The Giggs Podcast: #39 Ryan Lampa | Turning Roadie Friday Into 17 Years of Service

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Ryan Lampa has spent 18 years touring the world with many artists, most notably TobyMac. But in 2008, his mission shifted—from tour life to nonprofit work. Ryan Lampa is the Founder and CEO of People Loving Nashville, one of the most impactful homeless outreach organizations in the city. It started with five meals and a simple prayer: ‘God, teach me how to love people.’ 17 years later, PLN has never missed a Monday night feeding over 800 people every week, and they have helped over 150 individuals find housing, and most recently opened a coffee shop downtown called Paradeisos, staffed by formerly unhoused neighbors. His story is proof that showing up every week can change everything.

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From Roadie Fridays to Changing Lives: The Story of Ryan Lampa

In the touring world, Mondays are known as “Roadie Friday.” While most people start their week, crews coming off a weekend of shows treat Mondays and Tuesdays as their weekend — time to rest, reset, and catch their breath.

For Ryan Lampa, though, Roadie Friday became something much bigger.

After nearly two decades on the road, including 18 years touring with artists like TobyMac, Ryan had mastered the grind of tour life — juggling roles as tour manager, front of house engineer, merch guy, and problem solver-in-chief. He built systems that kept the show moving, learned how to handle chaos with calm, and embraced the philosophy that great leadership means solving problems before they happen.

But around 17 years ago, Ryan’s mission began to shift.

A Simple Prayer, A Radical Change

Living in Nashville, Ryan started noticing two men living on a stoop near his home. He got to know them, heard their stories, and quickly realized that homelessness was never just about one thing — it could be job loss, medical bills, addiction, or simply a car breaking down in the wrong city with no support system to fall back on.

Confronted with the complexity of these stories, Ryan prayed a simple prayer: “God, teach me how to love people.”

That prayer turned into action. On a Monday night, what would normally have been Roadie Friday, Ryan and a few friends cooked up a meal and handed it out downtown. What started with five meals has now grown into one of the most impactful homeless outreach organizations in Nashville: People Loving Nashville (PLN).

Never Missing a Monday

Seventeen years later, PLN has never missed a Monday night. Rain or shine, holiday or not, the team shows up. Today, they’re feeding more than 800 people each week, have helped over 150 individuals find housing, and recently launched Paradise House — a downtown coffee shop staffed by formerly unhoused neighbors.

Ryan’s story is proof that consistency can be revolutionary. Just as he rehearsed every detail of a tour to keep things on track, he applied that same discipline to showing up for his community week after week.

Leadership Beyond the Road

Tour life taught Ryan about systems, discipline, and the power of culture. Outreach taught him about humility, gentleness, and presence. Put together, it created a unique kind of leadership — one that builds trust, inspires change, and proves that the smallest consistent action can ripple into something much larger.

What began as a Roadie Friday tradition has become a lifeline for hundreds in Nashville. And Ryan’s journey reminds us that the skills we sharpen in one chapter of life can equip us for an even greater purpose in the next.