With a popular YouTube channel and podcast, the Bennies were ready for some professional attention when finding their dream home in Tennessee for their seventh PCS. A Navy veteran and current Navy spouse, Jenn Bennie reached out to HGTV’s “House Hunters,” and within a day, they gave her a call.
“We were looking for dedicated podcasting space in this new house,” explained Bennie, host of “Walk with History” on YouTube and the “Talk with History” podcast.
“We started the podcast on the kitchen table. Kids go to bed. We take out the mics, we take out the headphones and we record! We rally at 9 o’clock at night and do a podcast. And then we have to put everything away,” she said. “So this time, [for] this house, we [wanted to] get a dedicated space [where] we can leave the mics up, we can leave everything set up. We don’t have to break it down.”
Historical impact on people today
Bennie hadn’t always planned on teaching history to the masses. A Naval aviator, she was first in her class during flight school and received her wings three days after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. She met her husband, Scott, on her second deployment to Iraq.
“He was a brand-new ensign out of the Academy!” she laughs, five years his senior. “After that ship, I got out of the Navy … we were married about four months after I got out.” They recently celebrated their 18th anniversary.
After Bennie got out of the Navy and the youngest of their three children was a toddler, she began thinking about what was next for her. Using her GI Bill, she earned her master’s degree in history and received a graduate certificate in museum studies. After yet another move, this time to Erie, Pennsylvania, COVID hit. She began watching a lot of YouTube shows where people would discuss history, but they didn’t dive deeper into their sources, why the audience should care or how it impacts the world today.
She recounted her initial conversation with Scott: “What if I start a YouTube channel and I take people to the location? And I [ask and answer], ‘How does this influence you today?’ ‘Why would you care that George Washington crossed the Delaware?’ ‘Why would you care if the Wright brothers flew their plane?’” Bennie recalled. “I wanted to connect it for people, how history really impacts who you are today and what you can do in your life today.”
From that conversation, the plan for “Walk with History” was set into motion.
“Walk with History” allows you to first experience historical places on location from the comfort of your own home, but with the encouragement to go see and explore for yourself. With the intent to get people outside in family-friendly locations (that can be enjoyed on a budget), Bennie discusses how history is all around us, and she’s eager to make the introduction so it doesn’t feel so daunting.
“History is in your own town — the museums, the libraries, the hiking trails,” she said. “History happened everywhere in America, and it’s right there outside for you. You can get your kids off the screens, you can get outside and see it as a family.”
From ‘history hunters’ to ‘House Hunters’
As a family of five with multiple needs and wants when it comes to a home, the “House Hunters” team showed off their skill set of understanding their clients when they showed the selected houses.
“The film team was great,” Bennie shared. “I saw a historical build in downtown Memphis. Remember in ‘The Firm’ where Tom Cruise lives? We were in that neighborhood, and they showed me Central Gardens! As a historian, I’m like, ‘Oh, my gosh! I’m in Central Gardens!’”
After making their house-hunting decision in the town square, the Bennies end the episode their favorite way: with their family.
“My youngest hung up a bird feeder because she’s so excited to see birds,” Bennie said. “We played football in our yard with the kids because we couldn’t do that [before] … All these things kind of came together.”
With a cozy home that now accommodates all of their needs, Bennie continues to encourage her audience to explore everyday history, especially with family.
“I feel like it’s great family time … everyone can personally connect to history, no matter your age or what you find interesting.”
Visit https://walkwithhistory.net/talk-with-history-podcast/ to learn more about the Bennies’ podcast.
