An Army of Normal Folks - Michael Lignos: The Ultimate Army Member (Pt 2)

Episode Date: October 8, 2024

Michael has been inspired to volunteer with, donate to, and reach out to 9 different Army members featured on the podcast! Frankly, this normal dude inspires us and we cannot wait for you to meet him.Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/premiumSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey guys, it's Bill Courtney with an Army of Normal folks and we continue now with part two of our conversation with Michael Lignas right after these brief messages from our generous sponsors. Jits, this is a July. Jits, I hope you had a great weekend. I'm working to spread an army of normal folks to as many people as possible. Something I want to talk to you about in just a minute. And I just signed up for the premium membership. Thank you, Michael. Also daydating to Yuri's and future superhero and friends and Atlanta Redemption, Inc.

And I'm going to check out Isaiah 117 House in Georgia. And you take an elderly lady shopping every two weeks. That's what she does. She does that. Yes. All right. So first, let's unpack this. You heard about Yuri.

That dude's crazy. So you've donated to Yuri's superhero thing, which is Yuri sat here with some of his helmet and stuff on his table. That guy is awesome. He is. I watched a bunch of his YouTube videos. Did you?

Yes. Yeah, good. he does good work and then You've also donated to redemption Inc Redemption II if anybody hasn't heard that story. I Really encourage you to go back and listen to it because it is Gosh if that doesn't grab at your heart, nothing will. It's dark. I mean, it's super dark. It's basically formally trafficked women more times than not by their handlers, their pimp

or their captor will tattoo their women and make them their property. And when women are able to break free of that life, oftentimes at their own peril, they have to kind of escape and they try to start down the path of rebuilding their lives. When they look in the mirror and they see that tattoo, they're looking at a reminder every single day of their former life and the misery and the trauma of their captivity and their trafficking. And the question is, how in the world do you ever really move on when you hate the thought of looking at yourself?

And so a formerly trafficked woman started Redemption Inc. and she helps at no charge to these formerly trafficked women to get those tattoos removed. And that's in your hometown. Exactly. Yeah. Have you met her? I haven't. I haven't. But you should. Okay. She is phenomenal. She is really an amazing young woman. And ironically enough, we have found another... there's a story that didn't even out yet that we did the interview earlier and it will be released in the next two three weeks spoiler alert the name of it is eight days of hope

what's that yeah eight days of hope does a lot of what Big Al does, but they show up for eight days with 4,000 volunteers and they rebuild houses and then they've gone to other stuff and one of them is building houses now for women who have been rescued from sex trafficking and all that. And they deal with the ink problem. And so we're gonna try to hook up eight days of hope with Redemption Ink to come together and then also let Big Al know about eight days of hope

so that Big Al can maybe team up and feed eight days of hope while they're doing the work. How cool is that? Yeah, that's great. Yeah, well, you need to meet Redemption Inc. Okay. Big Al and the rest of them. And then tell us about Isaiah 117 house,

which is in your backyard. Yes, so, and this is super ironic since we're staying with two couple that went to Millsapsps with me. So they were asking me yesterday, so what's up with the pod? You mean staying here in Memphis? Staying here in Memphis with, yeah. When you're visiting?

When, yep. And they're like... Well, you're going to get to it later I guess, but they're saving us money by staying with friends. We're going to that next. Just huddle. Alex, go back to your corner and do some production. I'll handle the interview. Sherry, make him sit down. So, yeah, just listening to the podcast, the foster system is really, I think the Genesis, as you've seen, of a lot of the issues we have. I mean, really, if we can solve that, we can solve a lot. And so I was just

really taking- Can I say something real quick? Yeah. I don't want to hammer the people in the foster system. They are doing the very best they can with a horrific set of circumstances. But the fact is, if you look at the demographics, like 78% of the people incarcerated a day were at one time in the foster system. 60% of the women trafficked today were at one time in the foster system. That is not the foster system's fault. That is the family fault that this child got left out of. And the foster system was the only catch base in form.

And the people working in that system by and large are trying very hard with very little to do the best they can do. But the problem is when kids are adopted and brought into loving families and they have to go into this foster care catch basin, it has proven over and over again woefully inadequate in preparing a child for life. So especially when they, you know, age out Yep. Especially when they age out. And when they age out and have no one to fall back on. Yep, nothing to fall back on. So Isaiah 117.

Yeah, so just the scope of what she's done, like the cheer teacher in Tennessee and all she's done. And then I was looking up and there's one in North Georgia that we want to go up and visit. But then last night we're at our friend's house and they're asking me, Hey, what's up with this podcast? What's up with this? Yeah, what are you coming? Yeah. What are you doing? Exactly. So I'm giving them the story and then they go, Oh, you know what, we do work with this outfit called Isaiah 117. I'm like, oh my gosh, they're part of the podcast. So I guess your hosts will tune in. Yes, I think they will. At least to this one,

whoever you are out there. So in addition, Sherry, you take an elderly woman shopping every two weeks? I do. I found her on Nextdoor and she said, I just need some milk. And I reached out to her and said, why don't we just go shopping? And she said she was not getting her, you know, her food stamp money. And there was a glitch. And I said, we're just going to go shopping. Whenever you need something, we're just going to go to Publix. We're going to shop and then we're going to go to your house and we're going to put it all away.

And she really, she's from Cuba. So she really enjoys talking about politics. Oh boy. She can't wait to get in the car to talk about politics because a lot of people don't have her view and I understand her view and share her view. So she texts me and we, uh, we, you know, chat for a long time. We talk about the Bible and we, you know,

And you just found her on the neighborhood app next door. I did on next door. I did. And then I took myself off of next door because it was just too much for me to handle and so it's just she and I and then we you know we find different things to do so. Unbelievable. We have a great time together and I can't I always look forward to getting in the car and she's just this frail little lady and she jumps up in my Sequoia and is ready to

go and start talking, start her shopping. So we have a really good time. We're trying to lead her to, you know, more, she's Catholic and she'll want to lead her more to feeling like she has what she needs and all she has to do is say, I have what I need and she'll have it. And so I keep telling her she gets what she needs through praying. She just doesn't realize it. She said, oh yeah, you're one of those people.

And I said, yeah. So she's had a roof put on her house by the neighborhood. She's had a hot water heater replaced by the neighborhood. So she's been well cared for and she just doesn't realize it. So. You know, do you think all of this would have happened had they not fired you from a business you built? Probably not. I mean, I would have gotten the guideposts anyway, right? But I would

have still, if I was still working, like I would have just, I would have read the story and go, wow, that's really, really cool. Let me think about doing that later. But the fact that I, you know, had this time on my hands, I really had the opportunity to take advantage of it. So let's recap, shall we? You've run with Back on My Feet. You've inquired about Sleeping Heavenly Feasts. You're involved with Care Portal. You've joined the minions of Big Al for If Anything Happens happens in your area you've donated to Yuri and the superhero you have donated to Redemption Eek in Atlanta you found out about the Isaiah 117 house and they're gonna get involved in that and

you take a elderly Cuban shopping every two weeks or so to support her. I guess the last one I can't say is connected, but I think the overarching effort to serve is probably part of it. And all of those things were connected to you by listening to an Army of Normal Folks. Absolutely. So now it's time for you to go in your soapbox to our listeners right now. You don't have to have a quarter down and change your profession to get involved.

But it's an open mic. I want you to talk to the people listening to us right now who many people are regular listeners and some maybe first time listeners. And I want you to explain from your point of view what we're trying to accomplish, why, who gets what out of it and why we need it so bad. Go. All right. Yeah. So, you know, you can get so beat down and frustrated by what's going on in this world, right? I mean, I've gotten... You mean like normal people do. Like normal people do. And I have... One of the things I did was I'm off a lot of social media because

it's not good for me. It brings me down. Tapping into an army of normal folks and seeing the amazing work that regular people are doing that are having profound change. This isn't just, in some cases it's smaller, but some of these things are huge. Profound. They didn't start that way. They didn't start that way, right. Just amazing change. There's so much positivity. It's changed my life a lot.

One of the things I talk about listening to the podcast when I go to work, one thing I try to incorporate in my daily life was from Jim Valvano's speech at the ESPYS right before he passed away and he was introduced in the V Foundation and he said, if you can do three things every day, it's a good day. Laugh, think, and cry. I can be listening to one of the Army and No More Folks podcasts and I can do all three of those things on my way to work. And then I'm like, okay, I've had a great day. In fact, sometimes when I get to the office, I have to like hang out in the parking deck for a couple of minutes because I got to compose myself before I go into the

office just because it moves me so much. But it just, like I said, it's just really changed our attitude about everything because you feel like there's no hope. Like we're never going to fix any of these problems. And there's like people out there coming up with amazing ideas to fix these problems. And it is doable. We just need more people to get in line and help out. And you just got to start with something. It doesn't have to be big. It's like, find one of these organizations and donate. And follow them on social media and things like that. Or in my case, I just went out and did a run.

And that 30-minute run I did with those people was like, oh my gosh, I want to do this forever as long as I can because it's just, I get so much, like most of your, the people say, you know, they get so much more out of it than they put in, you know, put into it. So 45 minutes of running, what I get out of that is like 10 times more than just, hey, I put some more miles on my feet for the week. So my message is, listen, get involved. You don't have to do some great thing. You know, start up a 503, whatever, from the beginning.

Like, just do something and really align with what all these people are doing. And we can make things change here. And it's, I the only way it's gonna change given you know all the other forces that are out there right now. Do you want to just go ahead and host this podcast because it sounds like everything I've been saying for a year and a half now. No you do a great job. Do any of these nine things you do ever feel like work? No not at all I mean they're just part of my you know they're just part of our Do any of these nine things you do ever feel like work? No, not at all. I mean, they're just part of my, you know, they're just part of our lives now.

I mean, it's just like, you know, doing another chore or errand, but it's not even that. I mean, it's just part of what we do. We'll be right back. A gentleman I interviewed not long ago who actually runs the Sleeping Heavenly Peace chapter said that when it starts to feel like work, it's no longer philanthropy. And he said, it's something you, you don't want to have to do. It's something you get to do. I thought that was a profound statement. And that's why I asked if any of it feels like work. But the

truth is you're involved, you're involved in some way and giving or being involved or trying to find out nine different things. Do you feel like, hey, this is something I get to do or something I need to do? I think it's something I get to do. I mean, it's just a great opportunity. I'm a very social person. One of the reasons why I took the job that I took was because they had an office

and I was going to be in the office every day because I just like being around people. And so the more opportunities I can have to go out and meet people and get new perspectives and really understand, especially with the members that back on my feet, the struggles that people have and the effort it takes to really get out because just like with the foster systems, there's just not a lot of transition programs for people that are in prison or that are homeless or that are in the foster. That's the key is to give them a way to get out.

If we provide that, then people will do it. When I started work at Manassas High School, I went to North Memphis with a, at that point I was 31. So I went to Manassas with 31 years of experience. Not an overabundance experience, but whatever level a 31-year-old has of experience, that's what I went with. Well, experience is important because it provides wisdom and perspective, but experience can also be a little bit of a detriment in that it also begins to form your preconceived notions about a particular area, the people in it, why they're there, how they're there, and if you listen to the narratives, the public

narratives long enough from whatever particular category you separate yourselves into in this world, and you combine that with the experiences you have when you show up at the doorstep of a place you really don't understand. Those preconceived notions can be the very barrier that prohibits you from having any success in the first place. And now I did not know that back then. I do now. And those notions that I once held to be absolute and true, I now know the vast majority of them were patently incorrect and candidly kept me from my own personal growth. Have in just this short period of time, your work at back on my feet and listening and getting involved in these other things, have they changed any of your preconceived notions?

Absolutely. I mean, I go back to something that Carly Rice said, you know, about when you say- Carly Rice. Good for you. I mean, my goodness. Yeah, good. Yeah, Carly Rice is awesome. about when you see somebody on the street, like I would say, a while back, my first inclination would be to turn, not look, whatever.

The way she explained that that person had a life, They probably didn't want to be in the situation they're in. So just make on contact and smile and just acknowledge that they're a human being and that kind of thing as opposed to totally ignoring it. And so one of the other things that we do as a family, we kind of got this idea from the church as we create these, we call them bags of love, where we put a lot of things like tissue paper and foods and stuff like that into a draw string bag and we keep them in our car. And when we stop at a place that has somebody asking for something, we give them the bag. And so sometimes we go by the same intersections and we see our bags sitting out there. They're using them for something else or something like that.

That's kind of funny. There happens to be one gentleman that has a dog with him every time. I think in the past I would have maybe just given them the same thing or whatever, but I told Cher there's this guy that has a dog out and she goes, oh, I'll get some dog treats. So I put him in the car and sure enough, last week, he was out there and I was like, hey dude, I got these just for you. I gave them to him and I pulled up and I could see him in my side view mirror and he walks over, leans down to the dog and is showing the dog the dog treats and the dog's wagging its tail and everything like that. And so, just understanding that kind of personal perspective, like literally that, listen to

that podcast and listen into what she had to say really changed my perspective on that. Do you feel like that personal growth matters? Oh, it does, for sure. Because again, it's kind of like, I was the same way. I was like, gosh, how could you make such bad decisions? And this is your fault and everything like that. And it's just, it's kind of gone away. I don't even think about that.

I'm just like, what can I do to help this person? And so it's really changed a lot. talk Okay, this is a little interesting one. Does it change the way you listen to political discourse? Well, I pretty much don't. She's the one that listens to political discourse. Well, I pretty much don't. She's the one that listens to political discourse. I really don't.

There's still political discourse in the world. You vote. Right. You understand what I'm saying? Does it even change the way your perspective about the way you view society is run? Or policy regarding society. Definitely with policy. Because I mean, again, getting to understand these programs that are out there that most of the people here are trying to circumvent because they don't work, just shows that we're

not doing it right. Like we're throwing all this money. That's what I was fishing for. Yeah, all this money. All this money at stuff that's not working. Again, I equate it back to my business because I see a lot of companies do the same thing where they are investing in places that they should not be investing because it's either not their core competency or it's inhibiting their growth and things like that. It's the same thing. It's like we're spending all this money on a foster care system that doesn't work and throwing more money on it's not going to make it better. There's got to be radical change.

talk about. You know what would be an interesting metric? How many people that are running change. And you know, it would be an interesting metric. How many people that are running and back on my feet and the homeless were also part of the foster care at one point. I would bet that no, I mean, I have no facts on it, but I guarantee it's over 50%. I would agree with that. So it's interesting. You know, over the course of the last year and a half of telling all these stories and meeting all these unbelievable people, it's interesting how they seem so dissimilar in their focus, but they're almost all interwoven by a common thread of poverty, a lack of education, a poor home life, and how so very connected all of this work really, really is. And as such, when your perspective and understanding of that evolves as a result of hearing all these stories and learning all these stories,

all the works being done, we always say that the government's proven woefully inadequate and there's an enormous amount of power and wealth generated by continuing to craft narratives that divide us and scare us, frankly. That the only way we're really going to fix this is truly an army of normal folks seeing areas in Eden, Fulton. You see this is from the Susan Ramirez interview. Oh, hold it. What'd you just look up? We got the stats from Susan Ramirez talks about this.

And we know through statistics that 50% of our homeless population is made up of former kids who came from foster care. This Alex on the, Alex used the Google machine. 60% of child sex trafficking victims, 75% of our prison population all spent time in foster care. And we know that girls, by the time they they're 19 will be on their second pregnancy and those kids will also then go back into the very care they came from. So as you hear that and we think about I guess what I'm saying is even if you don't have the heart for the homeless or the heart for the needy or the heart for the downtrodden or the heart for the needy or the heart for the downtrodden. Pragmatically, just pragmatically, think about our tax base, our society, and our culture. If we could just fix these few things,

how different our country would look in only 20 years. And when we find after telling these stories after 14 months that they really are so interwoven and they all are connected by this same commonality, what better answer is there when we know that government's proven woefully inadequate and candidly the government, it is not the government's core competency, just like what you said about poor businesses, it's not what they're supposed to be doing. And then we continue to give all this money and power and wealth to people who continue to craft narratives that scare us

and make us afraid of these quote people. The only answer in fact is, guys like you, finding things to do from guys like the people who've made these things and saying enough's enough I'm tired of the preconceived notions I'm tired of the narrative I'm just gonna take whatever passion and ability I have and incorporate in places of need and see if I can make a little change in my neighborhood but what if there was a million of you? What does this country look like in your estimation? Totally different.

I mean, just like go after the one, I think if you go after the foster care system and fix that, I mean, the ramifications down the line are massive. We just do that, there's gonna be a huge change in the country. And who's gonna do it? It's gonna have to be an army of normal folks.

Cause you're not gonna get through the red tape and everything of the government to look at these kind of changes. You just can't. We'll be right back. We'll be right back. So, what's next? We got some more episodes coming up. Yeah, I mean, I'll be listening in.

I'm in the middle of the one that just dropped this week, the couple from Alabama. Yeah, you know, they're from North Alabama and I'll just continue to do that. You know, I'm getting more and more and more involved with back on my feet. So that's obviously one I'm gonna stay in. Sounds like your portal. You really do. Yeah. And, and actually with St. Jude, I'm going to try to see if I can maybe get hooked up with Enrique. And I think we may try to go up there this afternoon just to check it out and I'm actually coming back in December

to run in the marathon, St. Jude Marathon. So hopefully I can get back up and see the facilities and that kind of thing when I come back up in December. You proud of your hubby? I am. He's grown a lot. He's grown a lot. He has, through your program. Because he really didn't have a lot of the awareness of all of this. I do home health for physical therapy. I've done that. So I'm kind of surrounded by all the different ways of moving through different families. It's not the same unless you experience, you know, different kind of ways that people have had to push themselves to new levels or where they've been placed and it's not by their doing.

And really he was working really hard to provide for his family and that was a big focus. And now he's about, you know, a little more balanced. So I have that, you know, to thank for our new mobile books to take care of his, you know, his mental health too. I wish I could get 10 million people to hear you. We got a bunch, but we don't have 10 million. I just can't imagine people across our country not hearing this story and hearing you and

understanding how you very organically have just found ways to plug in. And it's not work. It's something you get to do. And literally, if there were a million of you things would change everywhere and we are working hard to that end to find 999 thousand more of you. Yep I'm doing everything I can to get it out there. I believe you are to that end if someone wants to reach out to you How they find you? Yeah M Ligness at hotmail.com

Hold it M L I G N hotmail.com. These Greek words are very difficult. M Ligness at hotmail.com at hotmail.com. And I am sure you would be happy to tell anybody about any opportunity. Yes. Yup. Um, before we end so far, tell me your favorite interaction you've had as a result of getting involved through the things you found out from an Army of Normal Folks.

Back on my feet, one of the ways that we get our members into races is we volunteer for the Atlantic. When you say members, the homeless guys. The homeless people, yes. So volunteers are members. I'm sorry, so one of the ways you, what? I wanted to make sure I knew who you were talking about. Right, so the members, the homeless people

that are associated with Back on My Feet. One of the ways we get them into races is by working with the Atlanta Track Club, which is a huge running organization. Been around for 45 years in Atlanta. We volunteer at races to line the race course and we ring bells and encourage the runners and stuff like that. For doing that in races, the Atlanta Track Club gives us bibs so that when the next race comes in that we want to race in, they'll give us like 25 bibs and we can give those out to

the members to go run in the race. Some of them are like phenomenal. Some of these runners are like phenomenal and some of these members. One of the things we do- Really? Homeless people that are like really good runners. Oh my gosh. Yeah.

Some of them are unbelievable. Don't you wonder when you have that talent and ability, how did you end up here? You know, what trauma must have you endured when you're a talented person and you end up there? I mean, it's heartbreaking really. It is, and I can't remember the guest you had on maybe two or three weeks ago that was talking about some of the advice he got from his uncles, which was like really bad advice

about getting multiple girls pregnant. And so, I mean, if that's the advice he got from his uncles, which was like really bad advice about getting multiple girls pregnant. And so, I mean, if that's the advice you're getting and that's the environment you're in, you know, you just get caught up in it and, you know, it's really hard to break out of it. So again, that's why I try to quit doing that, which is what I would do before. Like why don't you do this? That's one of those preconceived version conscripts. You just, that doesn't even matter anymore. Yeah, it doesn't. It doesn't. Why don't you do this? That's one of those preconceived notion, conscripts.

That doesn't even matter anymore. Yeah, it doesn't. It doesn't. Let's just work from how forward. When we volunteer at the race, one of the things back on my feet is said, hey, for the last runner in the race, as they're progressing through the course, the volunteers will get behind that runner and encourage them to get- Jog along side of them. them to get to the finish line.

Most of the time they're walking. Yeah, but still. But still. And so, we're at this race, it's a 5K, and this person's so slow that by the time we get to the place where the finish line is, they're taking down the tents and stuff like that because this person's really slow. But here's a woman that is running in this race and she's coming across the finish line

and she's got 40 people behind her, like yelling her name, like giving her encouragement. Like the EMTs coming by and saying, hey, do we need to, do I need to take you out? Are you okay? And she's like, nope, I'm going to make it. I'm going to make it. I got all these people behind me.

Like, I'm going to make it. I'm going to make it. And'm going to make it. I got all these people behind me. I'm going to make it. I'm going to make it. And then she gets across the finish line. And in that race, they gave it a Northside women's race. They gave her a rose and they gave her a medal and she was beaming and all that kind of stuff. And it was just unbelievable to be able to do something like that and be a part of something like that. You have to wonder if she's ever in her life felt that kind of support and love. You have to wonder if she's ever felt that. And if she's ever finished anything.

What a life experience. Yeah. Yeah. I guarantee you if she hadn't had that support behind her and basically all these people saying, hey, you can't stop or turn back. Even at some point, like volunteers are interlocking arms with her and things like that, she wouldn't have finished. She'd have probably just walked off.

Oh, so you're saying that people without support oftentimes can't finish. So metaphorically, maybe that is exactly how some of these people end up in situations. One one person asked me a very simple question. Darren Babcock, Bonton Farms in Dallas. He said this. Could you be who you are or have done what you've done ever if you had never had access to credit? Something so simple like that. And I have thought about that a lot.

And the answer is no. Well, how can someone who doesn't have somebody behind them that comes out of foster care, ages out and has absolutely nobody to support them, to encourage them, to lock arms with them when they're struggling, to give them an opportunity for credit to be able to buy a car or get an apartment? Where else do we expect them to end up when they don't have that support behind them? And so many people in this life that are alone end up at homeless shelters and places like that because they have aged out of foster care or come from very dire circumstances.

And metaphorically, I think the story you just told is a beautiful illustration of exactly what we're talking about here. That is if you do join arms with the folks and you do support them and they do feel like they have an army of people pushing them on and encouraging them to finish and get across the finish line, they can reach things that maybe they even thought they never could do. And lives change. Yeah. Can I give you one more little nugget? Please. Can I give you one more little nugget? Oh, please. Yeah. So, I was, we were back on my feet, had a race and I went by this elevation already

and pick up a couple of, pick up the guys to take them to the race because it was a little bit farther away. I ended up with just this one gentleman and we raced. He did a great job. It was his first race and then we're driving home and he's like, hey, you know, I just got my first paycheck from this job and I'm not sure what to do about cashing it. And I was like, well, don't go to a check cash place or look or store. Right. Right. I was like, go to the, you can go to a Kroger or you know,

you can go to a grocery store and they'll cash it for you. They're not going to take a, you know, chunk out of it and everything like that. And he was like, okay, great. I'll, you know, I'll do that afterwards. And then I saw him at a, at a group run, you know, later and I was like, okay, great. I'll do that afterwards. And then I saw him at a group run later and I was like, hey, did you cash your check and everything? He goes, oh yeah, you guys now have a bank account and it's automatically being deposited in my bank account so I don't have to do the check anymore and all that kind of stuff. So just like that. He didn't even know where to cash a check. The financial illiteracy. But why would he have any financial literacy if he never had an example of it in his life? I can remember the derogatory comments about, well, yep, there they go. First one to the liquor store, they're cashing

their check at the liquor store and they're getting 10% taken out of it. And while that is so stupid, don't they know any better? And no, they don't know any better and shame on you for degrading them instead of taking the time to teach them and to serve them and to help them pass that small little itty bitty hurdle to understand just the basics of interest and cost and things like that. That happens all day every day in our country. And the government's not going to fix that. And the people on CNN are not going to fix that. But you and I, we can fix that. We can teach that. And I think it's another beautiful example of exactly what we're talking about.

My friend, Michael and Sherry, y'all are clearly a team. Back on my feet, sleep in heavenly peace, care portal, Big Al. Gosh, you got to hook up with Big Al. Trust me, it's worth the time. Yeah, I do agree with that, yeah. Yuri and the superhero, Redemption Inc., Isaiah 117 House and the Cuban lady who goes shopping every two weeks, all born from just kind of tuning in and listening to an army of normal folks and becoming a member.

And we had to share your story because of all the emails you've sent us. And we know there's more of you out there. And the whole idea behind this is to encourage everybody listening that Michael Lignis is just an average everyday guy who's got a family and a life and struggles just like all of us. But he's been inspired by the show to involve himself in a number of things that have been highlighted on the show. But most importantly, you're an inspiration to us because you are exactly who we're trying to reach and grow minions of because I do believe with everything I am, millions of you change this country, Michael.

Well, thank you. I appreciate it. It's been an awesome experience and I can't wait for the future. Well, one last thing. We always pay for our guests to fly in and put them up in the hotel lodging and you wouldn't even take that. You said, nope, I'm buying my own tickets and I'll find my own lodging. I don't want to take the money from the show. You use it to make other shows. Incredibly thoughtful and giving heart. And we thank you for that

as well, my friend. Sure. Thanks for being here. Absolutely. Sherry, thanks for being with us. And thank you for joining us this week. If Michael or other guests have inspired you in general, or better yet, to do like he has done and to take action, please let me know.

I really want to hear about it. You can write me anytime at bill at normal folks dot us. And I swear to you, I will respond. If you enjoyed this episode, I'm begging you share it with friends that on social, let folks know about us, subscribe to the podcast rate and review it. Join the army at normal folks dot us. Please consider becoming a premium member like Michael. All of these things that will help us grow

an army of normal folks. Thanks to our producer, Ironlight Labs, I'm Bill Courtney, I will see you next week. you