Show notes
A 19-year-old drove three hours to sit at our table and lit the room on fire—in the best way. Meet Caroline Joyous: musician, TPUSA ambassador, and relentless voice who found her calling when churches closed and her mom’s salon went dark. She walks us through how a quiet teenager became a public advocate, why she ties pro-life conviction to civic duty, and how she handles daily hate without losing heart.We dig into what Turning Point USA actually does—voter registration, local races, church mobilization, and outreach that targets Gen Z where they live. Caroline shares personal memories of Charlie Kirk’s encouragement and the one word he gave her that stuck: relentless. From there, we tackle the flashpoint everyone’s still arguing about: Super Bowl halftime. We compare the NFL spectacle with TPUSA’s alternative featuring Kid Rock and Gabby Barrett, unpack the family standards debate, and ask why institutions keep ignoring their core audience. It’s a wider conversation about culture, unity, and building alternatives when the mainstream won’t budge.For a change of pace, we vent about small-but-real etiquette fails—movie theater whisperers and biohazard bathrooms—before flipping the mic. Caroline asks for songwriting advice, and we get practical: write from truth, not for approval; let lived moments anchor your lyric; move people before you try to move charts. The through line is courage with kindness—show up, speak clearly, and keep going when it gets loud.If you’re ready for faith, free speech, and a Gen Z perspective with backbone, press play. Then tell us your take on the halftime controversy, the best way to reach young voters, and the songwriting rule you live by. Subscribe, leave a rating, share with a friend, and drop your comments—we’ll read them and keep the conversation going.______________________________________________________________________________________________SPONSORS: The Try That in a Small Town Podcast is powered by e|spaces!Redefining Coworking - Exceptional Office Space for Every BusinessBook a tour today at espaces.comFrom 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-PATRIOTRight 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.comPeacemaker Coffee CompanyFounded 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 [email protected] by Jim McCarthy and www.ItsYourShow.co