Podcasts by Escape The Odds

Myron Pierce- The Urban Business Incubator from 2022-04-19T21:07:21

Myron Pierce has always been an entrepreneur. Growing up in North Omaha was plagued with violence and dysfunction. Unfortunately he became a product of his environment and spent 8 years incarcerate...

"You Ain't Fully Free" from 2022-04-12T21:00

Marlon Chamberlain didn’t realize that losing his freedom and spending a decade in federal prison would be the catalyst for the “Fully Free”Campaign. This is a campaign Led by Marlon and the goa...

Untapped Talent, Special Episode, Jeffrey Korzenik from 2022-04-10T20:45:44

(Full video www.Escapingtheodds.com) We decided to celebrate Second Chance Month by taking a look at extraordinary people who are helping changing the narrative as it relates to justice involved in...

Urban Farming In The Concrete Jungle from 2022-04-05T21:00

David Edwards story is an absolute comeback story. Growing up in Chicago south side and north side. He was always an entrepreneur owning a salon/barber shop. His life took a drastic turn when he...

Moving Weight from 2022-03-29T21:00

Luis Centeno known as Lou the trainer spent 8 years in federal prison for drug distribution. Growing up in a gang infested South Side of Chicago options were limited. His involvement with gangs and...

MOVIN' ON UP from 2022-03-22T21:00

Deshawn Nelson wasn’t going to be a product of his environment. Despite growing up on the tough streets of the West side of Chicago, he has started a successful moving company, Nelson Movers. At...

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS from 2022-03-15T21:00

Dre Rodriguez was raised in the Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, a predominantly hispanic community. After spending  a decade in federal prison for drug trafficking , he vowed to never return...

The Queen Of Air BNB Episode 5,season 3 from 2022-03-08T22:00

..Jacques Loftin did not imagine becoming an Airbnb expert while doing time for drug distribution. However,after seeing an oppurtunity in this new space she put her all in and now has properties in...

The Comeback Coach from 2022-03-01T22:00

Watch video podcast www.Escapingtheodds.com Ed  Hennings , The Comeback coach , grew  up on the tough streets of Milw...

A ConvictED Life by TRAVIS RICHEY from 2022-02-22T22:00

Travis Richey, who has personal experience with incarceration, noticed there was a gap in what inmates were learning and what skills they needed upon release. Travis spent about 2 years inc...

Cryptocurrency & TURO $ from 2022-02-15T22:00

Ryan Willis was most likely to succeed, receiving a scholarship to De Paul University in Chicago. However, the Chicago streets possessed an allure that Ryan chose not to escape. While attending ...

"Switch'd Hustles": From Freedom To Financial Freedom from 2022-02-08T22:01

In this 1st interview on his platform Aaron Smith sat down the co founder Yasaman Hadjibashi of Stretch finance( www.stretch.money) which is an online bank that provides banking/Full time employmen...

Season 2, Episode 6, RICHARD BRONSON- A wolf of wall street to federal prison! from 2021-10-10T23:56:30

Watch full interview @ Escapingtheodds.com Richard's story begins on Wall Street, where he worked at several large investment banks. He became a partner at the infamous Wolf of Wall Street firm, St...

Episode 15 QUEEN PEN from 2021-10-10T23:56:21

(watch full podcast video https://www.escapingtheodds.com/ )Befitting for a queen is the best way to describe Ms. CoCo Davis. Growing up on the West side of Chicago, Coco made a name for herself as...

Blood,Sweat & Ink!! epoisode 8 from 2021-10-10T23:55:57

Tat Jesus ( Rahman Morgan) learned how to tattoo while in prison which has taken him all over the country and provided a great life. He is an artist at the world renown 9 mag tattoo studio which is...

Risky Business Episode 24 from 2021-10-10T23:55:42

(watch full podcast video https://www.escapingtheodds.com/) Pierre Baker is the best example of "Doing the time and not letting the time Do You" .He's been incarcerated for  marijuana and a robbery...

Surviving Cabrini Greens projects from 2021-10-10T23:55:36

( Watch video podcast www.Escapingtheodds.com Pete "Esau" Keller made it out of one of Chicago's most dangerous housing projects. In and out of the penitentary and gun fights most of his life provi...

Chef Fresh, "Chef keeps it fresh from the streets to the sweets, Episode 34 from 2021-10-10T23:55:30

Antwoin "Chef fresh" Gutierrez,  At the age of 16, He demonstrated the 1st signs of of an emerging, but misguided entrepreneurial spirit when he began to sell illegal narcotics on the streets of Ne...

EPISODE 38|FROM THE PEN TO PEN:BECOMING AN AUTHOR WHILE I WAS IN PRISON/ KEVIN MILLER from 2021-10-10T23:55:22

Full video on Escapingtheodds.com Kevin Miller spent 13 years in federal prison on a drug charge out of Baltimore, Maryland and has Switch'd Hustles to start the book publishing company, Rock Botto...

Episode40/ REUNION Part 1/ Yohance Lacour & Coco Davis from 2021-10-10T23:55:16

2020 has been a crazy ride and as we close out our year l, I wanted to bring back some guest and catch up on their businesses. Coco Davis us a 9 time book Author, operates Talk2mefoundtion.org, she...

Season 2, Episode 7, John Collum, from 2021-10-10T23:55

Watch the full interview @ Escapingtheodds.com. John Collum is the CEO of Bar nunn trucking out of Chicago. He owns and operate 4 semi trucks. John was born in poverty on the west side of Chicago. ...

Tougher than leather. episode 5 from 2021-10-08T22:27:18

Yohance Joseph Lacour better known as YJL designs learned to handcraft leather bags and Shoes while serving 10 years in Federal Prison. He discusses growing up in Chicago and his days as a journali...

“Cut from a different cloth” episode 30,Tone Svccess from 2021-10-07T02:08:35

“Tone Success” has always done things differently rather in the streets as major heroin dealer or in his new hustle, the apparel industry. He has created a clothing brand SVCCESS that’s worn by cel...

Escaping The Odds Promo from 2021-07-27T01:41:53

Im Aaron Smith & my fed prison number was 18798-424. started this podcast after serving 9 years 5 months for distribution of Heroin and Fentanyl. It was inside where I realized that if I can run a ...

Season 2, Episode 12, Sammy Rangel, from 2021-06-01T17:00

Watch full interview @ Escapingtheodds.com Sammy Rangel is the CEO of Formers Anonymous & lifeafterHate.org. He is a TedX speaker ,Consultant and earned a MSW. Early on life for Sammy could only be...

Season 2, Episode 11, Todd Dubose from 2021-05-25T17:00

Watch full interview @ Escapingtheodds.com Todd Dubose CEO of Returning Citizens Magazine. It’s the official magazine of the justice involved community. The magazine can be read electronically on i...

Season 2, Episode 10, Lester Young, Path 2 Redemption through the journey of LIFE in Prison from 2021-05-18T17:00

Watch full video @ Escapingtheodds.com Lester Young is a New York native but spent a significant amount of his life in South Carolina. He is the Founder of Path2Redemption. At the age of 19, he was...

Season 2, Episode 9, PERC -Turning hustlers into legitimate entrpreneurs from 2021-05-11T17:00

Watch full interview @ Escapingtheodds.com Erika king is the president of Chicago Neighborhood Intiative and Maleia Scufield-Ransom serves as the Program Manager of PERC. They’re both on a mission ...

Season 2, Episode 8, Sean Hosman, “former inmate cracks code with data to reduce recidivism” from 2021-05-04T17:00

Watch full interview @ Escapingtheodds.com Sean Hosman is the CEO of Vant4ge point, a data analytics company in the criminal justice space. Sean is an attorney and criminal justice expert with more...

Season 2, Episode 5, “Divine”, “ From Crack 2 Rap 2 Tech” from 2021-04-13T17:00

From crack to rap to tech --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/aaronesmith/support

Season 2, Episode 4, Myron Pierce from 2021-04-06T17:00

Watch full interview at Escapingtheodds.com ) Myron Pierce born and raised in Omaha,Nebraska. From early on he got involved in gangs which led to serving 8 years in state prison. Upon his release, ...

Season 2, Episode 3, Andre Peart, from 2021-03-30T17:00

Andre Peart is the CEO Of tech Startup ConConnect.com , which is being described as the LinkedIn for the formerly incarcerated. Andre was raised in Yonkers, New York and pushed to the streets at th...

Season 2 ,Episode 2, Porsha Thomas “Beauty and the Beast of Prison” from 2021-03-23T17:00

( Watch full video@ Escapingtheodds.com) Porscha Dlyte is the CEO of Opulence Brow and Beauty based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Life hasn’t always been a life of glamor. She spent over 3 years in...

Season 2, Episode 1, Andre Norman, from 2021-03-16T17:00

Watch full interview @ Escapingtheodds.com Andre Norman, “The Ambassador of Hope”was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. By the time he was a teenager he was heavily in the streets full time ...

EPISODE 41 /PART 2 REUNION : Season 1 from 2020-12-22T23:00

( full video podcast seen on Escapingtheodds.com). In the last episode of our inaugural season, I sat down with these 3 men againwho are doing extraordinarily well in business after prison. Ben Gor...

EPISODE 39|DEFY VENTURES HELPS FORMERLY INCARCERATED START BUSINESSES AFTER PRISON from 2020-12-01T23:00

Episode 39 Escaping the Odds podcast we sat down  with Melissa Odell of Defy ventures along with participants Javier Reyes( 16 years incarcerated) and Ed bachner  ( 5 years incarcerated). Defy Vent...

Episode 37 | Ronnie Reed Launches Innovative Mobile -Cryotherapy Business After Prison | from 2020-11-10T23:00

(full video on escapingtheodds.com)Ronnie Reed survived 15 years in prison and now runs a successful Cryotherapy service in Dallas , TX. This unique service burns 500 calories with every 3-minut...

Episode 36, HotShot Trucking, The road to riches. from 2020-10-28T01:47:20

Kiedrain Brewster CEO of Brewster logistics spent 13 years in prison and not long after was able to create a successful life in the trucking industry. Well on his way to being a millionaire,he star...

MAX OUT FITNESS DELIVERS MAXIMUM RESULTS, EPISODE 35, JERMAINE "MAX MAINE" BRANNER from 2020-10-20T22:08:34

(Watch full video escapingtheodds.com)Several years of working out in a prison yard has produced real life gains for Jermaine " Max Maine " Branner. Who would have thought a former drug dealer  fro...

CHARACTER DRIVEN,CHARLES D CLARK #33 from 2020-10-06T22:02:36

This story of Charles D Clark is made for this big screen. After 8 years in federal prison on drug charges he became a sought out actor with reoccurring role the hit TV show Empire. His new role in...

Episode 32, Pipe Dreams, Kevin Anderson from 2020-09-29T22:00:11

Kevin Anderson grew up hustling on the streets of Minneapolis and St. Louis at 12 years old. Business has always been a part of his DNA. Bit after several years in a Texas prison, He went from supp...

The other side of the law,#31, Kaysia Earley from 2020-09-15T22:04:03

Kaysia Earley thought her dreams of becoming an attorney was shattered when she was arrested on felony embezzlement. But for God, she returned to the same courtroom and thanked her judge who had se...

Razor blade sharp. Groom Fly..#29 from 2020-09-01T22:00:48

( watch full episode escapingtheodds.com David Todd spent 20 years in prison for 1st degree homicide and attempted murder. During his time away he honed his skill as a barber and now runs Groom Fly...

Episode. 27. Change is the new hustle. Ed Hennings from 2020-08-18T22:00:45

Watch video podcast www.Escapingtheodds.com . At 24,ED Hennings was sentenced to 40 years in prison for a homicide. After redeeming himself, he set on a path to change his life whether he was comin...

Buy back the Block episode 26 from 2020-08-04T22:00:47

Tim Armour is the regional Director of training at NACA.com which is a not fir profit organization assisting individuals obtain property through the partnership with Bank of America. They provide n...

Episode 25, Behind the Music from 2020-07-28T22:00:48

(watch full podcast video https://www.escapingtheodds.com/)

From a Decade in federal prison on Heroin charges to running a state of the art ...

Episode 23: Cutting time down! from 2020-07-14T22:00:59

(watch full podcast video https://www.escapingtheodds.com/ )

I sat down with Larry Roberts Jr. who has spent many years in Cook County Jail ...

From prison to purpose episode 22 from 2020-07-07T22:00:58

(watch full podcast video https://www.escapingtheodds.com/ )Since his childhood, Eric Salzenstein has always been a go getter. Growing up in sunny ...

Episode 21 With Brandon Laster ”Destined for Greatness” from 2020-06-30T22:00:03

(watch full podcast video https://www.escapingtheodds.com/ )Brandon Laster spent 10 years in federal prison for credit card fraud. However, his amb...

Episode 20, “Business Credit over Street Credit” from 2020-06-23T22:00:36

(watch full podcast video https://www.escapingtheodds.com/ ) Kevin Reed is an expert on building and repairing credit and he learned this skill set while serving a 30 year federal drug sentence. Li...

Episode 19: Fitness Unlocked from 2020-05-12T22:05:35

(watch full podcast video https://www.escapingtheodds.com/ ) Tameka Means was living a great suburban life when her world was turned upside down wh...

Behind the Prison Wall with COVID 19 mini series part 1. episode 18 from 2020-04-14T22:02:53

Joseph Boyden is serving 10 of a 25 year sentence in federal prison for armed robbery. He is currently in a West Virginian Federal prison describing his his experience as an inmate staying safe fro...

Episode 17. “ Con-Air” with JMak from 2020-03-31T22:00

(watch full podcast video https://www.escapingtheodds.com/ ) Jmak will take you on a journey through his crime ridden environment on the South side...

Episode 16. HEll’S KITCHEN from 2020-03-24T22:00:35

(watch full podcast video https://www.escapingtheodds.com/ ) Sarita LANDRUM CEO of Go2Chefree catering grew up in the church and was considered an ...

An Un-broken record! episode 14 from 2020-03-10T22:00:43

Kat Baker battled a serious heroin addiction which led to being in and out of jail with felony convictions. She found music as a form of melodic therapy. This allowed her to escape the odds of beat...

BONUS EPISODE. A LIFE SENTENCE IS A DEATH SENTENCE IN THE FEDS. episode 13 from 2020-03-10T22:00:08

Dean Dipierro was serving 20 years in federal prison when he decided to take the law into his own hands. He seen not only the injustice within his own case but of countless others doing time around...

One Dope chick. episode 12 from 2020-03-03T23:00:23

(watch full podcast video https://www.escapingtheodds.com/ ) jacques Lofton was not the typical dope slinging person. She had earned a Bachelors de...

Rebuilding life and community. episode 11 from 2020-02-25T23:04:23

(Watch full Podcast video on https://www.escapingtheodds.com/) David Figueroa has been in and out the criminal justice system most of his life. Acquitted of a murder and 3 attempt murders while ...

Episode 10: Breaking the Code from 2020-02-18T23:03:14

(Watch full Podcast video https://www.escapingtheodds.com/ )Jerry Bony didn't know where his life was heading after 7 years of prison for an Armed Robbery charge. Born in Brooklyn, NY and groome...

SHOWTIME episode 9 from 2020-02-11T23:00:48

Tyrone Burnmingham and is one of the top concert promoters from Chicago. However, it didn't start off that way. Growing up on the west side of Chicago fast money was easy to come by and after a cha...

Business as usual episode 7 from 2020-01-28T23:00:11

Anthony Townsend A.K.A. Coach Tony has been taking risk his whole life. After 5 stints in prison and the murder of close friends and relatives he knew life had to change. Coach Tony quit the game a...

Life will stretch you!! episode 6 from 2020-01-21T23:00:45

Marshawn Feltus is the owner of ACT Yoga in Chicago. At the age of 18 he was sentenced to 38 years in prison for 1st Degree Murder. It was in prison where he fell in love with Yoga and has since op...

The peoples Champ episode 4 from 2020-01-07T22:39:52

Dre Rodriguez is the epitome of a reformed man. After 10 years in federal prison he's Escaping the Odds by Leading inner city youth in the  Pilsen community on the South Side of Chicago Esc...

Mr. Clean up man episode 3 from 2019-12-31T23:00

Vocci Greer talks about his life in federal prison and his involvement in a multi kilo cocaine Conspiracy, stretching from Mexico to Milwaukee. He switched hustles and now operates a successful com...

SPEAKING LIFE episode 2 from 2019-12-24T23:00

David Gathers is an amazing guy who continues to Escape the Odds. After spending 15 years in a gang infested Maximum security Prison in Illinois, he found his voice, In this episode, he speaks o...

Escaping the odds episode 1: Constructing a new path from 2019-12-17T23:00:58

Introduction of escaping the odds. We go deep into the life of Ben Gordon who after years of incarceration runs a flourishing project management firm within the construction industry. --- Suppor...