Army of Normal Folks

For Shop Talk, we dive into Dr. Martin Luther King’s incredible speech that’s become known as “The Street Sweeper Speech”. Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After losing his job, Brian felt called to contribute to society in some way while looking for a new gig. He found mowing his own lawn to be therapeutic, so he figured why not offer to do it for folks in need. His accidental nonprofit I Want To Mow Your Lawn has grown into its own army of 1,404 normal folks who’ve mowed the lawns of over 2,000 people! Support the show: https://www.normalfolk...

After losing his job, Brian felt called to contribute to society in some way while looking for a new gig. He found mowing his own lawn to be therapeutic, so he figured why not offer to do it for folks in need. His accidental nonprofit I Want To Mow Your Lawn has grown into its own army of 1,404 normal folks who’ve mowed the lawns of over 2,000 people! Support the show: https://www.normalfolk...

For Shop Talk, Clay Routledge challenges our culture's perspective on what counts as serving others. Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vox writer Rachel Cohen had disregarded individual action as an unhelpful distraction to the more important systemic change that was needed to solve our problems. And then she had a change of heart & mind. She wrote an extraordinary article about her transformation that’s titled "Why I Changed My Mind About Volunteering" and we dive deep into it with her. Support the show: https://www.no...

Vox writer Rachel Cohen had disregarded individual action as an unhelpful distraction to the more important systemic change that was needed to solve our problems. And then she had a change of heart & mind. She wrote an extraordinary article about her transformation that’s titled "Why I Changed My Mind About Volunteering" and we dive deep into it with her. Support the show: https://www.no...

For "Shop Talk", Coach Bill reflects on a listener's question with some inspiration from Rudyard Kipling's powerful poem "If".  Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charmaine is the founder of My Possibilities, which serves who they call HIPsters (hugely important people), otherwise known as adults with disabilities, with a real college experience that they wouldn’t otherwise get. They started with 10 students and now have 675 students! Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charmaine is the founder of My Possibilities, which serves who they call HIPsters (hugely important people), otherwise known as adults with disabilities, with a real college experience that they wouldn’t otherwise get. They started with 10 students and now have 675 students! Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For Shop Talk, Real Heroes author Larry Reed tells us the epic story of Warsaw's underground radio station during the Soviet occupation of Poland.  Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suzy is the founder of All 4's Rescue League, which has distributed 1,680 doghouses to outside dogs without them in Memphis, have gotten 1,500 dogs spayed and neutered, and 2,460 dogs unchained. And she dives into the local and national crisis of homeless animals that endangers all of us. Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suzy is the founder of All 4's Rescue League, which has distributed 1,680 doghouses to outside dogs without them in Memphis, have gotten 1,500 dogs spayed and neutered, and 2,460 dogs unchained. And she dives into the local and national crisis of homeless animals that endangers all of us. Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Father Jerzy Popieluszko was the chaplain for Poland's resistance movement called Solidarity. And the Soviet communists couldn't bear his powerful voice for faith and freedom. Larry Reed celebrates this courageous martyr for An Army of Normal Dead Folks. Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For Shop Talk, we bring you former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy's powerful letter upon his post, "My Parting Prescription for America". Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Khali started Downtown Boxing Gym to use boxing as the hook to teach vulnerable Detroit kids about life. Ironically, none of the kids are now using their boxing ring, but their STEAM Lab and other awesome stuff have helped 1,500 kids graduate high school and 98% go on to post-secondary education!  Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

Khali started Downtown Boxing Gym to use boxing as the hook to teach vulnerable Detroit kids about life. Ironically, none of the kids are now using their boxing ring, but their STEAM Lab and other awesome stuff have helped 1,500 kids graduate high school and 98% go on to post-secondary education!  Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

For An Army of Normal Dead Folks, Larry Reed brings us the story of the pilot who dropped sweets & hope to the children of Berlin. Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For "Shop Talk", Coach Bill shares the story of the motel where Rev. Martin Luther King Jr was shot and killed. And Jackie Smith's 34 year protest of it being converted into the National Civil Rights Museum.  Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While 94.6% of kidney donors give them to someone they know, Sam Fledderjohann felt called to give a kidney to anyone who needed it. Her being what is called an “altruistic donor” enabled a whole chain of kidney donations to be unlocked, resulting in 20 transplant surgeries over 2 days that saved the lives of 10 recipients!   Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join...

While 94.6% of kidney donors give them to someone they know, Sam Fledderjohann felt called to give a kidney to anyone who needed it. Her being what is called an “altruistic donor” enabled a whole chain of kidney donations to be unlocked, resulting in 20 transplant surgeries over 2 days that saved the lives of 10 recipients! Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See omnystu...

For Shop Talk, Coach Bill and Alex dive into one of their favorite speeches, President Teddy Roosevelt's "The Man In The Arena", and what the Army can learn from it. Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the state of Tennessee, payday lenders can charge interest rates upwards of 459%. Travis Moody and his nonprofit Forward Memphis are on a mission to outcompete them, charging only 10%. In only 20 months, they’ve helped 600 families save a total of $800k! Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the state of Tennessee, payday lenders can charge interest rates upwards of 459%. Travis Moody and his nonprofit Forward Memphis are on a mission to outcompete them, charging only 10%. In only 20 months, they’ve helped 600 families save a total of $800k! Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For "Shop Talk", we share Army member John Norman's powerful note about donating blood. And a lot more of us need to be doing it.  Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After having been abandoned as a baby, Monica Kelsey has gone on to help save the lives of 227 babies! Her nonprofit Safe Haven Baby Boxes offers a compassionate and secure option for mothers in crisis who are unable to care for their newborns. Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.