How to Find Your Purpose | Ed Mylett
From the moment you meet him, it is clear that this week’s guest, SAM ACHO, is a force for POSITIVITY and JUSTICE in the world.
He is a former NFL player, ESPN analyst, and author, but that doesn’t even begin to describe who Sam is. As you’ll hear, Sam is using his considerable GIFTS and TALENTS to BUILD PEOPLE who can also contribute to making the world a better place.
This Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee who was also named by Sporting News as one of the 20 SMARTEST athletes in all of sports, now oversees ATHLETES FOR JUSTICE, an organization he founded that unites athletes to fight injustices around the world while also bringing his Christian messages to audiences at churches, concerts, colleges, and companies all around the world.
Sam brings fresh perspectives on people he calls the ARCHITECTS of building others. These architects help others put their lives back together by confronting their insecurities, ultimately leading to the BEST CHOICES that result in the BEST OUTCOMES.
This interview will teach you:
- Why you are the answer to someone’s PRAYERS
- A hack to IMPROVE your life
- Why your loneliness may be a good sign
- The value of constructive criticism
- How to deal with DISCOURAGEMENT
- And why there must be more to life than only pursuing the AMERICAN DREAM
It’s been said the greatest thing you can do is to lift up another human being when they are down.
Sam Acho is the personification of that sentiment, leading a BLESSED LIFE by helping LIFT UP OTHERS in the most incredible ways.
Edited transcript:
The Potter's Story and Redemption
There’s a story in the Bible about the potter. He’s making pottery, and as he’s working, the clay gets messed up. But then, instead of throwing it away, he reshapes it into something different—something that is still pleasing to him.
It’s like, "Dude, I messed up," but God is saying, "No, I still want to use you." Not just that He can or will—He wants to. And oh, by the way, it brings Him great joy and delight. I think He actually likes to use the things we think disqualify us.
Take my dad, for example. He was an alcoholic. He got sober when I was 15 and stayed sober for the rest of his life. One night, not long ago, I woke up crying. My wife, who’s known me since we were kids, asked, "What’s wrong?"
I said, "Someone helped my dad."
She looked at me and said, "What do you mean?"
"Someone helped my dad get sober. And that person has no idea what they did with their life. The ripple effect is huge—I’m his son, and I’ve reached millions of people. And they probably don’t even know."
Even more incredible is what qualified this person to help my dad. It wasn’t a degree or a title. It was the fact that they had been an alcoholic, a drug addict, a liar. They had lived in the shadows. God repurposed their mess—the very things they were most ashamed of—and used them to change other people’s lives.
We often think our failures disqualify us from our future. But the opposite is true.
Introducing Sam Acho
Welcome back to the show, everyone!
I’ve watched this guy on TV a lot, and I’ve noticed something: when you see him, you just start smiling. It’s infectious. That’s the kind of energy he brings, and today is all about changing your life.
If I could sum up this episode, it’s about how change starts with you.
Our guest today has done exactly that. He comes from an incredible family, played in the NFL, is an inspiring speaker, a TV personality, and an author. His latest book, Change Starts with You: Following Your Fire to Heal a Broken World, is something I read in one night. And today, we’re diving into it.
Sam Acho, welcome to the show, brother!
Why Sam Wrote the Book
Ed: What made you write this book—why now?
Sam: Honestly? It was hard.
This is my second book. My first one, Let the World See You: How to Be Real in a World Full of Fakes, was more of an overflow of my heart. It was therapy.
This book? It was different.
It started in 2020—George Floyd, COVID, everything happening at once. I started getting involved in my community, and people began asking, "How did you do that? How did you push past your own struggles?" Schools, organizations, and teams were asking me the same thing.
So I thought, what if I wrote some of it down? Not as a perfect example, but as a guide. Because we all want to change the world or ourselves, but we either don’t know how or we’re afraid to confront what’s holding us back.
Big Dreams Require Architects
One of the ideas in the book is that big dreams require architects.
Ed: I’ve never heard that before—what do you mean by that?
Sam: We all have dreams. But we don’t always know how to get there.
Some people love building cars or Lego sets. I love building people. And just like an architect helps design a structure, we all need people who help us build our dreams. Not just providing resources, but guiding us through fear, reminding us who we really are, and calling us forward.
A friend of mine told me, "Sam, when you’re on TV, that’s where God wants you. There’s something there—so find a way to keep doing it."
That’s what architects do. They help us build what we feel called to do.
Counting the Cost of Your Dream
Ed: You also write about how the best architects don’t just encourage you—they help you understand what your dream will cost.
Sam: Yes! Every decision has a cost—good or bad.
I love being on TV. I’m on ESPN now, but that means I travel a lot during football season. Thursday to Monday, I’m away from my family.
So my wife and I sat down and said, "Is this worth it?"
She said, "Okay, you’ll be traveling—I’ll hold down the fort. But make it worth it."
Most people stay in negotiation mode their whole lives: Is this worth it? Should I? Shouldn’t I?
But once you decide what the cost is—and that you’re willing to pay it—you gain freedom.
The Power of Brokenness
You say in the book:
"Until we address the things that break our hearts—the things that bring us pain—we won’t be able to do what we were put on this Earth to do."
Ed: That’s not a typical “dream book” statement. Why did you include it?
Sam: Because this isn’t just a dream book. It’s a healing book.
If we want to move forward, we have to deal with our insecurities and brokenness—whether that’s from family, past hurts, or the lies we’ve believed about ourselves.
There’s a story in the Bible about the potter. When the clay gets messed up, he doesn’t throw it away—he reshapes it into something even better.
That’s what God does with us.
The things we think disqualify us? Those are often the very things God wants to use.
You Are the Answer to Someone’s Prayer
Ed: You have a line in the book that hit me: "You are the answer to someone’s prayers."
Sam: You are.
Your actions, your movement, your platform—it’s what someone has been waiting for.
Think about your dad. The person who helped him get sober? That person was the answer to your prayer, before you even knew it.
You don’t know who is waiting on you. But someone is.
The Contagiousness of Dreams
Ed: You also write that dreams are contagious—what do you mean?
Sam: Dreams are like oxygen.
When you breathe them in, you don’t realize how much you need them. But once you do, it spreads. Other people catch it.
That’s why your dream isn’t just for you.
When you chase what God put in you, it inspires others to do the same.
Is It Worth It?
Ed: Last question. Is it worth it—the cost, the risk, the struggle?
Sam: Absolutely.
You never know what doors will open until you walk through them.
I didn’t know playing football would lead to a platform at ESPN. I didn’t know writing one book would lead to another. But each step led to something greater.
So yes—it’s worth it. Even if you don’t see the full picture yet.
Closing Thoughts
This has been one of the most thoughtful and powerful conversations I’ve had.
If you’re listening, go get Sam’s book: Change Starts with You: Following Your Fire to Heal a Broken World.
And remember: You are the answer to someone’s prayer. Keep moving forward.
[End of transcript]
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