UnLost Cause

Mike Knox spent decades working as a parole agent inside some of California’s toughest prisons before realizing the walls that trapped him weren’t only physical. 

In his fifties, he left behind a high-stress law-enforcement career and stepped into the spotlight as an actor, comedian, and writer. 

From losing 30 pounds in a month after quitting to rediscovering his creative spirit, Mike’s story shows it’s never too late to reclaim joy, health, and purpose.

Highlights:
-From parole agent to performer
-Lonely beginnings and undiagnosed ADHD
-Losing sports, losing direction<...

Kate Galli on choosing freedom, compassion, and alignment over comfort. 

After two decades as a top Sydney trainer, Kate walked away to build a heart led vegan coaching business that reflects her values of freedom, integrity, and passion. 

The turning point was profound grief and a vow to lead with compassion. This conversation is a playbook for backing yourself, finding community, and living with no regrets.

Highlights:
-Childhood roots in New Zealand and early signs of calling
-Art school, fundraising, and the gym spark
-Becoming a trainer and shifting confidence th...

From a second grade fiction assignment to publishing over 30 books, Aaron Ryan’s journey shows us what it means to reclaim creativity after setbacks. 

Once thriving as a voiceover artist, Aaron faced an industry collapse brought on by AI and shifting economics. 

Instead of giving up, he pivoted to writing novels with the same passion that carried him through childhood readings of Lord of the Rings. His story is one of reinvention, resilience, and agency.

Interview Highlights:
-Introduction: From voiceover decline to author success
-Childhood spark: The Electric Boy story that star...

From wrestling mom and soccer coach to full fledged novelist, Ansley Ashe proves it is never too late to reclaim a dream. 

Since childhood she has loved mysteries, and now she is publishing a growing series of Charlotte “Charlie” Snow detective stories. 

In this conversation, Ansley shares how she overcame money barriers, motherhood challenges, and personal resentment by turning inward, embracing meditation, and then boldly stepping into her passion. 

Her story is a reminder that no matter your age, your creativity and purpose still matter.

Highlights:
-Ansley’s early spark for writi...

At a stage of life when most slow down, Captain DC Anderson set sail on a mission to confront one of the greatest challenges of our time: climate change. 

After decades in the oil and maritime industries, he pivoted to found the Earthship Program, an initiative that merges carbon reduction with community wealth building. 

In this UnLost Cause conversation, he shares how a sailor’s intuition, a lifetime of risk-taking, and an unrelenting conviction led him to uncover what he calls the “Carbon Ratio.” 

His journey is a masterclass in purpose, persistence, and refusing...

Qin Sun Stubis grew up in a Shanghai shantytown during the Great Chinese Famine.

She survived her father’s repeated imprisonments during the Cultural Revolution, and carried a lifelong dream of writing a book.

For decades, that dream sat quietly beside her desire to restore her family’s name.

In her forties, Qin finally began to write, transforming twenty years of painstaking work into Once Our Lives, a memoir that honors her parents and preserves a slice of history the world rarely hears.

This UnLost Cause conversation is about resilience, memory, and...

What happens when a 16-year-old girl has a mystical LSD trip and becomes a pioneering psychedelic therapist in her 60s?

Meet Gay Lynn Williamson-Grigas, licensed mental health counselor, author, and trailblazer in the field of psychedelic-assisted therapy.

In this moving and mind-expanding episode of UnLost Cause, Gay Lynn shares how a deeply personal experience she boxed up for decades eventually became the centerpiece of her life's work.

We touch upon dreams, rituals, legal psychedelics, and how this approach is helping patients, especially those with deep trauma, rewrite their stories.

This is...

Former NCAA Division I basketball player and SWAT hostage negotiator Terry Tucker shares how a rare cancer diagnosis transformed his life’s purpose.

Terry opens up about his journey from the court to law enforcement, and finally to becoming a motivational speaker who turns pain into purpose.

His Four Truths offer a blueprint for resilience, mindset, and living without regrets. This is a powerful story of reclaiming dreams, embracing adversity, and choosing significance over fear.

Highlights:

-From Chicago to D1 Basketball at The Citadel

-The life-saving letter from his fa...

What do you do when you witness one of the most devastating events in history just blocks away? For Rick DellaRatta, a celebrated jazz musician, it sparked a movement.

In this episode of UnLost Cause, Rick shares how the tragedy of 9/11 inspired him to compose a poem that evolved into Jazz for Peace, a global movement using music to promote unity and healing.

Highlights:

- Introduction to Rick DellaRatta

- The "lost cause" Rick transformed

- Discovering music in a small town

- When the p...

Ralph Velasco, known as the Continental Drifter, shares how he turned a childhood fascination with photography and culture into a thriving international travel business after the age of 45.

In this episode, we explore how Ralph's journey from restaurateur and financial advisor to tour leader and author was catalyzed by the 2008 financial crisis, and how small steps like teaching community classes helped pave the way.

Discover how curiosity, courage, and community can unlock your next chapter, and how you can build a thriving business by combing your passions and purpose.

Highlights:

...

We know it’s coming...that moment when we become caretakers for our aging parents. There’s no roadmap for the emotional, physical, and spiritual toll it takes.

In this moving episode of UnLost Cause, Mark Steven Porro shares his unexpected journey. He was living a carefree life in LA as an actor, designer, and entrepreneur when he dropped everything to care for his 89-year-old mother.

What unfolds is a beautifully vulnerable and often humorous story about unconditional love, loss, and what really matters when time is short. In the process, Mark discovered that saving his...

“Pain is inevitable. Suffering? A choice.”

That’s the hard-earned insight Allison Briggs brings to life in this raw and revelatory episode. A licensed therapist, writer, and mother, Allison turned a childhood of trauma, a marriage marked by survival, and the chaos of raising a neurodivergent child into her calling: helping women heal their nervous systems and reclaim their voice.

This isn’t a story of overnight success. It’s a journey of decades. Of picking up the dream again and again—and finally choosing to live without regrets.

Highlights:

-Pain is inevitabl...

"I wish I had" is the saddest phrase according to John David Graham.

John David Graham turned detours into destiny before turning multiple lost causes into UnLost Causes.

He burned out of multiple jobs and persevered through 200 book rejections, and yet he found purpose in the unlikeliest places.

This episode is about how grit outlasts doubt, and how legacy starts with one act of courage.

At 53, John David Graham faced homelessness...again.

He’d held more than a dozen jobs, from fireman to minister to journalist, but had never fe...

Joe Bassett grew up immersed in the outdoors, skipping school to read survival stories and test his limits with just one match and a dream.

But by adulthood, he was chasing a different path: a career in music and ministry.

For decades, the wild part of him lay dormant. In his 50s, a return to his father’s wilderness camp triggered a deep awakening.

Joe launched Valiant Outfitters to help others reclaim themselves through survival skills, backpacking, and time away from the noise of modern life.

In this episode of UnLost Ca...

At 59, Mark Papadas reignited a lifelong calling and launched I Am For Kids, a personal development program transforming how children and families see themselves.

After years in sales, consulting, and coaching, a simple comment about his son sparked what he calls a “divine download” that became his life’s mission.

This episode is about the courage to pivot, the power of identity, and what happens when you decide to live with no regrets.

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At 52, Debbie Sluys boldly stepped away from a secure, 30-year career in childcare to pursue a deeper calling: helping others visualize and achieve their dreams. What started as a boutique vision-board studio soon became Dare to Declare—a thriving global movement empowering people through intentional visualization and purposeful living.

In this episode of UnLost Cause, Debbie shares how early childhood struggles shaped her passion, how a single powerful question changed her life's trajectory, and why it’s never too late to live a life free of regrets. Whether you’re feeling stuck, considering a bold change, or just l...

What if losing your job was the best thing that ever happened to you? In this inspiring episode of UnLost Cause, former tech VP Llance Kezner shares how he and his wife Lori—a teacher—turned a home kitchen idea into Millie's Sipping Broth, a product now stocked in nearly 2,000 Walmart stores.

From setbacks like layoffs and manufacturing challenges to viral moments during COVID and a golden ticket from Walmart, Llance opens up about the messy, meaningful path to reclaiming purpose after 40.

This episode is for anyone who feels like their dream might be “too late”—...

What happens when a lifelong change maker hits the wall? Stephanie M. Jones shares how a near health crisis forced her to stop giving to everyone else and finally start giving to herself. Her new venture, The Selfish Luxury Traveler, is more than travel, it's about joy, self-care, and rewriting your story after 50.

 👉 If this moved you, please like, share, and subscribe to UnLost Cause.

🎧 Full podcast + newsletter: https://unlostcause.substack.com

📲 Follow Stephanie: @TheSelfishLuxuryTraveler

Kevin Nakao’s story is one of serial reinvention. From launching a Grammy-nominated record label to leading marketing in startups and now running his own solo consultancy, Kevin’s career is a testament to lifelong learning, humility, and hustle.

In this episode of UnLost Cause, Kevin shares the lessons of choosing joy over title, getting his hands dirty again in his 50s, and why he’s more fulfilled now as a “company of one” than ever before.

⏱️ CHAPTERS
03:12 – The impact of non-traditional Asian parents
06:45 – First entrepreneurial sparks and childhood role models
11:20 – How hustle got him a job...

Kristin Middleton didn’t let age, depression, or detours hold her back. After a rich career in wine and a life-changing health scare, she launched BougieGougies.com — a Seattle bakery reviving the French cheese puff.

This conversation dives deep into courage, reinvention, and the kind of clarity that only comes with time. Kristin's story reminds us: it’s never too late to dream again.

Timestamps:

0:00 – Intro + Kristin’s Early Dream of Entrepreneurship

0:03 – First Brush with Baking & the Magic of Gougères

0:08 – Career Detour: Banking, Wine, and Depression

0:16 – Hitting Reset in...

At age 16, David Heppard was sentenced to life in prison.

He served 24 years.

Today, he’s the co-founder of The Black Rose Collective, helping others heal and reenter society with dignity.

In this powerful episode of UnLost Cause, David shares how a single act of empathy shattered a lifetime of shame, how he rebuilt himself from the inside out, and how he’s using that journey to uplift others.

🔹 Learn how healing—not punishment—creates real change
🔹 Why David lived every day like he was getting out tomorrow
🔹 What the “8-hour brick...

At 16, Brooke St. Sauver ignored her mom’s warning and baked herb bread anyway. The loaves rose perfectly—so did her confidence.

Decades later, after climbing the corporate ladder in fashion retail, Brooke hit peak success and peak burnout. Instead of going on vacation, she and her husband sat down and wrote a business plan. That act sparked a second act: two restaurants in Seattle, The Coupe & Flute and The Dandy.

In this inspiring episode of UnLost Cause, Brooke opens up about:

The childhood spark that never left her

How burnout push...

At 45, Andrew Motiwalla could’ve played it safe. Instead, he bet on his dream—and built a travel company generating $7M+ a year.

In this episode of UnLost Cause, we explore Andrew’s unconventional path from Peace Corps volunteer to tech executive to founder of The Good Life Abroad, a community-driven experience helping people 55+ live abroad for a month or more with purpose, joy, and connection.

You’ll hear how Andrew:

Turned a career crossroads into a calling

Tested demand with just $7,000 and no product

Built a loyal customer base wit...

Ever feel like your real dream has been simmering on the back burner?

Brian Staub did.

At 45, he left a successful career in finance, enrolled in culinary school, and fought through setbacks — including the pandemic — to open Haven, a neighborhood restaurant inspired by his childhood kitchen and love of community.

His story is a masterclass in grit, reinvention, and making bold dreams real, no matter your age.

This is the *UnLost Cause* journey of reinvention, resilience, and starting fresh when most people settle in.

💬 If you've ever wondered, “Is it too la...

Veronica Zolotoochin spent over two decades in the high-stakes world of finance, working as a bond and stock broker. 

But despite the success, she felt suffocated—disconnected from what truly brought her joy. 

In a bold move, she walked away from corporate life to pursue something that had been a lifelong passion: dogs. 

She bought a small dog-walking business in Salt Lake City called Dog N Butterfly that provides bespoke personal dog care in SLC and Staunton, VA. 

Dogs have been Veronica’s passion throughout her life, and they hold a very s...

What if starting a business wasn’t just an opportunity—but a right? Victor Huang, founder of Right to Start, is on a mission to remove barriers that hold aspiring entrepreneurs back. In this episode, we explore how policy, community, and advocacy can create a level playing field for all. If you've ever dreamed of building something of your own, this is the conversation for you.

At 22, Craig Orlopp walked away from golf after finishing 2nd in a golf tournament. He pledged to himself that if he didn't finish 1st, he would leave behind a dream that burnt brightly since childhood.

But more than two decades later, at 43, he took a leap of faith—reigniting his passion, proving to himself (and the world) that it’s never too late to chase what you love.

This inspiring conversation dives deep into Craig’s journey—how he rediscovered joy, overcame doubt, and ultimately jumped back into the golf world after year...

Think your best days are behind you? Think again. This episode explores what happens when you stop making excuses and start making moves.

Adam Guy quit his job as a successful non-profit executive and eventually started IKnowaGuyNYCtours.com. He's never been happier and certainly is proud of his bold move.

Listen to Adam's inspiring journey and know whether you're 40, 50, or 60+, this is proof that your dream isn’t dead—it’s just waiting for you to act.

What happens when two college friends reconnect decades later to tackle one of today’s biggest challenges?

Meet Seth Kessler and Lee Sosin, co-founders of Gapwell, who are redefining the transition from high school to career.

In this episode, they share their entrepreneurial journey, how COVID reshaped their career paths, and why young adults today need more support than ever. If you’ve ever thought about starting a business later in life with a trusted friend, this one’s for you!