Army of Normal Folks

Latest Episodes:

Inside the Town Run Entirely By 10-Year-Olds | Junior Achievement Aug 11, 2026

Show notes

Economic mobility has dropped 45% in recent decades. The American Dream - doing better than your parents did - is getting harder to reach. But Leigh Mansberg and Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South are doing something about it. In this conversation with Bill, Leigh breaks down how Junior Achievement uses experiential learning to unlock economic mobility for kids K-12 - and why giving a child hope might be the most important thing a community can do. This episode will change how you think about education, opportunity, and what it means to invest in the next generation. This episode is for everyone who wants to see the American Dream continue on through future generations.

ARMY ACTIONS

Subscribe to the podcast and rate & review us!

Signup to join the Army, visit NormalFolks.org

Join or start an ANF local service club at https://normalfolks.org/service-clubs/

Take The 10 Level Challenge, "the hero's journey for service" at 10LevelChallenge.org

Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

HIGHLIGHTS: Inside the Town Run Entirely By 10-Year-Olds | Junior Achievement Aug 11, 2026

Show notes

ARMY ACTIONS

Subscribe to the podcast and rate & review us!

Signup to join the Army, visit NormalFolks.org

Join or start an ANF local service club at https://normalfolks.org/service-clubs/

Take The 10 Level Challenge, "the hero's journey for service" at 10LevelChallenge.org

Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meet The Ordinary Radicals Aug 07, 2026

Show notes

What if the most radical thing you could do was just show up?

In this Shop Talk, Bill and Alex dive into Shane Claiborne's book The Irresistible Revolution - and the idea that changing the world has never required extraordinary people. Just ordinary ones who refuse to look away. They talk about what it really means to let your life answer the question, why the most important move you can make is toward broken places instead of away from them, and what it looks like when normal folks stop asking "why doesn't someone do something?" and start asking "what can I do?"

This one isn't a call to be louder or more impressive. It's a reminder that the life you're already living might be exactly the one the world needs.

ARMY ACTIONS

Subscribe to the podcast and rate & review us!

Signup to join the Army, visit NormalFolks.org

Join or start an ANF local service club at https://normalfolks.org/service-clubs/

Take The 10 Level Challenge, "the hero's journey for service" at 10LevelChallenge.org

Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 100,000-Man Movement That Will Change Your Life Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

Frank Schwartz is the CEO of F3 Nation, a 100,000-man volunteer led movement built around fitness, fellowship, and faith. Men at 5,000+ locations worldwide show up at 5:30am - no matter if it’s raining, snowing, or freezing - for free peer-led workouts. But the workout is just the entry point. What F3 is really doing is cultivating a brotherhood and teaching men how to lead, so they can take that home to their families and community.

If you've ever felt like there has to be more than just going through the motions of life, then this episode is for you. And if there's a man in your life who needs to hear this, send it to him.

Find an F3 workout near you at F3Nation.com. They’re free and open to all men.

ARMY ACTIONS

Subscribe to the podcast and rate & review us!

Signup to join the Army, visit NormalFolks.org

Join or start an ANF local service club at https://normalfolks.org/service-clubs/

Take The 10 Level Challenge, "the hero's journey for service" at 10LevelChallenge.org

Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

HIGHLIGHTS: The 100,000-Man Movement That Will Change Your Life Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

If you've ever felt like there has to be more than just going through the motions of life, then this episode is for you. And if there's a man in your life who needs to hear this, send it to him.

Find an F3 workout near you at F3Nation.com. They’re free and open to all men.

ARMY ACTIONS

Subscribe to the podcast and rate & review us!

Signup to join the Army, visit NormalFolks.org

Join or start an ANF local service club at https://normalfolks.org/service-clubs/

Take The 10 Level Challenge, "the hero's journey for service" at 10LevelChallenge.org

Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What 40 Million Tax Returns Reveal About America Jul 31, 2026

Show notes

Researchers at Harvard analyzed the tax records of 40 million Americans to answer one of the most debated questions in the country: does the American Dream still exist? The good news is that the dream is alive, but where you grow up dramatically shapes your odds of reaching it.

In this Shop Talk, Bill breaks down the 4 factors researchers found that consistently predict whether children will flourish. Turns out, 3 of them aren't programs or policies. They're things that An Army of Normal Folks can actually help build for our families and for those most at-risk of not achieving their dreams!

ARMY ACTIONS

Subscribe to the podcast and rate & review us!

Signup to join the Army, visit NormalFolks.org

Join or start an ANF local service club at https://normalfolks.org/service-clubs/

Take The 10 Level Challenge, "the hero's journey for service" at 10LevelChallenge.org

Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

HIGHLIGHTS: This State Is Solving The Foster Care Crisis (Here's How) Jul 28, 2026

Show notes

This is the shorter "highlights" version of the episode.
Coach Bill Courtney sits down with Chris Campbell, Executive Director of Oklahoma's 111 Project, to unpack how Oklahoma has cut the number of children in foster care nearly in half—from 11,500 to 6,000—and what communities across America can learn from their success.

Rather than pointing fingers at government, Chris shares how churches, nonprofits, everyday citizens, and public agencies began working together to build practical pathways for people to help. From recruiting foster families to preventing children from entering foster care in the first place, this conversation is full of ideas that any community can adopt.

Chris also shares the deeply personal moment that changed the course of his life: holding a two-day-old baby with nowhere to go.

In this episode:

Why America has a foster parent shortage—and the consequences for children.
How Oklahoma dramatically reduced the number of kids in foster care.
Why prevention is just as important as recruiting foster families.
The story behind CarePortal and how a simple app is helping keep families together.
Why supporting struggling families often matters more than removing children.
The surprising role churches can play in solving one of America's biggest challenges.

If An Army of Normal Folks each did what we can, this is one problem we really can solve.

Check out the resources below!

RESOURCES

Learn more about 111 Project at 111Project.org | One Church, One Family, One Purpose

Follow 111 Project on socials @111projectok

Interested in fostering? Search for foster parent classes in your community and join them. No commitment required. Exploration is the first step.

Want to help prevent kids from unnecessarily entering foster care? Sign up for CarePortal at https://www.careportal.org/

ARMY ACTIONS

Subscribe to the podcast and rate & review us!

Signup to join the Army, visit NormalFolks.org

Join or start an ANF local service club at https://normalfolks.org/service-clubs/

Take The 10 Level Challenge, "the hero's journey for service" at 10LevelChallenge.org

Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This State Is Solving The Foster Care Crisis (Here's How) Jul 28, 2026

Show notes

Coach Bill Courtney sits down with Chris Campbell, Executive Director of Oklahoma's 111 Project, to unpack how Oklahoma has cut the number of children in foster care nearly in half—from 11,500 to 6,000—and what communities across America can learn from their success.

Chris also shares the deeply personal moment that changed the course of his life: holding a two-day-old baby with nowhere to go.

In this episode:

Why America has a foster parent shortage—and the consequences for children.
How Oklahoma dramatically reduced the number of kids in foster care.
Why prevention is just as important as recruiting foster families.
The story behind CarePortal and how a simple app is helping keep families together.
Why supporting struggling families often matters more than removing children.
The surprising role churches can play in solving one of America's biggest challenges.

If An Army of Normal Folks each did what we can, this is one problem we really can solve.

Check out the resources below!

RESOURCES

Learn more about 111 Project at 111Project.org | One Church, One Family, One Purpose

Follow 111 Project on socials @111projectok

Interested in fostering? Search for foster parent classes in your community and join them. No commitment required. Exploration is the first step.

Want to help prevent kids from unnecessarily entering foster care? Sign up for CarePortal at https://www.careportal.org/

ARMY ACTIONS

Subscribe to the podcast and rate & review us!

Signup to join the Army, visit NormalFolks.org

Join or start an ANF local service club at https://normalfolks.org/service-clubs/

Take The 10 Level Challenge, "the hero's journey for service" at 10LevelChallenge.org

Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

America Is Running Out of Friends Jul 24, 2026

Show notes

The number of Americans with no close friends has increased fivefold since 1990. But this isn't just a loneliness crisis. It's a community crisis. And the data suggests we may be further from fixing it than we think.

In this Shop Talk, Bill dives into a striking report on the collapse of American friendship and reflects on what it reveals about the way we live today. Fewer close friends, shrinking social circles, and young men who are more likely to call their parents than a friend when life gets hard. The numbers are sobering, but the solution might be closer than you think.

This one isn't just about what's broken. It's a reminder that community doesn't build itself. But, the good news is that we have the power to start building community today, right where we are.

ARMY ACTIONS

Subscribe to the podcast and rate & review us!

Signup to join the Army, visit NormalFolks.org

Join or start an ANF local service club at https://normalfolks.org/service-clubs/

Take The 10 Level Challenge, "the hero's journey for service" at 10LevelChallenge.org

Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why Half of America Is Socially Disconnected—and What You Can Do About It (Pt 1) Jul 21, 2026

Show notes

More than half of Americans are socially disconnected. But what if the problem isn't so much that we've forgotten how to connect—it's that we've stopped building the kinds of communities where connection naturally happens?

In this thought-provoking conversation, Coach Bill Courtney sits down with Aaron Hurst, founder of the U.S. Chamber of Connection, to explore one of the largest challenges facing America today: the collapse of real human connection.

After spending his career helping others build community, Aaron had a startling realization at age 50—he had very few close friends himself. That personal wake-up call launched a nationwide mission to understand why so many Americans feel disconnected and what ordinary people can do to rebuild community.

Together, Bill and Aaron discuss:

The six simple ingredients every thriving community needs
Why serving together is one of the fastest ways to build lasting friendships
Practical ways you can strengthen your community such as joining the "Welcome Committee" or starting a local Chamber of Connection

This isn't just a conversation about what's broken—it's a blueprint for rebuilding the relationships and communities we all need. If you've ever wished you felt more connected or wondered how to make a real difference where you live, this episode is for you.
Learn more and take action: ChamberofConnection.org

Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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