In a world where people now celebrate the death of innocent and good people, as we saw after Charlie Kirk’s murder, a single stranger’s “thank you” can still pull a man back from the edge.

At 29, Ivan James was on active duty in the Air Force, a father of four, and the picture of discipline.

What no one saw was the cost of years spent suppressing his emotions. Depression, addiction, and divorce cracked the facade until he checked into a clinic convinced suicide was the best option for his children. In that tunnel of despair, what kept him alive were tiny sparks—small acts of kindness from strangers that reminded him there was still light. Those moments became the turning point that pushed him from destruction toward purpose. Today Ivan helps people feel, respond, and lead with integrity.

Here’s what his story teaches founders about resilience, leadership, and living with truth.

Ivan describes that season as a tunnel with no exit.

Numbness was easier than feeling. The backlog of unprocessed pain—from childhood to military pressure to divorce—all hit at once. Yet the pivotal moments weren’t dramatic rescues. They were unnoticed acts of kindness that reminded him the world wasn’t entirely dark. “They shined a little glimmer of hope,” he told me.

For founders and leaders, it’s a reminder: small actions matter more than you think.

How Did Papaya Slash Support Costs Without Adding Headcount?

When Papaya saw support tickets surge, they faced a tough choice: hire more agents or risk slower service. Instead, they found a third option—one that scaled their support without scaling their team.

The secret? An AI-powered support agent from Maven AGI that started resolving customer inquiries on day one.

With Maven AGI, Papaya now handles 90% of inquiries automatically - cutting costs in half while improving response times and customer satisfaction. No more rigid decision trees. No more endless manual upkeep. Just fast, accurate answers at scale.

The best part? Their human team is free to focus on the complex, high-value issues that matter most.

👉 Curious how they did it? Read the full case study to learn how Papaya transformed their customer support

Most men mistake stoicism for shutting down emotions.

Ivan learned the opposite. “A true stoic man feels his emotions, but he takes them in as data and stays on mission.” The skill involves not ignoring feelings. It’s creating distance between the impulse and the action. Three seconds is an eternity. Three seconds is leadership.

That gap is trained through breathwork, meditation, and ruthless self-awareness.

Ivan teaches clients to move from reaction to response.

Reacting is a reflex. Responding is a choice. The difference comes down to foundations—the stories we tell ourselves about who we are. Limiting beliefs sabotage growth no matter how much external work you do. He’s blunt: people buy what they want, but they stay when you give them what they need. And what they need is integrity. “Your word matters most to you.

If you are not impeccable with yourself, nothing else can be trusted.”

Most people let social media weaponize their attention.

Ivan flipped the script. During recovery, he spent focused time each day training his algorithm—clicking “interested” on content that built him up and “not interested” on content that drained him. Slowly, his feed became a teacher instead of a trap. That discipline built the audience that now fuels his business: 70,000 followers in a matter of months. The key wasn’t polish. It was embodiment.

He wasn’t creating to perform. He was documenting a life lived with purpose.

Sixteen years in uniform taught Ivan to follow orders.

Building a company required unlearning that mindset. In the Air Force, excellence was optional. As a founder, mediocrity is fatal. He had to shift from employee reflex to CEO responsibility—sales, delivery, leadership, and hiring. The surprise was how quickly traction came once he aligned passion with purpose. He calls his approach “catch and release leadership.”

Build people so well that they eventually leave stronger than they arrived.

That’s a wrap!

Talk soon,

Roman