Brandon Dodson's Story — Serving, Sacrifice, and a Smart Home Built for the Future

Recorded live at the 2026 NWFA Expo, Chris and Stephanie sit down with Gary Sinise Foundation Ambassador Brandon Dodson and his wife, Jasmine, specially adapted smart home recipients, to hear their story firsthand. Brandon reflects on his military journey and the challenges he's faced, while Jasmine shares her perspective as part of the growing community of RISE recipients supported by Gary Sinise Homes. Chris and Stephanie also spotlight how NWFA gives back through its partnership with the Gary Sinise Foundation, and how you and your company can get involved.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

All right. Hey, welcome everybody. Real answers podcast. We've missed you. It's been a while. But uh we're revamped. We got a new show. Today we're we're it's you could call it our grand opening, I guess, our reinvention. We are at the NWFA convention in Orlando, Florida. Today's topic is gonna be the Gary Sinise Foundation. And I'm gonna I'm here again with my wonderful co-host, Stephanie Owen. Game artist. Yes. Uh and we got Brandon and Jez, who are uh rise recipients of uh Gary Sinise Home. So, Steph, how are you doing today?

SPEAKER_00 0:32

Good, Chris. Super excited about today. So today's episode is a little bit different than business, just strictly business. We're talking about something that's a little bigger than business. It's more about the impact that the industry can have on people's lives and how you as your company can do something philanthropic by being involved with the Gary Sneeze Foundation. And just over the last couple days, getting to know Brandon and Jazz a little bit more, um, sharing some stories. They've got a lot of great stuff to share with us and just about the impact that the home has had on their lives. Um, and then to make that connection of like how can other NWFA members do that too? And we'll talk about that too. So super excited to have you guys, Brandon.

SPEAKER_03 1:11

Thanks for having us. Uh here we'll swing to Michael.

SPEAKER_01 1:15

Hi, everyone. Uh, thank you for having us. This is awesome to be able to um see this cool expo and all the beautiful work you guys do.

SPEAKER_00 1:22

So let's start by just telling us a little bit about your story and how you became connected with GSF.

SPEAKER_03 1:28

I became connected with GSF while my when I was doing my recovery at Walter Reed because I was injured on my fifth deployment on my last mission. Uh I was a Marine, I was a platoon sergeant, staff sergeant, and had a bad day at work. And uh basically I was on a patrol, stepped on an IED, and that caused uh both legs to be amputated and shattered my pelvis and uh among other injuries. Um it was 28 minutes from blast to getting put into a coma. And during that time, I was conscious the whole time, so I remember every second of it. So it's wild.

SPEAKER_02 2:11

There's something that you said. We heard this story, and it is a remarkable story. Uh, the thing that I thought was incredible when I heard the full story, and we're not cutting you guys short from hearing this, but was this you said 28 minutes from blessed. When he got on the chopper, and you were still awake, and then they put you in that induced coma. Yes, and you were out for two days, three days.

SPEAKER_03 2:38

Two days.

SPEAKER_02 2:39

Um, and then for me, it was just so impactful because that began your next journey of two years.

SPEAKER_03 2:47

Yes, two years of recovery at Walter Reed.

SPEAKER_02 2:50

Uh you lived at Walter Reed.

SPEAKER_03 2:52

Yes, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center outside of uh DC, the president's hospital. And it was the first three months was inpatient, and that was surgery recovery. And it was surgeries Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Monday, Friday, Monday, Friday, Monday, Friday. Just my pelvis injury needed so much time and washouts and cleanouts. My legs were uh pretty much stitched up, stapled, skin grafted two weeks after injury, and uh the pelvis took a long time to heal. And then the remaining of the two years of that was relearn how to rock, walk, rehab, yeah, you know, everything else.

SPEAKER_02 3:30

We we work with uh Travis Mills and he talked about how when he got his first set of legs, you know, prior to being blown up, he was 6'4 and then he was 5'2.

SPEAKER_03 3:42

Yeah, you get the shorties, you start shorty, and then he learned to walk under shorty.

SPEAKER_02 3:46

And I gotta tell you guys that are listening today, I'm looking at his legs right now. He's got some pretty cool feet.

SPEAKER_03 3:51

Very cool, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:52

The unbelievable design on him. Uh, your attitude towards life is tremendous, Jazz. Yours as well. I mean, how's this been for you?

SPEAKER_01 4:01

It's been crazy, you know. Like it it can seem like it just happened yesterday, but then when you stop and like tell your story and relive it, you're like, damn, that was it's been a wild 14 years, you know, that we've been doing this. And I can tell the story and go back to it, and I can I have that physical reaction of like I am right back in that moment of when I got the phone call if he's been injured, you know, and being back at the hospital. So it it's it's crazy, but you know, we've been in it, we've been doing it for 14 years now.

SPEAKER_02 4:33

So this is your life.

SPEAKER_01 4:34

This is life.

SPEAKER_02 4:35

My mom used to say this is the new normal. It is and and this is how we tackle it. And by the way, we got two Marines here, not one Marine. That's true. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 4:44

And I was a Marine before him. Let's just let that be clear.

SPEAKER_02 4:47

Um I don't know this. Do you out do you outrank him?

SPEAKER_01 4:51

No, I did not outrank him, but he was a boomer.

SPEAKER_00 4:57

Well, let's back up just a little bit and talk about your when you got your home and like what that impact made for not just Brandon, but you jazz too, as a mom.

SPEAKER_02 5:07

Yeah, and for the for those of you don't know this, the Gary Sinise Foundation builds houses for our troops that are learning their adaptive lifestyle. So talk about that.

SPEAKER_03 5:20

Yeah, the Gary Sinise Foundation has many programs that it has under its umbrella, but the one of the big ones is the Rise, restoring independent, supporting, empowerment. And that's, yeah, like you said, fully adaptive, custom smart homes for wounded warriors. And that means we design our shower, our bathtub, our hallways, and everything. The homes are uniquely designed to every individual that gets one, whether it's military or now they've they've the foundation has grown, they've opened it up to first responders, firefighters, uh, any you know, sort of law enforcement that get injured in line of duty.

SPEAKER_02 5:57

And the house is tailored to to your individual needs. For example, um, Luisa Vila, we did his house. Uh Claudia, she's amazing. And um so the different houses have unique things. You you could have a system in the in the ceiling um that will pick you up and bring you, you know, from the bed to the home has a lot more adaptions because he has a lot more needs.

SPEAKER_03 6:22

Right. I'm only a double amputee, so my needs are met by having a nice big shower that I can transfer into and you know, stoves and uh microwaves and stuff mounted lower and hardwood floors.

SPEAKER_02 6:36

I'm not a big fan of rugs. See, yeah, yeah. I hear all that. I hear all that, but the other thing I just heard is I mean, the courage is amazing, it's coming through. I'm only a double amputee. Only.

SPEAKER_00 6:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:48

Well, I I'm only have all my limbs and everything, and I'm grateful for it, and I'm grateful for the service you guys provide because none of us can do what we do. And along the lines of that, one of the things we teach um on Real Answers is C and R Flooring, my wood flooring company, we're we're a philanthropic company, and we teach guys get involved, let the community know that you're getting involved because people are trying to make a decision on who to hire. Well, hire a company, a community cares company, which is how we brand ourselves, but it's it's not an empty wish. We put it out there where NWFA is 88 homes now.

SPEAKER_00 7:31

88, 88 of the 100 plus 103 homes.

SPEAKER_03 7:35

103 We were home around 44, 45 back in yeah, 2018. And now my buddy just got Jason Pacheco, just got a home uh outside of San Diego at he's number 103.

SPEAKER_02 7:47

And you were quoted the other day as saying um that long journey to getting the house, and then when you finally moved in, somebody told you uh the vacation starts today.

SPEAKER_03 7:59

The vacation starts then. Like you can travel, and as soon as you leave your adaptive home, the world is not wheelchair friendly. The like you can have an adaptive room or hotel room, and it's or you travel internationally, you just cannot expect accommodations. It's you know, you just got a deal, which is fine. Marines over uh adapt and overcome. But then when you go home, and then it's like I can get in my wheelchair and I know I'm not only able to shower comfortably, but more safely, it yeah, there's that weight lifted off your shoulders, that little bit of relaxation that you just don't get anywhere else.

SPEAKER_00 8:37

Jazz. What was so special about you guys' story, we you know, we've been involved with Gary Sinise now for this is 11 years.

SPEAKER_02 8:46

Yeah, well, I mean I did Luis's house 10 years ago, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 8:50

And Barbatis has done a great job of bringing us different ambassadors in the program to share their stories. But what was really neat about this one as special was that we heard from another Marine, but also a caretaker, a mother, and how this experience has impacted you and what the home did for you, and how it impacted you as a woman and a wife, um, as a very independent woman and a wife. So tell us a little bit about what this home did for you.

SPEAKER_01 9:20

You know, I was when we were telling our story, it was, you know, I am independent. I was used to being on my own and I found my way and I love it, I didn't love it, but you know, I was okay being alone. And so once he got injured, my life stopped. We had a young child, he was a year and a half, so my whole world became let's get this man like recovered, you know, my husband and taking care of the son. So it's like my needs and wants were put to the side. It wasn't even like a thought in my brain. And um, and that all that's tough, you know, when you're used to doing your own thing and you know, doing what you want and having the freedom to do that, it it really affects your like mental. And so it took a while to get to a point, but this house, it allowed us to like Brandon was allowed to be independent, he was able to take care of our son, and so that allowed me to realize, like, okay, shoot, like I'm and I'm in a rough spot, you know. Like, I need to worry about my health now. Like, my son and my husband are now safe in this home. They can care for each other. Okay, chick, let's get with it. Like, let's start to like, you know, put some of your interest back into your life and get you kind of figuring out where you're gonna be now, you know, because I'm a different person now. It's been 14 years, you know. I wasn't the young 30-some year old I was back then, you know? And so, I mean, I've also evolved, but it's, you know, now we're in a new season of life. And so I can figure out what I want to do and what interests me now. And and I'm and it's oh and it's okay to like let go of that fear because I know they're safe in that house. Right.

SPEAKER_02 11:06

Do you guys find yourselves out there? Um, I know that Brandon told me last night when we were hanging out, um, that Travis used to come visit you in your room and you know, give you inspiration. Do you find yourselves going to other veterans and that are starting that struggle or in the struggle and saying, brother, you know, here's what's up.

SPEAKER_03 11:32

When I was still at Walter Reed, when I was a year and a half and two years into my recovery, there was there were some other guys coming up, and yeah, I would I would absolutely uh go out and talk to them. There has been times in San Diego where it we're we're pretty close to Camp Pendleton. So I've been able to like go on base and and talk to guys or maybe get invited to a ball and and talk. And yeah, I'm and you you know me for a couple of minutes, you'll realize I'm I'm a social butterfly. I'm gonna make friends wherever I go.

SPEAKER_02 12:03

So you are definitely not shy. We've seen that in the last three days. I personally we could hang out.

SPEAKER_01 12:09

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 12:10

So, guys, if you're on your way to work or if you're sitting in your office and you're listening today, um, one of the things I want to try to get across is, and and why we have Brandon and Jazz here for this, is when you get involved from our side of this, okay. I can tell you from experience, I've done three of the houses. Um, and one of the houses we did for Cedric King. Do you know Cedric? Yes, what a great guy.

SPEAKER_03 12:36

Very good. He was the first wounded warrior to walk into my hospital room.

SPEAKER_02 12:40

His book, The Making Point. Just amazing. But when we did his house, we were having difficulty finding somebody to get that house done. Not his Rye's house, but the house he moved from. We also remodeled and then they sold it. And so I got these two other um NWFA members involved, and I said, guys, just go in and do it. I'll send you the money. Don't think you have to donate this. And but we need to get this done. And they jumped on it. And when they finished it, they came, they called me up and they go, it's done. And I said, Great, what do I owe you? And they go, Well, we were talking about this, and we think you realized we even when you told us you were gonna pay us that when we were done, there was no way we were gonna take the money, and they were so emotional about it because when you get involved and do one of these houses, you feel amazing because the gratitude that that you get for doing it, and I don't mean from you guys, it's being a part of doing these homes is so special, and so guys, when there's one going up in your area, you want to be involved because you won't believe how much you will grow from doing this. And and I watched at that next convention, those two guys from Carolina, Cedric was our speaker. I don't know if you remember having Cedric as a speaker, and these two guys they ran up, they were hugging, and just great stuff.

SPEAKER_03 14:11

I mean, I remember when we were getting the home built, I was on site three to four times a week, just checking it out, walking around, you know, experiencing it even. And the foundation uses amazing builders and contractors, and every person, every time knew my name and knew my story. You know, they knew my dog's name. Like it, it was you, you really felt that through the foundation because it is a growing larger foundation, opening up to first responders and law enforcement, and like you said, in your area, because it could be anywhere. They tell you where do you want to live, and the the the you know, the the recipient picks where they want to live, so it could be anywhere. And they it the people that the foundation attracts are the right kind of people. The relationship step of the way.

SPEAKER_02 15:04

It's amazing. I can tell you, um, it was probably about three or four months ago. I had dinner with Claudia and uh Luis Avila, and I did their house 10 years ago. Just two weeks ago, Chris Miller from Ohio, um, single amputee, um, he reached out because he was cooking from my cookbook with his kids, and he's sending us pictures. So the relationship that you build when you do one of these, it you don't finish the job like we do for Mrs. Jones, and you never hear from him again. You stay involved.

SPEAKER_00 15:37

Well, one of the other things I think that's I want to convey here is the need, right? It's um there's a hundred and three homes that have been completed. I mean, but there's a number of of your brothers and your sisters that are still out there needing homes. And Gary Snee's foundation is only as powerful, and I could probably say this for Barbara, who's around the corner somewhere, as powerful as the volunteers and the people that are giving back to the organization. They do a wonderful job, like you said, of bringing together these people, but we need more, right? Um, we need we need more.

SPEAKER_02 16:16

Absolutely. You know, um, I remember when we went to the dedication for Luis Sevilla's house, and also the dedication day is special. Uh, going into the house during framing and signing the walls and the walls.

SPEAKER_03 16:29

The balls of honor ceremony. Just Gary writes a specific message for every recipient, and then you have all your friends and family come over and write a bunch of funny messages or draw jokes on the floor, and you know what's coming if you get some marines with some sharpies all over the wood panels.

SPEAKER_02 16:46

I have my friend Wayne Paradise, a marine. We were talking about him last night. I won't give him a sharpie.

SPEAKER_03 16:51

Yeah, yeah. But again, that's like I say, our DNA is in that home because you pick everything from the flooring, the lighting, how everything is, the fixtures, everything. But then inside the home, you've it's it's it's so personal to us. It's yeah, it's amazing.

SPEAKER_00 17:09

How has it impacted you beyond the physical side of it? I mean, we just heard a little bit about jazz, but how about you, Brandon?

SPEAKER_03 17:17

There was a moment on the first day, second day we had the house where my friend said something like, Where's B? Where's B? Because before, if I go to someone else's house and we're going in and out of the back patio and you got that big step, I'm not going in and out. I'm gonna be go out there butt scoot on my leg or on my butt and then hop into a chair and I'm stationary. I'm not the guy running and grabbing drinks. I can't host, you know, or I go to someone else's house and we're going upstairs to do something. Well, I'm doing that one time, you know, and I'm not doing back and forth. But at my home, my wheelchair is accessible to every square inch of the home, including the outside. So all of a sudden my friends are like, where do you go? Where'd he go? He can just be anywhere.

SPEAKER_02 17:57

You know, that was at your home, you get to be a host.

SPEAKER_03 18:00

Yes, exactly. I can do that. And that's empowering. Yeah. Or when we were at Walter Reed during my recovery, my son was two years old. He kind of figured out where he knew the part of the apartment I my chair couldn't get to, which is kind of funny, but it's also means again, going back to what Jazz was saying, is I couldn't be left alone with him because I couldn't get there, and I wasn't at the time strong enough to move and get out of my chair and grab him or do anything. So I really couldn't be a dad. Right. So this home allows me to be a dad fully. Again, that's that's that's the life-changing side or the side of uh the Rise program. And again, it's it's nice to have a wheelchair, accessible home, and I can transfer in and out of my shower easily, but I could be a dad, I could be there, I can be present.

SPEAKER_02 18:47

That empowerment, um, I you know, that's something you said the other day, too. You were talking about being at that Walter Reed house, and and he he he was saying how at his new home with the hardwood floors, it you know, your wheelchair goes room to room to room, and he said at the Walter Reed house, he goes, you know, they got that little stupid lip at the threshold between the linoleum tile and the carpet, and it just launches you out of the chair. Man, you got a laugh or two uh the other night when you told that story. But the reality is what you when you hear it, you think to yourself, This is this is life. And so these houses are are taking those problems away.

SPEAKER_00 19:28

And those are things that we take for granted every day. Every day, every day. Every day. So if somebody's you know, this is a real answers podcast for for our industry. If somebody's listening today and wondering like if their work really matters or makes a difference, what's one real answer you'd give them?

SPEAKER_03 19:46

100%, yes. I mean, that's that's it. Um I never had any sort of experience to nice homes or anything. My dad was a brand. I grew up on base housing, so it's like that Walter Reed house, linoleum tile and crappy carpet and stuff. And then just stepping into this home, it's like everything is so top-notch and didn't specifically with the floors. Again, uh, I have starts appreciated hardwood floors so much more now, being a wheelchair user. It is my one of my top three thing favorite things about the house.

SPEAKER_02 20:23

Steph and I have the luxury of sitting here in front of these two, and you should see their smiles. They love their home. Yeah, it's fairly obvious.

SPEAKER_03 20:31

We're eight years into it, and we're still in the honeymoon phase with it. We we'll jazz or we were saying if somebody new comes to the home, we get excited about it because we're like, you you need the tour. You're getting the whole tour. I'm gonna show you every room, I'm gonna show all the smart features, and I'm gonna make you go touch my bathroom tile and you know, we'll show you the yeah, we we call it the Skynet. I call it the Skynet closet because it's got the big computer tower uh that runs the whole house and it's got its own little AC and its own little room and everything. Yeah, it's the whole modem tub brain of the house. Uh yeah, it's yeah, we're still very much in love with it. And it's our forever home, and that's what the program is designed to be. Forever homes. We were in the Marine Corps, we move every three years. So you move in, you move out quick. You move in, you move out quick. But when we moved into this home, we got to kind of just slow down. We don't have to do all of we don't, we can just slowly start to live in it because we're gonna be living in it forever. I heard you got a bit of a view, too. We have an amazing view. We're in North County, San Diego, and we're not we're not on the water or anything, but the foothills of North County, and all of the palm trees, in my view, are not on my property, so I don't have to pay to maintain them or none of that. But they're in my view. Secondary bonus. Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 21:49

What's one message that you would want that you would hope our industry and our listeners would take away from your story?

SPEAKER_03 22:00

Going back to the impact that you can give to your community and RISE program with the Gary Snease Foundation is is only one thing. Like we were at the awards last night, and there were guys doing all sorts of amazing stuff for communities, whether that's helping people in need, people that couldn't afford it, uh boys' homes, YMC, you know, whatever they were doing.

SPEAKER_02 22:18

I just give it out a little more because we actually talked about that last night, you and I, and and you said um, I don't want to put more words in your mouth, but you were leading up to the fact that there's a lot of programs out there, they're not all good programs.

SPEAKER_03 22:32

That's yeah, that's the other thing. There's probably what, 40,000 nonprofits that specifically benefit veterans. And while I as at Walter Reed for two years, they all came knocking on my door. And they don't all have the correct. And the ones that I still associate with af 10 plus years after my injury are the are the really good ones. And the top one is Gary Snease by days.

SPEAKER_02 22:56

Well, well, you you would Gary himself delivers the message perfectly every time. I personally myself could not be more proud to be an American and to help our veterans, to help our first responders. That message resonates with me, not because I was in the service, but because I actually believe that I have a successful business and that opportunity was created by our military, by because they kept us safe. So again, I say thank you to that. Yes, uh service is amazing, and you can be in service to our country and you can be in service to others, and that's where I find myself in my career.

SPEAKER_03 23:32

My philanthrop philanthropy is service to others, to people like both of you, and we appreciate it and we we see it. It made it does make an impact, at least on our side for all the the vets out there. We yeah, we see it.

SPEAKER_02 23:46

Right on, game on.

SPEAKER_00 23:47

Let's wrap this up. We got like one question. If someone were sitting across the table from you looking for a real answer, well any we'll we'll do let you do both. So, Brandon, what would you tell them about the impact they can have? A real answer.

SPEAKER_03 24:07

A real answer, the impact you could have. It takes effort, but it's worth it.

SPEAKER_01 24:13

You know, a way that I think you could ignite your passion and want to get involved is um, I mean, obviously the NWFA is a partner with GSF, you know. If if you're wondering where you could, like reach out to you guys, you know, even if it's we touched earlier about if you see something coming up in your neighborhood, you know, they pop the signs up right away. Like this land is going to so and veteran so-and-so. Stop by, say hi, you know. Um it's it's it's not just about that one family moving in, it's not just about my family, you know, it's getting involved, and there's so many other families out there that can benefit from your patriotism and how you want to give back, you know, it's it it just doesn't end here, you know. There's so much more out there, and I I just just ask. Someone's gonna know about it, you know. Reach out and just ask how you can.

SPEAKER_02 25:14

And if you don't get involved, this is a Marine on the other end over here. And I'm gonna send her your way because you will get involved.

SPEAKER_00 25:24

Well, that was awesome. And I just want to say an incredible thank you for your service, for your bravery, both of you, and for also coming to our show and sharing your story and being so um open and honest and um and just vulnerable in this situation. Like that, it means a lot to us as an organization. Um and again, it I think it does ignite other people's passion, um just in general. So just thank you for sharing your story, thank you for your service. You're welcome. I hope we're friends for a long time. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:01

Oh, that's a given. I want to say one thing. And and and thank you for your sincerity because you didn't blow into town from San Diego to your 20-minute talk the other night, and then jump right in. And, you know, I gotta go home. You've been here for three days. And so thank you for your time here.

SPEAKER_01 26:20

You're welcome. They and you know, thank you for wanting to hear a story. You know, like you guys saw me, you saw me get up there, I was sweating bullets, you know. This isn't my favorite thing to do to talk about myself, you know. Um, I think that's why me and Brian are such like an amazing like duo, is he loves it. I love being behind the scenes. That's what fills my heart, you know. Um, I always say the donors and the people like doing in-kind stuff, that yes, they have things that are like if I were to make a monetary donation, it wouldn't even be pennies to what these people are doing. But because we are a family living, breathing, and we are recipients, like I will share every last breath of how this helps our family, you know, and I will be here till I die talking about the great things. And so it's that makes me happy that I it like I said, it's not just for my family, it's for all the other families that are recipients and the ones we're trying to find to get into these homes to like have their lives changed by this, you know. It's like one of his friends, you know, our friend Pacheco just got his home. Two years ago, I was sitting on the plane with him because he's a sled hockey teammate, and I get your ass in there and sign up for this, and I would show him pictures and I would talk about it. He finally just got his home. And the night before, I was like, Checo, two years ago, we were talking. I was trying to get you to do this. Now he's in there with his family. He's showing footage of him in his wheelchair. So it's it's about being able to get more people, this life-changing thing.

SPEAKER_02 28:04

Well, I I know we're wrapping up here, but there's you know, there's something that people don't realize. And um, we had our golf tournament a couple years ago, and two of the individuals that played in my foursome uh were both uh ex-Marines, and the the match was going so slow. It was a death march, it was a six-hour round, and if you golf, you know that sucks. So, and I turned to the two guys, and this is my point here. Listen to this is nobody realizes just what you go through, what normal was. And so I said to them, guys, I'm so sorry about this long-winded day. I apologize. And they looked at each other and they go, Are you kidding me? We're having the best day ever. You have no idea. And and he looks at the other Marine and he goes, Yeah, nobody's shooting at us. And I it was such an impactful statement because that was normal to them being shot at and being blown up. And man, thank you so much.

SPEAKER_03 29:13

And thanks for having us, man. We're eternally grateful, eternally grateful, truly.

SPEAKER_02 29:18

Game on. Well, this has been a real conversation at the Real Answers Podcast here at NWFA Orlando. Ignite your passion, get involved. Thank you very much. Thanks for listening at home. Good luck at the job. Stay safe.