Monday                                                                                                              March 11, 2024

Today’s class was wonderful. To begin with, we participated in “Toastmasters,” which is one of our favorite curriculums in class. We get to hear and practice our pitch in front of classmates to be ready for our events. It really helps us to get to know one another and to build confidence in front of a crowd. Another thing we did was “praise reports.” This part of the class is where we lift each other up and give words of encouragement through a slip of paper that we get to fill out. Those who get a “praise report” also receive a sticker that they can add to their “coat of arms,” which has our picture and magazine cut-outs of hobbies, among other things on them. At the end of “praise reports,” we all danced to the chants and rhythm of encouragement. Hard to believe we are in prison! Last but not least, we went over an assignment that was based on our product and service offerings of our future businesses. This helps us because we get to learn step by step how we are to describe our product to our potential customers using a brief and easy to understand statement. We also learned how to be more specific in our business plans, for example, how we are to make money, when we plan to open, and how we can be more unique in our businesses. In other words, what sets us apart from our potential competition? These assignments are helpful and useful because we know this will help us kickstart our own business and for that we are grateful. Overall, it was a powerful and productive day.

Carlos L. (aka “Little Mermaid”)

Tuesday                                                                                                             March 12, 2024

            Today was an enjoyable day. We enjoyed watching motivational videos that set the right mood for us to kickstart a successful mindset. We also took our test over chapter 9 and 12 in our entrepreneurship book. We always feel good about the tests, even if the tests may be a bit challenging. We have put in hours of hard work studying, as well as our executive, who taught us these lessons, and has spoken at Harvard, has prepared us well. We all were nervous about the questions that were going to be on the test, however, after we all completed it, that sense of nervousness was gone, and we felt like we did well. With each passing day we get closer and closer to the goal of graduating. We want to be able to walk across that stage and see how proud we made our families. Each day is a challenge for us all as we wake up in a prison environment, surrounded by negativity; but it doesn’t bother us, or affect our drive for success. We are all eternally grateful for all the people that take the time out of their day to come and bless us with the knowledge, love, and understanding that comes with this program. We know now where our lives are headed, and it’s time to make a positive impact in society.

Emilio L. (aka “Master Splinter”)

Wednesday                                                                                                       March 13, 2024

We had a particularly good day in class today. We participated in a program called “Betterman” and we completed the third session. “Betterman” has allowed us to reflect as men and it shows us where we are lacking and where we are strong, but more importantly it allows us to understand why. We talk with our peers about old trauma. These groups are very conducive to the healing process that we need as damaged men. Although it has only been three sessions, we can all feel a noticeable change in how we react with each other. We all share a feeling of excitement for that day when our families get to finally be able to see us as graduated men committed to change and growth. After we got done with our groups, we got to find out how we did on our entrepreneurship tests, which as a class, we are all doing very well actually. 98% of the class passed this time and we are on track for 100% in the coming weeks. We encourage one another to try harder and become better versions of ourselves. At no other time in our collective prison experiences have we seen such an infectious and positive atmosphere. From the time we start the day until we finish, it is nothing but smiles along with complete effort. We know that the time has come to put away childish things and become the men we were always meant to be.

Alberth M. (aka “Donatello”)

Thursday                                                                                                           March 14, 2024

            We had an amazing day in PEP. We had special guests Keith and Doug teach us from the entrepreneurship book. We went over chapters 6 and 8 as a class. Chapter 6 was about analyzing cash flow and other critical financial information. They also taught us about various tools and techniques to verify if our businesses would be able to bring in positive cash flow or not. In chapter 8, we went further into detail, and we learned about many different technical terms in detail as to their meaning and how to apply them. It’s always exciting and we are very appreciative to learn from all the people that take the time out of their lives to patiently teach us. In the later part of the class, the family liaison also came by and encouraged us to continue our journey in bettering ourselves for our loved ones and our communities. Mrs. Black, the family liaison, also informed us about graduation and how important it is. She gave us the proper amount of time to ask questions. When doing so, you could feel the emotion in the classmates around me. We are extremely grateful for all the wonderful insight that she was able to give us. Right now, we are scheduled to graduate on May 24^th, 2024. There are a some of us that have never made it far enough in school to be able to see a stage let alone walk across one. This drives us to push hard and apply ourselves to the fullest every day. We make sure that every man in the room fights to achieve greatness, so that everyday our families can be proud of us. We would like to thank everyone who believes in us and does not give up on us.

Christopher M. (aka “Raphael”)

Friday                                                                                                                  March 15, 2024

Today is Friday March 15, and we had a test on “Living in the Village.”  We had a full day. For example, first, when we come to the PEP room, we put on our name tags as procedure, and it aids us in learning each other’s names. Afterwards, we find our seats and we wait until everyone is there so we can pray in. We always start with a pray in and ask God to bless the class, which sets a positive vibe in the classroom. We then jump right into testing from our “Living in the Village,” book which is our project we are doing that will help us become knowledgeable in financial literacy. It teaches us how to eliminate debt, improve our credit score, and create an emergency fund. After we turned in the test, we went over the next chapter of the book, so we knew what to study for the upcoming week. Next, we welcomed the three new guys that joined our class, and we had the pleasure of giving them their fun names, which are names we give each other to better socialize with one another and are given to replace nicknames in prison that are attached to negativity. They also had to dance down the aisle which was funny because most people aren’t comfortable doing as a welcoming mat to the PEP brotherhood. After that, we had to hold guys accountable for not holding themselves to a standard that we agreed on, coming to PEP, and some for being late on homework. Everything we do in PEP is out of love. We all came here for a reason and want to see each other succeed.

Jeff M. (aka “Two-can Sam”)

Expressions

“We can choose to be affected by the world or we can choose to affect the world.”

– Heidi Wills

This is a powerful quote. It portrays a contrast in the way it is stated. In a way, it states that there are two side of the fence that you can be on: One side you can let the world around you control the circumstances that arise in your life, on the opposite you can take the opportunity to be the difference with a better outcome. When I joined the PEP program, I had a distorted view and an unhealthy way of looking at my life’s outcome. This program opened many doors in my mind and my heart to learn new ways to look at my life. I soon realized that my stinking thinking was offering me an empty plate. I started exercising the tools and concepts that PEP offered and things in my life started to change. When those “influencers” around me began witnessing me influence positivity, instead of following the masses, I started making a positive impact in my life. We should always remember that we have the choice and option to open a better path to make a difference. One thing I can give back as a token is that the key to life is a good personality. Thanks to PEP, I am excited about building a stable life upon release.

James C. (aka “Cinnamon Roll”) – Servant Leader

Monday                                                                                                              March 04, 2024

Hello, we are the class of Summer 24. Today we had a Toastmaster session, ‘Ice Breaker.’ First, in Toastmasters we speak in front of our classmates without using any slang words or any words like ah, buts, ums, and you know what I’m sayings. The point of this is to help us be able to publicly speak and just be able to speak in general. Public speaking is one of the biggest fears most people have. Here in PEP, we were told we are going to have to face the fear of public speaking and the way we are going to do this is by taking this class. The Ice Breaker speech is a speech where we talk about how we were brought up as a child and what things lead us to prison. This is a way that we can get to know each other and build a bond as PEP brothers. So, Mondays is our toastmaster’s day, and we enjoy getting to know each other during this time. We also discussed about the first event. All together we had an enjoyable day doing toastmasters and just being able to build bonds with each other on a brotherly level. We all want to continue to build ourselves up and strive to do better. As always, we closed class with a great pray out to our Lord and Savior.

Robert F. (aka “Zohan”)

Tuesday                                                                                                             March 05, 2024

Today in class we met one of the very first graduates of the first PEP class, Mr. Tran. Mr. Tran currently works for PEP and wears many hats for the organization. He spoke about having a servant-leader mentality especially towards our kids. He mentioned how this has helped him with his relationship with his children. He also spoke with us about working to move forward in class, although things will get hard but anything worth having is often not easy. We also revealed the winners of this past Fridays’ pitch contest. It was great to celebrate with the ones who won because all their hard work and effort invested has paid off. Then we were assigned to teams, and we participated in an activity that involved teamwork. Seeing everyone working together as a team was special and allowed us to get a chance to know how to collaborate with each other better. We also took a test on chapters 5 and 11 in our entrepreneurship book. We are growing mentally, and we are learning priceless things like teamwork, character building and many things we need to know when it comes to starting our own business. This is truly a blessing to us all. Class is teaching us a lot about being men, for example, learning how to apply the 10 driving values. Joining PEP is probably the best experience we have ever had in our lives.

Lawerance E. (aka “Almond Joy”)

Wednesday                                                                                                       March 06, 2024

Today PEP was great, we had lots of fun as usual. We learned about PEP’s financial loan company called Entre Capital. It is an awesome way for us who desire to start our business to get loans for a number of things and reasons. We had some special guests come and honored us by presenting the information and giving us their time. Tim has been working with PEP for nearly ten years. He told us about the different functions of Entre Capital. He also gave us good pointers for being successful in the world. Courtney, who is the accountant for PEP, also blessed us with some amazing knowledge of the services PEP offers to the graduates of PEP. Together they went through a PowerPoint that explained to us what exactly is needed to be a successful businessperson. We must be coachable, and we must have good moral character. We must have conviction and a strong belief system. We must have a good community, mentors, friends, and family who believe in and are willing to help us succeed. Externally our business will need two things’ cash flow and collateral. Cash flow to cover all our operating costs and make a profit. Collateral such as any assets that can be put up as a security given as a pledge for a loan if our business needs money. These are a few examples of what we learned today. We are very thankful for PEP as an organization but especially for those who take time out of their day to share with us their knowledge and wisdom.

Eleazar F. (aka “Fruit Stick”)

Thursday                                                                                                           March 07, 2024

Today two executives came to review chapters 9 and 12 of our Entrepreneurship business curricula. We were excited to see them again since they come regularly. They are always in good spirits, which always affects us in positive ways. Doug went over chapter 12 explaining how important it is to establish operations within our business. He also spoke about establishing a banking relationship with our bankers, he continued speaking about time management. After Doug, Dougal, who is the other executive, spoke about chapter 9. He went over different forms of business, which he further explained the importance of certain contracts, copyrights, trademarks, patents, and insurances. After he was done going over the book review, he gave us personal advice on what drive entrepreneurs to start their business, then he and Doug prayed us out which we really enjoyed. After they left, we began working on our “Living in the Village” assignment and took a test on chapter 4. We all did well on the test, then our peer educator, James and one of the servant-leaders Todd, went over chapters 5 and 6 of “Living in the Village”. We appreciate them helping us understand the curriculum after going over both chapters of “Living in the Village,” we began working on our “Better man” assignment book. We watched a video that explains the answers, we write down in our booklet every time we do this activity, we are inspired to be better men not just for us, but for our families. Once we were done with the video and our assignments, we pray out as one. This marks another wonderful day gone and we can’t wait for tomorrow thanks to PEP.

Kendarius G. (aka “DJ from Hustle and Flow”)

Friday                                                                                                                  March 08, 2024

Today we are participating in Toastmasters and the word of the day is “absurd.” The theme of the day is love. We are observing speakers that are sharing stories from their life and history in front of our classmates. We will be evaluating all the speakers on their performance and quality of their speech. The pronunciation of their words and if they used them in their sentences correctly. The Toastmaster himself called on a few students to ask them questions about the 10 Driving Values. Our 10 driving values include a fresh start out look, a servant-leader mentality, love, innovation, accountability, integrity, execution, fun, excellence, and wise stewardship. We all have memorized the definitions to all the 10 Driving Values. We also listened to some words of encouragement from our peer educator Mr. James N. He gave us good advice on leadership and has been helping us become better speakers. We listened to thirteen different speakers as they spoke about their life experiences. We listened to all five evaluators that graded them on their performance. We learned we can all over come our fears through Jesus Christ. We like to accomplish our goals by working hard at what we are trying to achieve. We have an opportunity to be better in the future than we were in our past. Were grateful God has kept us here and being a part of the PEP program is an opportunity for us to be molded into the men and leaders that God created us to be.

Lavoskey H. (aka “Bill Cosby”)

Expressions

“You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right”

            – Rosa Parks

Here in PEP, we always strive to be better men. Not to be fearful and to always keep putting one foot in front of the other in life. Also, to never be fearful because that fear can hold you back from something that could be the best blessing you could ever receive. Finally, never be fearful of something you know is right. Always keep pushing forward no matter what.

William C. (aka “Barney”)

Monday                                                                                 February 26, 2024

Today we started the day off like we always do, we prayed in and gave thanks to God for another day and the opportunity to achieve excellence. Mondays always start off in the mornings with Toast Masters. This was our second Toast Masters class, and we were still performing the first speech, the “Icebreaker” because every PEP brother must deliver that speech. Most of us talked about our birthplace, family, hometown, education, and our charges or what led us to prison. We concluded with the fact that we have this incredible opportunity with PEP, and we should put forth our best effort. The challenge that we had to overcome was nervousness during the speech. The fact that we overcame the “fear” of public speaking statistically speaking we overcame one of the biggest fears in America. The top three happen to be speaking in public, going to prison and dancing in public. We can check all three of these fears off our list. We are closer to accomplishing our goals because we face these fears daily here in PEP. Everyday PEP presents challenges as well as opportunities to better ourselves. Knowing that we are capable and able to speak in public as well as receive the tools to do so is very empowering. As we reflect on Monday and each day throughout our journey, we cannot help but be grateful for all the people that make PEP possible.

 Abraham C. (aka “Angry Bird”)

Tuesday                                                                                February 27, 2024

On Tuesdays here in PEP it is also known as test day, but today was not just about testing. We were blessed to have one of our educators come in and give us her life story. We listened and then told her what of the 10 during values she was talking about in her story. She told us that she was talking about the fresh – start outlook. We, as most of the class, agreed that she represented a few of the 10 driving values. Fun, wise stewardship and excellence to name a few. She seemed surprised that we thought that but was very thankful to us for all our responses. It was a little different than most Tuesday mornings, but we are blessed and thankful that she was willing to share with us. Our tests are set up in an easy layout for us. We are very thankful for that. We were told that if you listen in class and read what you are told to read then we should have no problems on the test. We have the entrepreneur educators come and talk to us every Thursday on what the test is going to be over. They are extremely helpful in helping us with the preparation for these tests. This is Summer 24’s second test on the computer. We all did well last week, not too sure how we came out this week. Either way one thing that we know is that when you think you have studied enough, study more. We are a family here and we know our fellow brothers will do what they can to help us prepare and do what is needed for each test each week. We are very thankful for this program and the people involved that make it happen.

Chad C. (aka “Forest Gump”)

Wednesday                                                                                   February 28, 2024

Today class began with our usual pray in. Following this, we were briefed for a resume building task. A group of our very own servant leaders guided us through a lecture on the matter, ensuring that all our PEP brothers were well informed before beginning the assignment. We were given powerful insight that could give us the advantage we need to stand out to employers. We were also given templates to guide us and make certain that our resumes are up to par. We are grateful for PEP because these tasks prepare us for future success upon release. Our resume building activity took up most of our class’ session, however, we also filled out forms that pertain to market research for our business plan. This is extremely and utterly helpful because it gives us the knowledge to execute a successful plan for our ventures. At the end of class, we had the pleasure of watching a few inspiring and educational short films. Topics that these short films covered were about sale, marketing and overcoming fear. All together we had fun, regarding our driving values presentation and we appreciate the determination that PEP commits to keep us up lifted and motivated individuals. Thank you!

David D. (aka “Leonardo”)

Thursday                                                                              February 29, 2024

Today was a good morning for us like every other day, we showed up prayed in and then greeted each other. It’s good because even when one of us is having a difficult day we can always go to one of our brothers for support. The PEP class is a place where we can loosen up and just be ourselves and that’s good because even though we are incarcerated, we have a place to go when stress is heavy on our mind. Laughter is an important thing in the class, there’s something about being around happy brothers that can make our days so much better. During the second half of the day, we were a little more serious, because this Friday we are having a big event. Therefore, we had to practice our pitch in front of the class. You can tell that some of the class was ready and some of us were not. Some were nervous, but we all got through it. As brothers we lifted each other up, the friendships that we have here together and just knowing that we are in this together is a beautiful thing. On test days everybody just wants to see each other make a good grade. This class is an important thing for all of us because everybody wants to change and live life differently than the way we were out there. PEP is the perfect place to start, we are excited to see what the rest of the program is going to be like. Summer 24 is a new beginning for a lot of us. Great thanks really go out to Joe and Mike for the support they give us.

 (Bricio E. aka “Little Joker”)

Friday                                                                                          March 01, 2024

Today was our big day, Pitch Day! We began the day in the gym seeing how everything was set up and learning where we would be assigned and how the event would operate. We broke off in our sections and began practicing our pitches amongst each other. Shortly after, executives (people who come to the unit to work with PEP – many are business leaders) joined us and we practiced in front of them. After each pitch they gave us feedback which was extremely helpful and encouraging. After lunch we met in the PEP room. From there we headed to the gym where the atmosphere was unbelievable. We were greeted by a human tunnel that consisted of all the executives and servant-leaders. Each one gave us high fives as we made our way through the tunnel. The feeling and the atmosphere can only be described as love and care. It was so overwhelming and completely amazing! Before we began our pitches, we lined up on one side and the executives on the other. Questions were asked and we all were told to step forward if it applied to us. This was done to show common ground. We then broke off in our sections and presented our business pitches a couple of times in front of several executives. It was nerve wrecking for us, but we executed amazingly. After we ran our pitches, we broke off into 5-minute one-on-ones with each executive. We got to ask questions, get feedback, and gain knowledge on how we can be successful in our business endeavors. Having the opportunity to have the executives pour their knowledge and wisdom into us. They gave us hope, encouragement and most of all, unconditional love. It was an unforgettable day with an unbelievable experience for us.

 Marcus P. (aka “LT. Dan”)

Monday                                                                                 February 19, 2024

Today we did Toastmasters, a program to help us learn how to be better communicators. Our topic today was to talk about our childhood. After we heard the stories of our fellow classmates we began to get feedback from one another. We were told how many times we used filler words such as um, uh, ah, and eh. We also let each other know when we used slang words. This helps us to know where we need to improve. When we arrived for the second half of class we started to work on our coat of arms assignment. First, we filled in what kind of person we consider ourselves to be using adjectives that best describe us. We also received our results back for our characteristic test helping us identify whether we are an extrovert or introverted. Along with receiving our results we were handed a superhero that best represents those results. We took that superhero and posted it on our scrapbook page which is a board where we added things from our coat of arms assignment. We also added things like words to define who we want to be. We are learning how to be better men not only for our families and loved ones but primarily for ourselves. This class is teaching us that even though we are incarcerated we are still human beings that have a true second chance at life. The place we are in now is temporary.

Joel C. (aka Stuffed Jalapeno)

Tuesday                                                                                February 20, 2024

Today in class we were able to start practicing our business pitches and give feedback to our classmates. We also went to the computer lab to take tests for chapters one and two of our entrepreneurship curriculum. Part of the test was to review and provide peer reviews for the open-ended responses. It is helpful to receive feedback so that we know how to improve ourselves in the future. We are grateful for the opportunity that PEP has given us, and we look forward to learning and growing as leaders. So far PEP has been a wonderful experience and we have learned a lot about entrepreneurship as well as other qualities that will help many of us become productive men. All of us have worked hard toward the goal of completing our business pitches. After class, our peers and pod coaches came together to continue working. We are all grateful for the camaraderie and teamwork skills that we have been able to build between each other. We are all excited to continue to take full advantage of everything that the program has to offer.

Joe C. (aka “Joe Dirt”)

Wednesday                                                                                   February 21, 2024

Today, like every day, we started with pray-in. Then we continued to work on our coat of arms. All of us seem to have had fun working together on it. We were all able to customize it in our own fun and interesting ways. We were able to produce some nice posters with the resources that we have. Some of the posters had pictures of cars, homes, watches, clothes, and all kinds of other items. Everything that we were supposed to put on the coat of arms are ideas we see in our successful futures. We always have fun but when it comes time to taking care of business we get to it. We talked about the topic of staying on track and really getting the most out of the program. We also had to discuss the importance of working together and staying focused. Sadly, some of our brothers (classmates) have been separated and it’s due to the lack of not staying focused and remembering our whys. It’s important to do our best to make it to the very end and keep in mind that all that we do is for a better future for ourselves. Then as we always do, we prayed out.

Xander B. (aka “Sugar Cookies”)

Thursday                                                                              February 22, 2024

Today in PEP, we had two executives come and go through the entrepreneurship book with us and go over chapter three and four to give us their point of view of what the book is saying. We learned how to identify gaps in the market such as trends, daily frustrations and knowing what customers need. Today a few of us little wanted to go back to the dorm, but we made our minds up on not doing that because we knew that two executives have taken the timeout of their day to come and talk to us. We are grateful for the opportunity to learn from these men and be able to apply these things towards my own business. So many of us are grateful for this class because we can show our families that we are doing something positive and productive. We are also learning things that will help us in the future and achieve greatness. A major lesson that we learned today was that entrepreneurs should focus on core customers and maintain a strategic distance from competition, and how to control expenses. We also learn how to define our business and ways to gather information by online search, industry magazines, journals, and industry associations. We are grateful to have these great executives come and teach us and share with us their knowledge and experiences.

Omar Castro (aka “Slow Sauce”)

Friday                                                                                     February 23, 2024

PEP’s devotional is one of the most wonderful life changing experiences. We decided to get up early every Friday and go preach and or hear the wonderful news of salvation. We can all agree we are living in some crazy times. As believers we have no time to waste, so we voluntarily choose to go to devotional. Our mission is to bring everyone the good, broken, bad and lonely to hear and enjoy the word of God. You all would be amazed how literally we can feel the presence of the Holy Spirt in the room. We praise and we worship, sing, and shout to the one we choose to call the Almighty King Jesus. Within these walls we are overcome with joy and the fullness of the Holy Spirit. We had the opportunity to discuss what we are grateful for and what our purpose in life is and what our identity in Christ looks like. It is a place where you can come and have peace and truly get to find Jesus. The PEP fellowship is remarkable. All the Christian brothers there are true men and soldiers of Christ. They are willing to help you in every aspect through your walk of faith. So, with that said we are so honored and blessed to be able to participate and interact with all the fellow Christian brothers. May God bless everyone.

Alan D. (aka “Aladdin”)

Expressions

“It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid, than to open it and remove all doubt.”

– Mark Twain

This quote is reasonable in the proper context. Empires have been brought down by people speaking up for what is right and what is just. Empires have also been built up by people speaking up and putting things out there for the world to hear. A prime example are music labels. Record labels and empires have also been torn down because of this form of speech. If you don’t say anything then nothing will change and you’re too passive, if you say too much, you’re considered prideful and arrogant. There is a proper balance between the two and it’s important to find that balance. There is a time, a place and season for everything. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 explains that it is important for things to be done in their proper season. It is also important to ask God when the right time, place or season for things is. Also ask him how we can apply scripture and live it out through our actions. We should ask God to teach us how to operate in these different seasons with the gifts he has given us so we are more effective and can make the impact we are supposed to in others’ lives.

 (aka “Red Power Ranger”)

Monday                                                                                 February 12, 2024

Today is what we have all been waiting for, this day marks day one of our highly anticipated entrepreneurial journey. This is a huge opportunity and a blessing from God for us to embark on this life changing path. As we look around, we can see the passion, drive, and the hunger to succeed in the eyes of one another. We are a group of men who are fully committed. We kicked off today with a very moving prayer and next we all received our entrepreneurship folders and textbooks. Then we watched a video from our liaison team in which Ms. Theresa Black informed our class on the importance of family communication. We today all learned a key driving value that our PEP brothers strive to live by daily and that is to have fun. Today we had a joyful moment, and we were all given fun/sweet names which is a nickname given to all the class participants. The objective of the fun names is to get us “out of our shell” which is a great benefit for us all. In the second half of the day, some of our servant leader (these are men who have graduated from a previous PEP class) taught us the importance of being modest. Then we were introduced to “Toastmasters” a course to help PEP participants in learning the ways of public speaking and proper leadership. As a group we all believe that at the completion of this course we will become great public speakers and take us on a path to becoming outstanding individuals in society.

Derrick A. (aka “Rosco from Martin Show”)

Tuesday                                                                                February 13, 2024

Great afternoon PEP family from the Class of Summer ’24, here at the Oliver J. Bell Unit in Cleveland, TX. Today was our actual official day of class and it being packed with fun and fellowship all the while learning and growing. This morning, we started off making sure everyone in class had received their “sweet names,” which is a fun ice breaker name that we all have. We all had loads of laughter at all the insane names we were given. We also finished learning about our family liaison, Mrs. Black and Mrs. Stiehl that will be relaying information to our family members at home. Mikey and Joe are the PEP staff that will come into the unit each day. They finished going over our class’s expectations, highlighting participation and learning the 10 Driving Values that will be invaluable to our growth. After lunch we began the Better Man course of the program which is an 11-week program to help each of us become a better, no, the best man that we can be for our family as well as for ourselves. This program as well as other programs help us to build real bonding relationships with others as well as from the facilitators’ new ways of being a real and true “Better Man.” We are truly thankful for this program and all the curriculum that will help us grow.

Michael A. (aka “Ping Pong”)

Wednesday                                                                                   February 14, 2024

Today in class we had a guest speaker teach us the ins and outs of L.M.S (learning management system.) L.M.S is the software we use to take our tests, write essays, and give peer reviews on our fellow classmate’s work. Today we also received our Living in The Village books, which is a book about obtaining personal financial freedom. We also had the opportunity to go in front of the class and practice our business pitches. Today we all overcame the fear of public speaking when we went in front of the class to pitch our plans. Another fear we overcame was the fear of showing others our work when we had to do peer reviews. We all feel closer to our goals of being successful entrepreneurs and servant leaders to our fellow brothers. We are forever grateful for our teachers and the people that take the time out of their day to come in and teach us the principles for being a better family man, businessman and entrepreneur. We are also grateful for the opportunity bestowed upon us to be in this program and show our families we are doing everything we can to better ourselves.

Dylan A. (aka “Peanut Butter Falcon”)

Thursday                                                                              February 15, 2024

Today February 15th we had two knowledgeable and successful entrepreneurs, come, and speak at our class. Our class was quite intrigued to learn. One of the men worked with N.A.S.A while the other gentleman owns and operates one of the skyscrapers in Downtown Houston. Also, we learned that Mr. Dougal’s time and advice is worth $10,000/hour and he chooses to volunteer his time to speak with our class! So, in the four hours Mr. Dougal chose to come and volunteer and speak to our class he could have made a lot of money! The fact these two men, along with other successful people take the time out of their lives to come in and speak to our class, makes us like this program that much more. Each class we overcome many challenges and little fears we have. Today to be specific, we had the opportunity to talk in front of the class and to address and announce who we are. This is something we do multiple times a day. Public speaking or just really talking to people in general has always been extremely hard for a lot of us. Whether our family and friends knew this or not is unclear, but a lot of us are extremely shy and get incredibly nervous when talking to people, especially the people we do not know. Some of us start to shudder, get nervous and even start to sweat. So, given the opportunity to speak daily and having to talk face to face with multiple people is a particularly good thing for all of us. We are always stepping out of our comfort zones. PEP is breaking us down to build us into better men. Being a better man is all we have ever wanted.

Daniel B. (aka “Apple Jack”)

Friday                                                                                     February 16, 2024

It was this class’s first time to be able to go to devotional and we were unsure of what to expect. As soon as we started speaking about everyone coming together to help one another, things started to feel a little more comfortable. Then one of the guys addressed the new guys saying even if we are having second thoughts, we should still push through it and that we are a team that will be working together. We circled up and took turns talking about times that each of us had felt God’s presence in our lives. Hearing everyone’s story made some of us realize that we are all going through similar struggles, and we want to help one another and be our brother’s keeper. Starting this class, we all have had plenty of doubts but have realized often we go through the same things. Being able to speak to each other about how we feel about God being present in our lives and the direction it’s leading us has really opened our eyes about why we are here in PEP. We know we were not alone on this journey. We are grateful that we took the chance and went to devotional and for all the opportunities that God is placing in our lives.

Chad G. (aka “Kelise”)
Expressions

“What we do today, right now, will have accumulated effect on all our tomorrows.”

– Alexandra Stoddard

What we do today right now will have accumulated effect on all our tomorrow reminds me of the 20/80 rule 20% of the things you do will have 80% impact on your life. Just two things on your to do list today out of your ten will be the most impacted for tomorrow’s time, energy, money, and personnel. However, we need to prioritize our life and have Self-discipline stay focused on the results what you do today matters.

A new and upcoming entrepreneur once said “Time is valuable, what you do with your time matters. Today you are sowing seeds that benefit you and others.” When we ask ourselves what we can be doing right now we should make our decisions based on requirements the biggest return and reward. In other words, your requirements should be aligned with your strengths. Your strengths should give you your highest returns and those rewards should bring you pleasure, which is your reward. This quote affects the entire world like a butterfly effect. How much of our time today did we invest or devote to growing and improving ourselves? Or did we tell ourselves we will do it later and put off those things? We should never pass up an opportunity to reach out and help someone else or to just take a moment to say hello. You never know what you are doing and how it will impact the world.

Terrence A. (aka “Damion from Friday”)