He got fired from a wildlife job — then built a business, a farm, and a family so intentional that a filmmaker spent a year documenting it. That film beat 11,000 others and won at Sundance. This is what living differently on purpose actually looks like.
What happens when a man decides formation matters more than convenience?
In this episode, Melvin Larry sits down with Nehemiah Ray — biologist, minister, beekeeper, and owner of ASAP Pest and Wildlife Removal in metro Atlanta. Nehemiah's story runs from flipping rocks in Riverdale, Georgia, to a life of what he calls "riotous living," to a 21-day fast where an encounter with God shattered the limiting beliefs that fear had built.
Today, he and his wife Eliza are raising their two sons on a working farm — sheep, chickens, pigs, and bees — living what they call Raised Wild: a family choosing to live differently on purpose. Their life caught the eye of a filmmaker on Instagram, and the resulting documentary, The Boys and the Bees, was one of just 7 films chosen from 11,000 and won the Short Film Jury Award at the Sundance Film Festival.
In this conversation:
- The internship that ended his veterinary dream — and the fear underneath the excuse
- The bedroom encounter during a 21-day fast that changed everything
- How getting fired became the doorway to entrepreneurship
- The roach story: teaching a one-year-old to conquer fear (and building a marriage on trust)
- 32 success principles from the beehive — and why royal jelly is a warning about what you consume
- The biggest lie young people believe: "I have time"
- Formation over convenience: why he lets his sons struggle
- Sharing the gospel at Sundance — and how his boys stayed grounded through the spotlight
- What men 35–55 get wrong about keeping the main thing the main thing
If you've ever drifted instead of decided, this episode is your wake-up call.
*Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/ADJD6jCL5GA
*Listen on your favorite podcast platform: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2397083/episodes/19534628
Resources
Connect with Nehemiah Ray:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raysdwild
Website: https://www.raysdwild.com |
Email: [email protected]
ASAP Pest and Wildlife Removal: https://www.removeasap.com
The Boys and the Bees — Short Film Jury Award: Nonfiction, Sundance Film Festival
Books mentioned: Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/4wYKibm
- Launch by Jeff Walker
- Leaders Eat Last
- Start With Why by Simon Sinek
Connect with Melvin
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melvinlarry1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melvin.larry
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@melvinlarry118
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melvinlarry
X: https://x.com/MelvinLarry
Website: https://www.theshatteredmindset.com
Recommended Episodes
The Mental Toughness Advantage (Ep. 51): https://youtu.be/ceHvqLcpCQU
Step Back and Look at Your Work: (Ep 110): https://youtu.be/coomlXgi3f4
#ShatteredMindset #NehemiahRay #Sundance #FaithAndFamily #Fatherhood #Beekeeping #Entrepreneurship #OvercomingFear #LiveOnPurpose #MindsetShift
Call to Action
If Nehemiah's story spoke to you, Share this episode with a father, a young man, or anyone stuck waiting for "later." Subscribe, leave a review, and keep adapting, keep evolving, and keep reaching for those new horizons. Take care. Take charge. And God bless.
Support the show
WATCH VIDEO EPISODES on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheShatteredMindset
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST AT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2397083/support