Author: Charles

Ron Simmons and his wife Lisa have been married 44 years and have three children and six grandchildren.  Their daughter, well-known author & speaker, Allie Beth Stuckey, hosts the very popular Blaze TV podcast, “Relatable”, on which Ron is a regular guest.

For nearly 4 decades Ron has been recognized for his wisdom and leadership throughout the Texas business world as the co-founder and Chairman of Retirement Advisors of America which is a wealth management firm with nearly $3 billion in assets.   Ron also served in the Texas House of Representatives from 2013 – 2019. 

Upon leaving the legislature the Governor of Texas appointed Ron to serve as the Chairman of the Board of Texas Mutual Insurance Company with over 70,000 companies as clients and annual revenue in excess of $1billion. Ron also serves as a Senior Advisor to the Heritage Foundation and the Texas Public Policy Foundation.  Ron is also recognized for his work with The Autism Society of America, American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), and the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute.

His recent book titled “Life Lessons from the Little Red Wagon” Ron shares many of the lessons he has learned as a business and government leader, as an entrepreneur and as a man of deep faith.  Ron is a highly sought after speaker in churches, leadership and government forums and conferences.

As a lifelong church-goer, follower of Jesus, and former CCM recording artist with the Dove award-winning group ZOEgirl, I experienced a period of profound doubt about my faith in my mid-thirties. I felt as though I had been tossed in a stormy ocean of uncertainty with no life jacket or  lifeboat in sight. I didn’t know where to find answers to my questions, or if answers existed at all. Did I have to accept it all on some kind of blind faith?  I began to investigate my faith intellectually—I took seminary classes and read everything I could get my hands on. This began my  journey from  unreasoned doubt into a vibrant, rational, and informed faith.

For married duo Caleb and Kelsey Grimm, inspiration is not only found in their love of performing and making music together, it’s their love of family. When they met, both were working on music of their own. Caleb is a founding member of pop vocal group Anthem Lights and Kelsey was signed to a record deal with Sony Music/Provident Label Group. As a married couple, Caleb and Kelsey originally started recording songs together for fun. 

“It’s such a unique opportunity to be able to do music with my spouse,” says Caleb. “That’s the dream, isn’t it? To do what you love and provide for your family.” 

In 2017, Caleb and Kelsey recorded a medley featuring popular worship songs, “Oceans (Where Feet May Fall)”, “You Make Me Brave” and a stirring version of “10,000 Reasons/What A Beautiful Name”.  Much to their surprise, that medley garnered almost 10 MILLION views on YouTube alone and shot to #1 on the Christian iTunes chart. Their first full album, Worship debuted at #1 on the Christian iTunes chart. 

“I grew up singing in church and I love the way worship music connects people. It’s a universal language,” shares Kelsey. “We recorded the worship medley as a way to collaborate and sing together, which we love to do. The response we got was so unexpected.” 

Since then, they’ve garnered global success reaching 5 million Facebook followers, 1,000,000 TikTok fans, and over 500 million audio streams. Caleb and Kelsey, parents of 3 beautiful children under the age of 5, somehow continue to push the creative envelope. They’ve re-imagined and recorded nearly 200 pop, country and worship covers. And with new, original content and an exploding social media platform, Caleb and Kelsey will be providing inspiration for couples and families for years to come. 

At the heart of most success stories lies a framework of brand invention, the creation of a persona or x-factor that raises an artist above the noise. But for pop vocal group Anthem Lights, it is reinvention that’s catapulted the talented foursome to nearly 500 million YouTube views and over two million monthly listeners on streaming services. The indie group’s success is due in large part to the foursome’s vocal prowess (Caleb Grimm, Chad Graham, Spencer Kane and Joey Stamper are all exceptional singers), creative mash-ups and reinventions of pop hits and beloved hymns.

“I think the most unique thing about us is that we do all kinds of music,” shares Graham. “We do everything from a hymns medley to a Drake cover to a year-end mash-up. Our musical diversity is our identity.”

Anthem Lights maintains a large digital presence, primarily reaching their audience via video and streaming, without relying on the traditional arms of radio and touring. Instead, they work with a team they’ve personally assembled to write, produce, record and direct, making it easier to put out more content more often.

While fans of most pop groups have to wait up to two years for new content from their favorite artists, Anthem Lights produces a wide variety of new covers, original songs and video content every month, a perfected mix that keeps their fans engaged.

Now, the group has launched its very own animated TV series called “A Show About Anthem Lights” through Sony/Affirm. Streaming on Pure Flix, the show launched January 12th of 2022 and highlights new original songs and the hilarious antics of the guys as they navigate the day-to-day struggles of a “boy band” trying to find their way in a digital world. The show, a family friendly comedy, is sure to connect with fans of all ages. 

While their focus remains digital, connecting daily with their 5.2 million Facebook followers, the group does perform live when the right opportunity arises, sharing the stage with Natalie Grant, Newsboys, Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman and more.

With soaring harmonies, reinvention of hit songs and focused fan interaction, Anthem Lights has quickly become the go-to group for music fans of all ages.