On episode 9 of the Prosperity after Prison Podcast, Kari Williams joins us for a special edition episode focusing on discovering the “true you”, and not just what others around you may lead you to believe.

Kari and Kyle discuss the importance of mental health awareness, and how toxic relationships can become a prison in their own way. Kari takes us through her learning curve of relationships, and overcoming codependency that has kept her isolated from her true potential.

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR:

• Kari shares her life growing up and being adopted, expressing that she never felt like she was able to fit in, and now has a goal to find her tribe in life, and why having a positive “tribe” of people around you is important. [6:30]
• Kyle and Kari discuss different ways to meet positive people and the importance of reaching out for help. Kyle shares how getting connected in a Church community will allow you to meet great people who will not judge you and will accept you as you are. [6:52]
• We dive into how childhood trauma can play a major role on who you are, and how you respond to toxic events as you grow older. Kari shares a childhood experience of mistreatment from her teacher, and how she was led to believe situations like this were acceptable. [10:30]
• We touch on the importance of therapy and counseling. Kari mentions she wants to be an advocate for others to help overcome narcissist abuse, and how the judicial system is finally recognizing this as a major issue that affects a lot of people. [16:37]
• Kyle and Kari discuss how her life has changed since working with Under Guard. Learning that quality over quantity is always the way to go. Kari has regained her confidence and has been focusing on herself. Setting boundaries to take her live to the next level vs catering to potentially toxic motives from others. [22:23]

Be inspired and be bold, this is the Prosperity after Prison podcast.

UNDERGUARD TELESERVICES

Website: ugteleservices.com

Facebook: @ugteleservices

LinkedIn: Underguard Teleservices

CONNECT WITH KYLE:

LinkedIn: Kyle Hannah

QUOTES:

“If your tribe or your people try to confuse you, if you feel conflicted, if your morals feel conflicted, if your values feel conflicted, if your own concept of your own react reality becomes conflicted. They're not your people. Your people are your personal cheerleaders. They don't have to agree with everything that you do, and they don't have to save you from every pit that you fall in. But they most certainly are not the root of your chaos or the conflict on that you can get within yourself, because that is the worst conflict of them all. To have to you wonder your own reality because you've been told it was one way, and it most certainly was not right.” - Kari Williams [25:56]

“Unhealthy relationship goes into every aspect of your life. It's not just a bad relationship, it messes so many different things up. I mean, Besides your self esteem, your self worth, your finances, your mental state, your emotional state, your housing, everything you've been through, all of that.”- Kyle Hannah [31:07]

“The story we tell ourselves can be uplifting and encouraging and help move forward, or it can hinder us and keep us down.” - Kyle Hannah [31:55]

In episode 8 of the Prosperity after Prison Podcast, we welcome our guest Kelly Alvarado whose powerful story will teach us many valuable lessons about turning your life around as an ex-offender. Kelly tells us about her life, including her drug addiction, convictions, working at the call center, and her life today.

During her time at prison, working in the kitchens and at Underguard significantly improved her self-respect and self-worth. However, only when given the opportunity to work at the call center was she able to significantly improve her prospects. Not only did the call center job help her develop shop skills and gain work experiences but it also gave her a significant income and safety net.

As the call center job is such an invaluable opportunity in prison, the job holds them accountable and to a very high standard. Kyle and Kelly’s insights further emphasize that companies need to consider employing an incarcerated population.

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR

• Kelly takes us on a journey through her tumultuous childhood, teenage years, and twenties up to the point of her conviction. [00:40]
• How Kelly’s conviction changed the way she viewed herself, improved her self-worth and helped take drugs out of her life. [05:18]
• Kelly explains the differences between working in the kitchen versus working at Underguard. With the latter, she was able to improve her well-being significantly and gain invaluable work experiences. [08:36]
• A life-changing opportunity: after transferring to a different prison, Kelly was given the opportunity to work at Underguard, in a real-life work environment. [11:18]
• Kelly and Kyle explain how a higher salary at the call center gives the incarcerated population a chance to support themselves during and after prison. [15:44]
• Kelly’s journey of sobriety: prison gave her the opportunity, but the call center gave her purpose. [22:06]
• Invaluable experiences, transferable skills, and references for your resume: not only can you support yourself, but your job prospects significantly improve. [23:15]
• How Kelly went from dealing drugs to working at a recovery center where she now shows women what it takes to turn your life around. [25:00]
• Safety and Privacy: Kelly explains that in addition to strict rules and the monitoring of calls, the incentive to work outweighs any reason for behavior infractions. [28:40]

Be inspired and be bold, this is the Prosperity after Prison podcast.

UNDERGUARD TELESERVICES

Website: ugteleservices.com

Facebook: @ugteleservices

LinkedIn: Underguard Teleservices

QUOTES:

“It planted that seed of confidence in me that has taken me so far in life.” - Kelly Alvarado [14:05]

“Now your life purpose has become helping people that were once where you were at.” - Kyle Hannah [27:16]

“I get to give back to the community that for so long, I just took so much from in all my addiction.” - Kelly Alvarado [27:55]

“I get to show women be the living proof every day, that there is a better way.” - Kelly Alvarado [28:10]

“It made me a better person just being held accountable for it.” - Kelly Alvarado [32:40]

Job seekers with a criminal record face a difficult time finding employment. What's the best way to break into the workforce? For many, it is partnering with and developing an incarcerated population. We'll talk about how this can help both employers and those who are looking for jobs in this Q&A episode!

In episode 7 of the Prosperity after Prison Podcast, we welcome back our inspiring guest Belinda Potter. Our host Kyle Hannah and Belinda share insights about working with an ex-offender and incarcerated population, including details about the hiring process, the work environment, and how employing this population promotes prison reform.

Belinda speaks about the rewarding aspects of her job, such as being able to help ex-felons struggling with issues such as depression and addiction. In addition, the supportive, compassionate, and gracious team culture not only sets a clear example for the employees but provides the perfect work environment for Belinda and her colleagues. These factors among many others make Belinda’s job feel like a mission rather than a job.

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR

• Belinda describes the ex-offenders’ enthusiastic, hard-working, and dedicated work ethic. [05:00]
• The Rewarding Aspects of Belinda’s Job: one-on-one coaching and improving upon the ex-offenders and the incarcerated population’s prospects. [10:00]
• The Encouraging and Supportive Team Culture at Underguard: how Belinda and her colleagues support each other to overcome issues and hardships. [11:00]
• Belinda and Kyle share details about the hiring and interview process which is very similar to traditional hiring processes; anyone can apply with a few exceptions. [13:40]
• Kyle notes that the turnover and shrinkage rates are very low compared to traditional businesses as the ex-offenders and incarcerated population are motivated and dedicated to their jobs. [19:50]
• Underguard promotes Servant Leadership, a philosophy in which the goal of the leader is to serve; Belinda has embraced this philosophy fully. [27:26]
• Kyle explains why he was skeptical about employing offenders and ex-offenders at first but then realized how beneficial this business model could be for the business, clients, but especially for the inmates. [31:03]
• Kyle advocates for bigger companies to follow suit: it will help offenders and ex-offenders develop transferable skills, reduce crime rates and recidivism, among many other positive effects. [36:46]

Be inspired and be bold, this is the Prosperity after Prison podcast.

UNDERGUARD TELESERVICES

Website: ugteleservices.com

Facebook: @ugteleservices

LinkedIn: Underguard Teleservices

CONNECT WITH KYLE:

LinkedIn: Kyle Hannah

CONNECT WITH BELINDA:

LinkedIn: Belinda Potter

Facebook: Belinda Elrod Potter

QUOTES:

“I tell people all the time that my job is more of a mission than a job.” - Belinda Potter [01:35]

“It's just so encouraging to me every day, it makes it so rewarding to see those messages and how grateful they are for Underguard, giving them the...

On Episode 5 of the Prosperity After Prison Podcast, we are joined by Tracy Whitt who describes the heartbreaking journey that she had to endure, ultimately losing the very things that made her feel whole. From an undeniable place of rock bottom and countless setbacks, to reaching a state of healing and enlightenment. Tracy shares her struggles of wanting to give up on life, and what ultimately inspired her to take charge stating "If God wasn't going to let me die, I had to learn how to live".

Wanting to pass on the miracle that was given to her, Tracy shares that she survived the tragedies in her life because God wanted her to help others persevere. Tracy is on a mission to create her own rehabilitation center and ministry to help guide others facing challenges in their own lives. She is living testimony of what you can overcome, even if you're starting over with only $5, a backpack, and a dream to serve others.

On Episode 4 of the Prosperity after Prison Podcast, we welcome special guest Pam Smith. In this episode, Kyle and Pam discuss her first hand experience serving 28 years starting at the age of 19.

Pam touches on how surreal it was discover how much the world around her changed in that amount of time, including day to day technology that we take for granted including touch-screen phones, or even the taste of McDonalds.

• Pam talks about how cautious she had to be as a teenager in Prison due to the majority of her peers being in their late 20s. She shares how she was able to falling into negativity by surrounding herself with Christians, and becoming involved with the Church.
• Kyle and Pam talk about how other-worldly it must have felt seeing how much technology and cars have changed. Pam shares how she went from using a rotary style phone to discovering the latest in touch-screen devices.
• The importance of saving and thinking of creative, healthy, and productive ways to make additional money while incarcerated.
• How drastic the cost of various services such as dental work can be, and how important it is to prepare for those "real-world" costs while you're incarcerated.
• Pam shares her love for animals, and now owns a goat, two little dogs, and a lot of Chickens. Kyle congratulates her on her upcoming Marriage.
• Finding a sense of family from Kyle's family and the UnderGuard team, and the importance that companies adopt the same principles the UnderGuard family spreads each day to make a positive impact in society.

Be inspired and be bold, this is the Prosperity after Prison podcast.

Episode 3 features special guest Danita Wilson, who shares her experience while serving 14 years of a 37 year prison sentence, and the dedication she made to ensure success in her life upon release. Danita and Kyle discuss the positive impact that companies like Under Guard continuously provide to people that are currently incarcerated or have been released.

Danita explains how the employment opportunity with Under Guard provided her with fulfillment engaging with callers. She found happiness helping resolve issues for people, and receiving compliments pertaining to a product that Under Guard was supporting, gave Danita the chance to feel apart of a strong team, restoring confidence in herself.

"In Prison you have to find the desire to want to change. A second-chance employer helped me establish that." Danita expresses the importance of making the best use of your time while incarcerated, and shares her outstanding accomplishments, including obtaining her GED, and saving $5,000 with the help of Under Guard. Danita discusses her experience meeting Kyle and his father, and the enormous positive impact Kyle's father Casey had on her life. Kyle and Danita both connect with their own inspiring stories, and ways other companies should follow Under Guard's mission to allow opportunities for ex-felons to be more accessible.

On Episode 2 of the Prosperity after Prison Podcast, we welcome special guest Joe Peterson. In this episode, Kyle chats with Joseph Peterson about his real life testimony of 17 years of incarceration, and the challenges of rising above the recidivism statistics. 

Joe shares stories of some of the inspiring people he's met along his journey, and discusses the many benefits of hiring ex-inmates, and why companies thinking outside the "check-box" on a job application is so important.

• Joe sheds light on how meeting an eclectic group, while in prison, influenced him to improve his outdated ways of thinking. 
• The degree of culture shock of Joe’s late bloom to prison, and being released at 60yrs old.
• Dive deep into his once fixation with his love for power and money and the wake up call to have an honest relationship with God
• How vital it is to be in the prison ministry and to stay connected through either religious or self help programs to prepare for post release.
• How companies should put aside prior biases on hiring “Untapped Potential” 
• Finding stability and employment with Under Guard Services and the challenges of rising above the recidivism statistics.

Be inspired and be bold, this is the Prosperity after Prison podcast.

In our very first episode on Prosperity after Prison we welcome a special guest - Belinda P. as she takes us through her journey from incarceration to redemption.

Hear from Belinda about her experience of incarceration, to the people who impacted her life along the way, to starting the next chapter of her life.

Belinda shares some of her most vulnerable experiences during her time of incarceration. You are sure to find an emotional moment or three throughout this episode.

Be inspired from Belinda's story as she trusted in her Faith to give her the strength and will power to take life head on one day at a time as she stayed focused and committed.

Be inspired and be bold, this is the Prosperity after Prison podcast.

Episode #1: The Next Chapter interview with Belinda P.