Today’s episode is a little different. There’s no outline, no clear agenda — just a conversation where my friend Jim Mann and I are shooting from the hip. He has quite the background: longtime (low-key famous) radio host, cancer survivor, and one of the funniest people I know. Jim is the reason I moved to Greenville. He’s the reason I learned how to edit a podcast. And he’s been part of my life through some really formative seasons — even before this show existed. I call him my Greenville dad. In this conversation, we talk about everything from his early days in music to his decades in radio, to the moment he was diagnosed with aggressive melanoma — and how those experiences changed the way he sees life, faith, and even his own worth. Get ready to laugh, and let’s get into my conversation with Jim.
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Timestamps:
*Unedited transcript*
[00:00:00]
Jac: To kick things off, Jimbo, this is so exciting because again, shooting from the hip here, no outline prepared. I told my mom, I was like, I’m talking to Jim this afternoon on the podcast. She’s like, where are you guys gonna talk about? I was like, I don’t know, maybe a football or something.
Jim: Yeah. This is, this would be good for you ’cause you’re a planner.
Jac: Yeah, I am.
Jim: And uh, and this is old hat for me ’cause I’m not a planner.
Jac: Well, you host all of your podcast conversations without doing an outline, right? Like, didn’t you once tell me you like to not know anything about the person because you feel like that would like skew the conversation.
Jim: I like to know their name.
It’s important. just their name. Just their name, though.
Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, it’s just, uh, it’s like sitting down at the coffee shop. Meeting somebody the first time and finding out about them. Of course, I already know about you.
Jac: First of all, you’re famous, everyone. Jim is low key, famous. Um, he’s surprisingly on video right now, ’cause usually he goes in incognito, right? Like with your shades and, and your hat when you’re out in public.
Jim: Yes. I’m
too good [00:01:00] looking.
Jac: I know. So this is a treat everyone make sure you’re turned into the YouTube edition as well. Um, but yeah. Jim, how did we meet? We met through Healing Strong, for listeners is what is Healing Strong? Can you tell them what Healing Strong is?
Jim: Sure it’s a nonprofit group out of, uh, Atlanta that they all holistic. Uh, I guess I gotta, I should memorize the exact same thing so that I’m not screwing it up.
Jac: I hope Suzy’s not listening.
Jim: But, uh, but yeah, it’s small support groups that are like, there’s hundreds of them all over the world, in fact. But I have one in Greenville, South Carolina, just down the trail from where you
Jac: where live.
Jim: And, uh, and so we just kind of meet together people who are going through cancer or other life-threatening diseases and, and, uh, we have a blast learning about nutrition and exercise and all this stuff that you already know about.
Jac: Yeah. Decent amount, which in your five minutes from my apartment, everyone, I bring Jim Banana bread. Sometimes I’ll show up [00:02:00] right. And just surprise you out of the blue.
Jim: Yes,
Jac: Jim loves my banana bread,
Jim: because
it’s healthy.
Jac: yeah, it is, it is no sugar. But Jim, you and I met because I honestly forget how I came across Healing Strong.
I think I, I reached out to someone on LinkedIn. To ask about, like, I don’t know, something with marketing advice. And he was like, oh, you should check out this organization called Healing Strong. And then I did, and I got connected to Susie who founded Healing Strong. And then she told me, she’s like, oh, we were starting this podcast, we could use help.
And this is before I even started, well, and Strong’s podcast. And I was like, yeah. I was like, sure, what’s involved? And then I met you, you know this random guy from South Carolina on a Zoom call and I remember
at the time
Jim: Did she say We have this old guy, so we need some direction? He has no plans for anything.
Jac: Yeah. He’s, he’s confused. No, she didn’t, she didn’t share that while you were there.
That was offline. But um, yeah. And then at the time I was living in Boston and I told you that I was looking to, to move south or [00:03:00] somewhere like relatively close to New Jersey. And you were like, you should just come check out Greenville, South Carolina. And remember I was like, Jim, I was like, what is Greenville?
Like? I’ve never heard of this place before.
Jim: Yeah. Yeah. You were lost. You were a lost sheep.
You were, yeah. You were trying other places and, uh, I knew they wouldn’t pan out, so I just patiently being full of wisdom myself. I patiently waited until you checked out Greenville, and I knew you’d fall in love with it.
Jac: yeah.
yeah. But, but the wild part is the story of when I came here, and this is a story I like, tell everyone and they’re like, how’d you hear about Greenville? I always first attribute it to you. But then when I came here I came here on a whim, right? I, I visited Charlotte that weekend with my sister and her husband, and I was like, oh.
I was like, Charlotte’s kind of cute. And then I went to Asheville right to visit, I think it was, it was Ryan. I visited Susie’s son there just to check out the area. And then instead of driving back to Charlotte for my flight home, in the back of my mind I was like, what’s [00:04:00] one other city that I may have wanted to check out that I didn’t?
Check out yet. And in the back of my mind, Jim, I heard your voice. It was like Greenville, South Carolina. You should check out Greenville. So on a whim, I just mapped it. I was like, this could be six hours from Asheville for all I knew. And when it was an hour and a half, I was beyond surprised. So I changed my flight last minute.
I drove here on a whim. I texted you, remember? I was like, Jim, like guess, guess where I am. And you like had, you were like, where? I was like, I’m downtown on Main Street. And you were having lunch with your insurance agent that day.
Do you remember? Which is like so random. ’cause you’re like never really downtown.
And then we met up and then you showed me around and I was here for what, like two hours
Jim: Mm-hmm. And you moved in.
Jac: And I moved in, yeah. Two months later. And remember I parked next to your truck
Jim: Yeah. Now that, that’s crazy because it’s hard. Yeah. It’s hard to find a parking place. And then I have found one right next to your rental car.
Jac: That was wild. Like what are the odds?
Jim: [00:05:00] Very slim.
Jac: But, uh, but now Jim and I are are best friends and,
you know, we meet weekly at Spill The Beans just to talk about life and books. Books that we’re reading.
Jim: Yes, yes. Hey, look, this is what I’m reading right now.
The Ragamuffin gospel.
I just started a little while ago, but, uh, I’ll let you know about it. I’ll give you a report
Jac: Okay, you should start a book club, Jim.
Jim: Okay. We can do that. Yes. So what you wanna talk about? What do you wanna know
about me?
Jac: I dunno. Give us the, give us the whole Jimbo story. Also tell everyone that you’re, you’re not originally from South Carolina. Shocker.
Jim: No, no, no, no. I’m not. I grew up in Baltimore, in the suburbs of Baltimore. I didn’t live downtown, but I lived in, uh, out where the Orioles, the Baltimore Orioles lived. A lot of those people, I wasn’t wealthy like them. They lived in bigger houses, but it was still in the same area.
Jac: Okay.
Jim: So I went to the same high
Jac: I wanna be.
Jim: Yeah.
Yeah. I was on a softball team, so that’s something.[00:06:00]
But anyway, yeah. Um, I don’t think you were born
yet. Probably not.
Your parents were just born anyway. Yeah. So, um, I, oh, I went to same high school as Michael Michael Phelps. Did you know that?
Jac: No, I didn’t know that. Wow.
Jim. Also, everyone, again, like Jim is famous in his own right, but Jim also knows a lot of famous people, so don’t be surprised if he just casually dropped someone’s name in conversation
Jim: Yeah, we didn’t go the same time. However, I did take swimming at Towson
High School, which I feel like I paved the way for Michael Phelps.
Jac: yeah, I’m sure.
Jim: You do know who he is.
Jac: you should message him?
Jim: I’ve never met him, actually.
I was
going,
Jac: who you are though,
Jim: oh yeah. He keeps saying, yeah, I went same school as uh, Jim Mann, who can’t swim like me, but still. But yeah, I left there actually, I grew up in a, in a, uh, very middle income, plain average, about [00:07:00] as average you can get
family.
Um, lots of cousins, aunts and uncles, and we all lived like really close to each other. It was kinda weird. Um, but actually what happened, let me back up a little to my mom. Did I ever tell you about my mom? She was born with polio.
Jac: I dunno. I don’t think you did actually.
Jim: Yeah, she was born with polio and uh, she had no muscle development in her legs. I think her right arm, I wasn’t there, but, uh, that’s what I hear. And so she would like drag herself through the house like a seal. ’cause she couldn’t crawl, couldn’t, you know, pull her knees up.
Jac: I didn’t know this.
Jim: Well, now you do,
Jac: Wow.
Jim: thanks to this podcast.
Jac: Yeah. I’m gonna learn so many things about you during
the next hour. Keep going.
Jim: here’s what happened. You know, as my mom, she wasn’t crawling to the house, but one day she was like five or six years old, and these ladies came from a local church and said, you know, inviting people to come out to church. And, uh, my grandparents [00:08:00] say, yeah, yeah, okay, whatever. And then they saw my, my mom scooting through the house and they go, Hey, can we pray for your little girl?
They go, yeah, whatever. If it gets rid of you. Yes. So they prayed for her, and then she just scooted on. Nothing happened. And, uh, until the next morning they heard all this commotion coming outta my mom’s bedroom. And they went, ran in there and she was standing for the first time,
totally healed, total muscle development in her legs and her arm.
And she had to learn to walk at like five or six years old. So they go, Hey, maybe we had check this God out. And they just went to that church. And so my whole family is, is, uh, Christian. Uh, lots of ’em are in the ministry like myself.
And so yeah, that’s a, that’s kind of a cool beginning, I
Jac: I think.
Yeah. That’s an incredible story. I feel like, no, you did not tell me this. I don’t, I don’t remember this.
Jim: yeah, it’s not a big deal.
Jac: Yeah. Just a little bit.
Jim: So [00:09:00] yeah. So that’s what happened. So that’s why the whole family, you know, we’re all involved. We were pretty much the church where we went. We were the music department basically in the Sunday school department.
Jac: Jim plays the drums.
Jim: uh,
base.
Jac: Bass. sorry.
Jim: Actually I played guitar, but then my, my sister played piano.
My aunt played the organ. Uh,
my aunt
Jac: Musical family.
Jim: played the choir. Yeah, yeah. We were, yeah, we were that. Anyway, so I moved from there down to Florida to go to college to study music of all things. And uh, went down to Southeastern University. It’s a bible college. And I went down there because the church was like a really Cole and they had a radio station that was playing contemporary stuff.
It was one of three stations that started in the world. It was there in the Tampa Bay area and the church owned it, it house there in the church. So I went down there and the church was really cool ’cause it was
Jac: was huge
Jim: then.
I mean
it, yeah. Yeah. That was in, that was 81 when I moved down there. You remember 81?
Jac: [00:10:00] Yeah. Honestly, do you know that I’ve always wanted to live in the eighties? Like if I could pick any decade to like be a young adult in, it would be the eighties.
Jim: Those were
Jac: music.
Jim: Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, that’s
Jac: good.
Yeah. Sorry. Keep going
Jim: I see. Okay. I’m in the eighties now. Okay. 81 down there. Went to college. I’m very, I’m very
much
an introvert. Most people don’t believe that, but
I’m very much an introvert. I know. Please don’t look at me. So I went there my whole first semester of college. Nobody knew me.
I mean, I came and left without anybody even knowing I was
there.
Jac: so sad.
Jim: It’s very sad ’cause I lived off campus. I lived at an uncle’s house
and, uh, I said, this doesn’t work. I’m
gonna have
to be on campus so somebody can see that I’m there. So, but meanwhile, I didn’t wanna join any of the college groups. ’cause you know, they were all those groups where everyone dressed alike.
And at the end of each song, their little arms went up at the same time. Like, you know, I like choreography,
yada, yada, yada.
Jac: Weird people.
Jim: Exactly. But then I was walking by the [00:11:00] chapel and I heard this lot of funky music coming out, and I went in there and it was this, it was this all black band. And they were tight as could be.
I said, if I was in a band, this is the one I want to be in. I said, but I’m kind of Caucasian, so, uh, maybe I’ll be counted out. I don’t know. Funny thing is that second semester when I moved on, I moved right next door to the drummer of that group
Jac: No way.
Jim: and he saw
me.
Jac: friends.
Jim: Well, yeah, well, he saw me, uh, getting my amp and my bass out and he goes, oh my gosh, you play bass.
We we need a bass player. Our last bass player graduated last year, so you wanna try out? I’m like, oh, I’m gonna make a fool of myself.
Jac: The
Jim: So,
Jac: tries out
Jim: exactly. So the, the whole band came to my apartment and one of my roommates had a little cassio thing, and so they, their, uh, piano player was playing and everyone’s staring at me to see what I’m gonna do.
I was like, oh, this is so humiliating. I’m go back to Mon Uncle’s house. So I played, apparently they liked it [00:12:00] and they said, well, hey, we’re practicing tomorrow night in the music hall, so if you wanna come. And so they, they loved it.
I became,
I became a black man.
Jac: That’s wild.
You’re a freshman.
Jim: It was so much fun. Yeah. I was freshman and they go, oh, by the way, we have the full chapel service in, uh, just a couple weeks.
So I had to learn an hour’s worth of music to play in front of the entire, uh, student body.
Jac: Oh my
gosh.
Jim: at the beginning of
that hour,
Jac: what a way to make friends though. You
know,
like that’s your, that was your in, you know,
Jim: I know. At the beginning of chapel, I went from just the band, you know, me and my roommates to the whole campus knew who I was. That was crazy.
Jac: that was your first taste of fame, you
know? So like, now you’re used to it obviously, but that must have been a, a challenge.
Jim: It was, but it was kind of nice. ’cause suddenly I went from, you know, people like bumping into me like, oh, I didn’t see you there to like, I know I was walking back right up its chapel. I was walking back [00:13:00] to go to the cafeteria. And this group of girls were like, kept looking at me and giggling. I thought, what do I have something in my face? And they go, are you Jim, man? I said, yeah. They go and they go, she likes you. And I thought, how immature? And at the same time I thought, hell nice. I,
Jac: didn’t your wife like foresee you? ’cause you were playing. Didn’t that how you kind of met?
Jim: yeah, yeah, yeah. We met at the church, which at
that
time was a 10,000
seat, so it was like, like an arena. And I was the bass
player there,
Jac: there.
Jim: uh, for 17 years. So I would, I hadn’t gotten in radio yet, but, but yeah, uh, she, she knew me from up there. Um, and none of my friends tried to fix me up with her. They tried to fix her up with some other slick salesman.
I don’t know what that was about. And, uh, she didn’t notice me when we all went out to eat together. So sad. But I heard that she was a music major and that she was from Maryland.[00:14:00]
I thought,
look at that. I are the odds?
they’re pretty good I guess. And then the next week we all went to
Olive
Garden and uh been there before.
yes,
which we are not. am I missing anything?
The garlic bread is pretty good.
Jac: Okay, noted.
Jim: Yeah, it’s good. I mean it’s good stuff. Anyway, it’s a good atmosphere. I like the atmosphere, but there’s a big round table and all, a bunch of us sitting there and she was sitting with a chair empty next to her and so I thought, oh, this is too good. And of course, like salesmen was on the other side of her. So I sat down and then I realized why it was empty. ’cause there’s a FCUs tree branch right there on my head, which is crazy. I guess I just fit an extra chair in there. And so every time I moved this FCUs branch was moving. She thought that was hysterical and that’s basically how I got her.
I just made a fool of myself all during dinner and she thought it was great.
Jac: You just probably encourage so many male listeners who are like in that same [00:15:00] situation. So thanks for sharing that with us.
Jim: Yes. And she would literally was the prettiest girl in the entire church.
Jac: Aw.
Jim: So much so that, uh, when we got engaged, people will come up to her and they go, Hey, how was your summer? And she goes, Hey, I got engaged. I’ll be standing right next to her. And they would say to who? I’m like, can’t be that guy. And she got so irritated to him and they go, oh yeah, right, right.
Okay.
Jac: Jim, if we were, if we like, were the same age like you and I would’ve been best friends,
Jim: Oh yeah. Okay.
Jac: we’re, we’re best friends now, but like, we would’ve been like tight in, in college, you
know,
Jim: yeah, exactly. I mean,
we don’t hang
Jac: out
Jim: it’d just be weird.
Jac: Yeah, a little bit. Remember when I first moved here though, and you would like check in on me every single day?
’cause like I had no friends, like I moved here and I didn’t know anyone. And every single day you would be like, checking in, how are you? And like, you sent me [00:16:00] that song. What was that song you sent me about? Like, someone was like singing about moving to a new place and like, I dunno, they had no friends, but it was, it was very sweet.
Everyone like Jim, like you would always check in on me every day. And then finally I like made my first friend and then, you know, we just like stopped talking for a
Jim: And then you blocked me. Yeah.
Jac: And I blocked him and then we just re re reunited a couple years later. No, Jim, Jim knows all my friends. I feel like you’ve met, you’ve met my closest friends, at least
Jim: Yeah. You’ve
met all mine too,
Jac: Yeah. That’s good.
Jim: but your none.
Jac: so, so, so back to the eighties. So gets married then. Then what happened?
Jim: Yeah. Lemme say I went down to 81 and I got married in 89, so that kind of takes out the whole eighties. It was kind of cool. And then right after I got married, uh, I just felt like I was wasting my life, uh, where I was working.
Uh, I
was at
Disney actually.
Jac: I did know this. I remember this.
Jim: One of my many jobs, I was at Disney driving a bus. I thought, this is, I mean, this is [00:17:00] great, it’s fun, but, uh, it’s not like my life goal and I really need to do something in the ministry. ’cause that’s why I came down here. So, so everyone’s like, oh, when I first came down to Florida, the whole time I’ve been in Florida, people everywhere I go to order something or whatever, they all go,
wow. You
sound like you’d be in radio. Yeah. They go, are you? I said, uh, no. So literally, probably after the hundredth time I finally said, maybe, maybe I’m, God’s telling me to get in the radio.
So, and there we are with the number one station in the, in the country for contemporary Christian music was right there in the church.
So I went up there to ask the guy. I said, why, how do I get in radio? And normally they send him down the road to the AM station, which is like southern gospel and you learn ropes
there.
But he goes, well, we need somebody this weekend if you’re available. I think I left a puddle there in the seat. It scared me so much.
[00:18:00] Like, and I couldn’t say no. ’cause I came there to find out how to get in radio. So I did. And uh, it was like three in the morning and uh, I thought, oh, I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m, I know what I’m doing. And as soon as I hit the mic button, I turned.
into Kermit. You know, I got, everything just got early tight. I thought, oh, thank God no one’s listening.
It’s in the morning.
Phone bank lit up.
Jac: Oh no. At 3:00 AM in the morning.
Jim: Yeah. All my friends are saying, what was that? I said, oh, no. Kermit came in.
It was embarrassing.
Jac: you were, How old you were, like your early thirties at this point. 32.
Jim: I was 32.
Jac: Okay.
Jim: Yeah.
I should have started at 18 for Crown now,
but there wasn’t any cool stations at the time. so so there, but this was like good
stuff.
So I got involved with
that.
Um,
Jac: They kept you after that
that first reit. Wow.
Jim: Yeah. Well, management wasn’t listening,
so,
Jac: Makes sense.
Jim: so yeah, I was no longer like this. [00:19:00] It just got tight. There’s something about hitting that, that mic button.
Hmm. Anyway.
Jac: you’ve gotten better. I mean, you sound, you sound okay now. I mean, it’s
what, like 30 years later, but
you improved
Jim: to it. Thank you.
It’s been 35 years now
because Night and I’m
only
40. am, Jim.
Yeah. Yeah. I should be good at it by now. But, uh. Yeah, so I got involved with that and it was really weird ’cause I went to Nashville my first year for the Dove Awards and uh, they have like a radio conference and all that kind of thing. And I’m like, and I always feel like I don’t really belong here, you know, the imposter syndrome that most people go through.
And, and I thought, well, you know, I just gotta, I just wanna be here and see what it’s like and go to the Devil Awards and, and I wanted to get a picture of Amy Grant ’cause she was the big deal at that time. And, uh, well she still is, but, so I went, I went there and I saw after the Devil Awards there were still in the, the Ryman or wherever it was.
And there was a crowd of people [00:20:00] and it was all artists that were hovering around. Amy, even they want to meet her. It’s really weird. And so I thought, well, I gotta get close enough to get a picture. And that’s back when we had to have cameras, you know, we didn’t have phones.
So all of a sudden the crowd opened up and she’s walking right towards me and she sees my badge.
She’s very familiar with the station ’cause it was the number one incision. She immediately talked to me like we’re best friends.
Jac: No way.
Jim: And she goes, oh, I got a picture of myself in Lakeland, which is where the station is hanging up on my grandmother’s wall. And she’s just talking away like, Amy, I got stuff to do. No. She goes, Hey, you want a picture? I said, sure. So I go to take it. She goes, no, get in with me. She gave the camera to somebody else and they took a picture of us, me and
Amy. sign it for her
Yes I did. and
uh, and then of course when I got it back, I had to get it developed and all you could see was our foreheads. ’cause all the lights had gone down because, you know, the show was over, [00:21:00] but it was definitely her forehead. And my forehead,
mine was bigger.
So that’s my
picture with Amy.
Jac: wow. First Taste of Fame post radio show.
Jim: yeah,
it was kind of cool.
Jac: That’s a cool story.
Jim: Yeah, so, you know, and I got into the Saturday night was a, uh, a Christian rock thing, which, you know, lots of churches thought it was terrible. In fact, when we first came on,
churches
hated us
because we played that
devil music. ’cause it had drums and guitars.
Jac: yeah. When did that like, finally become accepted? I mean, ’cause you’re like, you, you’ve seen it all. You know, I feel like a lot of churches now, like I go to a Presbyterian church now, so the music is very different than what I would like otherwise hear at like a more contemporary church.
Jim: yeah, I don’t know, like, when, when was that like an acceptable thing?
well it’s, it’s still not for some denominations, but, uh, probably in the nineties if finally people get caught on,
but.
You know,
we, like I say, the pastors would tell us it’s devil music and then we, we said, [00:22:00] Hey, let’s just give them free airtime to talk about their church. And so we did, and suddenly the station was the best thing ever.
They just thought we are amazing, so they can hear themselves on there. But then I did this rock show, which was the first, uh, contemporary Christian rock show, and I would literally have people calling in that kind of came across it and didn’t realize, whoa, what’s this music? It’s not the normal one. It was like Petra and, and uh, res band stuff that I didn’t think I was allowed to listen to.
But when I came on there, like, man, this is like the same words except for it’s in your face. They’re like screaming it at you, kind of. So, and I would get moms calling me up and ask me if my pastor knew I was playing this music. Like, yeah, ’cause you know, he’s the. Everything I said. Yeah, I think he might.
But, uh, and they, some of ’em actually cussed me out.
Jac: No. Yep. I said, well, great. And [00:23:00] then literally, uh, later
Jim: on, the pot, Jim stirring the pot.
I’m so radical. So I went and, uh, oh, same night that I got cussed out by a, a, a lovely mom.
I got another call from a girl who was on her way to, to take her own life, and she was going across the Bay Bridge down there in Tampa,
and she was playing rock music, looking for a station to play music, just to drown out these voices and stuff.
She came across what I was playing, heard the message, and found the first phone booth back then we had phone
booth
and, uh, called in the
station and, and gave her life to Christ.
Jac: Wow.
Jim: I said, well, the, the, devil saved another one according to that lady.
Jac: That’s wild.
Jim: So, yeah, it was a good balance of, uh, opinions, let’s put it that way.
But I saw, you know, the results
Jac: yeah. and so, so yeah, I, I knew what I was doing.
Jim, what’s been like [00:24:00] the most rewarding thing that you’ve experienced, like during your music career? Like, I’m sure that was a high level moment, but I mean, you just, like, you touch, and I wanna get into obviously like your own story with cancer because that is, you know, a, a huge, huge part also of everything you’re doing with Healing Strong.
But I don’t know, like, what’s been the most rewarding part of, of your job in the radio realm?
Jim: Um, basically, I mean, there’s a lot of big moments, you know, stuff that was fun for me. Like, you know, going to double awards and hanging out with the artists. I mean, it’s always good ’cause it’s always good. Whatever, um, uh, thing you’re involved in industry, I guess I should say, it’s always good to hang out with those at the top of the pyramid, so to speak.
You know, the ones that are like the best at it and to find out they’re just regular people. Um, and they’re all super nice, very humble, but the thing that really matters is when we’re out at concerts and, you know, we’re out at the table or whatever, and their moms and their [00:25:00] little kids come up and just talk about how, how we make, uh, their day and,
Jac: Aw.
Jim: and stuff like that.
I mean, it’s so simple, but I’m
like
it’s hard for me to wrap
my mind
around
it
because I, I, still
have
the imposter syndrome.
I need to let go of that.
Jac: Yeah, I was gonna say like how do you overcome that? Is that something you ever overcome?
Jim: I think you die once you die. I think you’re over it.
Jac: Yeah.
Jim: But, uh, so I, I’ll find out and I’ll let you know, but, uh, yeah, it’s, uh, and that’ll be part of the cancer story. In fact, I’m gonna touch on, not that I’m planning it, but, uh, that’s part of it. ’cause that’s a, a big deal in my journey. but yeah, that, that is so
much
fun
just knowing
that.
my voice and I understand it. My voice is with
them every day, of the week. You know, we
Jac: right?
Jim: listeners. It’s
Jac: Yeah. That’s wild.
I told you guys, Jim, Jim’s famous,
so
it’s just, it’s such an honor to like have you on today too. I just, I was like shaking in my seat. I was like, I need to prepare an outline for this.
[00:26:00] But,
Jim: I’m sure.
Jac: shooting, from the hip.
Jim: Yeah, yeah. So, um, yeah, just, uh, what was I saying? I was going somewhere, somewhere very deep, but just, it’s just the everyday person that I’m, I’m involved in their life, even though I don’t know who they are until they come up and introduce themselves and they get their picture, which is so weird.
I’m like, are you sure you want your picture with me? I actually would say that at the beginning, but I got smart enough to not, you know, take that away from him. There’s one little kid in Charleston, I think it was, and uh, he, his mom would call and say, yeah, my, my little son, he was like,
eight
years old, is the president of the gym man fan club.
Like,
what
what is wrong?
Jac: so precious.
Jim: And, uh, and they came to Columbia. I was there for a concert and he came and he had a
T-shirt that said,
I don’t know about you, but I’m here for
Jim Mann. Like, what? And I,
told his parents, I said, you know, you can get counseling, but I, you know,
I didn’t wanna take that [00:27:00] away from the,
Jac: Jim. You should, you should sell merch. I could. I could link it in the show notes after this episode. I’ll help you start a site. We could do
hat. I’ll wear, I’ll wear a gym man hat.
Jim: Okay. Well, we’ll work on that.
Jac: No, but, but the bit you said about like, touching so many people, like, it’s funny ’cause before I started my podcast, I obviously listened to other podcasts and I feel like you really start to know the person, right?
Like, you know, the host. So there’s been situations where I’ve been able to interview, you know, people in that realm, like whom I’ve listened to for the past, you know, five years or so. And when I speak to them for the first time, I’m like, I feel like I know you, like you don’t know anything about me. But you know, like they, they relay like bits and pieces of their lives throughout their episode.
So you really don’t know like what an impact you’re having. And even if it’s just like, you know, one listener who, you say something that changes their lives. Like it’s, it’s so rewarding. So that’s the reason why I love, I love doing this and having podcast conversations like this especially
Jim: Yes. And I know this is not an [00:28:00] issue for you, but you, you see it sometimes where people realize, oh my gosh, so many people know me and I’ll make a difference in their lives. And they start, you know, listening and believing their own press. Um,
but, but that’s, but that is so, uh, shallow. That is so fickle and you can’t let that get a harder of you.
’cause I remember, I don’t, I probably told you this, but I was at Winter Jam, which is a huge deal. I think it was last year I did this and I was no longer in radio at that time. I had stepped down for different reasons. And, uh, so I got in line. I thought, I want to
hear
Winter Jam inside the arena
for
the first time,
like a regular person.
So I got in line and then I realized,
wait a minute, I’m just an old guy with no grandkids around me going to a rock concert. It’s gotta look weird, but I’ve just got, I’m yaking to the, I got behind the line and there’s a lady in front of me and I was just
saying something stupid, of course. And she just kinda looked back, smiled and just turned back around like, [00:29:00] can you be quiet? And then, then the next guy came and stood behind me and I said something stupid to him too. And he didn’t even look at me. He’s, he was pretty tall. He just kept looking over me. I’m like, God, grief. And then one of the guys from the radio station came down and he was just messing with me. Uh, Brian, Brian Sumner.
And uh, he go and he does this thing where, oh my gosh, is that Jim man, you know,
being funny. Suddenly the whole line turns around and
they go. Oh my gosh, you are. And they’re like, are you my favorite DJ and all this kind stuff. Like
what happened just a
few
minutes ago
Jac: Isn’t that so sad?
Jim: yeah,
Jac: so sad
Jim: an old guy.
smelling Like,
mothballs or something.
Apparently.
And you
Jac: they didn’t
even care
about
me.
Jim: Uh, and that’s,
Jac: cj, that’s, that’s how you recognize like true people, you know? It’s like the people
Jim: yes,
Jac: how they treat you when they don’t know who you are,
you
know? Exactly.
Yeah.
Jim: And I was talking to them. I treated them good.
I wasn’t saying, Hey, do you know who I am?
No. I was just
being a regular person,
so
Jac: How do you, like manage the [00:30:00] fame, Jim? Like, like, I’m just, so, like, I mean, you’ll be walking in Greenville and like, you know, I just like how do you manage it all
Jim: Oh, I got bodyguards. Stuff like that. No, actually, this is per radio is a perfect, if you like, a little bit of fame, it’s good for the ego.
Jac: yeah.
Jim: Especially if you, you know, you, you think no one even. Knows you are around, uh, which is how I’ve always been, uh, being an introvert. But it’s good. It’s just enough recognition.
Like when I’m in Chick-fil-A especially, I’ll order in line and they go, oh my gosh, that voice are you, Jim, man, you know, it doesn’t get weird. It doesn’t get over the top. My kids are like, what? What’s dad? What are doing? Oh, yeah. So it’s not overwhelming. I mean,
what’s it like to be, you know, like
Michael
Jackson when he couldn’t go anywhere?
It’s just,
Jac: Yeah.
Jim: not that level Is
Jac: Is what I’m saying Yeah. Not, not yet. I mean, after this episode it might be so just prepare
yourself. But um, I
know, but, but before we get further lost in [00:31:00] conversation as we tend to do, I want you to talk about your cancer story. ’cause this is an incredible story. I know, right?
And again, like this is the reason everyone that Jim, is part of this organization called Healing Strong. It’s the reason why he hosts the Healing Strong Podcast, which I’ll link in the show notes, but
Jim: Mm.
Jac: your story, Jimbo.
Jim: Well, I, uh, in fact it kinda relates to radio a lot ’cause I was on my way to Momentum, which is the radio conference down at Disney, which I love. It’s my favorite time of year work-wise anyway. And, and, but then there was something happening, uh, up where a man bun should be if I was cool. And, uh, it was like this, this thing that grew there.
And normally it, it’s like this, I don’t know the, the actual name for these things, but they like scab up and then they fall off for people with fair skin apparently. I don’t know. But this one would not fall off and it started getting thicker and uglier. And then I would hit it and it would like bleed.
[00:32:00] And I, and I think
I
heard it.
talking to me one time, but, so I thought something’s wrong here. So I had it checked out to, at the dermatologist who listened to me on the radio, so they felt like, you know,
Jac: they have to help you.
Jim: yeah, so and so I had it checked out and then I went on down to Disney. And that Wednesday when I’m getting ready to go down to, uh, to sign in or whatever, I get the call from the dermatologist and I’m used to them calling me and say, yeah, hey, everything’s fine.
It’s not cancerous. But this time they were like freaking out on the other side of the phone, you know? ’cause they felt like they’re part of my family, I guess. But they go, oh my gosh, I hate to tell you this, but you know, it’s this, uh, a very aggressive form of, uh, melanoma and it’s way out of our league.
And we, you gotta see a surgeon. As soon as you come back, you go, you don’t have to come today, but Monday when you get back, you know, well, just a couple more days, you go, you gotta see a surgeon. I said, okay, well thank you [00:33:00] for that. Uh, and that kind of ruined the trip. Um, and it was kind of funny ’cause uh, we just had breakfast with all the staff that was there down at one of the things with Mickey and all that kind of stuff.
Went up to the room to, you know, whatever brushed my hair, put my makeup on. And so I met Allison, who I walked up with, you know, she was down the hall and then she just sarcastically said, so anything changed since the last time we saw. I said, yeah,
I got, uh, I got melanoma, how about yourself.
And I was like, that was such a weird moment.
And she just kind of freaked out a little. And then I had to tell the rest of the staff that was there.
But yeah, that, uh, that was great. So I came back to, uh, to back home and, uh, met with the surgeon first thing Monday morning. Oh, wait a minute. I forgot that day. It was a Wednesday. Um, I reminded God that, uh, ’cause he needs reminding, of course, sometimes [00:34:00] I reminded him that, uh, Mark Hall of Casting Crowns had just gone through with cancer and he was cancer free.
And I said, well, he’s here somewhere. It’d be good to run across him and just, you know, have someone to relate to. But you know, there’s thousands of people there, obviously. And so that very evening I came out of the contemporary, and there there was nobody around except for one guy sitting on the bench looking at me and it’s
Mark
Hall.
What a witness.
Yeah.
I said, nevermind God, I
found
him. And I thought it, it was like, I don’t know if you ever
watched the Chosen,
but
Jac: loves that show.
Jim: the Yeah. The moment, the best part of course is when Jesus zeroes in on one person and they feel, you know,
no. Yeah. And that, and it was before the chosen, so I would, I would, uh, kind of see God’s face, not physically, but it’s like, he’s looking at me.
He goes, Hey, I know about this. I heard your [00:35:00] silly prayer. There he is. I’ve got, you know, I’ve got this. And it just like, gave me peace right there,
rather than
Jac: than
freaking
Jim: that
I’m, am I gonna make it till
Christmas, ’cause
this was
September,
Jac: yeah.
Jim: 10
years
ago.
This
Jac: this year.
Wow. I was gonna ask you, I felt like, yeah, your anniversary’s coming up. We
Jim: Yeah.
Jac: a big party, Jim.
Jim: All right. we’ll do it.
with, with banana bread.
Jac: Of course.
Jim: And, uh, so anyway, he, he prayed with me, gave me his number. He said, call me anytime. And, you know, and I did for the next couple months, you know, we’re like best friends. And, uh, so, and then I went to the surgeon and when I sat down in this very crowded room, and it was, it was in Greenville.
And I live in Anderson, like a half hour away. And, uh, and there’s cancer centers everywhere. So I went there and, ’cause that’s where the surgeon was, they signed me up with, he’s supposed to be the best. They always say it’s the best, but he really was. And there was this lady across the, the, the [00:36:00] room looking at me.
I thought, oh, what’s, and right away I’m just thinking stupid things like, what, what did I do wrong? You know, what’s on my face again? And
please Lord, don’t let her be weird.
But she didn’t look weird. She was very pretty. In fact.
So, um, she came across, walked across after they called her mom, I think she was with her mom.
And she came right across to me. She goes, are you Jim man? I said, yeah. And she goes, I heard the announcement this morning. ’cause it was that Monday morning we came back that you had melanoma. She goes, and I asked God for a open window to talk to you. And I said, I look you up at the, she said, I had to look you up on the website, see what you look like.
So she knew, and here I am walking in that very day and, uh, see, it was 11
years ago.
Uh, I was diagnosed with melanoma and I
called the
station and
you
prayed for
me.
I’m like 11 years ago. And I, and I actually remember that prayer [00:37:00]
and I, you know, I’ve had a lot of
calls in 11 years,
Jac: Yeah.
Jim: but I remember that ’cause she was a young mother with young kids.
And I thought, man, if God doesn’t heal her melanoma’s pretty, pretty nasty. You know? It’s pretty brutal. And, uh, and I, you know, I had no idea until that moment, whatever happened to her. So she gave me all this information and stuff like that. But it still was one of those moments that God was saying, you know, I know all about it.
You know, all these people crossing paths. And later on that week, of course, the doctor could not believe how big it was. He says he probably shouldn’t live more than a month or two. It’s okay. Do I have to pay up front or, but, uh, yeah, so, oh, and I went into, um, the morning of the surgery, which was that Friday.
He took off his vacation just to do it, which made me even more nervous ’cause like,
oh, it must be
pretty soon. And so,
Jac: or you were just special, you know, he just, he realized who you were.
Jim: yeah. Yeah,
that’s what it was Surgeons listen to [00:38:00] me all the time
and, um, so I went in there and again, they’re, they’re getting all the information. He goes, and your name, I said, James Mann, that’s my official name. He goes, are you who I think you are? Oh no, not this. Well, who do you think I’m, he goes, Jim, man from his radio.
I said, yeah.
And he brought
five
ladies out from the back. They go, we’re all taking our lunch
to pray for you. ’cause
that’s what my
surgery was
I’m like, what
do you do this for all your
little customers? They go,
Nope, we’re just doing it
for you. I thought, great. So it was, that was unique. Um, that was exciting too, at the same time.
And then while other, they were hooking me up with the IVs and I’m starting to get a little drowsy. All of a sudden I’m getting all these videos from different artists, like for King and Country and Natalie
Grant and, you know, uh,
Blanca
and you know, a bunch of,
uh, we are
messengers. Lemme see, who else was it? uh, big Daddy Weave. They’re
all,
Jac: have [00:39:00] them?
Jim: yeah,
Jac: That’s awesome.
Jim: I do. Yeah. Every once in a while I
look
at ’em
’cause it
makes me feel good.
Jac: Yeah,
Jim: But, uh, you know, and I just saw ’em all at Momentum earlier
and so, and they all said, you know, keep us informed and blah, blah, blah. We’re praying for you. I’m like, well, and the last, the last voice I heard as I was going out and my wife was holding the phone for me was, uh, Joel, small bone of, for King and Country and, uh.
And it’s funny ’cause later on, probably a year later, I caught up with him at Carol Wind’s and he was already on stage putting his ear set in and, and, uh, his brother, uh, Luke took me up there. He goes, Hey, it Jim, man. And he took everything back off. I felt bad. The, the people were out there waiting on him and he took everything off just to come and, and, uh, hug me.
And, and I thought, man, we’re like one big family. You want me to sing with
you?
But he didn’t. But
Jac: Oh, bummer.
Jim: yeah, it’s a great moment. But what shocked me, I was out for [00:40:00] six weeks, uh, and they found out the cancer had not spread, which totally blew their minds. They have no idea why it did not spread. Uh, but 18 months later, it did come back as in a form of like eight tumors, which they put me on immunotherapy.
They were excited about it. I didn’t know much about anything at that time. So I went on and it did shrink all my tumors within the first two months. But I stayed on it for two years. They wanted me to do it for two years. And, uh, but yeah, I’m grateful. I mean, it, it, took it, so that’s great. But the thing about it, um, and I felt when, in my research, here’s where Healing Strong comes in, in my research, you know, I came across, of course Chris work and, and, uh, all these different organizations, but I came across, um, healing Strong and they were having a conference in Atlanta that year.
This is 2018. And so I went to that ’cause it’s only two hours away. I had no idea [00:41:00] it was faith-based. I just went thinking I gotta learn stuff. ’cause you know, I don’t want this to come back even though I hate learning stuff. ’cause
Jac: Requires reading.
Jim: I know my brain’s already full. So I went there and then I found out it’s faith-based.
It’s exciting. I thought I need to get involved with this somehow. And I looked for a group and of course there was
no group in Greenville and I felt
convicted. I had to
start one
I said, I’ll start one, but
someone
will take over ’cause there’s always someone wanting to lead my whole life. It’s been that way,
and it’s been, yeah, it’s been like five years and I’m still the leader.
Yes.
It’s so, uh, that’s what it is. Um, so here’s that. And then, uh, I stopped in Atlanta at the headquarters. I thought, Hey, I’m gonna need to meet Susie and find out, you know what it’s like. I expected some big headquarters. It was like a little broom closet. They were meeting and she had to step out so we could talk.
It wasn’t
quite a
broom closet,
but it
was a small little room.
And, uh, she goes, well,
we really
wanna do
a podcast, but we don’t
know how to
go about it.
And I said, that’s kinda weird because [00:42:00] I’ve done
radio
Jac: radio.
Jim: years and I’m doing a podcast now for, uh, we were doing
one for
Jac: going for Chick-fil-A at the
time. Oh, right. I remember that when we first met you were telling me about that. And I never had Chick-fil-A at that point in time.
Remember? I was like, I’ve never had it. And then I had it for the first time at the Greenville Airport.
Jim: there you go. Changed your life
Jac: Yeah.
Jim: for fast
food It’s good.
Jac: is good.
Yeah. Yeah. That’s true. That’s
Jim: Um, so anyway, and I said, Hey, I could do this. She goes, Hey, why would you pray about that then and send it on the ride home? I thought, ah, that’s just a Christianese thing saying, people say pray about it.
I said, I know I’m supposed to do this. So I just called her
Jac: Call back. Hey, I’ll do
it.
Jim: I’ll
Jac: I’ll pray about it later.
Jim: I’ll tell
God I’m doing it.
And that’s of course
how I
Jac: how I
met
you because
Jim: thought,
well, poor guy needs a
Jac: the virtual
assistant
obvious. . But again, it’s funny because had I not like helped Suzy and you, like with the podcast for Healing Strong, like I wouldn’t have known what to do with mul and strong, just like tactical stuff, right?
Like how to upload [00:43:00] episodes to Best Sprout and like you taught me how to edit. Remember we used to spend time at Spill the Beans, you’d like teach me how to use Adobe editing
and then I switched to D Script. But like you, you basically, Jim, like you started like you helped me learn how to edit on my own.
So I mean, we’re sitting here because of you,
Jim: look at me.
Jac: you know,
Jim: It’s amazing,
Jac: and you’re like the hundred and fifth episode. So.
Jim: really.
Jac: Really? Yeah. Isn’t that wild?
Jim: I’m 105.
Jac: yeah. I mean, you know, you look good. Jim, did you
Jim: Thank you
Jac: Florida recent? No. You got back from Nashville, right?
Jim: Nashville’s best weekend. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And that’s cool. ’cause the community that I’ve been involved with for 30 some years, every time I go to Nashville, if I go to,
any place, I normally come across somebody, uh, you
know, either,
um, uh, an artist or
some other radio person. It’s a, I got, I got more friends in
Nashville than I have here.
I
only have two
here.
Jac: important ones are here.
Jim: Exactly.
Yeah, that’s right. You’re, you’re one of ’em. Yes.
Jac: Yeah. Okay. Just checking.
Jim: Yeah.
But, uh, the thing about it [00:44:00] now, most people like yourself, um, when you come across cancer and whatnot, you start doing research ’cause you know, it’s just not, you know, you have cancer and the industry like say, well just let’s just chemo you and then just go back the way you’re living.
’cause you know, well cancer comes because something is out of balance in your life. It’s not like, it’s just something you catch like a cold. Uh, it. Of course, you know, it’s far more complicated than that. But I’m a simpleton, so I make things simple. I’m very childlike and I’m happy with that. But, uh, but I’m kind of, this bothers me.
I don’t, I’m not a good researcher and anything medical or, you know, I had drop out chemistry ’cause nothing stuck. And my brain just, I, my brain is logical. I gotta have logical stuff. Math, music and art were the things that came easy to me. ’cause I think of all those logically. Uh, but then other stuff where you gotta just know things
like, [00:45:00] uh, no, I don’t want this.
So I’m doing a podcast for Healing Strong and I’m leading a group so people assume I know all these, these protocols and, and big words and that I hear all the time. I’m like, I have no idea what you’re talking about. But I just, I just let them talk, which is fine. Um, but the thing about. Uh, this cancer and I am learning some stuff, of course, as I hang around people like you, the smart ones.
But you know, I, as I was saying, I mean, I grew up thinking I’m just, and this isn’t like I need counseling, which I probably do, but I grew up thinking, you know, I, what I do never really matters, you know? ’cause I’m an introvert.
most
people like just want to get through the room without anybody noticing them.
When you’re an introvert.
And I
do that very well.
And you know, and I’m not
a, I’m not a pretty boy, but I’m
not,
ugly. I’m just like an average person. No one notices. There’s no features. They go, you see that guy with a nice eyes? No, no, that’s not [00:46:00] him.
Jac: you’re not, you’re not a polished guy, Jim.
Jim: Right.
I am not a polished guy. I’m just, I mean, I can literally be in a room with people and if I don’t do anything that calls any attention, no one
remembers the fact that I’m there. If I
went to my high school reunion, no one, like, are you sure you out there? Yeah. Me and Michael Phelps. But I mean, that’s just the way it is. It’s not like poor
me. I mean,
that’s what I
bring on myself.
Jac: you got used to it.
Jim: yeah,
Like me, my first semester of college, no one knew I was there. Um, no one was mean to me when I went to a huge church that I wanted to go to, which was filled with college aged girls.
That’s why I went there. I mean, and to worship. But for two years I didn’t talk to anybody. So no one talked to me. ’cause it was so crowded. People aren’t looking for people to talk to, which is all these whatever. Until one day someone said the aisle opened up ’cause it was five services and people moving in and out and they go, Hey, are you new?
I said, oh, two years if you count that new. [00:47:00] And then she was my social, the social hub, and she introduced me to everybody. And once that happened, boom again, it exploded. And I was a bass player and they thought I was funny and, and blah blah blah. And uh,
so yeah, it was great. I mean, God just like raises Takes me up to
like being the bass player on the main stage and then being in radio.
So everybody knew who I was. Not that I want everyone to know who I was, but it’s like
he knew I
wasn’t gonna do it.
Jac: do it. Yeah.
Jim: And so he put me on and one time they did the, uh, I’m
rambling now.
I’m just saying what, what God has done in my life.
Um. We, yeah, like I say, it’s a 10,000 seat church. It’s right between Tampa and Orlando.
And we did this gospel according to Scrooge. And it was, we, they brought in an actor, a professional actor from Hollywood. I forgot his name,
but it wasn’t Brad Pitt ’cause I was already there.
And uh,
so they would do that and they’d had the orchestra, uh, from the city, the city orchestra, whatever it was, they would do like scene changes.
And they were there doing this stuff. People saw that as a, as a [00:48:00] time to get up and go to the bathroom and they go, we don’t want that. We need somebody to kinda entertain them. So they picked me and another girl to play an old couple, like, kinda like Tim Conway and Carol Burnett to style thing, where the, like, when the scene changes, all of a sudden the spotlight would hit us and we’d walk down this aisle, there’s 22 doors on this, on this building.
That’s how big it was. And we’d come, you know, she was complaining and wobbling like a lady. And I’m like down behind her. And of course I couldn’t plan. She had to have a script, but. We had to, we entertained like 7,000 people, seven nights a
week.
Jac: Whoa.
Jim: And, uh,
and
I thought, there’s no way I would ever do that. I don’t even like drama.
but but it was, and then the next year she couldn’t do it. And I go, okay, I’m off the hook. And
instead I did her By myself,
which was so weird. And every time I opened up the door,
a blank slate on my brain, I just played it as I went. And people said, we came back just to see the old man. [00:49:00] Like what? And the girl,
the lady from, uh,
what is it?
CVS, the
shopping
network. Uh, not cvs. um,
Jac: QQVC,
Jim: CB, C, I knew his
initials, CBS and, and
Jac: it’s qv. Is QVC still a thing? Like do, is that like still a channel?
Jim: uh,
I don’t know.
Jac: Don’t like old people. Shop on it. You don’t shop on
Jim: I’m not there yet.
But she came up,
she came up from Sarasota just to
do my makeup. I was like, what is up with this? Here I go, I go through life thinking, I’m just in everybody’s way. Just stay outta the way, you know, get in the back of the line. And, uh, so what God taught me through this thing, this is why what cancer did for me and lots, lots of people I talk to, and I’m sure it’s the same with you.
People say, you know, they didn’t want cancer. But once I got it, it was the best thing that ever happened to them because it’s like, it’s a divine tap on the shoulder, I think is what Chris Wark says. ’cause it, it makes you appreciate [00:50:00] everything. And then of course, once you find out what’s wrong with my health, you know, what is outta line?
Was it just nutrition or is it stress? Or whatever it is. Um, as long as they find out what it is and fix it, you know, it just, it goes from black and white to color their life. And so that’s pretty much what happened to me. ’cause like I said, I always think, eh, it doesn’t, you know, if I wasn’t, didn’t come up in the morning show one day, they’re not gonna notice that.
And, but that was wrong. Um, ’cause when I came back after six weeks of being gone, I found out that it took two people full, uh, all day long, like eight hours, just answering all the text and the, the post and everything about me. I thought people would probably say, oh, the old guy got some cancer. We’ll keep ’em in our prayers.
People
were
literally
Jac: crying.
Jim: I thought, I don’t even know
these
people, but again, I was part of them. One guy, he, he, I don’t think I’ve ever showed you this, [00:51:00] this, uh, ribbon. It says fight
like a man.
Jac: no way.
Jim: He made thousands of
these and it’s blue plaid because Allison on the morning, she made fun of me ’cause I always wore blue plaid.
So she said, my favorite color is blue plaid. And so he made, and I’m driving around, I see these on cars. Uh, and there was a we plaid day and a listening audience. They sent in pictures of them wearing
blue plaid that
day.
And,
uh, it was just, it was overwhelming how
much
people,
you
know, cared about that.
And it’s not
because I’m special,
it’s just something that, you know, we all matter. Uh, and I know everyone else matters, but I thought, that’s not, but not me. Everyone else matters, which is dumb. I mean, it’s a, it’s a subconscious thing. It’s not like I go around thinking,
you know, it don’t matter. I’m gonna go take my own life or anything like that.
It’s nothing like
that. But
it made me feel different. And I still fight it all the time [00:52:00] thinking that, you know, what I do doesn’t really matter. But it’s really the simple things that you do. I, I wake up 2:00 AM uh, when I was on the morning show and I’d come in, not planning everyone else planned. I didn’t plan, but I would always say dumb stuff.
I thought it was just dumb stuff. No one’s even gonna listen. And that’s what people remember the most. They go, oh my gosh, remember when you said blah, blah, blah, whatever.
I said, not really,
but they go, that just, that just
brightened
my
day.
I thought, ah, that’s really, what it’s
kind of
about
for
me anyway.
Jac: anyway. Yeah.
Jim: making
everyone’s
Jac: day
lighter.
So true.
You make people laugh, Jim.
Jim: you,
I’m not
Jac: I’m not trying to,
they’re
just laughing at
me.
Yeah, yeah. But at least you make ’em laugh, you know?
Jim: Yeah, because
serious,
actually. so it’s,
Jac: Yeah, no, I love that.
That’s an awesome story. And you had such an incredible support group. But yeah, you said before, like, I’m sure you feel the same way. I mean, again, like I never would’ve asked for my mom’s cancer diagnosis and like, again, like I still like to this day, like I, I wouldn’t have [00:53:00] asked her to have to go through all this, but I always say like, God brought good from it, right?
Because if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have well and strong. I wouldn’t have this platform. I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you. So I think it’s so important for whoever’s listening, whether it’s a cancer diagnosis or you know, another health crisis or other struggle in their life, to realize that God does take it and he brings good from it.
And it might be really, really hard to see in the moment, but we serve a God who literally brings beauty from ashes, right? So like. Even just in my family, I always tell ’em to focus on the word restore,
Jim: right?
Jac: promises restoration. And that doesn’t necessarily equate to like replacing right? But like restoration is a process that’s often more beautiful.
So it’s just, uh, it’s perspective, you know?
Jim: Yeah, I was thinking about that this morning. I’m thinking, because, you know, I’m at the age where you look back at life ’cause you’ve lived most of your life
at my age.
Jac: you, Jim, Jim, I’m planning your hundredth birthday party.
Jim: Oh my goodness.
Jac: 40 plus years.[00:54:00]
Jim: Yeah. Well, I’m still past halftime. How about that? So, you know, I’m at the end of third quarter that good. And, uh, but I think, you know, I love, I love my life as I look back, you know, where I grew up. It was great, you know, and then my Florida days and which even though I don’t like sweating all the time, but I have nothing but good memories and then good memories here and who I grew up with, the nucleus of people is mostly my youth group in my church.
’cause no one knew I went to school. And, uh, but I’m thinking, man, all these people that are just a big part of my life yet. Yeah, I’m, I’m like a little pinpoint on this planet. There’s so many people all over this globe that would be, or great people like you and your family. I met your parents, I met your sister.
You’re just wonderful people. Um, and, and, but it’s like that everywhere. I think one day when we’re in heaven, you know, maybe that’s why it’s eternal, because
it’s gonna
take you that long. to
meet all the people.
Jac: [00:55:00] So true. Yeah.
Jim: So, yeah, it’s just crazy. It’s
just mind
blowing.
And then there’s this, it is this
world
and and our
culture
is
just going
crazy.
Jac: Yeah.
Jim: Uh, it’s
like,
Jac: that’s episode two with you,
part two.
Jim: Yeah.
Jac: Getting more
excited,
Jim. Well, my, my family loves you as well..
Jim: I just always remember your
mom crying
over me telling about my, my mom
Jac: Yeah.
Jim: she would kneel
by her bed, even when she was in, in the nursing home and she couldn’t get back up.
Jac: I forgot about that.
Jim: Yeah. I thought, oh, look, she’s so sweet.
Jac: She’ll definitely be listening to this. She was so excited and I was like, I’m talking to Jim later. She’s like, your biggest fan.
I wanna get her autograph.
She wants yours
Jim: Oh, great. Okay. We’ll exchange it then.
Jac: anyway, Jim. Again, this has been so fun. We’re gonna have a part two. We just covered like, like your life story, right? And like an hour wasn’t even enough time to do that. [00:56:00] So
we’re going to get into like the nitty gritty bits of like why people should move to Greenville, right? That’ll, that’ll be part of part two.
Jim: right.
Jac: they can meet Jim, man. But Jim, if someone listening is like, this man is incredible, I wanna reach out to him, how can they contact you?
Jim: Just stop by the
house.
Jac: app. What’s the address? I’ll put it in the notes. Your wife would love that.
Jim: Yeah.
Yeah.
Jac: Yeah, um, let me see the best way, I guess, my
Jim: email,
which is in fact, do it at Healing Strong. Just do, it’s jim@healingstrong.org.
Yeah,
Jac: Okay. Simple enough.
I’ll link it. Jim, do you know what my last question is for you?
Jim: What does it mean to be
well and strong?
Jac: Jim, how did you know I was gonna ask that.
Jim: I don’t know. It’s just so weird.
Jac: It’s wild. Like you’re telepathic.
Jim: And I thought, oh, maybe I should think about that one. But Nat, I can’t plan that.
Jac: No, we’re shooting from the hip. Remember,
Jim: That’s right.
Jac: of this [00:57:00] episode. Shooting from the Hip with Jim, man.
Jim: Yeah. The shooting from the hip replacement, which I don’t have, by the way.
Jac: Good. Don’t get one
Jim: Okay. Um, to be well and strong, obviously. I mean, physically, you know, you know, eating the right stuff and all that kind of thing. Feeling good, being able to play with grandkids, which I don’t have yet.
My gosh.
Yeah. Come on. But, and all that’s extremely important, but well, and strong really means you’re in your zone in that, uh, you’re doing what you’re meant to do.
Like I say, like in the morning show, I was like in my zone because it was effortless.
I was just doing my natural self and people loved it. It’s so weird. But when you’re in that
zone and you feel good about it
and you’re
surrounded
with, uh, good friends
and, uh,
when you eat dessert again, it’s also,
but I
think that
is
really when you’re well and strong, when you’re surrounded
[00:58:00] with
the right people and, uh, and you’re, Especially at my
stage in life and I’m not, you know, my mirror says I’m old,
but I’m not.
Um hmm.
But
Jac: you don’t look a day over like 29, honestly.
Jim: I know I’m not a day, I look decades. I work 29. You’re saying, Hey, that’s okay. I’m not hurt.
But yeah, I do
feel like I’m 40 40 and that
Jac: seems too old. And then the
mirror,
my
dad’s in
there, But
Jim: so I don’t
Jac: yeah, just don’t, just don’t look at mirrors.
Just like, just,
just avoid them.
Yeah. They’re probably dirty. Yeah. And of course, if anyone wants to actually meet Jim, stop by, spill the beans. You and I are there.
When don’t we there We’re usually there on Tuesdays. Right? That’s like our day
to go. Yeah. Our day of the week.
Jim. This was fun.
Wasn’t this your like, favorite podcast of all time?
Jim: favorite one Favorite one today?
Jac: see How many Of, all time. All. Of all time, Jim. I appreciate you. Um, I’ll see you soon. I’ll see you next week. Your healing strong meeting Tuesday.
Jim: That’s
Jac: That’s right.
Jim: weather
holds
[00:59:00] up.
Jac: All right, Jimbo, we’ll chat soon.
Jim: Thank you.
