Gopher: A Worker-First Gig Marketplace Built for Fair Pay and Community Impact

The Forgotten Birthplace of American Independence

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 on Building a Culture of Trust and Service

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

An American Spirit: Honor, Grief, and Resilience With Holly Higgins

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

Symbolic Stories: Flags That Speak with Kelly C. Hyke

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

Gopher: A Worker-First Gig Marketplace Built for Fair Pay and Community Impact

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