Sunday, April 6 through Saturday, April 11, 2015
Sunday, April 5 (Easter)
In the morning I worked at my office preparing podcasts. I now have podcasts ready recorded for the next 10 days. I still must write the show notes and prepare the podcasts for publishing. I’d like to get to the point where I stay ahead of the game by more than 30 podcasts. At this stage, I need to focus on creating the systems that will allow me to scale and grow. A lot of work ahead, which is why I continue devoting long hours, seven days a week to the effort. Since today was Easter, however, I left my office after only nine hours so that I could enjoy Easter Dinner with my mom, my grandma, my sister, and my niece. Unfortunately, Carole could not join us because she was at the hospital working.
Monday, April 6 (CSULB—Christine Hayward-Scott)
Today I visited a criminal justice at Long Beach State University. I have a history with that university because one of my earlier mentors, Dr. Sam Torres, used to lead the criminal justice department there. I’ve written a great deal about Dr. Torres. He retired from U.S. Probation and then he began a second career teaching at Cal. State. He has since retired, but Carole and I have visited with him and his wife in Orange County. Today I visited with Professor Christine Hayward-Scott. We sit on an advisory council together for the Robina Institute at the University of Minnesota Law School. When we met last fall, she asked if I would visit her class to address her students. I happily shared my story with them and I also invited them to learn more by listening to the Earning Freedom podcast.
Tuesday, April 7 (Andres Idarraga)
I was happy to complete an interview today with an inspiring figure, Andres Idarraga. Whenever I speak with someone who overcomes imprisonment to build a successful career, I feel as though I have a new resource. People like Andres demonstrate that anyone can reach any level he or she chooses so long as the individual is ready and willing to invest the effort. Following six years in prison, Andres persuaded Brown University to admit him. Then he persuaded Yale Law School to admit him. Now Andres is a practicing lawyer in the state of Florida and he specializes in complex litigation, representing some of the world’s largest companies. It’s an incredibly impressive and inspiring story of a man who makes a commitment to pursuing excellence.
Wednesday, April 8 (Rachel Rofe)
Rachel Rofe, a woman I described as the Queen of Internet Marketing was a guest on the Earning Freedom podcast today. An unhappy career as a clerk in a large department store led Rachel to make some changes. She told our audience on Earning Freedom that rather than complaining, she purchased a book that would teach her a new skill. The book Rachel purchased led to the beginning of her new career as an Internet marketer. That decision changed her life. Her website at RachelRofe.com has led to her earning millions in revenues, sometimes approaching $100,000 per month. She’s an inspiration to anyone who faces challenges in society. Rather than complaining about current circumstances, visualize something better. Create a plan. Then take action. That’s discipline led Rachel to earning more freedom.
Thursday, April 9 (Oakland Limo)
I traveled from Orange County to Oakland today. The city of Santa Rosa retained me to deliver the Keynote speech at a conference called Incarceration to Transformation. The all-day affair will take place tomorrow. When I left the terminal, I met James Jones. He wore a black suit and he was holding a sign with my name on it. The city of Santa Rosa sent a limo driver to pick me up. That was awesome. On the long drive to Santa Rosa, James and I had a wonderful discussion. It turned out that he, too, served time in prison. Fortunately, James made a transformation. I asked whether I could share his story on the Earning Freedom podcast and he agreed. While we drove through the beautiful wine country of Sonoma County, I held a microphone and interviewed James about his remarkable story. I’ll feature his story on an upcoming Earning Freedom episode.
Friday, April 10 (Incarceration to Transformation)
By my count, more than 200 people attended the Incarceration to Transformation in Santa Rosa today. The attendees came from 31 different counties across the state. The mayor of Santa Rosa opened the seminar. Then we heard from a variety of municipal officials, including members of the city council, the police chief, professors from UC Hastings Law School, representatives from the CDCR and other state agencies, the district attorney from Sonoma County, and other community leaders. I am impressed with the number of officials that now recognize how crucial it is to begin this collaborate dialogues. During my presentation, I spoke about my journey through a 45-year prison term and I spoke about the innovative project that I’ve begun called the Earning Freedom podcast. I’m very excited to launch this initiative.
Saturday, April 11 (Lee Nobmann):
My close friend Lee Nobmann picked me up at the hotel after the conference last night and we went to a great steakhouse in Santa Rosa. It reminded me of the famous Metropolitan Bar and Grill in Seattle. After dinner, I returned to Lee’s house in Petaluma. Staying there brought back some great memories. When I was on home confinement, Carole and I stayed in Lee’s guesthouse. It was the first time we were able to live together, despite being married for longer than 10 years. This morning I woke early and went for a run to the house that we purchased together within weeks of my release from prison. Seeing Lee and running in Petaluma was a great way to bring an end to a memorable trip. I’m at the Oakland airport as I type this entry, ready to return home to Orange County.
Libsyn downloads as of 7:00 pm, Saturday, March 28: 1,283
Libsyn downloads as of 7:00 pm, Saturday, April 4: 2,564
Libsyn downloads as of 3:00 pm, Saturday, April 11: 4,292
Weekly change: +1,728
Miles for week: 7.82
Miles for month: 14.05
Miles run for year: 260.23
Weight: 166.5