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Join Dan the Road Trip Guy as he explores the adventures, memories, and life lessons of diverse guests from all walks of life. This podcast goes beyond the road to celebrate the journey of life by uncovering stories of passion, resilience, and the pursuit of happiness. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or simply love a good story, Dan the Road Trip Guy will leave you inspired and ready to embrace your own adventures. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!
I hope you enjoy the episodes. You can find me at https://www.dannyneal.com.
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Get in Touch with Dan by Texting Now Some stories are built on long highways and short, unforgettable moments. Today we meet Nashville songwriter and performer Christen Ball, whose creative life was shaped by a light blue Buick Park Avenue, a single mom who let her be the DJ, and a grandfather who handed down two extraordinary guitars. From open mics and awkward first gigs to arena dates on the Luke Bryan tour, Christen maps the real work of turning passion into a profession without losing th...
Get in Touch with Dan by Texting Now If the holidays feel loud and your attention feels thin, this one’s for you. Dan takes a quiet solo drive through a timeless theme—be present—reviving a note he wrote in 2012 and testing it against today’s hyperconnected world. From crowded malls to glowing screens at dinner, we look at how small habits and constant notifications dilute the simple joys we actually want to protect: conversation, eye contact, unhurried laughter, and the comfort of just being...
Get in Touch with Dan by Texting Now A grocery headline about AI pilots and fulfillment shifts sparked a very different memory: a gravel parking lot in Pine Knot, Kentucky, and a family store that delivered more than food. We trace a line from free deliveries and house accounts to algorithmic substitutions and online baskets, and we ask a simple question with a complicated answer: what happens to community when convenience wins? I share how Anderson’s Grocery ran on trust you could feel—orde...
Get in Touch with Dan by Texting Now What if the moment you feared most became the doorway to a life you actually want? John Stewart Hill takes us from a performance-driven faith and a string of personal losses to a 2 a.m. heart attack that forced a choice: go or stay. He chose to stay—and built a movement that protects homeowners and elevates honest tradespeople through The Good Contractors List, where every job is backed by a $25,000 guarantee. We dig into the origin story that started wit...
Get in Touch with Dan by Texting Now What if a car isn’t just a car, but a turning point? I sat down with Changing Gears founders and leaders Joel Bokelman and Amanda Sinclair to unpack how a “Habitat for Cars” model turns reliable transportation into access to jobs, better pay, safer schedules, and the freedom to plan a future. It’s a practical, human approach to poverty that blends restored donated vehicles, half-price repairs, and a four-week technician training program into lasting mobili...
Get in Touch with Dan by Texting Now The plan was simple: Tampa to Cincinnati with a quick hop through Charlotte. Then came the cascade—late pushback, mysterious reroutes, a gate occupied, and a connection that closed two minutes early. What followed wasn’t just a scramble for rebooking; it was a reminder that travel is made of people as much as planes. I walk you through the airport chain reaction every traveler knows: the long customer service line, the gamble between an all night drive an...
Get in Touch with Dan by Texting Now The conversation starts with trucks and detours into a story about a lost lottery ticket, but the road quickly opens into something bigger: how a musician-turned-writer used story, humor, and a cross-country drive to make sense of loss and build a life that fits. Sean Dietrich—author, columnist, storyteller, and host of Sean of the South—joins us to talk about growing up near the Alabama line, singing hymns before he could drive, and the porch routine that...
Get in Touch with Dan by Texting Now Have you ever had a childhood dream dramatically change when confronted with reality? That moment when what seemed glamorous from afar revealed its true complexity up close? Today, I'm sharing a deeply personal story about my lifelong fascination with truck driving. Growing up as the son of a long-haul trucker, I idolized my father's profession. The massive Kenworth cab-over, the open road, the independence – it all seemed like the perfect life. My childh...
Get in Touch with Dan by Texting Now What happens when your job becomes your identity? JT Harp's story of transformation from corporate executive to entrepreneurial business broker reveals powerful insights about purpose, meaning, and reinvention. After 30 years climbing the corporate ladder at Kroger, JT reached a turning point when he realized his title had become his identity. "I was silently suffering inside," he reveals, describing the paradox of being excellent at work he no longer lov...
Get in Touch with Dan by Texting Now What's the secret to 43 years of marriage? It's a question I found myself reflecting on this week as Linda and I celebrated another year together. Time seems to accelerate with each passing anniversary, prompting me to revisit a story I wrote for my StoryWorth collection about relationship advice. The foundation of our enduring marriage isn't just mutual attraction – though I'm still drawn to Linda's beauty just as I was at 17. What's sustained us through...
Get in Touch with Dan by Texting Now What happens when life's detours become your destination? Stephen Dawson's journey from the corporate world to purpose-driven entrepreneur reveals how unexpected challenges can shape our greatest callings. Stephen's path took its first major turn during the 2008 recession when, just eight months into his first job after college, he found himself unemployed, and questioning his purpose. This crisis moment sparked a passion for personal finance that w...
Get in Touch with Dan by Texting Now A chance discovery in an old box of cassette tapes leads Dan down memory lane to 1978. This special episode transports listeners to a packed gymnasium where rival schools McCreary County and Pine Knot faced off in what would be their last matchup before consolidating into a single school. The recording captures more than just a basketball game; it preserves the atmosphere of small-town Kentucky life where high school sports served as the heartbeat of the ...
Get in Touch with Dan by Texting Now Ever wonder what makes someone dedicate their entire life to teaching kids in a small Kentucky town? In this heartwarming continuation of my conversation with Mr. Howard Jones, we dive deeper into the life and wisdom of a man who shaped generations through four decades of teaching. Coach Jones shares powerful stories that reveal his character-building approach to coaching basketball. When a player lost his uniform, Coach made him earn the money for a repl...
Get in Touch with Dan by Texting Now Have you ever wondered how an ordinary rock in a cardboard box could make someone a millionaire? In this nostalgic trip back to 1975, we explore the bizarre phenomenon of the Pet Rock, perhaps the strangest fad that swept America during the mid-seventies. As a 14-year-old when this craze hit, I share what I remember and what my Google search returned. What began as a bar conversation about the hassles of pet ownership evolved into a cultural touchst...
Get in Touch with Dan by Texting Now Some holidays mark the calendar, but others define our fondest memories. In this heartwarming episode, I take you on a nostalgic journey through my favorite holiday, Independence Day. July 4th has held a special place in my heart since childhood, when the carnival would bring magic and excitement to our little Kentucky town for one amazing week. I vividly recall the thrill of carnival rides like the ferris wheel and tilt-a-whirl, the frustration of trying...
Get in Touch with Dan by Texting Now From a road trip sleeping in the trunk of a car during a Florida road trip to the helm of a 20-year cornhole business, Frank Geers shares the remarkable journey that transformed a simple backyard game into an international competitive sport. As founder of the American Cornhole Organization (ACO), Frank's entrepreneurial spirit and creative vision have literally changed how millions play and experience cornhole. Frank's story begins with a marketing insigh...
Get in Touch with Dan by Texting Now My guest today is Howard Jones—though to me, and many others, he’s best known as Mr. Jones or Coach Jones. He played a significant role in my childhood while I was growing up in the small Kentucky town of Pine Knot. As an educator, Coach impacted countless lives throughout the county. He also served our country with time in the Army and cultivated a thriving garden over the years. And, as you'll hear at the end of this episode, he shares some truly meaning...
Get in Touch with Dan by Texting Now Every father leaves an imprint on their child's life, but some teach us lessons we carry for decades without even realizing it. This Father's Day, I'm sharing a deeply personal story from my StoryWorth collection about the man who shaped not only my love for the open road but my approach to life itself. My dad wasn't just any trucker—he was a mechanical wizard who could fix anything with his hands and preferred the quiet charm of America's back roads to t...
Get in Touch with Dan by Texting Now What does it take to go from a 12-year-old Irish boy with a dream to racing against the world's greatest drivers in Formula One? Derek Daly's journey reveals the answer, and it's a masterclass in commitment, resilience, and finding your path. Growing up in Dublin when Ireland had no racing circuits, Derek's life changed forever when his father took him to watch a race in a small village. "I told him right there and then I wanted to become a professional r...
Get in Touch with Dan by Texting Now Racing bonds friendships in unexpected ways. For years, my friend Jeff Zurcher and I have shared our Indianapolis 500 experiences through hundreds of text messages, creating our own personal commentary regardless of where we're watching from. After this year's 109th running, we finally sat down to capture that friendship and passion in podcast form. This post-race conversation takes you through the complete Indy 500 experience—from the unseasonably cool 6...
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