Episode 37

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Published on:

28th Feb 2022

#37 - John Livens - Escaping the Soviets, Surviving the Nazis & An Unexpected Journey

John Livens was born in Latvia in Eastern Europe in 1933 and survived both the Soviet and Nazi occupations in World War II.

John was on the KGB most wanted list at the age of seven.

His father was abducted by the Soviets and sent to Siberia where he died in a Gulag, John and his family were then smuggled through the Czech border into Germany with the help of an American GI and his mom's ingenuity into Germany.

Then one day, John's family boarded, a refugee ship and headed off to off to America where he settled in Boston and lived the American dream. John attended. Harvard has two degrees from Harvard university.

John went on to have an incredible career in Wealth Management.

John Livens amazing journey is captured in his autobiography, "An Unexpected Journey"..

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And remember, life is "Built, Not Born."

Book: An Unexpected Journey

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About the Podcast

Built Not Born
Everyday People, Remarkable Lives
Welcome to Built Not Born!

The story of EVERYDAY PEOPLE creating REMARKABLE LIVES.

Each week we bring a REMARKABLE story of an ordinary person that overcame the odds, fought through adversity and impacted the lives of countless people in their community.

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About your host

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Joe Ciccarone

Dad of three. Husband to one.
Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Recovering Blogger.
Host of the Built Not Born Podcast.
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