Mike Greenwell’s Journey of Leadership, Love, and Healing
I’ve met a lot of remarkable people on this journey through Superpower Quest, but few embody their identity as seamlessly and powerfully as Mike Greenwell. He is, in every sense, a Lover of Lives—a man who has spent decades protecting, mentoring, and guiding others, from his time as a police officer to his current work with Safe Places for Women. He carries a quiet strength, a fatherly presence, and a deep well of wisdom that flows into everyone he meets.
A Life of Defense and Restoration
Mike spent 40 years in law enforcement. In those decades, he learned that his deepest calling wasn’t just to enforce the law but to defend the innocent. He carried the weight of justice in his bones, feeling every violation against the vulnerable like a personal wound. That internal sense of justice—of protecting those who could not protect themselves—shaped his career, his heart, and helped him discover his calling.
Yet when retirement came, Mike found himself asking, What does a defender of innocence do when there are no more shifts to patrol? The answer was waiting in the quiet: he wasn’t just a defender. He was a lover of lives.
Mike’s heart is drawn to seeing people become who they were made to be. Whether mentoring young men or walking with women healing from human trafficking, his deepest joy is found in seeing people step into their true identity—to find healing, freedom, and purpose.
Safe Places: Healing for the Hurting
That calling led him to Safe Places for Women, a long-term residential community for women coming out of human trafficking. What started as a simple offer to help with maintenance and yard work quickly grew into something much deeper. He and his wife began spending time with the women in the house, sharing meals, hearing their stories, and ultimately, becoming family.
Now, as chairman of the board, Mike plays a pivotal role in the organization’s mission to restore the dignity and worth of women who have been told their entire lives that they have none. He walks with them through their trauma, helping them reclaim their names, their value, their futures. He helps them believe in a life beyond survival—a life of freedom and wholeness.
Gentle Strength: The Power of the Guardian
Mike’s leadership is not aggressive or domineering. Instead, he embodies what he calls the Guardian Mentality—the ability to both protect and guide, to lead and nurture. His strength is not in force but in presence, in the deep security that comes from knowing who he is and what he was made for.
Superpowers Come in All Forms
One of the core messages of Superpower Quest is that no superpower is greater than another. We often think of leadership in terms of dominance, charisma, or achievement. But Mike is proof that true leadership is love in action. His superpowers—Leader and Organizer—allow him to create safe, structured environments where others can thrive. And because he embraces his design rather than comparing it, he is deeply fulfilled in his work.
For those searching for their own superpower, Mike’s story is a reminder: lean into your design, not someone else’s. Don’t reject who you are—own it, develop it, and let it guide you to the work you’re meant to do.
Final Thoughts: Breaking Walls, Finding Freedom
Mike’s personal journey has been one of breaking down walls—the ones he built to protect himself from sorrow, from grief, from the weight of all he carried in his career. He learned that real healing comes not from suppression, but from truth and freedom.
His challenge to all of us is this: What lies are holding you back? What false identities have you taken on? What walls have you built to protect yourself that now keep you from freedom?
If there’s one thing to take from Mike’s story, it’s this: You are not your trauma. You are not your past. You are not unworthy. You are not unforgiven.
You were made for something great.
Safe Places for Women
You can learn more about Safe Places for Women in Denver here:
https://safeplacesforwomen.org/
What Can I Do?
If you were moved by this episode, send a small, encouraging note to ked@safeplacesforwomen.org, and let them know you learned about them on this newsletter, and that you appreciate the healing work they are doing.
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