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Growing Our Future
Growing Our Future
Meaningful Impact by Living Your Brand
On this episode of the Growing Our Future podcast, we have the chance to sit down with Kerri LeDoux, Executive Director of the Live Like Johnny Organization and mother to the late Johnny Callan. Kerri shares a heartfelt testimony of Johnny's life and the example he led. She shares his desire to help others and how the FFA became the vehicle for him to live his brand.
At the time Johnny was a Ford Leadership Scholar and President of the Area IV FFA Association, Tyler Koch was the Leadership Development Coordinator. He shares the following about Johnny, "Johnny Callan wore the blue jacket like so many before him, and set the gold standard for genuinely selfless service like no other." He went on to say, "In my office at the Buzbee Law Firm I keep two photos, one of my daughter Meadow, and the other is of Johnny’s Dock. Johnny’s dock is my daily reminder to try and live, work, serve, and love like Johnny, so that my daughter just might live like Johnny too."
You'll enjoy this story of Johnny and how we too can "live our brand" to make a meaningful impact on our community.
Learn more at MyTexasFFA.org
Well, good morning, good afternoon, good evening, or whenever you may be tuning in to the Growing Our Future podcast. We're going to start by saying thank you. Thank you for stopping by. You know, time's the only thing that we can do is spend it. There's no other option to time. You just got to spend it. And the fact that you're willing to spend some time with us, I just wanted to let you know how appreciative we are. And we hope that you get something out of it, like we know we're going to get something out of it. So the Growing Our Future podcast is about bringing on people that have incredible life experiences, expertise, insights that they're willing to share for others. Like I always say, if you want to know what the future is, grow it. Well, how do you grow something? Well, you've got to make sure you're ready for it. You gotta cultivate, and then you got to plant the seed, then you got to take care of it, and then you got to harvest it and you got to share it. Today, y'all are about to meet a very special guest. And no doubt in my mind, we're about to plant some seeds of greatness, seeds of legacy. And you're gonna understand why here in a second. We are honored today, an honor to have this guest. This is the executive director of the Live Like Johnny organization. More importantly, this is the mother to Johnny Cowan. Ladies and gentlemen, Carrie Ledoux. Carrie, thank you for joining us today.
SPEAKER_06:Oh, thank you, Aaron. I'm happy to be here.
SPEAKER_00:Well, we're excited. We're gonna have uh we're gonna have a lot to talk about here, but we start every podcast the same way, same question. So, Carrie, what are you grateful for today?
SPEAKER_06:What am I grateful for? Well, I'm grateful for my family. Um, you know, I woke up this morning and I took Grant to school, and there was the most beautiful sunrise, and it was full of every color of pink, and it just reminded me that later today I'm gonna get to share Johnny's story, and it just it reminded me, you know, of of God's support. Um, he's the greatest support system that we have, and he's faithful in his word, and just seeing that and a reminder of Johnny and and all his favorite colors was just it was grateful to me. I'm just blessed that I got to wake up and and be reminded of that.
SPEAKER_00:Well, I agree with you, by the way. Um and it's nice, by the way. I mean, here's the thing. Okay, so when we do these podcasts, okay, this is what I want everybody to do. It's called R2A2. So as we go through a podcast, I want everybody to R2A2. So if you're listening to this, here's the here's what R2A2 is recognize, relate, assimilate, and apply. So recognize what somebody says, relate to it. How can I relate to that? How can I take that in? How can I assimilate that? And then how do I apply that? And by doing so, we're not only building our brands, we're living a legacy, but more importantly, we're pouring into other people because we are too A2. Carrie's already started us off with some incredible art. Because what does she just say? First thing is recognize your blessings, recognize, look at all around that we have to be grateful for. Family, fresh air, beautiful sunrise, beautiful sunsets. We'll take the rain on occasion. We need a little rain on occasion, because when it rains, things grow. So, you know, there's probably a lot of Carrie's already said, but you're about to learn there's a lot more. So let's jump into that, Carrie. So in the Texas FFA, Texas FFA Association and Texas FFA Foundation, we started a capstone leadership development/slash community service project program called the Ford Leadership Scholars. Back in 2002, we reached out to Ford Motor Company, who wrote a very comprehensive development proposal, and Ford supported that proposal. That support came from National Ford, Ford Company, Texas Ford dealers. But that support included the naming rights to our building in Austin, Texas, but it was also the endowment seed money for the Ford Leadership Scholars Program. Again, a capstone leadership development program where kids apply. They have to read a book, they take tests, they go through an interview process. It is a very robust process to be chosen as a Ford Leadership Scholar. Ten students are picked across the state of Texas, and then those 10 students will execute a community service project. One of those young men, and that's how Carrie and I met. One of those young men, his name was Johnny Cowan. Carrie, I I want to know more about Johnny, and I want you to share with us who Johnny was. The importance of those things that you and I know are the Live Like Johnny brand. But walk us through that, Carrie. Tell us about, and and you can go ahead and start off and let everybody know that those beautiful pictures behind Carrie, that is Johnny. Such an incredible young man. And unfortunately, he's not here with us anymore. But Carrie, tell us about Johnny. Tell us about how we came to this spot today.
SPEAKER_06:Well, first of all, we came to this spot with him being a Ford Leadership Scholar, I think, because of who he was as far as his intelligence and how involved he was in the FFA. He found his passion in the FFA. Um, at the young age, I guess he was in the seventh or eighth grade. But when he was young, I mean, I knew how intelligent he was because he would tear things apart and rebuild them and he would design things. He built a Jacobs ladder. So I could tell he was he was very, very smart. But to me, he was a light, you know, he was such a bright light, um, so humble and and so kind. Um, he was an amazing role model. And there's so many things that I didn't even know about Johnny until after he passed. And I think it's just because he was so humble um that he never shared all the things he did for others. He just did it because that's who he was. Um, I don't even know if he truly realized the impact he made on other people's lives. I I don't even think he realized it. That's just who he was. He um, you know, he helped kids um at the fair barn with their animals. Um, he helped kids with homework. Um, he always sat with the kids who were sitting alone because he wanted them to feel like like they had friends or um just someone they could lean on. Um give him something, just even the smallest thing, he would be so grateful. Like you'd just give him a million dollars. He was just always so thankful. Um, but he he always knew like when someone needed, you know, the light, like he could tell when I was in a bad mood, and he would come and joke around with me or or try to brighten my day, and that's just who he was. He just he wanted to reach out and make other people happy. That was his personality.
SPEAKER_00:So you saw in him, sounds like his entire life, he was always that kind of young man. Always, and so now think about that. Carrie's already, if we're R2A2 in things, listen to what she's already said. You know, he didn't wait to look for an opportunity to serve, he took advantage of an opportunity to serve. He moved, he he took that initiative. It could have been band, it could have been athletics, it could have been UIL competitions, but it just so happens that FFA kind of became his vehicle to share those talents that he had, if that's fair.
SPEAKER_06:It's fair, but you you also have to think about the teachers that were involved in helping him find what he was passionate about. Because it's those teachers, um, they gave him the confidence and the purpose to pursue those opportunities in order for him to find his passion in the FFA. You know, they were they were huge role models in him finding his purpose. I don't I don't think he really found his purpose or what he wanted to do in life until he found the FFA.
SPEAKER_00:So the teachers, thank you. So the teachers, they all kind of helped navigate him. And then he had these instincts, these bents. And that that FFA program allowed him to do those things. Yeah, it's my understanding that he did that right there in y'all's hometown of Jacksborough.
SPEAKER_06:He did. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Did he like I heard that he tutored kids?
SPEAKER_06:He did. He even helped them with range and you know, I don't even know the name of it, but all the grasses and everything that um all the competitions that he did, you know, he helped um other kids get to where they needed to be. And it wasn't even about them beating him. He didn't care, he just wanted to help them be the best that they could too, even if they beat him, you know.
SPEAKER_00:So he he liked to help other people.
SPEAKER_06:He did.
SPEAKER_00:He he was an encourager, it sounds like. Yeah, I kind of picked up that he was an encourager.
SPEAKER_06:For sure.
SPEAKER_00:We're gonna talk a lot more about. I just wrote all these things down about his passion. I love the word passion, by the way. And and he had it. And you know, maybe one thing I've never shared with you, but I'll share with you. I think one of the things that when you look at Johnny, and just look at those two smiling faces behind you there. When when you looked at Johnny, not only did he have a passion, but I think his passion was driven by a sense of gratitude.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Somewhere along the way, this young man knew that that he had a life to be grateful for. And so what did he wanted to share that with other people? He did, he wanted to empower them. So, you know, I want to say thank you to you because I know as parents, you know, it's tough to raise kids. It is a and you've got a beautiful family. You've got a daughter, an older daughter, and then you've got a younger son. Uh, tell us a little bit about your family.
SPEAKER_06:Well, the greatest gift to me, and honestly, my purpose in life is being a mom. I mean, that that has been the greatest gift and in my purpose in life. And um, my daughter, Alexis, she is uh 24 and she's a dental hygienist and you know, thriving out in Decatur, Texas. And then we have Grant, who is 10, and I truly feel that God gifted us Grant. Um, because Grant was around a year old when Johnny died. And if it weren't for Grant and Alexis, I don't know if I would have had I would have had as much joy after John passed, because it's a very traumatic thing to happen to you to lose a child. It's probably one of the hardest things um a parent can go through is losing a child. And Grant was at the age where he was just so young and so happy that he kept us smiling and he kept us going. And and so between you know, Grant and Lexi, they've been a true blessing, you know, they really have.
SPEAKER_00:Well, I can tell you it was an honor when we had Lexi as one of our foundation ambassadors, and it just it made me smile to watch her doing her thing, and she did it. The the thing that I always appreciated was she was never trying to be Johnny. Yeah, she was being the best version of herself, and I love that by the way. And it's been an honor to watch all of your kids growing up, and y'all are doing a great job, by the way. I just want to say thank you for the fact that I believe a little bit of who Johnny was, somebody planted some of those seeds in his life.
SPEAKER_03:Thank you.
SPEAKER_00:So tell me, um, let's let's go to that day real quick. I don't want to spend a lot of time on it, but tell us about what happened that day and how you got the news.
SPEAKER_06:You're going deep on this one, Aaron. So it was Thanksgiving weekend, and we were prepared. We were in Louisiana for Thanksgiving, and Johnny asked to stay behind because he wanted to go uh to a goat classic, um, a goat show in Haiko. And so he stayed behind with my parents, and um we were getting ready. It was the Friday night, and we were getting ready the next morning to head back home. And Johnny texted me about five in the morning and told me that he was getting ready to leave and you know that he would drive safe and he'd let me know when he got there. Well, I put the phone down, I went back to sleep, I got up, I went downstairs and met with everyone, and then I came upstairs at my in-laws' house to pack and get ready uh to go home. And I was taking um a shower and my husband came walking in, and I could just tell there was something wrong, just the look on his face, and he normally plays practical jokes on me and and you know, tells me certain things, and I'm like, Yeah, right, whatever. Well, he told me, you know, there's been an accident, and I immediately thought, you know, my parents or something like that, because they're getting older, and they said Johnny's been in an accident and he didn't survive. And I just immediately thought, there's no way, how, why, you know, and so I just felt my legs go, they they went numb. And my mother-in-law came running in and she just grabbed me, and she'd also lost a son, and she just said, You know, we have the same heart. I don't have the answers, but we have the same heart. And she knew what I would go through losing a child, and so but he was he was driving um to the goat classic, and he fell asleep and ran off the road and hit a tree. And it was very early in the morning. The um the highway department, they um they showed up at my parents' house knocking on the door um and just told them what happened. And my dad immediately drove to the scene and was there every step of the way until we could get home.
SPEAKER_00:What day was that, Carrie?
SPEAKER_06:That was November 26, 2016. Johnny was 17 years old. So this November will be nine years.
SPEAKER_00:So, um, as a director of the Texas FFA Foundation, I had the opportunity to work with the Ford Scholars that year. And I remember spending some time with Johnny, and that's why I've never forgot his smile. Because he's just always smiling. And I remember that year that uh that that happened. I'd been asked to go to Las Vegas and be on a panel, keynote speaker panel for the International Association of Fairs and Expos. Here are all these people from all over the world from all these fairs and expos. And I'm in a and I'm a room full of just empty chairs. November 26, 2016. And I'm sitting here thinking about the fact that I've got to get up and give a talk, but the whole time I'm there, the only thing going through my mind was that was the day that they were gonna lay Johnny to rest. And as adults, as parents, we're always trying to give our kids tips. Please do this, please do that. And and all of a sudden, this thing in our world came out called social media, where you could go online and you could tell jokes, or you could debate politics, or you could talk about food, you could talk about drama in your community, or drama in your family, or drama in relationships. You you've got this incredible platform where you could say anything you want to say. And I used to tell the kids, I said, when I go on your social media, I ought to know what you're an expert on based on what three things I see the most. He'd have been a Twitter guy. I mean, he'd have been a uh a TikTok guy now, it would have been around. But every time you logged in and you saw Johnny Cowan and you saw his voice, and you saw what he was promoting, he was always promoting FFA, agriculture, leadership, and his family. Everything he posted about had one of those elements, and it was consistent. And I'll never forget that day. I will never forget that day. I said, at 17 years old, Johnny Cowan lived his brand. He lived his brand. When you tuned in to see what he was doing, that was his brand. Agriculture, youth, leadership, and family. And to this day, people that know me on social media, that's my handle is live your brand. And I tell people, I take no credit for it. I take no credit for it. All I've tried to do is encourage kids to do it, but Johnny did it. And because Johnny did, now we get to point to Johnny and say, here's an example. Live like Johnny, live your brand. Because in doing so, you're gonna encourage somebody else, you're gonna equip somebody else, and you're gonna empower somebody else. And that's what Johnny did. And I'm fixing to give you an example of it. Carrie, shortly after that, y'all created the Live Like Johnny organization.
SPEAKER_03:We did.
SPEAKER_00:And you had some missions behind that, some projects behind that. Tell us a little bit about the Live Like Johnny organization and what y'all's focus is on, and why you've identified these things that you're focused on.
SPEAKER_06:So when Johnny first passed away, people were sending money into the bank instead of flowers. I mean, we had tons of flowers, and people just started sending in money, and we were like, what are we gonna do with this money? And so we started a scholarship program. And the reason we did this was because preparing for the funeral, I went digging through some boxes, I went digging through his room, I found binders and note cards and all kinds of stuff that he'd just written down, taking notes at leadership retreats as a Ford scholar. You know, he wrote his mission down, um, he had speeches in there. And so we took everything that we found and created his mission, which was something that he he basically created the organization, if you want to be honest.
SPEAKER_03:Right.
SPEAKER_06:He created the organization, he he had everything in there for an organization. And I didn't originally want to start an organization because I didn't feel like I had enough information to run an organization, right? I didn't have, I wasn't equipped to run an organization. But with good mentors and everything that we had found of Johnny's and the dreams that he had, we wanted to keep those dreams and those memories alive. Um, Johnny, one of his mission statements, um, said that he found his purpose, his passion, and what he wished to pursue. And he wanted to end his FFA career knowing that he had left a meaningful impact on someone's life. And he's worked countless amounts of hours doing what he can to inspire others. And so that's what we want to do with the organization. You know, we we want to leave a meaningful, meaningful impact in the lives of others. Um, we want to change lives and make a difference and do everything that he wanted to do. If he were, if he were still here, he would. He would be doing more than what we were doing, what we're doing now, honestly. But we um so we give out scholarships um to help kids who are lower income and who need the most support. Um, we also have a jacket program. And the reason we have the jacket program, it's when Johnny went on a leadership retreat, he um used some of his money that he wasn't supposed to spend purchasing FFA jackets for two girls um that couldn't afford them. And you know, at first I was angry with them thinking he'd blown his money because he he did that occasionally on things he thought he needed. And when I got on to him and you know, he told me, you know, what he did, you know, of course he put me in my place because I immediately was humbled and just happy that he would do something like that for someone else. And so we carry out that tradition in um in memory of him, just purchasing jackets for kids um who can't afford them. They're their FFA teachers nominate students and we gift them a jacket, and then um we've also partnered with Kubota dealers, and um students can go into a Kubota dealership and recite the creed and actually earn a jacket. So we not only have that, but we have a mentor program called C Support, Encourage, and Engage. And so um students who need help with essays and college applications and things like that, we're there to support them. So we have three different pillars there that um we think really honor John and who he was and how he lived his life. We're just carrying out what he what he started.
SPEAKER_00:This is why I find this so inspiring, by the way. You know, Tom Ziggler, um, I know Carrie knows Tom. He's a friend of ours, and he's on the Texas FFA Foundation board. His father was the late Zig Ziggler, great, great motivational speaker and encourager. And I love what Zig said. Uh Zig and Tom said, we're all gonna leave a legacy. Everybody, everybody's gonna leave a legacy. You're either gonna leave it by design or by default. And they want us to leave a legacy by design. And when I think of Johnny, I can tell you, I don't think Johnny really realized at 17 that he was living such an incredible legacy already. The fact that he was tutoring younger kids, encouraging other kids, telling other kids, let me get you in that FFA jacket. Let me tell you what that jacket's done for me. Let me get you in there so it can do that for you. Let me mentor you. Let me, you know, when I think at 17 years old that he was doing that, that's why I tell people this world would be a lot better off if we could all just live a little more like Johnny. If we could just live like Johnny, to be that encourager, to be that mentor, uh, to be that person that opens those operations, tries to get people into those doors of opportunity. That is why personally, and I guess we should go ahead and divulge. Uh, I'm a board member of the Live Like Johnny organization, and I am so proud to be a board member. I am honored. I don't look at my, I mean, I know I've got a fiduciary responsibility, and that is my job as a board member. But I'm gonna tell you something. As a human being, I'm more driven by the fact that I get to participate in Johnny's legacy. I get a chance to encourage another kid, to help another kid get into a jacket, to help another kid be mentored. Not because what we're doing, but because that's what Johnny did.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:I just, to me, that is energizing. You know, in the foundation ambassador program, I know Lexi probably told you we got a couple of quotes. One of them is, you know, when your values are clear, your choices are easy. When your values are clear, your choices are easy. And the other one is the essence of leadership. The essence of leadership is to plant trees under whose shade you may never sit. And when I think of Johnny's legacy, and I think about the words of encouragement for kids that might not get a lot of words of encouragement, when I think that there's a kid that may get in that FFA jacket, and inside that jacket they're gonna find a note, which I want you to talk about. They might find a note from Johnny, they're gonna find a patch, and that jacket may one day end up in a grandparent's closet, and their grandkids may come in and say, What's this? Oh, what's this patch in here? And that person's gonna get to talk about Johnny Cow. That's a legacy, and how they got that jacket that they earned, by the way. They had to go and say the creed. And you know, they somebody believed in them enough to say, hey, we think that if we can get you in this jacket, you know. Another thing that I wish I wish Johnny, I could talk to you right now because I would tell you this. You know, as adults, this is our job. Our job as adults are to create opportunities. That's our job. Students, your responsibility is to determine the outcome. Johnny was going to encourage you, Johnny was gonna empower you, Johnny was gonna equip you, but you're not entitled to success. The other thing that I know that Johnny did that I want to talk about is I know that he worked hard. And the reason I know he worked hard is because of every story I've ever heard about him and his dedication to goat showing. Is that not true? Was he a hard worker?
SPEAKER_06:He was. He was out there every day walking his goats and putting them on the treadmill, setting them up, showing other kids around there how to set up their goats. And you know, he was he worked very hard. Everything, everything he ever did, he worked hard. He had a very good work ethic. He really did.
SPEAKER_00:I hope the kids and I hope all the students who are listening to this podcast will will hear all this. Uh I've not heard one thing yet that Johnny was handed. Everything I've heard is that Johnny looked looked for a way to serve. He looked for a way to encourage. And he knew that to accomplish all of these things that required hard work. One more thing that I know about Johnny is uh he thought big. And everybody knows me knows that's one of my that's another one of my big sayings. Think big. If you can't think big, you can't inspire big. If you can't think big, the people in your care can never be big. You've got to be able to think big to get others to think big. Part of the Ford Leadership Scholars Program is you have to execute a community service project. Carrie, tell me, what did Johnny Callan do for the community of Jacksboro?
SPEAKER_06:Well, he designed and raised the funds for and built a community dock at our lake here in Jacksboro. So he raised more funds than were needed. Um he used straws to actually design the dock in our kitchen. He hot glued straws together and built the dock exactly how he wanted it. And he met with a designer, and um there's different businessmen in the community who had built docks or had docks on their property, and he went and met with all of them and um he met with several different um people here in town, you know, commissioners, the city of Jacksboro, and and helped raise those funds. And he designed it, raised the funds, ordered all the material, and then a week later is when he passed away. So the community came together because the materials were delivered, the design was ready, the money was there, and the community came together and they um they built the dock that he had designed. It was pretty cool.
SPEAKER_00:Where's that dock at? Tell us so if anybody's ever listening, if you're ever passing through Jacksboro, you you need to stop. Seriously, you need to stop. You need to go see this beautiful, beautiful dock. You need to see the dedicated plaque that they put there for Johnny. But Carrie, where's that dock located?
SPEAKER_06:So we have a lake here in Jacksboro out on Highway 59. So just outside of Jacksboro, off of 199, you can go north on Highway 59, and it's just a couple miles out there on that road.
SPEAKER_00:And I also want to say this about the day that that dock was dedicated. Johnny had a mentor for this project, and there was something that he wanted to go along with this dock, if I recall. Is that right, Carrie?
SPEAKER_06:He wanted a fireworks show, and I was like, no. I mean, he was wanting to cook food for the community, have a fireworks show. I was like, John, it's gonna cost money, it's it's too much, we don't need to do all of that. And and we did. We had the best fireworks show um at the dock when we um once it was built, we um had a dedication, and at the end of it, we had a big firework show, and it it was beautiful and a lot of pinks. He would have been proud.
SPEAKER_00:By the way, Carrie keeps saying the word pink. I want to correct her on that.
SPEAKER_05:It's funny that you say that because I'm always correcting everyone else.
SPEAKER_00:It's not pink, Carrie. What is it?
SPEAKER_05:It's magenta.
SPEAKER_00:Why is it magenta?
SPEAKER_05:Well, because it's more manly. It's purple and pink, but it's not pink.
SPEAKER_00:And Johnny's the one that said magenta. Magenta.
SPEAKER_05:Not pink.
SPEAKER_00:There are so many incredible stories of legacy that have come out of this moment on November 26th. I remember the day we were there filming for your first video, and Tom Ziegler was there. He was, and I never forgot that day because Tom was wearing, y'all didn't coordinate it. No, but Tom was wearing a pink magenta tie. And I said, Wow, Tom, I said, You and Carrie, y'all everybody's got coordinated here. And he said, No, I didn't know that. And then he told me, he said, Aaron, have I ever told you about my ties? And I said, No. And apparently, whenever Zig Ziggler knew that the time was coming that he needed to pass the company on, he told Tom, I need you to take on this responsibility. And Tom said, Dad, I can't do it. I'm not you, I'm not Zig Ziglar. And Zig got up and he left the room and he came back and he gave Tom a box. And when Tom opened it up, it was a box of ties. And he said, Son, whenever you go out and give a talk or do a workshop or make a presentation, he said, just put one of these on and I'll always be with you.
SPEAKER_02:That's amazing.
SPEAKER_00:Every time I see magenta, or that sunrise or that sunset that you described.
SPEAKER_02:Or even if I'm out in the woods hunting and I see a red bird, I think of Johnny Cow.
SPEAKER_00:And I think that's God's way of reminding us that there's an incredible legacy there. That we get to smile and talk about s'mores and chocolate.
SPEAKER_06:Even when I I'm having a bad day, I can take a walk and I'll find a white feather just laying there, you know, on the ground. And I I think of Johnny. So there's reminders all around us if we just take a moment to get away from the busyness of the world and just breathe and enjoy nature. So many blessings around us.
SPEAKER_00:On Friday, this this episode will air before the event that I'm about to tell everybody about it. On Friday, October 3rd, uh, there will be a third annual clay chute to benefit the Live Like Johnny organization. Um, I heard through the grapevine, I I've not confirmed this yet, but I've heard that there's going to be some Live Like Johnny, some uh live your brand caps. So hopefully those will be available through the Live Like Johnny website.
SPEAKER_06:I think they will be.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, just throwing that out there. Uh, or if you'd like to support, obviously uh you can live like Johnny with us. And you know, what do we say about philanthropy? I love bragging about Johnny because we say that philanthropy is the four T's: time, talent, treasure, or testimony. Some people can give their time, some people can give their talent, some have treasure, they can give you treasure. And sometimes people just stand up and share their testimony. Johnny Cowan did all four. Johnny Cowan was truly a philanthropist. And now we get an opportunity to live his legacy while we live our legacy, while we live our brand through events like the clay chute on October 3rd. So I just wanted to throw that plug out there. Um, but Carrie, real quick, a lot of this story is about Johnny, but there's also a part of the story that's about you. A loving mom, a woman of faith, but got hit with right between the eyes with a pretty challenging life experience. And I know you've been on our Growing Our Future leadership series before, where we talked about the importance of faith and leadership, the importance of resiliency. Can you share with us real quick? Just share with us the importance of resiliency and how you get through tough times that you've had to deal with.
SPEAKER_06:Well, uh we all get a choice of how we react to the circumstances in our lives. And my life hasn't been perfect. Um, I've had a lot of things, bad choices. Um it just hasn't been easy. And I learned to rely on God. And I think all of all of the things that have happened to me in my life, whether random things or from my own choices, um it's built my relationship with God to be able to endure the pain of losing a child. And I honestly feel that God has been with me the entire time. I mean, he's given me signs, he's given me strength, um, he's given me peace and joy when I didn't think I would be able to have it. So um it's honestly my faith that's that's gotten me through it. With without my faith and my prayer life, I don't think I would have been able to survive the pain of a tragedy like that.
SPEAKER_00:I just wanted to share that. I wanted you to share that. Thank you for sharing that because it's not easy. It's not easy. But I and as a parent, a grandparent, I've told you many times I can't imagine. I I cannot imagine. But when I get to see Carrie's strength, when I get to hear Carrie's testimony, and everybody's got a testimony, by the way. Everybody watching this, everybody's got a testimony. But when I get to see Carrie and I hear her testimony and I see her faith, I'm I'm R2A2 in that. I'm recognizing it, I'm relating to it, I'm trying, I see where I've got to do a better job sometimes of assimilating it, and I've got to do a better job sometimes of applying it. But Carrie, the reason I wanted you to share that is because it takes courage to share a testimony. It takes courage to have that moment of vulnerability to say, here was a time in life that I got knocked down. But guess what? You didn't get the best of me.
SPEAKER_06:Right. And, you know, they say if you want to know where to find your contribution to the world, look at your wounds. And when you learn how to heal your wounds, teach others. And to me, losing Johnny, it's a wound, it's a deep cut, it's a broken heart. And um, that's my goal is to reach out to others and teach them, you know, how to still live their life with with joy and learn how to adapt to a new life without your child because you're gonna see them again.
SPEAKER_00:Well, that's what let me let's jump on that for just a second because I want everybody to know this is another example of what Carrie's done. Um, Carrie, you know, I read a book one time, The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brendan Manning. And Brendan Manning talks about how he said man is the only one that can loot, can misuse a hurt. God wants to use a hurt. And what Carrie has done is she, by sharing her testimony and studying, she's gone through some personal training, she's gone through some legacy training, she's gone through some grief training, grief training. Um, because she's done that, she's written a book. Uh, she's got you know this incredible uh you know battery that you've built up of resources that you can share now. So now you're you're kind of like that person that people can reach out to and say, listen, I've been there.
SPEAKER_06:And I'm not perfect, I don't have all the answers, but that's that's who God uses, right? Broken imperfect people who are learning how to figure things out. I mean, I I feel like God can use me to help others in those ways. And so yeah, it's not easy, but it's what I want to do.
SPEAKER_02:Is there anything else you want us to know about Johnny? I miss him. Me too.
SPEAKER_00:You know, the other day we were on the phone and you said something that really shook me. You said this would have been about the year he'd have been running for state office.
SPEAKER_02:I think he'd have won. Nah.
SPEAKER_00:He'd have been national president.
SPEAKER_05:He would have been that was his dream. He was gonna become a national MFA officer.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, he'd have been national president. I've said it many times and I will say it right now one more time. Uh I wouldn't have mind been at a show somewhere and Johnny said, Let me introduce you to my mom, let me introduce you to your my dad, or whatever. I would have taken it. I don't know that I don't know that I like necessarily that I've gotten to know Carrie and her family the way that I have. Um, because I'd give it all back to have Johnny back. Because like you said, I'm missing. But I'm also inspired by what I get to see that you're doing, that the Live Like Johnny organization's doing. And, you know, if anything, I I don't know. Maybe what we need to do is we need to try to get to the governor or something, but we need to do a live like Johnny Day. And maybe we could have a live like Johnny Day, or maybe Texas FFA or something. We got to figure this out. There's got to be some way. But at least this platform gives us an opportunity to say that there was one FFA member in Jacksborough, Texas, that believed in his community. He believed in agriculture, he believed in FFA. He believed that he, if he lent himself and poured a little bit of himself and a little bit of his entire into others, that he could make a positive difference. And I would tell you that he has and that he will continue to do so. Carrie, thank you for joining us today.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, thank you, Aaron.
SPEAKER_00:And I hope that we're able to capture this one moment to share the incredible story of Johnny and what he meant and what he did, and the fact that we've got things that are ongoing to keep that legacy going. And by the way, it's just like being a Ford scholar. Mitchell Dell and I talk about this all the time, who was with Ford Motor Company and helped us with the program. You don't have to be a Ford scholar to be a Ford scholar. Anybody that hears this podcast could go back and do a community service project.
SPEAKER_02:Yes.
SPEAKER_00:You don't have to be a foundation ambassador to be an ambassador to your local community, leadership, or agriculture. But I'm glad we have these programs, and I'm glad that we have Live Like Johnny to share with others what it means when we say live like Johnny. Because that's pretty good. Yeah. All right, Carrie. So I'm gonna ask you one last question, fun question. And I might even ask this twofold just to see if you know. So everybody gets a fun question at the end. So I'll ask you personally first. What's the best concert you've ever been to?
SPEAKER_06:Oh, the best. So my first concert was Clay Walker. I was probably 17. But the best concert. Okay, so my husband and I bought a new vehicle. And when we were buying this vehicle, we hit it off at the sales rep. And he said, Hey, y'all want to go to this concert with us tonight? It's at this little hotel. We were like, Okay, you know, we we didn't know who we were going to see, we didn't know what to expect at all. We get there and they tell us it's Gary Stewart. We're waiting and we're waiting, and then finally, in Gary Stewart style, he comes in and late and maybe had a little bit too much to drink. But there were only 15 to 20 people in that room, and he sang to us for hours and sat with us, visited with us, he signed autographs on my back, he kept kissing me on the cheek. It was just so fun because you got to really know who Gary Stewart was. It was just a lot of fun. Yeah. I've never had an experience quite like that. I've always been to you know, concerts that were really big and oh yeah, got to meet the singer, but this was this was very intimate and personal, and it was it was fun. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. What about Johnny? Do you do you happen to know did Johnny ever say that there was a concert or anything that ever really stood out to him?
SPEAKER_06:No, I don't think Johnny ever went to a concert.
SPEAKER_00:Well, I'm sure he went to the FFA concerts. I was once, yeah. But I was just curious if there was ever anything that he had we know that he liked Ron Burgundy because I meant Anchorman, I meant, I gotta tell y'all, the more I've learned about Johnny, the more I like him because he had this really cool sense of humor. And so I knew that he was an anchor man guy.
SPEAKER_06:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:And that's why I was curious if he ever had any concerts that just he talked about maybe more than others.
SPEAKER_06:Well, let's let's remember that he he was a boy, so he didn't talk a lot or embellish on a lot of the fun things that he did, and he was very focused. Um, but he he did have a lot of fun. He he did a lot of experiments and um crazy things. Um, but yeah, he had fun too. He wasn't all, you know, he wasn't always making an impact. He was out having fun too.
SPEAKER_00:That's that's why I shared that, because that's what I'm saying. The more I've learned about him and his sense of humor, that's you know, I think that's what brought him happiness was being happy with others.
SPEAKER_06:That's what drew people to him, too, was his personality. You know, he was he was always cracking jokes and falling down to make people laugh. He just he wanted to make people happy, so he was just a jokester.
SPEAKER_00:So one of the things about the reason I like to ask the question about concerts is because concerts are made up of music, they're made up of lyrics and they're made up of memories.
SPEAKER_02:Johnny gave us a lot of beautiful music. He did. And we get to play it on heart strings and we get to share it with others.
SPEAKER_00:Um thank you for joining us today, Carrie. Um again, Eric, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for stopping by. Um I hope if anything, everybody that watches this podcast walks away and says, you know, I I want to live a little bit more like Johnny. If if this young man could have this impact, imagine what it would be like if everybody that watched this podcast went out and did the same thing. Oh my gosh, what an incredible and beautiful legacy that would be.
SPEAKER_06:Wouldn't the world be a better place if everyone lived like Johnny?
SPEAKER_00:It would be. It would be so good. We'd be laughing, we'd be smiling, we'd be encouraging. Anyway, all right, until we meet again, everybody go out, do something great for somebody else. Heck, if anything, after this podcast, go live like Johnny. Carrie, thanks again for joining us.
SPEAKER_06:Thank you, Erin.
SPEAKER_01:We hope you've enjoyed this episode of the Growing Our Future podcast. This show is sponsored by the Texas FFA Foundation, whose mission is to strengthen agricultural science education so students can develop their potential for personal growth, career success, and leadership in a global marketplace. Learn more at mytexasfa.org.
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