You’ve probably never heard of the word freestarter. Or as my attorney likes me to say, Freestarter™. Which is understandable because it’s a word I completely made up in a blog post back in 2011. So if you haven’t heard it, I understand, but here’s the thing: a freestarter with the right heart can magnify hope in the world.

But I’m getting ahead of myself, which is typical of a freestarter. Let’s begin with a definition.

A person makes it on the Junkyard Wisdom list of freestarters if they see a situation differently than the crowd, much in the same way a prophet sees the truth everybody else is unable to see or chooses to ignore. Then the person acts on that unique perception with an entrepreneur’s zeal, an artist’s disdain for conformity, and a tinkering inventor’s love for a new experiment.

You probably know the old maxim, “Lead, follow, or get out of the way.” A freestarter thinks beyond that. To them it is “lead, follow, or go your own way.” A freestarter is a person who, when she comes to a fork in the road, takes neither; she jumps the fence and cuts across the field.

The key is that the freestarter takes action nobody else would think of doing or have the courage to take. They don’t fixate on a theoretical problem, they don’t worry about whether people will follow them, and they sure as hell don’t create a strategic plan. They take action.

Sometimes the freestarter starts something that changes the world. These revolutionaries are a who’s who of history: Einstein, Mozart, Leonardo, Gandhi, Picasso, and yes, Jesus, who was the ultimate freestarter (Jesus would actually be Freestarter™ because he’s the original).

More often the freestarter is the person in your family, church or community who changes the world on a modest scale. These freestarter people are cool. I love hanging out with them because they inspire me, teach me, and challenge me.

This page is dedicated to all the great freestarters I’ve met, with links below to their websites, stories, or organizations. Some are a bit edgy, some are more mundane than you might think, most are people you’ve never heard of, and a few are high profile. All of them “went their own way” and are changing the world in wonderful ways.

So here goes:

Lola Kheir visited refugees in Lebanon and decided she must do something. The result was Yadayna, which creates amazing products that bring hope to the women in refugee camps.

Mark Bouman has had an amazing life, which he documents in his book Tank Man’s Son. Buy the book and be prepared to be amazed.

Brenda Salter-McNeil is an author, teacher, preacher, and professor. Her work in racial reconciliation is powerful and wildly relevant to our fractured world.

Jon Beekman is the kind of young business leader who thinks entirely out of the box. His leadership at Man Crates has been incredible, and the company just keeps growing.

Teresa Goines was working as a correction officer and seeing massive recidivism within the system. Figuring there had to be a better way, she started Old Skool Cafe and became one of my heroes.

Sami Awad is one of the bravest and most committed leaders I have ever met. His work with Holy Land Trust defies all the odds, all the hate, all the dismissive cynicism.

Rachel Goble has to be on this list. Okay, so I’m biased. But even if she wasn’t my daughter, she deserves to be here for her work with The Freedom Story.

Bonita Thompson is an inspiration. Her honoring work with women wanting to escape the Thai sex trade is simply remarkable.

Todd Deatherage had a successful career in the political arena and his future looked bright, but then he had a crazy idea to bring peace to Palestine/Israel. Huh? Classic freestarter heart, mind, and soul.

Elaine Taylor and her late husband Barry had a passion for helping children who had life threatening and chronic illnesses. Together they launched The Taylor Family Foundation and have made a huge difference.

Sherm and Cheryl Balch visited Haiti to serve after the earthquake. Long story short, the trip inspired them to  start Extollo, which help Haitians learn basic construction skills.

Shelley and Alistair Croudace work in Zimbabwe, one of the poorest nations in the world. They have a passion for changing their nation one child at a time.

Leonie Herrera had an extra room in her house so family members dropped off a couple of children they couldn’t handle. Then more kids showed up, and more, and more, and now King’s Children’s Home houses dozens (at least) of kids who have no where else to go.

How about a twofer? Paul Coughlin starter The Protectors to stop bullying, and Roy Moore started Be Strong to give young people the skills to stop bullying. Pretty cool couple of guys.

Bob Goff and I met in first grade, and I honestly had no idea he’d become a freestarter. But here he is, changing the world with his writing, speaking, and work through Love Does.

Carol Houston was a pillar of strength at her South Central Los Angeles Church, but she felt there was more to be done. So she started Eagle Empowerment to help boys and girls.

Of course a lot of freestarters are no longer with us, but they continue to inspire me. Saint Clare of Assisi did not leave a typical life for a medieval era woman. Read her story — can you imagine what this woman must’ve been like? Wow. Wish I had known her!

This list is no where near complete of course. Some folks asked not to be included, like the couple I know who support underground churches in Cuba, or the guy who started multiple businesses in Myanmar to support a chain of house churches, or the guy I know discreetly working in a country near South Korea.

There are people all over that can be added to my Freestarter list; I can’t wait to meet them; and I’m so thankful for them!