Winning Minds

Dysfunction, violence, danger, drugs, tragedy, and instability in almost every area of life… …AND THAT WAS JUST DURING THE FIRST 12 YEARS OF HIS LIFE!! How does anyone rebound from that? How does someone not only just HOPE to make it out, but even beyond hoping, how does someone actually DO IT?!? All I can say is, buckle up, and get ready to listen to Jeremiah Sims tell you about his life… and how...

This is a special feature "presentation" but really can be considered part 3 of Alvin Smith's episodes (Make sure you listen to the first two. Did somebody say Trilogy!?). This episode is dedicated to his charity organization, Into-Africa , and the goal is that you would listen and realize you can change. Things in your life can change. Your LIFE can be BETTER if you are willing to think different...

The goal of Winning Minds is to challenge the way we think, and to offer perhaps a new way of thinking which leads to better living. One of the key people who led me to start this podcast, although indirectly, was Alvin Smith. He was raised in Athens, GA and now is an associate pastor of Door Church in Tucson, AZ and is the Founder and Director of Into-Africa ministries. This episode is part 2 of...

At 26 years of age, he and his wife moved to the poorest nation in the world: no running water, no electricity…in his own words, he describes it as “overwhelming poverty.” But what he and his wife started now reaches not only people all over Sierra Leone, but 14 other African nations, and can even be found in Europe. How does that happen? In this podcast, Alvin Smith speaks about how being creativ...

" Where are the men? " This was the cry of Michael Thurmond as he stood before a crowd of a few hundred people in the sweltering sun of a June afternoon in Gainesville, GA. They all came to discuss and rally together to dedicate themselves to fixing, not the problems of the world, not the problems of America, but the problems within their own community. And when Mike began to speak, he spoke with...

In a society where we are more connected than ever… well, at least we thought we were until social distancing and quarantining showed us that we need more than 4G and 5G friends. We need real relationships. In this episode, I’m speaking with Isaac Owolabi –  engineer, entrepreneur, husband, dad… friend… who has lived all over the US and not only “been there, done that, got the t-shirt”, but a...

It was a Wednesday night, 9 years ago that he found himself on the run from the law, lonely and broken… and that night, at 21 years of age, he chose to change. The man he tried to become since he was 17 was not the man he wanted to be anymore. In this episode, Joe Hernandez shares how the wrong idea and example of what a man is took him to a dark and dangerous place. But he has changed now and end...

This is part 2 of the two-part series with Ashton Cheeks. In this episode Fred and Ashton dive into the lessons Ashton learned, and how he has changed the way he thinks about habits and discipline. He tells us how disciplined thinking is not emotional, and also by applying disciplined habits you can transform areas of yourself you are not confident in. You can follow Ashton on Instagram @ashton_de...

Meet Entre-believer, Ashton Cheeks: broken dreams didn’t break him, and tough luck didn’t leave him down on his luck thanks to his never-quit attitude. But just like he needed more than dreams, he needed more than attitude. Ashton is now WINNING because he’s learned the value of good habits and daily, practical discipline. In part 1 of this 2 part series, he tells us how life and his mentor taught...

This is part 2 of my conversation with Javy Gaona. If you haven’t heard part one, please go back and listen to it first so you can understand and appreciate all that Javy has to say here. In this episode we discuss more of his life, and particularly, the challenge of asking for help . If you think you need help, if you want help, I encourage you to ask for it, look for it, and do not stop until yo...

When he was 13 years old, the healthy, happy life he lived was turned upside down and within a few years became, as he describes it, reckless. In this episode I talk with Javy Gaona about his tumultuous middle and high school years, and what that led to after high school.  But now he is winning, thanks to a critical decision and a new way of looking at accountability and responsibility. *Cred...

On this episode you going to hear a man who not only made difficult changes while suffering painful criticism, but also a man whose heart is large and humble. Hurl said, “The very same people who were putting me down and talking about me began to call me up and say, ‘Tell me what you did…I want to change my life.’” He also points out personal responsibility, saying, “I had to make some decisions....

This is part 2 of a two part series with Cedrick Paschal, a black man raised and still living in Athens, GA. This episode we get into more of his story and specifically how he has been able to succeed and WIN in the sensitive and difficult area of race-relations. I understand this is not everyone’s story, but I believe his in particular is very powerful and enlightening, and I hope it is useful to...

Did you ever hear the story about the baby born in Bethlehem whose family had to move because of potential threats against his life? No, I’m not talking about Jesus. This is actually how Cedrick Paschal’s life began. Join us on this episode, part 1 of a two part series about his life, and how he, as a black man, has been able to WIN in the sensitive and difficult area of race-relations. I understa...

From age 16 until age 19, his life experience went from a young man in a happy home to a broken home, to a crime statistic. But now he is happily married with children and becoming a powerful, positive influence in his community. A big part of Gelson learning to WIN in life was realizing the value of authority and discipline, love and affirmation, and deciding who he should trust to be a healthy r...