Prison Or Eship

Leslie Walton is the Entrepreneur Success Manager at Determination, Incorporated & the Founder of A Cents of Change where she empowers women to build a better relationship with their money. Leslie is a lifelong entrepreneur who loves helping other people reach their own definition of success. From her wide ranging life experiences, including getting her MBA & starting a catering business with food stamps, Leslie has identified the patterns of successful entrepreneurs that will help you no matter your starting point.  Today on the show you will learn how to make goal setting practical and enjoyable, why self discipline means freedom and not punishment, how to change your relationship with money from reactive to proactive, and whether or not you should talk about your criminal history at networking events.  Learn more about A Cents of Change and download Leslie’s free ebook “Mindful Spending: Aligning Your Financial Decisions with Your Values and Goals” at her website.  Own It is brought to you by Deter

Ricky Kidd spent 23 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. He lost his appeal 11 times before finally winning and regaining his freedom. During that time, he focused on getting “better, not bitter,” and learned how to not just survive, but to thrive in terrible circumstances. Today on the show, Ricky shares how he turned his resilient spirit into the five keys of resiliency that anyone can use to make it through difficult times: get anchored, get moving, find your energy, access perspective, and live selflessly.  These days, Ricky is an author, board member, and a national public speaker advocating for wrongfully convicted people across the U.S.. He trains prosecutors on how to avoid wrongful convictions as a criminal justice consultant and delivers resilience trainings for businesses and organizations. Learn more at www.resiliencemode.com. Own It is brought to you by Determination, Incorporated, a nonprofit in Kansas City, MO that helps formerly incarcerated people start and grow businesses. To learn

When Diamond Fuse got a felony at age 19, she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to make anything of her life. That is, until she learned how to take charge of her own destiny through the power of vision boards, positive affirmations, and manifestation. When she made her first vision board in 2012, she didn’t have enough money to fill up her gas tank. By 2016, Diamond owned her own home, had a college degree, and completed everything on her vision board. “I am abundant,” is one of Diamond’s go-to positive affirmations. In this episode, you’ll learn how to cultivate abundance in your own life by achieving goals through action planning and nurturing a positive mindset.  Diamond is the owner of Bizzy Babies, Kansas City’s #1 soft playground and bounce house rental company. Learn more at www.bizzybabies.com.  Own It is brought to you by Determination, Incorporated, a nonprofit in Kansas City, MO that helps formerly incarcerated people start and grow businesses. To learn more about our organization, and to join our vi

When Sarah Muntean started her first business All American Construction Contractors in 2013, she had recently been released from prison, she was homeless, and not many people in her life believed she could succeed. Through pure grit, and by staying humble and learning on her feet, Sarah grew her business year over year to hundreds of thousands in revenue and was able to hire many people in transition and recovery.  Today on the show, Sarah shares her advice for starting a successful business after prison. While she had to learn many lessons the hard way, you can avoid her missteps and build a strong foundation for your business by following her hard earned advice.   Connect with Sarah Muntean on LinkedIN.  Own It is brought to you by Determination, Incorporated, a nonprofit in Kansas City, MO that helps formerly incarcerated people start and grow businesses. To learn more about our organization, and to join our virtual Be the Boss Business Support group community for formerly incarcerated entrepreneurs, visit

"I've turned my pain into purpose." That's Latahra Smith, owner of Trinity First Aide & CPR Services and Executive Director of the KC Freedom Project. After being released from prison, Latahra had to overcome a lot of obstacles to heal relationships with her family, to reset her life with a renewed mindset, and to start her nonprofit and business. She has lost family members tragically and been mistreated by the criminal justice system, but she has persevered by staying true to her purpose of helping others and by trusting in God. Today's conversation is humbling, and Latahra will inspire you to make the most of your blessings and your pain.      Learn more about the KC Freedom Project on Facebook. 

On his podcast “Escaping the Odds,” Aaron Smith interviews second chance entrepreneurs who have started successful businesses after returning home from incarceration: https://anchor.fm/aaronesmith Aaron conceived of the show while he was spending nine years in prison for drug crimes. He was so impressed by the caliber of men that supported him through his journey, that he knew when he got home that he needed to share their stories with the world in hopes of helping others as they return home from prison.  Follow Aaron and Escaping the odds on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/escapingtheodds/) & Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/escapingtheoddspodcast/) 

Ricky Kidd is the founder of I am Resiliency, a speaker, an entrepreneur, and a recent exoneree in the state of Missouri. Ricky served 23 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Today he shares his story, and how he used that time to grow as a man, a leader, and an entrepreneur.  Learn more about Ricky's case and the Midwest Innocence Project: https://themip.org/clients/ricky-kidd/

Lamont Carey is an author and entrepreneur from D.C. who has been featured on HBO's Def Jam Poetry and the tv show The Wire. His journey to successful business owner started after prison when he realized that in order to dream big, he needed to do right by others and make his hustle legit.  Keep up with Lamont: https://www.lacareyenterprises.com/

Jabari Muhammad and his wife own FOI ETC. They sell fragrances, oils, and incense at stores and online, and are the creators of the Bari Butter. Jabari honed his entrepreneurial skills on the streets in KCMO, and became the upstanding business man he is today in prison.  Visit FOI ETC: http://www.foietc.com/

Welcome to Own It: Starting a Business After Prison, a podcast where we interview second chance entrepreneurs about what it really takes to start a business after prison. For the next season of the show, we will share the firsthand experiences of formerly incarcerated people who have started successful businesses. These episodes are called "Drafts," and will be rough and full of inspiration and education. Enjoy! Learn more: www.determinationincorporated.com

Paige Johnson is a successful entrepreneur in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the founder of the Gilded Sparrows Network. The team at Gilded Sparrows works with women with justice-involvement to help them create product-based businesses that are beautiful and profitable. https://gildedsparrows.org/ 

Marcus Bullock started a construction company when he got home from prison, and now he is the founder and CEO of Flikshop: www.flikshop.com   Marcus is the keynote speaker at the Rise Up, Get Started Entrepreneurship Celebration in Kansas City, MO, on Thursday, May 30, Kansas City’s first entrepreneurship competition for formerly incarcerated people, hosted by Determination, Incorporated. The Rise Up, Get Started Entrepreneurship Celebration, is free and open to the public, get your tickets now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rise-up-get-started-entrepreneurship-celebration-tickets-59699862897

Johnny Waller is exactly what this podcast is all about. After years of gang banging and time in prison, Johnny left the street life to pursue his education and stumbled into running a successful business. Today, he helps with violence reduction campaigns in Kansas City, Missouri and shares his story to inspire others to lead their best lives.

Sonja Skvarla is the founder of A Social Ignition, a prison entrepreneurship program in Portland, Oregon. www.asocialignition.com   A Social Ignition workshops focus on business feasibility and values-based decision making, while using entrepreneurship to bridge social networks. Business professionals come into the prisons to mentor, and often leave with their eyes opened as well.

Josh Munoz is the reentry manager with the Prison Entrepreneurship Program in Austin, Texas. Prison Entrepreneurship program, or PEP, is widely considered the gold standard in entrepreneurship programs for currently and formerly incarcerated people. https://www.pep.org/ Since 2004, PEP graduates have started 361 businesses and have a recidivism rate of just 7%. Josh is a graduate of the program, and joined the staff after leaving prison. His story is powerful, and the success of PEP will teach and inspire you to harness the power of formerly incarcerated people to adopt the entrepreneurial mindset and make the world a better, more prosperous place. Report on PEP: http://icic.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/ICIC_PEP-Impact-Analysis_final_post.pdf

Carl Brown is the program manager with The Fountain Fund in Charlottesville, Virginia. The Fountain Fund helps formerly incarcerated people by providing them with low interest loans that they can use to repay fees incurred during their involvement with the criminal justice system. https://www.fountainfund.org/ By helping them out with their immediate needs, The Fountain Fund can ensure that their clients have the necessary support from partner organizations and instill in them the entrepreneurial mindset so they can find their way to economic independence.

Bobby Clark is the founder and president of Sustainable Business Ventures in Lexington, Kentucky. Bobby helps people who are having a hard time getting a job find their way through entrepreneurship, with a particular focus on folks in rural communities and the formerly incarcerated. http://www.sbventures.org/

Amy Barch is the founder of Turning Leaf Project, a nonprofit in South Carolina that helps formerly incarcerated people change their attitudes, thinking and behavior using a cognitive behavioral intervention, a research-backed, evidence-based solution to helping people stay out of prison. https://www.turningleafproject.com/

Christine McDonald is the author of “Cry Purple”, her memoir, and “The Same Kind of Human” a book about “seeing the marginalized and exploited through the eyes of grace.” http://www.christinesvision.org/ The wisdom and insight Christine shares in “The Same Kind of Human” is hard-earned; she spent 17 years homeless and on the streets, where she was sex trafficked, addicted to drugs, and arrested more than 100 times alongside 7 stints in prison. When Christine decided to get clean, educated, and out of danger, it was not an easy journey. Today, she has dedicated her life to helping others break down the barriers imposed on them by themselves and society, and helps people harness the power of their entrepreneurial mindset and their story to make the world better and more just for all of us.

Emily Hunt Turner is the founder of All Square Restaurant and Institute, a social enterprise in Minneapolis, Minnesota that sells grilled cheese and empowers formerly incarcerated people by teaching them how to take charge of their own destinies through entrepreneurship and the study of law. https://www.allsquarempls.com/ Emily worked for the federal government in the Department of Housing and Urban Development before starting All Square. This conversation takes a deep dive into the obstacles facing people returning home from incarceration as they look for a place to live and opportunities to rebuild their lives and do good in the world.