Could you go from drug addiction, in and out of prison, to a leader within the re-entry community... employing and training ex felons with construction work? Meet Rick Gray - this is an inspiring story of using your life journey for the good and giving back. Rick's vision is to renovate all the blighted homes in the St. Louis City. His non-profit is employing and teaching men looking who are desparate for a real opportunity for reentry back into society after serving time in prison. Before Rick became this pioneering leader for reentry change, he had to work through his own issues of drug use that lead him in and out of jails and prisons. His habit of cocaine became so bad that he began stealing from the family furniture business. He paid back the money but was out of the family business. He eventually was convicted of writing bad checks to support his drug habit. He fled after being charged, and was on the run as most wanted for 14 months before he finally turned himself over to the authorities. He was sick and tired of his repeat issues and finally went all in on his recovery and it changed his life. Rick says that prison saved his life. Rick, along with, retired baseball great Andy Van Slyke became friends, and have a common vision for Constructing Futures construction company a non profit company that helps ex-felons have a real shot at learning a trade with construction. Rick has a plan that his people have to commit to for this opportunity. You will love the story he shares about the guy with the tape measure. Rick is building confidence with these guys and he goes to bat for them as their opportunities grow beyond Constructing Futures. This is an inspiring story about overcoming, and taking action in an arena that needs action takers to make real change happen. We need more Rick Gray's in the reentry world helping to mentor and support people who are trying to get it right when they return home from prison.

How would you handle the nightmare of killing your best friend in a car accident where you were the driver? This is the night that changed Ronnie Langford's life forever. He was angry and wished it was him who died in the accident. Ronnie went from a raging drug addict, alcoholic, high school drop out, homeless, rehab and prison, and then righted himself - getting a college degree, starting his own business, lead singer in a band Linkboyz, and a recovery director? What a journey Ronnie tells with his raw honesty of how he overcame his nightmare. He even contemplated fleeing the country. He says he hit a 100 rock bottoms before he found his way. It is crazy that Ronnie survived. Ronnie owes all that he has overcome to his faith with God. You get done listening to this one and you just lean back in your chair and say "wow"!

What if the people you looked up to as a 10 year old were older and teaching and showing you the ways of street life and crime? As a kid this life looked glamorous to my guest Anthony Bucci. Anthony's homelife was brutal. He had a dad who was a violent alcoholic, who would beat his mother, and the kids if they interfered to try and save her. This left a lot of mental scars on a kid looking for an escape. Anthony grew up quickly in the street life of selling drugs, and he became a big player with a lot of power and money. It eventually cost him with a 21 year prison sentence. He was doing hard time in and out of solitary confinement. In the hole, Anthony was contemplating ending it all, and an old prison guard he had known from another prison stopped by the check on him. He had a pen and paper. That day Anthony's life did a 180 degree turn. He took his pen and paper and started writing his novel "Infinity Crew." He began volunteering to help take care of the terminally ill inmates. He took over 50 educational courses which eventually helped him write his motion to win parental compassionate release that was the first of its kind at the time. It has now broadened the horizon for other inmates to be released to go home and take care of their parents. Anthony also became a dog handler in prison, training dogs for the handicapped. He has since published his novel, Infinity Crew. He is a certified life coach, and he has launched his own clothing line, the Convicted Vegan. He is also caring for his mother, and rebuilding his relationships with his children. You will feel Anthony's story. It will stay with you.

Can a 15 year old be sentenced to 45 years to prison? Carlos Rebollo entered prison at 15 and served 24 years in adult prisons. Carlos takes us on his journey from an angry young man to the man he always knew he could be. During his incarceration, he earned an associate’s degree in psychology, became a student of Yale University and of the University of New Haven. HBO is now doing a documentary on the life of Carlos. Carlos is now pursuing a bachelor’s degree in multi-platform journalism. Incredible, when you learn that Carlos dropped out of school in the 5th grade, and became a father at 14 years old. Two long serving inmates became life changing mentors to Carlos. Carlos goes deep on how he took responsibility for committing a heinous crime, and how he dug deep on why he did what he did, so he could change his criminal thinking and finding the best version of himself. With the help of the girlfriend that Carlos had the baby with, he has been able to have a strong, father - son relationship with his son during the 24 years of his incarceration.  Carlos said he was well prepared to hit the ground running since he was released. His passion is being a member of the Fair Sentencing of Youth and of the incarcerated children's advocacy network. His mission is to stop the injustice of sentencing children to excessive and life sentences.

What would you do if police broke down your door and charged you with a murder you didn't commit? You receive 2 life sentences without parole. My guest Ken Nixon lived through this nightmare, and he shares his journey of finally being exonerated and freed. He grew up as a middle class guy. He had just started a new business, bought a new house, and had a 1year old  son. What happened next in his life changed his life forever. Ken had to live through everyone's worst nightmare. To be wrongly accused of a murder, and sent to a hardcore maximum security prison, all while trying to prove your innocence. It only took 6 months to wrongly convict Ken. A highly questionable jailhouse snitch and a 13 year old who changed his story three times. The lead detective put in his memo that we have the wrong guy and they proceeded anyway. In this type of situation, you need an advocate and Ken found them. Fourteen Years in prison, a Western Michigan law school class begins researching Ken's case. The Detroit Press picks up on the story, and this catches the eye of the Innocence Project and the Wayne County Integrity Unit. Sixteen years after that nightmarish night of the police break-in, Ken Nixon was exonerated, and set free. Ken also shares some interesting insights of living with Covid in prison right before he was released. Ken Nixon is now the President of the Organization for Exonerees, and Director of Community Outreach and Partnerships. Ken is giving a strong voice to knockdown the barriers for the previously incarcerated entering back into society. Ken's story is everyone's worst nightmare, but he has taken his experience and voice to look for solutions to improve our system to stop this type of injustice for others moving forward.  Ken is a true inspiration!

Could you build a multimillion dollar company...go serve a 10 year federal sentence, and get out and start building it all back? Yes, because that is what Mike Morawski has done and it still doing today. This is a story of grit. This story deals with early addiction, getting clarity, and learning how to build a real estate company that controlled over $285 million in transactions over a 30 year period. He fell hard with the Great Recession in 2008, and it went from bad to a 10 year prison sentence. A sad divorce transpired months after becoming an inmate. Mike went through depression until another inmate said he had to get his act together and to not waste time regardless of where he was. He began to use his time for planning to come out for his big do over and rebuild. Mike hit the ground running when he was released. He is now an entrepreneur, author of the book "Exit Plan",  real estate trainer, public speaker, and Chief Investment Officer of two multifamily hedge funds. He has coached hundreds of people to fulfill their dreams in the real estate world. It would have been easy to give up at any point along the way. You can really feel Mike's story as he walks us through his journey. If you like an old fashion comeback story of grit, overcoming, and tenacity then this episode is for you.

If you had to serve 20 years in prison would you come out beaten or a force for good? Tony Gant was incarcerated for a violent crime within the Michigan Department of Corrections for 20 years, from 1995 to 2015. Gant said he knew it was vitally important while serving his time to better himself with education and skills that would improve his life upon release. Tony says he doesn't want anyone to get the wrong idea that any of this was easy, especially getting out of prison after 20 years. He gives a lot of credit to his wife who he married while he was in prison that he knew growing up. She had gotten on the right track in her life, and she helped Tony stay on track both in and getting out. There was a lot of frustration with getting employed when being freed. Tony shares how he didn't give up and things started happening for him. He is now making big strides using his experience to help change the laws in Michigan for the previously incarcerated for housing. He is the Director of policy and programs operations at Nation Outside, a non-profit organization that advocates for the rights of formerly incarcerated persons.  Tony says, “we are always looking to advocate for laws that lower barriers for people with criminal records. We want to break down barriers to housing, employment, or even access to higher education, anything that addresses the collateral consequences that impact people with convictions.” Tony is also a father, author of the book (Midnight Whispers), and a business owner Gant Lawn Care. Tony is an inspiring guy who does a great job of telling his story. It is inspiring to see someone with Tony's experience adding such a strong voice to people who may not have one... creating real change in their lives.

Could you go from homeless, to prison, to founder and CEO of a National Company? That is exactly what Harley Blakeman did with his life. I first saw Harley's story on a TEDX Talk a couple of years ago before this podcast started. Harley had tough childhood. His mom had a drug problem and left the family, and his dad died in a tragic motorcycle accident when Harley was 14. With the both parents being the black sheep of their family's, Harley had no connection or help with relatives. He became homeless just bouncing around doing whatever to survive. He has one heck of a story with how he goes to prison. In prison the relatives from Ohio reach out and the aunt says to come live with her when he was released. This was a game changer for Harley in his life. He enrolls in Community College and gains confidence and and gets good grades. He applies to Ohio St. and ends up graduating at the top of his class. He has a hard time finding a job because of his past. Harley decides he is going to help solve a problem by finding investors and creating the nation's largest fair chance employment platform named Honest Jobs. There are about 70 million people with some type of history. Honest Jobs works with over 1300 companies to help give these people a real second chance. I love it! I love the passion Harley has for creating a better space that we live in. Harley took a leap of faith leaving everything he knew, and moving to Ohio into the unknown. Look what happened when he changed his people, places, and things. A real life inspiring story!

Could you do 3 years in solitary confinement? Carlos Vasquez did and it changed his life in year 13 of his 20 year sentence. This is a riveting story about a complete life transformation for the good. Carlos life started off fairly normal, good neighborhood, good grades in school, great baseball athlete. His life changed when his dad suddenly left the family. Carlos's life spiraled into dark places. He became homeless at 13, joined a street gang that became his family, his best friend died at 16, and he was convicted of arm robbery at 19 years old with a 20 year sentence in a maximum security prison. Carlos used his natural leadership qualities to become the shot-caller on the prison yard. A Chaplain visits Carlos the day he was contemplating suicide while he was in solitary. That moment of someone caring and believing in him changed his life. Carlos gets released back to general population, and becomes a force for good and change. He gets educated with his high school and college degrees. He forms a group for men in prison to discuss strategies for creating the right mindset and winning one day at time.  Once released, Carlos became a sought after motivational speaker, a screenwriter, and life coach. There is no way to listen to this and not walk away just feeling good!

Could you go from a 10 year prison sentence to being an LA real estate guru? Yep, Danny Navarro did just that. If you're into comeback stories where you hear, in real time, how the right mindset can change your life....the Danny Navarro Story is packed with everything you want to hear. Danny was a product of his environment. He came from a broken home with his dad using crack, and his mom desperately trying to keep the family safe and fed. All he knew were the gang streets of LA growing up. At 18 years old, Danny receives a mandatory minimum 10 year sentence for selling drugs. Half way through his sentence, an old inmate gave Danny the book "Think and Grow Rich" and it changed his life. He began reading all the books...Les Brown, Zig Ziglar, Tony Robbins, and others. When he was released Danny leads us through the struggles of living as an ex-felon, but he found a path to become a real estate agent, and sought out a great mentor that showed him the ropes. It took 18 frustrating months to finally get his real estate license because of his past record, but he never gave up on his new life and new plan. The way Danny shares his story, you are drawn to his authenticity and raw emotion of how he stepped through it all to totally free himself. Danny hopes by sharing his story it will inspire others that a second chance is really possible.