Heroes of the Revolution

George Wright III, John Harding, and historian Misty celebrate America’s 250th anniversary by exploring four overlooked heroes of the American Revolution whose examples continue to teach timeless leadership principles. Rather than focusing on famous Founding Fathers, they examine the remarkable lives of Henry Knox, Francis Marion, Sybil Ludington, and Benjamin Rush, showing how ordinary individuals changed history through determination, resourcefulness, courage, and service. Along the way, they connect each story to modern leadership, emphasizing that greatness is not determined by status or circumstance, but by the choices we make and the values we live. The conversation concludes with a reminder that history is more than something to study—it is a guide for living a meaningful life today.

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Episode Timeline

00:00 Courage Shows Up In Ordinary People
00:40 Welcome And America’s 250th Anniversary
04:22 Henry Knox And Determination
07:18 The Impossible Cannon Mission
09:38 Lessons In Perseverance
12:01 Francis Marion The Swamp Fox
15:16 Guerrilla Warfare And Resourcefulness
17:08 Character Over Circumstance
20:20 Sybil Ludington And Courage
22:10 A Sixteen-Year-Old Answers The Call
23:24 Defining Moments Require Courage
26:00 Benjamin Rush And A Life Of Service
28:47 Medicine As A Calling
29:27 Serving The Poor And Forgotten
30:20 Purpose Beyond Success
31:56 Four Leadership Principles
33:10 Finding Unsung Heroes Around You
34:41 Applying History To Everyday Life
35:19 Choices Define Our Legacy
36:15 Closing Thoughts

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Episode Transcript

George Wright III: It’s interesting to see so many random and completely different types of individuals. And I think courage shows up in all forms. And remember, this is all leading to a common event of this, you know, American Revolution. And so I think that when you look at the examples like this, you realize that, you know, courage is gonna show up in everyday situations, not just in these major historical events. But it doesn’t matter who you are, where you are, what you’re doing—your defining moments happen when you demonstrate courage.

Welcome Back to the Franklin Planner Podcast

George: Okay, welcome back to The Franklin Planner Podcast. My name is George Wright III, co-host here with John Harding, board member and, uh, my co-host. How you doing, John?

John Harding: I’m doing great. I’m excited today to have Misty with us, and also, George, to join with you. Hey, we’re celebrating, uh, America’s birthday, 250, and this is kind of a leadership— just a fun discussion that we’re delighted to be with our listeners today as well.

George: Yeah, you know, look, Misty, we’re so glad to have you here, and it is a good time because we have this 250th anniversary, and you have an amazing background. You’re a historian. You’re a podcaster. You’ve got a great wealth of knowledge, and you bring a lot to the podcast. And so if, by the way, if you’re the first time listening, make sure you hit that, uh, subscribe button. We don’t want you to miss any episodes. We’ve got a great lineup coming up over the next few weeks with goals, priorities, a couple of special guests. Uh, we’re excited about our member event that’s coming up with Ben Kjar next week on Tuesday. But we wanna kinda jump right into it.

Unsung Heroes of the American Revolution

And so, you know, we mentioned that history isn’t just about dates and battles. It’s about principles and leadership and things that come back that, uh, teach us lessons. And so we’re really excited to have you here today, Misty, because we’re gonna talk about some of the unsung heroes of the American Revolution—four people in particular. And so we really wanna, we wanna dig right in, but we wanna look at these stories that you may or may not have heard about. You know, we hear about Washington, Jefferson, Franklin. But today we wanna explore, you know, individuals whose stories aren’t really as well-known, but they demonstrate qualities that we can learn from. And you know, John, before we get Misty into this, is there anything else you would add to that?

Acting on high character

John: I think just… We appreciate the work that Misty puts into this, and I think we’re gonna try and call out some principles that just highlight… I know things that I see all around me in people I know, and I’m sure it’s true of our great partners and customers, that make up a meaningful life. I thought of Hyrum Smith today because our chairman and CEO, Bob Sumbot, had a discussion this morning with Gail Smith, Hyrum’s wife. And for those that may not have heard or just recognizing Hyrum, he passed away a few years ago of cancer, but he— The way he spoke and the way that he lived his life was one that he just continually focused on lining up things that value to you with how you were leading your life, what you were doing.

And he made this promise—I’m sure, you know, others have used these terms—but at the end of a day, if you can learn and establish values each day, no matter what your age, and line up how you spend your time, you experience what he would call inner peace. And as we look at the really exciting and also tumultuous stories of the birth of a new country, sometimes you might not think, “Oh, that was a day of inner peace.” These stories are not necessarily— I mean, these are stories of courage and action, but I do believe for these people in the middle of battles and, you know, seeking freedom, there does come a peace in acting, you know, on high character. So I think, Misty, your research on these, let’s go. Let’s talk about some.

George: Yeah, no, no, I agree, John, so let’s… You know, every one of these stories highlights a timeless principle, and Misty has hand-selected these. So let’s start out with determination and perseverance. I wanna start with Henry Knox. So Misty, tell us all about Henry Knox.

Henry Knox: Tenacious Optimist

Misty Howard: Yeah, I would love to. And just to kind of preface everything we’re gonna talk about today, I just want to say that America and American history is so unique because you put it in contrast with Britain, and how the British, their military was operated on status. You received a position because of, you know, where you were born and the type of title that you held, where America was so different, because all of a sudden it was about who you were and not so much where you came from. And so we have not only heroes that are unlikely, but a lot of them are kind of untraditional. They come from varied backgrounds and are kind of unexpected heroes.

So, Henry Knox is definitely one of those. A little bit of context, because a lot of people don’t remember Henry Knox, which is really sad. We should, but a lot of people don’t know who he is. So Henry Knox was raised in Boston, but his father died when he was pretty young, and so he didn’t end up being able to complete his education. He instead ended up becoming apprenticed at a bookshop, and eventually as he got older, he opened up his own bookshop and he largely self-taught himself. He learned by reading, and he was known to be very gregarious, he was a big guy, people loved to come in and talk to him, very friendly.

A bloody first battle

But when war broke out, a lot of people— If you studied American history, you know that a lot of the conflict originated in Boston. Lexington and Concord in 1775: that was just outside of Boston. It was the signaling event of the Revolutionary War. But the biggest—the first, I should say—large-scale battle that took place between the Americans and the British was the Battle of Bunker Hill, which took place mostly on Breed’s Hill, actually, but it was an extremely bloody conflict, and it really scared the British. They ended up being a lot more cautious after that because even though they won that battle, they had over a thousand casualties.

An uncertain stalemate

And so after this happened, these big events, there was this stalemate between the colonists and the British, because the British were occupied inside of Boston with about six to eight thousand troops, and the Americans had about twelve thousand troops outside the city, but the problem was they didn’t have any ammunition. And because they didn’t have any ammunition, they couldn’t attack the British, and the British were overly cautious because of Bunker Hill, and so everybody is waiting for somebody else to make the first move. They’re waiting for something to happen.

A creative solution

And so Henry Knox is important to this story because he’s the one who approaches Washington, saying, “I’ve got a solution for you. I know how we’re gonna end this siege.” And he comes up with this idea that everyone thinks is just crazy. Because a few months before, the Americans had taken a fort up in New York called Fort Ticonderoga. They really caught the British unawares, and they ended up capturing a bunch of artillery. But the problem was it was over three hundred miles away. And so Henry Knox decides, “No, I’m gonna go up. I’m gonna go get the cannons and bring them back to Boston.” And keep in mind, he’s twenty-five years old—

George: Wow.

Misty: —when he’s coming up with this idea. And Washington trusts him, and he says, “You know what? Sure, you go do that.” And so he knows that artillery is just too heavy to carry by wagon. The only way to do it is by sled. And so he ends up creating—well, I should say, having people craft forty-two different sleds, specialty-made, to carry all of these cannons. And he goes up—it’s about a sixty-day journey for him, just a little bit less than sixty days that he takes—goes all the way up, in the middle of winter.

A treacherous triumph

He has to wait for snow, and this has been an abnormally warm winter, and so he ends up taking the sleds up, and there’s no snow. And so he has to wait, and he actually— as a man of faith, he decides to pray for a storm. And they get a storm and finally are able to take all of these cannons, but it is a rough journey back, and I mean tough. They end up having a cannon fall through one of the icy rivers, and he’s determined that they’re not gonna leave anything behind, and so he recruits locals to help fish the cannon out of the icy river so they can get back on course.

So it’s treacherous, it’s miserable, most would say that it was impossible, and yet, he did it. He did the impossible, and it was because he just was so determined that it was gonna happen. And it’s because of Henry Knox that we were able to get the cannons that ultimately were put on top of Dorchester Heights and drove out the British and forced them to leave Boston. That was the last time British troops ever entered Boston, and to this day they celebrate that as Evacuation Day.

Passion, perseverance, and determination

George: Wow. So that’s a total unsung hero, right? I find that story really inspiring, Misty, because I think there’s a lot to be learned with it as well in modern times because, you know, perseverance and determination is something that we all talk about needing if you’re a leader and you wanna build your life. But I think there was such a strong passion or vision for what they were trying to accomplish that that’s what helped pull him through, and you can see that determination, that perseverance, came from, you know, just this, you know, freedom, this goal of freedom that they had. And so I really think that that’s a great story, not just of determination, but by the power of, you know, what you’re trying to accomplish helping you come through. John, what are your thoughts?

John: I like the image of forty-two sleds and no snow, ’cause before you told the part about the storm and the snow, I thought he probably pulled those sleds over dirt, and probably for part of it he did. But I think about what qualities were in Henry at age twenty-five. You’re twenty-six, Misty, I know you’ve got those qualities. What qualities were those? And if you’re riding along listening to this or listening, I’m interested; I wish we could hear what our listeners would say. But what do you guys think? Like, George, you mentioned freedom and so on, but—what qualities were in Henry that enabled him to have that confidence?

Optimism and fortitude

Misty: I would say that it’s partly optimism. He was a very optimistic guy, which is partly why he was so likable. And so he just, he was like, “No, I don’t care what anybody else says. I can do this.” But I think even more than that, it was the conviction that he had in the American cause, that no sacrifice was too great. That liberty ultimately would triumph because of the determination of the people that were behind it. And he just represents, I mean, countless individuals. This is one of the reasons why I love American history, is it’s a dime a dozen, people like Henry Knox that just had incredible fortitude.

George: Yeah, and like you said, John, like those qualities and those characteristics that you have are what help you in the moment, right? And so, you know, our next story is someone that you would have absolutely not seen as a military legend, um, but eventually became one, and I think this is more of a story of a common—just like many of these unsung heroes—so Misty, I wanted to have you now talk a little bit about Francis Marion.

Francis Marion: Unexpected Mastermind

Misty: Okay, so Francis Marion: again, one of those totally unlikely heroes. I’m gonna give you a description of somebody who himself met Francis Marion and described him. He said he was “a diminutive forty-eight-year-old man, who at around five-foot-two and a hundred and ten pounds, possessed the physique of a thirteen-year-old boy. His knock knees, deformed since birth, nearly touched one another. His hook nose and narrow face gave him a homely appearance, and he walked with a pronounced limp. Yet his flashing black eyes and steely demeanor along with his blue continental uniform, rumpled though it was, cautioned the mocking soldiers not to laugh at the ragged group in his presence.” So a little context on who Francis Marion is, this one who hardly looks the part of a hero—definitely not somebody you’d say, “Oh, this guy, he’s a warrior for sure.”

George: Right.

Misty: So Francis Marion is significant. He’s called the Swamp Fox because— So he’s a born-and-raised South Carolinian, and South Carolina— We often associate a lot of the biggest events of the Revolution as happening up north, in Boston and New York and in New Jersey. But actually, most of the casualties—at least a big percentage of the casualties that happened in the Revolution—took place in South Carolina during the last portion of the war. And here’s one of the reasons why.

British success in the South

So the British grew tired of the war in the North. They felt that nobody was really progressing. Washington just kept retreating, and they had a hard time catching him, and so they decided, “Let’s try a new strategy. Let’s come from the South.” And they believed that there was a lot more sentiment for the British in that part of the country, and so they ended up taking Georgia super easily, and then they used that to launch into South Carolina and took Charleston. The fall of Charleston is actually seen as one of the biggest, if not the biggest blow, that the Americans faced in the entire Revolution because it was one of the wealthiest cities in America.

And it was so bad, they literally had people thinking that the war was over, that the British had won. There were people flooding in from the countryside to go take oaths of allegiance to the Crown because they’re thinking, “All right. It’s over. We might as well join the winning team at this point.” And so the problem was that the British ended up— At first they offered neutrality, saying you could just be neutral in this war, but then they said, “Nope, we’re gonna make you take up arms against your fellow citizens.” And so it created basically a civil war in South Carolina that was incredibly bloody. I mean, it’s the most uncivil civil war you can imagine.

George: Wow.

Father of American guerrilla warfare

Misty: And so the reason why Francis Marion is incredible is because when everyone was ready to give up and to think the fight was over, he decided to keep going. He ended up organizing his own brigade that was a group of volunteer men that attacked the British at the most unlikely times. [Laughter] He actually became basically the fear of the British Army because they just never knew when he was going to strike. And this all came from his having fought in the French and Indian War against the Cherokees, where he picked up guerrilla warfare tactics. And he is basically seen as the father of American guerrilla warfare.

And so he and his men would pounce on the British and then they would sneak back into the swamps because he knew that area like the back of his hand. And so they were like ghosts that would appear, take their supplies, take their prisoners, and then fade into the swamp. And the British actually— This became such a problem that they ended up sending one of their top generals, who was Banastre Tarleton, very infamous in American history. They call him, uh, “the Butcher” or “Bloody Tarleton” because he would just— he was said to have run men through as they tried to surrender. So, very hated by the Americans.

“The devil himself could not catch him”

But he ended up being sent to chase Francis Marion, and after about seven hours and twenty-six miles through these trails of swamps, he finally ends up giving up, and he says this really famous quote. He says, “Come, my boys, let us go back, and we will soon find the Gamecock,” which is Thomas Sumter, another American leader. He says, “But as for this darn old fox”—he doesn’t say darn, but—

George: [Laughter]

Misty: He says, uh, “The devil himself could not catch him.” So this is where he gets his title as “the Swamp Fox.” One of the reasons why I love Francis Marion, though, is that amidst all of this inhumanity, he was known to be somebody that would not allow senseless cruelty. He was very humane, inasmuch as you can be, I guess, during war. But considering what was happening around him of just, like, revenge, cruelty constantly, he would never allow his men to do that. He was always very restrained. But I especially love him just because he is such an unlikely hero. When people would meet him, they were shocked, like, “This is the Fox?” [Laughter]

George: Yeah, it’s so funny.

Misty: “Not exactly who I was expecting.”

Resourcefulness is key

George: Yeah, and you know what’s funny, Misty, about that is, a lot of people now—’cause I think this is a great story for a bunch of reasons, you know, besides the fact that you’d never expect him to be an unsung hero—a lot of people, you know, have disadvantages right now in creating their life and leading and, you know, I remember hearing this from Tony Robbins as we’ve done events with him in the past, where it’s always a matter of resources or resourcefulness. And, you know, most people do not have resources, much like, you know, Francis. Looks, money, you know, resources: not there.

And so it does boil down to resourcefulness, and he was definitely a resourceful person, and that’s really what he was known for as far as creating these guerrilla, you know, tactics and things, and so I think it’s a good example of, you know, no matter where you’re at, no matter what you’re doing, it’s just a matter of being resourceful. And so that was a great lesson for me as you were talking about him. John, what are your thoughts?

Character and courage trump physical attributes

John: It’s interesting: I don’t think you’ll ever hear us refer to physical except in taking care of yourself, right? Sharpen the saw, eat right, we talk about the brain. But we never— And the timeless principles of success, when we talk about these fundamental premises, is that inside each of us is greatness; we weren’t the originators of that, that’s just, you know, truly something that goes way back—and that there’s a leader in each of us. And also, you know, the size of our spirit, the size of our leadership, the size of our courage. Well, everyone’s human. You have your down moments.

I can see, uh, that he’s a very likely leader as we see what he— And, you know, if they could see his courage, right? If they could see his creativity, his, uh— And he chose— I think it’s interesting: each one of those things, no one chose for him. He probably had good examples to look to, he had something in him, that greatness, and… But I think it’s a great story that you, your spirit, your mind, your heart leads.

And that might be important for somebody aging or somebody fighting cancer. It might be important for somebody like Ben Kjar, that is a great friend of ours. (Our live event—that’s coming up, and as you listen to this, it might have been in the past, and if you become a member, you can tap in and hear what Ben Kjar says.) But he overcame some physical disabilities that were pretty immense. So what a great example. Let’s move on to Sybil.

George: Yeah, no, you’re right because, um, John, you said courage, and I really like that because the next story reminds us a lot about courage and the idea that courage is not the absence of fear. It’s actually acting in spite of that. And so Sybil Ludington: Misty, tell us why that is such a great story and demonstration of courage.

Sybil Ludington: Courageous Legend

Misty: Yeah, Sybil is definitely an unsung hero for sure. And I love that all of these examples— I mean, you think about how Francis Marion would’ve just been a farmer who lived a traditional life probably. And, you know, Henry Knox would’ve been a bookstore owner. And it was circumstances that called them to rise to something great, and they stepped up to the plate. Well, Sybil Ludington is very similar to that.

Daughter of a colonel

So, she’s known as the female Paul Revere. And I do have to preface this, that there are historians that question how much of this is legend and how much of it is history, just because it was recorded a long time after the event. But the actual historical events surrounding it are definitely accurate, so— The British had marched onto Danbury, Connecticut, hoping to burn their supply of weapons and destroy them, confiscate what they could. And so, Sybil was the daughter of Colonel Henry Ludington, who was one of the most prominent leaders in that area, and he commanded a regiment up in New York pretty close by.

“I’ll do it”

And so a messenger arrived at their home saying that the British were marching to Danbury and kind of what their plans were, but the problem was that Colonel Ludington, he couldn’t… he couldn’t abandon his post, and he was trying to find somebody to go out and warn the troops because his men had actually dispersed to go and take care of their crops because of the season. And so his daughter, sixteen-year-old Sybil Ludington, she comes to her dad and she says, “Dad, I’ll do it. I’ll go out and gather the troops.” And at first, they say that he was very hesitant about this, which, if you understand the dangers of a war-torn country?

George: Right.

Misty: I mean, riding at night is dangerous in and of itself.

John: Yeah, who would— who would let their daughter go do this? [Laughter]

A forty-mile journey

Misty: [Laughter] I know. You’re thinking, “uh…” Any good father would be like, “No, you’re not doing that.” And it’s— I mean, these are treacherous roads for countless, countless reasons. The terrain is dangerous. The fact that she could be captured by the enemy at any point. And they say that it was a really wet, kind of stormy night. But Sybil apparently convinced him to let her go and make this ride. She said, “No, Dad, I’ll do it.” And so she ends up making about a forty-mile journey to go and gather the troops. That’s twice as far as Paul Revere.

George: Wow.

Misty: And so she actually— I mean, there’s statues of Sybil Ludington, and I think that we commemorate her because she was somebody who was so incredibly courageous despite so many outward forces.

Courage in everyday situations

George: Yeah, it’s interesting to see so many random and completely different types of individuals. Here you’ve got a sixteen-year-old. Like, this is an unsung hero for sure, and I think courage shows up in all forms. And remember, this is all leading to a common event of this, you know, American Revolution, and so I think that when you look at the examples like this, you realize that, you know, courage is gonna show up in everyday situations, not just in these major historical events. But it doesn’t matter who you are, where you are, what you’re doing. Your defining moments happen when you demonstrate courage, and so I think this is a great example of that. I think it’s one that, you know, a lot of people can learn from, and it’s nice to be able to relate to different individuals as well throughout history. John, what are your thoughts on Sybil?

The strength and wisdom of youth

John: I have two daughters, and as I think about them at those ages—they’re a little older than that now and both mothers—and as I watch them now in their thirties with three kids each, I remember we had this event where we like to climb the Middle Teton in Wyoming, and there were young men that were the same age that were great guys, and there were some young women, but not as many young women, and my daughter was fourteen, and she said, kinda like Sybil did, “Well, why can’t I go?” And because there hadn’t been that many young girls that had done this, and when she came, she was unbelievable with her friend Adrian.

And this is a long climb, and you could see the strength. I do think sometimes you just… The strength of youth is incredible. The wisdom of age is incredible, too. But I’m just so impressed. I think today, and Misty has mentioned this—Misty, you kind of being a young voice, a young adult voice—you know, the potential in the people that are really Sybil’s age and older—young adults—I think is incredible, and particularly when it lines up with timeless principles and high values, and it just… it calls that greatness out. So, I don’t know why we haven’t heard about Sybil, but this is a great story.

Benjamin Rush: Doctor and Activist

George: Yeah, I’m glad we’re able to bring this one in as well. And our, you know, our fourth person that we wanna really highlight, Misty, is Benjamin Rush, because I think a lot of times we think of legacy in our life and accomplishments we have—and not that Benjamin didn’t have accomplishments—but we realize as we get older and as we go through life that it’s not just about what you achieve, but it’s how you serve and what your purpose is and what you’re trying to accomplish through your service, through your purpose—especially if you’re a leader. So talk to us about Benjamin Rush.

A young founding father

Misty: Yeah, Benjamin Rush is honestly another one that was pretty young. He, uh… So Benjamin Rush is one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, one of the many less recognized that should be known more, and he was about thirty years old when he signed the Declaration. Sometimes people have a misconception about the American Revolution and think it’s just a bunch of, like, older guys. We’re thinking of Benjamin Franklin types. This really was a young man’s war in many ways. I think Hamilton was twenty-two. Lafayette was, like, nineteen. So a lot of the people that Washington surrounded himself were very young men—

George: Wow.

Misty: —to John’s point about young people being called to do big things. That was definitely the American Revolution. Well, uh, as we talk about Benjamin Rush, I just have to say that John Adams actually, when he was asked about some of the most notable Founding Fathers, he pointed to Benjamin Rush as one of the top three most notable, and yet most people have no idea who he even is.

Certified medical doctor

Uh, Benjamin Rush was the only medical doctor to sign the Declaration of Independence, meaning like a certified— he had gone to school to study medicine. So he was raised in Philadelphia, but he actually went over to Europe and studied at Edinburgh, which was the big medical hub at the time, the most prominent place that you could go and receive medical training. And he’s such an interesting person because today we associate people who go get medical degrees sometimes with people who just wanna make a lot of money, and not that that’s everybody, but that is a huge motivator to get into medicine now.

Choosing your calling in life

It was not that way during the time of Benjamin Rush. He actually considered becoming a lawyer because he was a great speaker, and he felt— So he had an uncle who actually told him, he said, “No, you make this a matter of prayer, and you decide if that’s your calling in life.” And because of that, he ended up deciding instead to pursue medicine, which of course not everybody is going to have, like, a religious bend or background.

George: Yeah.

Practicing medicine for the poor

Misty: But… I think it is worth asking, right? What is it that we feel called to do? Is there something that we feel like “I was born to make a difference in this area”? Because Benjamin Rush, he got his medical training, and he came back very poor. He did not have enough money to start his own practice, or the connections, and so he started going into the streets and practicing what we would now maybe call street medicine. He would go into the worst parts of Philadelphia, and I mean, like, disgusting. People are living in unfathomable conditions, and he would stick his head into their doors and say, like—he’d knock on the door and say, “Doctor calling. Anybody need the doctor?” And he would just, for free, go out and treat people in the streets.

George: Wow.

Service-oriented activist

Misty: Give himself, uh, practice, and he felt that it was his calling to tend to the poor, to take care of people. And so this in and of itself is super impressive, but this is, I mean, a very small percentage of what Benjamin Rush would accomplish in his life. Because obviously, he would get swept up in politics. He would be a doctor during the Revolution. He also, of course, signed the Declaration. And not only that, but he became very fierce about abolition, was one of the earliest voices against slavery in America, and he also was huge in helping to, um… to push reform in prisons. And so he would go visit prisons, and then he’d go to the people who were in charge and say, “Hey, this has got to change,” because it used to be bad. People were treated like animals in prisons, especially in psychiatric wards. And so he’s actually known as the father of American psychiatry because he would go in and visit these people and push for them to have humane treatment. So that—that is Benjamin Rush.

George: Wow.

Misty: I mean, if there was a charity or any… Oh, he also was big in education, but that’s a whole different topic. [Laughter] Benjamin Rush was involved in every amazing cause that you can imagine, and he actually would reflect back at the end of his life, saying that, “You know, I would have saved myself a lot of trouble if I had decided to not go into medicine,” he says, “but I feel that I have been of best service in that occupation, so if I had the choice, I would do it all over again.” So I love Benjamin Rush for being that example of having a service-oriented life.

The shift from success to significance

George: Yeah, it’s interesting. I’ve been around a lot of entrepreneurs, business owners, leaders, you know, individuals that have chased and accomplished a lot of success in their life, and many of them, when it comes down to it, the shift from success to significance is very—a very big deal to a lot of people, especially as they grow older. And here’s an individual that exemplifies service and success at the same time—just in the sense of the accomplishments and things, having signed the Declaration of Independence; I mean, there’s just so much— And the reason I wanted you to really highlight this story is there’s so much to be said about leadership and accomplishing a great life and living a great life. But such a core piece of that is service and significance and your purpose and passion. Clearly he had a drive for that to be able to do all things he did, when it wasn’t about money. When it wasn’t about that. It was about his purpose and his service. John, what are your thoughts?

The Unsung Heroes of Our Lives

John: I feel like as we’ve gone through these four stories, um, you know, I just— The first one—there are several timeless principles with each one, so admittedly each of us might have felt or heard something different—but determination stood out in that first story. Resourcefulness, courage, and service is big in this last one. It seems like service, more than any of them, somewhere in there is part of the major foundation of a happy or a successful or a rewarding life. So I think that’s a cool one to end with as well. Each of these, though, I think it’s so interesting.

Write out a list

All around us… If you were to make a list today in your planner or your planner journal— I was writing yesterday a lot, and I found as I wrote, something different happened than just texting or typing. I felt different emotions, I felt inspired. And preparing for this, I started to make a little list of unsung heroes that I know about, whether they’re in my direct family or people I knew in my neighborhood or where I’ve worked or in efforts I’ve been involved in. And I just encourage everyone to do that, to write in your planner, in your journal, and to see what happens as you start to think. It’s kind of an abundant… uh, what, awareness of gratitude around you?

These things are happening, and I’ll bet inside each one of us, someone else might point out that inside us, they’ve seen these bolts of lightning, of goodness, where we’ve stepped up. It’d be interesting to think, “Well, where have you done what some of these examples have done?” And maybe nobody in a podcast a few years down the road is gonna say, “Well, why haven’t we heard about George Wright III?” ’Cause George, you’re famous already. But I am grateful for the people around me, and we hear lots of stories with our customers and partners of, kind of what we do allows us to be part of those stories. It’s inspiring. So Misty, I really appreciate your ability to tell these stories. I think you do it accurately, and you’re very transparent about the truth about it, so thank you.

History is something to study and apply

George: Yeah, I agree, and, you know, look, at the end of the day, if you’re listening to this, we wanna really emphasize, and the reason we brought these stories out, is that history isn’t just something you study. It’s something that we apply. It’s something we learn from. And these stories are designed to inspire and motivate you, and also teach you lessons that you can use in your life, in your business, in your families, because these are extraordinary lives but ordinary people as well. So I wanna let— Misty, I wanna let you kinda finish us out here, and I just wanted to kinda ask you: If you had a takeaway that you really wanted the listeners to learn, or a key takeaway from lessons of these unsung heroes, what would it be?

Determination, courage, and service make success

Misty: I think it would be that great deeds often aren’t recognized, and that sometimes it’s small choices that we make. I think about some of the noblest things that people accomplish often are not heralded, [Laughter] unfortunately. You know, being a great parent. Being an honorable person, somebody that people can look to and rely on, someone that consistently makes good choices. Those are the most valuable people in history that really make a difference. I think that we can… we can look to these people. I think the American values align so well in many ways with the values of Franklin Planner, in the sense that we can become anything we want to become. If you have the determination, the courage, if you are willing to serve and do what you can, then you can be successful. And it’s not our circumstances that determine who we become, it’s our choices.

George: I agree. That’s such a powerful thing. I’m so glad we ended with that. I appreciate your comments. I appreciate your stories. We always love having you back, and we also really love the insights and extras that you do in the member area for the Franklin Planner membership. And so thank you for being here. John, thank you for being here.

If you’re listening to this, we really wanna encourage you to apply these principles in your life, but also engage with us. Let us know what you’re working on, what you’re struggling with, what you’re winning at. Let’s celebrate some things. And we really appreciate and grateful for your listenership. So please share the show and check out the show notes and the links that we’ll put in there for you for additional resources, and we’ll look forward to talking with you again soon. Thank you, and have a great day.

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Thank you for joining us on this journey to create your best life and to lead your life and teams. Please share this show, and we look forward to the journey we will take together.

Check out the New Membership Program Here: https://store.franklinplanner.com/lps/membership/

The Franklin Planner Team

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About Misty Howard

Misty Howard is a historian‐enthusiast and podcast host who brings a fresh, youth-oriented voice to timeless values and historical wisdom. She serves as the creator and host of the podcast Faith Ignited (described as “Immersive, real stories from history, seen through the lens of faith”). Her work focuses on exploring the lives of influential historical figures—especially from the founding era of the United States—and connecting their personal values with modern leadership, mission-driven living, and character development. Misty emphasizes the importance of self-improvement, purpose, and narration of historical truths often overlooked in mainstream narratives. Her style blends historical research, faith-based insight, and practical application for younger audiences.

Her contributions bring depth, perspective, and inspiration to conversations about proactive living and principle-centered leadership.

Guest Resources:

Podcast Link: Faith Ignited — available via Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, etc.