What if the worst thing that happened to you became the seed of your next chapter? We sit down with Tom Lenoble—former leader at MCI, Walmart.com, Palm, and one of Facebook’s earliest operators—who later stared down life-threatening illness, walked with his brother through the early AIDS crisis, and built a life anchored in coaching, service, and purpose. His journey moves from a childhood “shack” to Silicon Valley boardrooms to hospital wards, revealing a pattern of action under pressure and a mindset he calls “terrible gifts.”
Tom shares how he set up Facebook’s early customer operations and crucial safety partnerships, why he left a dream job when a doctor said “six months,” and how he helped launch a buyers club to find treatments when none existed. He explains resilience as a muscle you train, gratitude as a practice built for hard days, and reinvention as a cycle: take a risk, use resilience, reshape your path. Through vivid stories—returning to work with nine T cells, funding experimental immunotherapy, and investing in underserved communities—Tom shows how evidence from our past trials can power our next move.
You’ll learn practical tools to navigate upheaval: time-boxed grief to honor emotions without getting stuck, an evidence list of moments you overcame, and small next steps that restore agency and identity. We also explore purpose as a performance enhancer—how service to others multiplies meaning and stamina when certainty disappears. If you’re craving a clear, human playbook for risk, resilience, and reinvention, this conversation will meet you where you are and point you forward.
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Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The co-hosts of this podcast are not medical professionals. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on this podcast. Reliance on any information provided by the podcast hosts or guests is solely at your own risk.
Pamela Cass is a licensed broker with Kentwood Real Estate
Natalie Davis is a licensed broker with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC
