Today we’d like to introduce you to Todd Hawkins.
Hi Todd, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I decided to Switch It Up — literally — when I bought a small retail store in Gainesville, GA back in 2025. That move marked a real turning point for me. I’d spent my whole career inside two companies, working under two bosses, living my entire life within 75 miles of where I was born in Atlanta. Solid foundation, but limited room to grow.
When I found myself unemployed recently, I didn’t take it as a setback. I took it as a signal. I’m too young to retire, and I’ve got the vision and energy to build something meaningful. That’s when I launched 32Free / Drive Civil and created my workshop, Drive to Thrive.
The idea is simple: teach people to drive with intention — drive civile with 3 seconds or more of space — and use that same discipline to make better decisions, build intentional lives, and create real impact in our communities. It started as a driving philosophy, but it’s become a movement about how to live, build discipline and show love to our fellow citizens.
I believe that more people want a civil society and what better way to build a civility muscle than driving in a manner that displays servant leadership, and allows us to break free of traffic jams on our roads and in our lives. You can hold a door for a person or two during the week but you can literally help hundreds of people get to their destination if you show a little grace on the road.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For most of my life, the road really did feel smooth. I stayed in the same general lane — two companies, two bosses, two houses, all within 75 miles of where I was born in Atlanta. It was a good life. Stable. Predictable. It gave me the space to raise a family and build a foundation.
But smooth doesn’t always mean intentional.
Looking back, I can see that I wasn’t really steering. I was on cruise control letting the road take me wherever it lead. I wasn’t driving my life with intention, I wasn’t changing lanes, and I wasn’t looking far enough ahead to see what other destinations might be possible.
I remember hearing a woman say once that people often find a job they love, get comfortable, get good at it, and then become blind to the opportunities outside those walls. That hit me because it described my entire career. I wasn’t stuck — I was just comfortable. And comfort can be its own kind of trap.
So, when I suddenly found myself unemployed, it shook me and forced me to take the wheel again. Instead of seeing it as a setback, I saw it as a chance to finally drive my life to a destination of my choice.
That’s where 32Free and Drive Civil came from. I realized the same skills we use on the road — creating space, staying aware, making clear decisions — are the same skills we need in life. And I wanted to help people see that. I wanted to help them recognize opportunity, evaluate lane changes when it’s time, and move toward a destination that’s actually theirs.
In a way, the rough patch is what put me on the right road.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’ve spent my entire career helping people build skills that change their lives. I started at Quest Diagnostics, where I went from courier to Fleet Administrator and discovered my talent for teaching defensive driving. My goal was simple: help people keep their jobs by helping them stay safe on the road.
When I wasn’t chosen for a promotion, I took the hint and drove on for a short stint at a smaller lab, where after 2 years I found myself unemployed for the first time — which pushed me into a new chapter. I landed at Independent Electrical Contractors and spent the next 23 years helping people become certified electricians and build real careers.
Then in 2025, restructuring hit and I was unemployed again. That’s when everything came full circle. Now I’m using everything I’ve learned to help people build better lives, stronger communities, and a more civil world through 32Free / Drive Civil. I’m back to my roots — teaching people how to avoid collisions on the road and in life.
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters most to me is helping people live their lives with intention instead of drifting through them.
I say that because I know what it feels like to wake up one day and realize you’ve been on a smooth road, but not necessarily the right or best one.
For years, I enjoyed stability, routine, and comfort — and I’m grateful for all of it. But comfort can be mesmerizing. It can keep you from seeing what’s possible. I stayed in the same lane for a long time, and only later did I realize how many opportunities I passed by simply because I wasn’t looking far enough down the road.
That’s why this work means so much to me now.
It’s not just about driving.
It’s not just about safety.
It’s about giving people the awareness and space to actually plan their lives — to recognize opportunity, to make intentional decisions, and to move toward a destination that feels true to them.
Through 32Free and Drive Civil, I’m trying to give people what I wish I had earlier: a simple, practical way to take back the steering wheel of life. To avoid collisions — on the road and in their relationships, careers, and choices. To create space. To breathe. To move with purpose.
What matters most to me is impact. Real, human impact. Helping people build better lives, stronger communities, and a more civil world by choosing to drive — and live — with civility and intention.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://32Free.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toddjhawkins/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/todd.hawkins.752/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-hawkins-cae-4b981810
Image Credits
Todd Hawkins
