Sometimes it takes someone else seeing greatness in you before you can see it yourself. For me, that person was Tony Lariccia.

Tony was a philanthropist, a businessman, and a Youngstown legend. But to me, he became something even more important — a mirror I couldn’t ignore. When others doubted me, Tony stopped in the middle of a conversation one day, turned to the room, and said, “Did you know Nicky used to be a drug addict? Be proud of that. Most people will never have done what you’ve done.”

That moment broke me open. For years, I had been running from my past, burying it under shame. But Tony reframed it. He showed me that perseverance wasn’t just about surviving — it was about owning the scars, turning them into proof of strength, and using them to build a better future.

In this episode, I share how Tony’s belief in me helped me finally figure it out — that my story wasn’t a burden, it was a gift. His words still challenge me today: stop hiding, stop waiting, stop moving the goalposts. Own your story. Use it to impact others.

This conversation is about the power of one voice to shift a life, and what it means to finally accept who you are — not in spite of the hard parts, but because of them.

#Perseverance #Transformation #AuthenticLeadership #KeepGoing #Resilience #Microshifts #OwnYourStory #Inspiration #OvercomingAdversity #LeadershipJourney #RealTalk #PersonalGrowth