An Army of Normal Folks - Rodney Smith Jr: The 50 Yard Challenge (Pt 1)

Episode Date: August 1, 2023

When he saw an elderly man struggling to mow his lawn, Rodney felt called to pull over and finish it for him. This single act of generosity transformed Rodney's life forever, inspiring him to challenge kids to cut 50 lawns for free for the elderly, single parents, veterans, and those with disabilities. And his "50 Yard Challenge" has been accepted by 4,948 kids from 8 countries! Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/premiumSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm leaving school, senior college, and I came to courses, elderly man outside, moving his lawn, and it looked like he was struggling. Why do you look like he was struggling? He just huts. He had to picture for it. It was a hot, sunny day, and you could just tell that you need, look like he's taking breaks in between pushing in and stopping, pushing and stopping. You mean driving home and you see this?

Yeah, and I just pulled over and helped him. But it was at that moment, I realized that a few years before that I asked God to use me as his vessel. And he didn't give me answer at all. But it felt at that moment, and it came across to elderly man, he was like, I was preparing you for this moment right here. I pulled over and helped him out, and that once more, I'd just honestly changed my life forever. [♪ Music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing, music playing I'm a father, I'm an entrepreneur, and I've been a football

coach in inner city Memphis. And the last part, unintentionally led to an Oscar for the film about our team, it's called undefeated. I believe our country's problems will never be solved by a bunch of fancy people and nice suits talking big words that nobody understands on CNN and Fox, but rather by an army of normal folks us, just you and me deciding, hey, I can help. That's what Rodney Smith Jr., the voice we just heard has done. Rodney grew up with a learning disability in Jamaica, and a teacher once told him that

he really would never amount to much. But Rodney persevered. He found teachers who did believe in him. He made it to college in Huntsville, Alabama, and his one single act of love for an elderly man he didn't even know inspired him to commit more acts of love. And the next thing you know, he's got a nonprofit called Raising Men and Women Law Care Service that's inspired 4,000 kids to take what he calls the 50-yard challenge to mow lawns for people in need and get this part for free. That's 200,000 lawns. I can not wait for you to meet Rodney right after these brief messages from our generous sponsors.

Now let's return to Rodney on his first act of kindness at the very beginning of helping one elderly man. That night I went to Facebook and I told him about my experience that day of helping this elderly man and I want to start moving free loans for the elderly disabled single parents and veterans in Huntsville Obama. And I made that post and I told people, at first, I'd have a lawnmower. So the first 10 lawns I don't wanna do,

you know, at least have a lawnmower so I can just move along. Well, let's get back to the first time. Okay. Do driving out of the street and you see this old man pushing a lawnmower and he's taking a break between each steps. Yeah. And you've just felt for him.

I mean, do you know how many people we pass every day, struggling, cutting grass or doing some housework? And I mean, that's their house, that's their problem. Yeah. What made you pull over? Just the feeling that I had to pull over that feeling God telling me do something that was the beginning of my book. I believe you know everyone has it so you pull over Yeah, and you get out of the car. You walk up to this guy in his front yard. Yeah, walk up to him Well, he must have been thinking. Yeah yeah, this dude about come still my lawn more

Yeah, he's got to be looking at you like you're half crazy of course and and at first, you know you He's like no, it's okay. I got it done, but eventually you know he let me he said what he will get it done You know he get it done and But eventually you know after talking to him, you know, he let me finish the long form What would you say to him? I just saying sir, you know, after talking to him, you know, he let me finish the law and form. What would you say to him? I just saying, sir, you know, it's real hard all here. He's the elderly man, Mr. Brown, the elderly man. His name was Mr. Brown.

Mr. Brown. Yeah, about in his 70s or so, you know, it's seven years old and the hot summer. You know, that's, that's, that's rough. That's rough. And I said, please let me finish. I'm not gonna leave to let me finish. You know, I was persistent. And I just, please let me finish. I'm not gonna leave to let me finish. You know, I was persistent. And I just how long did it take you? Take me no time. 20 minutes, 30 minutes. Yeah, about 20 minutes. You got it on for. Yeah. And is that feeling you get,

you know, helping someone and that started everything. That's more, if I know what it came of course, that elderly man, I probably would have finished back and reviewed. Back on my computer stuff. Exactly. So you came across Mr. Brown and you had some compassion for him and you walked up and said, hey, let me finish your grass for you. Looks like you're struggling. Why didn't he have somebody cut it for him?

I'm not sure. Probably couldn't, I didn't ask him, but probably couldn't afford it. Was this a, it's what an overly nice house, I don't guess. Yeah, I mean, it was, you know, you could tell that you're struggling a little bit. Yes, and so you cut us grass. Yeah, that was it. And you go home.

Yeah. And you just said that once you got home, you felt moved by the experience. I said, I felt inspired and so I felt I needed to do something more. And I just made a post on Facebook. And so you made a post on Facebook. What did say?

Um, I'm Rodney. I'm going to cut your grass and just let me know. I mean, what, I mean, Rodney, did you just really, did you grow up loving the correct cut? No, and that's the funny thing. You know, growing up. I hated moving loans I hated you hated mowing lawns as a kid. Yeah So you pull over and volunteer to cut some other man's law exactly

There's a version of a dad every madden fight you my whole life to get you cut the grass you doing this man's law It's crazy. Oh, what life work God took something like this like and turn to something I love to do and I do it every single day for free No, huh, so Crazy, oh my life work. God took something like this like and turned to something I love to do. And I do it every single day for free now. So you made a post on Facebook. Yeah, and so just explaining my experience that day about moving for the elderly man and I'm gonna move free loans now finding one in need in the community.

And this how it's done. And what was the demographic of the people that you were willing to cut grass for? Yeah, so anyone outly, disabled, a single parent or a veteran? Or a veteran? Yes. Really? Yeah.

What? I get elderly who maybe can't afford it or can't do it physically. The disabled speaks for itself. And then you said, single single parents single parents. Yeah, and then but Veterans, I mean some are certainly disabled, but they fall under disabled All that but why specifically veterans? Because you know, I realized you know, but when coming up with the groups To mow for who can benefit from this and I just thought you know veterans have put their lives on the line for this country

And it's only right that we serve them and give back which have a way we can and I love to hear that but Bermuda's your country. You know states is not I'm standing. Yeah, but I realized you know I've come across veterans doing my time and just realized the importance of veterans. So that's that's one of the reasons why Pick them you know Ronnie something that strikes me as I'm talking to you buddy. Mm-hmm. There's compassion that oozes out of you Where does that compassion comes from and I have a? I You know, I could be off base, but I'm gonna say it I

Think if you grow up the way you grew up, struggling academically and ending up having to leave your family to work on your disability to overcome your own challenges, my sense is that experience helps you to understand the plight of others better than maybe somebody who hadn't experienced that much difficulty. And as I hear you just this early in our conversation, it's just not many 20 something year old people think about, I want to do something for the elderly, I want to do something for our veterans, the veterans of a country that I live in now that I love, even though it's not my own country.

I mean, where do you think this compassion comes from in your heart? I think just the way I was brought up. Really? Tell me about that. Parents always telling me, give back when you can. And I remember growing up and there were times where you used to feed the homeless. You know, my dad would take us to give out soup and stuff like that and crack us off the church. Where are mother and father wealthy or are they? No, not wealthy at all, but there's something that's just instilled in us growing up. I just remember, I think when are times you used to do that?

Give us soup and stuff like that and being brought up in a church, you know, you're obviously a man of faith. Yeah. Yeah. And but at that point in life, I know I wasn't strict about faith, but I just know if you pray about something, you know, God will show you will lead you the way he wants you to go. And someone just told me pray that night and just change my life. I can't explain it. It's one of those things

like just just happened. So you post on Facebook, hey, I just got this dude, Mr. Brown's yard. He almost shot me, but we worked it out and if you're disabled, single, elderly or veteran and you're struggling getting your yon done, I'll come cut it for you. You just put it out there. Now, I'm gonna tell you something. In this world, when you see something like that, you wonder if it's a scam You know because there's always somebody sending out something on email or Facebook or text or Instagram or whatever that says hey, you've won a free so-and-so and you always think what's the catch? Right and so some dude saying hey, I just cut this guy's yard

I want to cut free people's yards at first. I got to believe some of that was met with some level of skepticism from some people. Yeah, I mean, of course. But you had some takers. Yeah, I mean, who is the next one? Do you remember the very next one? I don't remember the very next one. It might have been this lady miss Hatch.

It could have been her because I still moho long today. But I can't remember the... You more long today. How many years later? Well, seven years later. Okay. So you had people reach out and say, I'm elderly, I'm disabled, my lawns and the I would love for you to come moan for free. Yeah. Did you have a lawnmower? No, at first I didn't have a lawnmower. So how you're gonna cut their grass? And the requirement was is they had a lawnmower then after a while I think after like the tenth lawn demand got high. So that's when I run to Craigslist and I was looking for a second-hand lawnmower. So you were gonna buy one? Yeah, I was gonna buy one. I don't want to go cut people's lawns for free. Yeah, and you realize this business is going in a negative direction on the profit law statement

Right, brother. Yeah, I wasn't was free. Yeah, I know I get it. I'm worried about the money. Yeah, I wasn't so so You go to Craigslist to you're gonna try to Scrouge up a cheap use lawn board exactly and that came across one for a hundred dollars I'm still looking for this guy to give it to me today. $100 for a senior in college that's from Bermuda, whose parents aren't particularly wealthy. They're not hurting with their wealthy. I'm $100, a lot of money.

Yeah, it's a lot of money. And but this is something I wanted to do. So I went to Craigslist and I came across one for $100. And I wrote the guy, I told him what I wanted to do. And he and I give him to me for free. He just gave you the long. He gave me the long mark. I shook his hand.

I said, you're for real? Shook his hand. I'm trying just, I go back on my emails and stuff, trying to find that old message from way back then, just to find him, just thank him, and to show him how far if it wasn't for him, you know, it could be in a different direction. And I can't even know who this guy is now. I can't find his name. I can't find him. If you are the guy, if you're listening to this show and you gave a goofy 20 something year old dude in Huntsville, lawnmower that he said he was going to cut lawns for free with.

Please get in touch with us because Rodney would like to thank you. Okay, there. That was a public service announcement for me. Maybe we'll hear from him. And now, a few messages from our generous sponsors, but first, we're now offering premium memberships for the Army of Normal Folks. For $10 a month, you receive special benefits, such as being invited to a private yearly call with other premium members and me, access to monthly Ask Me Anything episodes, and occasional bonus audio. If you're interested in this, I hope you go to NormalFox.us and click on Premium. But, guys, that's really not what it's about.

You get all that cool stuff and we're going to provide all that stuff. But the truth is, we're trying to grow the army of normal folks and have a greater impact on the country. And with the premium memberships, we can fuel our marketing efforts to grow it. This podcast, I speak to number 10 on Apple's podcast chart and all of the US, which is absolutely crazy. And it's not about me, it's about the guests and it's about you. about the guest and it's about you. So we've decided to set an exciting new goal of trying to be on Apple's top shows chart for our entire first year, which will mean more attention, more listeners, more army members, and most importantly, more impact. But we need you, as always, so go to normal folks.us and click on premium if you're down to help. If not, just keep listening.

We'll be right back. You're on about lawn tin at this time, right? Yeah, lawn tin and lawn mower was a green. The brand was called weed eater. You got green weed eater lawn mower? Yeah, lawn mower. Yeah, start using that and then that broke down. So I took it to a hard to gripe about a free lawn mower that's right down, I guess.

Took it to a... What about your warranty left on it, I guess? Not at all, not at all. So I took it to a mechanic trying to get it fixed and then we're taking forever to fix it. And then someone donated me a brand new mower. Push it. Really?

Where'd that come from, just off Facebook? Yeah, people just saw what I was doing. One lady that I moved for, she tricked me. So, can you come home on my lawn? She had the news, had a segment. And a segment, people doing good in the community. And I'm just moving along. She's a disabled lady.

And I saw the news drive up. So, how are they driving? And they just pop out. Start interviewing you. Yeah, what's going on? I'm cutting this. I'm cutting some grass here. I'm cutting in between class.

And the news is coming. I'll have to go back to class. I've got a time. I don't have time for your news thing. Yeah, and. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. You're telling me you're still a student this time. And in between you're nine and 11, you're rolling out your car time. Yeah, and in between your nine and eleven

You're rolling out your car and cutting grass will quick and going back to class exactly You are absolutely committed to cutting on oh, yeah Yeah, and then I give me three hundred dollars who did the news they gave you three hundred dollars. Yeah, what for? The segment no the segment that they have say, oh, it's like giving back, given back. Yeah. So they found out what I was doing and they shared my story and, you know, so what you do at the 300 bucks, use it for gas for lawn mower. Yeah. Okay.

So you, yeah, Rodney. Yeah. This is crazy. So you're cutting lawn mowers in between class, trying to graduate, having overcome the learning disability, and clearly not making anything if yourself Rodney. And how many in a red somewhere that you challenge yourself to do a certain amount of lawn? Yeah, I was a hunt by what Christmas. Yeah, what it was. Yeah, like 60. And then I reach 60 so fast. I'm gonna go to 100 a month and a half later, read my 100 flown. And then after reaching my

100 flown, that's when the idea of the organization came up. So I just I just moving. Well, don't jump ahead. Hold it. Let's just get to the okay. You're going to class. Yeah. Do you have a job that you actually make money with? No, So international students, you can't work. So I go in. Because you're not an American citizen. Yeah, you need a green card. Yeah. You're here on a,

I guess an education visa. Yes, student visa. Okay, so you're on a, you're on a student visa. So you can't even work. And you're literally going to class, probably getting bit by on pennies and nickels yourself. Yeah Cutting yawns in between class. Yeah and

From the day you met mr. Brown up to Christmas you challenged yourself to cut a hundred free lawns for people who desperately needed it and You achieved the goal. Yeah, so I actually reached my goal like in November sometime before Christmas. Of course. Yeah, that's how that's a story how it's all started. That's how it started. And then from there, you started thinking other people can do this or what I mean, what was there's one thing to go out and do something really kind and gracious and compassionate like you're doing. All right. It's another thing to say, I can turn this into a movement. I mean, especially for a kid with learning disability who never

mouthed anything, what gave you the to merit the courage to think that you could actually make this into something and I keep saying the learning disability and I keep saying the Bermuda thing and I keep saying you have a green card and all of the things because I want to emphasize, there are people every day born in this country with all the features, advantages and benefits of being an American that make all kinds of excuses why they can't overcome something. And then there's you Rodney, which is special. And I keep emphasizing who you are and where you came from because I think you're a walking embodiment of if you've got the will, there's a way.

Really? And so, a hundred lawns in, yeah, $300 in gas money. On lawnmower number two, because the first freebie broke down. Yeah. And you say, I'm gonna turn this into an organization. Well, I mean, that's kind of bold.

Well, I didn't know become an organization. It just, I guess you could say just encouraging kids because some parents were reaching out saying, can my son join? Can my son join? Can't join you. So at the time. So you had parents?

Yeah, a few parents, like one or two parents, they wanted to get the kids to come out and move with me. I remember one lady I was mooring It's like this is like loan 80 She's like I want my son to come out and move with you and this is just when I was moving as Rodney Smith I hold a kid we talk about probably like 14 15 maybe there's a body Yeah, it used to get out from behind the couch get off the video games get some exercise Exactly and yeah, I remember she was one of the first

that one of her kids to come out and move with me. Was he fat? No, really? No, she's regular kids. All these kids he's day sitting on the couch is her fat. Drink too much kool-aid and watch too many video games for his eye concern. But yeah, just regular kid.

She just wanted him to get out and get back to the community. Yeah. And so I said, okay. And that's when I... It'd be a better story if he was fat. She just wanted to get out and get back to the community. Yeah, yeah, and So I said okay, and that's when I it'd be a better story if he was fat. Yeah And that's when I am trying to come up with a name for it, you know a name for whatever Whatever you're doing exactly. Yeah, and I went to this website called custom ink The t-shirt website what cost them ink yeah, and you can make t-shirts on there so and I went to this website called Custom Ink, the T-Shirt website. What? Custom Ink. Yeah.

And you can make T-Shirts on there. So, and they have bunch of templates and different vectors. So I just typed in a lot more. Type in a lot more. Yeah. So see what it looked like on a T-Shirt. And then different things with a lot more came up.

And that's when I came across this right here. Just that. What this right here is is for those listening, it's it's called raising men, lawn care, lawn care. And it is a, a, it's a takeoff of the image of, what's the word? I'm looking for it. It's a takeoff of the image of evolution. It's like the evolution. It's takeoff the image of evolution. It's a baby. And it's a baby crawling. Then, well, it's to be a six or seven year old and then a 14 or 15 year old and then a grown man. Yeah. And then a man pushing a lawnmower. Yeah. And that kind of triangular looking thing and it's raising men, long-care service. And so clearly as I'm looking at that image, I'm understanding that now you're not just

concerned with cutting people's lawns who need it, who are disadvantaged, but you see as an opportunity to get kids and mentor kids to learn to do something for someone other than themselves. Yeah, exactly. That was the idea in other words to adopt your compassion Yeah, and just just give back just help people and so that this is I just saw this this at first and then as soon as I saw that the idea Raising men came up so I had two ideas. It was either raising men or up. So I had two ideas. It was either raising men or raising kings. I don't know why I came up. I like men better. Exactly.

So I gave this idea to a girl and said, what do you like better? Raising men or raising kings? She said raising men. So it has kept raising men. And then I came up with a tag name giving back to the community. And that's how I came up with a tag name giving back to the community. And that's how I came up with the idea

of the organization's name. And then... But at this time, you've really only cut 100 lawns and have a couple of kids whose moms sent them out to work with you. Yeah. I mean, at this time, you're just, you're still playing with the idea.

Yeah, playing with me. Right. So now you got your t-shirt, now you got your logo, now you got your name. Yeah. Got a hundred lawns cut. We got a couple of kids off the couch trying to teach them how to give back. And then what happens the following year. Um, so 2016 January 2016, it was when it first, oh, officially started, kids are coming up. The first kid was named Ethan. His mom wanted to come out, you know,

he's a little chubby guy and- Oh, there we go. Fat. I know you had to have eventually. No, but Ethan was the first kid to come out and his mom, I remember. He's about 12, 13 at the time. I remember when God to the Lord and his Mom pulled up with him in the car,

she said she had to force him to get up that morning. I guess he's lazy and stuff like that. Yeah, because he's fat and lazy, right into the bed, because he's been playing video games all night. Yeah, so we got Ethan out and... Drinking Kool-Aid. Yeah, and they gave birth to a whole few other kids

to follow his footsteps in the community. Really? Yeah. We'll be right back. So, how many lawns did you and these kids that you're mentoring end up cutting that next year? I can't keep cunt but um... A bout. That's hard. Hard to say.

Cause cutting in between classes still. Of course. And the weekends for the kids. Are you going to class smelling like gasoline and carbon and grass? Oh yeah. Nobody want to sit next to you, man. It's all right. But yeah, I'm a guns class. People say, well, you just come from I've met most of them. Yeah. What's it look like? I've been cut to some grass. Oh, I have a drama with T-Shirt on

and sweatpants and a New York head and go cookers. All right. So let's fast forward to 2017. In 2017, you had from Ethan and Mr. Brown and this idea, you ended up with 150 kids mowing lawns in seven different states. Yeah. How do you do that? There's only one of you.

You can't be all over the place with 150 kids cutting grass. Yeah, so, 216 is started. And then, eventually eventually around May 2016 We've been viral on the internet for what we were doing in Huntsville people are the stories getting around Yeah, the story went Far away. Remember so one particular post We was at a lawn mowing Like 600 likes for some reason that day outmowing has 600 likes. So what's going something is happening?

Something is happening. And then by the next lawn it was like at a thousand something likes. Wow. By the end of the night was it 250,000 likes. 250,000? Yeah. And by the end of the night, the next day it was at almost a million likes Because you cut some grass cut some grass and shit because each lawn we do we cut the grass and shoot a story like sure We take a picture of the homeowner. Yeah, and then We moved Mr It's example Mr. Brown's lawn, you know, and then every time we do a lawn we post it and then yeah So that this one particular post went viral. And today it has like four million likes and every,

every year, about three or four times each, each year it will go viral again. And people will see that and then will donate. So it comes, comes in handy when it comes to organization. But at that eventually a lady by the name of Shannon, she lived in Richard Tar Kansas, and a lady by the name of Lori she lived in Richard Tar Kansas and a lady by the name of Laurie She lived in Marion Ohio. She stopped stop stop

Kansas and Ohio Bro, you're in Huntsville. Yeah, are you still taking classes? Yeah Okay, so Ohio and Kansas call you up and say yeah, so Shannon had a son by the name of Andre Laurie had a son by a grandson by the name of Andre, Lori had a grandson by the name of Quentin. And they saw what we're doing, Huntsville, because they've been viral. And they wanted to get their kids involved. So they gave me the idea right on the spot, say, look, if your son and grandson come over 50 loans, I'll come out there and get them a brand new more. We're going to get the money for the more.

I don't know. But if they do it, I'll do it. Yeah, so someone just told me, give them a challenge and we sent them to the t-shirts. So you really did? You just threw down the gauntlet and said, tell you what, if you're for real. Yeah. Because you do 50. I'll come up with you.

I'll come meet you in person. I'll drive my car. Yeah. In person and give you a loan. Yeah. And because when we first started the organization in Huntsville, every 10 loans, kids will get a different color t-shirt. So they start off a white t-shirt like it's like cruddy boat. Once they moved 10 loans, they got an orange shirt, 20 agreeing, 30

of blue, and 40 red and 50 years of black t-shirt. And then you know they literally like gruddy boat. Exactly. And they've finished the program for the kids in Huntsville. But when there's two people from Ohio and Kansas, they said they want to get their kids involved. I said, look, you guys do that. I'll come out and give you a brand new law more. And that gave birth to something we call the 50-yard challenge. And today, we have over 4,000 plus kids nationwide taking part in this 50-yard challenge.

And we have at least one kid in these days. 4,000 kids have done 50 yards. this 50 yard challenge. Let me have at least one kid. And he said, 4,000 kids have done 50 yards. That's a 20,000,000 loans. But that's how many kids in the program right now taking part in the 50 yard challenge. So if old, old, 4,000 completed, that's 20,000,000 loans moved for free.

That's unbelievable. I know. Okay. So how do the kids find the ones to go cut? How does that work? Yeah, so we leave it up to the kids to find the people that move on. And we found that they get them to get out in their community and meet people they probably normally wouldn't have met and built friendships and relationships with different people. So you don't, you don't use your social media account to direct the kids to lawns to people

that need their lawns cut. You make them do their own outreach. Yeah, they do their own outreach and the kids make signs that go on doors. I'm going to 50 hour challenge. I'm going free lawns. Can I mull you lawn for free? And the meeting people, you know, they normally wouldn't have met.

And there's starting friendships, relationships. And but there are times when people come to us saying, oh, I live in Texas, I live in Arizona. Oh, my parent lives here. And the struggling with the loan, do you have a kid in the area that can help them out? There's a, that happens. And if we're able to connect a kid in a person that way, we do.

But otherwise, we leave it up to the kids to get out there and take care of it. You know, I just don't on me. These kids are often 13 or 14 years old, born to cut free lawns. Do their parents end up sometimes driving across town? Yeah, so it becomes apparent too. Exactly. And we recently, last two, three years, so when the kids finish and they get a black t-shirts, the parents get the t-shirts as well because they invested in their kids. They invested during kids to do that.

And if it wasn't for the parent, a lot of these kids probably won't have got to those loans. So it's a team effort and just grandparents that even take their kids around. And we're finding that, getting the feedback from the grandparents and the parents and saying that they're taking their kids to these loans, they're bonding, they're spending that quality time together because otherwise they might have been inside

just playing video games. But now they're taking the kid around, they're meeting people in their community, they're bonding strong. We'll plus it. the meeting people in the community, the bonding strong. Well, plus it, I don't know. I worked hard with my four children, but I can't tell you how many times I meet kids

that I think are just damn near anti-social. I mean, there are 70, 80% of their interaction is behind a computer screen or a stupid iPhone. And they don't even know how to go out, look somebody in line, shake their hand, and maybe I'm old school. No, I know I'm old school. But I still think you need to be able to interact personally with people. And so this also is giving those kids a chance to go learn how to approach a stranger, speak to people and look them in the eye and act like they got some sense rather than just a robot sitting behind a computer screen.

Yeah, and it's just stuff like that. And it's beneficial for these kids to get out there. So I mean, we're benefiting people that need grass cut. Yeah, so it's a win for learning. Yeah, so it's win for the people that were helping and also for the kids and the parents and the parents and the grandparents. So it's a win win and the idea is to keep growing it and eventually put like the big bothers the big cities organization where we have chapters and each state and then get more kids involved. And all this from the simple effort of cutting grass. It's just such a

reminder that you don't have to be a concert pianist or a no ballet or whatever, pick some discipline and go into the inner city and teach kids all this stuff. You don't have to have those disciplines to be able to make a massive difference. You can make a massive difference with something as simple as cutting grass. And people come to me all the time and say, oh, I had the same idea. I asked them what I didn't know.

What did you do? And that's the thing, people think you need a bunch of stuff to get started. You don't, you just need to start. Like, I forget it all along the way. Like, as you go on. Yeah, you never don't get there if you don't take the first step. Exactly.

You have to take the first step. Don't worry about how you're gonna get the first step. Just take it and then everything will fall in place. And for you, the first step was walking up, speaking to Mr. Brown. Yeah. phenomenal. That concludes part one of our conversation with Rodney Smith Jr.

and I hope you'll listen to part two that's now available as this dude is as inspiring and genuine as it gets. But if you don't, make sure you join the Army of Normal Folks at normal folks.os and sign up to become a member of our movement. By signing up, you'll receive a weekly email with short episode summaries in case you happen to miss an episode, or if you prefer reading about our incredible guests. Together y'all, we can change this country,

and it starts with you. I'll see you in part two.