was persuaded by my brother-in-laws and friends to start my own business. I was very much reluctant at first, but caved in. When COVID hit, many people were spending time in cleaning their attic and garage space. During that process, they found their forgotten cast iron heirlooms. At one time, I had six clients and over 25 pieces of cast iron ware to restore.

I pride my self in my work. I love serving my Middle Tennessee community, for a trade that is very complicated to find. I receive messages and phone calls from all over the USA and internationally.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Growing up, I struggled with learning and social skills. Reading and test taking gave me anxiety. I was most assured that I was going to fail, so why try. My inability to learn well, affected my social skills. My favorite subject was history. I vividly remember how thankful I was to my middle school social studies teacher recording my reading assignments on a tape recorder. I remember how beautiful her voice sounded on the tape cassette. She read with much clarity and diction. I often wondered if I would ever be able to read like she did. In high school I failed every subject and began to hate myself. I felt ignorant and with out purpose. I really didn’t see any point to learn. Reading, writing, and math seemed so complicated. My junior year of high school, I went to a learning program to help me to read better. For six weeks, I begin to read better and articulate my speech in more profound ways. I went from a 4th grade reading level to college level advancement. I felt better, but I still struggled with test taking. Math remained a very brutal subject.

After I graduated from high school, I enrolled at Volunteer State Community College. I often joke about how I spent the best five years of my life at a two year college. I had a zeal for learning and making new friends. Math remained as a challenge. I couldn’t understand formulas and I rarely understood how to organize everything with out switching my numbers. One day in college algebra, I ran out of paper. Not a subject that you want to run empty on. At that pivotal moment, I noticed I had construction paper. To this day, I have no idea why I had construction paper in my bag! However, I do know why God wanted it there. By his grace, I realized that I could see why math remained a very difficult subject. Unbeknownst to me, my numbers were reversed and the pattern of the formulas, seemed to be more organized. I alerted my professor and disability services. For the rest of the semester, my math professor met me in a reserved room to take my test. Each page contained one math equation. A total of 50 pages in different colored sheets. In the other hand was sidewalk chalk. With each equation, I transcribed the equation and formulas to the chalk board. After I wrote down the formulas, I had to rewrite the equation on the colored sheets of paper. After my test was taken, two hours had passed. My hand was plastered in multi-colored chalk dust. Before I found out that I had dyslexia, my average in math class was a 23. After I received help from disability services and my professor, I quickly retained an average over a 100 in class (with the help of extra credit points).

Although my journey was slower than the rest of those around me, I realized God’s divine providence was more important than the destination, but the journey that took place. In a time I felt very broken and unusable, he used a very hopeless situation to be full of hope and prosperity.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

My reputation was not built over night but rather over a period of time. Many people have a desire to steer away from Teflon. The Teflon gap made a negative impact on the cast iron industry. From generation to generation, there was a profound knowledge in how to take care of cast iron. When Teflon began to market their product, there wasn’t a need to season the pan anymore. Teflon was easier, cheaper, and washing machine safe. The trend started to change, and cast iron cookware started to outshine the Teflon industry. More and more people wanted healthier, safer, and nostalgic cooking options. Cast iron simply became the “it” cookware one again. The trend simply boosted my hobby by chance. I absolutely love hearing the stories and traditions from my clients. I’m rewarded not only by payment, but by my clients beloved memories of their loved ones.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://oldtimecastiron.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OldTimeCastIron/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGrZvfZmS4lGTrfD231N_uw

Image Credits
SIMPLY SWEET PHOTOGRAPHY