I started writing “Blank Canvas, How I Reinvented My Life After Prison” in the Otisville Federal Prison library. I wrote 1M+ words over 6 years to arrive at the 52k words in the book. There were many lessons learned over those 6 years; here are 3 crucial ones: ✔️ Consistency…

The 1 thing I wish everyone knew about reinvention: There is no silver bullet, magic formula, or one size fits all. And anyone who tells you they’ve cracked it has cracked it for themselves. I’ve cracked it for myself; I transformed a prison sentence into my purpose. That was my…

Humans are hardwired to avoid and escape pain. As such, we seek the fastest, most efficient route to avoid and escape. We seek short-term fixes in lieu of long-term solutions and inner peace. When our lives are unfulfilling, when we know we’re not filling our full potential, when we ask…

There is no greater joy in life than the joy of creating something.” — ABHAY KUMAR I get to the kitchen early. I’m happy the other guys have not shown up yet. I have an idea: to try something, to do something for my friends. …

I love the work of Picasso. And I love any of his styles throughout his career, and I love that he is perhaps the poster child for reinvention. With a career that spanned 79 years and included success in painting, sculpting, ceramics, poetry, stage design, and writing, Picasso’s tendency to…

“Do you wish you were never were arrested by the FBI and that you never went to prison?” Inevitably this question comes up, whether it be at speaking gigs or podcast interviews. It’s a valid question and one that, for years, I struggled with. I wished for a long time…

To say the first few weeks of prison are shocking is an understatement. I was in a new world, desperately attempting to make sense of it. My life, as I knew it, was gone. My freedom which I realized I took for granted, gone. My identity, gone. I was asking…

We spend our lives chasing acceptance. We chase acceptance from our parents, friends, spouses, and society. We can’t help it; it’s how we’re wired. We’re tribal creatures, and acceptance means survival. We chase externals to achieve the acceptance we desire because this is what we believe we need to do. …

I’m working on my second book, which I have been working on for the past year, and change. I catch flack from people in my life that I take too long to write a book that the odds are against it becoming a massive best-seller that will provide a substantial…