Freedom and Glory - Tales of American Spirit

Freedom and Glory takes a different approach in this episode as Bill LuMaye sits down with Liz Morris and her father, Dwight, to tell the story behind the company and its evolution across generations.

Dwight shares how he started the business in 1980 after struggling to find a flag to buy, eventually developing a catalog business from his home. He talks about the early years, the support of his wife, raising his daughters alongside the growing company, and how technology eventually transformed the way the business operated.

Liz shares what it was like growing up around the business, leaving to build her own career, and eventually returning in 2016 with the possibility of taking over. The two discuss the challenges of transitioning a family business from one generation to the next, learning to work together, and separating family life from business.

They also talk about why Liz changed the company's name from Carrot Top Industries to Freedom and Glory, how the rebrand helped better communicate what the company sells, and how Liz has worked to build on her father's foundation while creating something of her own.

The episode closes with Dwight reflecting on Liz's leadership and the importance of stepping back and letting the next generation take ownership. It is ultimately a story about entrepreneurship, family, change, and building a legacy that can continue to evolve.

00:00 The story behind Freedom and Glory

01:00 How Dwight started the business

03:00 Building the company from home

05:00 Growing up around the business

06:00 Balancing family and entrepreneurship

08:00 When Dwight considered passing on the company

10:00 Why Liz initially left the family business

11:00 Liz considers returning

13:00 Dwight knew Liz was the one

14:00 Technology changes the business

16:00 Liz returns to the company

18:00 The challenges of taking over

20:00 Learning to work together

22:00 Separating family and business

23:00 Why Carrot Top became Freedom and Glory

25:00 The reason behind the name change

27:00 Liz's vision for the future

29:00 Dwight reflects on Liz's leadership

31:00 The response to the rebrand

33:00 Dwight's advice for Liz

34:00 Celebrating the family's story

36:00 Dwight's perspective on letting go

38:00 The legacy continues

Hosts Liz and Bill  interview Dr. Lance Armstrong, a Cocoa Beach chiropractor for nearly 30 years and former Air Force B-52 pilot. He recounts being inspired to fly after seeing F-4s take off, describes B-52 operations, crew coordination, and a harsh landing that injured him, leading him to seek chiropractic care despite warnings. After congressional budget cuts ended his flying career, he quickly enrolled at Palmer College of Chiropractic and returned home to buy Cocoa Beach’s oldest chiropractic practice, later volunteering with law enforcement, first responders, and treating hundreds of homeless veterans through Stand Down events. Armstrong also advocates for military chiropractic care, discusses the Patriot Project, and shares his leadership in Rolling Thunder Florida Chapter One, focused on POW/MIA awareness, family history tied to a WWII missing relative, and the meaning of the Strategic Air Command flag.

00:00 Show Introduction
00:27 Meet Dr Armstrong
01:16 Chiropractic Practice Today
01:56 Inspired To Fly
04:03 B-52 Training Path
06:35 Low Level Missions
07:43 Crew Coordination
09:37 Hard Landing Injury
12:23 Discovering Chiropractic
15:55 Budget Cuts Phone Call
17:26 Chiropractic School Journey
19:21 Building Local Practice
20:16 Serving First Responders
21:13 Stand Down Veterans Care
23:59 Teaching Student Doctors
26:24 Military Chiropractic Advocacy
31:09 Fighter Pilot Neck Strain
33:35 Rolling Thunder Origins
36:19 Florida Chapter Mission
37:15 B-17 Recovery Story
39:00 Riding And Patches
40:18 Andersonville POW Museum
43:13 POW Survival Stories
46:26 POW MIA Flag Legacy
48:02 Healthcare And Hobbies
50:35 Flags In Schools
52:31 SAC Flag And Cold War
58:27 Road Trips And Farewell

Anna Brakefield of Redland Cotton explains how she and her father, cotton farmer Mark Yeager, built a family-run, vertically integrated business making American-made sheets, towels, quilts, blankets, and some apparel from cotton grown on their Moulton, Alabama farm, with cut-and-sew facilities in Alabama and Mississippi. She shares her path from Auburn to advertising in New York and Nashville before returning in 2015 to help launch the first sheet lines in 2016, inspired by heirloom “Madeline Gray” sheets and developed with Cotton Incorporated and Hamrick Mills. The conversation covers early direct-to-consumer traction driven by behind-the-scenes social media and events, the mission to support U.S. cotton and textile manufacturing, and major supply-chain setbacks as mills and finishers closed, including the loss of the last wide rotary screen printer, prompting pivots to new finishing and print options. Anna closes with advice to start selling quickly, learn by doing, and pivot.

00:00 Meet Anna Brakefield

01:23 Farm to Home Textiles

02:34 Why Make Sheets

04:18 Anna Returns Home

07:16 Heirloom Sheet Inspiration

11:03 Launching and Early Sales

17:17 American Made Mission

22:40 Supply Chain Setbacks

29:38 Future of US Cotton

32:31 Where to Buy Redland

33:31 Advice for Entrepreneurs

35:29 Closing Thoughts

When Americans think about the founding of the United States, most minds immediately go to Boston, Philadelphia, Lexington, and Concord. But what if one of the most important chapters of the American Revolution happened right here in North Carolina?

In this episode of Tales of American Spirit, host Liz Morris welcomes Kelly Arnold from the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough to explore the remarkable role Hillsborough played in the movement toward American independence. Together they uncover the story of the Third Provincial Congress, the Regulator Movement, and the pivotal decisions made in Hillsborough during the summer of 1775 that helped lay the groundwork for a new nation. 

From corrupt colonial officials and frustrated frontier farmers to revolutionary leaders, military preparations, and the earliest steps toward self-government, this conversation reveals why Hillsborough deserves a much larger place in America's founding story.

00:00 – Introduction to Freedom & Glory
01:00 – Why Hillsborough's story matters during America's 250th anniversary
02:00 – What Hillsborough looked like in the 1770s
04:00 – Why Hillsborough became a center of colonial power
08:00 – Life in colonial North Carolina
09:00 – What was happening across the American colonies?
11:00 – How news traveled before modern communication
13:00 – Who were the Regulators?
15:00 – Taxes, corruption, and colonial frustration
17:00 – Why the Regulators were more complicated than history suggests
20:00 – Loyalists, revolutionaries, and competing visions for America
24:00 – What was the Third Provincial Congress?
25:00 – Why Hillsborough was chosen for the meeting
27:00 – The first real steps toward independence
29:00 – Military districts, currency, and preparing for self-government
32:00 – The influential leaders gathered in Hillsborough
36:00 – The Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge
38:00 – How North Carolina moved toward independence
40:00 – Why Hillsborough's role is often overlooked
42:00 – Exploring Historic Hillsborough today
43:00 – Outlandish Hillsborough Scottish Festival and Outlander connections
45:00 – Flags of Change: The Society of the Cincinnati
47:00 – George Washington, Cincinnatus, and revolutionary ideals
50:00 – The Society's mission and legacy today
54:00 – Final thoughts and closing

Rick Webb shares how his father, backed by his mother’s support, built Waco from one locomotive and eight team members into a diversified supply chain services company operating 47 short line railroads and serving 3,500+ customers across North America and Australia. He explains how an evergreen 1983 contract with a Louisiana paper mill—cancelable with 30 days’ notice—taught Waco to differentiate through daily customer service rather than assets, and how listening to customers drove pivots from railcar repair to industrial switching, terminals, logistics, and broader supply chain solutions. Webb emphasizes valuing customers and team members through tools, training, safety, and culture, including Waco University’s servant-leadership approach, praise-before-discipline mindset, and Dan Smith’s “no asshole rule,” while reflecting on tough times like near-missed payrolls and the 2008–2010 downturn.

00:00 Meet Rick Webb

01:00 Family Leap of Faith

02:39 First Customer Forever

05:46 Customer First DNA

08:49 Building Team Culture

11:35 Pivoting With Customers

13:06 Bar Lessons on Service

15:58 Surviving Tight Times

17:47 Supply Chain Value Engine

22:47 Terminal Expansion Hard Lesson

25:56 Where Value Is Made

26:48 No Plan Just Customers

28:43 Waco U Culture Training

31:02 Flip The Org Chart

34:05 Trust Tools And Praise

37:38 All In For The Future

40:28 Letting Go As CEO

42:25 No Asshole Rule

45:25 Closing Thanks And Laughs

Holly Higgins, a Gold Star mother, shares the story of her son Daniel, a 22-year-old U.S. Air Force explosive ordnance disposal technician killed in Afghanistan in October 2010, and explains how years of mourning led her to use storytelling—on stages, in workshops with Lt. Col. Scott Mann, and in a widely viewed TEDx talk—to help veterans, Gold Star families, first responders, and others find healing and meaning. She describes Danny’s character, her struggle to support his decision to join the military and serve as EOD, and the day her family learned of his death. Holly also recounts a powerful symbol: the American flags Danny strapped to his chest and back on missions to carry the weight of love for his family and country, and why she continues telling his stories so they endure beyond names and memorials.

00:00 Meet Holly Higgins

00:51 Service After Loss

03:52 Ready To Share

06:54 Who Danny Was

11:38 Letting Him Serve

16:21 Learning EOD Reality

19:24 The Day Danny Died

25:04 Healing Through Story

29:27 Beyond Dannys Story

30:50 Healing Through Stories

32:07 Finding Words in Public

35:45 Imposter Syndrome and Impact

37:05 Tears Are Not Apologies

38:53 How to Reach Holly

40:30 Trauma Dumping vs Craft

42:43 Danny’s Gifts and Faith

47:55 Flags of Change Story

48:39 The Flag Over His Heart

55:12 Legacy Names and Stories

58:35 Final Thanks and Call

Hosts Liz Morris and Bill LuMaye interview Kelly C. Hyke, owner of Hyke Funeral Home in Redfield, South Dakota, who spent 18 years in law enforcement before switching to mortuary science and buying the funeral home with his wife Bonnie in 2015. Kelly explains how flying American and service flags began as a simple thank-you—especially to veterans—and grew into a widely noticed community tradition, including honoring law enforcement, fire, EMS, and organ donors, and adding U.S. and state flags inside the chapel. He describes his process for veteran services and how the flags prompt healing conversations and public support. In the “Flags of Change” segment, Heather discusses the Earth Day flag, its Apollo “Blue Marble” imagery, its origins with John McConnell and Senator Gaylord Nelson, and how the symbol helped rally environmental action leading to the EPA.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

01:27 From Police to Funeral Director

05:30 Compassion in Two Callings

07:49 Coping With Grief Daily

10:27 Why Fly the Flag

12:28 Veteran Honors and Rituals

15:14 Families Reactions and Healing

18:38 Expanding Flags for Service

20:32 Organ Donor Flag Added

23:00 Bringing Flags Into Chapel

25:11 Handling Criticism and Values

26:51 Small Town Tradition Spreads

31:18 Lessons and Advice to Others

34:08 Wife Support and Future Plans

35:56 Closing Thanks and 250th Flag

37:47 Flags of Change Earth Day Flag

38:33 Earth Flag Origins Blue Marble

39:58 Earth Day Movement Impact

41:27 Why Earth Flag Isnt Common

42:50 New Space Images Unite Us

44:20 Final Sign Off

On Freedom and Glory: Tales of American Spirit, hosts Liz Morris and Bill LuMaye talk with John Newberry and Tom Vols, co-founders of Gopher, a community-driven gig marketplace sparked by a golf course moment and built to bring fairness and transparency to local delivery and services. They explain how users post what they need and set what they want the worker to earn, while Gopher adds a small platform fee, and workers can accept, ignore, or counteroffer with instant payment after mutual ratings. The conversation covers categories like delivery, moving, junk removal, rides, and age-restricted items with ID safeguards; worker verification tiers (identity, background checks, driving record, licensed/bonded/insured); marketplace “chicken-and-egg” challenges; product pivots to improve UX; organic growth centered in Raleigh/Wake County; fundraising needs; and plans for expansion plus business-focused features through Gopher Connect and future merchant integration.

00:00 Worker First Pricing

00:08 Meet the Gopher Founders

01:10 Golf Course Origin Story

02:30 How the App Works

04:28 Categories and Use Cases

05:25 Solving the Marketplace Chicken Egg

11:31 Fair Pay Mission

14:35 Pricing Model Breakdown

16:04 Why Lead Gen Platforms Fail

18:04 Trust Safety and Worker Levels

23:06 Growth Timeline and Metrics

28:48 Age Restricted Deliveries

29:52 Small Decisions Big Impact

30:29 Early Pivots and Partners

31:30 Hard Calls With Developers

32:40 Staying Platform Focused

34:37 Co-Founder Chemistry and Trust

36:52 Making Tech Invisible

38:04 Values Over Ego

40:45 Marketplace Vision and Leadership

43:31 Tribute to Michael Yori

47:32 Fundraising and Investor Reality

51:44 How Gopher Works in Practice

55:25 Beating Delivery App Fees

57:04 Expansion Plans and Wrap-Up

Join Liz Morris and Bill Lume as they speak with Turquoise Parker, an educator and community leader from Durham, North Carolina. Turquoise shares the inspiring story of Bull City Food Raiser, a grassroots effort she founded to combat food insecurity among students. Learn about the exponential growth of the initiative, from helping one family to supporting thousands of children across multiple schools. Tune in for insights into the importance of relationships, community support, and the impact of small actions. The episode also features a segment on the historical significance of the 36-star US flag, related to the end of the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln's presidency.

00:00 Introduction to Freedom and Glory Tales

00:29 Meet Turquoise Parker: Educator and Community Leader

01:37 The Birth of Bull City Food Raiser

02:34 Growing Impact: From One Family to Thousands

05:26 Challenges and Community Support

07:45 Building Relationships with Students

18:14 Logistics of a Massive Operation

26:38 Future Goals and Advocacy

29:56 Ensuring Families Have What They Need

32:19 Recognition and Awards

36:06 Community Involvement and Impact

41:06 Advice for Aspiring Changemakers

47:34 Historical Significance of the 36-Star US Flag

53:32 Conclusion and Call to Action

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Join Liz Morris and Bill LuMaye on this episode of 'Freedom and Glory: Tales of American Spirit,' as they explore the inspiring journey of Carrot Top Industries' transformation into Freedom and Glory. Learn about their mission to bring meaningful change through flag sales and community impact. Special guest Eric Henry, president of TS Designs, shares his powerful story of resilience in the textile industry post-NAFTA, the importance of sustainability, and the innovative steps his company is taking in the apparel industry. Get an inside look at the challenges of globalization, the impact of NAFTA on American jobs, and the ongoing battle for sustainable and local manufacturing.

00:00 Introduction to Freedom and Glory

00:28 The Story Behind the Name Change

02:14 Customer Stories and Impact

03:42 Liz's Personal Journey and Philosophy

06:49 Introducing Eric Henry of TS Designs

07:50 The Impact of NAFTA on American Manufacturing

12:13 Challenges and Strategies in Sustainable Business

21:21 Transparency and the Dirt to Shirt Program

27:31 The Issue of Microplastics

30:36 The Roots of Sustainability

31:04 Early Influences and Organic Gardening

31:45 Industrial Agriculture and Its Impact

33:15 Expanding Sustainable Practices

33:44 Community and Business Resilience

36:20 Piedmont Agrarian Collaborative

37:28 Local Economic Impact and Multiplier Effect

39:08 Challenges of Globalization and COVID-19

42:37 Reviving Local Manufacturing

47:05 Innovations in Sustainable Apparel

52:44 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

55:07 Policy and Future Directions

59:15 Conclusion and Final Thoughts