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From Prison to Prosperity [6 Months - 6 Figures]

A detailed account of a Fastlane process...

Christian McGhee

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As I stood across from the judge, facing 5 years in prison - I knew... that this moment would define me for the rest of my life.

I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me take you back a year:

December 12th 2014:
I've been on the run for about two weeks, and honestly, I've probably had less than 24 hours of sleep during that time. I'm currently at the height of a drug addiction. What started out "innocently" enough 7 years ago; selling weed in my city to make some extra cash when I was 16, has now speed balled (no pun intended) into a lifestyle of pill popping, cocaine snorting, drug dealing induced frenzy.

I exit a Burger King; moments earlier I had just partaken in a feast that contained an amount of drugs fit for a person with a death wish.

As my girlfriend pulled up, I noticed that her was jaw shaking as if it had just participated in the Soul Train, doing the electric slide. Something screamed, "Dont get in the car!!"

But the idea of a bed and a soulless body cuddled up next to me seemed appealing.

me-on-my-way-to-make-bad-decisions-14533933.png


This night was destined to end as quickly as it had started.

Moments later, our car was pulled over. The officer asks for our names. I provided him with the name of a person I had made up in my imagination. 2 Minutes later, we are surrounded by 9 police cars.

PAUSE

If you've made it this far, I really appreciate you. It's extremely hard to talk about this, but I think between my successes and hardships, there are jewels to be gained.

Fast forward a little bit. I'm now rocking one of those ultra rare, sleek, and modern onesie outfits that only the super privileged and most deserving are allowed to wear.

I'm waiting in the interview room to speak with one of those fancy public defenders. She walks in and says a couple indistinguishable words and begins to walk a way. I call out for her and ask her to sit down.

I say, "Hey, we need figure this out. whats going to happen to me?"
She replies, "Mr.McGhee, you escaped from parole, and committed more crimes during your escape. Your going to prison. There's no other alternative."

I return to my cell where my room mate was just taken a shit. As im locked behind the door, using my blanket to shield me from the smell of soy and ramen soup mixed with many years of bad nutrition.

I quietly come up with an idea that would forever change the direction of my life.

Everything thus far had been my choice. You see it didn't matter if my dad had abandoned me at birth, or that I had been picked on and beaten up as a kid. It didn't matter that I had been in and out of the judicial system for going on 10 years, or that I had went to prison at age 18.

None of that mattered. I planted a great seed that day, and oh did that muthafucka grow.

At that point, I'm thinking, we'll if my lawyer is guaranteeing that I'm going to prison then why do I have her. So I made one of the scariest decisions of my life.

I fired her.

I remember the judge looking at me as if I was OUT OF MY MIND.
They are required to ask you a set of questions, the conversation with something like this:
Are you a lawyer:
No.
Do you know how the law works:
No.
Whats your highest level of education:
GED
Are you sane:
Yeah.

How does a person who was no lawyer experience go to battle on his own behalf?
I had no clue at the time, but I did have one thing going for me....
I had a lot of time.

I'm highly successful. Why? Because up to this point I had gotten everything that I had asked for. I asked for the life I had, and even though many would argue that my current situation wasn't "success", I believed otherwise. My life was a culmination of every decision that I had made thus far. I was successful at making the decisions that I wanted. No one made decisions for me.

So if I wanted to change my life I had to make different decisions, and the difference between these two decisions would decide if I would do 5 years in prison, or gain my FREEDOM.

I'm going to add to this thread, and finish this story. In it, I believe contain the habits of success, and whenever I feel down or unmotivated, I always refer back to it.
You see I'm not confident in my communication skills, my programming skills, or my business skills.

I'm confident in my ability to find a solution and get things done no matter the situation.

Thats my value. There will always be someone smarter, faster, prettier, and richer than me. But my ability to find a solution is where I shine.

The bounty of riches, success, happiness, etc are all steadily waiting for the person that will find the solution to attain it.

The value I will create in this thread are as follows:
  • Ideas for money making ventures
  • Steps to identify opportunities
  • Insights on how to exploit these opportunities
  • RESULTS

All of this will be based off my experiences, and I hope to be able to bounce ideas for your personal experience.

I'm not telling you that I'll make 1 mill in 6 months. I do believe though that I am always one conversation, offering value to the right person, and/or one action away from 1 mill. I am always on its doorstep. I think that everyone should have that confidence in themselves.

Hopefully my story will inspire you to take action. I feel as if I can do it, then anyone can!

Lastly I may not be able to tell you the exact steps to reach your goals, but I can tell you pretty confidently what not to do! And from that I believe you can use it to actually get what you want.

Feel free to talk about your stories and what you've been through! I'd love to discuss how you've triumphed over tribulation.
 
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Kak

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As I stood across from the judge, facing 5 years in prison - I knew... that this moment would define me for the rest of my life.

I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me take you back a year:

December 12th 2014:
I've been on the run for about two weeks, and honestly, I've probably had less than 24 hours of sleep during that time. I'm currently at the height of a drug addiction. What started out "innocently" enough 7 years ago; selling weed in my city to make some extra cash when I was 16, has now speed balled (no pun intended) into a lifestyle of pill popping, cocaine snorting, drug dealing induced frenzy.

I exit a Burger King; moments earlier I had just partaken in a feast that contained an amount of drugs fit for a person with a death wish.

As my girlfriend pulled up, I noticed that her was jaw shaking as if it had just participated in the Soul Train, doing the electric slide. Something screamed, "Dont get in the car!!"

But the idea of a bed and a soulless body cuddled up next to me seemed appealing.

me-on-my-way-to-make-bad-decisions-14533933.png


This night was destined to end as quickly as it had started.

Moments later, our car was pulled over. The officer asks for our names. I provided him with the name of a person I had made up in my imagination. 2 Minutes later, we are surrounded by 9 police cars.

PAUSE

If you've made it this far, I really appreciate you. It's extremely hard to talk about this, but I think between my successes and hardships, there are jewels to be gained.

Fast forward a little bit. I'm now rocking one of those ultra rare, sleek, and modern onesie outfits that only the super privileged and most deserving are allowed to wear.

I'm waiting in the interview room to speak with one of those fancy public defenders. She walks in and says a couple indistinguishable words and begins to walk a way. I call out for her and ask her to sit down.

I say, "Hey, we need figure this out. whats going to happen to me?"
She replies, "Mr.McGhee, you escaped from parole, and committed more crimes during your escape. Your going to prison. There's no other alternative."

I return to my cell where my room mate was just taken a sh*t. As im locked behind the door, using my blanket to shield me from the smell of soy and ramen soup mixed with many years of bad nutrition.

I quietly come up with an idea that would forever change the direction of my life.

Everything thus far had been my choice. You see it didn't matter if my dad had abandoned me at birth, or that I had been picked on and beaten up as a kid. It didn't matter that I had been in and out of the judicial system for going on 10 years, or that I had went to prison at age 18.

None of that mattered. I planted a great seed that day, and oh did that muthafucka grow.

At that point, I'm thinking, we'll if my lawyer is guaranteeing that I'm going to prison then why do I have her. So I made one of the scariest decisions of my life.

I fired her.

I remember the judge looking at me as if I was OUT OF MY MIND.
They are required to ask you a set of questions, the conversation with something like this:
Are you a lawyer:
No.
Do you know how the law works:
No.
Whats your highest level of education:
GED
Are you sane:
Yeah.

How does a person who was no lawyer experience go to battle on his own behalf?
I had no clue at the time, but I did have one thing going for me....
I had a lot of time.

I'm highly successful. Why? Because up to this point I had gotten everything that I had asked for. I asked for the life I had, and even though many would argue that my current situation wasn't "success", I believed otherwise. My life was a culmination of every decision that I had made thus far. I was successful at making the decisions that I wanted. No one made decisions for me.

So if I wanted to change my life I had to make different decisions, and the difference between these two decisions would decide if I would do 5 years in prison, or gain my FREEDOM.

I'm going to add to this thread, and finish this story. In it, I believe contain the habits of success, and whenever I feel down or unmotivated, I always refer back to it.
You see I'm not confident in my communication skills, my programming skills, or my business skills.

I'm confident in my ability to find a solution and get things done no matter the situation.

Thats my value. There will always be someone smarter, faster, prettier, and richer than me. But my ability to find a solution is where I shine.

The bounty of riches, success, happiness, etc are all steadily waiting for the person that will find the solution to attain it.

The value I will create in this thread are as follows:
  • Ideas for money making ventures
  • Steps to identify opportunities
  • Insights on how to exploit these opportunities
  • RESULTS

All of this will be based off my experiences, and I hope to be able to bounce ideas for your personal experience.

I'm not telling you that I'll make 1 mill in 6 months. I do believe though that I am always one conversation, offering value to the right person, and/or one action away from 1 mill. I am always on its doorstep. I think that everyone should have that confidence in themselves.

Hopefully my story will inspire you to take action. I feel as if I can do it, then anyone can!

Lastly I may not be able to tell you the exact steps to reach your goals, but I can tell you pretty confidently what not to do! And from that I believe you can use it to actually get what you want.

Feel free to talk about your stories and what you've been through! I'd love to discuss how you've triumphed over tribulation.

Damn! You seem to have the right mindset. Certainly an internal locus of control.

I didn’t fully understand... are you out of prison? Are you going to prison? Did you avoid prison representing yourself?

What kind of businesses are you interested in?
 
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Christian McGhee

Bronze Contributor
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Jan 10, 2018
27
109
32
Colorado
Doing time is like being in a small microcosm, containing societies "rejects". Its the place where we throw our problems in a locked closet, and hope they don't find the roadmap out.

Here the law of attraction is more evident that ever. If you're black, you hang out with the blacks. If you are a gang member, you hang out with your gang.

Interesting fact:
67.8 percent of all inmates are rearrested within three years
. I could recite a bunch of statistics about incarceration rates, but I know you're probably not interested in that. The important part is that I was destined to fail prior to even starting.

WAIT
Jail is not so different from the "real world" as you may think.

Wait huh? Christian are you serious? There are murderers, rapist, and thieves in there.

I know... but give me a chance, I promise that the similarities will soon become more apparent.

____________________________________________________________________________
Here's how I leveraged the power of statistics to make new decisions. If I wanted better results, then I figured that I would need to do the opposite of what the other 67.8 percent of people did.

You have a couple options on how you can spend your time. Most fight or play card games like Pinochle and Spades. Others watch the news, committing inner suicide by focusing on a world that they are no longer a part of.

The first thing I did was apply for alternative housing, called "Transitions." In transitions you have classes throughout the day that ranged from yoga, art, psychology, thinking traps, etc.

They screen who they allow into the program, and you needed to have 60 days without any infractions. At the time there was also a huge wait list so I needed to figure something else out in the meantime.

Some people find Jesus during incarceration. Praying for a distant but present being to save them from the choices without any work required.

Sounds similar to those who fall prey to these business gurus huh?

Me, I found LexisNexis.

Heres what my bible looked like:
statutes.jpg


The law uses a bunch of terminology in which its definition can differ depending on the context.
To some, these books are so big and dense, that most are intimidated before even opening the first page.

I could, at that point, enlist the services of Joe Blow, aka the Jail House Lawyer, who gained his B.A from the university of Hard Knocks. Who, would for For the ripe price of 5 ramens, 2 honey buns, and 20 shots of coffee, would file all of my motions for me, and act as my advisory counsel.

Sounds familiar?

Remember, you want better results? Make better decisions.

Sorry Joe, this is all me.

So I dedicated my time to learning the in and outs of law in relation to my case. I studied EVERY DAY. I filled countless motions, I had no idea if they'd work, in fact I wouldn't be surprised if they never read my motions OR just tossed them out , but I was excited at the idea competing against the "big boys" with their prestigious degrees.

For me the decision was scary, but I look back now, and it made 100% sense.

I could do nothing, and go to prison.
OR I could TRY, and go to prison.
Didn't have much to lose right? But worse case scenario, I would learn from it.
And when you're in that situation, it was logical to take what you can get.

It wasn't easy.
A lot of studying, a lot of anger, a lot of loneliness.
People told me constantly:
Bro you should just go to prison, its way easier than jail. Better food, better facilities. Time goes by SO fast.

Sounds familiar?
How many of you have been told:
"You should just get a 9 to 5. Job security, 2 weeks of paid vacation, and the occasional company potluck! Oh boy!"
Or that your new business idea was to risky?

Anyway, I remember the first time I entered that court room representing myself. I was SO scared and nervous. I doubt anyone else could tell, but I was scared shitless!

I was the 10th person on the docket. So the entire time I watched the other lawyers, and memorized the terminology they used.

They called my name, and I walked to the bench. Good thing I was in my fresh pressed jail onsie, rocking a nice set of chains that would make Marc Jacobs look like an amateur.
chaingangap95112101533_1.jpg


The DA made his argument, and I responded with something that I hoped sounded intelligent.

I remember sitting back down, after my time was up. There was a lawyer talking to his client. He looked over at me, and said:

You did an amazing job.

I looked at him in disbelief.
I nodded my head, and thanked him.

The small things man!

I was given thirty days to come to a resolution with the DA.

More studying, more anger, more loneliness.
May 14th came around. That was a big day for me.
First it was my birthday. I was turning 23.
Secondly, I had a visit.
I sat down on my side of the glass, and to my surprise the DA enters into the room.
He has a big stack of files, drops it on the desk, and picks up the phone.
I pick up my phone.

He points to the large stack of files, and says:

Christian, what do you want me to do with all this?

Me:
If you give me ONE more chance, I promise you will never see me again. Today is my birthday, I'm 23. I've made a lot of mistakes, but this is different.

Long story short, We agreed to a deal of 4 years in the halfway house, with 1 year to be served consecutively, because of my new crimes.

The day the judge sentenced me, he said:
Mr. McGhee, I don't think that you are a bad person. I believe that you are smart and resourceful. This is your last opportunity. If I ever see you again, you will go to prison.

I was released November 27th 2015, after serving a year of incarceration.

The past 2.5 years have been intensely challenging and rewarding. I will be OFFICIALLY done on May 19th of this year; 4 days after my birthday.

You know the craziest thing about my experience?

I remember getting out, and thinking:

Man being free is so similar to being incarcerated.
We get up and we go to these jobs that we hate, and to kill time we watch tv or participate in mindless activities to "pass the time." We hate every moment of it, but we are so scared to venture out, our current situation seems like a better alternative.


Our chains although in some cases not physical, exist mentally, and is almost as bad as being chained physically, if not worse!

Then I read Unscripted and TMFL, and my life was changed once again!

I hope this resonates with you. Everything is authentic, and I hope through it, you find motivation to keep chasing your dreams!

Take Care.





 

JSM

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+1 to the compliments on your writing. That’s some good stuff. I also like your mindset on success and how you were successful because you made every decision for yourself. Rep+
 

Christian McGhee

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That either took balls or you've got a great start on copy-writing, or both.
:)

Thanks Jon.a. Appreciate the kind words.

Damn! You seem to have the right mindset. Certainly an internal locus of control.

I didn’t fully understand... are you out of prison? Are you going to prison? Did you avoid prison representing yourself?

What kind of businesses are you interested in?

Kak
Hopefully my latest post sheds some light on your first three questions.
When I got out, I enrolled in college, and tried that out for a couple semesters. The goal was Mechanical Engineering. Didn't work out, but It did reinforce the concept of personal and professional development. I just needed to find the right balance. Everything was new for me (still is) and I needed to focus on my foundation. I hadn't read TMFL yet, but I did get a job in print and advertising working in Customer Retention. I've been there for about two years. I've found some success in eccomerce, so thats kind of what I do as well. I did use my grant money to buy a recording studio and some camera equipment. I've been shooting videos for local businesses, and operating a music recording business after I get off. I'm lucky to live in an entrepreneurial type city, so I started a brand and a podcast, and I interview local entrepreneurs about their businesses. They tell me their problems, so I'm looking to to key into some major problems and use the techniques that TMFL and Unscripted highlight.

Go and Shine!

That's some good a$$ writing sir. Natural writing style? Learned? You may have a strong future in a business that involves some kind of story telling...

I'll be watching this.

TKDTyler
Thanks! I've been telling stories since I was a kid. A great skill for gaining backstage access to the principals office haha. Seriously, thank you for the kind words, and I'll def look into that!


Raoul Duke
Thanks!
 
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Kak

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Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
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Doing time is like being in a small microcosm, containing societies "rejects". Its the place where we throw our problems in a locked closet, and hope they don't find the roadmap out.

Here the law of attraction is more evident that ever. If you're black, you hang out with the blacks. If you are a gang member, you hang out with your gang.

Interesting fact:
67.8 percent of all inmates are rearrested within three years
. I could recite a bunch of statistics about incarceration rates, but I know you're probably not interested in that. The important part is that I was destined to fail prior to even starting.

WAIT
Jail is not so different from the "real world" as you may think.

Wait huh? Christian are you serious? There are murderers, rapist, and thieves in there.

I know... but give me a chance, I promise that the similarities will soon become more apparent.

____________________________________________________________________________
Here's how I leveraged the power of statistics to make new decisions. If I wanted better results, then I figured that I would need to do the opposite of what the other 67.8 percent of people did.

You have a couple options on how you can spend your time. Most fight or play card games like Pinochle and Spades. Others watch the news, committing inner suicide by focusing on a world that they are no longer a part of.

The first thing I did was apply for alternative housing, called "Transitions." In transitions you have classes throughout the day that ranged from yoga, art, psychology, thinking traps, etc.

They screen who they allow into the program, and you needed to have 60 days without any infractions. At the time there was also a huge wait list so I needed to figure something else out in the meantime.

Some people find Jesus during incarceration. Praying for a distant but present being to save them from the choices without any work required.

Sounds similar to those who fall prey to these business gurus huh?

Me, I found LexisNexis.

Heres what my bible looked like:
statutes.jpg


The law uses a bunch of terminology in which its definition can differ depending on the context.
To some, these books are so big and dense, that most are intimidated before even opening the first page.

I could, at that point, enlist the services of Joe Blow, aka the Jail House Lawyer, who gained his B.A from the university of Hard Knocks. Who, would for For the ripe price of 5 ramens, 2 honey buns, and 20 shots of coffee, would file all of my motions for me, and act as my advisory counsel.

Sounds familiar?

Remember, you want better results? Make better decisions.

Sorry Joe, this is all me.

So I dedicated my time to learning the in and outs of law in relation to my case. I studied EVERY DAY. I filled countless motions, I had no idea if they'd work, in fact I wouldn't be surprised if they never read my motions OR just tossed them out , but I was excited at the idea competing against the "big boys" with their prestigious degrees.

For me the decision was scary, but I look back now, and it made 100% sense.

I could do nothing, and go to prison.
OR I could TRY, and go to prison.
Didn't have much to lose right? But worse case scenario, I would learn from it.
And when you're in that situation, it was logical to take what you can get.

It wasn't easy.
A lot of studying, a lot of anger, a lot of loneliness.
People told me constantly:
Bro you should just go to prison, its way easier than jail. Better food, better facilities. Time goes by SO fast.

Sounds familiar?
How many of you have been told:
"You should just get a 9 to 5. Job security, 2 weeks of paid vacation, and the occasional company potluck! Oh boy!"
Or that your new business idea was to risky?

Anyway, I remember the first time I entered that court room representing myself. I was SO scared and nervous. I doubt anyone else could tell, but I was scared shitless!

I was the 10th person on the docket. So the entire time I watched the other lawyers, and memorized the terminology they used.

They called my name, and I walked to the bench. Good thing I was in my fresh pressed jail onsie, rocking a nice set of chains that would make Marc Jacobs look like an amateur.
chaingangap95112101533_1.jpg


The DA made his argument, and I responded with something that I hoped sounded intelligent.

I remember sitting back down, after my time was up. There was a lawyer talking to his client. He looked over at me, and said:

You did an amazing job.

I looked at him in disbelief.
I nodded my head, and thanked him.

The small things man!

I was given thirty days to come to a resolution with the DA.

More studying, more anger, more loneliness.
May 14th came around. That was a big day for me.
First it was my birthday. I was turning 23.
Secondly, I had a visit.
I sat down on my side of the glass, and to my surprise the DA enters into the room.
He has a big stack of files, drops it on the desk, and picks up the phone.
I pick up my phone.

He points to the large stack of files, and says:

Christian, what do you want me to do with all this?

Me:
If you give me ONE more chance, I promise you will never see me again. Today is my birthday, I'm 23. I've made a lot of mistakes, but this is different.

Long story short, We agreed to a deal of 4 years in the halfway house, with 1 year to be served consecutively, because of my new crimes.

The day the judge sentenced me, he said:
Mr. McGhee, I don't think that you are a bad person. I believe that you are smart and resourceful. This is your last opportunity. If I ever see you again, you will go to prison.

I was released November 27th 2015, after serving a year of incarceration.

The past 2.5 years have been intensely challenging and rewarding. I will be OFFICIALLY done on May 19th of this year; 4 days after my birthday.

You know the craziest thing about my experience?

I remember getting out, and thinking:

Man being free is so similar to being incarcerated.
We get up and we go to these jobs that we hate, and to kill time we watch tv or participate in mindless activities to "pass the time." We hate every moment of it, but we are so scared to venture out, our current situation seems like a better alternative.


Our chains although in some cases not physical, exist mentally, and is almost as bad as being chained physically, if not worse!

Then I read Unscripted and TMFL, and my life was changed once again!

I hope this resonates with you. Everything is authentic, and I hope through it, you find motivation to keep chasing your dreams!

Take Care.

THIS is SCRAPPY! Very well done! Rep to you man!

The journey isn’t about win after win after win. It is about how you deal with the failures. You attacked your failure like crazy.
 

BD64

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Loving this thread so far.

Your story reminds me of Rubin Carter in how you handled going to prison and taking your case in your own hands.

Quick backstory for those who don't know...

Rubin was a champion caliber light heavyweight boxer and prize fighter who was falsely accused of several murders. He was put into prison for what should have been a lifetime sentence, instead he served 2 decades. Going to prison he noted that the one thing nobody could take away from his was his personal freedom and power of choice. How he chose to think, behave and act. He studied law for the entire time he was in prison and then helped overturn his own sentence. Coming out of prison a better man then he went in and primed for huge success in the future.

Seems like you've also come out the other side much stronger then you've gone in. Excited to see what you'll be up to in the near future.

+Rep for sharing
 

Thoelt53

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Loving this thread so far.

Your story reminds me of Rubin Carter in how you handled going to prison and taking your case in your own hands.

Quick backstory for those who don't know...

Rubin was a champion caliber light heavyweight boxer and prize fighter who was falsely accused of several murders. He was put into prison for what should have been a lifetime sentence, instead he served 2 decades. Going to prison he noted that the one thing nobody could take away from his was his personal freedom and power of choice. How he chose to think, behave and act. He studied law for the entire time he was in prison and then helped overturn his own sentence. Coming out of prison a better man then he went in and primed for huge success in the future.

Seems like you've also come out the other side much stronger then you've gone in. Excited to see what you'll be up to in the near future.

+Rep for sharing
 

Dunkafelics

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@Christian McGhee at this point I will say well done, it's not too often you see people who get out of the lifestyle.

How did you find building your network after being in prison? It seems like one of the hardest things to do and what keeps a lot of offenders in the lifestyle.

All the best to you, it seems like you have a good head on your shoulders and you are committed to the Unscripted path.
 
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Thoelt53

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Great story. Your writing is topnotch. Definitely a strong suite of yours. You draw great parallels between incarceration and the 'outside world.' I'm excited for @MJ DeMarco to read this; it's as if I am rereading his tale of working as a limo driver. It also resonates with myself and my current day job.

It's awesome that you realize your strength is in your ability to solve problems. It seems thus far that you're well on your way, if not have already solved your own problems. Once you turn this ability to serve others, the sky is the limit!

I think the difference between you and the 67.8% of inmates that get 'rearrested' is your internal locus of control... It's a beautiful thing.

The most successful and fulfilled people are those who triumph over great struggles. Arete!
 

Christian McGhee

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Day 1
My mood these past couple of weeks has began to cross the threshold of depression. Today I took the "ultimate" risk:

I quit my job.

I went against all conventional wisdom, and put my two weeks in. The feeling of pressure and chaos speaks to my soul much more to me stability of a 9 to 5.

The bottom line is this:
I could never forgive myself for not trying. If that means I have to crash and burn, lose everything, and/or live below my means for a while, then thats the risk I'll take.

  • Phase 1:
Clarity from Chaos

My goal is at this stage is to cleanse myself of all the habits, thoughts, and possessions that aren't contributing to my overall growth. The focus is foundation: to create a strong foundation from which I can build upon.

Mindset Challenges:
I have a limiting belief that people wont accept me because of my past.

Major Focuses:

CONSISTENCY = HABITS = CHANGE
Consistency is instant gratifications' arch nemesis haha

Environment:
One of the main reasons I quit was because the environment of my job as so depressing. Everybody seemed washed out, and angry. Which is fine, do you boo boo.

My strategy: I have two apps. One is called Meetup and the other is called Eventbrite. I live in a tech start-up "hub" so there are TONS of meetups for tech type stuff. The problem is that everything is geared towards career development in a 9/5 setting.

So I created my own Meet-up.
Hustle Society (Boulder, CO)


If you're in the Colorado area, we would love to have you!

Christian, f*@k all the bullsh*t lets talk about MONEY!

Ok fine, since you asked so nicely :)

So the goal in phase one is to not become homeless haha.
My living expenses are about 1k (700 for rent, and 300 for bills etc etc)

My current job brings me about 2400 a month. I work about 40 hours a week.

So..... I have enough in savings for another two months of rent. Going this route i'll be drinking water for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

So I'm willing to work part time as a waiter to pay for food. The added bounus is that it'll help with my communication skills.

Money Makers:
www.helixworldwide.com
I created and run Helix Worldwide. A lifestyle brand targeting millennials. Its in the fashion niche. I've had some success with it, and it makes about 500 dollars a month. Currently I'm focused on content creation, and marketing campaigns.

www.poweredbyhelix.com
Helix is a experience design agency and business accelerator. The site is not completed. But my goal is to sign 3 clients this month for web design and social media management.

Home - Sparta Combat League
I dont own SCL but, I do work with them. They do high octane mma/boxing events. I've been able to see the dynamics for entertainment/sports events, and I'm involved with the video/audio production.
29541550_1564907786961479_2298473835214743092_n.jpg

That's me doing some camera work.

Helix Studios
00P0P_ie1zAX982Do_1200x900.jpg
I also record musicians and offer various business services for them. I charge 20 dollars an hour, (two hour minimum)

I just shot this video for a client:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jf3MvIYrkM


We just signed a management deal with him.

Sounds chaotic right?
I have a bunch of resources to make money, but I think at this point I should just focus on one and maximize it.

Whats your plan?

Target LOCAL.

Post on craigslist daily about web design services, recording services, social media management etc.
Design marketing material at some point to pass out. I just need 3 people to say yes, then I go out and KILL it for them.

I was reading another post about cold emails. I'm confident that cold calls or just walking into businesses would be more effective? Also networking at the meetup groups.

My question is what tactics do you use for door to door and cold calling. What specifics do I need to close customers? Obviously creating value, but does my website need to be completed, do I have to have a complete portfolio?

I'm going to just start making calls and see where that goes, but any insights are much appreciated!

Thanks,
Christian
 

Christian McGhee

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What’s the name of the podcast?

Hustle Society - I only have 1 episode done. I've reached out to some entrepreneurs and scheduled some interviews which is dope! Still figuring out positioning and the dynamics of it all!
Loving this thread so far.

Your story reminds me of Rubin Carter in how you handled going to prison and taking your case in your own hands.

Quick backstory for those who don't know...

Rubin was a champion caliber light heavyweight boxer and prize fighter who was falsely accused of several murders. He was put into prison for what should have been a lifetime sentence, instead he served 2 decades. Going to prison he noted that the one thing nobody could take away from his was his personal freedom and power of choice. How he chose to think, behave and act. He studied law for the entire time he was in prison and then helped overturn his own sentence. Coming out of prison a better man then he went in and primed for huge success in the future.

Seems like you've also come out the other side much stronger then you've gone in. Excited to see what you'll be up to in the near future.

+Rep for sharing

My boss used to play this song, and I never knew the story behind it! Funny how things connect. Thanks for the love and knowledge!

@Christian McGhee at this point I will say well done, it's not too often you see people who get out of the lifestyle.

How did you find building your network after being in prison? It seems like one of the hardest things to do and what keeps a lot of offenders in the lifestyle.

All the best to you, it seems like you have a good head on your shoulders and you are committed to the Unscripted path.

Presentation seems to be everything, and also having the proper environment/support. Networking is hard, because I'm in a different phase of my life, so I found it hard to find common ground with people. I feel like I came off as cocky, or indifferent. Honestly I'm just scared to be me, and thats tough. Def, working on that. Im working to get to a point where I can talk about my story without shame. I figure its somewhat mental at this point. Any suggestions on how I can grow in that area?

Thanks!
 
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TKDTyler

The Tea Guy
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My question is what tactics do you use for door to door and cold calling. What specifics do I need to close customers? Obviously creating value, but does my website need to be completed, do I have to have a complete portfolio?

Thanks,
Christian

There was a solid presentation at the summit, and one of the main points made was understanding what your customer wants. What drives them? Or as he put it, "What is their currency?"

In his case, he uses a lot of Instagram affiliate marketing for some of his product, but instead of paying cash, he pays for their exposure. They create content, and he pushes it out through paid ads and gets their visibility out to the world. What they really care about is the amount of followers they have, not making a few bucks off free products. (If this needs to be deleted please let me know)

With that in mind, what do the people you are targeting want? Is it exposure? Leads? Sales? Production? Exposure?

Once you really understand what drives your customer, you can tailor your conversations and approach towards satisfying their needs. Each person's need is different, and the more you communicate with your customers, the faster and sharper you will become at pinpointing what they are really looking for under their words. Your needs come secondary, but by doing so, you gain so much more.

Edit: Tagging @Fox, he is a pro at this exact thing when building websites for clients
 
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