TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD (MON): Listener’s Daughter Won Over $10,000!

Summary

The Bobby Bones Show — "Tell Me Something Good" (January 5, 2026)

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Episode Overview

Theme:
This feel-good segment of The Bobby Bones Show centers around uplifting stories from listeners and the show's team. In this episode, listeners share personal good news, including a story about a teenage girl winning over $11,000 on her first time gambling, a touching gesture for a hard-working grocery worker, and a discussion about holiday family traditions and the complexities of coordinating family Christmases.

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1. Listener Call — $11,000 Jackpot on First-Ever Gamble

[01:21–03:17]

Key Points

• Caller: Gina from North Carolina
• Story: Gina's 18-year-old granddaughter, having just graduated high school and never gambled before, went on a cruise as a graduation present. Due to a storm, she ended up staying on board and decided to visit the casino.
  • She started with $40 and was soon up $800.
  • Gina warned her not to lose it, but shortly after, her granddaughter FaceTimed her to show she’d won the jackpot—over $11,000.
  • The payout was given in cash, with taxes to be set aside.
  • The windfall arrived just as the granddaughter was facing the possibility of student loans for her second year of college.

Notable Quotes

• Gina: “She’s 18, first time ever.” ([02:20])
• Bobby Bones: “That’s cool. Wow. I’ve never had anything like that… She hasn’t either. It’s her first time to gamble.” ([02:23])
• Gina: “It was God, because she’s made it through her first year of college debt-free, but was going to be looking at some loans in the fall, so I love…” ([02:44])
• Bobby (advice): “She better not gamble that. Yeah, stay away. Don’t go back because the urge is to go back. Because you think, wow, this happens every time. Do not go back.” ([03:06])

Memorable Moment

• The studio is visibly shocked at the story's luck and timing, especially considering the storm kept her on the ship—a detail the crew jokingly attribute to fate.

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2. Producer Eddie’s “Tell Me Something Good” — Helping a Dedicated Worker

[03:25–04:28]

Key Points

• Story: Keith Tidwell, who works the night shift at a Kroger in Macon, Georgia, walks five miles to work every day as he doesn't have a car.
  • A shopper named Debbie, who recognized him from the store, once saw him walking at night and offered him a ride home.
  • Debbie now drives Keith to work whenever she can.

Notable Quotes

• Producer Eddie: “Debbie says, ‘No more. I’m taking you to work every day that I can.’” ([04:00])
• Bobby Bones (about Debbie): “I don't think I’d have picked anybody up on the road. So shout out to her.” ([04:02])
• Bobby Bones (on possible next steps): “Well, did they not go fund a car for him?” ([04:10])

Memorable Moment

• The team jokes about making sure you recognize the person before giving them a ride—“Make sure he still has his apron on… Do you have your name tag?” ([04:24–04:28])

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3. Listener Call — Christmas Family Traditions

[04:41–12:14]

Key Points

• Caller: Tammy from Massachusetts
• Tradition Shared: Tammy has always stayed home with her kids on Christmas Day, inviting grandparents and family to visit, but only on Christmas Day—celebrations with extended family happen before or after.
• Studio Reaction:
  • Bobby and crew discuss the challenges of holiday logistics when family members live in different states.
  • There’s a humorous debate about how to coordinate Santa’s visits, forwarding addresses, and what to do when gifts don’t arrive on time.

Notable Quotes

• Tammy: “We stay home for Christmas… Christmas Day was for the kids.” ([04:47])
• Bobby Bones: “You have to explain to Santa Claus to go to somebody else’s house… That’s probably a weird whole conversation. Like, ‘Santa, here’s the forward. Forward address...’” ([05:20])
• Amy: “I’m still wrapped around Christmas on the 18th.” ([07:52])
• Bobby Bones (on family absence): “She’s lucky all my family’s dead. There’s no fighting on where we go.” ([09:19])
• Amy: “Some people who have lost both their parents, like, they kind of… they want that struggle.” ([09:57])
• Eddie: “No, the struggle’s not… Trust me.” ([10:06])
• Bobby Bones: “There’s absolutely no talk or debate on where we go for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Because there’s nowhere for me to go… everyone’s… yeah. My mom’s dead…” ([09:34])

Memorable Moments

• The conversation gets real as Bobby shares candidly about not having to debate family holidays due to having no living immediate family members, which prompts a mix of laughter and awkward empathy from the cast ([09:19–10:20]).
• The group discusses the overstimulation of large family gatherings, particularly with children—a relatable challenge for listeners with big extended families ([11:33–12:02]).

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4. Large Family Gatherings — Chaos and Contrast

[10:25–12:14]

Key Points

• Eddie: Shares perspective on the chaotic experience of bringing four sons to his in-laws’ massive family gatherings, with nine boy cousins plus one girl.
• Bobby: Recalls attending his wife’s extended family events with up to 70 relatives, including the humorous mishap of a family friend, Keith, accidentally getting in the food line with the kids.

Notable Quotes

• Bobby Bones: “When you go to grandparents house with four [kids], they have to know the house is about to be turned over, right?” ([10:29])
• Eddie: “Are you overstimulated? …It’s just polar opposites. Because when we go to my family, everyone just sits around and does nothing… then we go to hers, and they all want to talk and, like, be social, and it’s like, wow, polar opposites.” ([11:53–12:05])

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5. Wrap-Up

• Bobby Bones: Thanks Tammy for her call and the resulting rich discussion.
  • “Tammy, I appreciate the call. That was a good call. You got us onto something pretty fun there.” ([12:14–12:18])

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Key Takeaways

• The episode embodies the “Tell Me Something Good” spirit—celebrating luck, kindness, and family in all its forms.
• Personal family traditions around the holidays spark both light-hearted and heartfelt conversation, with the team candidly sharing both the joys and awkward realities of family life.
• Notable quotes and moments from listeners and cast keep the tone both genuine and engaging, making this episode as humorous as it is heartwarming.

Transcript

[Producer Eddie]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.

[Bobby Bones]

Hey, Bobby Bones here. And you know I love when companies show up for our military and veterans. Hyundai does exactly that with their Veterans Employment Transition program. They recruit and support vets within the Hyundai dealership parts and services. Hyundai also offers programs like Military to Metapro, helping veterans find civilian careers in manufacturing, and Fold of Honor, providing scholarships to families of America's fallen and disabled service members within the company. Hyundai's Stars and Stripes employee group honors and supports vets and their families. Learn [e-mail] I'm Bobby Bones from the Bobby Bones Show. Whether you're a seasoned small business owner or if you're just thinking about getting started, check out season four of Mind the Business. Small business success stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and Intuit QuickBooks. In this latest season, hosts Austin Hankwitz and Janice Torres are talking to self starters about the ins and outs of entrepreneurship and how QuickBooks helps you get more done in less time. You won't want to miss it. Listen to Mind the Business Small business success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's time for the good news. Tell me something good. I want to go to Gina in North Carolina, who's got to tell me something good for us. Hey, Gina, you're on the show.

[Gina]

Good morning, studio.

[Janice Torres]

Morning.

[Gina]

Yes, Bobby. My granddaughter turned 18 in March, and she graduated high school in June. So her dad and stepmom gifted her with a cruise. They left day before yesterday. And yesterday they were supposed to dock at Nassau, but there was a storm, so they had to stay on the ship. Well, she, of course, had never gambled before, but she went down to the casino and she sent me a screenshot. She said, I put in about $40. And on the screenshot it showed she was up 800 and some dollars. So I was like, you know, awesome. Don't, you know, don't blow it. Well, next thing I know, I'm getting a FaceTime call and she's like, gigi, I just won the jackpot. I said, yeah, right, don't prank me. You know, not at all. And she said, no, for real? For real. And she turned the screen to the total on the Bandit and she won over $11,000.

[Janice Torres]

What?

[Producer Eddie]

That's crazy.

[Bobby Bones]

She's 18, first time ever.

[Janice Torres]

Amazing.

[Bobby Bones]

That's cool. Wow. I've never had anything like that. I haven't played a lot of slots, but this is. She hasn't either. It's her first time to gamble.

[Janice Torres]

Yeah. And guys Guys, the storm kept her on the boat. This is God to be.

[Bobby Bones]

Wow. So. Oh, you think it was God? Yeah, I think she should win the jackpot today. Hey, so what happened? Did she not. Did she keep all the money? She didn't, like, lose it back, did she?

[Gina]

Oh, no. It just happened yesterday. And then she sent me a screenshot. They pay in cash. So she sent me a shot of all these bands of bills. She would have to hold out some for taxes, but it was God, because she. She's made it through her first year of college debt free. But she was going to be looking at some loans in the fall, so I love.

[Bobby Bones]

She better not gamble that.

[Janice Torres]

Yeah, stay away.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, stay away. Don't go back because the urge is to go back. Because you think, wow, this happens every time. Do not go back. That's a great story, Gina. Thank you for the call. We really appreciate that.

[Gina]

Yeah, you're welcome.

[Bobby Bones]

All right. See you later. That's what it's all about. That was. Tell me something good. It's time for the good news with producer Eddie.

[Gina]

Tell me something.

[Janice Torres]

Keith Tidwell. He works at the Kroger grocery store in Macon, Georgia. He works in the produce department. He works the night shift. And there's a lady named Debbie who goes in there and shops. She sees Keith all the time. She's never met him, but one day, Debbie's driving down the road, sees Keith walking in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere. So she stops and says, hey, you work at Kroger. I know you do. You need a ride somewhere? He said, yeah, can you take me home? They start talking. Turns out Keith doesn't have a car. He walks to work five miles every single day. So Debbie says, no more. I'm taking you to work every day that I can. Wow.

[Bobby Bones]

I don't think I'd have picked anybody up on the road.

[Producer Eddie]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

So shout out to her.

[Producer Eddie]

Yeah, shout out to her.

[Bobby Bones]

She recognized old Keith.

[Janice Torres]

Well, and then Keith to get in the car.

[Bobby Bones]

Well, did they not go fund a car for him?

[Janice Torres]

Well, not yet.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay, update us.

[Janice Torres]

Not yet.

[Bobby Bones]

That's usually how these end here. It's a good story. And also, everybody just be careful picking up people on the road. Make sure you're sure that's the guy from Kroger.

[Janice Torres]

Yeah. Make sure he still has his apron on from.

[Bobby Bones]

Just make sure it's really that guy.

[Producer Eddie]

Do you have your name tag?

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Janice Torres]

Are you?

[Bobby Bones]

Are you? That's a great story. Good one. That's what it's all about. That was Tell me something good. Let's go to Tammy in Massachusetts. Hey, Tammy, you're on the show.

[Tammy]

Hi, Bobby. Hi, everyone. You were talking about traditions for Christmas. And one of the traditions I started when my kids, well, even before I had kids, is we stay home for Christmas, me and my husband, so that my kids could have Christmas at home, so that the grandparents and all them learned right away that to come over. Right. You know, at Christmas Day, we would go out Christmas Eve, or we'd go with family on any other day during that Christmas holiday week to exchange gifts. But Christmas Day was for the kids. I can see they would come.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I can see where that would be something you could do if you all lived in the same town. Like, if your grandparents lived in the same town, they could come over, you know, with my family, my wife's family specifically. They all live in different states. Like, she's got a brother in a different state, sister in a different state, we're in a different state. So if anybody stays at home, they just don't see the grandparents or anybody else because, well, they're in a different state. But yeah, I completely get it because you want, you know, Santa to be able to come to the house on Christmas. Like, you have to explain to Santa Claus to go to somebody else's house. That's probably a weird whole conversation. Like, Santa, here's the forward. Forward address. Like, when you have mail forwarded, we're.

[Janice Torres]

Not gonna be at a real.

[Bobby Bones]

You're gonna go to this chimney. It's not gonna be there.

[Producer Eddie]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

So what we need you to do is go to this other house. So that's probably. Do you have to do that with your kids? Because you're always in different state Texas.

[Janice Torres]

We are. And I love what she's saying. We didn't do that, though. Like, I wish we could have done that earlier. To where be like, you know what.

[Bobby Bones]

Chris is going to be precedent is we're staying. But you would never see anybody else if you didn't.

[Janice Torres]

But you give them the option, come here if you want to spend Christmas. Because regardless, we're going to go to their house. It's just not going to be on Christmas Day. Okay, so. Right.

[Bobby Bones]

So you guys would then come home before Christmas.

[Janice Torres]

Yeah. So what we do now, though, since I didn't do what she is doing, we just do like Christmas way earlier. Like on the 18th where so weird at our house. It's so. It's so weird.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. And then we did they On Christmas.

[Producer Eddie]

Wake up in the morning.

[Janice Torres]

Yeah, yeah.

[Producer Eddie]

You, you just pretend, you act like it's the whole thing.

[Janice Torres]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Do you tell Santa to come on the 18th?

[Janice Torres]

He's got to come earlier because we're not going to be home. Instead of doing the forwarding address, you got to come to our house a little early.

[Producer Eddie]

I thought it was weird.

[Bobby Bones]

Even for me, who's not a big Christmas guy. That's weird.

[Producer Eddie]

I mean, I guess you got to do what you got to do, but.

[Bobby Bones]

I mean, so then what about on the actual 25th when you're at. In Texas, one of the grandparents houses.

[Janice Torres]

Santa goes to that house and brings more gifts and they're like, wow, it's Christmas. And then we go to the other family's house, like either my wife's or mine. And then there's another Christmas, like three days later.

[Bobby Bones]

Does Santa come there?

[Janice Torres]

No, no. That's more stocking stuffers. Like leftover stocking stuffers.

[Bobby Bones]

You've put yourself in a predicament big time.

[Janice Torres]

Just try basically just to keep everyone.

[Bobby Bones]

Happy.

[Janice Torres]

You know, it's not. Dude, I'm telling what she is saying.

[Producer Eddie]

I should because y' all are traveling and the gifts are too heavy or big to take with you.

[Janice Torres]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Producer Eddie]

So you do it.

[Bobby Bones]

But he's also saying he wished he would have set the president. They would just stay home on Christmas Day.

[Producer Eddie]

I get that. I'm still wrapped around Christmas on the 18th.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, yeah, me too.

[Janice Torres]

It's weird.

[Bobby Bones]

That's.

[Janice Torres]

I.

[Bobby Bones]

Or you could just ship them, but.

[Producer Eddie]

Then you have to ship it back. It's a lot.

[Janice Torres]

We do ship them.

[Producer Eddie]

What about if you put a picture of it in an envelope so you get that when you get home?

[Bobby Bones]

That happened with us. Oh, for. Not for Caitlyn and I. No, it wasn't for us, but it happened for us like in our group because Caitlin's brother and sister in law were there and their kids and Santa came and dropped a bunch of presents off at our. Where we were at our Fayetteville house. And then so some of the stuff didn't make it, but Santa put it at the wrong house and so they had a picture of it for their kids. Yeah, like some of the stuff did, but some didn't. Like one of the big things was saying they were like, oh, there's a picture.

[Janice Torres]

Does it hit the same with the.

[Bobby Bones]

Picture to me because I'm an adult, not you.

[Producer Eddie]

Yeah, but no, I don't think it hits the same.

[Bobby Bones]

But there's. So like there was for sure overstimulation happening with the kids because they were opening, let's say nine presents that the one that's not there. I don't think affected them that much because there were eight that were there.

[Janice Torres]

Yep.

[Bobby Bones]

So did it hit. I don't know. It was just so much overstimulation. That's like when my dog has like two bowls of food at once. He doesn't know where. He's like, like if it. That's what it felt like a little bit. But yeah. The Christmas thing is tough and it will be tough with us with the baby, except I think we'll just always be gone.

[Janice Torres]

It seems like Yalls tradition is to always be at her family's house.

[Bobby Bones]

And I've said to her before, she's lucky all my family's dead. There's no fighting on where we go.

[Janice Torres]

That's a weird way to.

[Producer Eddie]

I know. That's why I just took a deep breath because I'm like, it's heavy. But it's also like. I get it.

[Janice Torres]

Yeah. I know what you're saying.

[Bobby Bones]

There's absolutely no talk or debate on where we go for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

[Janice Torres]

Right.

[Bobby Bones]

Because there's nowhere for me to go like on that side because everyone's. Yeah. My mom's dead. I don't know. My dad, you know, I don't go to Arkansas. Keith's house. So where do we go?

[Producer Eddie]

I know. And it's like for you there was, you know, she hits a lottery.

[Bobby Bones]

She had the Powerball.

[Producer Eddie]

I know. But some people who have lost both their parents, like, they kind of. They want that struggle. Like I kind of would like the struggle.

[Janice Torres]

No, the struggle's not. Trust me. You guys.

[Producer Eddie]

Well, yeah, because it would mean my parents.

[Bobby Bones]

You'd rather your mom and dad be dead? Eddie says.

[Producer Eddie]

Apparently.

[Bobby Bones]

Hey, Amy, you got real good. You don't know how good you got it.

[Janice Torres]

They were still alive. It'd be terrible.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. And I also don't mind it, like.

[Janice Torres]

I mean, just a lot.

[Producer Eddie]

It is.

[Janice Torres]

It's a lot, dude. A lot. And then.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, but you have four.

[Janice Torres]

Four boys.

[Bobby Bones]

So when you go to grandparents house with four, they have to know the house is about to be turned over, right?

[Janice Torres]

Yes. Well, no. What's crazy is when we go to my wife's family's house, they have nine cousins.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh. So it's just. It's.

[Janice Torres]

It's nine cousins and they're all boys except one girl. So you're talking. What?

[Bobby Bones]

But there's nine kids already going to be there. So they know that there's about to be a fundamental change in their living situation.

[Janice Torres]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

Wow.

[Janice Torres]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

We went to. We do this every year, but Caitlyn has, like, a grandparent who has a barn and all cousins. It's. There's like 70 people. Second, third. I don't even know everybody there. And we took Keith with us to that. To her family's thing in Oklahoma. And they say, okay, and there's an order. They do it, but they don't announce the order anymore because everybody there is just family. And so they know. They're like, okay, up first for food. And so everybody gets up, and Keith's talking to somebody about hunting. He just gets in line, and it's all kids.

[Janice Torres]

And Keith, he didn't get the memo.

[Bobby Bones]

He realized he was in line with a bunch of kids, and he's like, should I be in the line? He goes, I'm already up here. I'm gonna go and get my food.

[Janice Torres]

So kids eat first?

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, kids get in line first. Kids and Keith, kids. And Market's like, yeah, get in line first. But, yeah, that's a lot of. Boy, That's a lot of kids, Eddie.

[Janice Torres]

A lot of kids, man. It's crazy.

[Bobby Bones]

Are you overstimulated?

[Janice Torres]

Yes. It's just polar opposites. Because when we go to my family, everyone just sits around and does nothing. Like, they just want to sit down and watch tv, movies, football.

[Bobby Bones]

You're like your mom and my family and your dad, when he was alive.

[Janice Torres]

He was all sitting around, sitting around. But then we go to her, and they all want to talk and, like, be social, and it's like, wow, polar opposites.

[Bobby Bones]

Tammy, I appreciate the call. That was a good call. You got us onto something pretty fun there.

[Tammy]

Thanks. You guys have a great day.

[Producer Eddie]

Cause you're still there.

[Bobby Bones]

Great.

[Janice Torres]

Good conversation.

[Producer Eddie]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.