Nightmare Success In and Out

Could a family picture while you were in the hole in prison change your life at your rock bottom moment? It did for Mike Flaherty. Mike had been living life on the edge for years. He had a good job in the real estate world, but his personal life was anything but normal. Staying out all night, drinking, drugs, partying, with multiple DWI's years of being on probation... then ending in a crazy car c...

How would a multi-million dollar sale of your healthcare company, before you are 30, begin a nightmare? Branden Coluccio was known as the boy wonder making deals in the investment banking world. He grew up in an entrepreneur family. Branden idolized his successful Dad. Branden carried the chip on his shoulder to show his dad that he could even be a bigger success. A client came to Branden with an...

Could an unexpected person show up at your rock bottom moment and change your life? Brian Dion Williams had just been arrested and he felt as alone as he had ever felt. He decided it was time to end it all. A guard knocks on his prison cell door to tell him he had a visitor. When he entered the room, it was a nice lady he barely knew, but she was following the news and felt she wanted to help. Bri...

Staff writer, Evan Osnos, for the New Yorker Magazine described my guest Jeff Grant this way, "Jeff Grant is the real deal; he's candid and generous with his wisdom. I can't imagine there is a lawyer in the country more qualified to consider the complex issues facing people prosecuted for white collar crimes and their families." Incredible quote and could not be more true. Jeff was a high flying s...

What would you do if person put you in a choke hold inside your home and said they were going to kill you? This is after two or three drinks and it is the guy your wife has just broken up with to come back to you? Wow! Chip Williamson pulled his gun from his hip and shot the man in defense. He was charged with murder. Chip is an incredible storyteller that leads us through this maze of the system...

Would you give up on yourself if you were sent back to prison a second time after you had committed to never going back? My guest, Danny Mitchell, shares a messy inspiring story of childhood heartbreak, to crime and addiction, to juvenile detention then adult prison, to finally breaking free to live his best life. Danny now has his own successful business, along with being a successful singer/rapp...

Would you give up on a 16 year old kid for life? The Judge gave Bobby Bostic a sentence of 241 years in prison without the possibility for parole until he was 112 years old. Bobby was an accomplice in two armed robberies. Judge Evelyn Baker sentenced him to die in prison without giving him an official life sentence. If he had been given a life sentence he would have been eligible for parole after...

Have you ever felt the imposter syndrome? I am not good enough, or I don't deserve to be here. Darrin Landes struggled with that thought. He grew up a middle class kid going to a private high school playing sports. He had the big shadow of his dad who had played professional baseball. Darrin felt whatever he did wasn't good enough. Surprisingly, he was having this insecurity while he was having bu...

Do you like real life redemption stories? Well, Kyle Chiaponne has lived to tell one. A fight happens in the parking lot, and then there is a car chase. Chiaponne steps out of the car, and fires shots in the air and a few more in the direction of the man he is fighting with. Kyle is charged with aggravated assault and attempted second degree murder. He is sentenced to 10 years in a high level secu...

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 despa...

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 ow...

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...

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...

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 l...

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 pe...

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...

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 bei...

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 place...

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 desperat...

Can you get  sentenced to over 10 years in Federal Prison for selling bath salts? Yes, Justin Smith was one of the largest suppliers out of Florida. These bath salts mimicked the effects of cannabis and ecstasy. HIs attorney warned him that he was walking down a dangerous path even though it was not a scheduled drug. Justin had become intoxicated by the ocean of money that allowed him all the mate...

What would it be like to survive 4 years in a Mexican prison? JC Almanza did a lot of time at several different prisons. He grew up on the hard streets of the southside of Chicago. The way JC tells his stories it feels like you have stepped into a movie of his mind in a place you probably have never been. Since JC got out of prison 6 years ago, he has created a movement "Wrong to Strong." He has o...

Could a guy go from an inmate at Leavenworth to the Mayor of Leavenworth? Yes, Jermaine Wilson is that man! This incredible story has been on Good Morning America, The Sunday CBS Morning Show, and others. Jermaine grew up in Leavenworth. He lived in a tough neighborhood and ran with a tough gang of people dealing in drugs and mischief. Jermaine became a leader in that world. He eventually was sent...

Could you have survived being put in a psych ward at 9 years old? Zach Babcock not only survived that but has become a big success with Empowerment Underdog Podcast and Speaking. Zach's dad died when he was 7 years old. He had a hard time with that and was constantly told he was not good enough and couldn't focus on tasks. This low self esteem led him in out of trouble with the law. When he was ta...

How did the Country Boy from Thayer Missouri eventually sell a bank for half billion dollars and eventually go to prison? Shaun Hayes had a persistent goal in his mind growing up...he wanted to be a millionaire. He bought his first bank at 29. He was the CEO of a big bank at 32, and running a public company by 35. At 44, he sold Allegiant Bank to National City for half a billion dollars. Eventuall...

How many times can you get knocked down and get back up? Shane Spurgeon has had a life of falling down and finding the grit to stand back up and take another step to the right path. So much of Shane's life was locked into the wrong mindset believing he was not good enough. He believed he didn't deserve  something good if it happened to him. Shane's story is raw, authentic, and vulnerable. Just whe...