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Would you rather fight 1 horse sized duck or 100 duck sized horses?

  • 1 horse sized duck

    Votes: 4 36.4%
  • 100 duck sized horses

    Votes: 7 63.6%

  • Total voters
    11

Tom Webster

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Hello everyone,
My name is Tom Webster. I'm from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. I'm 23 years old. I am a former correctional officer (thank god)! I have read MFL and I'm halfway through unscripted. Both of which are fantastic. MFL and Tony Robbins Awaken the Giant were two huge contributing factors to me quitting my job as a correctional officer. I look forward to speaking with everyone!
 
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Locomote

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Thank you for welcoming me and the quick response! What line of work are you in? Or maybe retired via fastlane??

I wish, as my profile photo suggests I'm still a work in progress. I'm currently self employed trying to get my software as a service up and running. My progress thread is here, Progress Thread - Creating an SaaS startup without being able to code.

Not sure how familiar you are with the fastlane forum but a good place to start is reading the gold threads. Now that you've quit your job what are you hoping to do?
 
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MJ DeMarco

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Welcome Tom. Correctional officer eh? Any good stories?
 

InspireHD

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Welcome, Tom. You stated you quit as a Correctional Officer. Were there specific reasons that you quit or did you transition to something else? I am sort of in the same boat (similar careers), but I haven't cut the cord yet until I can figure out a solution.
 
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Tom Webster

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I wish, as my profile photo suggests I'm still a work in progress. I'm currently self employed trying to get my software as a service up and running. My progress thread is here, Progress Thread - Creating an SaaS startup without being able to code.

Not sure how familiar you are with the fastlane forum but a good place to start is reading the gold threads. Now that you've quit your job what are you hoping to do?
That sounds awesome! I am starting to familiarize myself with the forum. And I have checked out the gold threads. So thank you for that.
I wish you well on your journey!
 

Tom Webster

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Welcome Tom. Correctional officer eh? Any good stories?
Thank you MJ! I do have many stories of the dreaded place. One particularly funny one sticks out in my mind that I won't forget.
It was my very first night on the job. I was quite intimidated to be honest. My job was to supervise a unit of 75 men. The whole day went really well. Lockup for bed was at 9:20. At that time inmates return to the cells for a standing head count. One inmate refused and began yelling obscenities. I called support AKA the "oh shit" button and officers run to the unit within 30 seconds. Upon arrival they wielded pepper spray. The inmate was then dragged out kicking and screaming. By time the officers left, the whole unit of inmates were loving the action. They were hooting and hollering whilst banging on cell doors. I stood in center of the unit and yelled "are you not entertained?! Is this not why you are here?" (For those that have seen gladiator lol). This support call was supposed to be a serious moment and realized after that I shouldn't have done it lol. However, the whole unit erupted with laughter. I told them to now stfu and go to sleep. From that day on until I left the job I got more respect than I ever thought I would have!
 

Tom Webster

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Welcome, Tom. You stated you quit as a Correctional Officer. Were there specific reasons that you quit or did you transition to something else? I am sort of in the same boat (similar careers), but I haven't cut the cord yet until I can figure out a solution.
Thank you for the welcoming! I had many reason so I apologize if it gets lengthy.
After I graduated college with a degree in criminal justice, the correctional officer job was the first stop for me. I ultimately wanted to be a state trooper.
During college there was always that "something" as MJ calls it. I felt like I'd already spent too much money so I finished the degree hoping to enjoy law enforcement.
Once I started, everything felt wrong. I was working 60+ hours a week, no benefits, and horrible pay. There were also ethical issues with the job that also compelled me to come up with a solution...fast. All in all I spent a year in the jail.
I began to read books(first time I'd ever done that) on night shift because that was the only thing to do. I read Tony Robbins Awaken the Giant and The Millionaire Fastlane. These two books completely changed my life and perspective. I began to take action
While still working as a CO, I started my own business! I saw a need for healthy alternatives in jail commissaries. The food inmates get is absolute dogshit. So I created a company that has healthier food product alternatives.
At the same time, my dad offered me a job at his company Webster's Fitness Products in Pittsburgh, PA. So my day job is commercial fitness equipment sales. And my nutritional business is something I work on at nights to grow nationally. I hope I have answered some questions!
What is holding you back? Any ideas for the fastlane? I look forward to your reply on this thread!
 
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Aaron T

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Welcome aboard Tom!

I look forward to your progress down the Fastlane of life! You seem to be taking the bold steps it takes to move int he right direction. I imagine that it is still less scary than being a CO. I don't think I could even do something like that.
 

sparechange

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welcome, what are your plans?

always thought a job like that is very toxic for the mind, constantly around negative people etc.

random funny story, went to visit a friend in jail... they put me in the transfer cell or whatever its called and i grab the bars and start screaming LET ME OUT (as a joke)

guard didnt find it to funny and kicked me OUT of jail... i might be the only person in the world that has been forced to leave a jail! ha!
 

InspireHD

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Thank you for the welcoming! I had many reason so I apologize if it gets lengthy.
After I graduated college with a degree in criminal justice, the correctional officer job was the first stop for me. I ultimately wanted to be a state trooper.
During college there was always that "something" as MJ calls it. I felt like I'd already spent too much money so I finished the degree hoping to enjoy law enforcement.
Once I started, everything felt wrong. I was working 60+ hours a week, no benefits, and horrible pay. There were also ethical issues with the job that also compelled me to come up with a solution...fast. All in all I spent a year in the jail.
I began to read books(first time I'd ever done that) on night shift because that was the only thing to do. I read Tony Robbins Awaken the Giant and The Millionaire Fastlane. These two books completely changed my life and perspective. I began to take action
While still working as a CO, I started my own business! I saw a need for healthy alternatives in jail commissaries. The food inmates get is absolute dogshit. So I created a company that has healthier food product alternatives.
At the same time, my dad offered me a job at his company Webster's Fitness Products in Pittsburgh, PA. So my day job is commercial fitness equipment sales. And my nutritional business is something I work on at nights to grow nationally. I hope I have answered some questions!
What is holding you back? Any ideas for the fastlane? I look forward to your reply on this thread!

Thanks for replying. Would you mind expanding on those ethical issues? If you don't feel comfortable putting them out here, please PM me!

Awaken The Giant Within is definitely a great book. I borrowed it from the library and then bought it off Amazon after a few chapters. I want to read it again!

The thing holding me back right now is that I get a lot of time off, good benefits, and great pay. I guess it's the opposite of what you experienced. The ethical and value issues are there for me as well, but it's hard to give up what I currently have because it's "paying the bills" and getting me by after just getting married and have a child on the way. I'm probably doing everything against what is recommended to gain momentum, but I'm trying to balance that right now. I don't have a second source of income.

I'm building a govt contracting business right now and things have been slow so the sales/income aren't there yet. I'm trying to build it up, but I've had a lot of things I needed to learn that have kept things slow in the beginning. There are other things I think about, but generally trying to focus on this one business. I'm not seeing a way out yet, though, and that's been hard to accept when I'm struggling with the job I currently do.
 
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Tom Webster

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Welcome aboard Tom!

I look forward to your progress down the Fastlane of life! You seem to be taking the bold steps it takes to move int he right direction. I imagine that it is still less scary than being a CO. I don't think I could even do something like that.
Thank you Aaron!
 

Tom Webster

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welcome, what are your plans?

always thought a job like that is very toxic for the mind, constantly around negative people etc.

random funny story, went to visit a friend in jail... they put me in the transfer cell or whatever its called and i grab the bars and start screaming LET ME OUT (as a joke)

guard didnt find it to funny and kicked me OUT of jail... i might be the only person in the world that has been forced to leave a jail! ha!
That is funny! My plan is to grow my business working with prison commissaries all over the country. All the while working a day job.
But yes you are correct. The negativity was extreme. Grey clouds hover over everyone's head. Which I brought on by their own negativity. The divorce rate is incredibly high. Also, health and fitness don't exist in a correctional facility. Mountain dew and a pack of cigarettes was breakfast for many of my fellow employees...
 

Tom Webster

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I look forward to hearing from you! Good things always come from people with the fastlane mindset.
I always feel kind of weird because I have a completely different perspective from mostly everyone I meet. So this is why after reading TMF, And being halfway through Unscripted, I decided to join the forum!
 

millerad

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I always feel kind of weird because I have a completely different perspective from mostly everyone I meet. So this is why after reading TMF, And being halfway through Unscripted, I decided to join the forum!
I read the TMF for the first time 3 years ago and loved it. I was stuck in shitty restaurant jobs working and going to school full time. 6 Months ago I got my first desk job and started to have some free time to work on my own projects. We are getting ready to launch this year! TMF and Unscripted truly changed my life, albeit not right away.
 

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Thank you MJ! I do have many stories of the dreaded place. One particularly funny one sticks out in my mind that I won't forget.
It was my very first night on the job. I was quite intimidated to be honest. My job was to supervise a unit of 75 men. The whole day went really well. Lockup for bed was at 9:20. At that time inmates return to the cells for a standing head count. One inmate refused and began yelling obscenities. I called support AKA the "oh shit" button and officers run to the unit within 30 seconds. Upon arrival they wielded pepper spray. The inmate was then dragged out kicking and screaming. By time the officers left, the whole unit of inmates were loving the action. They were hooting and hollering whilst banging on cell doors. I stood in center of the unit and yelled "are you not entertained?! Is this not why you are here?" (For those that have seen gladiator lol). This support call was supposed to be a serious moment and realized after that I shouldn't have done it lol. However, the whole unit erupted with laughter. I told them to now stfu and go to sleep. From that day on until I left the job I got more respect than I ever thought I would have!
Rep+ for good action taken.
Prisoners need some humour in view of their confinement. Too much hostility can build up on the already existing emotional tension.

I'm surprised they still understood and loved the gladiator joke. I had expected them to be much more rabid. I guess not all the lights have went out in them....
 

Tom Webster

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I read the TMF for the first time 3 years ago and loved it. I was stuck in shitty restaurant jobs working and going to school full time. 6 Months ago I got my first desk job and started to have some free time to work on my own projects. We are getting ready to launch this year! TMF and Unscripted truly changed my life, albeit not right away.
Changed my life completely as well. Acted as a catalyst and forced me to take action!
 

Tom Webster

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Rep+ for good action taken.
Prisoners need some humour in view of their confinement. Too much hostility can build up on the already existing emotional tension.

I'm surprised they still understood and loved the gladiator joke. I had expected them to be much more rabid. I guess not all the lights have went out in them....
It was quite funny. Humour definitely made things better for myself and the inmates. I had to find a middle ground. Too soft and they'll walk all over you. Too authoritarian and they'll rebel.
 

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