What happens when a shy finance kid, terrified to go on camera, commits to doing 30,000 interviews? In this raw and inspiring conversation, Adam Torres, co-founder of Mission Matters and host of a top 2.5% global podcast, reveals how he went from managing millions in assets as a financial advisor to building one of the most prolific interview catalogs in modern media. He shares the divine moment that pushed him out of a safe 14-year finance career, the flood that destroyed his hard-earned licenses in one night, and why he believes the next generation of creators has more leverage than Oprah, Johnny Carson, or Howard Stern ever did. If you’ve ever felt called to start a podcast, write a book, or simply tell your story—but doubted your talent, credentials, or confidence—this episode will challenge your excuses and give you a concrete, numbers-driven way to think about your impact and legacy as a creator. You’ll learn: How a “$5 product” (a book) accidentally changed Adam’s entire life and career Why he believes story is one of the most underused business assets in the world The divine flood moment that made him throw his licenses in the trash and go all-in on media The 30,000-interview rule he discovered from studying Oprah, Carson, Letterman & Larry King Why modern creators have a distribution advantage over every media great in history Timestamps [00:01:18] From shy finance kid to media founderAdam explains his 14-year career in finance, how a mentor forced him to “write a book,” and why he massively underestimated the power of story and communication. [00:03:20] The first book that changed everythingHow speaking a book into a recorder, getting it transcribed, and publishing it led to a 400-author publishing company and over 6,000 interviews. [00:04:20] “I was the world’s worst podcaster”Adam shares why he didn’t use his real name at first, did 1,500 audio-only interviews before ever going on camera, and why he wants everyone to “get in the game.” [00:06:41] The divine flood that ended a 14-year finance careerThe night Adam prayed for direction, woke up with water on the floor, found all his degrees and licenses destroyed—and decided to throw them out and go all in on Mission Matters. [00:09:18] A different kind of “good”: why media felt like a callingThe contrast between helping people with money and helping people with transformational stories—and why the second kind of impact felt “uncommon” and undeniable. [00:12:44] Mission, faith, and the cost of choosing the harder shipTalking about God, trust, and why pursuing media felt insane to everyone around him—yet made the most sense to him spiritually and strategically. [00:15:00] The 30,000 interview rule (and why you now have the advantage)What Adam learned from studying Oprah, Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Larry King and others—and why today’s creators can surpass them because of public, searchable distribution. [00:18:31] Rapid fire: the one hobby, one book, and two dream guestsAdam’s biggest regret (not starting podcasting sooner), the entrepreneurial book that could have saved him millions, and the two artists he would love to interview. Key Takeaways Story is an asset, not a luxury. Adam went from dismissing books as “$5 products” to realizing that one book could build a publishing company, a podcast network, and an entire media brand. You don’t need to start polished—you need to start. He was so a