Earning Freedom with Michael Santos

Earning Freedom Mastermind: Aspiration

After a jury convicted me of federal crimes, back in 1987, I knew that I would be serving a long time in prison. I didn't know how long because I hadn't been sentenced yet. The statute held the possibility of life in prison. At sentencing, my judge slammed me with 45 years. Instead of dwelling on the decades that I'd serve in prison, I focused on how I wanted to emerge. I wanted to come back unscathed, with my dignity intact, ready to live a meaningful life as a law-abiding, contributing citizen. That aspiration empowered me. What aspiration do you have to become more than current circumstances?

Education in Prison

Tulio Cardozo got into trouble as a young man. After five years in high school, he got involved with drugs. Working with volatile chemicals triggered an explosion. He suffered third-degree burns, then was taken into custody to serve a prison sentence that kept Tulio locked up for many years. Instead of complaining about his problems, Tulio chose to take action. He studied and taught himself how to write computer code. Since then, he's built a business that allows him to support his family. Tulio shows that regardless of what challenges an individual faces, at any time he can begin sowing seeds for a better life.

What does having the right attitude mean? In the Earning Freedom Mastermind course, I teach lessons that I learned about having the right attitude. Leaders like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates had the right attitude. That was the reason they were able to achieve extraordinary levels of success even though they faced enormous challenges. They changed the world. You can change the world too. Begin by changing your attitude. Make a 100% commitment to success, as you define success. That will be when you show that you have the right attitude.

Masterminds taught me a great deal. Their lessons helped me conquer a 45-Year prison term. Guys what? The lessons by which they lived can help you, too. That's why I created the Earning Freedom Mastermind course. f you'd like to participate, simply listen to the lessons. Then act upon them and transform your life. That secret helped me every step of the way through the 9,500 days that I lived as a prisoner. More importantly, they helped me return to society strong, with my dignity in tact and ready to succeed. You can do the same by working through the Earning Freedom Mastermind program.

Earning Freedom Mastermind is a 10-part course I designed to inspire people who've had problems with the criminal justice system. Regardless of whether they're in prison today, or recently released, I'd like to share lessons I learned from masterminds. Socrates, the first mastermind to inspire me, transformed my life while I was locked inside the Pierce County Jail. Today's episode shares how I learned to use his wisdom to prepare for a lifelong journey of growth. I hope that others derive value from the message and lessons I learned from Socrates.

LeRon Barton authored his first book called Straight Dope several years ago. He wanted readers to understand America’s drug culture and the consequences that followed for those involved with drugs. Now he is searching for a bigger market and will soon release his new book: All We Really Need is Love. LeRon also writes regular articles for GorillaConvict.com.

If you’d like to learn more about LeRon Barton’s work, or receive a digital copy of his book to review, please contact him at [email protected].

Mike has been prosecuted for his role of working in a medical marijuana dispensary. The prosecution has tormented his life for longer than three years. Initially, prosecutors threatened to lock him federal prison for 10 years. His sentencing date is only weeks away and now he is preparing for the journey ahead, hoping for an alternative sentence.

Surrendering to federal prison can traumatize many people Today's podcast features Jim Varni. He and his finance, Anna, called to chat less than one hour before he was scheduled to surrender to the federal prison in Pekin Illinois.

I met Juan Berganzo very early during my federal prison term. He was beginning a 15-year prison sentence and I was beginning a 45-year prison sentence. We exercised together and we became friends when we were locked inside the United States Penitentiary in Atlanta. He reached out to me and I invited him to share his story on the Earning Freedom podcast. 

Those who want to try Juan's baked goods may reach him at the following contact numbers:

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 787-324-3652

The injustices of mass incarceration influence every American citizen. That’s why I feel passionately about working to help. As Justice Anthony Kennedy said to the members of the American Bar Association, far too many people serve sentences that are far too long. Further, as recidivism rates show, the longer we expose someone to corrections, the less likely those people become to function as law-abiding citizens after release.

People released from prison frequently face challenges. To start, people with prison records have hard time finding a job. Many employers resist hiring the formerly incarcerated. Valid reasons may exist for not hiring people with prison records. Rather than questioning those reasons, I advise formerly incarcerated people to chart their own path to a paycheck. They must succeed in spite of the challenges they will face. By anticipating obstacles and objections from prospective employers, formerly incarcerated people can prepare themselves to overcome.

If employers won’t hire the formerly incarcerated, then the formerly incarcerated can take a different tactic. In an effort to help, I’ve made it my mission to reach out to entrepreneurs who can offer guidance. That strategy carried me through 26 years in prison and it has led to a successful transition into society. Anyone can do the same. 

I cold called Brandon Lucero, CEO of Sold With Video. He’s a leading expert on teaching business owners how YouTube marketing can bring in more customers. After explaining challenges the formerly incarcerated face in finding employment, I asked Brandon to be a guest on my Earning Freedom podcast. During our 30-minute podcast, Brandon taught our listeners strategies he used to launch his business without having any money at all.

Brandon advised that anyone, including the formerly incarcerated, could use YouTube to create an income from nothing more their phone and the willingness to try. If they had a talent, skill, or commitment, they could find all the customers they wanted by following the same steps that he used to build Sold With Video. 

The first step, Brandon advised, was to consult the Google Keyword Planner Tool. It’s free! After signing in with Google, they could begin searching for the types of “keywords” that people use to find specific products or services they need. For example, Brandon advised, if a person became an expert in fitness while in prison, and wanted to work as a personal trainer, Brandon suggested the person could type personal trainer into the search bar. The Google Keyword Planner tool would offer ideas for other search terms that visitors might use.

By researching keywords, Brandon advised, a person could find problems people were struggling with and wanted to solve. Then, with nothing more than a smartphone, a person with a commitment to succeed could create a video. The Video would show people how to solve the problem. Rather than using the video to give the “why” for the problem, he suggested that the video should be direct—offering answers for the problem that the customer wants to solve. If it’s a recipe for gluten-free cookies, Brandon urged listeners to film a video showing the recipe rather than explaining the benefits of gluten-free cookies.

After making the video, Brandon explained the next step would be to publish the video on YouTube. To make sure that viewers would find the video, Brandon advised people to use the keyword in the title. He suggested that the video description include the keyword. To give an added boost, he advised people to include a keyword-rich transcript into the video as well. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqYOjxiCjw0 (steps to ranking videos/how to rank videos)

Brandon used that same strategy, he said, to launch his business. Without having any financial resources, he walked into local businesses and offered a value proposition. For $1,000, he would film a video and make sure the video ranked on the first page of Google. At the time, he said that he didn’t even have a camera. When a business owner recognized the value, Brandon landed his first customer. He used the first payment to purchase the necessary camera and went to work. Since then, he has repeated the strategy over and over again to build a business that has generated six-figure revenues.

Instead of asking for a job, Brandon suggested that the formerly incarcerated should use the same strategies he used to build a successful business. By showing others how he could create value for them, he has thrived. And when selling services to help business owners generate more customers, no one asks about criminal background checks. 

The formerly incarcerated can learn a great deal from successful entrepreneurs like Brandon Lucero. I know that I have!