From Wrong To Strong

On October 26th, 2004 I had an encounter with God that changed my life forever. That day started me on a journey that ultimately leads to why it is I'm hosting this podcast today. My life went from darkness to light and from death to life. This is my story. I had initially released this podcast interview a year ago in two parts. The episodes titled "Growing Up In Pilsen" part 1 and...

There comes a time in one's life when God uses someone to speak into your life, encourage you, especially at a time when no one else does. Hassan Anderson played such a role in the life of JC Almanza, who is the founder of "Wrong To Strong." According to JC, Hassan was the first person to ever believe in his dream and in his vision. Interestingly enough, Hassan was JC's parole...

This podcast episode was recorded on wife's podcast called "Her Scars Tell A Story." If you haven't done so yet please go take a listen to it.  She wanted to record a special Thanksgiving episode, so I joined her as a guest to discuss the importance of living a life full of gratitude and thankfulness.  We talk about  being thankful to God for who He is and all the blessings He...

I was joined in studio by Jose Rodriguez for this weeks podcast interview. Jose grew up in the West Englewood neighborhood on the southside of Chicago. Being Hispanic and growing up in a predominantly African American neighborhood was rough for him and his siblings. His parents enrolled him in a different neighborhood school to try to make it better for them, but this led him into even more troubl...

From Colorado all the way back to Chicago! I had the opportunity to connect with Shawn Rae, for the first time in person.  I picked him up from Ohare airport while being followed & mean mugged by airport police. This is how our day started LOL. We also had Julio Mercado join us in the studio for the recording of this podcast episode.  On here Shawn shares how he ended up connecting with "...

On this podcast episode Jose M. Mendoza joins me to share how life was growing up on the southside of Chicago in the Brighton Park neighborhood.  From the age of 3 months old his mom leaves him to his grandma to be raised by her. He never meets his father. Brighton Park was heavily gang infested and in the 7th grade he finds himself pulled in to that lifestyle.  Alcohol and drugs begin to take ove...

I am joined on this week's podcast by Ignacio Gonzalez. He was born and raised on the southside of Chicago in a neighborhood named "Back of the Yards." His family was hardworking and loving. From a young age he is taught the value of hard work and service to his people and community by his father who  was also a church deacon. He learns to maneuver through various Chicago gang neigh...

 Julio Mercado joins me on this week’s podcast episode. Julio grew up in the West Town neighborhood of Chicago. He was raised in a loving home with both his parents in the picture.  His neighborhood is surrounded by gangs and drug dealing and early into his teen years he finds himself able to stay away from those things. Sports become an outlet for him and help keep him busy and out of trouble. On...

On today's podcast episode we do our first ever group interview. I am joined on here today by two good brother's, Arturo Gamino and Cisco Terrazas. They were two of the first men I interviewed when I first started doing this almost a year ago. We reflect back on the beginning of this podcast journey and what events led to it's start.  Our main focus is on sharing what impact and eff...

Cleo Lewis was a military veteran who had just finished serving eight years in the air force. With a wife, kids and a mortgage to pay now, he is looking for a job that pays well and someone encourages him to become a police officer. He admits that he only joined because of the pay and not really in it to make a difference in the community. After a few years he ends up becoming an undercover police...

The creator and founder of "Wrong To Strong", JC Almanza joins me on this weeks podcast episode.     Julio Almanza, a Chicago native, has transcended a life of adversity to become a symbol of strength and redemption. Raised on the streets and entangled in the grip of drugs and prison, Julio's journey is a testament to the transformative power of faith, resilience, and personal growt...

On this podcast episode I interview Pastor Rocky Vasquez. Rocky grew up on the lower west side of Chicago in a historic community named Pilsen.  Around the age of nine he begins to ask his mom about his dad, "Who is he? Where is he?" He sees his friends spending time with their fathers and internally he desired to connect with his dad. He begins looking for love, looking to be accepted,...

On this podcast episode I sit down and talk to Pastor John LaTorre. John grew up with his mother and family in a small town in the state of Connecticut. At the age of seven he meets his father and begins to spend the summers with him out in Queens, New York. As a young man he longs to connect with his father and yearns to learn what it means to be a man. At the age of 11 he begins to smoke weed wi...

In this podcast episode Shawn Rae joins me all the way from Colorado Springs, CO.  Shawn grew up on the outskirts of Chicago in various neighboring suburbs. From a child he begins to experience pain and trauma at the hands of an abusive step father. At the age of nine he is already running away from home. He ends up in the streets hanging out with young men who come from similar home structures. H...

U.S. Marine veteran Jimmy Sutherland Jr. shares his life story in this podcast interview. How life was growing up in East Chicago, Indiana. From wanting to get away from home as soon as he turned 18. He was physically strong and big on the outside but inside there was a lot of hurt, anger and depression that no one knew about. He tries to numb his pain with alcohol and women but that can only sati...

In this podcast episode I sit down and talk with Damien Cash. Damien grew up on the southside of Chicago in a neighborhood called Gage Park. He gets introduced into the music, dj and party scene by his uncle who was a promoter at that time. He gets his first set of turntables and falls in love with music. In the 90's he begins to create mixtapes which he begins to sell in the streets of Chica...

In this podcast episode I sit down with Pastor Joey Miranda who I hadn't seen in person in over 13 years. He was a mentor to me when I first started going to church back in 2004. He shares his story about how growing up he didn't want anything to do with God or religion based on things he experienced at home & at church. As a teenager he ends up joinin a gang. During this time his pa...

On this episode I am proud to feature my wife, Ann Calvillo' s, very own podcast, "Her Scars Tell A Story." The mission behind her podcast is to provide a platform for ordinary women from different cultures, all ages and backgrounds to share their stories of how their scars point to Jesus. She started her podcast back in November of 2022 and this is her latest release. In this episo...

This podcast episode is a tribute to our mothers. I was able to record a bunch of men, some who had been on the podcast previously and some that will be on here in the near future. They each share a brief message about what their mothers & wife's mean to them. We thank God for all you beautiful, strong, loving, nurturing, compassionate, and caring women that have helped shape us and mold...

I was at a Men's conference hosted by "Come Alive Family Church" this weekend at "Miracle Camp" out in Lawton, Michigan. Three men from my church along with my son and I attended this conference. I was asked by Pastor Indio to share a word. This is the audio recording from the message I shared with the men in attendance. I pray that it blesses you. www.comealivefamilychurc...

In this Podcast I interview Pastor Mynor Vasquez from North Phoenix Baptist Church out in Phoenix, AZ. He shares how life was growing up in Guatemala. His father and mother leave to the United States in hopes for a better future and leave him and his little brother behind with his grandpa and grandma. After many years away his father returns and decides to bring them back to U.S. with him. There w...

In this podcast episode I interview rapper Cordell Paige. He shares what his childhood was like growing up in Joliet and also different Chicago neighborhoods like Englewood and Humboldt Park. He grew up in a  very strict faith based home and in the church but chose to go his own way as a teenager. His musical talent finds him going on tour with various rappers at young age and he finds himself dee...

Michael Buhrman finds himself behind bars after he and an accomplice commit an armed carjacking. He has an ankle monitoring device placed on him after posting bail. He cuts the device off and goes on the run from the law with his accomplice. After a few stops in different states, they make it into Mexico and then eventually find themselves in Caracas, Venezuela, living as international fugitives....

In this podcast episode I sit down with Pastor Jojo Gonzalez from "Ignite City Church" here in Chicago, IL. He shares what it was like growing up in Aurora, IL. back in the 80's and 90's when the gang and drug culture was at it's peak. Drinking and doing drugs was normalized all around him. He was able to stay out of the gangs but gets drawn into the drug dealing lifestyle...

In this podcast episode I interview Steve Richardson. He shares about his upbringing in a small country town in Macedonia, Ohio. He grew up having an alcoholic and abusive stepfather that his mom and siblings would need to escape from in the middle of the night to find a safe place to stay. He also experiences verbal abuse from his stepmother in the form humiliation. This builds up anger & res...