Try That in a Small Town Podcast

Brad Lea joins the Try That in a Small Town podcast and absolutely unloads. From building Lightspeed and the Dropping Bombs brand to calling out weak mindsets, traditional gender roles, AI-written songs, government lies, moon landings, flat earth rabbit holes, COVID vaccines, and “dipshitty of the week” — nothing is off limits.
Hear how a high school dropout built a training empire, why mindset, skill set, and habits are the real cheat codes, why most people quietly choose to stay broke, and how social media, politics, and conspiracies all tie back to belief and personal responsibility. This one is part masterclass, part bar fight.

3:34 “I’m not an influencer” – building real businesses vs being a personality
4:12 Inventing Lightspeed: from broke sales trainer to training software pioneer
7:00 Eight years to “overnight success” and almost missing payroll
9:01 Mission: getting knowledge from people who have it to people who need it
10:01 Aladoxophobia – fear of other people’s opinions
13:40 From high school dropout to employing PhDs and MBAs
15:10 Commission, mindset, skills, habits: Brad’s simple formula for getting rich
18:24 Content machine: cameras, social media, and “you are the content”
21:10 Helping broke people vs rich people and why most never change
23:33 Tough love: self-worth, appearance, and being judged in real life
28:16 Choices, free will, and why most people pick misery without realizing it
31:06 College, AI, and why relationships matter more than degrees
37:19 “The right woman wants a king” – Brad’s take on marriage and money
41:17 Would he let his wife work for another man? Lines, loyalty, and control
44:32 Ambition, freeloaders, and “who raised your ass?”
52:01 Perseverance in music: staying in line until the song finally gets cut
57:27 Transgender sports, common sense, and cultural insanity
1:04:08 AI music, Suno, fake artists, and how writers are really using AI
1:10:03 Borders, wasteful spending, and why “we the people” have no eject button
1:18:04 Aliens, disclosure, and weird Florida mall footage
1:21:18 Did we land on the moon? Brad’s problems with the footage and story
1:29:03 Scripture, luminaries, and why some people flirt with flat earth
1:34:34 God, intelligent design, and what we actually know
1:35:34 Dipshitty of the Week: waiters, nose pickers, left‑lane campers, and mashed potatoes guys
1:43:48 Willie’s weed drink, alcohol, and getting older
1:47:01 COVID, vaccines, pressure in entertainment, and not trusting the government
1:53:36 Wrap‑up: bombs dropped, minds blown, and thanks to Brad Lea

Follow Brad:
www.bradlea.com
www.droppingbombs.com
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Don’t get fooled by other cellular providers pretending to share your values or have the same coverage. They don’t and they can’t!
Go to PATRIOTMOBILE.COM/SMALLTOWN or call 972-PATRIOT
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Original Brands - Our original sponsor since the beginning!!
Original brands is starting a new era and American domestic premium beer, American made, American owned, Original glory.
Join the movement at www.drinkoriginalbrands.com

Peacemaker Coffee Company
Founded by retired police officer/chief Chris Morris, Peacemaker delivers clean, low-acidity coffee while supporting police, firefighters, EMS, military, veterans, teachers, dispatchers, and medical personnel through donations and programs.

www.trythatinasmalltowncoffee.com
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Follow/Rate/Share at www.trythatinasmalltown.com -
For advertising inquiries, email info@trythatinasmalltown.com
Produced by Jim McCarthy and www.ItsYourShow.co
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sage Steele joins the Try That In A Small Town podcast for an honest, uncensored look at sports media, politics, faith, and standing up when it could cost you everything. She shares the real story behind her controversial Obama comments, the COVID vaccine moment that changed her career at ESPN, suing Disney while still on air, and why she refuses to back down from her convictions.
The crew also dives into the “Try That In A Small Town” backlash, country music, Jason Aldean’s TV bans, social media burnout, raising kids with values, and how Sage found love and a second chance at marriage in Nashville.
If you care about free speech, faith, sports, country music, and common sense, this one’s for you.
TIMED HIGHLIGHTS / CHAPTERS:

00:17:08 – Is “Sage Steele” a real name? Childhood, identity and keeping her name after marriage
00:19:02 – Growing up a military kid: Earth, Wind & Fire, Lionel Richie, James Taylor and first concerts
00:22:34 – First reaction to “Try That In A Small Town” and why Sage never saw it as racist
00:24:22 – Sponsor break: Original Glory beer and Patriot Mobile
00:25:40 – Sage vs The View: Barbara Walters, race, Obama and getting elbowed backstage
00:33:00 – “No going back”: politics, division since 2016 and losing common sense
00:36:33 – COVID, mandates, Fauci, Tulsi Gabbard and accountability in leadership
00:48:10 – The Jay Cutler podcast: Disney’s vaccine deadline and Sage’s fateful comments
00:50:36 – Suspended, forced apology and living in fear inside ESPN
00:54:24 – Double standard: political rants allowed on ESPN air… unless they’re from Sage
00:56:20 – Suing Disney/ESPN while still on the air and the moment her son told her to stand up
01:00:09 – Her relationship with Stephen A. Smith and why he still stands next to her
01:03:50 – How ESPN lost its way with politics, personalities and cord‑cutting
01:07:05 – Missing the old SportsCenter era: Stuart Scott, Berman, Linda Cohn and big TV moments
01:17:01 – Launching The Sage Steele Show and learning to be an independent creator
01:20:45 – Being labeled “conservative” and how that shuts doors in media and entertainment
01:21:34 – Jason Aldean, banned TV appearances and corporate fear around “Try That In A Small Town”
01:23:27 – When controversy makes a song bigger: backlash, business and blessing in disguise
01:30:15 – Meeting Dave: military‑brat connection, charity event, and a whirlwind Nashville love story
01:37:36 – Daily devotionals on camera: praying out loud, public faith and the fear of “send”
01:39:24 – First ever public prayer: doing the invocation at a NASCAR race on live TV
01:42:30 – Why praying out loud feels scarier than live TV and why we’re never “worthy”
01:49:41 – Pet peeves, movie etiquette and “read the room” moments in public
01:55:36 – Airplane chaos: overhead bin wars, service animals and entitlement culture
01:59:31 – Sage’s patriotic merch and the line “raised right, seasoned well”
02:01:02 – Why Sage came on the show and what standing up has really cost—and given—her

______________________________________________________________________________________________
SPONSORS:
The Try That in a Small Town Podcast is powered by e|spaces!
Redefining Coworking - Exceptional Office Space for Every Business
Book a tour today at espaces.com
From the Patriot Mobile studios:
Don’t get fooled by other cellular providers pretending to share your values or have the same coverage. They don’t and they can’t!
Go to PATRIOTMOBILE.COM/SMALLTOWN or call 972-PATRIOT
Right now, get a FREE MONTH when you use the offer code SMALLTOWN.
Original Brands - Our original sponsor since the beginning!!
Original brands is starting a new era and American domestic premium beer, American made, American owned, Original glory.
Join the movement at www.drinkoriginalbrands.com
Peacemaker Coffee Company
Founded by retired police officer/chief Chris Morris, Peacemaker delivers clean, low-acidity coffee while supporting police, firefighters, EMS, military, veterans, teachers, dispatchers, and medical personnel through donations and programs.
https://www.peacemakercoffeecompany.com/
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Follow/Rate/Share at www.trythatinasmalltown.com -
For advertising inquiries, email info@trythatinasmalltown.com
Produced by Jim McCarthy and www.ItsYourShow.co

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this episode of the Try That in a Small Town Podcast, the guys start with listener Q&A and end up deep in the realities of life as working Nashville pros. They break down why most artists use session bands instead of their road bands in the studio, what makes a truly great studio player, and how songs like “Try That in a Small Town,” “All-American Girl,” and other hits actually came together.

You’ll hear stories about mentoring young musicians in Nashville, navigating confidence and doubt in the early Aldean days, and how a raw, slightly “on the edge” sound helped define a new lane in country. The crew also vents about crosswalk etiquette, insane roundabouts on Demonbreun, messy public bathrooms, and a wild “dipshit of the week” segment that includes a pharmacist trading meds for sex and Neil’s unapologetically spicy take on women joining Augusta National.

Along the way, they celebrate “Try That in a Small Town” going platinum, shout out John Edwards finally getting some long-overdue recognition, and brag on Neil’s wife and her company for co-designing the new “Welcome to Tennessee” signs across the state.

Top moments:

05:24 Q&A: Favorite venues and why arenas win
14:44 Why artists use session players over road bands
21:15 Hicktown, early Aldean years, and betting on their sound
34:30 Writing “Try That in a Small Town” and how the track changed the melody
39:27 Worst writes ever: salad guy and Rich Robinson falls asleep
43:29 Neil’s wife helps design the new “Welcome to Tennessee” signs
45:27 “Try That in a Small Town” goes platinum and missing No. 1 parties
59:44 World Cup, offsides confusion, and “soccer in the South” rant
1:02:29 Dipshidiot of the Week: bathrooms, crosswalk zombies, roundabouts, Augusta & more
_____________________________________________________________________
SPONSORS:
The Try That in a Small Town Podcast is powered by e|spaces!
Redefining Coworking - Exceptional Office Space for Every Business
Book a tour today at espaces.com

From the Patriot Mobile studios:
Don’t get fooled by other cellular providers pretending to share your values or have the same coverage. They don’t and they can’t!
Go to PATRIOTMOBILE.COM/SMALLTOWN or call 972-PATRIOT
Right now, get a FREE MONTH when you use the offer code SMALLTOWN.

Original Brands - Our original sponsor since the beginning!!
Original brands is starting a new era and American domestic premium beer, American made, American owned, Original glory.
Join the movement at www.drinkoriginalbrands.com

Peacemaker Coffee Company
Founded by retired police officer/chief Chris Morris, Peacemaker delivers clean, low-acidity coffee while supporting police, firefighters, EMS, military, veterans, teachers, dispatchers, and medical personnel through donations and programs.
https://www.peacemakercoffeecompany.com/
_____________________________________________________________________
Follow/Rate/Share at www.trythatinasmalltown.com -

For advertising inquiries, email info@trythatinasmalltown.com

Produced by Jim McCarthy and www.ItsYourShow.co
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From bar-hopping at CMA Fest with Jason Aldean’s band to scheduled high school fights at 3 pm sharp, this episode of Try That in a Small Town is all about chaos, consequences, and the crazy ways we somehow survive it all.

The guys kick things off with surgery scars, locked-up backs, and near misses in the garage, then pivot into behind-the-scenes CMA Fest stories, in-ear monitor nightmares, and why late-night stadium sets grind down even veteran players. They talk Morgan Wallen flipping pianos and throwing phones, Taylor Swift’s historic new country single tied to Toy Story 5, and how modern country production has become so “perfect” it’s almost personality-free.

Things get heavier when they unpack the Carmelo Anthony/Austin Metcalf stabbing at a track meet, race narratives in the media, and what real self-defense is—and isn’t—when someone pulls a knife. They contrast that with a powerful small-town hero story: a Gwinnett County officer who saves a 7-year-old launched through a windshield.

In classic TTIAST fashion, the crew rounds it out with songwriting pet peeves, delusional DMs from strangers wanting co-writes and video calls, bullying stories that still haunt them, and how golf, TV binges, and pizza reviews are getting them through recovery.

01:30 Surgeries, brutal bruises, allergic reactions to bandages and upcoming product bans in Tennessee
04:40 Locked-up back on the toilet, crawling across the house and day-three recovery status
06:30 Surviving CMA Fest: bar crawl sets, in-ear monitor disasters and playing blind on stage
09:45 Bar energy vs stadium distance and podcast fans popping up at shows
11:15 Late-night stadium headlining slot, fried fans, and what TV does to show times
14:00 Original Glory and Patriot Mobile sponsor segments
15:10 Learning piano one-handed after surgery, Jingle Bells, and mining TV shows for song ideas
17:50 TV recs: Life After Lockup, The Invisible Pilot, and Cape Fear reboot
20:20 NBA and Stanley Cup talk: Knicks’ huge comeback, Wembanyama, and why some tuned out the NBA
22:45 Trump at the Garden, celebrity courtside culture, and politics vs respect for the office
24:40 Taylor Swift’s Toy Story 5 country single and the business behind her return to the format
29:00 Why modern country records all sound the same and the few acts still using their own bands
31:40 Morgan Wallen: “I Ain’t Coming Back” lyric love, phone toss, piano flip and Billy Joel’s defense
36:30 Wild private plane trip with Morgan Wallen, crass “rich buddies” and what stuck with Kalo
38:20 Post-surgery meds, apologizing to Neil, and the nurse/dong/stripper one-liner
41:10 Group shave before a heart cath and hospital humor
42:00 CMA Fest nights with Luke Bryan at his bar, tequila overload and four-day hangovers
44:10 Dipshits of the week: insane video chat requests, song pitches, and social media entitlement
47:00 Fans demanding co-writes and “brain picking” vs actually earning a seat at the table
50:40 The worst song “idea” ever: Cats in the Cradle… but backwards
55:00 Young writers sliding into DMs, asking for writes and coffees, and basic industry etiquette
58:40 Nearly gassing yourself in a closed garage while checking mixes: calling dipshit on yourself
1:01:40 Drone-rescue story: Apache down, surviving in the water and next-level military tech
1:05:30 Golf injuries, steroids on the road, and fighting to stay in playing shape
1:07:10 The Carmelo Anthony–Austin Metcalf stabbing: facts, sentencing and race narratives
1:12:10 Media framing, self-defense vs murder, and how race gets injected into every case
1:16:00 Scheduled school fights at the park, bus brawls and why nobody brought knives back then
1:19:40 Getting drilled in the face for knocking a kid’s basketball away: lesson learned
1:20:30 One cold jab to the nose and understanding when you’ve gone too far
1:22:10 The bully who made you fast: getting wrecked in pickup football and later asking for tickets
1:24:20 Small Town Big Story: Officer Ariana James saves a 7-year-old thrown from a truck in Gwinnett County
1:26:10 Closing: Peacemaker Coffee, shoutout to listener Ed, scheduled fights and listener call-to-action

______________________________________________________________________________________________
SPONSORS:
The Try That in a Small Town Podcast is powered by e|spaces!
Redefining Coworking - Exceptional Office Space for Every Business
Book a tour today at espaces.com
From the Patriot Mobile studios:
Don’t get fooled by other cellular providers pretending to share your values or have the same coverage. They don’t and they can’t!
Go to PATRIOTMOBILE.COM/SMALLTOWN or call 972-PATRIOT
Right now, get a FREE MONTH when you use the offer code SMALLTOWN.
Original Brands - Our original sponsor since the beginning!!
Original brands is starting a new era and American domestic premium beer, American made, American owned, Original glory.
Join the movement at www.drinkoriginalbrands.com
Peacemaker Coffee Company
Founded by retired police officer/chief Chris Morris, Peacemaker delivers clean, low-acidity coffee while supporting police, firefighters, EMS, military, veterans, teachers, dispatchers, and medical personnel through donations and programs.
https://www.peacemakercoffeecompany.com/
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Follow/Rate/Share at www.trythatinasmalltown.com -
For advertising inquiries, email info@trythatinasmalltown.com
Produced by Jim McCarthy and www.ItsYourShow.co
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chairman Jason Smith of the House Ways and Means Committee joins the Try That In A Small Town podcast from CMA Fest in Nashville. He breaks down what the powerful Ways and Means Committee actually does and how it touches every American’s life through taxes, trade, Social Security, Medicare, and more.

Jason opens up about his small-town Missouri roots, being a fourth-generation farmer, raising white buffalo, and why he still lives in the same rural community he represents. He explains how he took the Ways and Means Committee on the road to 32 states to listen to working families, small businesses, and farmers before writing what he calls the “Big Beautiful Bill” – the largest tax cut in U.S. history, including no tax on tips and overtime.

The conversation gets candid on Social Security’s future, election integrity and slow vote counts in places like California, and what happens when people lose trust in the system. Jason also shares behind-the-scenes stories of working closely with President Trump – from grilling him for three hours on every line of a 103-title tax bill in the Oval Office to the now-famous “red button” that just orders Diet Coke.

Along the way, they talk CMA Fest, Jason’s obsession with Reba, the Chiefs, Mahomes vs. Brady, cleaning up Washington, D.C., and why he believes the founding fathers’ values are really small-town values. Jason closes with a powerful story of a single mom whose $10,000 tax refund changed her life – and why that’s why he still fights for small towns and working families.

Timed highlights

2:00 Who is Chairman Jason Smith and what is the Ways and Means Committee?
5:13 CMA Fest, first concerts, and Jason’s country music roots
7:11 The Ozarks, one of America’s poorest districts, and small-town values
8:14 Reba superfan stories and being starstruck in DC
10:02 How the guys first met Jason at the South Dakota Governor’s Hunt
11:49 Nashville’s Bluebird Café, songwriting, and music in DC
13:06 Jason’s priorities: working families, small businesses, and farmers
14:19 White buffalo, donkeys named Bill, Hillary, Chelsea, and Hunter
15:29 Growing up poor in a trailer, farm life, and why that shapes his politics
19:15 Taking Ways and Means to 32 states and writing the “Big Beautiful Bill”
20:20 No tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and tax ideas from real Americans
22:06 Social Security history, FDR, and why both parties will keep it
23:35 Will Social Security ever go away? Jason’s answer and insolvency warning
26:49 How Jason became the youngest Ways and Means chair since before the Civil War
29:01 Inside the steering committee and what it takes to win the gavel
32:31 Life on call with President Trump and 5:30 a.m. texts
33:00 Three-hour Oval Office grilling on the “Big Beautiful Bill”
35:07 The Diet Coke button story and a handwritten note after Jason’s dad passed
37:34 Elections, slow vote counts in California, and voter trust
40:31 Why “every vote counts”: Jason’s one-vote victory story
43:03 Chiefs fandom, Mahomes vs. Brady, and elite QB mindset
48:19 How Trump cleaned up Washington, D.C. and made it feel safe again
51:39 What do you buy a president for Christmas and Trump’s generosity with guests
52:14 Jason presents a Congressional Record honoring “Try That In A Small Town”
54:57 Why the song struck a nerve in small-town America
56:24 The waitress, a $10,000 refund, and how tax policy changes real lives
59:19 Jason’s schedule, gym routine, and juggling DC with life back on the farm
1:01:21 Final thoughts on serving small towns and inviting listeners to DC

______________________________________________________________________________________________
SPONSORS:
The Try That in a Small Town Podcast is powered by e|spaces!
Redefining Coworking - Exceptional Office Space for Every Business
Book a tour today at espaces.com
From the Patriot Mobile studios:
Don’t get fooled by other cellular providers pretending to share your values or have the same coverage. They don’t and they can’t!
Go to PATRIOTMOBILE.COM/SMALLTOWN or call 972-PATRIOT
Right now, get a FREE MONTH when you use the offer code SMALLTOWN.
Original Brands - Our original sponsor since the beginning!!
Original brands is starting a new era and American domestic premium beer, American made, American owned, Original glory.
Join the movement at www.drinkoriginalbrands.com
Peacemaker Coffee Company
Founded by retired police officer/chief Chris Morris, Peacemaker delivers clean, low-acidity coffee while supporting police, firefighters, EMS, military, veterans, teachers, dispatchers, and medical personnel through donations and programs.
https://www.peacemakercoffeecompany.com/
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Follow/Rate/Share at www.trythatinasmalltown.com -
For advertising inquiries, email info@trythatinasmalltown.com
Produced by Jim McCarthy and www.ItsYourShow.co
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.