Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Person Who Believed In Me with David Begnaud

The Person Who Believed In Me is a heartfelt podcast that celebrates the unsung heroes behind some of the world's biggest names. Hosted by Emmy Award-winning journalist David Begnaud, this series shines a spotlight on the everyday people who saw potential, offered unwavering support, and changed the trajectory of extraordinary lives. In this trailer, you'll hear from an incredible lineup of guests including Oprah Winfrey, Charlie Puth, Nick Cannon, Barry Diller, Sherry Lansing, Jason Ballard, and 2 Chainz - each sharing powerful glimpses into the people who believed in them before the world knew their names. These weren't just words of encouragement from afar. This was presence. Sacrifice. Dedication. From the music teacher who recognized raw talent, to the parent who refused to let their child settle, to the mentor who saw past society's limitations - these believers changed everything. Every episode features a big-name guest, but the true star is always the ordinary person who saw something extraordinary and chose to nurture it. Join David Begnaud as he explores the profound impact one person's belief can have on another's destiny. Get ready for intimate conversations, emotional revelations, and inspiring stories that remind us all of the power of believing in someone. Host: David Begnaud Created By: David Begnaud A Do Good Crew Production Executive Producer: Ellen Rocamora For Do Good Crew: Executive Producers Olivier Delfosse, David Begnaud, Associate Producer Griffen Hamilton, Editor Jonah Johnson, Booker Sully Bloch Director Of Photography: Foster Parks Music Composed By: Slipstream Post-Production: Longwave Digital

"Nobody but nobody can make it out here alone." In this powerful conversation, Oprah Winfrey shares how one teacher's attention saved her life during her darkest years and why being "seen" is the greatest gift one human can give another. Most people know Oprah as a voice of wisdom, but she wasn't always the woman we see today. In this premiere episode of "The Person Who Believed In Me," she sits down with Emmy-winning journalist David Begnaud to share the origin of her resilience - the lonely, introverted 13-year-old sitting in a chaotic cafeteria with a book, and the teacher named Mr. Abrams who saw something in her that she hadn't yet seen in herself. The conversation gets honest about the gap between who the world says you are and who you know you can be. Oprah opens up about overcoming the trauma of her youth and the moment she realized her past didn't have to define her future. If you've ever felt invisible or questioned whether you belonged, this conversation will remind you that one person's belief can change everything. It's a reminder that nobody makes it out here alone - and that you might be that person for someone else. Chapters ☀️ ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called “America’s storyteller.” In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Oprah Winfrey Executive Producers: Ellen Rocamora, Olivier Delfosse Associate Producers: Griffen Hamilton, Jonah Johnson Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Social: Mariah Maull Director of Photography: Foster Parks Theme Music: Slipstream Get more stories that remind you the world is still good: www.thedogoodcrew.com Thank you to Canva for believing in the power of storytelling and helping us bring this podcast to life: https://canva.com CONNECT WITH US: The Person Who Believed In Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast David Begnaud: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidbegnaud/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@davidbegnaud Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidBegnaud/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@davidbegnaud X: https://x.com/davidbegnaud Do Good Crew: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dogood/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dogoodstory Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dogoodstory Oprah Winfrey: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oprah/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@oprah Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oprahwinfrey YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Oprah

Before 2 Chainz became a Grammy-winning hip hop icon, he was Tauheed Epps, a high-achieving student facing expulsion under a zero tolerance drug policy. One teacher's letter changed everything. In this raw and powerful conversation, the multi-platinum artist sits down with David Begnaud to share the person who believed in him when his future hung in the balance. 2 Chainz opens up about the moment in his senior year when he got into trouble, lost his basketball scholarship offers, and faced permanent expulsion from school. That's when Miss Love, his college prep geometry teacher, stepped in and wrote a letter to the school board with one simple plea: Don't throw this child's life away. Give him a second chance. 2 Chainz talks about growing up in a family where hustling was generational, how he broke that cycle for his own children, and why he believes the voice in his head is God. He shares street lessons that still guide him today, the mistakes that became his superpower, and why he's grateful for every closed door that led him here. There's also an unforgettable moment when David surprises him with a live call to Miss Love, and she reveals something even 2 Chainz didn't know about the impact he had on her. If you've ever felt like your past defined your future, or wondered whether one person's belief could really change everything, this episode will remind you that resilience isn't about avoiding the storm. It's about staying out of the graveyard and out of jail long enough to see another day. And sometimes, that's all you need. Chapters ☀️ ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: www.thedogoodcrew.com Thank you to Canva for believing in the power of storytelling and helping us bring this podcast to life: https://canva.com Host: David Begnaud Guest: 2 Chainz Executive Producer: Olivier Delfosse Associate Producer: Jonah Johnson Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Social: Mariah Maull Director of Photography: Foster Parks Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative) Post-Production: Longwave Digital Theme Music: Slipstream CONNECT WITH US: The Person Who Believed In Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast

Before Barry Diller became one of the most powerful media moguls in history, he was a 32 year old television executive that everyone thought was too young, too inexperienced, and completely unqualified to run a major Hollywood studio. One man saw something different. In this deeply personal conversation, the legendary entertainment titan sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of Charlie Bluhdorn, the Austrian immigrant and industrialist who bet everything on him when no one else would. Barry Diller opens up about the moment Charlie Bluhdorn, the volatile and brilliant founder of Gulf+Western, made him chairman of Paramount Pictures at just 32 years old. Barry had never worked in the movie business. He had no connections. And for the first two years, Paramount was dead last among the six major studios. But Charlie never flinched. He had unbreachable faith. That faith gave Barry the space to fail, to figure it out, and eventually to lead Paramount from worst to first for seven straight years, producing Saturday Night Fever, Grease, and some of the most iconic films in cinema history. Barry talks about growing up feeling abandoned by his family, cementing himself shut emotionally, and learning to please others as a survival skill. He shares why he believes in creative conflict over polite debate, and why torturing the process is the only way to get from good to great. There's also a raw and honest reflection on being gay in Hollywood during the AIDS crisis, the guilt he carries for not being louder when it mattered, and how his wife Dionne became the miracle of his life after 50 years together. If you've ever doubted whether you were ready or whether one person's belief could actually change the trajectory of your entire life, this episode will remind you that sometimes the greatest gift someone can give you is faith when the world says no. And sometimes, that's all you need to become unstoppable. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: www.thedogoodcrew.com Thank you to Canva for believing in the power of storytelling and helping us bring this podcast to life: https://canva.com Chapters ☀️ ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Barry Diller Executive Producers: Ellen Rocamora, Olivier Delfosse Associate Producer: Griffin Hamilton Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Photography: Foster Parks Theme Music: Slipstream Post-Production: Longwave Digital CONNECT WITH US: The Person Who Believed In Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast

Before Nick Cannon became a multi-hyphenate media mogul, comedian, rapper, producer, and host of The Masked Singer, he was a hyperactive five year old kid walking into a storefront Taekwondo studio in San Diego, terrified of the stern man who would change his life. In this deeply personal and unguarded conversation, the entertainment powerhouse sits down with David Begnaud to share the person who believed in him when discipline was the last thing he wanted. Nick opens up about meeting Grandmaster James Wilson, a stoic and accomplished man who was not just a martial arts instructor, but an assistant United States attorney, a minister, and a pillar in a community that rarely saw figures like him. Nick talks about growing up with a teenage dad, being raised in a disenfranchised neighborhood, and how Master Wilson became larger than life to him. He shares what it felt like to learn integrity before he even knew what the word meant, why he wanted to quit more than he wanted to stay, and how the discipline he resisted as a child became the foundation for everything he does today. There's also a raw reflection on being diagnosed with ADHD, narcissistic personality disorder, and lupus nephritis. Nick talks about why he sees diagnoses as chapters, not his whole story, and why therapy has become a space to offload, take inventory, and grow. He shares why he believes he's a machete juggler, why standing in the fire is where he feels most alive, and why slowing down has never been an option even when doctors tell him it should be. He opens up about fatherhood, raising 12 kids, the guilt he carries daily, and why being present matters more than being perfect. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: www.thedogoodcrew.com Thank you to Canva for believing in the power of storytelling and helping us bring this podcast to life: https://canva.com Recorded January 28, 2026 Chapters ☀️ ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Nick Cannon Executive Producer: Olivier Delfosse Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Photography: Foster Parks Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative) Associate Producer: Jonah Johnson Director of Social: Mariah Maull Theme Music: Slipstream Post-Production: Longwave Digital CONNECT WITH US: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast

Before Charlie Puth became a multi-platinum artist and one of the most technically gifted musicians of his generation, he was a kid who couldn't sing in front of people until he was 18 years old. He was a student who heard everything at 200% volume, who felt sick when sounds were off-key, and who believed the only way he could express himself was if there was music behind him. In this deeply personal and unguarded conversation, the Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and producer sits down with David Begnaud to share the people who believed in him when he was too afraid to believe in himself. Charlie opens up about growing up with diagnosed OCD, perfect pitch, and a sensitivity to sound so intense that it still makes him nauseous. He talks about his parents, Chuck and Deb, who championed him when teachers told him to stay in one lane, when Catholic school didn't understand his love for Eminem, and when competitive swimming felt like sensory overload. His mom, a Jewish music teacher in a Catholic school, taught him that music could bring people in. His dad took a day off work and sat with him for 14 hours in line for an America's Got Talent audition, only to watch Charlie freeze and say he couldn't sing without something behind him. There's also a raw reflection on why Charlie has resisted vulnerability for so long, why he's terrified of being judged, and why his new album is the first time he's letting people see the imperfect, anxious, overthinking version of himself. He shares what it felt like to hear Taylor Swift mention his name in a song, why sitting with Quincy Jones changed his life, and why the song I Used To Be Cringe might be the most honest thing he's ever written. He talks about his pregnant wife, building a house, going on tour the same week his baby is due, and why the only thing that makes him feel better when the world gets too loud is a melody in his head. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: www.thedogoodcrew.com Thank you to Canva for believing in the power of storytelling and helping us bring this podcast to life: https://canva.com Chapters ☀️ ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Charlie Puth Executive Producers: Ellen Rocamora, Olivier Delfosse Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Photography: Foster Parks Theme Music: Slipstream Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative) Post-Production: Longwave Digital CONNECT WITH US: The Person Who Believed In Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast

Before Ava DuVernay became an Oscar-nominated director and groundbreaking force in Hollywood, she was a 32 year old publicist with a $50,000 film, no film school degree, and a dream she wasn't sure anyone would take seriously. Then Roger Ebert said yes. In this deeply personal conversation, the visionary filmmaker sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the legendary film critic who believed in her when the world had no idea who she was. Ava opens up about the moment she cold-pitched Roger Ebert to review her debut film I Will Follow, a meditation on grief inspired by her aunt Denise. She had worked with him before as a publicist, always transactional, always professional. But this time it was different. This was her movie. She didn't tell him that at first. She just sent the pitch like she always did. He said yes. And then he wrote a review that changed everything. Ava talks about growing up in Compton with her aunt Denise, standing outside the Oscars as a little girl getting a thumbs up from Roger Ebert himself, and never imagining she'd one day be the filmmaker he championed. She shares what it felt like to be taken seriously by the critic of a generation, how his belief gave her the confidence to keep going, and why she spoke at his funeral years later. There's also a powerful reflection on what it means to open doors all the way, not just crack them, and why she believes your presence alone is an act of resistance. If you've ever felt unqualified, if you've ever been afraid to ask for help, or if you've ever wondered whether one person's attention could actually change the trajectory of your life, this episode will remind you that sometimes all it takes is someone willing to take you seriously. And sometimes, that's the greatest gift of all. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: www.thedogoodcrew.com Thank you to Canva for believing in the power of storytelling and helping us bring this podcast to life: https://canva.com Chapters ☀️ ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Ava DuVernay Executive Producers: Ellen Rocamora, Olivier Delfosse Associate Producer: Griffin Hamilton Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Photography: Foster Parks Director of Social: Mariah Maull Theme Music: Slipstream Post-Production: Longwave Digital CONNECT WITH US: The Person Who Believed In Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast

Before Melissa Etheridge became a Grammy-winning rock legend and an icon of resilience, she was a Kansas kid with a wild dream and a father who never told her she couldn't do it. In this deeply personal and unguarded conversation, the multi-platinum singer-songwriter sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of John Etheridge, the man who believed in her when belief was the only thing she had. Melissa opens up about growing up in Leavenworth, Kansas, with a father who came from nothing. A migrant farmer's son who served in the Korean War, earned a teaching credential on a sports scholarship, and became a coach who spent weekends driving his daughter to rehearsals, gigs, and bars filled with grown men so she could play guitar. He never gushed. He never overreacted. He just showed up. And when she sat him down in 1980 to tell him she was gay, he said the words that changed everything: Is that it? Just be happy. There's also a raw reflection on what it means to lose a child, how stress can eat you alive if you let it, and why Melissa had to learn to love her music before anyone else would. She talks about the 2005 Grammys, walking out bald after radiation to sing Piece of My Heart, and why that moment became one of the most powerful of her career. She shares what it felt like to be nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, why her new album Rise is about falling to the earth and tasting the dirt, and how a heroic cannabis overdose sent her on a journey to understand consciousness, plant medicine, and what it means to truly be alive. Melissa talks about her wife Linda, who makes her laugh every single day, why she calls herself a dad mom, and how the Etheridge Foundation is working to bring psychedelic research into the fight against opioid addiction in honor of her son Beckett. She reflects on why life doesn't happen to you, it happens from you, and why the greatest gift her father gave her was the freedom to believe in herself when no one else did. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: www.thedogoodcrew.com Thank you to Canva for believing in the power of storytelling and helping us bring this podcast to life: https://canva.com Chapters ☀️ ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Melissa Etheridge Executive Producer: Olivier Delfosse Associate Producer: Jonah Johnson Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Photography: Foster Parks Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative) Director of Social: Mariah Maull Theme Music: Slipstream Post-Production: Longwave Digital CONNECT WITH US: The Person Who Believed In Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast

Before David Oyelowo became a critically acclaimed actor and the man who brought Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to life on screen, he was a shy kid who came back from Nigeria struggling to find his place in British life. Then Jill Foster, a theatre studies teacher at his Sixth Form College, saw something in him he hadn't yet seen in himself. In this deeply personal and unguarded conversation, the award winning actor sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the teacher who changed everything when she cornered him outside a London tube station and said the words he'll never forget: I think you could do acting professionally. And I want to help you with that. David opens up about growing up between two worlds, living in Lagos, Nigeria from ages six to thirteen with a father who bore tribal marks and came from a royal family. He talks about what it felt like to experience life as a black man who was not a minority, and how those formative years gave him an identity so secure that no one could take it away. He shares the story of returning to the UK, discovering acting because he had a crush on his pastor's daughter, and meeting Jill Foster, the teacher who didn't just encourage him, she built him a ladder. She introduced him to the National Youth Music Theatre, helped him apply for funding through the Prince's Trust, coached him through drama school auditions, and gave him access to a world he didn't even know existed. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: www.thedogoodcrew.com Thank you to Canva for believing in the power of storytelling and helping us bring this podcast to life: https://canva.com Chapters ☀️ ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: David Oyelowo Executive Producer: Olivier Delfosse Associate Producer: Jonah Johnson Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Photography: Foster Parks Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative) Director of Social: Mariah Maull Theme Music: Slipstream Post-Production: Longwave Digital CONNECT WITH US: The Person Who Believed In Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast

Before David Archuleta became a household name as the runner up on American Idol and a multi-platinum recording artist, he was a kid who didn't believe in himself, terrified of being exposed, and convinced that who he was at his core was something he needed to hide. Then he met Ronda Truman Ford, a Nashville mom who opened her home, her heart, and gave him something he'd never experienced before: a place where he could belong without expectations. In this raw and deeply personal conversation, the singer sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the woman who believed in him when he was too afraid to believe in himself. David opens up about meeting Ronda when he was just 18, exhausted & longing for a home cooked meal and a sense of family. He talks about how Ronda invited him in, cooked for him, held game nights, and made him feel seen not as a celebrity, but as a person. He shares what it felt like to move to Nashville at 24 after serving a two year mission in Chile, still closeted, still codependent, and how Ronda became his accountability partner, his gym buddy, and the safe place he needed to start healing. She never forced him to change. She just made him want to grow. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: www.thedogoodcrew.com Thank you to Canva for believing in the power of storytelling and helping us bring this podcast to life: https://canva.com Chapters ☀️ ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: David Archuleta Executive Producer: Olivier Delfosse Associate Producer: Jonah Johnson Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Photography: Foster Parks Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative) Director of Social: Mariah Maull Theme Music: Slipstream Post-Production: Longwave Digital CONNECT WITH US: The Person Who Believed In Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast

Before Sherry Lansing became the first woman to run a major Hollywood studio and a legendary force behind some of cinema's most iconic films, she was an insecure young woman convinced she had to hide her ambition, terrified of judgment, and struggling to believe in herself. Then she met Dr. Joshua Hoffs, a therapist who gave her something she'd never experienced before: a space where she could be vulnerable without shame, ambitious without apology, and herself without fear. In this deeply personal and unguarded conversation, the trailblazing studio executive sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the man who believed in her when she couldn't believe in herself. Sherry opens up about growing up with a mother who escaped Nazi Germany and wanted nothing more than for her daughter to get married and join the country club, even though that same mother became Sherry's first role model when she took over the family real estate business after Sherry's father died when she was just nine years old. She talks about her first therapist, who told her that when he was done with her she wouldn't want to work, she'd just want to bake pies, and how that experience nearly broke her. She shares what it felt like to walk into Dr. Hoffs' office for the first time and realize within the first hour that this was different, that he wasn't there to judge her or change her, but to help her become the best version of herself. When Dr. Hoffs asked her a question that changed everything: Why can't you be the head of the studio? Sherry talks about her decades long marriage to Academy Award winning director William Friedkin, the only person who ever gave her unconditional love, and why losing him was the hardest chapter of her life. She shares why she believes therapy taught her to understand people in a way that made her a better executive, why she never craved power, and why the only thing that lasts forever is the movies. She reflects on greenlighting Titanic, Braveheart, Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, and Fatal Attraction, why Glenn Close almost didn't get cast, and how she learned to pick her battles in rooms full of men who didn't hear her. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: www.thedogoodcrew.com Thank you to Canva for believing in the power of storytelling and helping us bring this podcast to life: https://canva.com Chapters ☀️ ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Sherry Lansing Executive Producers: Ellen Rocamora, Olivier Delfosse Associate Producer: Griffin Hamilton Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Photography: Foster Parks Director of Social: Mariah Maull Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative) Theme Music: Slipstream Post-Production: Longwave Digital CONNECT WITH US: The Person Who Believed In Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast

Before Jason Ballard became the CEO of Icon, a groundbreaking company using 3D printing and robotics to revolutionize how humanity builds homes and even NASA-backed lunar habitats, he was a skinny kid from East Texas with big ideas and a wife who believed those ideas could change the world. In this deeply personal and unguarded conversation, the visionary entrepreneur sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of Jenny Yuri Ballard, the woman who believed in him when belief was the only thing they had. Jason opens up about meeting Jenny at a summer camp in Colorado, dancing with her all night in a barn, and writing a letter to her parents to introduce himself before driving 20 hours from Texas to South Dakota just to see her for less than a day. He talks about the moment she broke her neck in Nepal, how he bribed an official to get a visa and drove through the night searching hospital after hospital in New Delhi until he found her. He shares what it felt like to be married to someone who never counted the cost, who said let's move into my parents' basement so he could chase a dream, and who maxed out credit cards to buy concrete so they could finish printing the world's first permanent 3D printed house days before South by Southwest. If you've ever doubted whether one person's belief could change the trajectory of your entire life, or wondered what it means to burn the ships and go all in, this episode will remind you that sometimes the greatest gift someone can give you is the courage to try the impossible. And sometimes, that's all you need to build something that lasts forever. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: www.thedogoodcrew.com Chapters ☀️ ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Jason Ballard Executive Producers: Ellen Rocamora, Olivier Delfosse Associate Producer: Griffin Hamilton Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Photography: Foster Parks Director of Social: Mariah Maull Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative) Theme Music: Slipstream Post-Production: Longwave Digital CONNECT WITH US: The Person Who Believed In Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast

Before Joel Kim Booster became an Emmy-nominated writer, actor, producer, stand-up comedian, and the star and creator of Fire Island, he was a 17 year old kid living in his car, kicked out by his adoptive parents for being gay, and convinced he was going to hell. Then Sarah Casey, a classmate he barely knew, turned around in choir and said the words that changed everything: If you ever need a place to stay, you can come and stay with me and my family. In this deeply personal and unguarded conversation, one of comedy's sharpest voices sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the girl who became his chosen family when his own family walked away.e can give you is a place to belong when the world says you don't. And sometimes, that's all you need to become exactly who you were meant to be. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: https://www.thedogoodcrew.com Chapters ☀️ ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Joel Kim Booster Executive Producer: Olivier Delfosse Associate Producer: Jonah Johnson Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Photography: Foster Parks Director of Social: Mariah Maull Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative) Theme Music: Slipstream Post-Production: Longwave Digital CONNECT WITH US: The Person Who Believed In Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast

Before Carly Pearce became a Grammy-winning country music superstar and a member of the Grand Ole Opry, she was a 24 year old singer who had spent eight years in Nashville being told she wasn't enough. She'd done countless showcases, recorded endless songs, and watched labels pass her by again and again. Then she met Daniel Lee, a music publisher who saw something the entire industry had missed. In this deeply personal and unguarded conversation, the multi-platinum artist sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the man who believed in her when she was cleaning Airbnbs and ready to move home. Carly opens up about the moment Daniel sat her down at a coffee shop and said the words that changed everything: I know your story. I know how long you've been here. I know what the industry thinks. I believe otherwise. She talks about growing up in Taylor Mill, Kentucky, telling her parents at age five she was going to be on the Grand Ole Opry, dropping out of high school in ninth grade to work six shows a day at Dollywood, and spending years in Nashville chasing what everyone else wanted instead of trusting what made her different. She shares what it felt like to play five songs for a manager who told her to her face that they would never work, only to watch one of those exact songs, Every Little Thing, debut at number one on iTunes 12 hours after it hit Sirius XM's The Highway. If you've ever wondered whether one person's belief could actually change the trajectory of your entire life, this episode will remind you that sometimes the greatest gift someone can give you is faith when the world says no. And sometimes, that's all you need to become unstoppable. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter:https://www.thedogoodcrew.com Chapters ☀️ ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Carly Pearce Executive Producer: Olivier Delfosse Associate Producer: Jonah Johnson Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Photography: Foster Parks Director of Social: Mariah Maull Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative) Theme Music: Slipstream Post-Production: Longwave Digital CONNECT WITH US: The Person Who Believed In Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast

Before Arthur Brooks became a Harvard professor, bestselling author, and one of the world's most influential voices on happiness and human behavior, he was a 34 year old PhD student standing in front of a room full of Nobel Prize winners, delivering what he calls a catastrophic dissertation defense. Then James Q. Wilson, the most distinguished social scientist of the 20th century, walked up and said the words that changed everything: You know, you got something special here. If I can ever help you, just let me know. In this deeply personal and unguarded conversation, the renowned social scientist sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the man who believed in him when no one else did. There's also a raw reflection on faith, struggle, and the complex problem of God. Arthur talks about the priest who rejected him, why he believes therapy isn't about solving problems but living with complexity, and why your marriage is not a problem to solve. He shares the one regret he carries every day, why he still asks if his father would be proud of him, and how losing his parents too soon led him to move his entire family to one place so he wouldn't make the same mistake twice. He opens up about the meaning crisis destroying young people today, why happiness is love and love is a choice, and why the greatest act of selfishness is refusing someone's generosity. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: https://www.thedogoodcrew.com Chapters ☀️ ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Arthur Brooks Executive Producers: Ellen Rocamora, Olivier Delfosse Associate Producer: Griffin Hamilton Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Photography: Foster Parks Director of Social: Mariah Maull Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative) Theme Music: Slipstream Post-Production: Longwave Digital CONNECT WITH US: The Person Who Believed In Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast

Before Sharon Stone became one of Hollywood's most iconic stars, she was a kid from rural Pennsylvania getting sent to the principal's office for teaching her classmates cursive and multiplication. Then her father - a blue-collar machine shop worker with the touch of kings - walked in and said: Here's what's going to happen. It's not going to stop. She's going to keep right on doing it. Are we clear? In this unguarded conversation with David Begnaud, Sharon shares the story of the man who believed in her when the world told her to be less - and reflects on the life that followed. She opens up about the nine-day misdiagnosed brain hemorrhage she survived against 1% odds, the assault she didn't understand for a decade, the custody battle she lost to an ex-husband who ran the only newspaper in town, and why being a sex symbol meant the world assumed she was stupid instead of surviving. She talks about being the 13th choice for Basic Instinct, fighting through every makeup test to wipe off the bimbo overlay, and a mother who never once said I love you. And she shares what her father - who died exactly four months to the day after calling to say he had four months left - would want the world to know. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: https://www.thedogoodcrew.com Chapters ☀️ ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Sharon Stone Executive Producer: Olivier Delfosse Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Photography: Foster Parks Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative) Director of Social: Mariah Maull Theme Music: Slipstream Post-Production: Longwave Digital CONNECT WITH US: The Person Who Believed In Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast

Before Adam Lambert became a global superstar, Grammy-nominated artist, and one of the most electrifying voices in music, he was a 13-year-old theater kid from conservative North County San Diego, struggling to fit in at middle school and trying on his mother's makeup after class. Then Lynn Broyles, a voice teacher with fierce energy and impeccable taste, saw something in him that no one else had: a kid who needed a safe space to just be himself. In this deeply personal and unguarded conversation, the trailblazing artist sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the woman who believed in him when he was just beginning to understand who he was. Adam opens up about meeting Lynn at 13, a voice teacher who introduced him to Sondheim, cabaret, and the gay cultural lexicon without ever calling it what it was. He talks about growing up with parents who let him wear their makeup and high heels as a toddler, spending Saturdays in a theater company that taught him discipline and teamwork, and the moment he auditioned for American Idol by quitting his job in Wicked with no guarantees. He shares what it felt like to kiss a guy on live television at the 2009 AMAs the night before his first single dropped, getting yanked off Good Morning America because ABC threatened to sue, and why that controversy made him realize his career was about something much bigger than just making music. There's also a raw reflection on identity, fame, and what it means to finally say what you've always felt. Adam talks about starting to feel shame for being gay once he got famous, encountering homophobia for the first time in mainstream America after living in an LA bubble for 10 years, and why he started having imposter syndrome even though he believed he could win. He opens up about fronting Queen for 10 years, performing for millions at Rock in Rio and on the steps of Buckingham Palace, and why being around Brian May and Roger Taylor taught him the gravity of iconic music through osmosis. He reflects on moving to New York, doing six months on Broadway as the Emcee in Cabaret, and bringing Lynn to see the show as a full circle moment. He shares why he's finally ready to stop people pleasing, why his new self-titled album Adam feels like a return to where he started, and why after 17 years in the industry, he's done being polite about what he wants. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: https://www.thedogoodcrew.com Chapters ☀️ ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Adam Lambert Executive Producer: David Begnaud, Olivier Delfosse Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Photography: Foster Parks Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative) Social: Maxim Trofimenko, Kylee Anderson, Gracie Pekrul Theme Music: Slipstream Post-Production: Longwave Digital, David & Luana Co. CONNECT WITH US: The Person Who Believed In Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast

Before Ian Rowe became a visionary educator, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, founder of Vertex Partnership Academy, and author of the book Agency, he was a 12 year old kid from Queens standing in his family's living room, crying and pleading with his Jamaican immigrant parents to let him stay at a junior high school that was about to become all black after white families fled to a newly created annex. Then Linda Talish, his sixth grade teacher at PS 156 in Laurelton, Queens, gave him something he didn't even know he needed: the courage to challenge his parents for the very first time. In this deeply personal and unguarded conversation, one of education's most influential and controversial voices sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the woman who believed in him when he was just beginning to believe in himself. Ian opens up about meeting Ms. Talish in sixth grade, a Jewish teacher who talked about her heritage with a certain reverence and pride, even in the midst of racial tension that was tearing apart their small middle class Queens neighborhood. He shares what it was like growing up as the son of parents who came to the United States in 1968, the year of Martin Luther King's assassination, with his father becoming one of the first black engineers at IBM and his mother a financial securities analyst at Manufacturer's Hanover Bank. He reflects on the Sunday night before transfer papers were due, standing in front of his parents in their living room, begging and crying to stay at junior high school 231, and saying the words that changed everything: Just because everyone that's left is black, why does it have to be bad?. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: https://www.thedogoodcrew.com Chapters ☀️ ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Ian Rowe Executive Producer: Olivier Delfosse Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Photography: Foster Parks Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative) Social: Maxim Trofimenko, Kylee Anderson, Gracie Pekrul Theme Music: Slipstream Post-Production: Longwave Digital, David & Luana Co. CONNECT WITH US: The Person Who Believed In Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast

Before Margaret Cho became a legendary comedian, Emmy-nominated actor, and one of the most influential voices in stand-up comedy, she was a 15-year-old kid who had just been expelled from one of San Francisco's most prestigious high schools for truancy and bad grades, with parents who had essentially given up on her. Then James Jackson, an English teacher with a Southern drawl, a speech impediment, and a vintage motorcycle, started writing notes in the margins of her essays that changed everything: A+, so great, brilliant, funny. In this deeply personal and unguarded conversation, the trailblazing comedian sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the man who believed in her when she was just trying to blend into the walls. Margaret opens up about meeting Mr. Jackson at the School of the Arts in San Francisco, a teacher who rode a motorcycle, wore a leather jacket with cigarettes in the sleeve, and spoke like a Southern Barbara Walters. She talks about the composition book he gave her at the beginning of the year, how his handwritten encouragement in the margins reignited the excellent student she had forgotten she was, and why his gentle belief felt so tender it was almost poetic. She shares what it was like to watch him get bullied by jocks in the classroom for being gay, how that made her feel as a closeted teenager herself, and the day she and her best friend Jerry walked out of school forever after those same jocks mocked Mr. Jackson's murder. She reflects on learning decades later that Mr. Jackson had been killed by a homeless teenager he had taken in, and how court documents revealed allegations that Mr. Jackson had sexually abused the boy who killed him. There's also a raw reflection on trauma, survival, and what it means to separate the art from the artist. Margaret talks about being sexually abused by multiple people as a young girl in the 1970s and 80s, a time when young girl sexuality was disturbingly normalized, and how her parents denied it happened and still refuse to talk about it today. She opens up about being raped in high school, headlining the first primetime ABC sitcom starring an Asian American woman in 1994, and being told by network executives that she was too fat to play herself. She shares what it felt like to lose 30 pounds in two weeks on fen-fen, urinate blood in her trailer from kidney failure, and be told not to gain the weight back even after her hair fell out. She reflects on spending a year and nine months in treatment for addiction, learning to wear sobriety like a loose garment, and why comedy is a coping mechanism that gives you hope by making you take an unexpected breath. As complicated as the story is as we present it, Margaret reflects on what she would want to say to Mr. Jackson, why his encouragement led her to encourage younger comedians the same way, and why she's really happy now after arranging her life in the right way. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: https://www.thedogoodcrew.com Chapters ☀️ ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Margaret Cho Executive Producer: David Begnaud, Olivier Delfosse Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Photography: Foster Parks Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative) Social: Maxim Trofimenko, Kylee Anderson, Gracie Pekrul Theme Music: Slipstream Post-Production: Longwave Digital & David & Luana Co. CONNECT WITH US: The Person Who Believed In Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast Photo Credits: Margaret Cho, Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts Yearbook

Before Tom Daley became one of the most decorated divers in British history with five Olympic medals and five Olympic Games under his belt, he was a terrified nine year old standing on the end of a diving board, crying his eyes out and refusing to jump into the pool. Then Andy Banks, the head coach at Plymouth Diving Club, walked in and said the words that almost ended everything before it started: Tom Daley will never be a diver for as long as he'll live. In this deeply personal and unguarded conversation, the Olympic champion sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the coach who doubted him at first, then never stopped believing in him, and how that belief carried him through bullying, loss, and the darkest years of his life. Tom opens up about the moment Andy pulled him aside at 12 years old and asked if he wanted to go to the Beijing Olympics in 2008, laying out a roadmap for a kid who would become the youngest British diver to compete at an Olympic Games at just 14 years and 81 days old. He talks about coming back from Beijing and enduring brutal physical and emotional bullying at school, getting rugby tackled in the field and threatened to have his legs broken, all while trying to process what it meant to be an Olympian in eighth grade. He shares what it felt like to lose his father to a brain tumor at 17, just one year before the London 2012 Olympics, and how his dad never cared about results, only that Tom was 18th best in the whole country even if he came dead last. He reflects on meeting Dustin Lance Black, the Oscar winning screenwriter who flew to the UK to see him, only to be told by management that dating an LGBTQ activist would be bad for his image, and how falling in love felt like one more thing he loved that the world said was wrong. There's also a raw reflection on fear, identity, and what it means to thrive under pressure. Tom talks about hitting his head twice while diving, why Andy taught him that the day you stop being scared on the board is the day something goes wrong, and how knitting became the reason he was able to win Olympic gold at the Tokyo 2020 Games. He opens up about coming out at 19 through a YouTube video because he was tired of being misquoted and feeling ashamed, why he believes vulnerability is a practice and not a destination, and how becoming Papa to Robbie and Phoenix is the role he's most proud of beyond all his Olympic medals. He shares what it's like to retire at 30 and wake up every day wondering if he could do one more Olympics in LA 2028, why there's no such thing as good luck only good preparation, and why the greatest form of activism is just living your authentic life every single day. And he reflects on what his father, who recorded everything up until two days before he died, would want the world to know. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: https://www.thedogoodcrew.com Chapters ☀️ ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Tom Daley Executive Producer: Olivier Delfosse Associate Producer: Jonah Johnson Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Photography: Foster Parks Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative) Social Media: Maxim Trofimenko, Kylee Anderson, Gracie Pekrul Theme Music: Slipstream Post-Production: Longwave Digital, David & Luana Co. CONNECT WITH US: The Person Who Believed In Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast

Before Harvey Mason Jr. became the CEO of the Recording Academy and a legendary music producer who worked with Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, and Michael Jackson, he was a college basketball player at the University of Arizona headed to the NBA. Then a torn ACL ended his career in one awkward landing, leaving him watching soap operas in a dorm room, depressed and driving around Tucson pitching jingles to Chinese buffets and brake shops. In this deeply personal and unguarded conversation, the Grammy executive sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the man who believed in him when he was still figuring out who he was: Clive Davis, the legendary music mogul who put him in a room with Aretha Franklin and changed everything. Harvey opens up about the day he walked into Clive's bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel, nervous and blown away by the flowers and the speakers and the man who had signed his father as an artist decades earlier. He talks about playing I Like Them Girls for Clive, watching him close his eyes and nod his head, and getting the yes that gave him a confidence boost he didn't know he needed. He shares what it was like to produce Aretha's vocals, pushing her so hard she sent a furious letter to Clive saying Harvey wasn't the right producer, only to send him flowers the next day after hearing the recording and calling it one of her favorite vocals ever. He reflects on recording Whitney Houston for seven hours when she'd only promised him 15 minutes, convincing her to keep going by saying his only job was to make fans say that's the best Whitney Houston song I've ever heard. There's also a raw reflection on belief, identity, and what it means to be pushed. Harvey talks about his father, drummer Harvey Mason Sr., who believed so fiercely in him that it became both a gift and a weight, and how that shaped the way he raised his own kids. He opens up about playing for Coach Lute Olson at Arizona, feeling like Olson didn't believe in him for years, and only realizing decades later that the hardest coaching was actually the deepest belief. He shares what he learned from teammate Steve Kerr, who asked the team on a bus ride how can you be sleeping on the way to the game? and taught him there was another level to greatness. And he reflects on what it means to be the first Black CEO of the Recording Academy, why he's never content, and why the truth is when you're in the moment of somebody believing in you, sometimes it doesn't feel like belief at all. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: https://www.thedogoodcrew.com Chapters ☀️ ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Harvey Mason Jr. Executive Producer: Olivier Delfosse Associate Producer: Jonah Johnson Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Photography: Foster Parks Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative) Director of Social: Mariah Maull Theme Music: Slipstream Post-Production: Longwave Digital CONNECT WITH US: The Person Who Believed In Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast

Before Sebastian Maniscalco became one of the highest paid comedians in the world — selling out five shows at Madison Square Garden and earning his own Sirius XM channel — he was a waiter at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, spending seven years serving nuts to celebrities while bombing at open mics. Then Mitzi Shore, the legendary owner of the Comedy Store, saw something in him that the rest of the industry had missed. In this deeply personal conversation, Sebastian sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the woman who believed in him when he barely knew her, and how she gave him the one thing he needed most: a place to belong. Sebastian opens up about the moment Mitzi grabbed him after his audition and said the words that changed everything: Come back for 10 minutes next week. He talks about skipping straight to paid regular status, getting hot spots one week and 1:30 a.m. slots in front of four people the next, and how Mitzi manipulated lineups to build his thick skin without him realizing it. His relationship with her was never verbal — her love came through the stage time she gave him, and his came through never letting her down. There's also a raw reflection on family and work ethic. Sebastian's father Cecilion, a 79-year-old hairdresser, still cuts hair and refuses to retire because he believes stopping means dying. He rented Sebastian a lawnmower as a kid to teach him about business expenses — making him cut grass while allergic to it — and after a quadruple bypass, his first question from the hospital bed was when he could go back to work. Sebastian bought his parents cars last year, because the journey was never just his. He covers a lot of ground Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: https://www.thedogoodcrew.com Chapters ☀️ ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew. In each episode, David asks one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? David is also a CBS News contributor and host of Beg Knows America, airing every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Sebastian Maniscalco Executive Producer: Olivier Delfosse Associate Producer: Jonah Johnson Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Photography: Foster Parks Live Production: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative) Social: Mariah Maull, Maxim Trofimenko, Kylee Anderson Theme Music: Slipstream Post-Production: Longwave Digital Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast

Before Vivian Tu became a multimillionaire financial educator with 6.5 million followers, two New York Times bestselling books, and a chart-topping podcast, she was a 22-year-old analyst sitting on a filing cabinet at JP Morgan while senior traders commanded the room. Then Jean Ma, her first manager and the first rich Asian woman she had ever met, told her: You deserve a seat at the table. Don't sit on a filing cabinet like you are some lackey. In this deeply personal conversation, the creator of Your Rich BFF tells David Begnaud how Jean, who walked into the office in limited-edition Chanel and Gucci stilettos, taught her that life isn't a meritocracy and showed her at a meatpacking-district dive bar that the rules she thought she had to play by weren't the rules everyone else played by. Vivian also gets real about the manager who reassigned her, told her she was "too girly for finance," and mocked her cardigan as a kimono — and why she's thankful he was such a jerk, because it's exactly what pushed her out of JP Morgan and into the life she has now. She talks about walking away from a $600,000 job at BuzzFeed to bet on herself full time, the $100,000 safety net she built just in case (and never had to touch), and growing up the daughter of Chinese immigrants who sacrificed everything so she could be here. She opens up about buying her parents cars and vacations, why her husband Greg is the reason she can take big career swings without fear, and closes with the story that still gives her chills: a woman at the University of Delaware who used one of Vivian's videos to talk her hospital down $5,000 on a medical bill. And yes, she'll admit it — some of her drive really is just pure spite, knowing the guy who doubted her can't walk past a bookstore today without seeing her face in the window. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: https://www.thedogoodcrew.com Chapters ☀️ ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Vivian Tu Executive Producer: David Begnaud, Olivier Delfosse, Justin McGoldrick Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Photography: Foster Parks Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative) Social: Kylee Anderson, Maxim Trofimenko, Gracie Pekrul Theme Music: Slipstream Post-Production: Longwave Digital & David & Luana Co. CONNECT WITH US: The Person Who Believed In Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast

Before Nirav Tolia became the CEO of Nextdoor, a billion-dollar company connecting neighbors across America, he was a 28-year-old first-time CEO running a struggling startup during the dot-com crash, three weeks away from shutting down. Then Bill Campbell, the legendary Silicon Valley coach who mentored Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, and the founders of Google, walked into his office and said the words that changed everything: I don't want fancy quotes. Tell me about the business. In this deeply personal and unguarded conversation, one of tech's most mission-driven entrepreneurs sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the man who believed in him when he was just beginning to understand what it meant to lead. Nirav opens up about meeting Bill Campbell at 28, a coach who called him boy, sprinkled profanity into every lesson, and taught him that his title was not CEO but coach. He talks about growing up as one of the only Indian kids in Odessa, Texas, a place where people were genuinely happy because they had each other, and how that shaped his belief in the power of community. He shares what it was like to get to Stanford and realize he wasn't prepared for the rigor, how he found his way into tech through an Ethernet connection in his dorm room and an obsession with the Dallas Cowboys, and why he joined a collegiate acapella group that led him to become a business manager instead of a doctor. There's also a raw reflection on sacrifice, purpose, and what it means to be a guardian angel. Nirav talks about leaving Nextdoor in 2019 because he felt like a shell of a man, realizing he couldn't be the best CEO and the best father at the same time, and moving his family to Italy for a sabbatical that turned into years. He opens up about being asked to come back to Nextdoor, why he said yes even though he never thought he'd be a CEO again, and how spending time away from the job gave him the space to reflect and become a better human being. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: https://www.thedogoodcrew.com Chapters ☀️ ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Nirav Tolia Executive Producer: David Begnaud, Olivier Delfosse, Justin McGoldrick Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Photography: Foster Parks Social: Kylee Anderson, Maxim Trofimenko, Gracie Pekrul Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative) Theme Music: Slipstream Post-Production: Longwave Digital & David & Luana Co. CONNECT WITH US: The Person Who Believed In Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast

Before Atsuko Okatsuka became an internationally renowned comedian, sold-out performer, and one of the most unique voices in stand-up, she was a quiet eight-year-old girl living in a garage in Los Angeles, undocumented and confused, trying to make sense of why her grandmother had taken her from Japan and why her father never came to get her. In this deeply personal and unguarded conversation, the trailblazing comic sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the woman who believed in her when no one else could, and how that belief came wrapped in complexity, sacrifice, and what Atsuko calls minor tiny criminal activities. Atsuko opens up about being born in Taiwan, delivered by an untrained OBGYN uncle because her “family loves a discount,” and growing up in Japan with a mother suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. She talks about the speed dating marriage her grandmother arranged in Japan, the moment her mother held a kitchen knife to her own arm at 10 p.m. while Atsuko watched through a sliding paper door, and the night her grandmother put her on a bicycle and rode around Chiba for hours until 2 in the morning to outrun the trauma. She shares what it felt like to be kidnapped the first time when her grandmother rented an apartment five minutes from her dad's house, enrolled her in a school across the street, and her father would stand at the gate watching her play on the playground before quietly going back to work. She reflects on coming to America at eight years old, living undocumented in Uncle Paul's garage, and meeting Uncle JT, a former gang member and Mexican-American outsider at a Taiwanese church who bought her a thrifted guitar she named “Happiness” and taught her to play before Sunday sermons. There's also a raw reflection on survival, identity, and what it means to love the person who took you. Atsuko talks about inventing a game called Ward Off the Demons to try to snap her mother out of psychosis, why she can make strangers laugh but has never made her mom laugh, and how she's moving her mother into the house next door even though her grandmother has had enough and is going back to Taiwan to separate from her daughter for the rest of her life. She opens up about parasailing in Bali with her dad and crashing into rocks because he was trying to make up for lost time, reconnecting with him as an adult on a seesaw at the park where he used to take her as a kid, and why she painted him as the bad guy for years to protect herself from the truth that he missed her too. She shares why she doesn't want kids, why she answers every one of her mom's 40 daily phone calls even though her mom has never come to a show or her wedding, and why she sees her grandmother as both villain and superhero. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: https://www.thedogoodcrew.com Chapters ☀️ ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Atsuko Okatsuka Executive Producer: David Begnaud, Olivier Delfosse, Justin McGoldrick Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Photography: Foster Parks Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative) Social: Kylee Anderson, Maxim Trofimenko, Gracie Pekrul Theme Music: Slipstream Post-Production: Longwave Digital & David & Luana Co. CONNECT WITH US: The Person Who Believed In Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast

Before Brian Grazer became one of Hollywood's most powerful producers — 43 Academy Award nominations, 320 Emmy nominations, more than $15 billion at the box office — he was a dyslexic kid in the San Fernando Valley getting straight F's, thought of as the boy who couldn't read. Then his grandmother, Sonja Schwartz, told him he was a genius with a gift for gab, and that not knowing an answer didn't make him dumb. It just made him more interested. In this unguarded conversation, the producer behind A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13, Splash, 8 Mile, Friday Night Lights, 24, and Empire sits down with David Begnaud to talk about the woman who believed in him first. He describes turning an empty office at Warner Brothers into his own enterprise, cold-calling the twenty biggest filmmakers in the business with a single promise — he'd never ask them for anything — and getting stopped at the door by Lew Wasserman, who handed him a pencil and a legal pad and told him to come back with something of value. He started writing Splash that year. He also talks about the father who shook off his hand as a child and the father he chose to become instead; about his son Riley, whose Instagram bio reads I am nice and I am caring, and how watching kids hide Riley's lunch became A Beautiful Mind; about standing up too early at the Oscars, and the astronaut who reached across two rows to tell him he'd never made it to the moon either. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: https://www.thedogoodcrew.com Chapters ☀️ 00:00:00 Intro: The Grandmother Who Said You're a Genius 00:02:01 Straight F's and Deep Shame: The Dyslexic Kid Who Couldn't Read 00:06:28 The Loveless Father: When Dad Shook Off His Touch 00:10:22 Curiosity Conversations: 40 Years of Meeting the Masters 00:18:18 The Warner Brothers Con: Building an Empire from a Law Clerk Job 00:21:42 Grandma Takes Him to the Bosses: Meeting Power at Hollywood Park 00:26:59 The Liar Story: When a Mentor Called Out the Truth Problem 00:37:41 Incorrect: The Coach Who Cut Him and Crushed His Soul 00:54:37 The Teacher Who Hit Him with a Board 00:47:33 The Oscar Moment: Loser, and Jim Lovell's Grip 00:50:39 Deep Throat and Don Rickles: What Grandma Taught Him About Vegas 01:04:50 Riley's Bio: I Am Nice and I Am Caring 01:10:13 What He'd Say to Grandma Sonia: How Much I Love Her ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Brian Grazer Executive Producer: David Begnaud, Olivier Delfosse, Justin...

Before Gary Vaynerchuk became a digital media mogul, CEO of a 2,000-person marketing empire, and one of the loudest voices on the internet, he was a three-year-old Soviet refugee living in a studio apartment in Queens with eight family members in rotation. In this deeply personal and unguarded conversation, the entrepreneur behind VaynerMedia sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the woman who believed in him when no one else could, and how that belief came wrapped in unconditional warmth and a refusal to let bad grades touch his self-esteem. Gary opens up about escaping the Soviet Union at three years old, a place he describes as being like North Korea today, where his parents had to give up everything just to leave and his mother hid a piece of jewelry in his stockings like a cocaine mule. He talks about arriving in America with a couple hundred bucks, living in Edison, New Jersey, and watching his father Sasha work as a stock boy in a liquor store before building Shopper's Discount Liquors from $3 million to $60 million. He shares what it was like to be the lemonade stand kid at seven, the baseball card dealer at 14 who could outsell grown men, and the high school student who got grounded every single report card yet somehow never let it hurt his self-esteem because his mother Tamara celebrated kindness over achievement. Gary also shares why the knitted Jets jersey his mom made him when he couldn't afford a real one will hang in the stadium when he buys the New York Jets. Alongside it, a plaque will say from a boy that couldn't afford a jersey to buying the whole damn team. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: https://www.thedogoodcrew.com Chapters ☀️ ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Gary Vaynerchuk Executive Producer: David Begnaud, Olivier Delfosse, Justin McGoldrick Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Photography: Foster Parks Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative) Social: Kylee Anderson, Maxim Trofimenko, Gracie Pekrul Theme Music: Slipstream Post-Production: Longwave Digital & David & Luana Co. CONNECT WITH US: The Person Who Believed In Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast

Before Tori Kelly became a three-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter with a voice that can move stadiums, she was a 12-year-old girl walking into a record label office, wondering if anyone in the music industry would ever truly understand her. She had already been told no by Star Search, lost to David Archuleta, and learned early that being able to sing wasn't always enough. Then Polly Anthony, the first woman to run a major record label, signed her to Geffen Records and gave her something no one else had: the feeling that she didn't need to change a single thing. In this deeply personal and unguarded conversation, the artist behind hits like Nobody Love and the voice of Mina the Elephant sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the woman who believed in her when she was just a shy girl who wanted to be heard. Tori opens up about meeting Polly at 12 years old, a warm and maternal executive who made her entire family feel welcome and never once suggested she needed to be more outgoing, more bubbly, or more like the Disney kids everyone kept comparing her to. She talks about losing on Star Search at 10, getting cut from American Idol before the top 24 after Simon Cowell called her voice almost annoying, and what it felt like when Polly left Geffen and a new executive stepped in who didn't share the same vision. She shares what it was like to ask her parents to leave the label at 13 because something just didn't feel right, spending years being told by other labels that they didn't know how to package her, and the gut feeling that told her to walk away even when everyone said a record deal was the only way to make it. There's also a raw reflection on reinvention, rejection, and what it means to build a career on your own terms. Tori talks about teaching herself guitar after American Idol, posting covers on YouTube from her childhood bedroom, and the Frank Ocean cover that drew tens of millions of views and proved she didn't need anyone's permission to connect with an audience. She opens up about walking into Capitol Records years later and telling executives I don't feel like I need you guys, but I would love to have a partnership, performing for Ed Sheeran's 80,000-person crowds while pregnant with her son Zayden, and why a 75-seat coffeehouse show where Scooter Braun couldn't even get in became the turning point that led to her Best New Artist Grammy nomination in 2016. She reflects on pivoting to gospel music and winning two Grammys for Hiding Place with Kirk Franklin, collapsing at dinner in downtown LA from blood clots in her legs and lungs and spending a week in the ICU, and returning to American Idol as a mentor to tell contestants that even if they don't win, their career can still be everything they dreamed of. She shares why becoming a mother gave her a peace she didn't know she was missing, why she still feels insecure explaining herself in words but can make you feel everything through a song, and why Polly Anthony's belief in a shy 12-year-old girl is the reason she's able to stand on stage today and sing exactly who she is. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: https://www.thedogoodcrew.com Chapters ☀️ 00:00:00 Intro: The Executive Who Saw Her at 12 Years Old 00:04:22 Star Search, David Archuleta, and Losing Again 00:05:40 Will Anyone Understand Me? The Shy Girl Who Just Wanted to Sing 00:06:31 How Do We Package That? When the Industry Wanted to Change Her 00:12:40 When Polly Left: Everything Changes at 13 00:19:12 The Frank Ocean Cover That Changed Everything 00:23:29 Walking Into Capitol Records: I Don't Need You, But Let's Partner 00:28:11 Opening for Ed Sheeran While Pregnant 00:32:41 The 75-Seat Coffee House Where Scooter Braun Couldn't Get In 00:35:28 Best New Artist: The Grammy Nomination at Last 00:36:39 The Peace That Came with Motherhood: Success Redefined 00:40:53 Hiding Place with Kirk Franklin: Two Gospel Grammys 00:46:02 July 23, 2023: The Night She Collapsed in Downtown LA 00:48:26 Full Circle at Epic Records: Polly's Old Label 00:49:22 Returning to American Idol as a Mentor: What Am I Doing Here? 00:52:15 I Can Hide in My Music: The Insecurity She Still Carries ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Tori Kelly Executive Producer: David Begnaud, Olivier Delfosse, Justin McGoldrick Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Photography: Foster Parks Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative)