254: Gang Leader Transforms in Prison, Becomes Author from 2016-03-27T19:58:22

Gang Leader Transformation: Becoming Published Author

I interviewed Abner Garcia, a rema...

253: Former Prison Gang Leaders Becomes Judicial Expert, 2 from 2016-03-23T03:01:51

Dr. Jesse De La Cruz: Prison Gangster to Community Leader, part 2

So proud to feature part two of my interview with Dr. Jesse De La Cruz, a former...

252: Former Prison Gang Leader Becomes Dr. Jesse De La Cruz from 2016-03-22T15:35:37

So proud to feature Dr. Jesse De La Cruz, a formerly incarcerated prisoner who emerged incredibly successfully--as a doctor of education and judicial exp...

251: From Decades in Prison to Business Success from 2016-03-21T12:34:22

Michael E. Jordan transformed his life while serving multiple decades in prison. He's become a role model for others who aspire to lives of meaning and relevance after struggle.

...

250: High School Student Andrew Kang Asks About Prison from 2016-03-20T22:41:52

High School student Andrew Kang called to ask about prison. We recorded our conversation to inspire others and to show steps we can talk to improve outcomes of our nation's prison system.

249: NY State Prison to Media Spokesperson on Prison Issues from 2016-03-20T21:21:46

Erik Jensen on Earning Freedom podcast

At the very tender age of 11, Erik Jensen was living in an abusive, single parent household with daily violence fu...

248: Success After Prison, Episode 30 from 2016-03-17T15:36:47

11. Spreading Awareness:

Although our growing portfolio of rental properties had become an integral part of our wealth-accumulation strategy, I remained determined to build a digital-pr...

247: Multiple Income Streams After Prison, Episode 29 from 2016-03-17T15:34:37

10. Multiple Revenue Streams:

Throughout this book, I’ve tried to share lessons I learned from masterminds. They taught me that I could advance my prospects for success if I lived in th...

246: Podcasting About Reentry, Episode 28 from 2016-03-16T00:30

Podcasting:

The more research I did, the more I realized how podcasting could serve as a wonderful tool to build authenticity. After watching a webinar on Podcaster’s Paradise, I pulled...

245: Earning Freedom Mastermind Course for Prisons, Episode 27 from 2016-03-14T16:28:46

Earning Freedom Mastermind Course:

Mike Tausek came across the Straight-A Guide course that I created for Justin’s nonprofit foundation. We had distributed the course to several jails, ...

244: Orange County After Prison, Episode 26 from 2016-03-14T16:25:50

9. Orange County

After teaching my final class at SFSU in May of 2014, Carole and I loaded our Chevy Aveo to make the seven-hour drive south to Newport Beach. Earnings from books I wrot...

243: Changing Jurisdictions After Prison, Episode 25 from 2016-03-14T16:18:24

Transferring Jurisdictions:

Since I was still on Supervised Release, making a move to Newport Beach would not be so easy. I reported to a probation officer in a different judicial distr...

242: Corporate Sponsors After Prison, Episode 24 from 2016-03-12T02:36:56

Corporate Sponsorship:

To succeed in building the Straight-A Guide program, I would need to find a different source of support. My Socratic questioning convinced me that I didn’t have s...

241: Expanding Markets After Prison, Episode 23 from 2016-03-12T02:34:22

Total Available Market:

First and foremost, I anticipated that investors would want to know the total available market for products that I could create. As I wrote above, I envisioned a...

240: Raising Capital After Prison, Episode 22 from 2016-03-08T15:37:20

8. Raising Capital

The wisdom of Socrates has lived for longer than 2,000 years. His teachings influenced my thinking and approach to problems. To figure out next steps in the developme...

239: First Mortgage After Prison, Episode 21 from 2016-03-08T15:34:02

First Mortgage:

Carole and I met with a mortgage banker and provided all of the documentation requested. We took the next step of ordering an appraisal of the property. By considering c...

238: Financial Stability After Prison, Episode 20 from 2016-03-06T15:29:20

Building Financial Stability:

When I concluded my obligation to the Bureau of Prisons in August of 2013, I set new goals with Carole. We were 49 years old and making progress, but we wo...

237: Finding Markets After Prison, Episode 19 from 2016-03-06T15:27:36

7. Finding Markets:

Like anyone starting a new venture, Justin and I had to overcome many hurdles as we tried to introduce our products into the marketplace. Philanthropic organizations...

236: Programs For Prisoners, Episode 18 from 2016-03-06T15:22:51

Straight-A Guide Program:

During my imprisonment, we developed the literature for this program. It all began under the theory that people in prison would be more receptive to learning f...

235: Funding After Prison, Episode 17 from 2016-03-04T01:52:06

Teaching at SFSU:

I designed the third class to teach students about evolutions that occurred in criminal justice during the 18th century. Scholars referred to that era as The Enlighten...

234: Professor After 26 Years in Prison, Episode 16 from 2016-03-04T00:59:29

6. San Francisco State University

In early 2013 I began sending letters to professors who taught criminal justice courses in the San Francisco Bay area. If they thought it would be help...

233: Technology After Prison, Episode 15 from 2016-03-04T00:50:24

Positive Connections:

Through Justin I met Scott Budnick. Through Scott Budnick, I met Chris Redlitz. And through Chris Redlitz, I met Tulio Cardozo. Tulio was one of the first graduate...

232: Support Networks After Prison: Episode 14 from 2016-03-01T01:38:05

5. Support Networks Accelerate Growth Opportunities

Earlier, I wrote about rules in the halfway house that required me to have a job. So long as I had a job that paid a steady paycheck,...

231: Creative Financing After Prison, Episode 13 from 2016-03-01T01:34:11

Creative Financing

I visited Chris and Seth. They were partners of Advanced Building Solutions, a premier real estate development company with more than $100 million worth of properties...

230: Buying Real Estate After Prison: Episode 12 from 2016-02-27T15:21:29

4. Real Estate Purchase

When I returned to society, in August of 2012, our nation was starting to emerge from the worst recession in our lifetime. In 2008 the stock market and the real ...

229: Building Credit After Prison, Episode 11 from 2016-02-26T02:22:11

Establishing Credit:

With a driver’s license, a job, and a paycheck, I had to begin building a banking relationship. After I received my first paycheck, I went to Bank of America and op...

228: Steve Jobs Mentors Me In Prison: Episode 10 from 2016-02-25T16:04:31

Steve Jobs: Mastermind

As Steve Jobs, another mastermind said, “Good artists copy ideas, but great artists steal ideas.” To prepare for success, I copied ideas from the most successful ...

227: Prison to Society, Episode 9 from 2016-02-24T21:11:06

Prison to Society

That initial meeting with my case manager, Charles, went well. Why? The roots for that successful meeting extended way back to the 1980s, when I was still locked insid...

226: Prison to Halfway House, Episode 8 from 2016-02-23T15:30:33

• Who are your avatars?
• What would they expect of you?
• In what ways are the decisions you’re making today leading you closer to earning support tomorrow?

  Listen

225: Releasing to California From Prison, Episode 7 from 2016-02-22T15:14:13

Prison Release to California:

As we approached the end of my term, we had to figure out where we wanted to live. When a man served longer than a quarter century, he didn’t really have r...

224: Earning Freedom From Prison, Episode 6 from 2016-02-22T15:06:03

How to Earn Freedom

Individuals who aspire to succeed always follow that pattern. Those who reach their highest potential follow the pattern in sports, in business, in politics, in marr...

223: Reviewing Books to Prepare for Success From Prison, Episode 5 from 2016-02-22T14:58:57

Reviewing Books

1. Date I read the book:
2. Why did I choose to read this book?
3. What did I learn from reading this book?
4. How will this book contribut...
   Listen

222: Publishing From Prison: Episode 4 from 2016-02-22T14:49:55

Publishing From Prison

• The first step would be to write a book proposal.
• Then I would need to write sample chapters.
• Next, I would need to write a cover letter a...
  Listen

221: 45-Year Prison Sentence, Episode 3 from 2016-02-22T14:41:49

Sentenced to 45-Years:

Now I have a question for readers. If you could influence someone, who would you want to influence? What do you know about that person? In what ways would influen...

220: Success After Prison: Episode 2 from 2016-02-17T16:00

Success After Prison

219: Success After Prison: Episode 1 from 2016-02-16T23:30

Success After Prison!

How I Built Assets Worth $1 million Within Two Years of Release from 26 Years Inside (And How You Can Succeed, Too)

218: Felony Fridays Interview from 2016-02-16T22:46:52

John Odermatt is the host of Felony Fridays, a podcast that appears each Friday on the Lion's of Liberty Show. I'm happy to feature an interview that John did with me yesterday on his show. Also...

217: Released From Prison from 2016-02-09T21:02:01

Andrew Crowe started getting in trouble with the criminal justice system when he was a child. He served longer than a year in custody when he was 14. Then he made a series of bad decisions that ...

216: From Prison to Ambassador from 2016-02-08T17:40:46

I received a message from Ambassador Mounouni Dieguimde. Somehow, he had found the Earning Freedom podcast. Stories of other people who overcame challenges with the criminal justice system inspi...

215: Christina's Dad Went to Prison and She Reinvented Herself from 2016-01-28T01:30

Christina McDowell led a charmed life before authorities arrested her father, a prominent securities lawyer. As a consequence of her father's misdeeds, Christina found her life in total disarray...

214: Hospice Care While Serving Life in Prison from 2016-01-28T01:00

Jimmy Hamilton served 30 years in federal prison. While incarcerated, he made a decision to live a life of meaning and relevance. He educated himself, earning a university degree. Jimmy's succes...

213: High Security Penitentiary to Lower Security Prison from 2016-01-27T01:00

Life in Prison, Episode 2

Authorities convicted Jimmy Hamilton of a serious crime when he was 20. As a consequence of a conviction for murder, a judge sentenced Jimmy to life in prison. H...

212: Lessons from Prisoner Released After 30 Years from 2016-01-26T19:25:33

Life in Prison, Episode 1

Jimmy Hamilton went to prison with a life sentence when he was 20 years old. Initially, he adjusted to the ways of the high security penitentiary. He engaged in ...

211: Attorney Helps Felons Travel to Canada from 2016-01-25T20:03:22

Marisa Feil is an immigration attorney in Montreal. She has a specialty practice that serves people with felony backgrounds in the United States. If those individuals want to travel to Canada, t...

210: Life in Prison to Rocket Space from 2016-01-24T19:04:59

Kenyatta Leal continues his story of transforming while serving life in prison. As a result of his adjustment in prison, Kenyatta changed his mindset. Instead of surrounding himself with gang me...

209: Life in Prison and Transformation from 2016-01-24T17:40:24

Kenyatta Leal overcame a life sentence. He grew up around gangs and crime. As a young man, he was convicted for armed robbery. While serving a five-year sentence, he earned his GED but didn't do...

208: King Tone of Latin Kings Street Gang Reforms from 2016-01-22T19:29:09

Antonio Hernandez grew up in a crime-infested area of New York. He sold drugs and became a member of the Latin Kings street gang before he was a teenager. In time, he built a name for himself wi...

207: Federal Prison to Halfway House from 2016-01-21T21:55:50

Dan went to prison for convictions related to pharmaceutical drugs. He served a 42-month sentence. As a consequence of his participation in a drug-treatment program, the Bureau of Prisons releas...

206: Preview of Success After Prison from 2016-01-20T20:40:46

I've been recording an audio version of Success After Prison. Today I made a mistake and recorded one episode on audio, but not the video. So I had to redo the episode. Rather than throw away th...

205: Back to Prison For Good from 2016-01-20T00:24:06

In January I returned to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The warden of the United States Penitentiary in Atwater invited me. My purpose in going was to speak with the men about the Earning Freedo...

204: Street Gangs to Prison to Success from 2016-01-18T21:38:37

Andres Lopez grew up in a rough part of Chicago. He described it as being filled with gangs and violence and crime. When he was a young boy, his brother was murdered in a gang-related incident. ...

203: Glen Smith Teaches Prisoners How he Sold $50 million in 2015 from 2016-01-17T19:27:15

Glen Smith sold more than $50 million worth of real estate in 2015. He is the most successful sales professional for the company that sponsors Earning Freedom. I asked Glen to share the strategy...

202: The Hardcore Closer, Part 2 from 2015-12-31T20:56:55

Ryan Stewman emerged from prison to build multi-million dollar businesses. How did he do it? He lived a life of discipline and integrity. His work ethic reflected a commitment to be the best in ...

201: The Hardcore Closer, Part 1 from 2015-12-31T20:50:10

Ryan Stewman made bad decisions as a young man. He went to prison on two separate occasions. While inside, however, Ryan developed his skillset and prepared himself to emerge successfully. Excep...

200: Mr. Smith Goes to Prison from 2015-12-27T22:37:23

Jeff Smith's Episode on Earning Freedom

Today's episode features Jeff Smith, a former senator from the state of Missouri's legislature. He talks about decisions that led him to p...

199: Drunk Driving Leads to Transformation in Prison, Part 2 from 2015-12-24T16:08:05

Dr. Jeffrey Perrotte Describes Transformation in Prison

Yesterday's podcast introduced listeners to Jeffrey Perrotte. In the early 1990s he was a promising businessman. Then, a d...

198: Frank Sinatra Influences Prison Sentence from 2015-12-24T00:36:26

Drunk Driving Leads to Murder Conviction

Today's Earning Freedom Podcast features Jeff Perrotte. As a young man, Jeff succeeded in business. He became so successful that he belie...

197: Response to Criminal Students at SUNY Potsdam from 2015-12-22T19:43:24

While browsing through iTunes I saw four new reviews of the Earning Freedom podcast. Really great to see that students from Dr. Nancy Lewis’ class at the State University of New York are using t...

197: SUNY Potsdam from 2015-12-16T16:47:30

Thanks to Professor Nancy Lewis of SUNY Potsdam, criminal justice are being assigned work from the Earning Freedom podcast. The students will learn from people who've gone through the criminal j...

196: First Million Dollars After 26 Years in Prison from 2015-12-05T16:58:14

On August 12, 2013, I concluded 26 years in prison. Two years later, I controlled assets worth more than $1,000,000. How did that happen? Today's podcast announces a new book that I'm going to b...

195: Savage Eliquid: Vape Entrepreneurs from 2015-12-04T19:28:25

Savage Eliquid

Today I interviewed to extraordinarily successful entrepreneurs who overcame struggle. Chris Wheeler and Matt Winters didn’t have...

194: Michael Port Discusses The Art of Public Speaking from 2015-12-03T18:05:38

When I emerged from prison after 26 years, I wanted to build a career around my journey. Michael Port, author of numerous books helped me. While running in the early morning, I listened to an au...

193: Mastering Gratitude with Louie Schwartzberg from 2015-12-01T21:05:24

Today I spoke with renowned film producer and TED talk leader Louis Schwartzberg and film producer Lara Everly. They lead a number of entities that inspire people to appreciate the beauty in our...

192: How to Hire a Defense Attorney: David Rosenfield from 2015-11-30T22:07:38

Many people who contact my partner Justin Paperny and me mistakenly believe that we’re defense attorneys. We’re not. Instead, we provide guidance to help people who anticipate that they may spen...

191: Mastermind of Reentry from 2015-11-28T01:40:25

Martin McNair is a mastermind for a lot of reasons. I admire him because he trained his mind to overcome struggle. As a young man, Martin struggled with addiction and a criminal mentality. Autho...

190 Corporate Leader Advises Prisoners from 2015-11-21T19:16:27

Corporate Leader Advises Prisoners

Dave Carey talks with the Earning Freedom audience about what it takes to succeed after a prison term. He joined I2 Technologies during its startup phas...

189 Last Mile CoFounder Chris Redlitz from 2015-11-20T21:03:02

The Last Mile Founder: Chris Redlitz

Chris Redlitz cofounded The Last Mile, one of the most successful prisoner reentry programs in the United States. Chris isn't a traditional p...

188 Federal Public Defender Jesse Gessin from 2015-11-20T16:17:06

Jesse Gessin: Federal Public Defender

Jesse Gessin is a master of navigating federal prosecutions. He spoke with the Earning Freedom audience today about his experience. Jesse be...

187 Prison to Business Services Professional from 2015-11-12T18:51:43

Carl Pollard is the founder of Freedom Solutions Associates. He wasn’t always a business professional. Bad decisions he made as a younger man led him to a high-security penitentiary with a lengt...

186: 10 Actualization: Earning Freedom Mastermind Course from 2015-11-12T01:03

Earning Freedom Mastermind: 10 Actualization

Help spread the word on why we should reform our prison system by subscribing, rating, and reviewing the Earning Freedom podcast on i...

185: 9 Appreciation: Earning Freedom Mastermind Course from 2015-11-12T01:01

Earning Freedom Mastermind: 9 Appreciation

Help spread the word on why we should reform our prison system by subscribing, rating, and reviewing the Earning Freedom podcast on iT...

184 DC Black Leader to Community Leader from 2015-11-11T17:02:34

Lamont Carey grew up in an impoverished, crime-infested area of Washington DC. By the time he was 11 years old, he was heavily involved in drug dealing. Then he became involved in protecting his...

183 Drug Dealer to Prison to City Attorney from 2015-11-11T01:50:34

Author Thearthur Duncan: Felon Attorney

Thearthur Duncan had a difficult childhood. While growing up, he associated with people engaged in a criminal lifestyle. They influenced him to beg...

182 Leadership Principles with Coach Miguel from 2015-11-11T01:48:02

Leadership Lessons from Coach Miguel

Miguel de Jesus teaches strategies leaders can use to achieve higher levels of performance. I met “Coach Miguel” while attending a co...

181: Aftermath of a Felony Conviction from 2015-11-10T21:21:28

Electrical Engineer Goes to Prison

James contacted the Earning Freedom podcast after seeing an article in the media that quote our show. When he told me that authorities ...

180: 8 Achievement: Earning Freedom Mastermind Course from 2015-11-05T01:00

Earning Freedom Mastermind: 8 Achievement

Help spread the word on why we should reform our prison system by subscribing, rating, and reviewing the Earning Fr...