John O’Leary welcomes award-winning chef and television host Andrew Zimmern to the Live Inspired Podcast to share how addiction, homelessness, and recovery reshaped his life and calling… and how curiosity, self-forgiveness, and the courage to ask for help can open the door to purpose, connection, and second chances for us all.
Andrew Zimmern is an Emmy-winning, James Beard Award-winning chef, television host, author, and global food advocate. Recognized from the wildly popular show Bizarre Foods, Andrew explores culture through cuisine. And yet before the success, Andrew’s life was marked by addiction, homelessness, and hard-won second chances that eventually led him towards his purpose.
Today, Andrew shares how curiosity saved his life, why asking for help became his turning point, and how food became the lens through which he learned to see people, cultures, and himself more clearly. He opens up about childhood trauma, addiction and recovery, forgiveness, and how choosing “and” instead of “but” can change the way we hold both pain and hope at the same time.
My friends, if you’ve ever felt stuck in your past, ashamed of your mistakes, or unsure how to begin again, this conversation is for you. You’ll leave this episode reminded that you are not your worst chapter, that curiosity can reopen closed doors, and that second chances are not rare… they’re available to anyone brave enough to ask for help and keep going.
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SHOW NOTES:
- Can you help me? A failed suicide attempt became the unexpected turning point that led him to ask a life-changing question he had never asked before: “Can you help me?”
- Replacing the word “but” with “and” changed how he holds both pain and possibility at the same time.
- Food is more than nourishment. It’s a lens for understanding culture, empathy, and our shared humanity.
- He reveals how his recovery journey shaped the heart behind Bizarre Foods, using storytelling to practice patience, tolerance, and understanding in a divided world.
- ”Please be a traveler, not a tourist. Try new things, meet new people, and look beyond what is right in front of your eyes.”
- “ Better to be the only than the best.”
- Learn more about Andrew Zimmern here.
Did you enjoy today’s episode?
You’ll love my conversation with Laura McKowen. From a horrific DWI to the painful incident that left her 4-year-old daughter in danger, Laura shares her personal journey in choosing sobriety with the utmost vulnerability and candor. It’s a powerful and thought-provoking conversation will inspire you to practice self-forgiveness and free yourself of shame and guilt. Listen to Laura McKowen on ep. 232 now.
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ANDREW ZIMMERN'S LIVE INSPIRED 7
- Q. What is the best book you’ve ever read?
A. James Beard's Theory and Practice of Good Cooking by James Beard. - Q. What is a characteristic or trait that you possessed as a child that you wish you still exhibited today?
A. Telling the truth. - Q. Your house is on fire, all living things and people are out. You have the opportunity to run in and grab one item. What would it be?
A. My laptop, a first edition of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, escargot forks that were a gift from my friend Kevin Boehm, and my grandmother's salt cellar. - Q. You are sitting on a bench overlooking a gorgeous beach. You have the opportunity to have a long conversation with anyone living or dead. Who would it be?
A. It used to be Teddy Roosevelt or my dad. I want to talk to a change maker so maybe the President of the United States. - Q. What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
A. My former sponsor told me to invest in the loss. He wasn't reckless or talking economically. He was saying that behavior, lifestyle, and how you show up each day as a human has proved to be the most impactful thing. - Q. What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?
A. You don't know everything. When other people tell you something, listen. - Q. It’s been said that all great people can have their lives summed up in one sentence. How do you want yours to read?
A. He tried his best.
