John Lombard:

Eight Days to Clarity

Facing the heaviest questions of identity, worth, and pain, John spent eight days in total stillness—and what followed changed everything.

Bio

John Lombard is a transformational storyteller, sales coach, and author who brings a rare blend of raw honesty, emotional depth, and strategic brilliance to every conversation. Less than a year ago, John was suicidal—wrestling with chronic pain, gender identity, bipolar disorder, and the weight of a life marked by trauma, disability, and deep emotional isolation.

Born with hereditary spastic paraparesis, a degenerative neuromuscular condition, John has navigated life with limited mobility, incontinence, and the eventual transition to a wheelchair. Following a period of homelessness after COVID and a near decision to pursue aid-in-dying, he spent eight days in silence that would reshape everything. Through confronting lifelong pain, rewriting his inner narrative, and asking himself two pivotal questions—“What the f** is wrong with me?”* and “Why do I want to die so badly?”—John experienced a profound transformation.

Out of that darkness came not only survival, but clarity. He began taking personal responsibility, processed 44 years of pain, and started writing the book that would thank the people who saved his life—and hopefully, help others save their own. Today, John combines that lived experience with his expertise in sales and personal branding to coach others toward purpose, authenticity, and impact.

Clients describe him as magnetic, fierce, and deeply empowering. Whether he’s breaking down a sales strategy, challenging a limiting belief, or holding space for personal growth, John shows up all in. His mission? To help people stop hiding, start healing, and turn their truth into transformation—for themselves and the people they serve.

Topics

  • How hitting rock bottom can become a catalyst for healing
  • Reclaiming masculinity after identity deconstruction
  • Writing as a tool for emotional processing
  • Living with hereditary spastic paraparesis
  • Suicide ideation and what comes after
  • Unpacking identity after medical transition
  • The spiritual/psychological weight of chronic pain
  • Taking personal responsibility after trauma
  • Learning to feel lovable again
  • Building a new narrative through storytelling

Guiding Questions

  • Can you take us back to those eight days and what was going through your mind?
  • What were the two questions that began your transformation—and why were they so important?
  • How did your experience with disability shape your sense of self growing up?
  • You mention feeling “unqualified” your whole life—can you unpack that?
  • What did masculinity mean to you before and after your transition?
  • What role did writing play in your healing journey?
  • How has your relationship with your body changed since then?
  • Can you share a specific moment from those eight days that shifted everything?
  • What message do you hope someone listening who’s struggling will take away from your story?
  • What does life look like for you now, compared to before?

Interested in this guest’s story?