August 1, 2023 • 43 mins
When he saw an elderly man struggling to mow his lawn, Rodney felt called to pull over and finish it for him. This single act of generosity transformed Rodney's life forever, inspiring him to challenge kids to cut 50 lawns for free for the elderly, single parents, veterans, and those with disabilities. And his "50 Yard Challenge" has been accepted by 4,948 kids from 8 countries!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hey, everybody, it's Bill Courtney with an army of normal folks.
And we continue now with part two of our conversation
with Rodney Smith Junior. Right after these brief messages from
our general sponsors. So you got all these kids, and
(00:35):
then I've read you decided I'm gonna cut I'm gonna
cut some grass in every steak.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Yeah that was a crazy idea. What that was a
crazy idea?
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Yeah? That was nuts.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Because because the farthest.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
How many miles your car got on it?
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Which one?
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Because because okay, well I guess what I'm saying is
you're going to class. Yeh, in between class, you cut
you yard. Now you're talking to people all over the
country about T shirts and things, and you ain't got
no money. So you promised the lamows you don't know
how you pay for. And then you decide I'm gonna
go to every state in the United States and cut
(01:15):
somebody's grass and I still ain't got no money. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Well, I tell you everything I went through to get
to that point where the idea of moving someone's long
east stage is crazy? Because so who organization made me
find my true purpose in life? That's helping people. So
after the get my bachelor's computer science, I went back
to get a master's and social work. So, yeah, I
(01:40):
know too much.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
You don't do that, You're never gonna make anything out
of your life. And you have remember that.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
That's what they told me.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
So you, after you got a degree in computer science,
you went back and got your masters in social work. Yeah,
that's phenomenal. Why are you cutting grass? Okay, So anyway,
the fifty state ding.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Yeah, So after getting went back to school get my
master's social work. So my first year of getting my
masters and social work, I was on my internship and
I was on my lunch break watching this video and
Netflix of this guy that traveled the world on the
acts of condness to others. So he's going around the
world doing acts of condness. And that gave me the
(02:23):
idea of fifty states, fifty loans. I mean, this came
to me. Fifty states, fifty lawns. I'm gonna go to
old fifty States and mow lawn.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
How are you gonna get alar mode of Hawaii?
Speaker 2 (02:34):
You can? I didn't know at the time. So that's
that was the idea.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
And you've literally said I'm gonna get my car and
drive this.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
And the funny thing is before that, the first I
have a drive was like to Atlanta, which is about
three hours away. So I'm thinking about driving to old
fifty states. So at this point Breaks and stretton the
world's largest makers and small lawnmower engines. They came down
and done like a short video on the organization, like
a two minute video. And then I was real cool
(03:05):
with the PR guy And as soon as I came
with the idea, he's the first guy called say, look, Jake,
I'm going into all fifty states to make people aware
of the organization and encouraged kids to sign up for
the fifty yard Challenge. I said, can you ask Breaking Shredding,
would they give me a lawnmower? Second, taking my car
and go to all fifty states? Give you one, give
me one. I just need one or one more. And
(03:26):
he said yeah, let me let me call them and
see and then we hung up.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
And you've literally put this thing in your trunk. Yeah,
what kind of car were you driving?
Speaker 2 (03:37):
I was driving at that point. I was driving a
Infinity nineteen ninety nine.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
How many miles were on it when you finished?
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Oh? So no, So I got we got a backtrack.
So at that time, I had Infinity, I was about
to graduate. I was about to graduate my bachelor's and
that's when support of the organization, they raised about fifteen
thousand dollars to get me a new car.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
No kidding.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Yeah, the people that support people. A lady by the
name of Lindsey, she lived in she lived in a
who was it, New Jersey. She she'd done a secret
fundraiser and she raised fifteen thousand dollars to get me
a bigger car. And I got a two thousand and
seven Ford Edge once I graduated, and I took that
(04:28):
car and went to Old fifty States my first time.
And yeah, it started like that. And but back to Britain, Stratton,
I asked for one law more. They said they loved
the idea so much of me going to Old fifty States.
They wanted to fund the project, me to go my
first fifty state tour. They wanted to fund it. They
asked how much would it cause I just said, like
eight thousand dollars.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Hold, They asked you you asked for one law more. Yeah,
and they said, nah, we'll run the whole deal.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
And a loanmore.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Yeah, So I'd done that. Man.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Hold it. So you started in Huntsville, I guess.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
I think the first one went to Huntsville.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Yeah, all right, so Alabama's off the list. Yes, I
said you went to Georgia.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Yeah, I went to oldy States. So we had supporters
across the country. So I said, the first one was
finding one ali disabled, single parent or a veteran. So
if anyone knew anyone in the fifty States, let me
know and I'll put them down for the state. And
just went a wround to old fitty States. I had
everything mapped up before I left, so everyone was pre arranged.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
So I didn't think there was any grass in Arizona.
How did you find some grass to cut out there? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (05:36):
The grass in Arizona just grass cut by his rocks.
Oh no, just grass. And people get grass out there,
and and Nevada people get grass out there. Hawaii got grass.
I mean Alaska got grass. But yeah, the grass everywhere.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
How did you get to Alaska? You flew? Yeah, you
had to flow Alaska?
Speaker 2 (05:54):
And why I flew?
Speaker 1 (05:55):
What did you do with your lawnmower?
Speaker 2 (05:56):
I rented one and Hawaiian did along. Yeah, home depot,
you can rent no more.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
I will tell you something. You should be sponsored by
Briggs and Stratton like you are. But Ford Edge out
to tell that story and sponsor you home depot.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
I gotta tell you another story. You ready for the
other story, So yeah, I love them. Fast forward in
so today today I've been.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
To don't go too far. We're gonna get to that, okay.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
So the first few fifty state tours for the elder
disabled single parents Invernents. Then I started customizing lawnmowers for
different causes. So one of the first causes I customized
the lawnmower for was for for military. I went to
office states and thank veterans for the service. So I
moved veterans laan in each state, and I had a
pre made letter just thanking veterans for the service, and
(06:46):
they got to meet veterans from World War two, Vietnam
and just moving the lawn and sitting down and interviewing
them and sharing the story, capturing the story and sharing
it with people that support organization. And I've done that one.
Then I done another one called moeing with cops. So
I customized the lawnmower that looked like a police car,
had a light bar on top.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa. You had a light but you
had a lawn more or like a rodder?
Speaker 2 (07:09):
No push or push more?
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Is that push that you may look like a police car.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Yeah, at the light bar. I wanted to come up
with the idea and spent and looked online for a
company that made a light bar, and I found a
way how the power of the light bar on the lawnmower.
So I've done that.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Meant to offer the States and you you you were
cutting cops. No, no, you had cops help.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Yeah. So for for the for the Moaning with Cops tour,
you will find someone LDI, disabled, singaparre, a veteran, and
the officers will come out and they will come out
and mo with me. So they big departments will come out.
So like in Boston, like four or five police officers
come out, came out to mo with me. The biggest
place was Rhode Island. They had about fifteen seventeen cars.
(07:55):
They had the sheaff, they had the police officers that detected,
they had to sweat team. The lady I was mooning
force said what what's going on? Because the whole department,
the whole World Island police force came out the moon
and it was a lot of cops. The people thought
it was a big drug boss or something and they
came out the mo with me and and that was
(08:16):
a powerful image because at that time the police was
taking a hit in the media. People really didn't back.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
So you wanted to give the cops.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Exactly exactly, and I found that free loan care and
police officers. It made it just made made sense. And
after that fifty state tour with the.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
To connect the cops back to the community exactly.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
And these these special mores I made with light Bard,
I told Toro the idea, I want to make these
lawnmowers and give them donate on police officers across the country,
and they do. They need me ten law mowers to
customize into these police mores, and I donated them to
officers and departments across the country, and officers to this
day they go and they canmunity and.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
Use they building that bridge between officers in the community
because like if a kid sees that special lawnmower with
a light bar and a police officer monity, that kids
can come up to that police officer and say that's
pretty cool.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
And that's going to start a conversation. So a kid
that probably didn't trust the officer because of the parents
or whatever, they're now interacting with that officer and they're
building that relationship in the community. And that was the idea.
And to this day, I'm making these lawnmowers and given
them to departments across the country and they're going out
in their community and they're building building relationships with their
(09:33):
community with these with these moors. So that was the
whole alive said, sadly, he's no longer.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
How how how long? How much of this did he
get to see development? You had to have gone back
and talked to him.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Yeah, but I think he So I met him in
twenty fifteen. It was sometime in twenty sixteen. He passed away.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
But did he get to see what your one happenstance
meeting had started to become?
Speaker 2 (10:07):
He didn't see them. He didn't see that much of them.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
No, sadly, don't you wish he had? Yeah, he's smiling
down on heaven from you. I gotta believe that, broh.
So after the cop lawn more extravaganza, what else did
you do? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (10:28):
So another one was I've done another tool for veterans
So my tour forty states, again moving for veterans and
thinking them for the service and for this particular one
at American Flavor.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
And again you're going to every state in the country,
cutting grass every state of veterans to illuminate.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Just think veterans for this tour, and particularly just thinking veterans,
because I've learned that America is what it is because
of the veterans. You know, I'm able to do what
I can in America because of veterans. Because it wasn't
for them, I wouldn't be able to do what I'm
doing now. They risk people, risking their lives. And that's
why I even tell kids in the program, you have
(11:06):
to do stuff for people that do stuff for you.
The veterans are important. That's why I try to instill
two kids in the program. You know, you have to
get back to veterans. All way of giving back is
to free loan care. So that's it don't matter how
big the lawn is, We're gonna move for that veteran.
There's a gold Star family out where I live in Huntsville.
(11:27):
This is when I had to push more his goal start.
He lost two kids, two kids in Iraq, and Afghanistan.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
What's he a veteran too?
Speaker 2 (11:36):
He was a veteran as well, and his two sons
at last two acres, I push it. I push two acres.
It doesn't matter how big it when. If a veteran
doesn't no questions, I'm gonna move the lawn. And that's
why I try to instill in these kids.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Do you ever get people that you that you or
your your kids do work for that are so over
come with your kindness that they become emotional?
Speaker 2 (12:05):
You could say that there's been a few people that
come real emotional breakdown and cry.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
What does that make you feel like?
Speaker 2 (12:12):
Man, it just makes me feel like. You know, the
service that we're offering of offering means so much, you know,
because especially the elderly, the disabled, even the veterans, a
lot of more fixed incomes, you know, that really struggling.
So when we can come cut it for free, that
now frees them up and they can use the extra
funds for things they really need, food and medication and
(12:33):
stuff like that. There's even been some times where one
time in Texas, this lady was telling me that there's
people that go around they measure your grass with a stick,
if it's at a certain height, you get fined. So
you know, the service that we're offering is so important,
you know, and that's why I'm trying to get more
kids involved. And it's not just moving, you know, we
(12:55):
also include raking leaves and snow shoveling and stuff like that,
so it's a year round. It can give back and
help and serve their communities.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
So have you ever rolled up to a lawn that
you thought these people could be cutting their own grass
and they're using me.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
There's been times where you have that feeling, you know,
there's been when we first started. There's I remember one
time meant to move for an elderly and a younger
couple came up, Oh yeah, you can to move my mother,
she's inside sor right. Once we get done, you'd like
to meet her, say, just speak to her. Moved a
lawn and then just they played us. They just literally
(13:41):
played us because it wasn't for the elder mother, it
was for them, you know, people who took advantage. You know.
It's one or two stories like that.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
You know what the reason I ask is, it's important
that people know that anytime you reach out to do something,
there's always going to be a few bad apples. But
you can't let that.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
Discourage You can't. You can't. You just got to keep
keep on pushing and just find bat the ways to
you know, filter those foot to those own.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
So there was a story about I remember reading about
a lady whose grass was so high she couldn't even
cut it, and then she felt bad when you showed
up because the grass was so high it was going
to take forever. Do you remember that story.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
It's been it's been a few of those, so I
can't remember the exact story, but it's been a few.
Like you just shruped to a.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
Lawn like, wow, this like looks like a jungle. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
And the crazy thing is like, for the for the
first seven years, I was only using push mores, and
just this year someone donated a rotting more. So the
first seven years just using a push more of all
these big lawns, you know, pushing big told us me
using a push more, not just me.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
It's a grass five foot high.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Man, There's been something like that.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Why in the world do you even cut it?
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Pray to God, you just have to push it, go
over it a few times. But it's been lawns like that.
It's been really been a few lawns like that and
you just just got to get figured out. Yeah, I
just got a free.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
What's the worst looking yard you ever rolled up?
Speaker 2 (15:22):
Toy? Been a few men. I have to go back
and look at some pictures because you know, each loan
we do, we take before and off the pictures. Yeah,
but there's been been a few bad lungs, Like how
can it get so bad? Whoa jungle?
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Like I'm just completely out of control? Don't you wonder
if some of these elderly people that got lawns like that,
where's their family? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (15:50):
You have to ask yourself like, man, this was my
mother father.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
I wouldn't let it get like this exactly.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
But you speak to them and be like, no, my
live in this another state, and you know they don't
contact me no more.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
That's like whoa do you just your presence and just
showing them that you're there. It's got to make them
feel cared for too, Yeah, because you know it's a
lot more in cutting grass.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
Yeah, and you get it, especially with the veterans after
you more the lawn, like wow, they feel so prideful
about the lawn, you know, if it's overgrown and stuff
like that, the down but the moment you cut the
lawn and make it look brand new almost again, they
feel so happy. Oh look at my lawn to come up. Wow,
I can see outside now.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
And the kids you have with you get to see
the immediate reaction from the fruits of their kindness.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
Yep. You know there's been stories like one kid named
Wesley Shy, quiet kid kept himself, you know, before he
started a program. But once he started it, you know,
mom will tell me, you can't more friendly. Started getting
out there and meet people and you know, build relationships
with the people that he moved for.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
That's crazy. So there's I think you've done. Did you
cut fifty yards and fifty states for breast cancer awareness?
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Yeah? So breast cancer wwuitness was not the cause I
moved for. So I customized whatever cause I moved for,
customize lawnmower for that cause. So I had to pink
lawnmore and I meant to go for the states I
moved for those who had breast cancer, those who lost
love want to breast cancer, those who survived breast cancer.
Moved the lawn. Then after I interviewed them and got
to learn their story and share their you know, share
(17:45):
the story with my audience online and encourage men and
women to get you know, checked for breast cancer because
I didn't realize that men could get breast cancer as well.
So that's something I learned on the tour. So each
tour that I moved for, you know, just try to
make it educational as well. So I'm for breast cants,
I moved for Donald syndrome. I moved for autism officers, veterans.
(18:06):
I've got a few few more normre customized right now
for different causes as well.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
So during COVID, obviously you can't go hug and pose
for pictures like you've always done. And so COVID created
a little bit of a challenge and that you still
are doing your your service and you're still doing your philanthropy,
but it created a different set of challenges. But I
(18:32):
understand that you then use the showing up to cut
people's lawns to also deliver food and supplies and hand
sanitizer and other things to people who needed it. How
did that work work?
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Pretty good? I call them moo and drops.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
You call what I call them moo and drops, mow
and drop.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
Yeah, so mow the lawn, then I drop them groceries
and other things they need, especially the elder people you know,
was stuck inside couldn't come out because been COVID frust
came that they made it sound like it was you
go outside, you're gonna die or something like that. So
a lot of the elderly people will stayed inside. We'll
take pictures, but it'll be at the door. They'd be
inside and I'll be outside and take pictures, but I
(19:14):
would go out and buy them groceries and then drop
it to the door after I got done.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Rodney, I think you're the Ben and Jerry of lawnmowing.
Ben and Jerry's took a simple thing as ice cream
and made like ninety thousand different versions. Yep, you've taken lawnmow.
You've taken mowing a lawn and come up with every
possible scenario of things that you can tag onto it
(19:42):
simply to do something kind for other people.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
Yes, what's next, I don't know yet, but it's gonna
come to me.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
We'll be right back. I know we're talking about four
thousand kids and I don't know how many lawns, but
(20:22):
my math says, it's well over two hundred thousand lawns,
maybe a quarter of a million lawns. But other than
mister Brown, which has to be the paramount story because
it's what got it all started. Do you have an
absolute favorite story of a lawn that you've got.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
Yeah, I mean Miss Gibbs.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Miss Gibbs where Miss gips from.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
She's from Huntsville, Obama. She's I think her photos was
one of the ones that went viral at the beginning
and moved alone or to be up to this year.
This year she sadly passed away. But you know, I
remember meeting her for the first time. Person next door
used to move alone, but he was charging her and
(21:06):
she couldn't afford it cause she's gonna fixed income. And
be sure that story and that went viral back in
twenty sixteen. But we just we just had a special connection,
just bonded. Every time more alone, she'd come out, bring
lemonade and stuff like that. After moving alone, we just
sit on her porch and we talk and every time
we moved alone, take a picture with her.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
And people.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
Just love Miss Gibbs and she's like a grandmother to me,
both my grand all my grandparents had passed away and
she became like that other grandparent and then you know,
I gave everyone the sad news this year. I think
it was in May that she passed away, and they
were heartbroken because they just love to see her smile
every time we took that picture together and you know,
(21:51):
just just a sweet lady. And one of the one
of the goals for me is to start a scholarship
fund for the organization and the first scholarship will give
away will be in her honor. The mis Gibbs Gives
some fun. So there's one kid named Quinton, one of
the kids from his grandmother that signed up being in
(22:13):
Ohio married Ohio at the start. He's about to graduate
high school. So my goal is to and made it
go up to him and give him the fresh official
scholarship in honor of mis Gives and yeah on a miskap.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
And you know, most people would say, well, that's a
really kind of thought where some money going to come from?
But I guess if I ask you, you will tell
me you'd have no idea where the money's going to
come from, but you're going to find it.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Well, the organization people donating all the time, now, and
I think we have enough funds to start a scholarship
fun and even still, I believe if I mentioned it
to the audience on social media, people would would would
help fund it and start the scholarship fun because you
know a lot of the kids come from low income families.
So I think it's important to invest in education. Doesn't
(23:02):
have to be a four year college. It could be
a trade school as long as they get that the
education where they can you know, they can do something
with their life. You don't want to be home doing nothing.
You know, you become anything you want to. I just
want to help kids to become whatever they want to become.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
So I got to ask you, you couldn't get a
job when you're in college because you couldn't get a
green card because you're on a what an education visa?
Is that what it's called? What is your immigration status? Now? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (23:34):
So right now I'm still on a visa, but I'm
able to work and stuff. I'm still working on my
green card. I had immigration situation come up and immigration
law firm has took my case on pro bono, So
hopefully this year I have my green card in hand.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
If there is any immigrant on the face of the
planet that deserves for this kid taken care of. It's you.
I mean, dude, you've done more for American veterans, the
ninety nine point nine to nine percent of us, and
probably a lot more than the people who make the
decisions about getting green cards. I mean, for gosh sakes,
(24:10):
what's the hold up? Why is it? What's the deal?
Speaker 2 (24:13):
Immigration is just just a sticky situation. It's long situation.
It costs money. But luckily, like I said that law
firms Stephen David said, Maner and Cooper they took my
case on pro bono and man, they've been a joy
that they got my new visa which allows me to
work and stuff like that. I mean, if it wasn't
(24:36):
for them, I probably be back. How I had to
go back to Bermuda last year.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
Do you just want to be a US citizen?
Speaker 2 (24:41):
Oh? Yeah, that's my goal. So once I got the
green card, I had to be five years to be
a citizen. But the five years, so the woman I'm
eligible for to become a US citizen, I'm gonna run
to it and become Ronnie.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
I gotta ask you something. I'm from Bermuda. You overcome
all the challenges of your learning disability. You end up
with the Masters, and you're doing all that you do
across our country for people because of some compassion you
(25:15):
once shared for a man named mister Brown. And you're
having to have spend money and go through legal hoops
just to get a green card to then wait five
more years to become a citizen of our country. Meanwhile,
(25:36):
you've driven all over this country many times, gone to
all fifty states, and you must pass people all day
every day that take this country and their citizenship for
granted and don't put one ounce of the effort into
it that you've devoted your life to. What do you
(25:57):
think when you compare your journey with someone whose journey
was given to them and doesn't do anything with it,
How does that make you feel? What goes through your brain?
You have to recognize that.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
Yeah, I mean, like I have some friends that are
born here. You know they're just lazy. Like you have
the opportunity to become anything you want to be in America.
You can't do that anywhere else. You can't just start
something and become a successful anywhere else in the world.
Don't think you could do that here, So just get
out there and do it. Don't come up with his gouoses.
(26:40):
I don't know it.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
Just do you talk to you the kids that you
work with about those kinds of things.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
Yeah, tell them. You can become and do anything you
want to anything, I mean anything anything. If you want
to become a billionaire, you can become a billionaire if
you have that idea. If you want to become a
basketball player, well it's a little risky, but if you
train every day and that's what you want to do,
aim for it, you can become anything. You want to
(27:06):
become a lawyer or doctor, you can do that if
you have your mind focused on that.
Speaker 1 (27:12):
Or if you want to become a lawnmowing savant.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Exactly lawns like me, you can do that. You can
do that in America. You become anything you want to become.
You can't do that anywhere else. Like all the stuff
that I'm doing right now, I couldn't do that in Bermuda.
I couldn't do that in England. I couldn't do that
in Asia or something like that, you know, but I
could do that in America. In America, if you can
(27:36):
think it, you can you can become it.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
So what you're saying, is just a normal old person
who has challenges throughout their life can do extraordinary things
in this country and you can change laves.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Yeah, I mean I didn't. This is not the path
that I dreamed on, but this is my purpose. And
I found my purpose while I was in school, and
I came, of course the elder man. And every single
day I get the chance to wake up and do
something I love. Get the visit kids when they finished
the fifty yard challenge. Like even after this, I'm headed
to Kansas and I'm going to visit two brothers that
(28:13):
compete to fifty yard challenge.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
You're gonna go, so you still go deliver lawnmown.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Yeah, so I'm still After the next week, I'll be Uh.
I had it to Michigan, two brothers out there, and
then after that I had it to New York to
two kids out there that finished the fifty yard challenge.
So I'm always on the road. If I'm not mowing,
I'm on the road delivering more to kids.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
How many kids have registered across the United States.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
So today we have over four thousand plus kids across
the United States, at least one in each state. Texas
has the most kids with over like four hundred kids or.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
Something like that, four thousand kids, four thousand kids cutting
lawns for free, four.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Thousand kids for the YEP, and four thousand kids in
total in the organization, plus kids in eight other different countries.
So we have what countries kids in Canada, Bermuda, England, Australia, Germany, Japan, Sweden,
and South Africa.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
All cutting lawns because one day you pulled over and
asked mister Brown if you could help them? Yes, sir,
do you ever pinch yourself? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (29:18):
I mean because I would have known, Like, especially when
I came across mister Brown, if you would have asked
me at that moment, where do you see yourself in ten,
ten years, seven years, it wouldn't be this. But it's
like it's like a book. Every year is a new chapter,
something else happens, and like I had to go through
all of that to get to where I am today.
(29:38):
Like when I got that car, I didn't tell you that.
One of my fifty state tours Ford Motor Company in Michigan,
I was on a veterans tour. They told me, oh,
come move for a veteran, won't we want to film
that experience. So I said okay, and it came out
Ford Motor Company. This is Ford Motor Company. It's like, okay,
I moved for the veterans. After moving that lawn, they
(30:00):
gave me a brand new food Edge.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
You're kidding.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
That could only happen in America because they saw what
I was doing for veterans, they gave me a brand
new car. And then just last year, so the Ford
add is a small s u V. So that's how
I was delivering more than that to kids than last year.
A guy by the name of mister Neil Hawks. I
posted a picture of me going to visit some kids
(30:26):
to drop lawnmowers, and he says, look like you need
a new vehicle, a bigger vehicle. I said, juggling.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
He said, send me an inbox. I sent them an inbox.
He said, I want to help you. I want to
get you a bigger vehicle.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
I didn't know.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
I said, okay, I mean you can't take anyone serious.
Sometimes you want to get me a car that doesn't happen,
she said, gave me a call. I gave him a call.
He says, gonna look into it. Next day, he calls me. Oh,
my buddy owns a owns a car dealership up here
in Missouri. I'm going to buy this two thousand and
seven Team Cargo van. I'm gonna buy it. Can you
(31:05):
fly up? Yes, yes, sir? I hung up. A few
days later, I flew up to Missouri, met him and
his wife at the airport. They had the van. Shook
the hand and we talked and and I drove to
van Hum to Huntsville, Alabama, and just just see him
(31:26):
seeing what I was doing for the organization. Because he
just came across that post. He's saying. What resonated with
him was he used to move loans when he was younger,
and he sees what we're doing with the kids, and
to this day he's a big supporter.
Speaker 1 (31:41):
Rodney. What do your parents think?
Speaker 2 (31:48):
The problem? The problem? The shock that I've come this
far because they I guess they didn't see all this happening.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
Have you do you go back to Bermudo to visit? Yeah?
I try to.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Like right now, I can't fly back there because I
have to get this immigration stuff situation, But yeah, I
fly back when I can.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
Would you do me if I ever? Next time you
go back, go find that teacher and say you're wrong
if she's still teaching. Man, it's amazing, Rodney, your story.
(32:28):
I tell a lot of stories, yes, And I set
across from people and listened to their stories. Right, And
it's not just the words. It's it's not just what
you say, but how you say it. But it's also
the body language and the inflection. And you are so
genuinely kind and compassionate. And yeah, the work you've done
(32:54):
is amazing, but what is so endearing is how humble
you are about it. You're just a guy cutting lawns
and this thing's gone crazy, and I think you still
get that sense about yourself. And I have a big
appreciation for that humility.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
The way I see it is if you ever see
a horse and a race, they have these blinders on
the eyes. And that's what I believe what God is
doing to me. I have these blinders on my eyes
to keep me straight, so I understand what we're doing
is important, it's a movement. But God has these blinders
on my eyes to keep me humble, to keep me
straight on the mission.
Speaker 1 (33:33):
That's beautiful, man, So just keep straight. You know, we've
talked about the fifty States and the fifty lawns. And
you've done all kinds of tours, but that's not the
only kind of tour. If you've done yeah, what's the other? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (33:52):
So in total, just finished one. But in total I've
done fifteen fifty stick tours. Ten have been for mowing
and five have been something called Hope for the Holiday.
And that's when I go to old fifty States. It
really started with me going to all fifty states dress
as Santa Claus, and I went to all three states
and I met a homeless person in each state, and
(34:13):
then I gave them ten sleeping bigs with backpack and
things they need.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
And then do you get this stuff to give them? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (34:21):
Social media? So on social media. For the first one,
I made Amazon whistless with ten sleeping bigs, hygiene kids,
hand warmers and stuff like that and put them on
an Amazon wistless and supporters run another and they bought
these items. And that's where I at least met one
homeless person in each state, gave them these items and
everything was wrapped in Christmas rap and you just all.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
Right, now, the homeless people, they're not reaching out to
you on Facebook? Are they? So you just literally let
me get this right, dude, you riding up fit all
fifty states. You ride up dressed like Santa Claus to
a homeless dude with a timp well tent.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
Tent is wrapped up and then in the backpacktors hygiene
kids sleeping eggs in the world.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
Do they think when you ride up, dress like Santa Claus.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
Pop out of your car with Santa Claus is real?
Speaker 1 (35:18):
And you've done this five times?
Speaker 2 (35:19):
Yeah, So first ones with the homeless mental fority states.
I'll give them these items and I'll ask them what's
one thing they want for Christmas? Some said they wanted
a hot shower, so I'll go out and I would
buy them a two or three nights stay in the
hotel room. Some would say they wanted a ticket home.
I will go out and buy them a Greyhound ticket
so they can get home and stuff like that. And
(35:41):
this is from people that support organizations dressed like Santa,
dressed like sand and people would donate while I'm on
the road, and I would just use those funds to
buy these items. And then I teamed up with my
friend Yuri Williams. He's in kind of California and he
dresses up as different superheroes. And we went to oll
for the States and we went visited kids that got bullied,
(36:04):
kids with cancer and other disabilities, and we give them
gifts for Christmas. And we just finished our most recent
one a few days ago in Hawaii, and again over
the States. We found kids with cancer, other disabilities. We
even found kids who have low incomes that might not
have had a chance to have Christmas gifts. We gave
them gifts. And that's all because the people around me.
Speaker 1 (36:26):
You're dressed as saying, and he's dressed as a superhero.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
He's dressed a superhero for this one. We both have
elf elf jackets on, so we're playing the Elf this time.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
Dude, you continue to come up with ways to just
give phenomenal story, We'll be right back. You know, Rodney,
(37:01):
I've just I can't add the miles up, but it's
millions that you travel and you clearly spend I mean,
if you're going around delivering lawnmowers to all these kids,
you spend a lot of time outside of huntspitaling on
the road. And you know, uh, what's that mean for
(37:23):
for you and a family life? One day?
Speaker 2 (37:25):
Yeah, hopefully I could start a family eventually only thirty three,
so you know, kind of young, kind of young. So
the next few years, like to start a family right
now with me being in a road so much, you know,
I can't.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
But you're gonna have to have a mode, win a bgo,
a win Ago, a motor home. Oh yeah, yeah, just
load them up at that and go and just.
Speaker 2 (37:48):
Go and bring the family with me.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:50):
But if yeah, I like to start one, but with
me being a road so much, you know, it's kind
of impossible.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
Yeah yeah, But like.
Speaker 2 (37:59):
If I the family right now, I won't be able
to do all the things that I'm doing right now.
I'll probably be divorced. You get your time, Yeah exactly.
But you know, right now I have the freedom to
do what I do, what I want with the organization.
So next few years, as the organization grows and start
chapters across the United States, you know, people can step
up and they can start delivering nomars for their state,
(38:22):
and I just oversee the organization.
Speaker 1 (38:24):
What will you see makes good sense? Make a bunch
of little Rodney stuffs all over the place. Yeah, I
cannot imagine that there's not parents listening to us right now,
who are thinking I need to get my fat, lazy
kid off the couch and out of the video games
and doing something for somebody other than themselves. And so
(38:48):
if somebody wants to reach out to you and get
their kid involved and be part of Raising Men, how
do they reach you?
Speaker 2 (38:59):
Yeah, so they can go to my Twitter at I
am Rodney Smith on there, we have a link that
takes them to the fifty yard Challenge. And it's not
only raising men now, we also have Raising Women. So
it's raising men and women. So we're trying to en
courage both boys and girls to get out there and
make a difference. So I think the first three years
was just raising men. Then a few girls was starting
(39:19):
to sign up, and we just giving them Raising Men
t shirts. They didn't sit well with me, so I
came up with Raising Women. So when girls sign up,
they get a Raising Women's T shirt col And we're
seeing a lot of young ladies signing up. And I
gotta tell you that some of these young ladies they
can move better than these guys.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
Yeah, they outwork the fat light for sure.
Speaker 2 (39:39):
It's like wow. They pay attention to details like wow.
But you're trying to encourage both boys and girls to
get out there and make a difference. But yeah, they
go find us on social media at our website that
we are Raising men dot com or we are Raising
women dot com or Raising Men and Women dot com
and will take them all to the same website and
they can go to the fifty yard Challenge page and
just sign their kids up. And once they sign up,
(40:00):
I'll send them a white T shirt along with the
safety glasses and your protection and a letter with some
tips on how to stay safe and stuff like that,
and they can get started.
Speaker 1 (40:11):
That is phenomenal. You know what, You've literally cut grass,
cut your You've literally mowed your way across the United States.
It was just phenomenal. And if you're sitting around thinking, boy,
(40:32):
I'd like to do something good in my community, but
I just don't know how. All you got to do
is listen to your story. You're a guy who literally
stopped one day to help an utterly man mow his
lawn and ask creator a movement that's reached over four
thousand kids and I guessed over two hundred thousand or
(40:53):
so long and so far, and all the hearts and
minds you've touched through your generosity and your compassion and
have turned in a simple act of mowing a lawn
into a mentorship for kids about how to give back
and how to grow community, how to raise awareness for autism,
(41:16):
breast cancer, how to try to reconnect police officers with
the community, how to help people who couldn't get out
of their homes during COVID. All of these things from
cutting mister Brown's grass one day. And if you hear
this story and you still can't figure out a way
(41:39):
to go do something in your community, you're just not trying.
And you are a beautiful illustration of you don't have
to come from anywhere to become somebody, and to overcome disabilities,
to overcome green car art issues, to overcome going to
(42:02):
boarding schools at sixteen, to end up with a master's
and social work, and be doing the things that you've
done and accomplished so far. I'm just I'm humbled by
your story, man, And I know you hear it all
the time. Now you have to, and I know that
(42:22):
you know everybody that hears your story has got to
be so inspired by it. But I want to tell
you from a guy who talks to a lot of
inspiring people who do a lot of inspiring things. Bro,
you are you are a special human being. Thank you,
and it is my honor to get to know you.
And I really appreciate you joining me. I appreciate you
(42:43):
having me, and I appreciate all of you for joining
us this week. If Rodney or another guest has inspired
you in general, or better yet, to take action by
taking art in the fifty yard Challenge, donating to raising
men and women, law care service, or something else entirely,
(43:06):
please let me know. I'd love to hear about it.
You can write me anytime at billatnormalfolks dot us, and
I swear to you I'll respond. And if you enjoyed
this episode, share it with friends and on social subscribe
to the podcast, rate and review it all the things
that will help grow an army of normal folks. I'm
(43:29):
Bill Courtney. I'll see you next week.
Hey, everybody, it's Bill Courtney with an army of normal folks.
And we continue now with part two of our conversation
with Rodney Smith Junior. Right after these brief messages from
our general sponsors. So you got all these kids, and
(00:35):
then I've read you decided I'm gonna cut I'm gonna
cut some grass in every steak.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Yeah that was a crazy idea. What that was a
crazy idea?
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Yeah? That was nuts.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Because because the farthest.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
How many miles your car got on it?
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Which one?
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Because because okay, well I guess what I'm saying is
you're going to class. Yeh, in between class, you cut
you yard. Now you're talking to people all over the
country about T shirts and things, and you ain't got
no money. So you promised the lamows you don't know
how you pay for. And then you decide I'm gonna
go to every state in the United States and cut
(01:15):
somebody's grass and I still ain't got no money. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Well, I tell you everything I went through to get
to that point where the idea of moving someone's long
east stage is crazy? Because so who organization made me
find my true purpose in life? That's helping people. So
after the get my bachelor's computer science, I went back
to get a master's and social work. So, yeah, I
(01:40):
know too much.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
You don't do that, You're never gonna make anything out
of your life. And you have remember that.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
That's what they told me.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
So you, after you got a degree in computer science,
you went back and got your masters in social work. Yeah,
that's phenomenal. Why are you cutting grass? Okay, So anyway,
the fifty state ding.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Yeah, So after getting went back to school get my
master's social work. So my first year of getting my
masters and social work, I was on my internship and
I was on my lunch break watching this video and
Netflix of this guy that traveled the world on the
acts of condness to others. So he's going around the
world doing acts of condness. And that gave me the
(02:23):
idea of fifty states, fifty loans. I mean, this came
to me. Fifty states, fifty lawns. I'm gonna go to
old fifty States and mow lawn.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
How are you gonna get alar mode of Hawaii?
Speaker 2 (02:34):
You can? I didn't know at the time. So that's
that was the idea.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
And you've literally said I'm gonna get my car and
drive this.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
And the funny thing is before that, the first I
have a drive was like to Atlanta, which is about
three hours away. So I'm thinking about driving to old
fifty states. So at this point Breaks and stretton the
world's largest makers and small lawnmower engines. They came down
and done like a short video on the organization, like
a two minute video. And then I was real cool
(03:05):
with the PR guy And as soon as I came
with the idea, he's the first guy called say, look, Jake,
I'm going into all fifty states to make people aware
of the organization and encouraged kids to sign up for
the fifty yard Challenge. I said, can you ask Breaking Shredding,
would they give me a lawnmower? Second, taking my car
and go to all fifty states? Give you one, give
me one. I just need one or one more. And
(03:26):
he said yeah, let me let me call them and
see and then we hung up.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
And you've literally put this thing in your trunk. Yeah,
what kind of car were you driving?
Speaker 2 (03:37):
I was driving at that point. I was driving a
Infinity nineteen ninety nine.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
How many miles were on it when you finished?
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Oh? So no, So I got we got a backtrack.
So at that time, I had Infinity, I was about
to graduate. I was about to graduate my bachelor's and
that's when support of the organization, they raised about fifteen
thousand dollars to get me a new car.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
No kidding.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Yeah, the people that support people. A lady by the
name of Lindsey, she lived in she lived in a
who was it, New Jersey. She she'd done a secret
fundraiser and she raised fifteen thousand dollars to get me
a bigger car. And I got a two thousand and
seven Ford Edge once I graduated, and I took that
(04:28):
car and went to Old fifty States my first time.
And yeah, it started like that. And but back to Britain, Stratton,
I asked for one law more. They said they loved
the idea so much of me going to Old fifty States.
They wanted to fund the project, me to go my
first fifty state tour. They wanted to fund it. They
asked how much would it cause I just said, like
eight thousand dollars.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Hold, They asked you you asked for one law more. Yeah,
and they said, nah, we'll run the whole deal.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
And a loanmore.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Yeah, So I'd done that. Man.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Hold it. So you started in Huntsville, I guess.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
I think the first one went to Huntsville.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Yeah, all right, so Alabama's off the list. Yes, I
said you went to Georgia.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Yeah, I went to oldy States. So we had supporters
across the country. So I said, the first one was
finding one ali disabled, single parent or a veteran. So
if anyone knew anyone in the fifty States, let me
know and I'll put them down for the state. And
just went a wround to old fitty States. I had
everything mapped up before I left, so everyone was pre arranged.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
So I didn't think there was any grass in Arizona.
How did you find some grass to cut out there? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (05:36):
The grass in Arizona just grass cut by his rocks.
Oh no, just grass. And people get grass out there,
and and Nevada people get grass out there. Hawaii got grass.
I mean Alaska got grass. But yeah, the grass everywhere.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
How did you get to Alaska? You flew? Yeah, you
had to flow Alaska?
Speaker 2 (05:54):
And why I flew?
Speaker 1 (05:55):
What did you do with your lawnmower?
Speaker 2 (05:56):
I rented one and Hawaiian did along. Yeah, home depot,
you can rent no more.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
I will tell you something. You should be sponsored by
Briggs and Stratton like you are. But Ford Edge out
to tell that story and sponsor you home depot.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
I gotta tell you another story. You ready for the
other story, So yeah, I love them. Fast forward in
so today today I've been.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
To don't go too far. We're gonna get to that, okay.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
So the first few fifty state tours for the elder
disabled single parents Invernents. Then I started customizing lawnmowers for
different causes. So one of the first causes I customized
the lawnmower for was for for military. I went to
office states and thank veterans for the service. So I
moved veterans laan in each state, and I had a
pre made letter just thanking veterans for the service, and
(06:46):
they got to meet veterans from World War two, Vietnam
and just moving the lawn and sitting down and interviewing
them and sharing the story, capturing the story and sharing
it with people that support organization. And I've done that one.
Then I done another one called moeing with cops. So
I customized the lawnmower that looked like a police car,
had a light bar on top.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa. You had a light but you
had a lawn more or like a rodder?
Speaker 2 (07:09):
No push or push more?
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Is that push that you may look like a police car.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Yeah, at the light bar. I wanted to come up
with the idea and spent and looked online for a
company that made a light bar, and I found a
way how the power of the light bar on the lawnmower.
So I've done that.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Meant to offer the States and you you you were
cutting cops. No, no, you had cops help.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Yeah. So for for the for the Moaning with Cops tour,
you will find someone LDI, disabled, singaparre, a veteran, and
the officers will come out and they will come out
and mo with me. So they big departments will come out.
So like in Boston, like four or five police officers
come out, came out to mo with me. The biggest
place was Rhode Island. They had about fifteen seventeen cars.
(07:55):
They had the sheaff, they had the police officers that detected,
they had to sweat team. The lady I was mooning
force said what what's going on? Because the whole department,
the whole World Island police force came out the moon
and it was a lot of cops. The people thought
it was a big drug boss or something and they
came out the mo with me and and that was
(08:16):
a powerful image because at that time the police was
taking a hit in the media. People really didn't back.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
So you wanted to give the cops.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Exactly exactly, and I found that free loan care and
police officers. It made it just made made sense. And
after that fifty state tour with the.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
To connect the cops back to the community exactly.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
And these these special mores I made with light Bard,
I told Toro the idea, I want to make these
lawnmowers and give them donate on police officers across the country,
and they do. They need me ten law mowers to
customize into these police mores, and I donated them to
officers and departments across the country, and officers to this
day they go and they canmunity and.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
Use they building that bridge between officers in the community
because like if a kid sees that special lawnmower with
a light bar and a police officer monity, that kids
can come up to that police officer and say that's
pretty cool.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
And that's going to start a conversation. So a kid
that probably didn't trust the officer because of the parents
or whatever, they're now interacting with that officer and they're
building that relationship in the community. And that was the idea.
And to this day, I'm making these lawnmowers and given
them to departments across the country and they're going out
in their community and they're building building relationships with their
(09:33):
community with these with these moors. So that was the
whole alive said, sadly, he's no longer.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
How how how long? How much of this did he
get to see development? You had to have gone back
and talked to him.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Yeah, but I think he So I met him in
twenty fifteen. It was sometime in twenty sixteen. He passed away.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
But did he get to see what your one happenstance
meeting had started to become?
Speaker 2 (10:07):
He didn't see them. He didn't see that much of them.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
No, sadly, don't you wish he had? Yeah, he's smiling
down on heaven from you. I gotta believe that, broh.
So after the cop lawn more extravaganza, what else did
you do? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (10:28):
So another one was I've done another tool for veterans
So my tour forty states, again moving for veterans and
thinking them for the service and for this particular one
at American Flavor.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
And again you're going to every state in the country,
cutting grass every state of veterans to illuminate.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Just think veterans for this tour, and particularly just thinking veterans,
because I've learned that America is what it is because
of the veterans. You know, I'm able to do what
I can in America because of veterans. Because it wasn't
for them, I wouldn't be able to do what I'm
doing now. They risk people, risking their lives. And that's
why I even tell kids in the program, you have
(11:06):
to do stuff for people that do stuff for you.
The veterans are important. That's why I try to instill
two kids in the program. You know, you have to
get back to veterans. All way of giving back is
to free loan care. So that's it don't matter how
big the lawn is, We're gonna move for that veteran.
There's a gold Star family out where I live in Huntsville.
(11:27):
This is when I had to push more his goal start.
He lost two kids, two kids in Iraq, and Afghanistan.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
What's he a veteran too?
Speaker 2 (11:36):
He was a veteran as well, and his two sons
at last two acres, I push it. I push two acres.
It doesn't matter how big it when. If a veteran
doesn't no questions, I'm gonna move the lawn. And that's
why I try to instill in these kids.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Do you ever get people that you that you or
your your kids do work for that are so over
come with your kindness that they become emotional?
Speaker 2 (12:05):
You could say that there's been a few people that
come real emotional breakdown and cry.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
What does that make you feel like?
Speaker 2 (12:12):
Man, it just makes me feel like. You know, the
service that we're offering of offering means so much, you know,
because especially the elderly, the disabled, even the veterans, a
lot of more fixed incomes, you know, that really struggling.
So when we can come cut it for free, that
now frees them up and they can use the extra
funds for things they really need, food and medication and
(12:33):
stuff like that. There's even been some times where one
time in Texas, this lady was telling me that there's
people that go around they measure your grass with a stick,
if it's at a certain height, you get fined. So
you know, the service that we're offering is so important,
you know, and that's why I'm trying to get more
kids involved. And it's not just moving, you know, we
(12:55):
also include raking leaves and snow shoveling and stuff like that,
so it's a year round. It can give back and
help and serve their communities.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
So have you ever rolled up to a lawn that
you thought these people could be cutting their own grass
and they're using me.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
There's been times where you have that feeling, you know,
there's been when we first started. There's I remember one
time meant to move for an elderly and a younger
couple came up, Oh yeah, you can to move my mother,
she's inside sor right. Once we get done, you'd like
to meet her, say, just speak to her. Moved a
lawn and then just they played us. They just literally
(13:41):
played us because it wasn't for the elder mother, it
was for them, you know, people who took advantage. You know.
It's one or two stories like that.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
You know what the reason I ask is, it's important
that people know that anytime you reach out to do something,
there's always going to be a few bad apples. But
you can't let that.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
Discourage You can't. You can't. You just got to keep
keep on pushing and just find bat the ways to
you know, filter those foot to those own.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
So there was a story about I remember reading about
a lady whose grass was so high she couldn't even
cut it, and then she felt bad when you showed
up because the grass was so high it was going
to take forever. Do you remember that story.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
It's been it's been a few of those, so I
can't remember the exact story, but it's been a few.
Like you just shruped to a.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
Lawn like, wow, this like looks like a jungle. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
And the crazy thing is like, for the for the
first seven years, I was only using push mores, and
just this year someone donated a rotting more. So the
first seven years just using a push more of all
these big lawns, you know, pushing big told us me
using a push more, not just me.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
It's a grass five foot high.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Man, There's been something like that.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Why in the world do you even cut it?
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Pray to God, you just have to push it, go
over it a few times. But it's been lawns like that.
It's been really been a few lawns like that and
you just just got to get figured out. Yeah, I
just got a free.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
What's the worst looking yard you ever rolled up?
Speaker 2 (15:22):
Toy? Been a few men. I have to go back
and look at some pictures because you know, each loan
we do, we take before and off the pictures. Yeah,
but there's been been a few bad lungs, Like how
can it get so bad? Whoa jungle?
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Like I'm just completely out of control? Don't you wonder
if some of these elderly people that got lawns like that,
where's their family? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (15:50):
You have to ask yourself like, man, this was my
mother father.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
I wouldn't let it get like this exactly.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
But you speak to them and be like, no, my
live in this another state, and you know they don't
contact me no more.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
That's like whoa do you just your presence and just
showing them that you're there. It's got to make them
feel cared for too, Yeah, because you know it's a
lot more in cutting grass.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
Yeah, and you get it, especially with the veterans after
you more the lawn, like wow, they feel so prideful
about the lawn, you know, if it's overgrown and stuff
like that, the down but the moment you cut the
lawn and make it look brand new almost again, they
feel so happy. Oh look at my lawn to come up. Wow,
I can see outside now.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
And the kids you have with you get to see
the immediate reaction from the fruits of their kindness.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
Yep. You know there's been stories like one kid named
Wesley Shy, quiet kid kept himself, you know, before he
started a program. But once he started it, you know,
mom will tell me, you can't more friendly. Started getting
out there and meet people and you know, build relationships
with the people that he moved for.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
That's crazy. So there's I think you've done. Did you
cut fifty yards and fifty states for breast cancer awareness?
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Yeah? So breast cancer wwuitness was not the cause I
moved for. So I customized whatever cause I moved for,
customize lawnmower for that cause. So I had to pink
lawnmore and I meant to go for the states I
moved for those who had breast cancer, those who lost
love want to breast cancer, those who survived breast cancer.
Moved the lawn. Then after I interviewed them and got
to learn their story and share their you know, share
(17:45):
the story with my audience online and encourage men and
women to get you know, checked for breast cancer because
I didn't realize that men could get breast cancer as well.
So that's something I learned on the tour. So each
tour that I moved for, you know, just try to
make it educational as well. So I'm for breast cants,
I moved for Donald syndrome. I moved for autism officers, veterans.
(18:06):
I've got a few few more normre customized right now
for different causes as well.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
So during COVID, obviously you can't go hug and pose
for pictures like you've always done. And so COVID created
a little bit of a challenge and that you still
are doing your your service and you're still doing your philanthropy,
but it created a different set of challenges. But I
(18:32):
understand that you then use the showing up to cut
people's lawns to also deliver food and supplies and hand
sanitizer and other things to people who needed it. How
did that work work?
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Pretty good? I call them moo and drops.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
You call what I call them moo and drops, mow
and drop.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
Yeah, so mow the lawn, then I drop them groceries
and other things they need, especially the elder people you know,
was stuck inside couldn't come out because been COVID frust
came that they made it sound like it was you
go outside, you're gonna die or something like that. So
a lot of the elderly people will stayed inside. We'll
take pictures, but it'll be at the door. They'd be
inside and I'll be outside and take pictures, but I
(19:14):
would go out and buy them groceries and then drop
it to the door after I got done.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Rodney, I think you're the Ben and Jerry of lawnmowing.
Ben and Jerry's took a simple thing as ice cream
and made like ninety thousand different versions. Yep, you've taken lawnmow.
You've taken mowing a lawn and come up with every
possible scenario of things that you can tag onto it
(19:42):
simply to do something kind for other people.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
Yes, what's next, I don't know yet, but it's gonna
come to me.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
We'll be right back. I know we're talking about four
thousand kids and I don't know how many lawns, but
(20:22):
my math says, it's well over two hundred thousand lawns,
maybe a quarter of a million lawns. But other than
mister Brown, which has to be the paramount story because
it's what got it all started. Do you have an
absolute favorite story of a lawn that you've got.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
Yeah, I mean Miss Gibbs.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Miss Gibbs where Miss gips from.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
She's from Huntsville, Obama. She's I think her photos was
one of the ones that went viral at the beginning
and moved alone or to be up to this year.
This year she sadly passed away. But you know, I
remember meeting her for the first time. Person next door
used to move alone, but he was charging her and
(21:06):
she couldn't afford it cause she's gonna fixed income. And
be sure that story and that went viral back in
twenty sixteen. But we just we just had a special connection,
just bonded. Every time more alone, she'd come out, bring
lemonade and stuff like that. After moving alone, we just
sit on her porch and we talk and every time
we moved alone, take a picture with her.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
And people.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
Just love Miss Gibbs and she's like a grandmother to me,
both my grand all my grandparents had passed away and
she became like that other grandparent and then you know,
I gave everyone the sad news this year. I think
it was in May that she passed away, and they
were heartbroken because they just love to see her smile
every time we took that picture together and you know,
(21:51):
just just a sweet lady. And one of the one
of the goals for me is to start a scholarship
fund for the organization and the first scholarship will give
away will be in her honor. The mis Gibbs Gives
some fun. So there's one kid named Quinton, one of
the kids from his grandmother that signed up being in
(22:13):
Ohio married Ohio at the start. He's about to graduate
high school. So my goal is to and made it
go up to him and give him the fresh official
scholarship in honor of mis Gives and yeah on a miskap.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
And you know, most people would say, well, that's a
really kind of thought where some money going to come from?
But I guess if I ask you, you will tell
me you'd have no idea where the money's going to
come from, but you're going to find it.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Well, the organization people donating all the time, now, and
I think we have enough funds to start a scholarship
fun and even still, I believe if I mentioned it
to the audience on social media, people would would would
help fund it and start the scholarship fun because you
know a lot of the kids come from low income families.
So I think it's important to invest in education. Doesn't
(23:02):
have to be a four year college. It could be
a trade school as long as they get that the
education where they can you know, they can do something
with their life. You don't want to be home doing nothing.
You know, you become anything you want to. I just
want to help kids to become whatever they want to become.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
So I got to ask you, you couldn't get a
job when you're in college because you couldn't get a
green card because you're on a what an education visa?
Is that what it's called? What is your immigration status? Now? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (23:34):
So right now I'm still on a visa, but I'm
able to work and stuff. I'm still working on my
green card. I had immigration situation come up and immigration
law firm has took my case on pro bono, So
hopefully this year I have my green card in hand.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
If there is any immigrant on the face of the
planet that deserves for this kid taken care of. It's you.
I mean, dude, you've done more for American veterans, the
ninety nine point nine to nine percent of us, and
probably a lot more than the people who make the
decisions about getting green cards. I mean, for gosh sakes,
(24:10):
what's the hold up? Why is it? What's the deal?
Speaker 2 (24:13):
Immigration is just just a sticky situation. It's long situation.
It costs money. But luckily, like I said that law
firms Stephen David said, Maner and Cooper they took my
case on pro bono and man, they've been a joy
that they got my new visa which allows me to
work and stuff like that. I mean, if it wasn't
(24:36):
for them, I probably be back. How I had to
go back to Bermuda last year.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
Do you just want to be a US citizen?
Speaker 2 (24:41):
Oh? Yeah, that's my goal. So once I got the
green card, I had to be five years to be
a citizen. But the five years, so the woman I'm
eligible for to become a US citizen, I'm gonna run
to it and become Ronnie.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
I gotta ask you something. I'm from Bermuda. You overcome
all the challenges of your learning disability. You end up
with the Masters, and you're doing all that you do
across our country for people because of some compassion you
(25:15):
once shared for a man named mister Brown. And you're
having to have spend money and go through legal hoops
just to get a green card to then wait five
more years to become a citizen of our country. Meanwhile,
(25:36):
you've driven all over this country many times, gone to
all fifty states, and you must pass people all day
every day that take this country and their citizenship for
granted and don't put one ounce of the effort into
it that you've devoted your life to. What do you
(25:57):
think when you compare your journey with someone whose journey
was given to them and doesn't do anything with it,
How does that make you feel? What goes through your brain?
You have to recognize that.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
Yeah, I mean, like I have some friends that are
born here. You know they're just lazy. Like you have
the opportunity to become anything you want to be in America.
You can't do that anywhere else. You can't just start
something and become a successful anywhere else in the world.
Don't think you could do that here, So just get
out there and do it. Don't come up with his gouoses.
(26:40):
I don't know it.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
Just do you talk to you the kids that you
work with about those kinds of things.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
Yeah, tell them. You can become and do anything you
want to anything, I mean anything anything. If you want
to become a billionaire, you can become a billionaire if
you have that idea. If you want to become a
basketball player, well it's a little risky, but if you
train every day and that's what you want to do,
aim for it, you can become anything. You want to
(27:06):
become a lawyer or doctor, you can do that if
you have your mind focused on that.
Speaker 1 (27:12):
Or if you want to become a lawnmowing savant.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Exactly lawns like me, you can do that. You can
do that in America. You become anything you want to become.
You can't do that anywhere else. Like all the stuff
that I'm doing right now, I couldn't do that in Bermuda.
I couldn't do that in England. I couldn't do that
in Asia or something like that, you know, but I
could do that in America. In America, if you can
(27:36):
think it, you can you can become it.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
So what you're saying, is just a normal old person
who has challenges throughout their life can do extraordinary things
in this country and you can change laves.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Yeah, I mean I didn't. This is not the path
that I dreamed on, but this is my purpose. And
I found my purpose while I was in school, and
I came, of course the elder man. And every single
day I get the chance to wake up and do
something I love. Get the visit kids when they finished
the fifty yard challenge. Like even after this, I'm headed
to Kansas and I'm going to visit two brothers that
(28:13):
compete to fifty yard challenge.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
You're gonna go, so you still go deliver lawnmown.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Yeah, so I'm still After the next week, I'll be Uh.
I had it to Michigan, two brothers out there, and
then after that I had it to New York to
two kids out there that finished the fifty yard challenge.
So I'm always on the road. If I'm not mowing,
I'm on the road delivering more to kids.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
How many kids have registered across the United States.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
So today we have over four thousand plus kids across
the United States, at least one in each state. Texas
has the most kids with over like four hundred kids or.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
Something like that, four thousand kids, four thousand kids cutting
lawns for free, four.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Thousand kids for the YEP, and four thousand kids in
total in the organization, plus kids in eight other different countries.
So we have what countries kids in Canada, Bermuda, England, Australia, Germany, Japan, Sweden,
and South Africa.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
All cutting lawns because one day you pulled over and
asked mister Brown if you could help them? Yes, sir,
do you ever pinch yourself? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (29:18):
I mean because I would have known, Like, especially when
I came across mister Brown, if you would have asked
me at that moment, where do you see yourself in ten,
ten years, seven years, it wouldn't be this. But it's
like it's like a book. Every year is a new chapter,
something else happens, and like I had to go through
all of that to get to where I am today.
(29:38):
Like when I got that car, I didn't tell you that.
One of my fifty state tours Ford Motor Company in Michigan,
I was on a veterans tour. They told me, oh,
come move for a veteran, won't we want to film
that experience. So I said okay, and it came out
Ford Motor Company. This is Ford Motor Company. It's like, okay,
I moved for the veterans. After moving that lawn, they
(30:00):
gave me a brand new food Edge.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
You're kidding.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
That could only happen in America because they saw what
I was doing for veterans, they gave me a brand
new car. And then just last year, so the Ford
add is a small s u V. So that's how
I was delivering more than that to kids than last year.
A guy by the name of mister Neil Hawks. I
posted a picture of me going to visit some kids
(30:26):
to drop lawnmowers, and he says, look like you need
a new vehicle, a bigger vehicle. I said, juggling.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
He said, send me an inbox. I sent them an inbox.
He said, I want to help you. I want to
get you a bigger vehicle.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
I didn't know.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
I said, okay, I mean you can't take anyone serious.
Sometimes you want to get me a car that doesn't happen,
she said, gave me a call. I gave him a call.
He says, gonna look into it. Next day, he calls me. Oh,
my buddy owns a owns a car dealership up here
in Missouri. I'm going to buy this two thousand and
seven Team Cargo van. I'm gonna buy it. Can you
(31:05):
fly up? Yes, yes, sir? I hung up. A few
days later, I flew up to Missouri, met him and
his wife at the airport. They had the van. Shook
the hand and we talked and and I drove to
van Hum to Huntsville, Alabama, and just just see him
(31:26):
seeing what I was doing for the organization. Because he
just came across that post. He's saying. What resonated with
him was he used to move loans when he was younger,
and he sees what we're doing with the kids, and
to this day he's a big supporter.
Speaker 1 (31:41):
Rodney. What do your parents think?
Speaker 2 (31:48):
The problem? The problem? The shock that I've come this
far because they I guess they didn't see all this happening.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
Have you do you go back to Bermudo to visit? Yeah?
I try to.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Like right now, I can't fly back there because I
have to get this immigration stuff situation, But yeah, I
fly back when I can.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
Would you do me if I ever? Next time you
go back, go find that teacher and say you're wrong
if she's still teaching. Man, it's amazing, Rodney, your story.
(32:28):
I tell a lot of stories, yes, And I set
across from people and listened to their stories. Right, And
it's not just the words. It's it's not just what
you say, but how you say it. But it's also
the body language and the inflection. And you are so
genuinely kind and compassionate. And yeah, the work you've done
(32:54):
is amazing, but what is so endearing is how humble
you are about it. You're just a guy cutting lawns
and this thing's gone crazy, and I think you still
get that sense about yourself. And I have a big
appreciation for that humility.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
The way I see it is if you ever see
a horse and a race, they have these blinders on
the eyes. And that's what I believe what God is
doing to me. I have these blinders on my eyes
to keep me straight, so I understand what we're doing
is important, it's a movement. But God has these blinders
on my eyes to keep me humble, to keep me
straight on the mission.
Speaker 1 (33:33):
That's beautiful, man, So just keep straight. You know, we've
talked about the fifty States and the fifty lawns. And
you've done all kinds of tours, but that's not the
only kind of tour. If you've done yeah, what's the other? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (33:52):
So in total, just finished one. But in total I've
done fifteen fifty stick tours. Ten have been for mowing
and five have been something called Hope for the Holiday.
And that's when I go to old fifty States. It
really started with me going to all fifty states dress
as Santa Claus, and I went to all three states
and I met a homeless person in each state, and
(34:13):
then I gave them ten sleeping bigs with backpack and
things they need.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
And then do you get this stuff to give them? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (34:21):
Social media? So on social media. For the first one,
I made Amazon whistless with ten sleeping bigs, hygiene kids,
hand warmers and stuff like that and put them on
an Amazon wistless and supporters run another and they bought
these items. And that's where I at least met one
homeless person in each state, gave them these items and
everything was wrapped in Christmas rap and you just all.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
Right, now, the homeless people, they're not reaching out to
you on Facebook? Are they? So you just literally let
me get this right, dude, you riding up fit all
fifty states. You ride up dressed like Santa Claus to
a homeless dude with a timp well tent.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
Tent is wrapped up and then in the backpacktors hygiene
kids sleeping eggs in the world.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
Do they think when you ride up, dress like Santa Claus.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
Pop out of your car with Santa Claus is real?
Speaker 1 (35:18):
And you've done this five times?
Speaker 2 (35:19):
Yeah, So first ones with the homeless mental fority states.
I'll give them these items and I'll ask them what's
one thing they want for Christmas? Some said they wanted
a hot shower, so I'll go out and I would
buy them a two or three nights stay in the
hotel room. Some would say they wanted a ticket home.
I will go out and buy them a Greyhound ticket
so they can get home and stuff like that. And
(35:41):
this is from people that support organizations dressed like Santa,
dressed like sand and people would donate while I'm on
the road, and I would just use those funds to
buy these items. And then I teamed up with my
friend Yuri Williams. He's in kind of California and he
dresses up as different superheroes. And we went to oll
for the States and we went visited kids that got bullied,
(36:04):
kids with cancer and other disabilities, and we give them
gifts for Christmas. And we just finished our most recent
one a few days ago in Hawaii, and again over
the States. We found kids with cancer, other disabilities. We
even found kids who have low incomes that might not
have had a chance to have Christmas gifts. We gave
them gifts. And that's all because the people around me.
Speaker 1 (36:26):
You're dressed as saying, and he's dressed as a superhero.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
He's dressed a superhero for this one. We both have
elf elf jackets on, so we're playing the Elf this time.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
Dude, you continue to come up with ways to just
give phenomenal story, We'll be right back. You know, Rodney,
(37:01):
I've just I can't add the miles up, but it's
millions that you travel and you clearly spend I mean,
if you're going around delivering lawnmowers to all these kids,
you spend a lot of time outside of huntspitaling on
the road. And you know, uh, what's that mean for
(37:23):
for you and a family life? One day?
Speaker 2 (37:25):
Yeah, hopefully I could start a family eventually only thirty three,
so you know, kind of young, kind of young. So
the next few years, like to start a family right
now with me being in a road so much, you know,
I can't.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
But you're gonna have to have a mode, win a bgo,
a win Ago, a motor home. Oh yeah, yeah, just
load them up at that and go and just.
Speaker 2 (37:48):
Go and bring the family with me.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:50):
But if yeah, I like to start one, but with
me being a road so much, you know, it's kind
of impossible.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
Yeah yeah, But like.
Speaker 2 (37:59):
If I the family right now, I won't be able
to do all the things that I'm doing right now.
I'll probably be divorced. You get your time, Yeah exactly.
But you know, right now I have the freedom to
do what I do, what I want with the organization.
So next few years, as the organization grows and start
chapters across the United States, you know, people can step
up and they can start delivering nomars for their state,
(38:22):
and I just oversee the organization.
Speaker 1 (38:24):
What will you see makes good sense? Make a bunch
of little Rodney stuffs all over the place. Yeah, I
cannot imagine that there's not parents listening to us right now,
who are thinking I need to get my fat, lazy
kid off the couch and out of the video games
and doing something for somebody other than themselves. And so
(38:48):
if somebody wants to reach out to you and get
their kid involved and be part of Raising Men, how
do they reach you?
Speaker 2 (38:59):
Yeah, so they can go to my Twitter at I
am Rodney Smith on there, we have a link that
takes them to the fifty yard Challenge. And it's not
only raising men now, we also have Raising Women. So
it's raising men and women. So we're trying to en
courage both boys and girls to get out there and
make a difference. So I think the first three years
was just raising men. Then a few girls was starting
(39:19):
to sign up, and we just giving them Raising Men
t shirts. They didn't sit well with me, so I
came up with Raising Women. So when girls sign up,
they get a Raising Women's T shirt col And we're
seeing a lot of young ladies signing up. And I
gotta tell you that some of these young ladies they
can move better than these guys.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
Yeah, they outwork the fat light for sure.
Speaker 2 (39:39):
It's like wow. They pay attention to details like wow.
But you're trying to encourage both boys and girls to
get out there and make a difference. But yeah, they
go find us on social media at our website that
we are Raising men dot com or we are Raising
women dot com or Raising Men and Women dot com
and will take them all to the same website and
they can go to the fifty yard Challenge page and
just sign their kids up. And once they sign up,
(40:00):
I'll send them a white T shirt along with the
safety glasses and your protection and a letter with some
tips on how to stay safe and stuff like that,
and they can get started.
Speaker 1 (40:11):
That is phenomenal. You know what, You've literally cut grass,
cut your You've literally mowed your way across the United States.
It was just phenomenal. And if you're sitting around thinking, boy,
(40:32):
I'd like to do something good in my community, but
I just don't know how. All you got to do
is listen to your story. You're a guy who literally
stopped one day to help an utterly man mow his
lawn and ask creator a movement that's reached over four
thousand kids and I guessed over two hundred thousand or
(40:53):
so long and so far, and all the hearts and
minds you've touched through your generosity and your compassion and
have turned in a simple act of mowing a lawn
into a mentorship for kids about how to give back
and how to grow community, how to raise awareness for autism,
(41:16):
breast cancer, how to try to reconnect police officers with
the community, how to help people who couldn't get out
of their homes during COVID. All of these things from
cutting mister Brown's grass one day. And if you hear
this story and you still can't figure out a way
(41:39):
to go do something in your community, you're just not trying.
And you are a beautiful illustration of you don't have
to come from anywhere to become somebody, and to overcome disabilities,
to overcome green car art issues, to overcome going to
(42:02):
boarding schools at sixteen, to end up with a master's
and social work, and be doing the things that you've
done and accomplished so far. I'm just I'm humbled by
your story, man, And I know you hear it all
the time. Now you have to, and I know that
(42:22):
you know everybody that hears your story has got to
be so inspired by it. But I want to tell
you from a guy who talks to a lot of
inspiring people who do a lot of inspiring things. Bro,
you are you are a special human being. Thank you,
and it is my honor to get to know you.
And I really appreciate you joining me. I appreciate you
(42:43):
having me, and I appreciate all of you for joining
us this week. If Rodney or another guest has inspired
you in general, or better yet, to take action by
taking art in the fifty yard Challenge, donating to raising
men and women, law care service, or something else entirely,
(43:06):
please let me know. I'd love to hear about it.
You can write me anytime at billatnormalfolks dot us, and
I swear to you I'll respond. And if you enjoyed
this episode, share it with friends and on social subscribe
to the podcast, rate and review it all the things
that will help grow an army of normal folks. I'm
(43:29):
Bill Courtney. I'll see you next week.
Host
Bill Courtney
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