The Good Influencers

Ty Manning

The Good Influencers is a podcast about people who are making a difference—whether in quiet ways or on a bigger stage. I’m Ty Manning, a restoration business owner who’s curious about the “why” behind what drives people to do good. Each week, I sit down for real, laid-back conversations with people from all walks of life—those serving their communities in big ways and small. Some have large platforms. Others have none. But all have a story worth hearing and a sincere desire to make things better. These honest interviews shine a light on impact in all its forms—and remind us that influence isn’t about popularity, it’s about purpose. You’ll leave each episode with a fresh perspective, a little inspiration, and maybe even a deeper appreciation for your own community. New episodes drop weekly.

  1. The Secret to Healing from Addiction Might Be a Sewing Machine

    09/29/2025

    The Secret to Healing from Addiction Might Be a Sewing Machine

    In this powerful episode of The Good Influencers Podcast, we sit down with LaDawnya Faulkner, founder of Lost Ozark Dawn Community Heritage, who shares her deeply personal story of addiction, trauma, and finding healing through an unexpected tool: a sewing machine. After years of alcohol dependency, painful family dynamics, and personal loss, LaDawnya chose recovery—and discovered that sewing wasn’t just a hobby. It became her therapy, her purpose, and a way to rebuild her life while helping others do the same. In This Episode You’ll Learn: What alcohol was really covering up for LaDawnyaWhy boredom and abandonment are dangerous in recoveryHow sewing became her daily act of healingThe importance of having something to fill the voidWhat one co-worker’s courage taught her about compassionHow she turned a creative outlet into a nonprofit helping others healThe power of community, purpose, and starting small This Episode Is for You If... You or someone you love is navigating addiction or recoveryYou’ve ever felt stuck and unsure how to start overYou want to transform your pain into purposeYou’re passionate about helping others through creative outletsYou believe in second chances, small beginnings, and healing through community 🧵 Learn more about Lost Ozark Dawn Community Heritage: https://www.lostozarkdawn.org ✦ LISTEN ON ✦ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7cLA6L4hoqFxE21VetsW3P?si=851e12258eba4c28 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-good-influencers/id1822428424 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGoodInfluencersPodcast ✦ CONNECT WITH US ON ✦ Facebook// https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576199604347 Instagram// https://www.instagram.com/thegoodinfluencerspodcast/

    53 min
  2. From Privilege to Purpose: Dylan’s Journey Through Addiction and Recovery

    09/15/2025

    From Privilege to Purpose: Dylan’s Journey Through Addiction and Recovery

    What happens when the life you’ve been handed is filled with opportunity but still feels empty? In this powerful episode, Dylan opens up about his personal journey from addiction and survival to recovery, health, and purpose. Raised in a supportive environment with every opportunity at his fingertips, Dylan still found himself lost in substance abuse. His story is not just about hitting rock bottom. It is about what it takes to climb out of it. Today, Dylan uses his past to inspire others and redefine what it means to truly live. In This Episode You’ll Learn: Why addiction does not discriminate, even in privileged environmentsThe moment Dylan knew he needed to changeWhat recovery looked like one day at a timeHow fitness and faith became anchors in his healingThe importance of community and vulnerabilityWhat it means to live a purpose-driven life after addictionDylan’s advice for anyone struggling in silence This Episode Is for You If... You or someone you love is battling addictionYou have ever wondered if recovery is possibleYou feel stuck in survival mode or are searching for purposeYou want to hear an honest and hopeful story about change Key Timestamps: 08:27 – First experience with marijuana and how curiosity led to harder drugs 14:07 – The role of discomfort in recovery and breaking unhealthy patterns 22:35 – What is the "pink cloud" in addiction recovery and why it's dangerous 25:28 – Replacing bad habits with structure and purpose 44:00 – The moment Dylan decided to change and commit to sobriety 47:00 – Practical tools that helped Dylan stay clean after treatment ✦ LISTEN ON ✦ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7cLA6L4hoqFxE21VetsW3P?si=851e12258eba4c28 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-good-influencers/id1822428424 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGoodInfluencersPodcast ✦ CONNECT WITH US ON ✦ Facebook// https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576199604347 Instagram// https://www.instagram.com/thegoodinfluencerspodcast/

    1h 10m
  3. Finding Strength in Struggle: Srividya’s Immigrant Experience

    09/01/2025

    Finding Strength in Struggle: Srividya’s Immigrant Experience

    What happens when you leave behind everything you know—your language, food, customs, and even climate—to start fresh in a completely different world? For Srividya Venkatesubramanya, that experience of cultural shift, isolation, and rebuilding identity led not just to personal resilience, but to community transformation. From her own words, “I don't feel guilty anymore because through Ra-Ve, I'm helping others hold onto what makes them who they are.” This one sentence captures Srividya’s transformation from navigating her own identity loss to building a platform that helps others preserve theirs. From growing up in India immersed in classical music and dance to building a new life in the U.S., Srividya’s journey is a powerful testament to the immigrant experience. She opens up about loneliness, cultural guilt, raising bicultural children, and how founding the Ra-Ve Cultural Foundation became a way to reclaim and celebrate identity while helping others do the same. In This Episode You’ll Learn: What it really feels like to start over in a new countryThe emotional complexities of being a first-generation immigrant parentHow cultural guilt shows up—and how to let it goThe power of art, language, and tradition in healing identity woundsWhy Srividya believes representation isn't optional—it's essentialHow one woman turned cultural loss into cultural leadership This Episode Is for You If... You’ve ever struggled to feel like you belongYou’re an immigrant or child of immigrants balancing two culturesYou believe in the power of storytelling and community healingYou’re passionate about culture, tradition, and raising empowered childrenYou want a reminder that your voice—and your heritage—matters Key Timestamps: 01:25 – Moving from Chennai to Delhi: childhood culture shift  06:00 – Early passion for classical Indian dance and music  20:40 – The cultural shock of moving to Minneapolis  25:10 – Crying every day and the shift to finding purpose  29:00 – Navigating motherhood and heritage guilt in the U.S.  42:50 – The birth of the Ravi Cultural Foundation  53:00 – How Ra-Ve helped Srividya heal and help others 🌐 Resources & Mentions:Ra-Ve Cultural Foundation: https://www.ra-veculturalfoundation.org/ ✦ LISTEN ON ✦ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7cLA6L4hoqFxE21VetsW3P?si=851e12258eba4c28 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-good-influencers/id1822428424 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGoodInfluencersPodcast ✦ CONNECT WITH US ON ✦ Facebook// https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576199604347 Instagram// https://www.instagram.com/thegoodinfluencerspodcast/

    1h 23m
  4. The Path to Redemption: How Wendy Turned Her Pain Into Purpose

    08/18/2025

    The Path to Redemption: How Wendy Turned Her Pain Into Purpose

    What happens when a survivor of trauma decides to stop running—and starts helping others heal? In this raw and redemptive episode, Wendy Henson shares the truth about what it takes to break generational cycles and turn unimaginable pain into purpose. In this powerful episode, Ty sits down with Wendy Henson—licensed counselor, survivor, and relentless advocate for healing. Wendy opens up about the raw realities of childhood trauma, addiction, and the long road to emotional and spiritual recovery. From surviving cycles of abuse to becoming a therapist who now walks with others through their own pain, Wendy’s story is a reminder that redemption is always possible. Her honesty will break your heart—and her courage will put it back together. In This Episode You’ll Learn: How Wendy’s early experiences with addiction and abuse shaped her callingWhy healing isn’t linear—but absolutely possibleWhat Wendy wishes people understood about trauma survivorsHow faith, counseling, and community helped her rewrite her storyThe moment she realized she was meant to help others heal This Episode Is for You If... You’ve experienced trauma or loss and want hope for the futureYou’re curious about the power of therapy and self-forgivenessYou’ve ever struggled to break generational cyclesYou want to hear what real, raw redemption sounds like Key Timestamps: [00:01] Struggles that shape purpose [03:57] Called to be a counselor [08:43] Building her Habitat home [17:42] Losing mom and brother [20:16] Centerton Cares is born [27:39] Obeying the call to run [47:28] “Adversity grows us” ✦ LISTEN ON ✦ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7cLA6L4hoqFxE21VetsW3P?si=851e12258eba4c28 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-good-influencers/id1822428424 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGoodInfluencersPodcast ✦ CONNECT WITH US ON ✦ Facebook// https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576199604347 Instagram// https://www.instagram.com/thegoodinfluencerspodcast/

    48 min
  5. Homeless, Addicted, and Now Helping Others: Daniel’s Story of Hope and Redemption

    08/04/2025

    Homeless, Addicted, and Now Helping Others: Daniel’s Story of Hope and Redemption

    What happens when someone who grew up surrounded by addiction, lived years on the streets, and battled methamphetamine use… chooses to rise and lead others out of the same darkness? In this raw and redemptive episode, Daniel shares his deeply personal story growing up in Arkansas, falling into addiction at a young age, and ultimately finding purpose through community work, recovery, and compassion. From being homeless and incarcerated to now helping others through programs like Pick Me Up and Seven Hills, Daniel’s journey proves that hope is never lost. In This Episode, You’ll Learnr: What it’s like growing up with addicted parentsThe realities of youth drug exposure and the foster systemHow Daniel’s turning point led him into recoveryWhat the Pick Me Up program is and how it supports the unhomedThe importance of compassion in leadership and recoveryWhy purpose—not perfection—is key to lasting change This episode is for you if: You’ve struggled with addiction or traumaYou work in recovery, outreach, or mental healthYou believe in second chancesYou want to understand the real human stories behind homelessnessYou're looking for inspiration rooted in honesty and hope ✦ LISTEN ON ✦ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7cLA6L4hoqFxE21VetsW3P?si=851e12258eba4c28 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-good-influencers/id1822428424 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGoodInfluencersPodcast ✦ CONNECT WITH US ON ✦ Facebook// https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576199604347 Instagram// https://www.instagram.com/thegoodinfluencerspodcast/

    31 min

About

The Good Influencers is a podcast about people who are making a difference—whether in quiet ways or on a bigger stage. I’m Ty Manning, a restoration business owner who’s curious about the “why” behind what drives people to do good. Each week, I sit down for real, laid-back conversations with people from all walks of life—those serving their communities in big ways and small. Some have large platforms. Others have none. But all have a story worth hearing and a sincere desire to make things better. These honest interviews shine a light on impact in all its forms—and remind us that influence isn’t about popularity, it’s about purpose. You’ll leave each episode with a fresh perspective, a little inspiration, and maybe even a deeper appreciation for your own community. New episodes drop weekly.