Some people live out their dreams by singing in the shower. Toan Lam began the path to his by reading in the shower.
“Growing up I loved to read and write and talk and I would read shampoo bottles in the bathroom, books out loud, anything I could get my hands on.”
Toan knew early on that he loved to communicate and connect with people. This led to a successful, eight-year career as a TV reporter. However, having to frequently cover negative news weighed on him, and in 2009 he founded Go Inspire Go, a multimedia platform that features stories about everyday people doing extraordinary things, with the ultimate goal of inspiring social change.
Last week, Toan sat down with Lisa Yakota on KTVU-TV’s show “Bay Area People” to discuss discovering his life calling, the impact of Go Inspire Go, and what lies ahead for the organization.
Despite achieving what was then his life goals by his early 30s, Toan still felt empty and unfulfilled. He decided to give it all up to pursue his real passion — Go Inspire Go — and an unexpected layoff, which he described as “the best gift ever,” all but confirmed it.
Since the launch of Go Inspire Go, he has produced dozens of videos which have been viewed by hundreds of thousands of people and made a tangible impact on many of the lives featured. This is just the beginning of what Toan hopes will be the start of a new movement to use the power of storytelling and connecting with people to inspire positive action. During his appearance on the show, Toan also shared an exciting new development for Go Inspire Go.
Watch the video above to see Toan’s interview on “Bay Area People,” which aired on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015.