John Knox Jr., Founder of Adoption is an Option, Episode 211
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John was the Founder and Chairman of the Board of SureTec, a top 20 surety company in the United States. He sold the company to Markel, but remained as CEO until the summer of 2020. John was on the board of the Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA) and is the Past Chairman of the National Association of Independent Sureties (NAIS). After 40 years in the surety industry, John founded Adoption is an Option, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization which developed the I Am That Kid campaign and the Opt Institute focused on sharing the truth about adoption.
I’m so excited to have John on the show with me this week to share why he decided to move from the corporate world into the non-profit world and why he focuses on allowing women to learn directly from those who have first hand knowledge of adoption. John shares more about the work of Adoption is an Option and how the I Am That Kid campaign connects people through sharing personal stories. I was also touched by John’s beautiful words about the family he grew up in, the wonderful loving home he grew up in, and the positive impact they have had on his whole life.
“Placing a child at birth for adoption has just become forgotten in our society.” - John Knox Jr.
“When you've been in the business world, and you're going into the nonprofit world, you take a different approach.” - John Knox Jr.
“When you're working for a power greater than yourself, life works so much better.” - John Knox Jr.
This Week on The Wow Factor:
How John’s entrepreneurial spirit showed itself from a young age
When John realized that he had an unhealthy relationship with alcohol and what he did about it
John’s decision to step down from SureTec and start Adoption is an Option
How John’s adoption story impacted his decision to form a non-profit
Why the relationship John had with his parents had such an enormous positive impact on him
The moment that John knew he had to step forward and support women who chose adoption
John’s relationship with his birth mother and siblings
Why John has nothing but love and respect for the birth parents who gave him up for adoption
How the I Am That Kid campaign came about
The types of people who are sharing their adoption stories on the I Am That Kid website
John’s involvement with the Free Wheelchair Mission
John Knox Jr.’s Words of Wisdom:
It's not all about you. When you're working for a power greater than yourself, life works so much better.
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