In this interview, Shelley shares her extraordinary journey from growing up in a home shaped by addiction to battling her own struggles with substance abuse, incarceration, and federal charges before finding sobriety and purpose. She recounts the turning point of discovering she was pregnant while incarcerated, her persistence in seeking treatment despite systemic barriers, and the faith-driven mindset shift that became the foundation of her recovery. Shelley details the challenges of reentry, including her fight against discrimination during Microsoft’s hiring process and the pivotal role of San Francisco’s Fair Chance Ordinance in securing her first job in tech.

Episode Outline: 

(00:00:00) Introduction and Shelley’s Early Life in a Home Shaped by Addiction
(00:04:00) Bartending in North Dakota and Returning to Drug Use
(00:06:00) Entering the Drug Trade and Federal Investigation
(00:09:00) Sting Operation, Surveillance, and Arrest
(00:14:00) Jail Time, Detox, and Facing Withdrawal
(00:16:00) Pregnancy, Sobriety, and Turning Toward Treatment
(00:19:00) Fighting for Admission into a Faith-Based Program
(00:21:00) Surrender, Mindset Shift, and Beginning Recovery
(00:24:00) Transition to Reentry and Dreams of Working in Tech
(00:25:00) Microsoft Job Application and Background Check Challenge
(00:28:00) Invoking the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance
(00:31:00) Securing the Job and Excelling at Microsoft
(00:33:00) Rising to Top Sales Rep and Winning Microsoft’s Gold Club Award
(00:35:00) Microsoft Changes Hiring Policies and Launches LEAP Program
(00:37:00) Advocacy for Fair Chance Hiring and Broadening Opportunities
(00:41:00) Founding Winner’s Circle: Mindset, Literacy, and Sales Training
(00:44:00) Message to Incarcerated Listeners: Hope, Programs, and Change
(00:45:00) Expanding Winner’s Circle to 25 Prisons Nationwide
(00:46:00) Closing Reflections on the Power of Stories and Programs

The Last Mile Radio is a production of The Last Mile and Sirius XM Radio. The show's executive producers are Chris Redlitz and Beverly Parenti at TLM and Liz Aiello at Sirius XM. The show is produced by Robert Roche at TLM, with technical production by Greg Sahakian, James Bilodeau at Sirius XM. Original music by Maserati-E. For more, visit www.thelastmileradio.org