Miles, a U.S. Navy veteran, moved to St. Petersburg from Austin, Texas in 2011, after a successful C-suite career. In 2024, he released Passion Struck: Twelve Powerful Principles to Unlock Your Purpose and Ignite Your Most Intentional Life, a transformative bestselling book that he parlayed into an award-winning podcast of the same name, which has had 70+ million downloads.
In Miles’ 600+ interviews with thought leaders, neuroscientists, behavioral scientists and spiritual teachers, he explores how to unlock your purpose and create lives of meaning. Past guests have included Maria Menounos, Angela Duckworth, David Rubenstein, Dr. Mark Hyman, Charles Duhigg and Ryan Holiday.
“We dive deep into the science of connection, the power of vulnerability, holistic wellness and how living with intention helps us create legacy, happiness and belonging,” explains Miles.
It was an accident in his youth that initially sparked Miles’ search for deeper answers.
“I felt invisible after a childhood accident—which resulted in a traumatic brain injury,” he shares. “I wore an eye patch, struggled with a speech impediment and battled memory and vision challenges.”
Ironically, that same feeling of invisibility resurfaced years later during his highest career achievements.
“I was chasing success, but not significance,” he reveals.
Through Passion Struck, he has flipped that script.
“These conversations, this search for meaning—it’s all part of my own healing journey,” Miles asserts. “And I hope it helps others feel seen and valued.”
Despite enduring displacement twice due to the recent hurricanes, Miles is having the most fulfilling year of his life. He recently married Cori Brodsky, a nurse practitioner, and was honored with multiple awards for his book and podcast. His children are thriving and he is leaving behind his nomadic, post-storm rental life for a new home—complete with a spacious backyard for his beloved Labrador retriever, Bentley.
What’s up next for Miles? Inspired by Gary Vaynerchuk’s children’s book and his own belief in the power of empathy and joy, Miles is preparing to release You Matter, Luma—a beautifully illustrated story for kids between the ages of 4 to 8, in December of this year.
His next nonfiction book, The Mattering Effect, will be published in the Spring of 2026.
“It’s a science-backed framework for restoring personal and social significance,” offers Miles, showcasing advice from his podcast guests.
“Doing these interviews, seeking knowledge and shining a light on restoring meaning to our lives is part of my lifelong journey to heal and help others,” he offers.
In May, he launched The Ignited Life on Substack, a newsletter dedicated to helping people form mattering circles (groups of people and safe spaces for authentic connection, reflection and belonging, where individuals can feel significant, valued and important).
“The goal is to reduce loneliness and help people rediscover meaning in their lives, one intentional choice at a time,” he says.
Listen to John Miles podcasts on radiostpete.com or on passionstruck.com
