"Divine Download" at 59: Mark Papadas on Identity, Reinvention, and the Power of "I Am"

Mark and I both got goosebumps as he recounted how he was inspired to start IAM4KIDS.com. How a Youth Coach, a Legal Pad, and a Sleepless Night Changed Everything.

There are moments in life that seem small at first. A comment. A smile. A conversation over drinks.

For Mark Papadas, one of those moments changed the course of his entire life.

Mark was 59. A seasoned sales executive turned leadership coach. A father. A student of personal development who had read every book, walked across the fire at a Tony Robbins event, and trained countless adults in mindset and motivation.

He had built a good life. But there was still something missing.

Then one night, at the end-of-season football party, one of his son’s coaches came over and started heaping praise on his 9-year-old son. The coach didn’t hold back:
“He’s coachable. He’s a leader. The kids follow him. I wish I had a dozen like him.”

Mark smiled, said thank you. But then, mid-conversation, his mind drifted.

“Wouldn’t it be amazing if every parent got to hear something like this about their kid?”

That question lodged itself into his mind.

Later that night, as he lay in bed drifting off to sleep, something hit him. A lightning bolt. He describes it as a “divine download.”

Mark bolted out of bed, grabbed a yellow legal pad, and started writing. By the time the sun came up, 70 percent of what would become I Am For Kids had been sketched out in full: the characters, the philosophy, the age group, the media formats, and the long-term vision.

He had spent years helping adults reshape their thinking, overcome limiting beliefs, and find purpose. But adults come with baggage. With walls. With pain that often needs to be re-lived before it can be resolved.

But what if you could teach this stuff earlier? What if kids didn’t have to unlearn the lies before they learned the truth?

That was the moment Mark turned what had long felt like a "lost cause" into a fully realized UnLost Cause.

And he went all in.

He shut down his adult-focused consulting practice. He started a nonprofit. He began pilot programs in 30 schools across 9 states.

The mission: Teach kids how to think, not what to think.

What started as a dream on a legal pad has become a movement that includes curriculum, live events, a forthcoming animated show, and tools for entire families to build healthier identities—starting with one simple statement:

“I Am ______.”

Then, after a youth football coach praised his son’s leadership and mindset, Mark’s brain lit up. That night, he didn’t sleep. Instead, he filled a legal pad with what would become I Am For Kids, a “Tony Robbins meets Charlie Brown” initiative that teaches children and families how to define their identity from the inside out.

Top Takeaways:

• Most kids already have a broken identity by age 8.
  In Mark’s early school pilots, the most common “I Am” statements from kids were “I am fat,” “I am stupid,” and “I am ugly.” Those beliefs, absorbed from parents, peers, and media, were already hardwired by the 2nd or 3rd grade.

• Identity is more powerful than talent.
  A child who believes they are capable, worthy, and resilient will outperform a talented child who doesn’t believe in themselves. The “I Am” framework helps kids anchor their identity in possibility.

• Personal development is not just for grownups.
  Mark adapted the classic tools of adult self-improvement, affirmations, reframing, growth mindset, into stories, characters, and exercises that kids can actually understand and enjoy.

• Kids need adversity, not protection.
  Mark believes in being a “filter,” not a “shield.” Instead of protecting kids from every hard moment, he teaches them how to process setbacks and reframe challenges so they grow stronger.

• The divine download came with consequences.
  Mark’s decision to pursue I Am For Kids full-time contributed to the breakdown of his 35-year marriage. As he said, “Reinvention often creates friction.” Still, he never questioned the mission.

• Curiosity, persistence, and ingenuity are traits we unlearn.
  He encourages adults to reclaim what they had as kids: boundless curiosity, resilience after falling, and the ability to turn a cardboard box into anything with imagination.

• His daughter’s volleyball serve proved the method works.
  During a tournament, she felt herself unraveling from nerves. She paused and asked, “What would Dad say?” She calmed her breath and made the final winning serve. The program worked because it started at home.

• It takes a family, not just a school.
  Mark wrote 10 Secrets to Empower Kids and Awaken the Child In You to help parents internalize the same tools. When kids ask “What’s your ‘I Am’ statement?” the whole household gets involved.

• You don’t need to wait until it’s perfect.
  Mark didn’t have funding. He didn’t have a polished show. But he had an idea, a mission, and a plan. His advice: “If it’s burning in you, stop waiting and start moving.”

• You’re never too old to create your legacy.
  Mark didn’t start I Am For Kids until he was almost 60. He now has grandchildren and hopes they will grow up not just watching his animated series but living out the values it teaches.

  

Mark’s story is not just about personal development. It’s about deciding that your second act can matter even more than your first.

It’s about what happens when you stop ignoring the whisper that’s been tugging at you for years—and instead, you listen, you act, and you trust.

And maybe most of all, it’s a reminder that you don’t have to wait for permission to create impact. You can start with a single legal pad, a restless night, and a belief that the world can change…one child, one identity, one “I Am” at a time.

🙏 If Mark's journey moved you, I hope you'll do three things:

1. Reply to this post with your own “I Am” statement.

2. Forward this to someone who works with kids or is trying to find their purpose later in life.

3. Subscribe for more stories of second chances, reinvention, and living without regret.