958 | From Prison to Purpose with Ken Miller

In this episode, I am speaking with Ken Miller. Ken is a speaker, author, and nonprofit leader whose powerful personal story inspires transformation and resilience. As the author of Becoming Ken: From Prison to Purpose, he shares his journey from addiction and incarceration to becoming a respected voice in leadership, fundraising, and personal development.

Ken is the founder of Ken Miller Speaks, a platform dedicated to helping people rise above adversity by embracing truth, authenticity, and purpose. His signature keynote, From Rock Bottom to RESILIENCE, empowers audiences to turn their pain into power and live with intention. Drawing from lived experience and over two decades of leadership in the nonprofit sector, Ken brings a unique blend of vulnerability, strategy, and inspiration to every stage he steps on.

He also leads Denali FSP, a successful fundraising and grant consulting firm, where he helps nonprofits build sustainable impact. Whether speaking to corporate teams, recovery communities, or leadership audiences, Ken’s message is clear: you are not defined by your past—you are shaped by the choices you make moving forward.

Ken’s work has helped countless individuals and organizations unlock their potential through radical honesty, resilience, and the courage to lead from within.

Highlights

[00:01:00] Why Ken wrote Becoming Ken and the role integrity played in finishing it

[00:03:40] What it means to stop living in an adversarial relationship with yourself

[00:05:00] Ken’s early life in foster care and how abandonment shaped his identity

[00:07:00] Academic success alongside deep trauma and hidden violence

[00:10:30] Learning to lie as a survival skill and wearing masks to stay safe

[00:13:45] Alcohol, drugs, and how addiction escalated rapidly in college

[00:16:10] Losing control once substances entered the picture

[00:21:30] Prison, repeated treatment centers, and the cost of untreated shame

[00:29:00] Carrying unspoken trauma and the power of long-held secrets

[00:35:00] Homelessness, survival on the streets, and hitting rock bottom

[00:47:00] The moment everything changed and choosing life

[01:09:00] Self-forgiveness as the most powerful lesson of healing and freedom

Connect with Ken

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekenmillerspeaks

Email: [e-mail]

Website: http://www.kenmillerspeaks.com/

Marsha Vanwynsberghe — NLP Storytelling Trainer, OUTSPOKEN NLP Coaching Certification, Author, Speaker, and Podcaster

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