Week 1

Week in Review

Monday April 2, 2018

Today was our first day of the business portion of the Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP) – it was also our first day of Toastmasters, where we will learn how to improve our public speaking. Those of us who had to give a speech did a tremendous job. Even though it was just an “ice breaker” speech, we had fun. Our group showed good interest and the willingness to learn as we gave each other advice on what to work on. We can tell some us didn’t come too prepared, however it told us that our classmates can identify things that we can’t see in ourselves. We also learned the different positions we will hold in a Toastmasters meeting. While we got a glimpse of how the classes would be like, we mostly saw our strong points, who was good at speaking in front of a crowd and who needs to work on their presentation skills. We also got to know our brothers a little bit more as they provided insights into their lives. We found out that Michael Bo.’s father was a basketball player who traveled around the world being a part of the Armed Services and serving our country. We also got a little sneak preview of Dustin B.’s children’s book that he is working on. The thing that stood out most of all was Michael Br.’s fascination with helping people out and being there for the ones who are less fortunate than we are. Benjamin D. opened up our minds with his speech, where he touched on unlocking our hidden talents and turning the impossible into the possible. We concluded our meeting with high energy, and we all agree it gave us a notch of motivation and really lifted our spirits.

Yusuf A. (a.k.a. “Baby Hair ”)

Tuesday April 3, 2018

Today in PEP we reviewed the first two chapters in our personal finance book, Living in the Village. This was a great experience for us. Our objective is to learn how to build our financial future before we return home. Living in the Village is probably one of the best books we have read (so far) because of the motivation it gives us as inmates who want a much better way to live; we can also pass these tools down to our family and friends. To think that PEP believes that we as inmates can be positive role models in society is why America is great. We learned of difficult times in our country’s history, such as the Great Recession, the Great Depression and times of war, which in turn helped the United States to gain courage through adversity, leading to prosperity. The book’s author encourages anyone who has been through hard times and wants to regain financial prosperity. To be a proactive person in life and prepare for situations in the future – especially financially – is a must. The vision that PEP is allowing us to see with classes such as this is really making us think.

In class, we also were taught how to have faith. Having faith can have a big impact on everyone. The combination of faith and finance can effectively change not only us, but communities everywhere.

Manuel A. (a.k.a. “Buffalo Wing”)

Wednesday April 4, 2018

Today was entrepreneurship class day. We had the chance to get to know our instructor, Brian T., who did an amazing job explaining how to use the process of generating a business idea. We went over topics such as understanding how our skills, education and hobbies interrelate to form an idea. We also became familiar with gap analysis and reviewed how to create a gap analysis chart to narrow down our choices. We also learned the different areas of the distribution chain such as the manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer and consumer. We learned about the amount of mark-up placed on each product at different levels.

Innovation was also a key topic of the day. We discussed its role in the development of our economy and how a lack of it can cause a company’s demise. One of the most important things we heard today was the 90/10 rule, which means life is only 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. We also heard a very inspiring quote that says, “Lose who you are to become who you want to be.” This means we definitely have the ability to be different. It was very interesting and the whole class seemed very optimistic about entrepreneurship. Understanding the roots of opportunity was an eye opener that allowed us to look at different areas for value creation. At the end of class, we had a “pray-out” for one of our PEP brothers being released, which was the first one of many for our class. We all enjoyed getting the chance to give our brother our support in love before he begins his second chance at life, especially knowing that we will all be out there with him shortly. It truly is a blessing. As a famous songwriter once said, “Today was a good day.”   

Corey A. (a.k.a. “Felicia from Friday”)

Thursday April 5, 2018

We learned more about the beginning process of how a Toastmasters meeting should be run. Several of us were confused and had many questions about the proceedings. Our trusted Servant-Leaders truly lead by example, being humble enough to sacrifice their glory of already going through these exercises in Toastmasters. We worked hard to rise to the occasion and meet the required standard. We presented quality-filled topics with context well explained. Our members projected subject knowledge and gave very informative presentations. We have to continue to support one another as we learn more and more about public speaking and how to present a speech in a way that will keep the audience’s attention. Toastmasters also makes us respond in pressure situations by having us perform these speeches within a specific timeframe, which means we have to begin with a punch line in our opening to capture the group’s attention. And once we capture their attention, we are able to get them to see beyond their perception, and even the current reality, to break the stereotypes and shape a new purpose.

Toastmasters allows us to display our God-given talents and share our true personality, and in that process we are learning and growing, as well as creating a bond with lifelong connections. We also have to have thick skin as we go through the process of having our presentations assessed by our peers, ready to accept constructive criticism that will help us become more effective, efficient and proactive in our public speaking abilities. We also want to thank the people who created Toastmasters, because it has really given us an opportunity to realize that work is an important part of life and should be fun and rewarding.

Linard A. (a.k.a. “Willie from Friday”)

Expressions

“I have days when my boundaries wobble, my darkness and the blues seem to beckon and I seek to medicate myself in whatever way I can. But on my best days, I can freely enjoy the slow passing of time, the tenderness that is in my life; I can feel the love I’m part of surrounding me and flowing through me; I am near home and I am standing hand in hand with those I love, past and present, in the sun on the outskirts of something that feels almost like being free.”

~ Bob Dylan

I picked this quote because Bob Dylan put into words how I feel, and he made it sound beautiful, but I also picked it because it reminds me that we are not alone. Other people feel the same way that we do. It helps me to see that the things I hold dear but took for granted before my incarceration.

Ross B. (a.k.a. “Sticky Fingers”)