(We open with a spirited debate about sweet potatoes and mayonnaise. Courtney flashes the camera. Miracle Whip is described as the devil's sauce. And then somehow we pivot to one of the most remarkable guests we've ever had on this show. This is That Wasn't The Plan.)

This week Emily and Courtney sit down with Kurt Kemple — and we need you to hold two things in your head at once.

In 2004, Kurt walked into a bank, slid a note across to the teller, and left with $2,000. He has absolutely no memory of doing this. He was in a Xanax blackout. He woke up the next morning in a jail cell, turned himself in, waited an entire year to be sentenced, and then sat in a courtroom and heard a judge say five to seven years.

And in that moment, he made a decision: not a single minute wasted.

Today Kurt is the Senior Director of Developer Relations for the Slack platform at Salesforce. He has written a book. He has published a piece on Medium called "I'm an Imposter" that still gets shared years later. He has taught himself theoretical physics using AI — with no background, no training, and no degree — and published two peer-reviewed papers in Physics Letters B, the second of which introduces a new theory about black holes that nobody had proposed before.

He did all of this from a GED.

"Fascinating. Tell me more." — Kurt Kemple's favorite phrase, and honestly now ours too.

📎 Find Kurt & Resources Mentioned:

• 🌐 Website: kurtiskemple.com
• ✍️ Medium: "I'm an Imposter" by Kurt Kemple
• 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kurtiskemple
• 📚 Book: Effective DevReel — Springer
• 🔬 Physics Letters B — Kurt's published paper on black holes
• 💙 Struggling with addiction? You don't have to figure it out alone. SAMHSA helpline: 1-800-662-4357 (free, confidential, 24/7) or text 55753 to reach the Partnership to End Addiction. aa.org is always there too.

💌 Have a question for Kurt — or a story of your own? Email us at thatwasnttheplanpod@gmail.com or visit thatwasnttheplan.com

📲 Find us on Instagram | TikTok | YouTube — search @thatwasnttheplan

🎧 If this episode made you believe something was possible that didn't feel possible before — subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.

That wasn't the plan, and we will talk to you next week. K bye. 🥂

#SecondChances #ThatWasntThePlan #KurtKemple #ImpostorSyndrome #Prison #TheoreticalPhysics #Salesforce #GEDtoSuccess

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