🎙️ The Story of Everyman Podcast – Featuring Shawn Ingram

Welcome to The Story of Everyman.

There comes a moment in a man’s life when he stops… and looks back.

“When you get to a certain age,” Shawn Ingram said, “I was looking at my life…”

And what he saw wasn’t just success.

It was absence.

“And so I miss my family and I missed a lot. I've got a daughter that's 33 this year and I missed a great, great portion of her life.”

Like many men, Shawn’s story didn’t begin with perfect footing.

“Like a lot of us, unfortunately, I grew up in a divorce split home, divorced parents. So I never grew up with that parental unit.”

Faith found him early…

“My young life, that's where I grew up in Pentecostal Church.”

But purpose… purpose would take time.

Because there was something missing.

“And I've never been able to plug into my community either.”

But something happens when a man decides that his story isn’t over.

Something happens when he chooses presence… over pursuit.

When he decides, this chapter will be different.

“I moved to Longview in 2015.”

And here… he didn’t just find a place to live.

He found a place to belong.

“You said you wanted to be a part of the community.”

Today, Shawn Ingram helps lead Longview Connections, a group built on something deeper than business.

“We are a networking group… I think our biggest requirement is that our members are folks with integrity and honor and respect for one another.”

Because in the end…

This story isn’t about networking.

It’s about redemption.

It’s about family.

It’s about community.

And it’s about a man who decided that the rest of his life…

Would be lived on purpose.

This…

Is the Story of Everyman.

Featuring Shawn Ingram.

Welcome to The Story of Everyman.

Today’s guest is Peggy Riggs, a woman whose life reminds us that “everybody enjoyed being around me, but that wasn’t the truth.”

Peggy is one of the contributing authors in Armor of Light, where, as she puts it, “they’re just chapters — each person has a chapter.” But her chapter carries weight, honesty, and courage.

Peggy opens up about a journey marked by questions, pain, and faith, sharing, “when I wrote my chapter in the book, I had a lot of questions about some issues,” and acknowledging that “it’s been a painful experience.”

She speaks candidly about anger, identity, and healing — even admitting, “I was angry with God,” and later realizing something powerful: “My story — I’m aware now that my story can help change people’s lives.”

This is a conversation about truth over appearances, about long journeys and the people who walk them with us, and about the courage it takes to finally tell your story — not for sympathy, but for hope.

This… is Peggy Riggs. And this is The Story of Everyman.

Welcome to The Story of Everyman—where real people tell the kind of stories that don’t fit neatly into a highlight reel.

Today’s episode features Lee Mathis and the Brutally Handsome—a band that didn’t just come together through talent and timing, but through struggle, growth, and hard-earned clarity.

In this conversation, Lee opens up about the road that led him here, including a very real battle with alcohol. He talks candidly about how drinking once had a grip on his life, how it clouded relationships, creativity, and direction—and what it took to finally step away from it. Not in a polished, rehearsed way, but with the honesty of someone who’s lived it.

But this story isn’t told alone.

We also hear from the bandmates who’ve stood alongside Lee—each bringing their own voice, history, and perspective. The lead singer and acoustic guitarist who helps shape the heart of the sound. The bass player who adds both rhythm and vocals. The drummer who keeps everything grounded and moving forward. And the lead guitarist whose style gives the music its edge and texture.

Together, they talk about what it’s like to build something real—not just musically, but relationally. How trust matters. How showing up matters. And how sobriety didn’t take music away from Lee—it gave the band something stronger to build on.

What comes through clearly is that this isn’t just a group of musicians sharing a stage. It’s a group of people who believe in each other, who’ve watched growth happen in real time, and who understand that clarity changes everything.

This isn’t just a story about a band. It’s a story about survival, accountability, brotherhood, and choosing something better when the old way stops working.

This is The Story of Everyman. And this is the story of Lee Mathis and the Brutally Handsome—music, recovery, and what happens when you decide to stay.