Welcome to One Day Closer with Mark and Dave, where we are rekindling a spirit of hope and truth into today’s discussion.

This past week, on September 10,2025, America and the world lost a voice to be reckoned with. A voice dedicated to open civil discourse in search of connection and understanding.

It’s impossible to highlight the life and mission of Charlie Kirk, husband, father and advocate for Christ Jesus, without admiration reference to his insight, vision, purpose, passion and dedication to our younger generation, the hope and future of tomorrows leaders.

Likewise, it is unfathomable to comprehend how or why God would allow such a voice of hope and reason to be silenced at such a young age.

For those that had never heard of Charlie until news broke of his assassination, at the ripe old age of 31, Charlie Kirk had engaged and positively influenced a generation of young inquisitive students to examine their beliefs, their faith, their purpose, politics and policies. He was and will remain our greatest advocate and example of the quest for moral clarity and civil discourse. His legendary walk with Christ his Lord and willingness to serve as a voice for honest and open debate has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands and will continue to impact the lives of millions going forward.

Born in 1993, in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Charlie grew up in a conservative household. As a teenager, he was an Eagle Scout with hopes of attending West Point, and later serve in the US Army. But that wasn’t Gods call for Charlie.

He wrote his first opinion piece for right-wing outlet Breitbart against what he called the “indoctrination” of liberal textbooks, which led to his first media appearance on the Fox Business at the age of 17. From that one opinion piece and a single media appearance, Charlie eventually met his future mentor Bill Montgomery, who convinced Charlie to dropout of college, and together, they co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012. Charlie was just 18 years old.

What started as a low budget, grass root college campus operation to simply engage with students to consider what they were being told by their professors, the movement quickly became a right-thinking powerhouse that became the fastest-growing conservative nonprofits in America.

By 31, Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization had grown into a $92 million-a-year political movement, with millions of followers online, but not just young followers…he also captured the ear of President Trump and others.

Today, according to Turning Point USA, the organization has 300 employees, it has a presence in more than 3,500 high school and college campuses nationwide and 700,000 registered conservative activist on board—with revenues nearing $100 million.

By 30, he had become a household name in conservative circles. His influence is undeniable: Across social media, he garnered a huge following with more than 8 million followers on TikTok, 8.9 million on Instagram, 5 million on X and 3.8 million on YouTube. His podcast, entitled The Charlie Kirk Show, has enjoyed north of 600,000 downloads per day. All these accomplishments by the age of 31. It’s jaw dropping to ponder the success and impact this humble servant to honest debate brought forth.

But here’s the point. At the age of 18, Charlie SAW A NEED and set off on a journey to MEET THAT NEED. Millions will follow.

Research Resources for todays Show include:

Newsmax News: Greg Kelly Show, Rob Schmitt and Rob Finnerty, Carl Higbie

Orianna Rosa Royle is the Success associate editor at Fortune, overseeing careers, leadership, and company culture coverage. She was previously the senior reporter at Management Today, Britain's longest-running publication

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