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He went from stealing cars in South Florida to keeping Google’s data centers running, and the middle of that story includes county jail, prison, probation fees, and a comeback built the hard way. Carlos joins us to talk about what it actually takes to rebuild your life after incarceration when your record follows you everywhere and the pressure to “pay up” never stops.

We get into the parts people skip: how probation and restitution can push “survival mode” decisions, what it feels like to be disowned, and why the system often calls itself rehabilitation while offering very little real correction. Carlos also breaks down the moment everything changes, the stop that becomes the nail in the coffin, and what prison is really like when you focus on staying out of trouble and using time as a tool.

From there, the conversation turns practical. Carlos shares how he climbed from low-wage work into skilled mechanic roles, went to college at 36, and pushed through 237 job applications. We talk resumes that show outcomes, not just job titles, how AI screening changes hiring, and how he used ChatGPT to tailor applications and finally land a role at Google. The biggest takeaway is a mindset shift that hits hard: “Let’s not catch up, let’s move forward.”

If you got value from this story, subscribe, share it with someone who needs a second chance, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What part of Carlos’s path felt most real to you?

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Host: StéphaneAlexandre
IG: @stephanealexandreofficial
Music by Liam Weisner

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