Origin To Impact

Brad Kelly

Welcome to Origin to Impact, a podcast featuring in-depth conversations with leaders in business, politics, and faith. We explore the defining moments that shaped who they are, the lessons they learned along the way, and how those experiences drive the impact they’re making today—locally and beyond. New episodes dive into leadership, service, community, decision-making, and what it really takes to turn conviction into action. Watch on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@OrigintoImpact

  1. 2d ago

    Street Evangelism: Reaching People with the Gospel | David Byle

    What does it look like to share the gospel with Muslims in today’s world? How do you have conversations about Jesus with people from different religious backgrounds? And is being a “good person” enough to be right with God? In this episode of Origin to Impact, Brad Kelly sits down with David Byle, a missionary with Operation Mobilization (OM), who has spent decades sharing the gospel with in Turkmenistan, Turkey and now Germany. Drawing from years of street evangelism and personal conversations, David shares what he’s learned about communicating the message of Jesus with love, compassion, and biblical conviction. David explains why the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are at the center of the Christian faith and why the Bible teaches that salvation is found through Christ alone—not through good works or religious effort. While in Turkey David was arrested multiple times, taken to court nine times by the Turkish government, and eventually deported for publicly preaching the gospel in the streets of Istanbul. He also shares encouraging stories of Muslims who have come to faith in Jesus and discusses the growing number of people from Muslim backgrounds exploring Christianity. This is a conversation about courage, calling, and what happens when someone takes the Great Commission literally — no matter the cost. 📍 Find David Byle • https://davidulrike.wordpress.com • https://www.om.org • https://www.facebook.com/share/1B9UbSysii/?mibextid=wwXIfr

    Street Evangelism: Reaching People with the Gospel | David Byle
  2. Aug 14

    State Senator Sharon Shewmake on Politics, Power, and Why She's Walking Away

    What happens when an economics professor who never planned on politics ends up serving four years in the Washington State House and four more in the Senate? In this episode, host Brad Kelly sits down with outgoing State Senator Sharon Shewmake (42nd Legislative District) for a candid, wide-ranging conversation that crosses party lines without losing its warmth. Sharon opens up about her unlikely path from growing up with no connection to politics, to filing for office on a whim with a $500 fee, to representing her community for six years. She talks honestly about what it feels like to be "put on a pedestal," why she hated losing her first name to the title "Representative," and why she's choosing her kids over a political career. The conversation doesn't stay comfortable for long. As an economist, Sharon breaks down where she thinks markets work — and where they don't. She and Brad dig into capitalism vs. socialism, the millionaire's tax, healthcare in the U.S. versus the U.K., gun control and suicide prevention, trans athletes in youth sports, and immigration reform — all with the kind of respectful back-and-forth that's becoming rare in political conversations. Whether you agree with her or not, this is a conversation about what it actually looks like to serve, to listen, and to disagree well. 🎙️ New episodes of Origin to Impact release regularly. Subscribe and leave a review if you enjoy conversations with leaders in business, politics, and faith.

    State Senator Sharon Shewmake on Politics, Power, and Why She's Walking Away
  3. Jul 19

    Small Town Kid to 49-Year Law Enforcement Veteran — The Making of Sheriff Bill Elfo

    In this episode of Origin Impact, host Brad Kelly sits down with Bill Elfo — the longest-serving sheriff in Whatcom County history — for a rare, unfiltered conversation about a career spanning nearly five decades in law enforcement. Bill traces his path from a small-town kid who moved to high-crime South Florida at age 12, to serving as a municipal officer, to ultimately leading the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office for over 21 years. Along the way, he pulls no punches on the issues that defined his tenure: Washington State's revolving-door criminal justice system, the decades-long failure to build an adequate county jail, the dangers of releasing mentally ill violent offenders, and the political pressures that elected law enforcement officers face every day. He also speaks openly about his personal faith, the loss of his adopted son William, and the Blue Collar Award scholarship created in his memory to support young people entering the trades. And in one of the most gripping segments, Bill walks us through the cold case murder of Mandy Stavik — a 20-year-old Acme resident and Central Washington University student killed in 1989 — and the painstaking detective work that finally brought her killer to justice nearly 30 years later. If you care about public safety, criminal justice, faith under pressure, or just want to hear from someone who gave 49 years to protecting a community, this episode is for you.

    Small Town Kid to 49-Year Law Enforcement Veteran — The Making of Sheriff Bill Elfo
  4. Jul 2

    School Board Fighter: One Immigrant's Stand for Parental Rights & Girls' Sports | Khush Brar

    What happens when an immigrant from the Philippines — raised with values of hard work, faith, and freedom — sits down at a school board table and starts asking questions nobody else will? In this episode of Origin to Impact, Brad Kelly sits down with Khush, a school board member in Lynden, Washington, to talk about what's really happening inside the public education system — and what one determined parent is doing about it. Khush didn't set out to be an activist. She came to America, built a blueberry farm, raised a family, and trusted the system. Then COVID hit. Then she heard about a transgender athlete winning a girls' state championship. Then she started reading the policies — and couldn't stop. In this conversation, Khush breaks down: How gender identity became a protected class in Washington State as far back as 2007 — and why no one raised the alarmThe WIAA policy that allows biological males to compete in girls' sports — and the resolution Lynden submitted twice to change itPolicy 3211: what it says about bathrooms, locker rooms, pronouns, and what schools are hiding from parentsThe legal battle between Le Center School District and OSPI — and why it matters for every school district in the stateHow unelected bureaucrats and teacher unions shape policy that elected board members can barely touchTwo major Supreme Court rulings that OSPI isn't telling school districts aboutWhy parental rights must always come before school authorityKhush also gets personal about the real cost of standing on principle — the sleepless nights, the friendships lost, and the moment she decided she'd rather wear "troublemaker" as a badge of honor than rubber-stamp policies that harm kids and families. This is a conversation about courage, vigilance, and what it truly means to protect freedom — told through the eyes of someone who had to travel halfway around the world to find it. Freedom isn't free. You have to be vigilant.

    School Board Fighter: One Immigrant's Stand for Parental Rights & Girls' Sports | Khush Brar

About

Welcome to Origin to Impact, a podcast featuring in-depth conversations with leaders in business, politics, and faith. We explore the defining moments that shaped who they are, the lessons they learned along the way, and how those experiences drive the impact they’re making today—locally and beyond. New episodes dive into leadership, service, community, decision-making, and what it really takes to turn conviction into action. Watch on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@OrigintoImpact