Defying the Odds with Melvin Lars Artwork

Re-ImagineYOU Lab Podcast

Welcome to the Re-ImagineYOU lab, the space and place to learn, test, try and say goodbye to doubt and delay. I’m your host, Michelle Gines, the Re-Imagine Scientist called to create, cultivate and collaborate with YOU. The real you, the true you and the best of YOU that you haven’t realized yet. In the lab podcast, we are committed to learning from those that have done it, test ideas, untangle perspectives, create new hypothesis and be willing to try a new approach and committed to saying goodbye to anything that has ever stood in your way. There’s a new way or certainly another way to get YOU where YOU want to be, so join me. You’ll find good tips from smart, witty and wise men and women, gain insights on perspective, raise your thought life and come away with winning tools you can use today. If you’re here, you’re supposed to be here and I’m glad you found us. I’m grabbing my lab coat, take a seat and let’s go! You’ve entered the Re-Imagine YOU Lab podcast.

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Re-ImagineYOU Lab Podcast

Defying the Odds with Melvin Lars

September 05, 2025 • Michelle Gines, The Re-Imagine Strategist • Season 3 • Episode 4

Join Michelle Gines as she sits down with Melvin Lars, a true testament to resilience and strategic thinking. In a candid conversation, Melvin shares his remarkable journey, including his 32-year survival of acute pulmonary leukemia—a battle he was given less than a 5% chance of winning.

This episode is not just about overcoming adversity, but about the profound wisdom gained along the way. Melvin discusses the power of humility in leadership, the importance of surrounding yourself with the right counsel, and the necessity of backing your beliefs with facts, not just feelings. He shares his "diamond analogy," a powerful metaphor for digging through the hard work and "dirt" to reveal true value. This episode is for anyone who has faced a major challenge, is building a team, or wants to learn how to turn their greatest struggles into their greatest strengths.

Key Discussion Points

Defying the Odds: Melvin's incredible story of survival and the mindset that helped him overcome a life-threatening illness.
The Power of Humility: Why a true leader understands they are part of a team, and why it's never a "one-man ship."
Credibility is Currency: The importance of speaking with authority and backing up your knowledge with facts and statistics.
The Diamond Analogy: A powerful lesson on the grit and determination required to uncover and share your true worth.
Ditching the "Negaholics": Why believing in yourself and listening to good counsel is crucial for long-term success.

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
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