Estes Fall 2025 Weekly Journals

Monday                                                                                            September 23, 2025

Today is a great day. Not only did the Lord wake us up, but He gave us another chance to learn to be better men for our families. Four days from now will be the Pitch Day event. We have been preparing for this day, teaming up with other brothers in pitch panels and practicing, whether in the pod or classroom.

After Pitch Day, we have just three weeks until graduation and boy, are we excited! The atmosphere is jubilant, everyone is smiling, and with just a few more hurdles to cross, it won’t be long before we can say we truly made it. We all have overcome setbacks, but we have strived to reach this day. We averaged high test scores while encountering struggles that would make other people fold, but not us – we endured!

So, we came up with a name for our class, calling ourselves Strive ’25. Why such a name? Because though we started late, we strived by working together and helping each other through the ups and downs. We had language barriers and nerves rattling due to fear of speaking in public. PEP remedied this fear with Toastmasters. We were given a choice: evolve or remain unchanged. Those that chose to remain were not cast out but encouraged, while those that evolved we praised.

We have been shown over the past several weeks that everything requied was right there all along. We just needed to evolve and choose love. So, we strived for excellence and were able to look beyond perceptions to make success a reality.

We are all ready to walk across that stage. We cannot wait to see that Strive ’25 banner raised to show that we made it. May God bless PEP for helping us evolve. The world is ours, and we are prepared to claim it!

Robin W. (aka “Uncle Snagga Tooth”)

Tuesday                                                                                           September 24, 2025

We all woke up in a great mood to the clicking of the lock. We walked down to the chow hall to find the best thing the Sanders Estes Unit has to offer, besides PEP and commissary: biscuits and gravy! Later, we all came back to let our food settle and wait for the Servant-Leaders to call the current class.

We were greeted with the friendly doorman’s handshake. We all found our seats after some of us turned in our homework. Then, the emcee talked to us about what was in store for us. He wasn’t thrilled with our enthusiasm, so we all got sent to the back of the room. Once we all shook off the sleepiness, we prayed in. To begin our morning session, we started off with Toastmasters Project #10. The topic of speech is to inspire. For the class of Strive ’25, it’s what we’ve been doing this whole time, and we’re letting everyone know we’re never going to stop striving and excelling to achieve greatness.

During today’s second half of class, we had BetterMan, which is a great class for us to focus on and improve our character. We had a brother give his testimony, and it was heartfelt. Seeing his transformation was very inspiring. We all love seeing our brothers transform because really that’s what this program is all about.

We are all so grateful to be part of the Prison Entrepreneurship Program, where we are all growing and learning so much every day. We can’t wait to see what our future holds!

Galen S. (aka “Ke$ha”)

Wednesday                                                                                     September 25, 2025

Last week in Clubhouse the subject was, “What are you good at? What do you do? What does the world need more of? And what do you love to do that gets you paid?” These were all great subjects we could all relate to. What most of us were good at was working and making money. A lot of us have been working all our lives and that’s all we know. Working comes easy for us, but due to other things we were involved in, we came to prison. You can say we’ve been working so long that work is second nature to us. We also talked about how we are not happy unless we are working.

Today’s subject was what the world needs more of to make the world a better place. In our opinion, it was the fear of God. We need more God-fearing people to be role models and leaders to inspire the youth to do the right things in life. The next question covered was what can you get paid to do? We have people with all kinds of skills in our class, and they talked about them in depth, inspiring others in the class to take on some of these skills and paths.

We had a very good Clubhouse meeting, and everyone really opened up to one another during the meeting. We are determined to lead better and more productive lives for our friends, family and everyone we come in contact with. PEP is such a good program because it teaches us everything we need to return to the outside world.

Kevin S. (aka “Grady”)

Thursday                                                                                         September 26, 2025

First, every day in this program is a special one. Today, the energy was high in the room. Why? It was the day before our Big Pitch Day. For those who don’t know what that is, it’s where we pitch our business ideas in front of some very important people. Then they give us feedback on our ideas so that we can reach our full potential. We can tell you, there are some very good ideas floating around.

Before we got to pitch in front of the executives, all the brothers got to vote on each idea. The nerves were high, yet we all knew what needed to be done: we needed to execute.

Everyone was smiling and it could be because we started the morning off with a dance battle. Yes, we dance to get the blood flowing, and we’ve never seen so many guys with the worst dance moves have so much fun, but we did. Once PEP helps break that tough guy act and we become a brotherhood these guys couldn’t wait to laugh, dance and just be themselves.

As soon as class was over, we all headed back to the dorm to get haircuts and get prepared for the event the next day. Again, the bond is real. We joked and high-fived each other while getting our hair cut. We all know the confidence a man has when he has a haircut. It doesn’t matter if he has one tooth, two teeth or no teeth. There are smiles all around the room thanks to PEP.

Mortez T. (aka “Yogi Bear”)

Friday                                                                                               September 27, 2025

Today was truly an awesome day! It was our team Pitch Day event. We worked hard for this day by practicing every day for about two months. J-pod started off the morning with a prayer circle before we headed to the PEP classroom. This time the day started a bit different – there were individual dance offs with team dance offs to showcase our dance moves and to break the nervousness before the event started.

We had a practice run of pitches when the Impact Champions showed up. Once they arrived, we greeted them with a standing ovation to show how much we appreciate them taking the time out of their busy schedule to speak with us. The teams received constructive feedback on business plans. Afterwards, we had time to speak to the executives one-on-one. We asked questions about their thoughts on our business pitches and how to be a successful entrepreneur. We spoke about marketing approaches a CEO should take to be successful.

Once it was time to start the event, we moved to the gym where all this hard work we put in as a team was going to be put into play. We waited for the rest of the executives to arrive. When the executives came in, we welcomed them with high-fives and cheers to show that we appreciate them more than words can express.

Then it was game time. A few teams started in the gym, while other teams pitched in the PEP room. The executives broke into groups and went to their assigned locations to vote on the pitches. Once all the pitches were heard, we had a moment to mingle and speak with executives more about our plans and receive jewels of knowledge from them.

The PEP executives are awesome individuals, and so is the PEP brotherhood. This program is the real deal, and we are blessed to have the opportunity and time to be a part of this success story. Strive ’25, along with the other PEP graduates, is breaking the stereotype of inmates. Now it’s time to shape new futures.

                                                   Eddie V. (aka “Yoda”)

Expressions

“We don’t change until the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of change. There’s no finish line in personal growth.”

– Tony Robbins

I relate to transition as a beneficial force of life, a change to the inner attitudes of your mind. I’m a man who welcomes transition. I learned that stagnation causes sickness, boredom, complacency and a lack of growth.

Before a man can become a man, he has to go through stages growth. First, as a baby, he depends on his mother for love, food and water. Then there is the need to transition to the next stage. Transition in my life has been my cocoon each time. I have learned the hidden meaning of every stage, as well as how to leverage this time to develop through the role of transitioning.

My life will always serve as an instant reminder that I’m not done changing into the best version of myself. I will always try to keep myself in transition. No matter what is going on around me, or who is doing what, I’m going to do the right thing. I have learned that it is just easier to do what is right. When you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember what you said. It’s easier to get the best out of life. My perspective has changed my life for the better.

The only person I can change is me. Success is about dealing with reality, including facing your demons and addictions. You have to face who you really are and then make it work for you.

Roman W. (aka “Shrek”)

Monday                                                                                            September 16, 2025

Today was another amazing, busy and productive day for us. As always, we were met by an amazing team of servant-leaders that not only help guide and mentor us, but they hype us up through music, speeches, affirmations and life experiences. This allows us to get rid of our negative mindsets and helps us stay focused and perform to the best of our abilities.

We prayed-in and gave the Lord thanks for this amazing opportunity to learn, grow and evolve from our past through education, character development and implementation of Christian values. We tested and continued with Toastmasters, a course that teaches us how to communicate effectively through public speaking. It helps us build confidence in ourselves in order to speak up for ourselves, our families and our ideas. We each gave a 5 to 7-minute presentation with visual aids to support our speech.

We continued our afternoon with Living in the Village, a book that teaches us about financial literacy. Today we learned about stocks, bonds, real estate, business, gold and oil investments. We finished our day with character assessments, which gave us a deeper understanding of ourselves and how we portray ourselves.

We just want to say thank you for exposing us to entrepreneurship. It has given us an appetite, a desire, a want to be something we never knew we wanted or believed was possible to achieve. Thank you for your contribution to our rehabilitation. It goes to show that there are genuine people out there who care about our well-being. We ask God to continue to bless PEP and its mission. We know that this program is changing and transforming lives here at the Estes Unit.

Raul S. (aka “Kool Aid Man”)

Tuesday                                                                                           September 17, 2025

Today was a great and exciting day! In fact, it was a day that almost everybody in the current class was looking forward to for a while now. Today was the last day of testing over our textbook Entrepreneurship: The Art, Science and Process for Success. This was actually, in most of our opinions, the most important and the most difficult of all the tests.

The reason why the whole class was excited and looking forward to today was because throughout the week, a good portion of our time is dedicated to studying for our weekly Tuesday morning test. It was also exciting because usually after a test, a lot of people share opinions on how good (or bad) they think they did. But today, everybody felt good about how they did and we all agreed: because it was the last test, everybody decided to finish strong. It is a big motivator to see and know how everyone focused and did their best.

After we came back from lunch for the second half of class, everyone went over their pitch with their business teams. Overall, we did great – it was inspiring to see how much everyone had improved compared to where we started at the beginning of class. We have really come a long way. Guys who at one time couldn’t even remember their pitch, now speak with confidence and have every line memorized. Guys who were once frozen with nerves are now smooth and refined as they recited their pitch. It is exciting to see because we are close to graduation. We are ready for Pitch Day and life as well!

Martin S. (aka “Pepe Le Pew”)

Wednesday                                                                                     September 18, 2025

Today was a good day that the Lord blessed us with. We woke up and kept pushing to be better men, fathers, brothers and friends, knowing we are blessed to be a part of this wonderful program. It’s certainly a passion and a dream of ours to have this door open in our lives. For future plans, we have to connect with God’s will. We feel blessed to live and be a part of L-Pod – a big shout-out to some really good, down-to-earth, like-minded individuals with a strong foundation in this brotherhood.

At 12:45p.m. we went to class, which was Clubhouse. Three executives from the business world came and talked to us about change and future change. We talked about our eulogy, mission statements and tools that PEP gave us to apply to our lives. We’ve been learning about things like character development, public speaking through Toastmasters, pitching our business ideas, training and educating ourselves on becoming entrepreneurs. We’ve also learned how to structure and build a business that has a strong foundation. So, we are blessed to have the executives come to this unit here at PEP and take their time to pour into us and show us that they care.

Once class was over, we returned to our dorms, where we started studying PEP’s 10 Driving Values and the rules. We heard we will be tested on them sometime in the upcoming week. Last but not least, we held a voluntary pitch panel in the dorm to prepare for the next pitch event on the 26^th of this month. We can honestly say that our PEP brothers have come a long way. Our class started with 93 people, and now we stand at 53 people. We are the ones who have not only worked hard but put our body, mind and everything in them to strive and grind to be a better version of ourselves.

That being said, we want to commend our brothers and let you know anything is possible. We can’t wait to see everyone at graduation. God bless y’all!

Joshua S. (aka “Bob the Minion”)

Thursday                                                                                         September 19, 2025

Today was a true milestone for us here at PEP. It started off with a great pray-in. Then rows 1, 2 and 3 headed to the back of the room. This is PEP tradition. Not only does it wake up those involved, but it also sharpens your dance moves as different groups of brothers are selected each time – it could be that everyone with glasses one day, then anyone wearing a green jacket or state-issued boots the next. After those that had to dance from the back all the way to the front of the classroom were finished, we turned our chairs to face west, our testing position. It was time to see who had been studying. After we received our testing clipboards, we were handed our 10 Driving Values Test. Twelve minutes were put on the clock.

When the test was over, we fixed our chairs back and began the process of coming up with a name for our class. After about 30 minutes of voting and elimination, we agreed to call ourselves Strive ’25. This is because no matter the odds, we continued to strive for greatness. After lunch we had Toastmasters Project #8. It’s amazing seeing the positive growth of everyone in class. Each day is a true blessing and worth every minute. After class we ate then returned to the pod for a team meeting. We conduct these meetings every Thursday.

With PEP we are all winners. Seeing the life-changing transformation we have all made while going through this journey shows it in every aspect. Thank you, PEP.

John S. (aka “Baby Sweet Cheeks”)

Friday                                                                                               September 20, 2025

Today was an awesome day. Not only did the most high and gracious allow us to see another day, but He gave us the chance to educate ourselves. It was a day that started with a Friday devotion. Living in the greatest pod ever, H-Pod, we started studying together and helping each other with our different pitches, just encouraging each other. We have been working on our business ideas for weeks now and in due time, we were able to put our thoughts into action.

Today was one of those days. We received magnificent feedback on our financial parts to our pitch, which taught us a lot. Next Friday, we will be showcasing and actually pitching in front of real-world executives, so the pressure is on.

The brotherhood of PEP is wonderful, and we all can handle it thanks to our 10 Driving Values. PEP helps us with being better men for society and our families. We all agree it is a blessing. Through the program, we have seen each other transform and be refined. We are a brotherhood that will return to society with love in our hearts and an innovative mindset full of integrity. We will serve with humility and be successful men in society. We are dedicated men who are rebuilding our minds and shaping a new future.

We were blessed with this opportunity, and we have shown we will not squander it. We can’t wait to graduate next month on Oct. 17 and show our family members a refined man. This has been a great class, and we are thankful for this experience.

Trenton S. (aka “Lollipop”)

Expressions

“Your strength grows out of your struggles.”

– Napoleon Hill

I chose this quote from Napoleon Hill because I can totally relate. All my life I have been having hardships and obstacles that I’ve had to overcome ever since I was in elementary school. It all started when I took the wrong route and decided to hang with some people from my neighborhood that were doing all the wrong things. I assumed they were cool, smoking weed and skipping school, and it only got worse from there. As I grew up, so did my addiction. I started smoking weed and drinking alcohol, taking pills and having a good time. All my dreams got wiped away once I lost my vision in life. I played sports – running track and playing basketball – high. I even went to school high, sitting in class joking around before bailing out on school during lunch break.

As I grew older, I started getting into more trouble. I had no family support, so that drove me to want to support myself and my habits. I started committing crimes that eventually led me to the juvenile system. It progressed and I started going to county jail. My addiction got worse. I ended up falling in love and got my heart broken when I was 16. We had a baby girl, but later DNA proved that she wasn’t mine. I took that to heart. I started treating girls wrong, cheating and lying.

I’m currently incarcerated because I let my emotions get the best of me. I fell in love once again, but my alcohol addiction led to us arguing and fighting all the time. But in reality, if I hadn’t come to prison, I wouldn’t have realized the mistakes I was making or how much my life was going downhill. So I thank God for my struggles because without them, I wouldn’t have made the necessary changes and growth that I have achieved. My struggles made me who I am today.

Dominique S. (aka “Thumb Thumb”)

Monday                                                                                              September 8, 2025

We started off our day blessed and highly favored, with enough positive vibes to go around. After we danced our way to pray in, we sat down to take our Living in the Village test over Chapters 7 and 8. Next, we had a very special visitor by the name of Chaplain Bruce T. He explained the fundamentals of Chapters 9, 10 and 11. Then he stressed to us that we should never borrow money to buy a car, but we should instead pay cash.

After Bruce T. wrapped things up, we moved on to Project #7 of Toastmasters. This is a professional setting where we learn competent communication skills. That concluded the first half of our class for the day.

For the second half of the day our brother, David F., taught us BetterMan. The topic today was the three approaches to manhood. Number one is the self-made man: you believe you have, or should have, what it takes to be a man. Number two is the image- conscious man: your manhood copies culture and changing times, so manhood comes from the outside. Number three is the transcendent man: God created man and called men to embrace timeless manhood responsibilities. Manhood also comes from the Bible. A real man courageously follows God’s word, loves and protects God’s women, excels at God’s work and betters God’s world. Next, we broke into small groups and discussed our opinions and thoughts over what we learned.

We followed up with a good pray-out and returned back to our dorms to study for our upcoming test. We can’t wait to see our family and friends at graduation.

 Spencer N. (aka “Paul Blart”)

Tuesday                                                                                             September 9, 2025

Today was an amazing day! It’s always a good day waking up and being a part of PEP, learning and living “between the wings.” Today was test day, so we took a test over Chapters 10 and 13 from our Entrepreneurship textbook. We were divided into two test groups, so some guys had a chance to sleep in or squeeze in a little more studying before testing. Graduation is coming up, so everyone is excited about that. It’s going to be really nice seeing how all of our hard work will pay off. After today, we only have one more test out of the Entrepreneurship book.

Today we also received feedback from the executives on our pitches that we recorded. It was really cool getting advice from marketing experts and hearing what they thought about our ideas and how we could make improvements. They gave everyone some really good insight, information and things to think about. We could tell that the executives really put a lot of thought and consideration into the feedback that they gave us. We always appreciate the executives and volunteers here at PEP.

After class, we all came back to the dorm to practice our pitches a little more and get signatures on our pitch sheets. We practice our pitch five times a day, up until the Pitch Day event, to make sure we have it perfect. Here in PEP, we like to execute properly and with excellence.

We were all made aware that we have Toastmasters tomorrow, where we’ll have another chance to work on our public speaking, a professional skill that we all love.

Darvarius P. (aka “Buckwheat”)

Wednesday                                                                                     September 10, 2025

Today is the day that the Lord has made. Collectively and individually, we who are PEP rejoiced and were glad in it!

Some of us may wake up early while others choose to sleep later. But either way, we all make our way as a group down to the classroom where miracles happen. This morning was originally scheduled to be a Servant-Leader meeting, but as is common in life, someone changed the plan.

So, there we were, early Wednesday morning to start on Toastmasters Project #8. This particular Toastmasters project is unique in a few ways. For the past few speeches, we have divided the room so there are two different speakers at the same time. However, for this project we did not divide the room. With each Toastmasters speech, we have to meet certain objectives that allow us to grow and develop that specific ability. The objectives for Project #8 are to select and use visual aids that are appropriate for both your message and your audience. It is truly amazing to see just how drastic the change has been for many of our PEP brothers! Most of us couldn’t give a speech about ourselves at the beginning of class. Now we have the ability to give a speech in front of the entire class with smooth transitions, followed by driving home the point with a grand slam of a conclusion.

For the second half of class we had Clubhouse, where we discussed how our mission, vision and values define who we are. We were given the opportunity to ask questions and receive feedback. Once the group discussion was done, we were given the opportunity to speak to the executives one-on-one and ask them questions. We, the men of PEP, would like to give a special thanks to the Clubhouse volunteers for pouring into us and giving us a “Fresh Start” Outlook.

                                              John P. (aka “Toucan Sam”)

Thursday                                                                                         September 11, 2025

Today was an amazing day in PEP. We learned about franchising and purchasing an existing business in our entrepreneurship lecture. We had the pleasure of getting this lecture from Rob M., a PEP executive. He helped explain the chapter with his own personal experiences and broke everything down so we could better understand it. He was very knowledgeable and answered every question we had. We all feel confident that we will earn a high score on the next test.

Our class is a team, and we all like to see each other do well on all exams. If one of our brothers struggles with something, we all step up to help him out. We appreciate the executives for taking time out of their busy schedules to teach us about business and share stories of personal struggles and growth.

After the lecture, we moved onto Toastmasters. This is the one part of PEP that many of my brothers struggle with. Most of us have never done any form of public speaking before, but we heard some awesome and inspiring stories today. One of the speeches that really resonated with us was delivered by Markus L. The title of his speech was “Source of Joy,” and in it he spoke about how his son brings joy to his life. His speech made all of us think about our children. It made us realize that we all have more in common than we think.

All of us did really well today, and everyone is getting better with every speech. We are learning to embrace everything that PEP offers and, even more importantly, we are learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Danny P. (aka “Creflo Dollar”)

Friday                                                                                               September 12, 2025

Today was a blessed day. Not only did God allow us to wake up, but He gave us the gift of another day. The first half of our time together was centered around a devotional time in the PEP classroom. After the devotion, the PEP brothers who attended came back to the dorm. Around 11 a.m. when we were ready for the second half of class, we were racked up for a special count. When the special count was cleared, we all went to the chow hall for chow.

When we returned to the dorm, the pitch coach announced that we were going to hold a pitch panel. The pitch panel that we have in the pod helps us practice our pitches for the Big Pitch event. Each individual has a position on a business team: Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Chief Operations Officer (COO). Everyone in the pod did an amazing job. We have our next event on September 26, and we are all excited and looking forward to it – that’s why we practice and put in the hard work.

After the pitch panel, we got together with our accountability groups and had a pod spread. Each accountability group has five to seven members, and we meet together to hold each other accountable and make sure we are living by the 10 Driving Values. Each group made something different to eat: some groups had nachos; others had pizza; and one group made fish patties. This pod spread gave us a chance to get to know the other members of our group on a personal basis. It was a great joy and wonderful time with everyone in the dorm.

It is truly an honor and pleasure to be a part of PEP. We are all eagerly looking forward to our graduation on October 17^th, 2025. God is blessing us each and every step of the way.

Tomas R. (aka “Ramsey”)

Expressions

“Your habits will determine your life and lifestyle.”

– Darren Hardy

I chose this quote because it is something that defines my life. My old habits were things like hanging around negative individuals, and that resulted in me doing negative things. This made my life and lifestyle difficult because instead of changing my habits, I let them take over my life. Now I have to live my new lifestyle with a felony on my record everywhere I go. Now, even though my bad habits have changed, my life is determined by the lifestyle that I have to adapt to now.

I still have a chance to change my habits and determine my new life and lifestyle, but I know it’s going to take some work. Thanks to PEP, I’m not only developing character, but I’m also getting a brotherhood that has helped provide a positive mindset. People around me are helping me break my bad habits and change the habits that I have picked up over the years.

Not only is PEP helping me break my bad habits, but it’s giving me the tools I need to have good habits instead and do good things in life. But most of all, they have given me a family that I will have forever.

My habits have made me who I am today, and I am thankful for that. I have grown a lot, and now I no longer see the same individuals in my circle or lifestyle anymore. Now that I live between the wings, I no longer have space for negativity.

Javonte R. (aka “Camel from the Geico Commercial”)

Monday                                                                                              September 1, 2025

Peace, blessings, prosperity and divine protection upon you all. Today, we celebrated Labor Day by rising like the sun. We got ready for the day by first making our beds. It’s been said that if we as people don’t first make our beds, then we are not ready for the day. We get ourselves together and plan for our day to achieve our goals to become better men. Then we stepped through our portal of a cell door to transition from a prison mindset to a character development and business mentality. We are properly dressed and groomed as we greet our fellow brothers.

The day begins with practicing our business pitches and giving each other feedback on how we could improve. Moving as a unit, a true brotherhood, we walked the hallway to chow for our holiday meal. We gave blessings and thanks for the well-made and seasoned chicken, a side of pinto beans and bread. Then, to top it all off, a delicious square-cut piece of what I believe was strawberry cake with vanilla icing.

Back in the dorm, as our meal settled, we began preparing to present our Toastmasters speeches for Project #6, which is about using vocal variety. We focused on using volume, pitch and quality to add meaning and interest to our message. We have grown a lot in overcoming our fear of public speaking. To see first-hand the growth and change in all of us is inspiring. Toastmasters reveals how truly talented we all are to be able to not only come up and speak in front of a large number of people, but also to deliver a powerful message.

This journey for us has been intense. It is reasons like these that keep us pushing forward, one day at a time, to fulfill our purpose and achieve greatness. 

Jace M. (aka “Bob Ross”)

Tuesday                                                                                             September 2, 2025

Today we got up bright and early. Most days begin at 7:00 a.m., and it takes about 15 minutes to prepare and get ready for class.

Walking into the classroom is like something we’ve never experienced before PEP in prison. First, all our PEP brothers greet and say hello to each other. Everybody discusses their business ideas and how they plan to accomplish their goals for the day. The class always begins with a prayer before reviewing the day’s itinerary.

One of our favorite and most important classes is BetterMan. This class puts a lot of things into perspective that we may not have previously seen or realized. David F. preaches as he explains why we need to live life on a righteous path. He encourages us to open our hearts to God. He is such a great teacher and example of what we can become if we put in the time and effort. When he is done, we always have a few brothers get up in front of the room and share their testimony.

We all know and recognize that we are failing in this aspect of our lives. Overall, we want God to speak to us and help us. We need to give Him the opportunity to talk to us. It is important to have clear communication with Him, and this class is helping us achieve that. Everybody in PEP really looks forward to and enjoys this portion of the PEP experience. We are all incredibly grateful for this opportunity to grow and become better men.

 Nelson M. (aka “Strawberry Shortcake”)

Wednesday                                                                                       September 3, 2025

To borrow words from renowned philosopher O’shea Jackson, “Today was a good day.” We did pitches as a group and it was a nice opportunity to see where everyone is at before our next big event.

Hopefully, this class will get a good name whenever the shot callers get ready to make one, because we have some fire business ideas! From trimming hedges to chopping down redwoods, to pulling tree stumps out of the earth, we have landscaping on lock! We have the gumbo man with his family recipes from the colonial times, but do not forget the vegetable soup guru. We have men dedicated to resurrecting the honeybee population, one small farm at a time. We have mobile barbers who are a little pricey, but their fades and edge ups might be world class! We have the fitness “fro on the go” ready to get that six-pack shredded on your lunch break. From the railyard to the loading dock, we have ambitious truckers looking to support convicted felons and others hoping to prevent auto tragedies with safe 24-hour parking. We have gentlemen aiming to plant better seeds in the community with therapeutic counseling and crime deterrents for youth. We have the most certified event planner anyone could ever hire – he is the party! We’ve got all the new books at your fingertips, as well as a platform for aspiring musicians to become famous. We truly have something for any consumer. Last but never least, we have the innovative provider of nutrition for those on the go, with delicious granola bars and marvelous assortments of dried fruit and protein-infused beverages designed to make America healthy again!

This is a top-notch group right here, but only one idea can win. We should savor this ingenuity while it’s here, because people go home every day. And on that note, another day is completed and in the books.

 Jared M. (aka “Mushmouth”)

Thursday                                                                                           September 4, 2025

Thursday was an interesting day. It began slowly in the dorm. Everybody was shuffling around, drinking coffee and getting their pitch sheets signed and out of the way. Then, David F. came in around 7:35 a.m. to call out PEP leadership. After about 15-20 minutes, he returned to call out the current class.

We all made our way in an orderly fashion out of J-pod, into the D-space and down G-hall to the PEP classroom. We entered the room, shaking hands and bumping fists with our Servant-Leaders. We then made our way to the cabinets to put away our cups and spoons before class began. After that, we made our way to the bulletin board to grab our name badges, which we place on the right-hand side of our shirt collar or jackets. Next, everyone looked up at the television screen to see the seating chart for the day. Once we found our seats, class began.

In true PEP fashion, the emcees asked the DJ who he wanted at the back of the room. This time, it was white shoes in the front half of the room and the first row of the back half of the room. Let it be known that there were some terrible dance moves performed.

The first half of class was very fun and informative. Around 11:35 a.m., we were released for chow. We waited in line, having various conversations. For chow we had a burrito, which was terrible – but since we were last, at least we got two of them instead of one.

For the second half of class, we listened to today’s Entrepreneurship lecture over Chapter 10. Jim W. took us step-by-step through the chapter, which discussed Human Resources management. After the lecture, we returned to the pod for the day.

Christopher M. (aka “Ernest P. Worrell”)

Friday                                                                                                 September 5, 2025

Today was an amazing day – TGIF! – not only because we have the weekend ahead of us, but simply for the fact that God gave us a present: we were able to wake up healthy and grateful to see another beautiful day. Today was the first time in our PEP journey we had our spiritual advisor deliver the Word of God. It allowed a lot of brothers to receive some blessings through a powerful testimony. It made it for an incredible, outstanding part of the day.

The day went on to the second half of class, which was also an incredible experience. Toastmasters is a fun, nerve-wracking learning experience that we are so blessed to have. Many of us were able to deliver outstanding speeches that were very powerful. When a brother becomes vulnerable by sharing delicate but informative details of some sort, we are all better for it. We also had some laughs, which brought joy to our souls.

Once class concluded, we returned to the pod where we practiced the team business pitches. We have about three weeks until the next event, where we will have to deliver outstanding performances to the amazing team of executives. It is a magnificent experience that makes us feel like we are part of the family. Being members of the PEP community has been an amazing journey for all of us and such a blessing. The program has taught us how to be better men, husbands, sons and brothers by addressing our character development. Being around like-minded people who want nothing more than to be successful is a life-changing experience.

Raul N. (aka “Fake ASAP Preach”)

Expressions

“Never make permanent decisions based on temporary circumstances.”

– Anonymous

It’s important to realize that whatever you’re going through in the moment is only for that moment. Regardless of what you’re going through in that second, minute, hour, day, week, month or even year, a bad reaction can be detrimental to your health, life and loved ones. Actions and behaviors based on your emotions rather than logic aren’t good for anyone – an example would be reacting when you’re sad, angry, frustrated or overwhelmed with anxiety and exhaustion. Keep your emotions in check and don’t panic because when you panic, bad things can happen.

I’ve used this quote to help me get through some of my darkest times. It has carried me through many battles I’ve had within myself. It’s about mental warfare – I’m playing chess, not checkers. To me, this is one of the main quotes in my life that has kept me from diving off the deep end. I hold this close to my heart as I try to match every heartbeat with every stride and every obstacle I surmount.

In today’s society, I’m often tested by others, and sometimes I do slip. I slip on the edge of a cliff with adversity staring me in the face, looking down at my potential demise, possibly falling and facing an avoidable failure. But I have learned to choose to hold onto my precious life with precise, strategic actions. As I blink the dirt out of my eyes and fight through the pain, I can and do pull myself together – a flawless victory.

 Marcus M. (aka “Chester the Cheetah”)

Monday                                                                                                August 25, 2025

Today started out with a really good breakfast. We had fried eggs and biscuits with jelly. We came back and studied for our Living in the Village test over Chapters 5 and 6. These chapters were about obtaining and maintaining up-to-date estate planning documents, as well as achieving and maintaining a FICO score above 750. Then we went to class around 8:00 a.m.

We had a good day in class. To get started, the whole class went to the back of the room. Then Adam W. came in and talked to us about the “3-3-3s” we had just completed. After that, we took our tests. Chaplain Bruce T. then gave a lesson over Chapters 7 and 8, where we learned about how to eliminate all high-risk debt and create our company’s retirement plan. Living in the Village teaches us personal finance, what to do with our money and how to become financially responsible.

We took a break for lunch after our lesson and practiced our pitches. It was our CEOs and CFOs turn to record. There were two teams that needed to re-record their CEO, COO and CMO pitches. It was pretty neat to watch how they get these recordings done, and everybody did a really good job.

After recording, we went back to our pods, which was good because we could get an early start on our homework and study for our entrepreneurship test on Tuesday. PEP is such a great program. We are all learning to be better men for our wives and kids.

Eric H. (aka “Meerkat”)

Tuesday                                                                                               August 26, 2025

Today was a good day. It started off well with us taking the test for Entrepreneurship (Chapters 6 and 7). Most of us felt that we did well on the test. We were then able to relax back in the dorm until lunch. Lunch was pork and rice with pinto beans and green beans. That gives us extra incentive to get out and stay free for sure!

We went back to class for BetterMan this afternoon. It was very rewarding and helpful, with advice on being a father as well as dealing with hurtful situations that many of us went through as children. In our groups, we have become close to one another and are opening up, sharing personal things and really striving to be better men. We all want to be better fathers if we have children and great ones when we get to have them. This class is showing us how important being a good father is to our kids, as well as how our actions and choices influence them.

After group, our brother Pablo S. shared his testimony. It was very moving being told how he lived in darkness and was exposed to drugs and crime as a young child. When he told us how he moved into following the light and his experience while he was attempting to overdose, we were all moved. The light shows in him today! We all hope he keeps it up – we need him and the light within him!

We then prayed together and were dismissed for the day. We came back to the dorm where we worked on the 10 Driving Values, our pitches and Living in the Village. It is a blessing to be around brothers who are striving to be better men, who love one another and share common goals.

Timothy H. (aka “Forrest Gump”)

Wednesday                                                                                          August 27, 2025

Today was a great and much-needed day! We were blessed with another day of life that was not promised to us. We were given another 24 hours to improve on our journey toward becoming better men. The current class had the day off, due to the fact that the graduates had a Servant-Leader meeting and Clubhouse. Because of this, the current class got to catch up on some rest.

We are still recovering from the busy week that we just had. The “3-3-3” was dropped on us. We also had to continue to work on our pitches for the next event and to study for our Living in the Village and Entrepreneurship tests. Fortunately, most of us were able to overcome the pressure. It only makes us stronger and is preparing us for the outside world.

After lunch, we were right back to business. In the dorm, we did Project #4 of Toastmasters, a curriculum that helps us perfect our public speaking skills. We not only have great speakers in H-Pod, but as a whole class. A lot of people started out good and are still making improvements. It’s amazing how much talent and potential we have as a class, and we’re still learning to get better. Once we get back into society, we will have so much to bring and offer.

After Toastmasters, our class continued working on getting our pitches down for the event. With the help and guidance of our Servant-Leaders, we are in good hands. We were blessed with the opportunity to be a part of PEP and are taking full advantage of this opportunity.

Markus L. (aka “The Human Speed Bump”)

Thursday                                                                                              August 28, 2025

We can honestly say that PEP has brought a good and wonderful perspective in all our lives. The 10 Driving Values are good to live by every day, even though we are incarcerated. We actually feel like we are alive because PEP pours into us so much brotherly love that is unconditional. Yes, we get held accountable, but that’s out of love to help us work on ourselves and bring out the best version of us while we learn how to be good businessmen with integrity.

Today, we learned about the Economics of One Unit (EOUs), also known as a revenue model. We also went over Chapter 8 in the entrepreneurship textbook, and our learning objectives looked like this:

Explain the use of hypothesis-driven experimentation. Describe the importance of a solid financial foundation in an entrepreneurial business. Discuss techniques for measuring performance. Explain ratio analysis. Explain deviation analysis. Describe the use of short surveys in business. Analyze the importance of having a measurement focus.

So, we went over each one of these, and this coming Tuesday we will have a test on them. We will be studying hard. Today was a great, productive day. We are getting ready for our future selves with the best program available here in prison. We are so grateful that literally every day feels like a brand-new day. We are getting molded into new men by living out the 10 Driving Values, and this is probably the best thing for us.

Ryan L. (aka “Johnny Bravo”)

Friday                                                                                                    August 29, 2025

Today was wonderful, and not just because the Lord gave us another day of life. He permitted us to learn something that will help us for the rest of our lives. We thank God for those things that He does in our lives every day. He is helping us every single day to become better men. We also thank PEP for what they offer us, such as a place to develop our skills to become better speakers while learning how to manage our money and time. We are learning how to make a business plan, and the brotherhood here is like no other.

We presented our Toastmasters speeches today in front of the class. It was fun and interesting. We got to learn a lot from one another about our lives, what we are interested in and what we like. Some of us did a good job by delivering a good speech, making eye contact and using body language to captivate our audience. Unfortunately, some did not do as well in meeting our objectives and were held accountable. In doing so, it helped us practice our 10 Driving Values.

We came back to the dorm around 3:30 p.m. and started working on our homework. We also studied for our upcoming test next Tuesday. After all of that, we watched a little TV because there was a football game going on. We also started working on our EOUs workbook. That book helps us learn how to create a business statement, identifying a business’s sales revenue per unit, cost of goods and gross profit. We helped each other with the homework, as it was pretty hard for us to understand.

After such a long and productive day, it was rack up time, which means it was time to say our goodbyes and call it a night. Overall, Friday was a good day.

Makuai M. (aka “Pumba”)

Expressions

“What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.”

– Jesus Christ

These words inspired me the first day I saw them. They have a deep meaning to my heart. It’s a simple statement, but it has helped me in so many aspects of my life. I’ve felt like life had no meaning to it. I was walking around blind with no purpose until I read the truth that Jesus shared. Just as he says, “He is the way, the truth and the life.” I’ve always looked for my purpose in the wrong places with the wrong people, searching but never finding, thinking I was finding fulfillment in money, lust, drugs and materialistic things.

It wasn’t until it all got snatched away that I found out the truth. It had to take me losing everything to understand all those things never really meant anything. As my Lord and Savior said, what he is doing I might not understand right now, but in the end it will all make sense. It takes away the worry of trying to have it all figured out, knowing that he has control of the things I lost control of. It lets me know he is going to make sense at the end of it all because “all things work together for the good of those who love Christ and are called according to his purpose.” I deeply feel that all of these things can be understood by reading and understanding this quote.

I might’ve lived a reckless life in the past, but knowing that it all will work out for the good gives me a better understanding. All the glory to God!

Mauricio N. (aka “King Julian”)

Monday                                                                                               August 18, 2025

First and foremost, all glory be to our Heavenly Father, for we are truly blessed to wake up this day, enjoy the beautiful things and gain more knowledge in the PEP classroom. Our day began with us having to test over a couple of chapters out of our Living in the Village book that teaches us about finance and budgeting. There should be no reason not to pass because we have an excellent teacher. Shortly after, we had an unexpected visit from PEP’s new CEO, Chris V. The knowledge that was given to us was of great value as he shared words of great wisdom.

Right after lunch is when our nervousness and excitement kicked in, because we were faced with the task of saying our business pitches in front of the camera. Today, we found out who really has been practicing, but overall, we did an amazing job. When we got finished with the pitches, we returned to our housing areas.

Upon arriving at K-pod, we noticed some familiar faces in the pod of men who don’t live there, but soon we realized that they were part of the PEP paint crew. They were prepping our dorm so that it can be ready to paint. We are getting some new colors on our walls!

After dinner, we held another pitch panel just to make sure that we are on top of our pitches and have them memorized verbatim. Just know that at PEP, we are a brotherhood, so we work with each other and continually build each other up. We are a team, and this teamwork makes the dream work.

Antonio E. (aka “Little Tea Pot”)

Tuesday                                                                                              August 19, 2025

Good morning. This morning our team got together with integrity and accountability as we cleaned the showers, the dayroom and the 2^nd floor tier. This is the first unit where people actually take pride in their cleaning and duties to ensure everything is sterile and smells like bleach by the end of the job.

Today when we arrived in class, we opened with a prayer then proceeded to our scheduled Tuesday test day. Our pod tutors helped us prepare days before by studying all the necessary materials and ensuring we all were highly successful on the test. The Peer Educators do an outstanding job of planning and scheduling the daily itinerary. When we arrived, you wouldn’t believe it, but to our amazement, they had organized the PEP room with new desks and new laptops. It was a state-of-the-art test environment.

Next, we were released for lunch where we received healthy meals and were sent back to our pod to wait for the second half of our class. While we were waiting our class got together and discussed our test material and where each of us was strong or needed improvement. Then we got called back to the second half of class, where we had an executive speaker come in and share insights about business and real-world character strategies. We really enjoy the executives because they are very informative and are fun to learn from. We give them a standing ovation at the end of each lesson. We finished class for the day then proceeded back to our pod.

Upon arriving at our pod, we broke off into our accountability teams where we discussed the power of positive affirmation. When the team leaders dismissed us, they called a pod meeting where the pod mentor, peer educator, toastmaster, game night coordinator, pod tutors, pod clerk, and other dorm positions shared common goals, events, and policy updates. We are all truly blessed to have been selected for the program and we are all looking forward to graduating.

Cheyne F. (aka “Waterboy”)

Wednesday                                                                                         August 20, 2025

Today was a beautiful day. We woke up excited because we got a day off. That means we get extra time to study or finish any homework that we have. They brought our test scores today. Some of us were not too excited about our scores, but it is okay. We will do better on the next one. For us it is a blessing to be in this program. That is why we encourage one another and hold each other accountable.

Every day we are practicing our business pitch. We are doing our best to get it memorized. We shared and passed time together by watching the new movies when we had time. A few of us worked out while some of us stayed busy at the table all day.

We were lucky to have morning recreation on our day off. Fresh air and sunlight did us a lot of good. We don’t get that very often so we took advantage of it by playing cornhole and basketball. We played volleyball for two minutes before someone hit the ball onto the roof!

We love this program because the things that it offers us cannot be found anywhere else in prison. It is truly something beautiful—the love we show to each other and the brotherhood. It is a pleasure to be a part of PEP. They help us with our character development. We are ready to go back to school tomorrow. It is 6:35 p.m. and slowly everybody is disappearing from the day room. It is time to shower, eat something and go to sleep. Tomorrow will be a better day.

Octavio H. (aka “Stitch”)

Thursday                                                                                             August 21, 2025

Today was a good day. The Lord woke us up to have another chance in learning to be better men for a new life. We started the first session late with learning about two of the 10 Driving Values, the first one being “Fresh Start” Outlook. We believe people can change, dignity can be restored and as a result society will reap bountifully. We can have this if we pursue the things we need to do in life. We can’t look back on the past. We have to look forward so that we can walk a new path. The other driving value is accountability. We believe without accountability, neither our participants nor the executives with whom we work will be changed by the program. Also, it’s said that we need to take this personal and work together as a family. If one falls we all fall. We need to take ownership and responsibility and commit to achieving our goals.

We also learned about chapter six with analyzing cashflow and other financials. We learned about the importance of a cash flow analysis. It is saying we need to develop a good cash flow statement.

Chapter seven in the Entrepreneurship book, during the afternoon session, we learned financing and accounting. We learned about key financing issues involved with starting a business.

Now, once class was done for the day, we returned to the dorm to finish our “3x3x3”. The rest of us were studying for the next test. A few of the other guys went to the gym. We are rebuilding that which we may have lost for so long.

Bryan H. (aka “Sid the Sloth”)

Friday                                                                                                   August 22, 2025

Today in class we started as usual, by being called out to the PEP room. Excitement builds within us as we make our way down the hall. We expect to have a great day and we know we are going to get some great information from executives, servant-leaders and in-prison management. So, as always, we begin the day with prayer. After we pray and start the day right, we head to the back of the room to get the energy right in the classroom with a little dancing.

This is a special day because we have just finished the infamous “3x3x3,” which is a rite of passage within the PEP brotherhood. This rite is not for everyone. It is a daunting task and not easy to accomplish in the short amount of time given. With all of the other things we need to complete it feels almost impossible. With that behind us, we eagerly sat and waited to see what the day had in store. Like every Friday, we started out with “pass the buck.” This consists of passing a bean bag around the room and expressing our thoughts, feelings and what we have accomplished on this journey.

After breaking for lunch, we returned to class where two PEP alumni from the Dallas transitional homes shared their knowledge about how they apply the 10 Driving Values in their daily lives. They reminded us to never give up, stay dedicated and focused on graduating. When we get released we can apply what PEP has taught us. We can become a better person and be a role model for our families and society upon release.

Andrew G. (aka “Timon from Lion King”)

Expressions

“Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. This is a song of ascents.” –Psalm 128:4

Many often overlook the real blessings in life. Recently, I have been thinking about many of my past years of life. I thought about my prior jobs, prior incarcerations and prior experiences, and all the many things that God has brought me through. I have been through so many things and through it all, God has been faithful. But many times, I did not always see the blessings of God in my life. I often looked back on things as a burden or punishment. I had many jobs that I did not like. I remember many experiences that were unpleasant. God designed my life with the experiences and circumstances that I needed to bring me through and make me who I am today.

In this verse of Psalm 128:4, the psalmist writes behold, meaning look. He’s referring to the prior verses. He had just written about working, family and home. He wrote about things that often challenge many of us because we become distracted with the challenges of life. Because of those challenges, we often overlook the simple blessings of God. The blessings of a home, blessings of having a job, blessings of being able to work, the blessing of being in PEP, the blessings of our children, and so much more.

We are each given moments and time each day to serve God in a great way with many blessings that we often take for granted. While the challenges of life may be difficult, don’t let them get in the way of your enjoyment of the blessings of God.

Michael G. (aka “Dr. Egghead”)

Monday                                                                                             August 11, 2025

It is safe to say that for most PEP brothers, Mondays are always kind of an anxious day, knowing we have a test as soon as we get to class. It is kind of a relief though after all our studying to show what we have learned. After getting our test out of the way, we migrated over to the world called Living in The Village, which is our personal finance course.

It is truly amazing to see the list of volunteers that make up PEP. Chaplain Bruce T. is our teacher for Living in The Village, and he always teaches us so much! No matter who you are or what you know, you are guaranteed to learn more about finance. We have learned answers to questions we have had our entire lives but never knew how to ask. After finishing our personal finance class, we got in our groups and practiced our business pitches with our teams.

Upon returning to class after a short break, we were ready to start on one of the greatest subjects we cover in PEP, called BetterMan. We truly feel that nobody walks away from this course without learning something. This not only makes us better mentally, but also spiritually and emotionally. It’s so good to see the success of a PEP brother that has been in our shoes, such as David F.

Once we were back in our pods, we prepared for our pitch panels. We practiced our pitches as if we were in front of the executives again. It may seem that PEP is just a little program to some, but in reality, it is a life-changing experience for those who want to change.

Joel D. (aka “Tigger”)

Tuesday                                                                                            August 12, 2025

Welcome to another awesome day in the Prison Entrepreneurship Program. As we walked in the door today, our Servant-Leaders were setting up the tables and chairs, due to us having our entrepreneurship test over Chapters 5 and 11 today.

After setting up and getting situated, our wonderful brother Ryan L. led us in a great pray-in before the hard part began: taking the tests. Once completed an hour later, we all broke for lunch and waited for the second half of class to start.

During the second half of class, we started things off by going to the back of the room for our J-Pod vs. M-Pod dance off. Well, of course, somebody (who shall remain nameless) didn’t do it right, so Bryan H. had him dance again, this time by himself. Then it was down to business with our Toastmasters project: “Developing Your Speech.” We have been practicing and reciting every day. After our fellow brothers got up there and gave their speeches, it was time to go to the pods, but before we left, our cool brother, Joel D., led us in an amazing pray-out.

This is not just another program – PEP is a brotherhood. It is a really great blessing to be able to be a part of it and learn ways to build positive character. Every day at PEP is a different experience and a better learning opportunity. We are all thankful that God has allowed us to come on this journey.

 Scott D. (aka “The Fake Jelly Roll”)

Wednesday                                                                                       August 13, 2025

Today we didn’t have class, but our Servant-Leaders did, so we just stayed in the dorm and did our homework. We also ran our pitches in order to get our pitch sheets signed and memorized even better. Some of us worked on learning our 10 Driving Values, while others practiced for Toastmasters. We also went over our Entrepreneurship textbook, Chapters 6 and 7.

We are thankful God has allowed us to be here in PEP, and we are working hard to become better men for our families. We hope in completing this program that we become not only great businessmen, but better men than before we got locked up. As we go through this process, we hope to improve in our actions by living out the 10 Driving Values set forth by the program. We all have our setbacks in life, but in learning from them, we prove to ourselves that we can overcome anything that’s thrown our way. We just have to keep going and never give up. So, here we all are, bettering ourselves and learning from our mistakes.

Living on L-Pod is a blessing in itself. We have a blessed pod coach who helps us learn Servant-Leader Mentality. There are also many Servant-Leaders who work with us every day to help us study and grow. They show us what love truly means, and we are blessed to have them teach us that there is a better way to live. This program is a great opportunity, and we are grateful for it.

Phillip D. (aka “The Broke Dez Bryant”)

Thursday                                                                                                   August 14, 2025     

Today started out great. One of the first things that the class did was go over a couple of quotes and discuss different people’s thoughts and perspective on them. One of the quotes said, “If you do not get out there and define yourself, you’ll be quickly and inaccurately be defined by others.” This quote seemed to resonate with quite a few classmates, because most of them shared their thoughts on it.

On another note, there were baptisms performed a few nights back. There were 23 total and there were about a dozen classmates that chose to be baptized. That truly is a beautiful thing. The brothers who were baptized in class were recognized and given a round of applause.

When we were talking about baptisms and the quotes of the day, out of nowhere, the class rose to their feet and started clapping hard and loud. This can only mean one thing: an executive arrived. We welcome them and show our appreciation in this way.   

The executive who came was Mike B., who is an accountant. One of the blessings that we have is being assigned a chapter to work on from the Entrepreneurship book. Then, an executive comes in and goes over the chapter with us. He spoke about forms of business, contracts, leases, regulations, licensing requirements, copyrights, trademarks, patents, insurance and boards of advisors or directors.

The last half of the day, we finished up our second Toastmasters project. We split the room into two groups, and everyone in class gave their speeches. Many of us enjoyed this, as many of us are well-spoken. It was a great experience.

Dylan D. (aka “Ned Flanders”)

Friday                                                                                                 August 15, 2025

Today was an amazing day. God showed favor toward us by allowing us to see another day, and for that we are thankful.

We began our day in PEP with an opening prayer, as always. Then, we danced to some jamming music to wake up those of us who were still half asleep. Fridays are always our favorite day because we have open mic class, where the brothers share words of encouragement for each other to keep pushing through. This class isn’t easy, but the reward at the end is worth it.

We then received a warm visit from Sean B. and Jeremy J., part of the Reentry team for PEP. They came and shared with us all the great benefits of being a part of PEP upon release. Those brothers took the time and answered questions that many of the brothers had, especially for those who will be going to the transitional homes PEP offers. (They also answered questions that brothers had who will not be going to the transitional homes.) They assist with clothing, job leads and so much more.

Then, one of the great volunteers for PEP came and taught us about establishing operations for our business. Michelle G. was a big help in giving us the tools and some jewels on how important it is to strategically pick locations for our businesses, as well as the importance of time management.

Last but not least, our In-Prison Manager, Adam W., gave our class the dreaded “3x3x3” assignment – PEP Alumni know about this, but for those who don’t, it’s a writing assignment that is a rite of passage for being in PEP. It is 18 pages of the AP Stylebook, business vocabulary and personal finance vocabulary that we have to write out not one time, not two times, but three times each! The best part about it is we sit down as a brotherhood and fight through it together, because God knows it’s not easy. Once we’re done, we can say we overcame!

Daivone D. (aka “JJ from Good Times”)

Expressions

“The words we speak are powerful. They can wound and they can heal. They can affirm and they can accuse. How much more powerful do our words become when we confess the truths of God? A decree is an official order issued by a legal authority. A decree is taking God’s words and speaking them out. A decree from our lips can be loaded with life, restoring the fallen and reviving the forsaken. We have been given the authority by Jesus to speak decrees into our realm of influence, and as we do, we begin to create the will of God in our lives in the spiritual realm. I know without any doubt that speaking decrees over our lives and families can change our circumstances. Use the name or names of Jesus in your decrees and watch heaven move on your behalf. You hold in your hands a book written by an experienced, powerful servant of Christ. You will begin to speak life-giving words that will impact everything around you. You will see your family change, even your future change, by making decrees over what lies before you. It took me higher into the ways of God.”

– Brian Simmons

Decrees saved my hand from being scarred. One day, I accidentally poured boiling water over my hand. I decreed the Word of God, declaring that there would be no burn effects or blisters on my skin. My hand was perfectly fine and did not even turn red! A decree is the practice of simply quoting God’s promises back to Him, reminding Him of what He has said. Decreeing God’s word not only builds our faith but transforms our lives.

Accept the challenge to decree the words of scripture boldly, in God’s timing and for His will and purposes to break forth in your life.

 Quendarious E. (aka “Reggie”)

Monday                                                                                              August 4, 2025

Today was an awesome day. We were filled with a lot of exciting emotions that will be remembered forever. Praying in is our favorite part of the day. After pray-in, our day jumped into a dance-off between everybody that had jackets on versus everybody that had on state shoes. It was a super fun wake-up to start our day.

Next, we took one of our tests on the Living in the Village book. It is a good course that we go through to better our personal finances. We learn a lot about the old days as well as current practices. We were then blessed by Chaplin Bruce T.’s teachings over the next chapter. (We will be tested on that chapter next week.) It is always a pleasure to have a speaker come in and help us learn some things we don’t know. We went over some homework assignments that we had to help us see where we went wrong and learn how to do things better next time on our test.

We took some time out to go over our business logos, which is the fun part of our business plan. It was exciting to come up with a plan for drawing our logos. Then we started recording our team videos for our business plan pitches. It was an intense experience because we had to really stand up and get in front of the camera. Overall, it was an amazing day that we can truly thank God for.

Anthony B. (aka “Uncle Elroy off Friday”)

Tuesday                                                                                             August 5, 2025

Today was a great day – not only did the good Lord wake us up, but he gave us another chance to learn from PEP and how to be better men for our families. It started with a good pray-in! We then followed that up with a good dance session.

Afterwards, we started testing. Today, we tested on Chapters 3 and 4 out of our Entrepreneurship textbook. We were able to use the laptops for testing, which is a different experience. It had been a while since any of us have had the opportunity to use a laptop, and it was a humbling experience.

After coming back from lunch, we proceeded with Toastmasters, our public speaking curriculum. Learning about Toastmasters was very different and an intimidating experience for the class. Not everyone has the courage to stand up in front of a large crowd without stumbling over their words. We know that the more we do these Toastmasters projects, the more it will help us overcome the stage fright of standing and delivering speeches. The stories from our peers are enough to put you in a trance, and they sometimes take you on a journey that you don’t even realize you are on. It’s truly something beautiful and such a pleasure to be a part of.

So don’t think that PEP is just a series of tests and a competition. It’s a brotherhood of like-minded individuals dedicated to character development and rebuilding lives that have felt lost for so long. We can’t wait to see everyone at graduation. Seeing our families will make this journey worth every step. In conclusion, all in all, we had a great Tuesday.

 Jose C. (aka “Fred Flintstone”)

Wednesday                                                                                           August 6, 2025

Today was a wonderful and blessed day! We woke up today and went to get some eggs and biscuits for breakfast – a good meal was a great way to start the day. Thank God for all His blessings that we have received and for giving us another day in this world.

Today was a great day in class. We gave our Toastmasters speeches in the classroom, and we learned a lot from each other. Mainly we listened to what everybody has gone through in their lives. Listening to all our different upbringings showed us that we all have a lot in common. Specifically, we all share traumas from our childhood. Many of us had one parent, and most of us had parents with addictions that affected our lives in many ways.

Thank God for PEP. It’s a place where we can get better; work on ourselves; break the chain to change our mindset; and stop our children from following in our footsteps and ending up in prison like us. Thank you PEP for helping us in better ourselves by learning how to start a business, manage our money, budget and save money for emergencies. Thank you for teaching us the 10 Driving Values to become a better version of ourselves and use our entrepreneurial skills.

We are all here to better our lives for our families, to have a more successful future and succeed in life. We want to use this opportunity to offer our children a different path than ours, as well as to be role models and give back to our communities.

Alfredo C. (aka “Jimmy Neutron”)

Thursday                                                                                           August 7, 2025

We started the day bright and early at 8 a.m. We had a little issue finding our seats, but our emcees Jeremy W. and Frederick M. worked hard to fix the issue.

After being prayed-in by Gary P., we started to examine our phrase of the day. Jeremy W. talked about how his perception had changed and grown since he came to prison and was forced to grow up. Frederick M. spoke about how he has grown since he was a kid, and how he used his speaking gift in the wrong way. Now, at PEP, he can use those skills that were built in his past to help and inspire others. Gary P. and Isiah R. also spoke on the same subject. Gary P. said, “Working for something makes you respect it more.” Nikki B. and Michael G. said they loved the quote and the debate about it, and Michael G. said it showed two of the 10 Driving Values: “Fresh Start” Outlook and Love. Jeremy W. closed the discussion by saying, “You need to realize how bad you were and own that, so you can change from the easy path.”

Our next speaker was business executive Carl G. He came to us to teach on Chapter 11 of our Entrepreneurship textbook about marketing. With his 31 years of experience, he was able to give us huge insights into how marketing works. He spoke on the different types of promotions that are used to make you aware of a product, to convert you to that product, and to make you return again as a repeat user. The Question and Answer session with Carl G. helped him pass on knowledge to us that is not in the book and that will be very helpful in our own businesses.

The afternoon session stared with Cindy V., our new business executive. Since Cindy V. has volunteered for PEP for the past 7 years, she’s the perfect person to teach about business mission and strategy. She told us how to create an effective mission statement and the three steps to identify a sustainable competitive advantage. Finally, she taught us about strategies that we can apply to our own businesses.

Michael C. (aka “The Stork from Looney Toons”)

Friday                                                                                                 August 8, 2025

Today started out great, just as every day has since we began PEP. Everyone in our current class has made amazing improvements. Who would have ever thought that we would be given a chance such as the one PEP has given us? We all share one major quality in our class: the need for change.

Today, we started PEP the same way we do every morning by praying in. Then, we went to the back of the room and danced down the aisle. The reason for the dancing is to get everyone in good spirits and to start our morning on a happy note. Afterwards, we started our class by getting new pitch sheets. This pitch is for our group in the Business Plan Competition (BPC). We also got copies of our pitch from the group’s CEO. We will be getting ready for our next big pitch day on September 26.

We started the BetterMan portion of the program today, and David F. was amazing. We broke into groups to discuss what we heard David F. share. We are all amazed at how much PEP has offered us. A lot of us have been involved with many programs during our time in the system, but none are as promising as this one. We have been presented with the opportunity of a lifetime. It has been unlike anything we have ever seen, being taught by all these intelligent people. God is truly great.

 Joby C. (aka “Foghorn Leghorn”)

Expressions

“You are a world entirely. You are grand and lovely.

But you have to see it before anyone else does.”

– Pierce Brown

This quote came from my favorite author of the Red Rising series that has grown so popular. The characters in this story have all suffered great loss, witnessed horrific destruction and done many things in the war that rages on in their universe. At times, the war makes them feel like monsters themselves. However, there was always one who saw the good in the characters despite what they had done in the past – one who saw in them what they did not see in themselves and was trying to mirror the good that lay within them but was hidden by anger, hate, loss and pain. When I came across this, my mind instantly went to how this was also true in my life. So many have told me that I have a good heart; that they see the complete other side of me where I actually care about myself; that I have the potential to be so much better than the man I was. For a long time, I told myself that I wasn’t good enough, and sometimes I asked why God created me. I wondered what it was other people saw in me.

Anytime I messed up, I was my own worst critic and beat myself up more than anyone else could. Beating myself up only produced anger that I then directed at God, on top of the loss and pain I was already feeling. Now that I have started to grow in my faith and take the advice of people who see the good in me, it’s becoming clear to me that they’re right. I’m learning how truly capable I am when I challenge myself to surpass my limits – not only that, but what it actually means to love myself and be okay with who I am while continuing to grow. I hope that one day people will be able to be inspired by me.

Frederick C. (aka “Soul Glow”)

Monday                                                                                            July 28, 2025

We had an amazing day today! Honestly, every day has been awesome since our class started our journey through PEP. We are truly blessed to have the opportunity to learn, grow, and be a part of something that is greater than ourselves. This morning after praying in, we had the privilege of Bruce T. joining us to teach us and review the first two chapters of Living in the Village, a book about financial planning. Bruce T. introduced our class to some financial terms. We learned ways to deal with money and that, when investing, “Slow and steady wins the race.”

Next, we had some fun and finished the remainder of giving guys their “Fun Names.” We believe these are important because they give us something in common to bond over. They also help to break the ice between us. PEP Fun Names make you feel like you belong. We then found out who the CEOs of the companies were. It was exciting because we all worked very hard writing and delivering our business pitches during The Big Idea Pitch event. Those of us on M-pod are proud to say that we have nine CEOs in our pod. Each one of us did great.

During the second half of class, we found out which brothers and companies we were going to work with. We were broken up into groups of four, and each team member was assigned a role in the company: Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Chief Operations Officer (COO). We got together in our teams and discussed each part of the business, as well as which parts we will need to present later on.

Then as a class, we participated in two activities: one taught us that in helping someone else find happiness, you’ll find your own happiness; the other activity (working together to build a structure) showed us the importance of effective communication. Every day, we are growing stronger as a class. Congratulations to all the PEP brothers that were given their hard-earned positions of CEOs. Well done!

Rohn B. (aka “The Allstate Guy”)

Tuesday                                                                                            July 29, 2025

The PEP brotherhood here at the Sanders Estes Unit had an amazing day today. As usual, we started our morning giving thanks to God for all He has blessed us with, especially our families. The first order of business was taking an exam we had been preparing for. It was on the history and basic fundamentals of finance and entrepreneurship in America. As is everything we do, this test of our knowledge was intense, with both multiple choice and essay questions.

After returning from chow together, we sat at long tables and created our own personal Coat of Arms. This consisted of our pictures pasted onto the bodies of various superheroes and other characters on a posterboard. It was also decorated as a personalized representation of us. Some of us didn’t know what to make of it at first, but what we came to realize is that during the exercise we not only worked together as a team, but we also got to know each other better.

The Prison Entrepreneurship Program is unique in that it is a test of wills and a constant challenge. We are all striving here to become better men, fathers, sons and brothers for our societies and our families. At the same time, we have all accepted personal responsibility for what we have done wrong and are paying our debt to society.

We would personally like to thank all who have made this transformational journey possible, and that includes the PEP leadership; the executives who volunteer their time; and our PEP graduates and brothers, our Servant-Leaders.

Robert B. (aka “The Wacky Inflatable Man”)

Wednesday                                                                                       July 30, 2025

Today was a very joyful day, waking up thanking our Father in heaven first and foremost before anything. Our next task was to record an interview for virtual Family Day. This task alone brought a lot of positive inspiration to our current class of Fall ’25. This interview was to give the Family Liaison some key information to be able to contact and relay information to our family members about our progress in the program.

Another inspirational task we had today was the joy of taking pictures for birthday cards for our children. It was pretty amazing seeing the smiles among all of our faces as we took turns taking goofy pictures with props. These tasks may seem small to some, but to others it’s the inspiration we need to keep motivated and pushing forward to show our kids the change we are going through to be better fathers, or even just a better person for those who don’t have children.

The brotherly love we show each other here is another fantastic thing to witness. When we are in our dorms, we come together to help one another with studying, cleaning and even inspirational tasks. We’re taking and using these tools to build one another up prior to our re-entry back into society. We’re all anxious for graduation and to be able to walk across the stage to receive our PEP diploma and Baylor certificate.

 Myron B. (aka “Radio”)

Thursday                                                                                           July 31, 2025

What an awesome day we had today. We just want to thank the Lord for another day that we were not promised. He gave us another day to grow and become better men for our families and have a second chance at life. PEP is a true blessing, and we are so grateful for the chance to be here.

Every morning after we pray-in, we have a quote of the day – today’s was: “The teacher can only teach the teachable.” Now being prideful is a dismissiveness syndrome coupled with an over-estimation of one’s own wisdom or ability. This causes people to dismiss information they need because they arrogantly (or ignorantly) assume they don’t need it. Are we teachable? The answer is yes! We are open-minded and ready to learn something new every day.

Today, we learned about entrepreneurship: the art of science and process for success that lays the groundwork for a successful small business. We learned an approach to developing a quality business idea, where we were asked to list and evaluate our own personal skill sets and examine the marketplace for opportunities. We also learned that location is important when starting a business. Knowing your customers is key, and getting that first customer is the hardest.

We started our first Toastmasters (public speaking curriculum) today with the Icebreaker speech. Just being able to listen to our brothers’ speeches was a blessing. PEP is truly something beautiful, and it’s a real pleasure to be a part of a new family of brothers. We are starting a new chapter in our lives with improved character to achieve great success. We cannot wait to see everyone at graduation!

Michael B. (aka “Cow from the Barnyard”)

Friday                                                                                                 August 1, 2025

Today was a great day! We went to breakfast at around 3:45 a.m. for breakfast burritos. Not only did the good Lord wake us up, but He gave us another chance to learn how to be better men for our families. It started out as a quiet morning, due to the fact that the current class had the morning session off. We were able to complete our homework because the dorm was empty.

We were also able to make commissary. Servant-Leaders had a project management class that lasted most of the day, so our pod was quiet and empty. See, we’ve been working on our team business pitches for weeks now. Now it was time to put the hard work into action, showcasing the competition from within. With less then a month until the next pitch day in front of real-world executives, it’s time to get down to business.

Every day is a journey that’s all about teamwork and dedication. Just being able to hear the brothers and their stories is enough to put you in a trance. Sometimes you get taken on a journey that you don’t even realize you are on. It’s truly something beautiful and just a pleasure to be a part of. So, don’t think PEP is just a test and competition. It’s a brotherhood of like-minded individuals dedicated to character development and rebuilding that which may have felt lost for so long. We can’t wait to see everyone at graduation, making this journey worth every step.

David B. (aka “Hank from King of the Hill”)

Expressions

“The true measure of strength is based on who you lift up, not who you beat down.”

– Unknown

There have been different variations of this quote credited to Booker T. Washington, Denzel Washington and Kamala Harris. However, the original author is unknown.

Often, I find myself reflecting on this quote and sharing it with the men around me. I use it as a friendly reminder to myself and others that strength in character is reflected in how we treat others. Those who have used this quote have several things in common, including that they all demonstrate care for the community. Likewise, my care for the PEP community is why I chose this quote.

This quote inspires me to demonstrate my strength by giving an encouraging word, lending a helping hand, being a positive influence and sharing with those in need. Furthermore, this quote inspires me because I believe that being able to uplift others is an important leadership characteristic. After all, part of Servant-Leader Mentality is making positive contributions in the lives of others.

As I continue to share this quote with the men around me, I am pleased to see that they receive it the same way I did when I first heard it: with an open heart and a desire to help others.

Like most of the men here, my family is waiting for my return to society. This quote serves as a reminder that our true strength will be demonstrated when we lift up our families, our friends and our community. 

Nikki B. (aka “Andre 2000”)

Monday                                                                                                  July 21, 2025

Today was a very tiring day, especially after coming off of lockdown. We all came in with energy, but after we got that out of the way, it got real. We all got to introduce ourselves and learn what we want from the class, and we all seem to have the same agenda.

We have four days until the first event, and for the most part our class is ready to perform – only a few messed up, but it was just nervousness. We were given a lot of work to do, but it will be easy if everyone puts their hearts in it. We should embrace this and really try to do the work and accept the challenge because it will all be worth it in the end, as long as we try.

Toward the end of class today, we went over different aspects of class such as these weekly journals and Toastmasters, as well as the lessons we will learn going forward. We’re all very happy and excited to grow and be a part of this, to be honest. Today was good because we all got those first day jitters out of the way and really got class started.

When we all came back to the dorm, everyone was doing their elevator pitches. We were talking to each other and really helping one another come up with ideas to either speak clearer, louder, or just loosen up and have some fun. We’re happy to get started for real and engage in meeting our fellow classmates and walk the stage with them.

                                  Jaymis A. (aka “Rafiki from The Lion King”)

Tuesday                                                                                                 July 22, 2025

Today was an amazing day. The Lord woke us up this morning prepared for our second full day in PEP. As we know, knowledge is power. We walked into the classroom this morning and, lo and behold, there was a really awesome quote on the board. They asked us what came to mind when we read the quote. When we read this quote about “submission,” we thought about the fact that the only way we can truly change is to submit ourselves to something greater than ourselves. So every day, Servant-Leaders (graduates of the program) walk around taking notes and asking us to sit up and pay attention and things like that. We wondered why they seemed kind of hard on us – but then the Servant-Leaders took the floor and really opened up to us. They told us all that their jobs entailed, and it really blew my mind to see how much these men want to help us change for the better.

After the Servant-Leaders wrapped up, our In-Prison Manager, Adam W., got up there to speak, and he was so excited to get us ready to run our pitches in alphabetical order. So then, as we recited our pitches, he critiqued us, and we realized and were inspired by the amount of talent our classmates have as the pitches kept coming. We saw every man who stepped up in that power zone grow in a powerful way.

After our pitches were over, we were given the opportunity to take the Myers-Briggs test to learn our personality type and characteristics. So, we have to say like Ice Cube does, “Today was a good day.” Thank you for taking the time to read this and God bless.

                                        Anthony A. (aka “Mater from Cars”)

Wednesday                                                                                            July 23, 2025

Today was an amazing day. Not only did He wake us up this morning, but He gave us another opportunity to talk, walk and change our ways to be better not only for us, but for our families as well.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, are you ready for what I’m about to talk about? Because it’s about to get spicy, like our class was all day today! After our pray-in to the Lord our Savior, we went to the back of the room and danced. Of course, the DJ played music that not even your body could resist – no matter how hard you tried, standing still wasn’t an option with this type of music and energy running through the class.

After the good energy flowed throughout the classroom, we were taught how to take a test on the laptop, and how it will be graded as well. Not only that, but LaDavious S. gave us some tips on how to pass our class, because one thing is for sure: our PEP brothers who work here care about us graduating and making a change not only in ourselves, but in the community as well.

After the lesson on how the tests are taken and graded, we finally got our PEP Fun Names and boy, did we have some fun! For a minute, it felt like we weren’t even behind a fence. While we were getting our Fun Names (nicknames), and all of us were laughing and treating each other as a family when class ended for the day.

After we all got back to our dorms, we started practicing and getting ready for our big Big Idea Pitch event on Friday. Just remember, “Teamwork makes the dream work.”

David A. (aka “The Pterodactyl”)

Thursday                                                                                                July 24, 2025

Today was a great day. We started the day off with a nice warm up when this message popped up on the screen: “Anybody who wants to go home, to the back of the room!” So we all got up, turned up really quickly, and some even went and went back a second time.

Then we proceeded with a prayer, which was awesome. After that, we discussed our networking cards as well as our thank you cards. We also talked about what we could expect tomorrow at the Big Idea Pitch event.

After that we jumped right into some practice pitches, and we were ready. Seems we are all getting better every day. A lot of us are still working out of nervous energy, myself included. We all pitched and then started “owning” our Fun Names with a lot of roasting and smiles. We went to lunch and got to go back to our pods for the first time since we’ve been in class, which was really nice.

As we got returned to the classroom that afternoon, people with undershirts had to go to the back of the classroom to dance up toward the front. We got a good warm-up and proceeded into assigning more fun names for a while, until we stopped to applaued an executive who came in named Scott S. (aka “Sweet Starbucks”), who is a financial advisor. He was awesome. We talked about a book called The 21^st Century Entrepreneur. He spoke about Chapters 1 and 2, saying that the most important slide in the presentation was “Critical elements an entrepreneur must solve for success.” Scott S. answered a lot of questions, and we all greatly appreciated his time coming in. Then we talked more about our event tomorrow and how we are all super excited, especially to find out which of us will nominated a CEO.

Corey A. (aka “Cleveland Brown”)

Friday                                                                                                      July 25, 2025

Today was exciting, The Big Idea Pitch event! We not only were blessed with another day from God, but we were blessed with wisdom and love from the executives! We started our morning with assigning some more Fun Names. We also held a pitch panel, where some of the guys were able to practice their pitches and get some really good feedback from some of the executives. It was really awesome to see everyone’s progress in delivering their pitches – fears were overcome; hard work was put forth; and goals were achieved. It was so encouraging and a beautiful thing to see.

The afternoon came and it was finally time to start the event. We entered the gym to a line of supporters: executives, PEP staff and Servant-Leaders all cheering us on and encouraging us. The experience was incredible! We pitched our big ideas twice before we had a break when executives gave us advice and words of encouragement.

We wrapped up the event with some touching testimonies and encouraging words. We also provided some Fun Names to a few newer executives, and they were good sports. We prayed-out at the end of the event, and when we got back to the classroom Adam W. encouraged us before David F. prayed over us. It was a wonderful day!

Once we got back to H-Pod, our Servant-Leaders were excited for us and wanted to know all about our day. It felt good to make them proud. PEP has been a blessing.

Micah A. (aka “Carlton Banks”)

Expression

“God has not forsaken me!”

– Yahweh

Through my life experiences, I know that God has always been by my side. At a young age I lost both my parents, and that meant my life was turned upside down. I felt like God had abandoned me as a kid despite being told about the love of God and how He protects us. I always asked Him why He took my parents when I needed them the most. At times, I felt lost and unworthy. As I grew up, I looked at the places and things I had been through and looked at how things could have been. I noticed that yes, He took what I loved most, but he gave me His love and mercy.

He has taken so many broken hearts and turned them into hearts of joy. He provided me with peace and comfort knowing that no matter what came my way, I was never alone. God has never forsaken me. Through Him, I have been blessed abundantly from people who have been placed in my life and those around me.

PEP has shown me brotherhood and fellowship from my brothers who to me were just other inmates. They turned into my PEP brothers and brothers in Christ. These brothers have shown me that no matter our background, religion or where we are from, being able to love the person next to you is the love of God. Being able to feel the love instead of pain allowed me to know that no matter where I am in this life, I know I am always loved by my parents and our God.

Eric A. (aka “Gary Coleman”)