What does it really take to go from a Miami drug hustle to leading a global tech company—without sight, privilege, or a roadmap? Prepare to have everything you ever thought you knew about grit, grace, and success put to the test!

In a world that still struggles to see beyond labels like “disabled,” “ex-con,” or “minority,” Mike Calvo’s story breaks the mold. This episode isn’t just about overcoming the odds—it’s about redefining them entirely. If you're tired of the same recycled DEI narratives and want the real story behind resilience, leadership, and purpose-driven success, this is your episode.

• Get an unfiltered look at how one man turned struggle into strategy—and built a legacy along the way.
• Learn why many modern DEI initiatives fall short, especially for those society often ignores.
• Discover how adversity, grit, and vision created a business model that serves the underserved.

Press play to hear Mike Calvo’s wild, bold, and brutally honest journey from the streets to CEO—this story will challenge everything you think you know about success.

I hope you enjoyed today's episode! If there is ever anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to reach out. Below, you will find ALL the places and ALL the ways to connect!

• I would LOVE to hear from you! Send me a Voice Message
• Want to be a guest on GRIT, GRACE, & INSPIRATION? Send Kevin Lowe a message on PodMatch!
• Book Kevin to Speak at Your Next Event: CLICK to Learn More + Get In Touch
• Hire Kevin to Create Your Own Custom Soundtrack!
• Or for 1 Place for Everything, CLICK to visit the website!

© 2025 Grit, Grace, & Inspiration

This podcast is designed specifically for those seeking healing from trauma, relief from anxiety, overcoming fear of the unknown, resolving isolation, rebuilding self-worth, confronting guilt and shame, personal growth after trauma, finding their life's purpose, recovering from emotional distress, conquering limiting beliefs, navigating identity shifts, building resilience, rebuilding relationships, coping with chronic pain, searching for spiritual direction, embracing inner strength, cultivating hope, overcoming self-doubt, reclaiming their future, and experiencing post-traumatic growth.

What happens when the dream life you've spent decades building feels more like a nightmare you can't wake up from?

Today’s conversation is for the person who looks successful on the outside... but feels quietly disconnected on the inside. If you’ve ever wondered:

• Why do I feel empty when everything looks “right”?
• Why am I exhausted by a life I’m supposed to be proud of?
• Why does walking away feel both terrifying and necessary?

This episode will hit close to home.

In this deeply honest conversation, I sit down with Matthew Blades—a former nationally syndicated radio host who spent 28 years living the dream so many people chase.

The career.

The money.

The recognition.

The life everyone else wanted.

And yet… it nearly cost him everything.

This is the story of what happens when success stops being enough, when your body forces you to listen, and when the bravest move forward is the one that looks like quitting from the outside.

But make no mistake—this isn’t a story about giving up.

It’s a story about waking up.

• What it feels like to succeed publicly while quietly falling apart
• The moment your body starts screaming what your mind has been ignoring
• Why panic attacks, burnout, and chronic stress are often messages—not malfunctions
• The difference between building a life and living one
• What it really means to “blow up what you built” without destroying yourself
• How generational patterns, unhealed trauma, and outdated beliefs quietly shape our decisions
• Why the hardest conversations are often the most freeing ones
• How to walk away from an identity you’ve worn for decades—and rebuild from truth

This episode isn’t asking you to quit your job.

It’s asking you to listen to yourself.

To notice the quiet signals you’ve been explaining away.

To question whether the life you’re maintaining is still the life you want.

To consider that walking away doesn’t mean you failed—it may mean you finally chose yourself.

You don’t need to have all the answers.

You just need the courage to ask the right questions.

If this conversation stirred something in you... Don’t rush to quiet it. That discomfort might be clarity knocking. And sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is stop pretending everything is fine.

I hope you enjoyed today's episode! If there is ever anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to reach out. Below, you will find ALL the places and ALL the ways to connect!

• I would LOVE to hear from you! Send me a Voice Message
• Want to be a guest on GRIT, GRACE, & INSPIRATION? Send Kevin Lowe a message on PodMatch!
• Book Kevin to Speak at Your Next Event: CLICK to Learn More + Get In Touch
• Hire Kevin to Create Your Own Custom Soundtrack!
• Or for 1 Place for Everything, CLICK to visit the website!

© 2025 Grit, Grace, & Inspiration

If you’re secretly counting down the days until Christmas is over, getting really close to emotionally spiraling out of control, or wishing you could fast-forward straight to January… press play right now! This is your Holiday Survival Guide!

When the holidays arrive after a hard year—loss, divorce, financial stress, or emotional burnout—the pressure to feel joyful can feel unbearable. This episode speaks directly to the part of you that’s exhausted from pretending you’re fine and offers real, doable ways to get through the season without forcing cheer, abandoning yourself, or doing it alone.

This episode is a steady hand on your back during a season that can feel overwhelming. Kevin shares three grounded, compassionate strategies to help make Christmas feel more manageable—even if it looks nothing like it used to.

From letting go of old expectations, to choosing connection over isolation, to allowing yourself to feel deeply and honestly, this conversation isn’t about fixing you. It’s about helping you get through. If you’ve been wishing you could sleep through December or just make it to the new year, this episode reminds you that you’re not broken—and you’re not as far from relief as it may seem.

Kevin Lowe is the creator and host of Grit, Grace, & Inspiration, plus an inspirational public speaker who helps people navigate life’s hardest seasons with honesty, clarity, and hope. After losing his sight unexpectedly at 17 following life-saving brain surgery, Kevin turned adversity into purpose—creating a space for real conversations that remind listeners they don’t need to be fixed to move forward. His work centers on resilience, perspective, and learning how to grow through what you’re going through.

I hope you enjoyed today's episode! If there is ever anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to reach out. Below, you will find ALL the places and ALL the ways to connect!

• I would LOVE to hear from you! Send me a Voice Message
• Want to be a guest on GRIT, GRACE, & INSPIRATION? Send Kevin Lowe a message on PodMatch!
• Book Kevin to Speak at Your Next Event: CLICK to Learn More + Get In Touch
• Hire Kevin to Create Your Own Custom Soundtrack!
• Or for 1 Place for Everything, CLICK to visit the website!

© 2025 Grit, Grace, & Inspiration

This podcast is designed specifically for those seeking healing from trauma, relief from anxiety, overcoming fear of the unknown, resolving isolation, rebuilding self-worth, confronting guilt and shame, personal growth after trauma, finding their life's purpose, recovering from emotional distress, conquering limiting beliefs, navigating identity shifts, building resilience, rebuilding relationships, coping with chronic pain, searching for spiritual direction, embracing inner strength, cultivating hope, overcoming self-doubt, reclaiming their future, and experiencing post-traumatic growth.

Imagine a single moment in time forcing you to reimagine your entire life before you were even 20 years old...

At 14,000 feet in the Himalayas, today’s guest was given a second chance—and he chose to spend it serving humanity.

If you’ve ever felt stuck between success and significance, or wondered whether your current path is truly meaningful, this episode meets you right where you are. It explores what happens when purpose pulls louder than comfort—and what’s possible when you decide to act on it.

• Discover how a near-fatal moment can instantly clarify what actually matters—and how to apply that clarity to your own life without waiting for a crisis.
• Learn how success, wealth, and achievement can become tools for impact instead of endpoints.
• Walk away with a new definition of purpose that’s grounded in action, service, and legacy—not just intention.

Prepare to be taken from a freezing mountaintop near the China–India border—where a premature dynamite blast nearly claimed his life—to Wall Street boardrooms, successful entrepreneurship, and ultimately back to rural India.

You’ll hear how surviving the unthinkable forced him to question power, war, money, and meaning. You’ll follow his journey from soldier to economist, from building a highly successful global company to selling everything he built, and from personal ambition to founding life-changing schools for children born into extreme poverty.

At its heart, this conversation is about compassionate action. Not just feeling empathy. Not just having good intentions. But choosing to do something—especially when it’s hard, long-term, and inconvenient.

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Am I really doing what I’m here to do?” — this episode will stay with you long after it ends.

• Mountains to Cross: Finding Life’s Purpose in Service by Dr. Abraham George
• Learn more about Dr. Abraham George and his work by visiting DrAbrahamGeorge.com

Press play now and spend the next hour rethinking what a meaningful life can look like—and how close you already are to living one.

Dr. Abraham George is a former Indian Army officer, economist, entrepreneur, author, and humanitarian. After surviving a near-fatal explosion in the Himalayas at just 18 years old, he went on to earn multiple graduate degrees, build a globally successful company, and ultimately give it all up to serve the poorest of the poor through education. He is the founder of Shanti Bhavan Schools in India and the author of Mountains to Cross, a compelling reflection on purpose, service, and compassionate action.

I hope you enjoyed today's episode! If there is ever anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to reach out. Below, you will find ALL the places and ALL the ways to connect!

• I would LOVE to hear from you! Send me a Voice Message
• Want to be a guest on GRIT, GRACE, & INSPIRATION? Send Kevin Lowe a message on PodMatch!
• Book Kevin to Speak at Your Next Event: CLICK to Learn More + Get In Touch

What if unlocking a happier, more fulfilled life took less than five minutes a day?

Whether you’re stuck in a rut, battling stress, or just craving more peace in your day, this episode shares exactly how the power of gratitude can help you shift your mindset, even when life feels chaotic. Gratitude isn't just a nice idea—it’s a powerful tool to reshape your everyday reality.

• Learn 3 easy gratitude habits you can start today
• Plus discover a bonus practice that can instantly improve your relationships
• Find out how to anchor your day with positivity using less than 60 seconds of your time

Hit play now to learn how to turn small moments of gratitude into lasting joy—starting today.

I hope you enjoyed today's episode! If there is ever anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to reach out. Below, you will find ALL the places and ALL the ways to connect!

• I would LOVE to hear from you! Send me a Voice Message
• Want to be a guest on GRIT, GRACE, & INSPIRATION? Send Kevin Lowe a message on PodMatch!
• Book Kevin to Speak at Your Next Event: CLICK to Learn More + Get In Touch
• Hire Kevin to Create Your Own Custom Soundtrack!
• Or for 1 Place for Everything, CLICK to visit the website!

© 2025 Grit, Grace, & Inspiration

This podcast is designed specifically for those seeking healing from trauma, relief from anxiety, overcoming fear of the unknown, resolving isolation, rebuilding self-worth, confronting guilt and shame, personal growth after trauma, finding their life's purpose, recovering from emotional distress, conquering limiting beliefs, navigating identity shifts, building resilience, rebuilding relationships, coping with chronic pain, searching for spiritual direction, embracing inner strength, cultivating hope, overcoming self-doubt, reclaiming their future, and experiencing post-traumatic growth.

What if the moment you thought your life was over became the moment it truly began?

Damon West was handed a life sentence in a Texas prison—but instead of letting it break him, he became something few dare to dream of behind bars: a force for hope and redemption!

If you’ve ever felt stuck in your own “prison”—whether that’s addiction, depression, shame, or simply a life that feels off-track—this episode is for you. Damon’s story isn’t just about surviving hardship; it’s about transforming it into purpose. If you're ready to stop being a prisoner of your past and start becoming an agent of change, you’ll find something powerful here.

In this gripping and hope-filled episode, which was originally published on May 6, 2025 as episode 390, Kevin Lowe sits down with Damon West—a former Division I quarterback turned meth addict, convicted felon, and now, one of the most in-demand motivational speakers in the world. Sentenced to 65 years in a Texas maximum-security prison, Damon could have become hardened by the system. Instead, through a single conversation with a fellow inmate and a lesson involving a coffee bean, Damon found the inner power to transform not just himself—but the entire prison culture around him.

This is a story of radical accountability, transformation, faith, and the kind of hope that refuses to be silenced—even behind bars. Most importantly, this is a conversation that holds the power to be the spark needed to ignite a change in your own life. Listen once, twice, maybe even three times.... What you are about to hear today is everything.

PRESS PLAY NOW to discover how one man’s rock bottom became a global message of hope, healing, and redemption.

I hope you enjoyed today's episode! If there is ever anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to reach out. Below, you will find ALL the places and ALL the ways to connect!

• I would LOVE to hear from you! Send me a Voice Message
• Want to be a guest on GRIT, GRACE, & INSPIRATION? Send Kevin Lowe a message on PodMatch!
• Book Kevin to Speak at Your Next Event: CLICK to Learn More + Get In Touch
• Hire Kevin to Create Your Own Custom Soundtrack!
• Or for 1 Place for Everything, CLICK to visit the website!

© 2025 Grit, Grace, & Inspiration

This podcast is designed specifically for those seeking healing from trauma, relief from anxiety, overcoming fear of the unknown, resolving isolation, rebuilding self-worth, confronting guilt and shame, personal growth after trauma, finding their life's purpose, recovering from emotional distress, conquering limiting beliefs, navigating identity shifts, building resilience, rebuilding relationships, coping with chronic pain, searching for spiritual direction, embracing inner strength, cultivating hope, overcoming self-doubt, reclaiming their future, and experiencing post-traumatic growth.

Have you ever gotten to the end of a year and thought, “How did I work this hard and still feel like I’m standing in the exact same spot?"

If that question echoes what you’re feeling in your heart right now—this episode is for you.

This isn’t a polished highlight reel or a motivational pep talk. It’s an honest, vulnerable conversation from someone who knows what it’s like to wrestle with direction, discouragement, and the frustrating silence of God.

Maybe you’ve done everything “right.” You set the goals, stayed consistent, and kept your faith. And yet—no breakthrough, no clarity, no doors opening.

This is where Kevin meets you today: in that space of spiritual exhaustion and deep reflection.

• A personal, unfiltered reflection on a year that felt more like survival than success
• Reassurance that you're not alone in questioning your calling or feeling like your prayers are going unanswered
• A renewed sense of hope, reminding you that even when God feels silent, He’s still moving behind the scenes

If something in this episode resonates with you and you'd like to reach out personally, Kevin would love to hear from you.

Send Kevin an Email: Podcast@GritGraceInspiration.com

Reach Out to Kevin via the Website: GritGraceInspiration.com

Send Kevin a Message on Facebook

Or Message Kevin on LinkedIn

Whether you want to share your story, ask a question, or simply say hello—you are always welcome to reach out.

If you're feeling tired, questioning everything, or just need to know someone else understands the journey you’re on—press play on this episode. You don’t have to figure it all out right now. Just show up, take a breath, and know you’re not alone.

I hope you enjoyed today's episode! If there is ever anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to reach out. Below, you will find ALL the places and ALL the ways to connect!

• I would LOVE to hear from you! Send me a Voice Message
• Want to be a guest on GRIT, GRACE, & INSPIRATION? Send Kevin Lowe a message on PodMatch!
• Book Kevin to Speak at Your Next Event: CLICK to Learn More + Get In Touch
• Hire Kevin to Create Your Own Custom Soundtrack!
• Or for 1 Place for Everything, CLICK to visit the website!

© 2025 Grit, Grace, & Inspiration

This podcast is designed specifically for those seeking healing from trauma, relief from anxiety, overcoming fear of the unknown, resolving isolation, rebuilding self-worth, confronting guilt and shame, personal growth after trauma, finding their life's purpose, recovering from emotional distress, conquering limiting beliefs, navigating identity shifts, building resilience, rebuilding relationships, coping with chronic pain, searching

If you’re searching for the inspiration to keep going when life feels loud and uncertain, this conversation is your reset. Sandy Moll went from a young marriage and single motherhood to a blended family and seven businesses—built on faith, forgiveness, gratitude, and the courage to listen to God in the quiet.

• Navigated divorce, blended two families with love, and released the guilt through self-forgiveness
• Lost W-2 jobs during the 2007–08 crisis—then followed God’s nudge to launch new companies
• Uses silence (no phone notifications!) to hear God’s direction and choose the right next step
• Keeps work sustainable with systems, SOPs, and ruthless prioritization (not hustle theater)
• Starts each day with gratitude so fear and comparison don’t run the show
• Discerns real God-given dreams from noisy, external expectations

If you’ve been praying, pushing, and still wondering “Am I chasing the wrong dream?”—Sandy’s story shows how quiet, humble moments can spark the biggest transformations. It’s practical, inspirational, and faith-forward without being preachy.

• The early “searching” years: belonging, church as a safe place, and chosen family
• From first marriage to single mom to a blended family that actually worked
• The 2008 Financial Crisis: job loss → entrepreneurship (and why panic kills options)
• Silence over hustle: how to hear God, set priorities, and build without burning out
• Forgiving yourself so you can finally move forward
• Structuring life for peace: no Monday/Friday meetings, focused Tue–Thu work blocks, systems that run

Stay 'til the end for a special surprise: an original song inspired by today’s story...

“Jesus, Carry Me" - Created by K-Lowe Music (Your Custom Music Destination)

• LinkedIn: @SandyMoll
• Facebook: @SandyJMoll
• Instagram: @Sandy_J_Moll
• Email: s.moll@abs-core.com
• Text/Call: 913-731-6007 (text preferred; she replies)

I’m Kevin Lowe—speaker, host, and a guy who’s had to learn how to see in the dark and still choose the light. If you want a keynote that leaves people stronger than it found them, visit KevinSpeaks.org.

I hope you enjoyed today's episode! If there is ever anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to reach out. Below, you will find ALL the places and ALL the ways to connect!

• I would LOVE to hear from you! Send me a Voice Message
• Want to be a guest on GRIT, GRACE, & INSPIRATION? Send Kevin Lowe a message on PodMatch!
• Book Kevin to Speak at Your Next Event: CLICK to Learn More +...