“I believe we all share a common purpose, and that is to make the world better than the day we landed on it.”
- John Suzuki
In 2022, John left his 40-year career in technology sales and evangelism with companies including IBM, Sun Microsystems, Vrbo and Expedia to pursue what he calls his “third career of giving back.”
In 2023 John released his Amazon best-selling book, American Grit, to introduce the world to the remarkable people who refused to succumb to victimhood after being incarcerated in American concentration camps solely because of their race, and instead chose to empower themselves to achieve their dreams of a better life. It is an unforgettable and inspiring true story of love, courage, resilience, and the kinds of amazing things we can all accomplish. American Grit is John’s effort to educate the world of this very dark chapter of our history so concentration camps in America never happen again.
In 2024 John created the Finding Better podcast to share real-life experiences in finding “better” in life, business, and the world. “It’s not about opinions, theories, or academics. It’s about my guests sharing their actual life experiences where they have ‘been there and done that,’ in finding the better they wanted in their lives so folks can learn from those experiences and apply those lessons to achieve the better they want in their own lives."
As a featured /keynote speaker, John’s authentic and sincere style and gift of storytelling connects him with his audiences as he inspires them to always strive for better in love, life, and business. For John, most important is for him to deliver an insightful and memorable message that will be of great value to his audience.
Happily married for nearly forty years, John is based in Bellevue, Washington and his passions include bluefin tuna fishing, paragliding, teaching karate, and waking up. He is described by his wife as “a dog chasing squirrels... He gets excited about everything!”
American Grit - From a Japanese American Concentration Camp Rises an American War Hero is the unforgettable true story of remarkable people who refused to succumb to victimhood when they were unjustly incarcerated in American concentration camps for their race during World War II, and the brave young men who volunteered from the camps to fight and die for the United States Army while their families remained imprisoned in the camps by the U.S. Army.
Inspired by this unparalleled act of self-empowerment and courage, John tells the inspiring story of Shiro "Kash" Kashino, a young American who volunteered from his incarceration and became one of the most decorated Americans of World War II. American Grit is also a stark reminder of ruinous hardships endured by over 122,000 people incarcerated in the American concentration camps – including 50,000 American children - while celebrating their love, courage, and resilience during and after World War II as they fought through intense discrimination and achieved their dreams of a better life.
American Grit is John's effort to educate the world on this dark chapter of American history, and help prevent concentration camps in the United States from ever happening again. "Honor the past by educating the future."
Many folks agree that our world is broken in so many ways and in need of healing. John's “Finding Better Podcast” has one mission: To lift the world by helping people achieve the "better" they want in their lives, one person at a time. It is a place where folks share real-life experiences in finding better so listeners can learn from those experiences and apply them to their own lives.
What makes Finding Better unique is that everything about it is true, sincere, and authentic. It is not about opinions, theories, or academics. It is about real-life experiences they don’t teach you in school, and things that you will wish you learned a long time ago. Everything we share is the best of us with a spirit of "giving back." After all, if Finding Better can help make your life better in some way, not only will you be happier, but the world will be lifted too.
It’s all about making the world better than the day we got here.