1 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:11,119 Speaker 1: Leaving school, senior of college. And it came across as 2 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: elderly man outside moving his lawn, and it looked like 3 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 1: he was struggling. 4 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:17,440 Speaker 2: And I don't why do you look like he was struggling. 5 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 1: It was a hot sunny day, and you could just 6 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 1: tell that. You look like he's taking breaks in between 7 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:25,919 Speaker 1: pushing and the stopping, pushing and stopping. 8 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 2: And I'm driving home and you say this, yeah, And 9 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:29,080 Speaker 2: I just. 10 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:32,519 Speaker 1: Pulled over and helped him. But it was at that 11 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 1: moment I realized that a few years before that I 12 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:38,559 Speaker 1: asked God to use me as his vessel and he 13 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:41,199 Speaker 1: didn't give me answer at all, but it felt at 14 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:43,280 Speaker 1: that moment and I came across the elderly man, he 15 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: was like, I was preparing you for that, this movement 16 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:47,960 Speaker 1: right here. I pulled over, helped him out, and that 17 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 1: once more, the conness would eventually change my life forever. 18 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 2: Welcome to an army of normal folks. I'm built coordinating, 19 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:02,959 Speaker 2: I'm normal guy. I'm a husband, I'm a father, I'm 20 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 2: an entrepreneur, and I've been a football coach in inner 21 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 2: city Memphis. And the last part unintentionally led to an 22 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 2: oscar for the film about our team. It's called undefeated. 23 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 2: I believe our country's problems will never be solved by 24 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:21,280 Speaker 2: a bunch of fancy people and nice suits talking big 25 00:01:21,319 --> 00:01:25,960 Speaker 2: words that nobody understands on CNN and Fox, but rather 26 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:29,040 Speaker 2: by an army of normal folks, US, just you and 27 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 2: me deciding hey, I can help. That's what Rodney Smith Junior, 28 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:36,560 Speaker 2: the voice we just heard, has done. Rodney grew up 29 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:40,040 Speaker 2: with a learning disability in Jamaica, and a teacher once 30 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 2: told him that he really would never amount to much. 31 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 2: But Rodney persevered. He found teachers who did believe in him. 32 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 2: He made it to college in Huntsville, Alabama, and his 33 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 2: one single act of love for an elderly man he 34 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 2: didn't even know inspired him to commit more acts of love. 35 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 2: And the next thing you know, He's got a nonprofit 36 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 2: called Raising Men and Women lawn Care Service that's inspired 37 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 2: four thousand kids to take what he calls the fifty 38 00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:15,240 Speaker 2: yard challenge to mow lawns for people in need and 39 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 2: get this part for free. That's two hundred thousand lawns. 40 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 2: I cannot wait for you to meet Rodney right after 41 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:44,360 Speaker 2: these brief messages from our generals sponsors. Now, let's return 42 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 2: to Rodney on his first act of kindness at the 43 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 2: very beginning of helping one elderly man. 44 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 1: That night, I went to Facebook and I told him 45 00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:59,359 Speaker 1: about my experience that day of helping this elder man. 46 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 1: And I want to start moving free loans for the elderly, disabled, 47 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 1: singaparents and veterans in Huntsville, Obama. And I made that 48 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:10,160 Speaker 1: post and I tell people, at first, I'd have a lawnmower. 49 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 1: So the first ten loans that I don't going to do, 50 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 1: you know, at least have a lawnmower so I can 51 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:15,919 Speaker 1: just move a lawn. 52 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 2: Well, let's let's get back to that first time you're 53 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:23,679 Speaker 2: driving down the street and you see this old man 54 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:26,079 Speaker 2: pushing a lawn more and he's taking a break between 55 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 2: each steps, and you've just felt for him. I mean, 56 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 2: do you know how many people we pass every day 57 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:38,400 Speaker 2: struggling cutting grass or doing some housework, And I mean, 58 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 2: that's their house, that's their problem. Yeah, what made you 59 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:42,280 Speaker 2: pull over? 60 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 1: Just the feeling that that feeling I had to pull over, 61 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 1: that feeling God telling me do something. You know, that 62 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 1: was the beginning of my book. I believe you know, 63 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 1: everyone has it, So. 64 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 2: You pull over yeah, and you get out of the 65 00:03:57,400 --> 00:03:58,840 Speaker 2: car and you walk up to this guy in his 66 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 2: front yard. Yeah, welk up to and all right, well, 67 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 2: he must have been thinking, yeah, this dude about to 68 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:07,760 Speaker 2: come still my lawnmower. He's got to be looking at 69 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:09,200 Speaker 2: you like you're half crazy. 70 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 1: Of course, and at first, you know, you he's like, no, 71 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 1: it's I'm okay, I'll get it done. But eventually, you know, 72 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 1: he let me. He said, what he will get it done. 73 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 1: You know, he get it done. And but eventually, you know, 74 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 1: after talking to him, you know, he let me finish 75 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:26,120 Speaker 1: the law and form And what did you say to him? 76 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 1: Just saying, sir, you know it's real hot out here. 77 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 1: He's an oulderly man, mister Brown, the olderly man. 78 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 2: His name was mister Brown. Mister Brown. 79 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, in this seven years or so, you know, seven 80 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 1: years old in the hot summer. Yeah, that's that's that's rough. 81 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:41,160 Speaker 2: That's rough. 82 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:43,599 Speaker 1: And I said, please let me finish. I'm not gonna leave. 83 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 1: And to let me finish, you know, I was persistent. 84 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:47,920 Speaker 2: And I just how long did it take? 85 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 1: You take me? 86 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 2: No time? In twenty minutes? 87 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 1: Yea, about twenty minutes for him. Yeah, And it's that 88 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:57,799 Speaker 1: feeling you get, you know, helping someone, and that started everything. 89 00:04:57,839 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 1: That's small. If I never would have came across that 90 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:05,039 Speaker 1: elder man, I probably would have finished stuff. 91 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:09,520 Speaker 2: Exactly. So you came across mister Brown and you had 92 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:12,840 Speaker 2: some compassion for him, and you walked up and said, hey, 93 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:15,920 Speaker 2: let me finish your grass for you. Looks like you're struggling. 94 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:18,200 Speaker 2: Why didn't he have somebody cut it for him? 95 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:22,279 Speaker 1: I'm not sure. Probably couldn't ask him, but probably couldn't afford. 96 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 2: It was this, Uh, this wasn't an overly nice house. 97 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 2: I don't guess. 98 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean it was. You know you could tell that, 99 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:29,160 Speaker 1: you know, he's struggling a little bit. 100 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, And so you cut his grass. Yeah that was it. 101 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:38,440 Speaker 2: And you go home and you just said that once 102 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:43,159 Speaker 2: you got home, you you felt moved by the experience exactly. 103 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 1: I felt inspired and I felt I needed to do 104 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:48,080 Speaker 1: something more. And it just made a post on Facebook. 105 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 2: And so you made a post on Facebook. What did 106 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:53,840 Speaker 2: it say? I'm Rodney, I'm gonna cut your grass and 107 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:58,719 Speaker 2: just let me know. I mean what I mean, Rodney, 108 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:02,040 Speaker 2: do you just really did you grow up loving? No? 109 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:04,200 Speaker 1: And that's the funny thing, you know, growing up, I 110 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:07,160 Speaker 1: hated moving lawns. I hated it. 111 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:11,039 Speaker 2: You hated moa lawns as a kid. Yeah, so you 112 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:13,320 Speaker 2: pull over and volunteer to cut some other man's law. 113 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:14,680 Speaker 1: Exactly, it is because. 114 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:16,160 Speaker 2: Your mom and dad. I'd be mad at to fight 115 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:17,720 Speaker 2: you my whole life to get you cut the grass. 116 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:19,280 Speaker 2: And you're doing this man's off for nothing. 117 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:21,680 Speaker 1: It's crazy. All my life work. God took something I 118 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 1: dislike and turned to something I love to do, and 119 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: I do it every single day for free. 120 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:29,320 Speaker 2: No. So you made a post on Facebook. 121 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 1: And so just explaining my experience that day about moving 122 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:34,960 Speaker 1: for the elderly man, and I'm going to move free 123 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 1: loans now for anyone in need in the community. And 124 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:37,880 Speaker 1: that's whole. 125 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:41,440 Speaker 2: And what what was the demographic of the people that 126 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:42,800 Speaker 2: you were willing to cut grass for? 127 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:47,240 Speaker 1: Yes? So anyone elderly, disabled, a single parent, or a veteran. 128 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:54,160 Speaker 2: Or a veteran yes, really Yeah, what I get elderly 129 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:57,359 Speaker 2: who maybe can't afford it or don't can't do it physically. 130 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 2: The disabled just speaks for itself. And then you said 131 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 2: single parents, single parents, Yeah, And then but veterans, I 132 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 2: mean some are certainly disabled, but they fall under disabled 133 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:16,360 Speaker 2: and all that, But why specifically veterans. 134 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:18,640 Speaker 1: Because you know, I've realized you men coming up with 135 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:22,440 Speaker 1: the groups to move for who can benefit from this? 136 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:25,200 Speaker 1: And I just thought, you know, veterans have put their 137 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:27,840 Speaker 1: lives on the line for this country, and it's only 138 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:30,120 Speaker 1: right that we serve them and give back whichever way 139 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 1: we can. 140 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:33,720 Speaker 2: And I love to hear that. But Bermuda's your country, 141 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:34,720 Speaker 2: the U States is not. 142 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 1: I understand that. Yeah, but I've realized, you know, I've 143 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 1: come across veterans during my time and just realize the 144 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:44,119 Speaker 1: importance of veterans. So that's that's one of the reasons 145 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 1: why I picked them. 146 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:48,680 Speaker 2: You know, Ronnie, something that strikes me as I'm talking 147 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:53,440 Speaker 2: to you, buddy, there's compassion that uses out of you. 148 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:56,840 Speaker 2: Where does that compassion comes from? And I have a 149 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 2: I you know, I could be off base, but I'm 150 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 2: going to say it. I think if you grow up 151 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:13,360 Speaker 2: the way you grew up, struggling academically and ending up 152 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:18,080 Speaker 2: having to leave your family to work on your disability 153 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:24,920 Speaker 2: to overcome your own challenges, my sense is that that 154 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:28,960 Speaker 2: experience helps you to understand the plight of others better 155 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 2: than maybe somebody who hadn't experienced that much difficulty. And 156 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 2: as I hear you just this early in our conversation, 157 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:42,880 Speaker 2: it's just not many twenty something year old people think 158 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:45,960 Speaker 2: about I want to do something for the elderly. I 159 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 2: want to do something for our veterans, the veterans of 160 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:52,360 Speaker 2: a country that I live in now that I love, 161 00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:55,400 Speaker 2: even though it's not my own country. I mean, where 162 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:58,480 Speaker 2: do you think this compassion comes from in your heart? 163 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:02,199 Speaker 2: I think I was brought up, you know, really tell 164 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:02,840 Speaker 2: me about that. 165 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:06,000 Speaker 1: You know, parents always telling me get back when you can, 166 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:09,840 Speaker 1: And I remember growing up and there were times where 167 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:12,520 Speaker 1: you used to feed the humeless. You know, my dad 168 00:09:12,520 --> 00:09:14,280 Speaker 1: would take us to give out soup and stuff like 169 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 1: that and crack us. 170 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 2: Off the chair. Mother and father wealthy or. 171 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 1: No, no, not wealthy at all. But there's something that's 172 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:25,000 Speaker 1: just instilled in us growing up. I just remember, I 173 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:27,000 Speaker 1: think it was in winter times you used to do that, 174 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:29,440 Speaker 1: give out soup and stuff like that. And being brought 175 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:30,360 Speaker 1: up in a church, you know. 176 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:32,880 Speaker 2: You're obviously a man of faith. 177 00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:36,920 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, but at that point of life, you know, 178 00:09:37,120 --> 00:09:42,360 Speaker 1: I wasn't strict about faith, but I just know if 179 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:45,360 Speaker 1: you pray about something you know, God will show you, 180 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:47,079 Speaker 1: will lead you, lead you the way he wants you 181 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 1: to go. And some just told me pray that night, 182 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:52,400 Speaker 1: and you know, just changed my life. I don't I 183 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:56,760 Speaker 1: can't explain it. It's one of those things like just 184 00:09:56,520 --> 00:09:57,320 Speaker 1: it just happened. 185 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:01,040 Speaker 2: So you post on Facebook, hey I just got this 186 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:04,080 Speaker 2: dude mister Brown's yard. He almost shot me, but we 187 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:11,200 Speaker 2: worked it out. And if you're disabled, single, elderly, or 188 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 2: veteran and you're struggling getting your yawn done, I'll come 189 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:18,440 Speaker 2: cut it for you. Yeah, you just put it out there. Now. 190 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:21,319 Speaker 2: I'm going to tell you something. In this world, when 191 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 2: you see something like that, you wonder if it's a scam, 192 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:28,559 Speaker 2: you know, because there's always somebody sending out something on 193 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:33,600 Speaker 2: email or Facebook or text or Instagram or whatever that says, hey, 194 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 2: you've won a free so and so, and you always 195 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:40,880 Speaker 2: think what's the catch, right, And so some dudes saying, hey, 196 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:43,080 Speaker 2: I just got this guy's yard. I want to cut 197 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:45,520 Speaker 2: free people's yards. At first, I got to believe some 198 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:49,080 Speaker 2: of that was met with some level of skepticism from 199 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:49,720 Speaker 2: some people. 200 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:51,199 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, of course. 201 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:54,440 Speaker 2: But you had some takers. Yeah, I mean, who is 202 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:56,400 Speaker 2: the next one. Do you remember the very next one? 203 00:10:56,880 --> 00:10:59,880 Speaker 1: I don't remember the very next one. It might have 204 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:03,240 Speaker 1: been this lady, miss miss Hatch. It could have been 205 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:05,200 Speaker 1: hurt because I still more her lawn today, but I 206 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:05,840 Speaker 1: can't remember this. 207 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:09,680 Speaker 2: You're still more lawn today? How many years later? 208 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:11,680 Speaker 1: Seven years later? 209 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:16,280 Speaker 2: Okay? So you had people reach out and say, I'm elderly, 210 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:19,680 Speaker 2: I'm disabled. My lawns a mess. I would love for 211 00:11:19,679 --> 00:11:21,600 Speaker 2: you to come mow with for free. Did you have 212 00:11:21,640 --> 00:11:22,160 Speaker 2: a lawnmower? 213 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:24,000 Speaker 1: No? At first I didn't have a lawnmore. 214 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:25,959 Speaker 2: So, so how you're going to cut their grass on? 215 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:28,920 Speaker 1: The requirement was is they had a lawnmore then, after 216 00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:33,319 Speaker 1: a while, I think off like the tenth lawn the 217 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:37,479 Speaker 1: man got high. So that's when I went to Craigslist 218 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:40,160 Speaker 1: and I was looking for a second hand lawnmower. 219 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:42,360 Speaker 2: So you were going to buy one, yeah, in order 220 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:45,280 Speaker 2: to go cut people's lawns for free. Yeah, And you 221 00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:48,000 Speaker 2: realize this business is going in a negative direction on 222 00:11:48,040 --> 00:11:50,680 Speaker 2: the profit law state. My brother, now, I wasn't. 223 00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:54,160 Speaker 1: It was I I wasn't. 224 00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:58,959 Speaker 2: So so you go to craigslist to you're going to 225 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:01,439 Speaker 2: try to scrounge up and cheap used. 226 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:04,880 Speaker 1: Lawnmower exactly, and I came across one for one hundred dollars. 227 00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:06,840 Speaker 1: I'm still looking for this guy to give it to 228 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:07,640 Speaker 1: me today. 229 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:13,840 Speaker 2: One hundred dollars for a senior in college that's from 230 00:12:13,880 --> 00:12:16,839 Speaker 2: Bermuda whose parents aren't particularly wealthy. They're not hurting, but 231 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:18,559 Speaker 2: theyor wealthy. I'm a hundred dollars a lot of money. 232 00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:22,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a lot of money, and but this is 233 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:25,000 Speaker 1: something I wanted to do. So I went to Craiglist 234 00:12:25,040 --> 00:12:28,520 Speaker 1: and I came across one foe hundred dollars and I 235 00:12:28,520 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 1: wrote the guy. I told him what I wanted to do, 236 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:32,199 Speaker 1: and he ended up giving it to me for free. 237 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:34,600 Speaker 2: He just gave you the long gave me the law more. 238 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 1: I shook his head. I said, you're for real, shook 239 00:12:36,679 --> 00:12:40,199 Speaker 1: his hand. I'm trying to I go back on my 240 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:42,560 Speaker 1: emails and stuff, trying to find that ood message from 241 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:44,920 Speaker 1: way back then, just to find them, to thank him 242 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:47,240 Speaker 1: and to show him how far if it wasn't for him, 243 00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:49,360 Speaker 1: you know, it could be in a different direction. 244 00:12:50,280 --> 00:12:52,240 Speaker 2: And I can't don't even know who this guy is. 245 00:12:52,440 --> 00:12:54,000 Speaker 1: I can't find his name. I can't find. 246 00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:57,800 Speaker 2: If you are the guy, if you're listening to this show, 247 00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:03,040 Speaker 2: and you gave a goofy twenty something year old dude 248 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:06,520 Speaker 2: in Huntsville a lawnmoard that he said he was going 249 00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:09,560 Speaker 2: to cut lawns for free with Please get in touch 250 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:12,240 Speaker 2: with us because Rodney would like to thank you. Okay, there, 251 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:16,040 Speaker 2: that was a public service announcement for you. Maybe maybe 252 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:24,640 Speaker 2: we'll hear from them and now a few messages from 253 00:13:24,679 --> 00:13:30,120 Speaker 2: our general sponsors. But first, we're now offering premium memberships 254 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:33,400 Speaker 2: for the Army of Normal Folks for ten bucks a month. 255 00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:36,920 Speaker 2: You'll receive special benefits such as being invited to a 256 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:42,080 Speaker 2: private yearly call with other premium members and me access 257 00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:47,000 Speaker 2: to monthly Ask Me Anything episodes, and occasional bonus audio. 258 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:49,320 Speaker 2: If you're interested in this, I hope you go to 259 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:52,320 Speaker 2: normal Folks dot us and click on Premium. But guys, 260 00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:56,080 Speaker 2: that's really not what it's about. 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You're on about lawn ten at 276 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:09,320 Speaker 2: this time, right, yeah. 277 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:13,480 Speaker 1: Long ten, and the lawnmower was a green The brand 278 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:14,360 Speaker 1: was called weed Eater. 279 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:16,440 Speaker 2: You got green weed eater? 280 00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:21,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, amore, Yeah, started using that and then that broke down. 281 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:24,120 Speaker 1: So I took it to a took it to. 282 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 2: A hard to gripe about a free lawnmower right down, 283 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:30,160 Speaker 2: took it to a much warranty left it, I guess. 284 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:33,200 Speaker 1: So I took it to a mechanic trying to get 285 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:35,400 Speaker 1: a fixed and they were taking forever to fix it, 286 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:39,479 Speaker 1: and then someone donated me a brand new more Yeah. 287 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:41,360 Speaker 2: Where did that come from? Just off Facebook? 288 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:44,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, people just show what I was doing. One lady 289 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:47,840 Speaker 1: that I moved for, she she tricked me, said, can 290 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:50,320 Speaker 1: you come home my lawn? She had the news, had 291 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:53,760 Speaker 1: a segment, had a segment people doing good in the community, 292 00:15:54,360 --> 00:15:57,200 Speaker 1: and I'm just moving a lawn. She's a disabled lady. 293 00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:01,480 Speaker 1: And I saw the news drive up. Why are they 294 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:03,920 Speaker 1: driving and they just pop out. 295 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:06,800 Speaker 2: Start interviewing, Yeah, what's going on. 296 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:08,080 Speaker 1: I'm cutting this. 297 00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:09,800 Speaker 2: I'm cutting some grass here. 298 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:13,840 Speaker 1: I'm cutting in between class and the news is coming. 299 00:16:14,120 --> 00:16:15,920 Speaker 1: I have to go back to class. I go to time. 300 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:18,440 Speaker 2: I don't have time for your news things. Yeah, and 301 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:23,200 Speaker 2: you're telling me you're still a student this time, and 302 00:16:23,280 --> 00:16:26,680 Speaker 2: in between your nine and eleven you're rolling out in 303 00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:29,000 Speaker 2: your car and cutting grass real quick and going back 304 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:33,520 Speaker 2: to class. Exactly, you are absolutely committed to cutting lawns. 305 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:36,760 Speaker 1: Oh nothing, yeah, yeah. And then they give me three 306 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:39,120 Speaker 1: hundred dollars. Did the news. 307 00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:40,680 Speaker 2: They gave you three hundred dollars? Yeah? What four? 308 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 1: There is a segment more No, the segment that they have. 309 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:46,400 Speaker 2: I say, oh, it's like giving giving back. Yeah. 310 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:47,720 Speaker 1: So they find out what I was doing, and they 311 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:49,960 Speaker 1: shared my story and you know, so what you do 312 00:16:49,960 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 1: at the three. 313 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:53,040 Speaker 2: Hundred bucks use it for guys for lawnmowers. 314 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:57,440 Speaker 1: Yeah. 315 00:16:57,520 --> 00:17:04,119 Speaker 2: Okay, so Rodney, Yeah, this is crazy. So you're cutting 316 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:08,359 Speaker 2: lawnmowers in between class, trying to graduate, having overcome a 317 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:12,720 Speaker 2: learning disability, and clearly not making anything for yourself. Rodney, 318 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:19,000 Speaker 2: and how many? And I've read somewhere that you challenge 319 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:21,280 Speaker 2: yourself to do a certain amount of lawns Yeah, it 320 00:17:21,320 --> 00:17:23,600 Speaker 2: was a hunt by what Christmas? Is? That? What it 321 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:24,240 Speaker 2: was like? 322 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:27,600 Speaker 1: Sixty and then I reached sixty so fast that I'm 323 00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:29,720 Speaker 1: gonna going to one hundred a month and a half 324 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:32,280 Speaker 1: later reading one hundred flooring and then after reaching one 325 00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:34,600 Speaker 1: hundred floor That's been the idea of the organization CAMPBO. 326 00:17:35,119 --> 00:17:36,359 Speaker 1: So I just a just moving as. 327 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:39,000 Speaker 2: Right, jump ahead, Let's just get to the let's just 328 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:42,679 Speaker 2: get to the ok you're going to class. Do you 329 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:44,600 Speaker 2: have a job that you actually make money with? 330 00:17:45,160 --> 00:17:46,720 Speaker 1: So international students you can work? 331 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:50,879 Speaker 2: So because you're not an American citizen, yeah, have a 332 00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:56,040 Speaker 2: green card? You're you're here on as an education visa, yes, 333 00:17:56,040 --> 00:17:59,600 Speaker 2: student visa. Okay, so you're honest, you're a student visa. 334 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:04,199 Speaker 2: So you can't even work and you're literally going to 335 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:09,720 Speaker 2: class probably getting by on pennies and nickels, yourself cutting 336 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:14,600 Speaker 2: yawns in between class. Yeah, and from the day you 337 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:18,560 Speaker 2: met mister Brown up to Christmas, you challenge yourself to 338 00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:21,880 Speaker 2: cut one hundred free lawns for people who desperately needed it, 339 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:23,280 Speaker 2: and you achieved the goal. 340 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:26,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, so I've actually reached my gool, like in November, 341 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:31,480 Speaker 1: sometime before Christmas, of course. But yeah, that's how, that's how. 342 00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:33,199 Speaker 1: That's a story, how it all started. 343 00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:35,800 Speaker 2: That's how it started. And then from there you started 344 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:39,520 Speaker 2: thinking other people can do this or what I mean? 345 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:42,719 Speaker 2: What was There's one thing to go out and do 346 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:46,760 Speaker 2: something really kind and gracious and compassionate like you're doing, 347 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:50,520 Speaker 2: all right, it's another thing to say I can turn 348 00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:53,760 Speaker 2: this into a movement. I mean, especially for a kid 349 00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:57,399 Speaker 2: with learning disability who'll never mounted anything. What gave you 350 00:18:57,520 --> 00:19:03,280 Speaker 2: the temerity, the the courage to think that you could 351 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:06,840 Speaker 2: actually make this into something? And I keep saying the 352 00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:10,000 Speaker 2: learning disability, and I keep saying the Bermuda thing, and 353 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:12,440 Speaker 2: I keep saying you didn't have a green card and 354 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:16,959 Speaker 2: all of the things, because I want to emphasize there 355 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:20,120 Speaker 2: are people every day born in this country with all 356 00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:25,440 Speaker 2: the features, advantages and benefits of being an American that 357 00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:29,720 Speaker 2: make all kinds of excuses why they can't overcome something. 358 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:37,359 Speaker 2: And then there's you, Rodney, which is special. And I 359 00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:40,240 Speaker 2: keep emphasizing who you are and where you came from, 360 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:45,200 Speaker 2: because I think you're a walking embodiment of if you've 361 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:50,840 Speaker 2: got the will, there's a way. And so hundred lines 362 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:55,160 Speaker 2: in three hundred dollars in gas money on lawn Moore 363 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:58,679 Speaker 2: number two because the first free be broke down and 364 00:19:58,760 --> 00:20:02,719 Speaker 2: you say, I'm going to turn this into an organization, Well, 365 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:04,480 Speaker 2: I mean that's kind of bold. 366 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:07,200 Speaker 1: Well I didn't know it would become an organization. It 367 00:20:07,359 --> 00:20:10,160 Speaker 1: just I guess you could say, just encouraging kids, because 368 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:13,280 Speaker 1: some parents were reaching out saying, can my son join? 369 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:15,320 Speaker 2: Can my son join? 370 00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:19,520 Speaker 1: Join you? So at the time, so you had parents, Yeah, 371 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:21,440 Speaker 1: a few parents, like one or two parents. They wanted 372 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:23,159 Speaker 1: to get the kids to come out and move with me. 373 00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:27,159 Speaker 1: I remember one lady. I was mooing. It's like this 374 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:30,600 Speaker 1: is like lorn eighty. She's like, I want my son 375 00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:32,240 Speaker 1: to come out to move with you. And this is 376 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:33,800 Speaker 1: just when I was moving as Rodney Smith. 377 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:35,240 Speaker 2: How old of a kid did we talking about? 378 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:37,840 Speaker 1: Probably like fourteen fifteen, maybe there's. 379 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:39,520 Speaker 2: A triple body. Yeah, I used to get out from 380 00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:41,600 Speaker 2: behind the couch, get off the video games, get some 381 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:42,680 Speaker 2: exercise exactly. 382 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:45,680 Speaker 1: And yeah, I remember she was one of the first 383 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 1: to want her kid to come out and MO with 384 00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:51,120 Speaker 1: me was a fat No, really, no, it's just regular kids. 385 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:53,760 Speaker 2: All these kids these days sitting on the couches are fat, 386 00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:56,919 Speaker 2: drink too much kool aid, and watch too many video 387 00:20:56,960 --> 00:20:58,119 Speaker 2: game as far as I'm concerned. 388 00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:01,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, but yeah, just regular kid. She just wanted to 389 00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:02,600 Speaker 1: get out and get back to the community. 390 00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:03,520 Speaker 2: Yeah. 391 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:07,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, And so I said, okay, And that's when I. 392 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:09,880 Speaker 2: Would be a better story if it's fat. 393 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:13,639 Speaker 1: And and that's when I am trying to come up 394 00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:15,600 Speaker 1: with a name for it. 395 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:18,800 Speaker 2: You know, an for whatever exactly. 396 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:23,560 Speaker 1: And I went to this website called custom Inc. The 397 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:27,399 Speaker 1: T shirt website what custom Inc. And you can make 398 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:31,000 Speaker 1: T shirts on there, and they have a bunch of 399 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:34,760 Speaker 1: templates and different vectors. So I just typed in lawnmower, 400 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:38,840 Speaker 1: typed in law more so see what it looked like 401 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:41,320 Speaker 1: on a T shirt. And then different things with lawnmowers 402 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:44,040 Speaker 1: came up. And that's when I came across this right here, 403 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:45,080 Speaker 1: just that. 404 00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:49,040 Speaker 2: What this right here is is for those listening, it's 405 00:21:49,119 --> 00:21:54,879 Speaker 2: it's called raising men lawn care and it is a 406 00:21:57,680 --> 00:22:02,720 Speaker 2: it's a takeoff of the image of what's the word 407 00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:06,960 Speaker 2: I'm looking for. It's a takeoff of the image of evolutions. 408 00:22:07,119 --> 00:22:10,320 Speaker 2: It's take off the image of evolution. And it's a 409 00:22:10,359 --> 00:22:13,480 Speaker 2: baby crawling, then what gooks to be a six or 410 00:22:13,520 --> 00:22:16,000 Speaker 2: seven year old, and then a fourteen or fifteen year old, 411 00:22:16,359 --> 00:22:19,840 Speaker 2: and then a grown man, and then a man pushing 412 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:25,439 Speaker 2: a lawnmar and that kind of triangular looking thing. And 413 00:22:25,480 --> 00:22:30,760 Speaker 2: it's raising men lng care service. And so clearly, as 414 00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:33,840 Speaker 2: I'm looking at that image, I'm understanding that now you're 415 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:38,280 Speaker 2: not just concerned with cutting people's laws who need it, 416 00:22:38,840 --> 00:22:42,040 Speaker 2: who are disadvantaged, but you see as an opportunity to 417 00:22:42,080 --> 00:22:46,640 Speaker 2: get kids and mentor kids to learn to do something 418 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:48,200 Speaker 2: for someone other than themselves. 419 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:48,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly. 420 00:22:48,840 --> 00:22:52,560 Speaker 2: And that was in other words, to adopt your compassion. 421 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:55,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, and just give back, just help people. So this 422 00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:59,240 Speaker 1: is I just saw this this at first, and then 423 00:22:59,359 --> 00:23:03,159 Speaker 1: as soon as I say so that the idea raising 424 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:03,880 Speaker 1: men came up. 425 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:05,919 Speaker 2: So I had two ideas. 426 00:23:06,359 --> 00:23:08,840 Speaker 1: It was either raising men or raising kings. I don't 427 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:11,960 Speaker 1: know know why I keep like men better exactly. So 428 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:15,919 Speaker 1: I gave this idea to a girl and said, what 429 00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:17,840 Speaker 1: do you like a bytter raising men or raising kings? 430 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:22,000 Speaker 1: He said, raising men. So that's kept raising men. And 431 00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:23,880 Speaker 1: then I came up with a tech name giving back 432 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:26,480 Speaker 1: to the community. And that's how I came up with 433 00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:28,320 Speaker 1: the idea of the organization's name. 434 00:23:29,119 --> 00:23:32,440 Speaker 2: And then but at this time, you've really only cut 435 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 2: a hundred lawns and have a couple of kids whose 436 00:23:34,600 --> 00:23:37,280 Speaker 2: mom sent them out to work with you. Yeah, I mean, 437 00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:42,200 Speaker 2: at this time, you're just you're still playing with the idea. Yeah. Right, 438 00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:45,400 Speaker 2: So now you got your T shirt, Now you got 439 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:48,840 Speaker 2: your logo, now you got your name. Yeah, got one 440 00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:52,200 Speaker 2: hundred lawns cut, We got a couple of kids off 441 00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:54,720 Speaker 2: the couch, trying to teach them how to give back. 442 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:57,040 Speaker 2: And then what happens the following. 443 00:23:56,760 --> 00:24:02,080 Speaker 1: Year, So twenty sixteen January twenty sixteen, it was when 444 00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:06,080 Speaker 1: it firstly officially started a kid's card coming up. The 445 00:24:06,119 --> 00:24:10,359 Speaker 1: first kid was named Ethan. No, his mom wanted to 446 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:13,080 Speaker 1: come out. You know, he's a little chubby guy, and oh, very. 447 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:16,480 Speaker 2: Eventually, but you. 448 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:19,000 Speaker 1: Know, Ethan was first kid to come out and his 449 00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:22,840 Speaker 1: mom I remember he's about twelve thirteen at the time. 450 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:25,680 Speaker 1: I remember when got to the lawn, his mom pulled 451 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:29,080 Speaker 1: up with him in the car. She said she had 452 00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:31,840 Speaker 1: to force him to get up that morning. I guess 453 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:33,080 Speaker 1: he's lazy and stuff like that. 454 00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:35,880 Speaker 2: Because he's fat breaking because he's been playing video games 455 00:24:35,920 --> 00:24:36,280 Speaker 2: all night. 456 00:24:36,359 --> 00:24:39,439 Speaker 1: Yeah, so we got Ethan out and drink. Yeah, and 457 00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:43,160 Speaker 1: they gave birth to a few other kids to follow 458 00:24:43,200 --> 00:24:44,520 Speaker 1: his footsteps in the community. 459 00:24:44,840 --> 00:25:04,800 Speaker 2: Really. Yeah, we'll be right back. So how many lawns 460 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:07,919 Speaker 2: did you and these kids that you're mentoring end up 461 00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:09,000 Speaker 2: cutting that next year? 462 00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:14,440 Speaker 1: I can't keep counk but about It's hard. Hard to say. 463 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:19,639 Speaker 1: It's cutting in between classes still, of course, and the 464 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:20,639 Speaker 1: weekends with the kids. 465 00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:23,320 Speaker 2: Are you going to class smelling like gasoline and covered 466 00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 2: and grass? Oh? Oh yeah, nobody wanted to sit next 467 00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:26,240 Speaker 2: to you. Mane. 468 00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:30,760 Speaker 1: It's all right. But yeah, I remember going class people 469 00:25:30,800 --> 00:25:32,480 Speaker 1: saying were you just come from? I met most of 470 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:32,960 Speaker 1: the lawns. 471 00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:39,040 Speaker 2: What's it look like? I've been cutting some grass. 472 00:25:39,200 --> 00:25:41,440 Speaker 1: I would have a dormal T shirt on and sweatpants 473 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:46,280 Speaker 1: and a New York huad and go cut grass. 474 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:56,840 Speaker 2: All right, So let's fast forward to twenty seventeen. In 475 00:25:57,359 --> 00:26:05,240 Speaker 2: twenty seventeen you had from Ethan and mister Brown and 476 00:26:05,320 --> 00:26:09,040 Speaker 2: this idea. You ended up with one hundred and fifty 477 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:14,159 Speaker 2: kids mowing lawns in seven different states. Yeah, how do 478 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:16,160 Speaker 2: you do that? There's only one of you. You can't 479 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:17,840 Speaker 2: be all over the place with one hundred and fifty 480 00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:19,240 Speaker 2: kids cutting grass. Yeah. 481 00:26:19,280 --> 00:26:23,800 Speaker 1: So so sixteen it started, and then eventually around May 482 00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:27,040 Speaker 1: twenty sixteen, we went viral on the internet for what 483 00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:28,360 Speaker 1: we were doing in Huntsville. 484 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:30,120 Speaker 2: People. The story is getting around. 485 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:35,359 Speaker 1: Yeah, the story went hirah. Remember so one particular post, 486 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:40,600 Speaker 1: we was at a lawn mowing like six hundred likes 487 00:26:40,760 --> 00:26:44,240 Speaker 1: for some reason that they mowing had six hundred likes. 488 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:49,600 Speaker 1: What's doing? Something is happening, Something is happening. And then 489 00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:52,280 Speaker 1: by the next Loran it was like at a thousand 490 00:26:52,359 --> 00:26:53,159 Speaker 1: something likes. 491 00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:54,560 Speaker 2: Wow, by the. 492 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:57,919 Speaker 1: End of the night was at two one hundred and 493 00:26:58,000 --> 00:26:59,120 Speaker 1: fifty thousand likes. 494 00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:00,800 Speaker 2: Two hundred and fifty thousand. 495 00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:03,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, and by the end of the night the next 496 00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:05,120 Speaker 1: day it was at almost a million likes. 497 00:27:06,560 --> 00:27:08,120 Speaker 2: Because you're cutting some grass. 498 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:10,080 Speaker 1: Cutting some grass, and because each loan we do, we 499 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:12,600 Speaker 1: cut the grass and shure the story like sure, we 500 00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:15,000 Speaker 1: take a picture of the horme owner. Yeah, and then 501 00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:20,040 Speaker 1: we moved mister example, mister Brown's lawn, you know. And 502 00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:22,080 Speaker 1: then every time we do a loan we post it 503 00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:25,600 Speaker 1: and then yeah, so that this one particular post went 504 00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:28,480 Speaker 1: viral and today it has like four million likes, and 505 00:27:28,720 --> 00:27:32,600 Speaker 1: every every year, about three or four times each each year, 506 00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:35,320 Speaker 1: it will go viral again and people will see that 507 00:27:36,080 --> 00:27:38,760 Speaker 1: and then we'll donate. So it comes comes in handy 508 00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:41,320 Speaker 1: when it comes to organization. But and then eventually a 509 00:27:41,359 --> 00:27:43,920 Speaker 1: lady by the name of Shannon, she lived in Richita, Kansas. 510 00:27:44,119 --> 00:27:45,760 Speaker 1: And a lady by the name of Lorii, she lived 511 00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:46,600 Speaker 1: in Marion, Ohio. 512 00:27:46,800 --> 00:27:51,800 Speaker 2: Shanna, stop stop Kansas and Ohio, Bro, you're in Huntsville. 513 00:27:51,920 --> 00:27:53,320 Speaker 2: Are you still taking classes? 514 00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:54,720 Speaker 1: Yeah? 515 00:27:54,840 --> 00:27:59,200 Speaker 2: Okay, so Ohio and Kansas call you up and say yeah. 516 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:01,720 Speaker 1: So Shannon had us son by the name Andre. Laurie 517 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:04,080 Speaker 1: had a son, a grandson by the name of Quentin, 518 00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:07,159 Speaker 1: and they saw what we were doing Huntsville because they 519 00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:09,760 Speaker 1: went viral and they wanted to get their kids involved. 520 00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:12,920 Speaker 1: So they gave me the idea right on the spot. 521 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:16,240 Speaker 1: Say look, if your son and grandson can move fifty 522 00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:19,000 Speaker 1: lawns I'll come out there and get them a brand 523 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:19,400 Speaker 1: new more. 524 00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:22,119 Speaker 2: Who are you gonna get the money for the mower? 525 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:26,800 Speaker 1: I don't know, but if they do it, yeah yeah. 526 00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:28,959 Speaker 1: So something just told me give them a challenge him 527 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:30,920 Speaker 1: and we sent them the T shirts. 528 00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:33,160 Speaker 2: Because so you really did you just threw down the gauntlets. 529 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:36,280 Speaker 2: I'll tell you what if you're for real, yeah, because 530 00:28:36,320 --> 00:28:39,120 Speaker 2: you do fifty, I'll I'll come meet you in person. 531 00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:41,880 Speaker 2: I'll drive my car in person and give you a 532 00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:42,720 Speaker 2: long one. Yeah. 533 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:46,480 Speaker 1: And because when we first started the organization in Huntsville, 534 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:49,480 Speaker 1: every ten loans kids will get a different colored T shirt. 535 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:52,120 Speaker 1: So they start with a white T shirt. It's like 536 00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:54,400 Speaker 1: charter Boat. Once they moved ten wants to get an 537 00:28:54,400 --> 00:28:58,240 Speaker 1: orange shirt, twenty a green, dirty of blue, and forty 538 00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:00,040 Speaker 1: of red, and fifty yearns a black T shirt and 539 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:02,560 Speaker 1: then you know they literally like karate bell exactly. And 540 00:29:02,600 --> 00:29:05,400 Speaker 1: they've finished the program for their kids in Huntsville. But 541 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:10,760 Speaker 1: when there's two people from Ohio and uh in Kansas, 542 00:29:10,840 --> 00:29:12,760 Speaker 1: they said they want to get their kids involved. I said, look, 543 00:29:13,320 --> 00:29:14,720 Speaker 1: you guys do that, I'll come out and give you 544 00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:16,760 Speaker 1: a brand new lawnmower. And that gave birth to something 545 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:19,920 Speaker 1: we call the fifty yard Challenge, and today we have 546 00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:23,360 Speaker 1: a four thousand plus kids nationwide taking part in this 547 00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:25,640 Speaker 1: fifty yard challenge, and we have at least one kid. 548 00:29:25,640 --> 00:29:28,320 Speaker 2: And you say a thousand kids have done fifty yards. 549 00:29:28,040 --> 00:29:31,000 Speaker 1: That's twenty some thousand loans. But that's how many kids 550 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:32,880 Speaker 1: on the program right now taking part in the fifty 551 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:38,080 Speaker 1: yard challenge. So if all four thousand completed, that's twenty 552 00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:39,959 Speaker 1: something thousand loans moved for free. 553 00:29:41,320 --> 00:29:42,280 Speaker 2: That's unbelievable. 554 00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:42,600 Speaker 1: I know. 555 00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:49,560 Speaker 2: Okay, So how do the kids find the lawns to 556 00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:51,320 Speaker 2: go cut? How does that work? 557 00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:53,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, so we leave it up to the kids to 558 00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:57,240 Speaker 1: find the people that move on and we found that 559 00:29:57,240 --> 00:29:59,160 Speaker 1: that gets them to get out in their community and 560 00:29:59,160 --> 00:30:01,480 Speaker 1: meet people they probably normally wouldn't have met, and built 561 00:30:01,640 --> 00:30:03,760 Speaker 1: friendships and relationships with different people. 562 00:30:04,720 --> 00:30:08,560 Speaker 2: So you don't you don't use your social media account 563 00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:13,360 Speaker 2: to direct the kids to lawns to people that need 564 00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:16,920 Speaker 2: their lawns, Scott. You make them do their own outreach. 565 00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:20,080 Speaker 1: Do the own outreach, and do kids make signs that 566 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:22,560 Speaker 1: go on doors. I'm going to fifty yard challenge. I'm 567 00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:24,479 Speaker 1: more in free lawns. Can I more your laws for free? 568 00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:27,200 Speaker 1: And the meeting people you know they normally wouldn't have met, 569 00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:30,680 Speaker 1: and they're starting friendships relationships. But there are times when 570 00:30:30,880 --> 00:30:33,640 Speaker 1: you know, people come to us saying, oh, I live 571 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:38,640 Speaker 1: in Texas, I live in Arizona. Oh, my parents lives here. 572 00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:41,080 Speaker 1: And the struggle with the lawn do you have a 573 00:30:41,120 --> 00:30:45,200 Speaker 1: kid in in the area that can help more? That happens, 574 00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:48,120 Speaker 1: and if we're able to connect a kid and a 575 00:30:48,320 --> 00:30:51,400 Speaker 1: person that way, we do. But otherwisean that we leave 576 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:52,760 Speaker 1: it out to the kids to get out there and 577 00:30:53,120 --> 00:30:53,400 Speaker 1: take it. 578 00:30:53,440 --> 00:30:55,400 Speaker 2: So I just dawned on me. These kids are often 579 00:30:55,440 --> 00:30:58,040 Speaker 2: thirteen or fourteen years old, you want to cut free lawns. 580 00:30:58,560 --> 00:31:01,240 Speaker 2: Do their parents end up sometimes driving across town? 581 00:31:01,440 --> 00:31:04,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, so that it becomes a parent too exactly. And 582 00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:08,160 Speaker 1: we recently last two or three years. So when the 583 00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:10,240 Speaker 1: kids finished and they get the black T shirts, the 584 00:31:10,320 --> 00:31:12,640 Speaker 1: parents get their T shirts as well, because. 585 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:14,720 Speaker 2: They invested in their kids. 586 00:31:14,760 --> 00:31:17,120 Speaker 1: They invested, they invested their in kids to do that. 587 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:19,520 Speaker 1: And if it wasn't for the parent, a lot of 588 00:31:19,520 --> 00:31:21,960 Speaker 1: these kids probably wouldn't have got to those lawns. So 589 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:25,400 Speaker 1: it's it's a team effort. And there's grandparents that even 590 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:29,000 Speaker 1: take their kids around, and we're finding that listening getting 591 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:31,000 Speaker 1: the feedback from the grandparents and the parents saying that 592 00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:34,160 Speaker 1: when they're taking their kids to these lawns, they're bonding, 593 00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:36,719 Speaker 1: they're spending that quality time together because otherwise they might 594 00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:39,200 Speaker 1: have been inside just playing video games. But now they're 595 00:31:39,240 --> 00:31:41,960 Speaker 1: taking the kid around, they're meeting people in their community, 596 00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:43,880 Speaker 1: they're bonding strong. 597 00:31:44,120 --> 00:31:49,640 Speaker 2: Well. Plus it I don't know. I worked hard with 598 00:31:49,680 --> 00:31:53,120 Speaker 2: my four children, but I can't tell you how many 599 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:56,240 Speaker 2: times I meet kids that I think are just damn 600 00:31:56,280 --> 00:32:00,400 Speaker 2: near anti social. Yeah. I mean, they're seventy eight, that 601 00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:03,560 Speaker 2: their interaction is behind a computer screen or or a 602 00:32:03,560 --> 00:32:06,000 Speaker 2: stupid iPhone and they don't even know how to go 603 00:32:06,040 --> 00:32:08,080 Speaker 2: out look somebody in the eye and shake their hand. 604 00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:11,880 Speaker 2: And maybe I'm old school. No, I know I'm old school, 605 00:32:12,280 --> 00:32:14,280 Speaker 2: but I still think you need to be able to 606 00:32:14,320 --> 00:32:18,240 Speaker 2: interact personally with people. And so this also is giving 607 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:20,640 Speaker 2: those kids a chance to go learn how to speak 608 00:32:20,680 --> 00:32:24,280 Speaker 2: to people, approach a stranger, speak to people, and look 609 00:32:24,320 --> 00:32:27,800 Speaker 2: them in the eye, and act like they got some 610 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:31,120 Speaker 2: sense rather than just a robot sitting behind a computer screen. 611 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:34,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's stuff like that, and it's beneficial for these 612 00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:35,400 Speaker 1: kids to get out there. 613 00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:39,160 Speaker 2: And so I mean, we're benefiting people that need grass 614 00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:41,360 Speaker 2: cut benefits so women learning. 615 00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:43,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, so it's win for the people that were helping 616 00:32:43,760 --> 00:32:46,280 Speaker 1: and also for the kids and the parents and the 617 00:32:46,320 --> 00:32:50,280 Speaker 1: parents and the grandparents. So it's a it's a win win, 618 00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:53,600 Speaker 1: and the idea is to keep ruining it and eventually 619 00:32:54,080 --> 00:32:56,640 Speaker 1: put like the Big Brothers, a big citizens organization where 620 00:32:56,640 --> 00:33:00,360 Speaker 1: we can have chapters in each state and then get 621 00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:02,480 Speaker 1: more kids and all. 622 00:33:02,400 --> 00:33:08,840 Speaker 2: This from the simple effort of cutting grass. It's just 623 00:33:08,920 --> 00:33:12,920 Speaker 2: such a reminder that you don't have to be a 624 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:19,280 Speaker 2: concert pianist or a no ballet or whatever. Pick some 625 00:33:19,480 --> 00:33:23,040 Speaker 2: discipline and go into the inner city and teach kids 626 00:33:23,080 --> 00:33:26,600 Speaker 2: all this stuff. You don't have to have that those 627 00:33:26,720 --> 00:33:30,480 Speaker 2: disciplines to be able to make a massive different You 628 00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:35,120 Speaker 2: can make a massive difference with something as simple it's 629 00:33:35,360 --> 00:33:36,440 Speaker 2: cutting grass. 630 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:39,360 Speaker 1: And people come to me all the time and saying, well, 631 00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:42,720 Speaker 1: I had the same idea, asking what happened. I don't 632 00:33:42,720 --> 00:33:45,800 Speaker 1: know it. And that's the thing. People people think you 633 00:33:45,840 --> 00:33:48,440 Speaker 1: need a bunch of stuff to get started. You don't. 634 00:33:48,480 --> 00:33:51,080 Speaker 1: You just need to start, like I figured out along 635 00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:51,800 Speaker 1: the way, like. 636 00:33:52,440 --> 00:33:54,200 Speaker 2: You never won't get there if you don't take the. 637 00:33:54,360 --> 00:33:57,000 Speaker 1: Exactly you have to take the first step. Don't worry 638 00:33:57,040 --> 00:33:59,600 Speaker 1: about how you're going to get just take the first step. 639 00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:01,720 Speaker 1: Just take it, and then everything will. 640 00:34:01,600 --> 00:34:03,760 Speaker 2: For him too and for you. The first step was 641 00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:15,680 Speaker 2: walking up speaking to mister Brown. Yeah, phenomenal. That concludes 642 00:34:15,719 --> 00:34:19,480 Speaker 2: Part one of our conversation with Rodney Smith Jr. And 643 00:34:19,520 --> 00:34:22,120 Speaker 2: I hope you'll listen to Part two that's now available 644 00:34:22,719 --> 00:34:27,640 Speaker 2: as this dude is as inspiring and genuine as it gets. 645 00:34:28,320 --> 00:34:31,239 Speaker 2: But if you don't, make sure you join the Army 646 00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:33,800 Speaker 2: of Normal Folks at normal Folks dot us and sign 647 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:37,160 Speaker 2: up to become a member of our movement. By signing up, 648 00:34:37,200 --> 00:34:40,480 Speaker 2: you'll receive a weekly email with short episode summaries in 649 00:34:40,520 --> 00:34:43,480 Speaker 2: case you happen to miss an episode or if you 650 00:34:43,560 --> 00:34:47,759 Speaker 2: prefer reading about our incredible guests. Together, y'all, we can 651 00:34:47,920 --> 00:34:51,640 Speaker 2: change this country, and it starts with you. I'll see 652 00:34:51,719 --> 00:34:52,759 Speaker 2: in part two.