What changes when you stop looking at someone for what they’ve done—and start asking who they are?
Marc sits down with Diane Kahn, founder of Humans of San Quentin, who has interviewed more than 3,000 incarcerated individuals around the world. Diane shares how a single question—“How are you?”—can break open years of silence, shame, and survival.
Together, they explore the unseen stories behind incarceration, why nearly everyone she meets inside was a victim first, how media narratives distort our understanding of “criminals,” and what it truly means to approach another human being with compassion. This episode challenges assumptions, expands empathy, and reveals the healing power of being seen.
Timestamps:
00:00 — “Who are you?”
01:00 — From teacher to prison educator
04:00 — The moment her perception of “prison” shattered
05:45 — Who we’re really locking up
07:00 — Why the media is feeding us the wrong story
10:00 — The power of asking: “How are you?”
15:00 — Building trust inside a hyper-surveilled environment
17:00 — Planting seeds of change
18:00 — Lives saved through storytelling
20:00 — Teaching empathy to the next generation
22:00 — The big lesson: We are all kinder than we think
28:00 — Holding space for thousands: Diane’s mental fitness practices
35:00 — The final message: vulnerability and second chances
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A special thanks to our mental fitness + sweat partner Sip Saunas.
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Music: Clouds - Joakim Karud
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