UnLost Cause

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 steppin...

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 unrele...

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 paren...

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...

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, embracin...

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 t...

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 c...

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 of...

“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 jour...

"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...

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 s...

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 reg...

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,...

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...

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.

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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 ev...

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 Drea...

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—cr...

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 insp...