Everybody. It's Bill Courtney. Welcome into the shop.

Everybody. It's Bill Courtney. Welcome into the shop.

I heard there was a fire in the shop or do you not want to talk about that too?

I heard there was a fire in the shop or do you not want to talk about that too?

So we could do it's I'm kind of tired. I could say we had a little fire here at my business last night. I didn't get home till four in the morning, so Alex is giving me all of about twelve hours to you know, deal with it before you start giving me crap about it.

So we could do it's I'm kind of tired. I could say we had a little fire here at my business last night. I didn't get home till four in the morning, so Alex is giving me all of about twelve hours to you know, deal with it before you start giving me crap about it.

Anyway.

Anyway.

Yeah, it's maybe a little bit. Everything is okay. Yeah, we're fine, Thank goodness. We had some people paying attention and it didn't damage too much. Anyway. Welcome to Shop Talk number thirty seven. Welcome into the shop. And you guys are going to hear from Alex more than normal in this particular sharp talk. I know. So, y'all brace from Lorena Lorena. What do you think Lorena Lorena Lorena Avara? But yeah, probably both.

Yeah, it's maybe a little bit. Everything is okay. Yeah, we're fine, Thank goodness. We had some people paying attention and it didn't damage too much. Anyway. Welcome to Shop Talk number thirty seven. Welcome into the shop. And you guys are going to hear from Alex more than normal in this particular sharp talk. I know. So, y'all brace from Lorena Lorena. What do you think Lorena Lorena Lorena Avara? But yeah, probably both.

Arena's really a beautiful name, though it is?

Arena's really a beautiful name, though it is?

Is it beautiful? Na? I'm sure as beautiful person. So here's here's what she says, very short and sweet. Would love to hear about the idea of the podcast. If I recall correctly, Alex is the mastermind behind it. Let's hear from him.

Is it beautiful? Na? I'm sure as beautiful person. So here's here's what she says, very short and sweet. Would love to hear about the idea of the podcast. If I recall correctly, Alex is the mastermind behind it. Let's hear from him.

Masterminds a little strong, but sure.

Masterminds a little strong, but sure.

So yeah, well, yeah, well we'll discuss that shot talk number thirty seven. How in the world did an army and normal folks even start in the first place? Right after these brief messages from our general sponsors. Okay, everybody, welcome back doors in shop talk number thirty seven. Folks want to know how an army and normal folks started. So I'll start and then I'll let Alex take it from there. When I queue you come in, but not before. Okay, okay, all right, here we go.

So yeah, well, yeah, well we'll discuss that shot talk number thirty seven. How in the world did an army and normal folks even start in the first place? Right after these brief messages from our general sponsors. Okay, everybody, welcome back doors in shop talk number thirty seven. Folks want to know how an army and normal folks started. So I'll start and then I'll let Alex take it from there. When I queue you come in, but not before. Okay, okay, all right, here we go.

Now you gotta be nervous, like, what kind of weird thing are you about to do?

Now you gotta be nervous, like, what kind of weird thing are you about to do?

Right now? I'm not gonna do anything weird, So about I don't know. Two years ago now, Alex worked for another show as both a producer and an interviewer, which he's quite adept up there.

Right now? I'm not gonna do anything weird, So about I don't know. Two years ago now, Alex worked for another show as both a producer and an interviewer, which he's quite adept up there.

We had to test it out this morning.

We had to test it out this morning.

You interrupted me. You said you were going to sit there until I cued you, and you talked sorry. Okay. So he reached out to me and wanted to do an interview with me, and I have done since Undefeated over the last you know, ten years, probably five hundred interviews, so no big deal. Sure, happy to give you an interview. So he showed up to my office with all his fancy equipment and we set up for about an hour and a half and I had a long chat and he produced a show for the show he was working for at the time, and that was that. During that interview, I said some things that stuck with him. And so six months about I'm.

You interrupted me. You said you were going to sit there until I cued you, and you talked sorry. Okay. So he reached out to me and wanted to do an interview with me, and I have done since Undefeated over the last you know, ten years, probably five hundred interviews, so no big deal. Sure, happy to give you an interview. So he showed up to my office with all his fancy equipment and we set up for about an hour and a half and I had a long chat and he produced a show for the show he was working for at the time, and that was that. During that interview, I said some things that stuck with him. And so six months about I'm.

Just to say about broken clocks, what even the right twice a day?

Just to say about broken clocks, what even the right twice a day?

We'll see there it is. So I'm probably correct a little bit here, but it's some point four or five six months later, Alex calls me up and says, hey, you said this, and I'm interested in that, and I'm thinking about starting a new podcast. I'd like you to host it. What do you think based around your idea, based around your comments and interview and so really naively I said, sure, you know, I'll interview somebody once a week for a couple hours. Well it has turned into far more than that, and I have Alex to thank and blame for the amount of time it's taken on my life. But Lisa loves me, but she's not real fond to you right now. All the time well, you know, she really does like But who have to blame is the amount of time we're spending on this thing. Who have to think, however, is you because of the incredible people I've gotten to meet over the last eighteen months and frankly the rewards of doing the show, and I think we are doing some good. So I think since the show is Alex's idea, and since it was born from an interview I did with him, and some off the hand comments I made in that interview, I think gets best now to turn it over to Alex to let you guys have his perspective on truly why an army of normal folks even exists and continue to grow?

We'll see there it is. So I'm probably correct a little bit here, but it's some point four or five six months later, Alex calls me up and says, hey, you said this, and I'm interested in that, and I'm thinking about starting a new podcast. I'd like you to host it. What do you think based around your idea, based around your comments and interview and so really naively I said, sure, you know, I'll interview somebody once a week for a couple hours. Well it has turned into far more than that, and I have Alex to thank and blame for the amount of time it's taken on my life. But Lisa loves me, but she's not real fond to you right now. All the time well, you know, she really does like But who have to blame is the amount of time we're spending on this thing. Who have to think, however, is you because of the incredible people I've gotten to meet over the last eighteen months and frankly the rewards of doing the show, and I think we are doing some good. So I think since the show is Alex's idea, and since it was born from an interview I did with him, and some off the hand comments I made in that interview, I think gets best now to turn it over to Alex to let you guys have his perspective on truly why an army of normal folks even exists and continue to grow?

Alex, Thanks Bill, Sure, I actually hate talking. It's easier to make fun of you than to talk. But well, so I've been very.

Alex, Thanks Bill, Sure, I actually hate talking. It's easier to make fun of you than to talk. But well, so I've been very.

Oh gosh, when somebody just came in in the door. Yeah, see how much fad that is be interrupted constantly? Start moving. I think I'm gonna start moving your microphone around like you do to me, just trying to improve your audience. Now, keep your concentration while everything else is going on an episode.

Oh gosh, when somebody just came in in the door. Yeah, see how much fad that is be interrupted constantly? Start moving. I think I'm gonna start moving your microphone around like you do to me, just trying to improve your audience. Now, keep your concentration while everything else is going on an episode.

Jeez, all right, I've been blessed. Interview hundreds of people, and people like you know, the founder is a home depoter. It's Carlton and Best buying two minut a truck. And I'm not bragging, it's it's more Bill has stood out. He's got to be easily in the top ten out of these hundreds of people. And I was, you know at first of all, Man, this is weird paying tribute to you in front of you.

Jeez, all right, I've been blessed. Interview hundreds of people, and people like you know, the founder is a home depoter. It's Carlton and Best buying two minut a truck. And I'm not bragging, it's it's more Bill has stood out. He's got to be easily in the top ten out of these hundreds of people. And I was, you know at first of all, Man, this is weird paying tribute to you in front of you.

But it's weird sitting here listening to it.

But it's weird sitting here listening to it.

I don't know.

I don't know.

Maybe the shop talks are bad idea after all, but no, let's keep going.

Maybe the shop talks are bad idea after all, but no, let's keep going.

Uh, you got a hell of the story, obviously undefeated what people know, but what you've been through, the fact that your mom married five guys, the fourth one shot of you at a gun, what you've overcome. You know, a lot of the most beautiful stories out there are people overcoming, you know, stuff like that and not becoming victims to it. And so number one, I was really drawn to your story, but also to the fact that you've been asked by both political parties to run for office, and as we often joke about, being asked by Heritage Foundation and Huffington Post to speak on the same day with the same speech. And you've got the same applause lines. And man, it's really weird looking at you saying this and committing on Ellen DeGeneres in the seven hundred Club and Guideposts magazine and Jimmy Kimmel, And I mean, that is such a unique range that almost nobody could pull that off. I mean, the people who I think can is Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Dolly Pardon. But I mean all that is the rock. I mean, truly rarefied air. I mean, that's just a handful of human beings in our country who've actually been able to do that in to reach everybody. And then, of course the line you guys have heard over and over again of cities like Memphis and turning the rear view mirror, and our country's problems won't be solved by all these fancy people in their nice suits talking big words on CNN and Fox, but by an army of normal folks just deciding I can help. And I honestly believe, and I tell people this all the time. I felt the Holy Spirit more in that moment than any of these hundreds of interviews that I've done. And hence why I brought all that up of the people I've interviewed earlier. I mean, it really stands out that this idea of an army of normal folks that you said that you say, you just happen to say randomly during the interview, I think can truly change the country. And the stats that I've been using recently to talk about it too, is right now, fifty six percent of the country says we can't solve our problems. There is just this massive disillusionment that we can't do it. I mean, and you take it in Memphis where we are right now, people just talk about the crime and it's so bad and we're just going to hang out in East Memphis. We're not going to go downtown. It's too dangerous. We're just going to watch Netflix at night and go on vacation and take care of our families. I mean, the same kind of thing is going on across the country too, and people just having this massive withdrawal from the public square. And it actually shows up in the data too that people used to volunteer fifty two hours a year on average and now it's down to twenty five. People used to do two point four percent of their income to charity and now it's one point seven percent, and if you're a Christian, obviously that's very far away from tithing. And we're thirty first in the world in voting. So for all these things, I mean, it's like we have a half empty public square. And some of it's understandable people think we really can't solve these problems. They're that disillusioned about it. But what I think is so powerful about our concepts that if there were an army of normal folks and each of us just do what we can together, we can't change the country.

Uh, you got a hell of the story, obviously undefeated what people know, but what you've been through, the fact that your mom married five guys, the fourth one shot of you at a gun, what you've overcome. You know, a lot of the most beautiful stories out there are people overcoming, you know, stuff like that and not becoming victims to it. And so number one, I was really drawn to your story, but also to the fact that you've been asked by both political parties to run for office, and as we often joke about, being asked by Heritage Foundation and Huffington Post to speak on the same day with the same speech. And you've got the same applause lines. And man, it's really weird looking at you saying this and committing on Ellen DeGeneres in the seven hundred Club and Guideposts magazine and Jimmy Kimmel, And I mean, that is such a unique range that almost nobody could pull that off. I mean, the people who I think can is Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Dolly Pardon. But I mean all that is the rock. I mean, truly rarefied air. I mean, that's just a handful of human beings in our country who've actually been able to do that in to reach everybody. And then, of course the line you guys have heard over and over again of cities like Memphis and turning the rear view mirror, and our country's problems won't be solved by all these fancy people in their nice suits talking big words on CNN and Fox, but by an army of normal folks just deciding I can help. And I honestly believe, and I tell people this all the time. I felt the Holy Spirit more in that moment than any of these hundreds of interviews that I've done. And hence why I brought all that up of the people I've interviewed earlier. I mean, it really stands out that this idea of an army of normal folks that you said that you say, you just happen to say randomly during the interview, I think can truly change the country. And the stats that I've been using recently to talk about it too, is right now, fifty six percent of the country says we can't solve our problems. There is just this massive disillusionment that we can't do it. I mean, and you take it in Memphis where we are right now, people just talk about the crime and it's so bad and we're just going to hang out in East Memphis. We're not going to go downtown. It's too dangerous. We're just going to watch Netflix at night and go on vacation and take care of our families. I mean, the same kind of thing is going on across the country too, and people just having this massive withdrawal from the public square. And it actually shows up in the data too that people used to volunteer fifty two hours a year on average and now it's down to twenty five. People used to do two point four percent of their income to charity and now it's one point seven percent, and if you're a Christian, obviously that's very far away from tithing. And we're thirty first in the world in voting. So for all these things, I mean, it's like we have a half empty public square. And some of it's understandable people think we really can't solve these problems. They're that disillusioned about it. But what I think is so powerful about our concepts that if there were an army of normal folks and each of us just do what we can together, we can't change the country.

It's not on.

It's not on.

Bill Courtney to save the country, on Alice Cortez or any of the individual listeners. If there truly were this army and each of us just do a little bit more than we are right now, we can change this thing. And no matter what happens in Washington, DC. And so yeah, I mean that's really what I believe in all my heart. And we've been chasing after for about two years now, and I hope it's my life calling to work on the rest of my life. And it's been a blessing to get to know so many Army members and to work with Bill every day and every week. And I mean, I really look up to you and as a mentor a friend and almost like another father figure, and it's just been a great blessing going after this together. That's it, Bill, How about that?

Bill Courtney to save the country, on Alice Cortez or any of the individual listeners. If there truly were this army and each of us just do a little bit more than we are right now, we can change this thing. And no matter what happens in Washington, DC. And so yeah, I mean that's really what I believe in all my heart. And we've been chasing after for about two years now, and I hope it's my life calling to work on the rest of my life. And it's been a blessing to get to know so many Army members and to work with Bill every day and every week. And I mean, I really look up to you and as a mentor a friend and almost like another father figure, and it's just been a great blessing going after this together. That's it, Bill, How about that?

Okay, Well that was weird having to sit here and listen to that. And I'm not old enough to be your father, so kiss my butt.

Okay, Well that was weird having to sit here and listen to that. And I'm not old enough to be your father, so kiss my butt.

I already got a dad.

I already got a dad.

Sound good.

Sound good.

But I look up to you in that.

But I look up to you in that.

Way, very very gracious. So there you have it, guys and army normal folks was born from Alex off the cuff comment that I made, and I get a little bit of the headlines and everything else because I'm the guy that interviews it. But you guys have no idea the hours behind the scene that Alex spends finding guests, getting guests to Memphis, arranging their travel, picking them up, taking them to eat, getting them into hotels, then doing all the narration work, doing all the prep work for me so that I know who in the world I'm talking to, doing all the color and the sound, getting the show uploaded. It's hours and hours and hours of thankless work. And he has a full time job because this thing is not developed into a platform yet that will sustain him as his full time job. So you're right the idea of the podcast, Alex is the mastermind behind it, and now you have heard from him. But what you need to hear from me is getting this show produced on Tuesdays and Fridays every single week of the year is incredible amounts of work and it's unpaid, thankless hard work that Alex puts in to continue to grow the show and bring this content to you. And we're close. We hope that the show continues to grow, continues grow in advertising and listeners so that it is something that Alice could do full time and sustain him and his family. But until then, we continue to work lots and lots of hours and very very hard to bring the idea of this show that Alex was the mastermind of to come to you weekly continue to hopefully entertain you and inspire you. So Shop Talk.

Way, very very gracious. So there you have it, guys and army normal folks was born from Alex off the cuff comment that I made, and I get a little bit of the headlines and everything else because I'm the guy that interviews it. But you guys have no idea the hours behind the scene that Alex spends finding guests, getting guests to Memphis, arranging their travel, picking them up, taking them to eat, getting them into hotels, then doing all the narration work, doing all the prep work for me so that I know who in the world I'm talking to, doing all the color and the sound, getting the show uploaded. It's hours and hours and hours of thankless work. And he has a full time job because this thing is not developed into a platform yet that will sustain him as his full time job. So you're right the idea of the podcast, Alex is the mastermind behind it, and now you have heard from him. But what you need to hear from me is getting this show produced on Tuesdays and Fridays every single week of the year is incredible amounts of work and it's unpaid, thankless hard work that Alex puts in to continue to grow the show and bring this content to you. And we're close. We hope that the show continues to grow, continues grow in advertising and listeners so that it is something that Alice could do full time and sustain him and his family. But until then, we continue to work lots and lots of hours and very very hard to bring the idea of this show that Alex was the mastermind of to come to you weekly continue to hopefully entertain you and inspire you. So Shop Talk.

Wait one sec. Just to pay tribute to I did most of what you said, but Robbie Davis has been doing a lot of the scripting and the production, and Joey's been doing quality control and uploading it, so a couple of those things. There have been other key team members who made this happen to.

Wait one sec. Just to pay tribute to I did most of what you said, but Robbie Davis has been doing a lot of the scripting and the production, and Joey's been doing quality control and uploading it, so a couple of those things. There have been other key team members who made this happen to.

Yeah, it's been a lot. It's been a lot, a lot of people putting a lot of hard work to bring this thing to you. So when we ask you to share it with friends and on social to tell people about to rate it, and to review it, all we're really doing is asking you, guys, to do just a little bit of extra work to help us grow it so that all this effort and work of the last two and a half years pays off, so that we can continue to grow this platform and do exactly what Alex hopes that can happen, which is literally grow millions of people in the army of normal folks to try to exact some some measure of positive change on our society today. So that Shop Talk number thirty seven. And guys, if you have any shop Talk ideas, please email anytime at Bill at Normal Folks got us. I'll respond and if it's something I think I might have a little bit of value to add to, we'll certainly take it up. If not, I'll at least respond to you and tell you I'm not equipped to talk about it, but you will hear back from me. Thanks our producer, Iro Light Labs. Have a great week. That's Shop Talk number thirty seven. We're leaving.

Yeah, it's been a lot. It's been a lot, a lot of people putting a lot of hard work to bring this thing to you. So when we ask you to share it with friends and on social to tell people about to rate it, and to review it, all we're really doing is asking you, guys, to do just a little bit of extra work to help us grow it so that all this effort and work of the last two and a half years pays off, so that we can continue to grow this platform and do exactly what Alex hopes that can happen, which is literally grow millions of people in the army of normal folks to try to exact some some measure of positive change on our society today. So that Shop Talk number thirty seven. And guys, if you have any shop Talk ideas, please email anytime at Bill at Normal Folks got us. I'll respond and if it's something I think I might have a little bit of value to add to, we'll certainly take it up. If not, I'll at least respond to you and tell you I'm not equipped to talk about it, but you will hear back from me. Thanks our producer, Iro Light Labs. Have a great week. That's Shop Talk number thirty seven. We're leaving.

Finally, I'm off it.

Finally, I'm off it.

Bye bye,

Bye bye,