Bell Winter 2025 Weekly Journals

Monday                    December 23, 2024  

We started class with a prayer from one of our brothers and then we had a Christian rap concert. After the concert, we had some PEP brothers get up in front of the class and preach the word of God. It was a fantastic way to start off class because we could all relate to the message. The Spirit was heavy in the PEP classroom this morning. After the message, we were all given a chance to drink some coffee with one another and communicate about our business plans and the upcoming tests. For the start of the second half of class, the servant leaders came up and gave us some encouraging words and we spoke about our upcoming event. They announced to us to “face the wings,” which means that we must face the wall with the PEP logo on it. It was testing time. Today we were tested on the “True North” and “Living in the Village” chapters 9 and 10. We all executed every task that was put in front of us today. We came into class ready to have fun, but also willing to handle business while showing excellence along the way. This program has really opened our eyes and showed us that there are better things in life than what most of us are used to. We are very thankful for this program and all the executives who help make our dreams come true, Winter 25’ to the moon! 

Kirbyaon J. (aka “Ceasar from Planet of the Apes”) 

Tuesday          December 24, 2024 

Today we got to work the very second, we stepped into the classroom feeling the importance and the vibe of getting things in order. With the first team pitch event coming up in about 10 days, there was no time to waste, so we took advantage of the time we did have to practice and recite our pitches with our teams. We were then given the opportunity to help each other by giving advice on what we could tweak and work on in our pitches. Some brothers still have some work to do in the memorization department, but everyone was on point. Being in PEP for about 3 months, we have all seen the growth within each other and can help each other finalize our pitches. It is truly a great feeling to know so much about business in such a brief period and it would not be possible without PEP. In the second half of class, we communicated the importance of time management and were given the opportunity to ask questions about our financial summaries. Our servant leaders gave us some wisdom by explaining to us the power behind working as a team and building off one another. What an amazing day filled with laughs, fun, business, and a lot of wisdom. We are so grateful for PEP and are looking forward to graduation! 

Leonard J. Jr. (aka “Crazy Lizard from Sing”) 

                                                        Expressions 

“The moment you accept yourself, you become beautiful.” 

-Osho 

Accepting yourself is the key. Knowing that you are worthy and that what you bring to the table is enough, and that is exactly what you need to succeed in life and live happily. Knowing your self-worth will help you grasp the confidence you need in this life and show your beauty from the inside out. Sometimes it takes time to accept oneself, flaws, and all, but once that does happen it is life changing. True beauty is born within the heart of the person that decides to be genuine yet willing to improve as life progresses.  

Christopher King. (aka “Bo Marley”) 

Monday         December 16, 2024  

          Today, we started off the class with a pray-in and the day went something like this: We jumped right into an entrepreneur test followed by another test on EOU’s, which is Economics of One Unit. We have been studying for these tests every day. We are learning all the material and doing our absolute best. It feels like a huge accomplishment! With the completion of these test grades, we will be able to find out what our final GPA scores will be and be able to relax just a little bit. The next goal in sight is our graduation and we still have a lot to do in preparation for that, like practicing our business pitches. We also had our second Clubhouse meeting today, and it was awesome! Clubhouse is something we have where volunteers and executives that are part of the PEP program come in to visit. We discuss different topics every week and it gives us students the honor of learning from successful individuals. It is a great privilege to hear these executives speak and share their wisdom and life experience. One of the volunteers was a former PEP alum. Another was Diana, a regular volunteer, and her son Dylan came too, and it was a blessing to see people who care about us come to share their time with us. God Bless PEP and all the people involved who make this program possible.  

Courtney H. (aka “Underdog”) 

Tuesday          December 17, 2024 

          The first part of class was nerve racking for us in a positive way and the reason being is that we took our Economics of one Unit (EOU) test final. That was the toughest test so far! Afterwards, everyone asked each other how they thought they had done, and it felt like we were back in school. Then, after the test we all had that deep sense of accomplishment. It felt good just to know that even though we are in prison we are doing something productive with our time and that the lessons we are learning here will stay with us for a lifetime. In the second half we had a visitor come talk with us about staying involved with PEP after our release. He shared some of his personal difficulties he had after he got out, like reuniting with his family and repairing those relationships. This opened a discussion about family, how to deal with the separation, how to build back trust, and situations to watch out for. Also, remembering that change is not over night, but that it takes hard work and being able to face problems and difficult choices, which this program has been helping us prepare for. We are learning how to overcome obstacles, achieve the results we desire in life honestly, and how to rise above the circumstances that got us here.  

Martin H. (aka “Jose Jalapeno”) 

Wednesday          December 18, 2024 

Today in the first half of class we gave God all the glory honor and praise by thanking Him for what he is doing in each of our lives, for guiding us through this journey in the program, and for the ability to cultivate the necessary tools to perform better after our release. We then went over chapters 9 and 10 from “Living in the Village” which taught us the importance of an “emergency fund” and the several types of individual retirement accounts (IRA). After “Living in the Village” we commenced session two of “Betterman.” During this session we learned that examination of our past is crucial for better manhood. Without examination, the good from our past can go unappreciated and the bad can unconsciously rule over us. We really appreciate “Betterman” because it is really helping us redefine what a real “Man” ought to be. After this, we finished the first half on a good note. In the second half we thanked the executives for treating us to a Christmas nacho party/ movie day. The nachos were delicious albeit a very messy situation. We are now at the halfway point of the program, and they found a way to congratulate us for our hard work and determination. After the movie and nachos, we prayed out and that concluded another awesome day in the PEP program! 

Fernando Irigoyen. (aka “Zohan”) 

Expressions 

“We have committed the golden rule to memory; Let us now commit it to life” 

                                                                                                   -Edwin Mark 

It is not enough to commit anything to the mind only, but to the heart that will eventually translate into a person’s lifestyle. Especially a principle as important as the “golden rule.” Treating others as one would like to be treated should be as much a habit as brushing one’s teeth every day. It would go well with the person if he or she should commit this rule to life no matter if it is reciprocated or not. What is sown in people will be reaped eventually when the time is right. Genuineness is key when displaying this principle.   

Ramon V. (aka “Lord Farquad”) 

Monday             December 9, 2024  

        Monday morning, we started off our day by praying to start our day in the right way and with the right frame of mind. Then we greeted each other as brothers and showed some love for our fellow classmates. Taking our chapter 14 test of our Entrepreneurship workbook was the next task. After that, we practiced our pitches for the big event that is coming up on January 2, 2025. Donald J. and Martin H., our in-prison management team, are trying to get us prepared so that the event goes as smoothly as possible with great success. We have all been working extremely hard and our improvement is beginning to show. We are excited about our big pitch event coming up soon! The second half of class we had executives from the free world come to visit with us. This was our class’s, “Coldest Winter Ever of 2025,” first Clubhouse meeting. Diana, Jeff, and Keith were so nice and spoke to us about having a vision, a mission, and values. They explained how we all live by values and that sometimes we need to make our values bigger. They challenged us to set bigger goals, to ask questions, and learn as much as we can. They encouraged us to push forward in life to new heights and not forget to give back. We look forward to next week because it was great to be able to talk with the executives that have come to share their experiences with us. Thank you PEP! 

 John G. (aka “Celli from The Color Purple”) 

Tuesday          December 10, 2024 

        This morning, we started off the day by praying in. One of the main focuses in PEP is being able to work together and help each other. We believe in the “10 driving values” which are love, integrity, fresh-start outlook, excellence, innovation, servant-leader mentality, accountability, fun, execution, and wise stewardship. We try to display these values in our daily lives. We discussed each value and the definition and how they will help to improve our character and overall futures. We also went over our business plans with our teams. The teams then started practicing in preparation for the upcoming big pitch event competition. The teams are made up of a Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operations Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, and a Chief Financial Officer. Our pitches are going to be in front of a group of successful executives from the business world and we are all super excited! We also continued testing from in our entrepreneur workbooks. The curriculum is approved and recognized by Baylor University and is challenging. We are also graded on our work, and it goes towards our G.P.A. (grade point average.) This week we were working on chapter 14, which deals with ratios, marketing, and spread sheets. Sometimes, we’ll have visits from volunteers and executives from the free world who come to teach us and give us encouraging words of wisdom. The day ended on a positive note with all of us getting in a circle and locking our arms to pray out. 

Andrew G. (aka “Roberto from the Water Boy”) 

Wednesday                     December 11, 2024 

         Today, the class of Winter 25’, we started off the day by praying in. This is something we do at the beginning of every day and is always led by someone different. Billy D., one of our fellow classmates, had the honor today. Then, we went straight into the “Living in The Village” workbooks for chapters 7 and 8. Our PEP bother and servant-leader, Nicky M., is helping to teach the lessons and he is amazing. There is an incredible amount of valuable information in these classes taught and today we went over handling debt, how to achieve a good FICO score, how to manage credit cards, income taxes, having a diversified portfolio, asset allocation, penalties and much more. After that, we took a test on chapters 4 and 5 of our True North book. Chapter 4 was about being self-aware and how to handle peer pressure and chapter 5 covered values, leadership skills, principles, and ethical boundaries. These lessons went deep into discovering our true values and beliefs. Once we finished with that we worked on our pitches and character assessments. Then, we finished off the day in a group discussion about the “10 driving values.” We do our best to live by these values, which are love, integrity, fresh-start outlook, excellence, innovation, servant-leader mentality, accountability, fun, execution, and wise stewardship. The class ended with us all praying out and it was led by Dartavius F. It was yet another enjoyable day with our brotherhood and vast amounts of knowledge. Shout-out to all PEP family! Thank you all for everything.  

Roberto G. (aka “Porky the Pig”) 

Thursday          December 12, 2024 

         Today we started class a little earlier than usual. “DJ,” Mr. Donald J., likes to keep us motivated and after we settled down, we prayed in to start the class. We had a volunteer Diana visit with us today. She taught us about marketing from her experience as a Chief Marketing Officer in her previous job and from what she has learned from her years at Rice University. As CMO, she advised us on how to promote, being profitable, advertising, and much more. We also had the honor to get a visit from Dougal, another brilliant and successful executive volunteer, spend some time with us. He gave us an overview of chapter 14 in our entrepreneurs textbook and explained how to harvest/turnaround a business, how to grow your business, and much more. When we came back after lunch for the second part of class, we prayed in and began testing on the “Living in the Village” book. This test was on chapter 14, which was about managing money, time management, and investments. This is where all our hard work studying pays off because these scores will be reflected in our lives. Everything we are learning here will help us in the future and seeing all the volunteers that come gives us the motivation we can use on daily want to be better ourselves and help others. This has been a wonderful experience. Thank you PEP!  

D’Andre H. (aka “Melvin”) 

Friday          December 13, 2024 

         Today we came early and wasted no time. We got straight to work on our “Toastmasters” speeches. Our project today was called “Get to the Point.” This project puts an emphasis on letting the audience know what we are talking about and how we can inform them on the subject without using jargon, which are just things that could have gone unsaid during a speech. While half the class was participating in “Toast Masters,” the other half were taking their character assessments next door in the computer lab. We assessed 21 people including ourselves based off the “10 Driving Values.” We are all buckling down on everything now from our assignments on entrepreneurship, “True North,” and “Living in the Village,” all while perfecting our pitches. We have overcome many things in this class. A few would be public speaking, dancing in front of people, and sharing our stories with people we really do not know before this class. We have all grown tremendously with each other as a team and a brotherhood. We learned to seek reproof from one another and constantly seek counsel from each other. This program has instilled in us an unbreakable bond and we are forever grateful for the values and morals it has taught us along the way. 

Ryan H. (aka “Timon from Lion King”) 

Expressions 

“The very word secrecy is repugnant in a free and open society, and we as people are inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret agendas. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent information far outweighed the dangers cited to justify it.” 

                                                                                                            _John F. Kennedy- 

 The world we live in is very secretive and that is counterproductive if we want to be better. When I am reminded of this quote I think of secrecy and how it is often used to hide information that could be valuable to change the world in a positive way. I am guilty of falling into this kind of behavior and as I think more about it, we hide too much. We keep too many secrets. We need to come together for the better so those who follow us do not get stuck in the same situations well into and become able to rise above. 

                     Brian C. (aka “Michael Jackson”) 

Monday           December 2, 2024  

           Today was a wonderful day in class. Frist, we prayed in to get the day started off in the right way. Then, we had some visitors named Joshua and Franklin come to speak with us. They both gave encouraging words of wisdom and brought us up to speed on some new assignments. Seeing all the volunteers who come in to help us gives us motivation to help someone else. Donald Jones spoke to us about accountability and his love for the program and about having a servant-leader mentality, which is another one of our “Ten Driving Values” that we live by and do our best to display in everything we do. We also used some of our time preparing for the upcoming big pitch event that is on January 3rd. We watched some videos of the previous class doing their pitches to help us prepare ourselves and get a better idea of how it is supposed to look. After that, we split up into groups and some of us went to the computer lab to work on our financial spreadsheets for our businesses. The rest of us stayed in the classroom to work on our pitches. Our class is improving in many ways daily, and PEP is helping us be excited about our futures. It is a lot of hard work, and it is challenging, but it feels great to be learning and gaining the valuable experience we receive here in this program. We are all so grateful and doing our best to learn all we can. 

David F. (aka “Frozo”) 

Tuesday            December 3, 2024 

           Today, we opened class with a great prayer. The tables were set from yesterday for our “Toastmasters” session. We are all learning so much about how to express our ideas and have conversations openly. We can hear the change in our voices and in our speech and even our confidence level has grown. The stories are becoming more detailed, positive, and told with passion. It is challenging to speak clearly and try to remain calm and become able to express thoughts in front of an audience, but we are getting better. We are starting to see the hard work pay off in ourselves, in our actions, and activities. Our whole attitude and mindsets have changed, and we are more focused on goals now and looking forward to using all the new tools we have learned to live a more successful life. This has been such a fantastic opportunity, and this program is giving us a good solid foundation that most of us need. At the same time many of us understand that only we can hold ourselves accountable and that we hold the keys to our own happiness and true freedom. We are being renewed and restored. We are also learning how to add value to ourselves and to our communities. This has been a life changing experience, and we are so thankful to all the executives, volunteers, in prison management, the guards, PEP alumni, and all our families. To everyone who is reading this we love you! Thank you and God Bless. 

Elio F. (aka “barbie girl”) 

Wednesday            December 4, 2024 

           Today in class we started the day by praying and sharing why we are grateful. This is key for us because everyone gets a chance to say something and give thanks and show gratitude towards others. After that, we heard our PEP brother Hunter Price put on a performance for us in the classroom. He gave us some encouraging words followed up by a Christian rap song that he wrote. He is incredibly talented. Next, we talked about the prayer box where we can write down our prayer requests on a piece of paper and drop them in a box. We pray over the prayer requests on Saturday services when Gateway Church comes to the unit. It is positive and uplifting. Later, we worked on our “Living in the Village” textbooks. Our L.I.T.V books are great, and they are full of extremely useful information that everyone needs to know about it. The curriculum teaches us about taxes, opening a bank account, saving, investing money, financial literacy, how to build credit, how to fix credit, set up a will, and much more. Nicky M., one of the servant-leaders, has helped us with the lessons and he is a great teacher. There are a lot of great guys who were in the previous classes before us who already graduated that are very talented and helpful. Without them, none of this would have been possible, so we were thankful to them and PEP. At the end of class for the day we prayed-out together. We are like a big family.  

Dominic F. (aka “chick-o-stick”) 

Thursday            December 5, 2024 

         Today in class we had a wonderful time! The energy in the room was high and positive. We received a book, called the “Sacred Pace” by Terry Looper, as a gift from some executives that came to visit us this morning. Dougal, Carl, and Doug were so nice, and they signed our books for us, so we all had the privilege of getting an inscription on the back of our book of something encouraging, words of wisdom, or advice to motivate and inspire us. Then, we learned about the process of buying a franchise, asking the right questions, getting things in writing, about loans, interest rates, using charts, gathering data, and so much more. Later in class, we had a test on the “Ten-Driving Values,” which are love, fun, integrity, excellence, innovation, servant-leader mentality, accountability, fresh-start outlook, execution, and wise stewardship. We do our best to model these values in or daily lives and in our behavior to help us become the better men we strive to be. We also celebrated one of our PEP brother’s birthdays. He danced up the aisle in the middle of the class to the front where he received a card, and we sang him happy birthday all while we clapped and danced. Then, we watched a video of one of our fellow classmates who was recently released to a transition house. He said he was doing very well and for us to stay focused and motivated. We all felt proud to see and hear from him and that he is doing well out there. We are all grateful for everything that PEP is doing for us and all the wonderful blessings we are receiving here in this program. 

Dartavius F. (aka “pastor from ubb”) 

Friday            December 6, 2024 

           Friday was awesome and exciting! We started the morning with a prayer, and it was powerful! We could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in the room. We pray in at the beginning of every class, and we pray out at the end of each day. We all believe we are blessed to be here, so we are thankful for every day here in PEP. Then, we discussed the “Ten Driving Values.” These values we live by are one of the best things about this class and one of the most important. We also had the privilege to hear God’s word spoken today in class from one of our servant-leader brothers, Ramon V. We took some time to actively listen and absorb what was being said. His message was very uplifting and positive. Our day also consisted of us working on our pitches that we will be presenting to the executives at our next upcoming pitch event. Many of us were practicing in front of the camera to help us prepare for speaking in front of an audience. We are all still a little nervous being in front of a crowd, but we are getting better. Toastmasters is helping with that tremendously. Afterward, before class ended today, we worked out of our “Betterman” books on a lesson focused on learning from our mistakes, finding areas of improvement, and moving on. Today’s focus was on how to always be positive and thankful every day. 

Louis G. (aka “money mike”) 

                                                       Expressions 

                   “Inside every man is a beast that needs to exercised not exorcised “ 

                                                                                      –Anton Levy- 

This quote to me means that there is a driving force inside every one of us that we need to use to push to the next level and not suppress ourselves to be conformed to the bare minimum. Much like our driving values, we use like excellence and execution while we strive to succeed in life and become greater than we were the day before. There are people who share the same values and others who oppose them. I ignore those people and continue to go “beast mode” every day, and while I am leveling up, it is like they are standing still. 

                                   Christian H (aka “Cartman from South Park”) 

Monday           December 2, 2024  

           Today was a wonderful day in class. Frist, we prayed in to get the day started off in the right way. Then, we had some visitors named Joshua and Franklin come to speak with us. They both gave encouraging words of wisdom and brought us up to speed on some new assignments. Seeing all the volunteers who come in to help us gives us motivation to help someone else. Donald Jones spoke to us about accountability and his love for the program and about having a servant-leader mentality, which is another one of our “Ten Driving Values” that we live by and do our best to display in everything we do. We also used some of our time preparing for the upcoming big pitch event that is on January 3rd. We watched some videos of the previous class doing their pitches to help us prepare ourselves and get a better idea of how it is supposed to look. After that, we split up into groups and some of us went to the computer lab to work on our financial spreadsheets for our businesses. The rest of us stayed in the classroom to work on our pitches. Our class is improving in many ways daily, and PEP is helping us be excited about our futures. It is a lot of hard work, and it is challenging, but it feels great to be learning and gaining the valuable experience we receive here in this program. We are all so grateful and doing our best to learn all we can. 

David F. (aka “Frozo”) 

Tuesday            December 3, 2024 

           Today, we opened class with a great prayer. The tables were set from yesterday for our “Toastmasters” session. We are all learning so much about how to express our ideas and have conversations openly. We can hear the change in our voices and in our speech and even our confidence level has grown. The stories are becoming more detailed, positive, and told with passion. It is challenging to speak clearly and try to remain calm and become able to express thoughts in front of an audience, but we are getting better. We are starting to see the hard work pay off in ourselves, in our actions, and activities. Our whole attitude and mindsets have changed, and we are more focused on goals now and looking forward to using all the new tools we have learned to live a more successful life. This has been such a fantastic opportunity, and this program is giving us a good solid foundation that most of us need. At the same time many of us understand that only we can hold ourselves accountable and that we hold the keys to our own happiness and true freedom. We are being renewed and restored. We are also learning how to add value to ourselves and to our communities. This has been a life changing experience, and we are so thankful to all the executives, volunteers, in prison management, the guards, PEP alumni, and all our families. To everyone who is reading this we love you! Thank you and God Bless. 

Elio F. (aka “barbie girl”) 

Wednesday            December 4, 2024 

           Today in class we started the day by praying and sharing why we are grateful. This is key for us because everyone gets a chance to say something and give thanks and show gratitude towards others. After that, we heard our PEP brother Hunter Price put on a performance for us in the classroom. He gave us some encouraging words followed up by a Christian rap song that he wrote. He is incredibly talented. Next, we talked about the prayer box where we can write down our prayer requests on a piece of paper and drop them in a box. We pray over the prayer requests on Saturday services when Gateway Church comes to the unit. It is positive and uplifting. Later, we worked on our “Living in the Village” textbooks. Our L.I.T.V books are great, and they are full of extremely useful information that everyone needs to know about it. The curriculum teaches us about taxes, opening a bank account, saving, investing money, financial literacy, how to build credit, how to fix credit, set up a will, and much more. Nicky M., one of the servant-leaders, has helped us with the lessons and he is a great teacher. There are a lot of great guys who were in the previous classes before us who already graduated that are very talented and helpful. Without them, none of this would have been possible, so we were thankful to them and PEP. At the end of class for the day we prayed-out together. We are like a big family.  

Dominic F. (aka “chick-o-stick”) 

Thursday            December 5, 2024 

         Today in class we had a wonderful time! The energy in the room was high and positive. We received a book, called the “Sacred Pace” by Terry Looper, as a gift from some executives that came to visit us this morning. Dougal, Carl, and Doug were so nice, and they signed our books for us, so we all had the privilege of getting an inscription on the back of our book of something encouraging, words of wisdom, or advice to motivate and inspire us. Then, we learned about the process of buying a franchise, asking the right questions, getting things in writing, about loans, interest rates, using charts, gathering data, and so much more. Later in class, we had a test on the “Ten-Driving Values,” which are love, fun, integrity, excellence, innovation, servant-leader mentality, accountability, fresh-start outlook, execution, and wise stewardship. We do our best to model these values in or daily lives and in our behavior to help us become the better men we strive to be. We also celebrated one of our PEP brother’s birthdays. He danced up the aisle in the middle of the class to the front where he received a card, and we sang him happy birthday all while we clapped and danced. Then, we watched a video of one of our fellow classmates who was recently released to a transition house. He said he was doing very well and for us to stay focused and motivated. We all felt proud to see and hear from him and that he is doing well out there. We are all grateful for everything that PEP is doing for us and all the wonderful blessings we are receiving here in this program. 

Dartavius F. (aka “pastor from ubb”) 

Friday            December 6, 2024 

           Friday was awesome and exciting! We started the morning with a prayer, and it was powerful! We could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in the room. We pray in at the beginning of every class, and we pray out at the end of each day. We all believe we are blessed to be here, so we are thankful for every day here in PEP. Then, we discussed the “Ten Driving Values.” These values we live by are one of the best things about this class and one of the most important. We also had the privilege to hear God’s word spoken today in class from one of our servant-leader brothers, Ramon V. We took some time to actively listen and absorb what was being said. His message was very uplifting and positive. Our day also consisted of us working on our pitches that we will be presenting to the executives at our next upcoming pitch event. Many of us were practicing in front of the camera to help us prepare for speaking in front of an audience. We are all still a little nervous being in front of a crowd, but we are getting better. Toastmasters is helping with that tremendously. Afterward, before class ended today, we worked out of our “Betterman” books on a lesson focused on learning from our mistakes, finding areas of improvement, and moving on. Today’s focus was on how to always be positive and thankful every day. 

Louis G. (aka “money mike”) 

                                                      Expressions 

                  “Inside every man is a beast that needs to exercised not exorcised “ 

                                                                                      –Anton Levy- 

This quote to me means that there is a driving force inside every one of us that we need to use to push to the next level and not suppress ourselves to be conformed to the bare minimum. Much like our driving values, we use like excellence and execution while we strive to succeed in life and become greater than we were the day before. There are people who share the same values and others who oppose them. I ignore those people and continue to go “beast mode” every day, and while I am leveling up, it is like they are standing still. 

                                 Christian H (aka “Cartman from South Park”) 

Monday                                                                                                     November 18, 2024

Today, we practiced our team pitches for our workshop one videos about the operations and the marketing for our team’s businesses. Participating in these team pitches shows us the importance of working together and collaborating. We have also been exercising the “10 driving values” heavily to ensure we have a solid foundation to stand upon when we are released from here. These values are the basis of change, and we are growing exponentially in character, belief, and servant leader mentality.            In the second half of class, we got back to the basics and continued pitching; like they say, practice makes perfect, and we are practicing a lot so that we execute these pitches when it comes time to do it in front of the camera for the executives. PEP holds us to a higher standard. We are no longer living fruitless lives. In this class we are producing much fruit and learning to multiply by sharing our knowledge with brothers around us that are in the situation. We believe in PEP and in each other. This brotherhood is all we could ever ask for. Thank you, PEP!

Anthony C. (aka “Gerber baby”)

Tuesday                                                                                                     November 19, 2024

As a brotherhood, we all begin class every morning by praying in by someone volunteering and leading us in prayer. In the first half of class, our fellow PEP brother and servant leader Ramon V. got up in front of the class and gave us all some encouraging words. Ramon was telling us how important it is to not let the penitentiary warp our minds and keep us from becoming better men. He also shared with us that our transformation starts right now, in this program, in PEP! We can all see how much we have transformed already. Our true light is starting to shine, and we are headed for greatness thanks to PEP. Another servant leader then came up and gave a presentation to us on our next assignment, which is our financial summaries for our personal business plans.           The financial summary goes over how we figure out how much it would cost monthly and yearly to run our business. Also, how to figure out our depreciable and non-depreciable costs. In the second half of class, we just worked on our pitches and we are all getting more comfortable with our team and being in front of the camera for our workshop videos. We are all so thankful for the opportunity we have been given. It shows every day that passes, and we will not give up!

David D. (aka “Water boy”)

Thursday                                                                                                   November 21, 2024

Today we started off by praying in, then moved on to our lesson which came out of our entrepreneurship textbook on chapters 8 & 10. Chapter eight was about “financial analysis.” Chapter 10 covered “human resource management.” Mr. Doogle was our instructor for this lesson today. During this lesson we learned the importance of having financial foundation in the entrepreneurial business. We then had a brief discussion on the technique for measuring performance. Mr. Doogle taught us the four classic analysis techniques which are “ratio analysis,” “deviation analysis,” “sensitivity analysis,” and “short surveys.”            “Ratio analysis” is a series of ratios along four areas of company performance that shows the health of a company. A “deviation analysis” is a chart tracking various performance measures of a period of time to the next. “Sensitivity analysis” is a chart using current “cash flow statement,” “income statement,” or a “balance sheet” to create a “pro forma” projection. We then learned that a “short survey” gathers continual information that is subject to interpretation. After all this valuable information we talked about “human resources,” and the steps all entrepreneurs should take in the hiring process. Also, how to retain the employees you hire, along with employee probation and firing. Today was very eventful and informative. We are all so grateful to be taught these things. Thank you, PEP!

Delton D. (aka “Radio”)

Friday                                                                                                         November 22, 2024

We started off Friday morning with a pray in. By praying in we bring God into our hearts and minds and that helps us to connect to each other. We like to always start off the day in a good positive way. We have also been trying to remember the names of all our classmates and build relationships with one another. By doing this, we develop better people skills and tools to work with different types of personalities. We are learning how to be accountable for our actions, for each other, our brothers, and how to listen actively and maintain a busy schedule and set goals. Then, during second half of class we set up the classroom for “Toastmasters,” which is helping us all get better at public speaking and speaking to a group of people. It helps us organize our thoughts, have an inspiring topic, with our delivery, and educate an audience. We are all learning so much about how to conduct ourselves in a positive way, about using our words in the professional world, how to search for a job, and lastly how to have a successful interview with a potential employer. It has been a great experience so far and we are all excited about our future now. Thanks to all the PEP family!

Kenneth D. (aka “Madea”)

Monday                                                                                                       November 11, 2024

Today is Veterans Day, so that’s already an awesome start to our day. As soon as we got to class, we didn’t waste any time in getting to work by watching a family liaison video which informed us on how to fill out our “Family Liaison Packet.” We are all extremely excited about the tools and opportunities we’re gaining here in PEP that are going to add value to our lives, our families’ lives, and help us become more successful in life. In the second half of class, we learned about the “Economics of One Unit,” which consists of overhead, gross profit, income taxes, earnings before income taxes, how to find our break-even point, and much more. We learned a lot in a brief time today and the servant leaders were helpful and explained to us very thoroughly how to do the math correctly. We were given several examples, and we worked through them together as a team to give us all a better idea of how to get the work done properly. Now, we can use this information we have learned to help us start our own businesses. Lastly, before class ended for the day, we took a test on entrepreneurship chapters 9 & 12, which explained the difference between LLC, sole proprietorship, and LLP’s. It was a wonderful day.

Mario C. (aka “none”)

Tuesday                                                                                                      November 12, 2024

            We started our day by praying in, which brought a sense of calmness and peace to the environment. We then moved on by talking about how to present our business ideas on our workshop videos which will be sent to executives to give us written feedback. Next, we moved on to testing on chapters 9 & 12 out of our Entrepreneurship book. Chapter 9 goes over the legal issues with a new business and chapter 12 goes over establishing operations for a new business. For the second half of class, we came in and got straight to work by practicing our team pitches, which was fun because we were all able to learn more about each other’s businesses. We’ve been gaining a lot of insight on how we can make our presentations better and we are all pushing to be the absolute best we possibly can. Thank you PEP for this amazing second chance at being better men. We will execute and pursue excellence all thanks to PEP!

Deaudrick Clanton. (aka “Rafiki”)

Wednesday                                                                                                November 13, 2024

            Today we had two guests: Keith and Diana who gave us the lesson for the day. Keith spoke about the importance of having accurate cash flow and budgeting and also having the correct understanding of why the two are different. Keith also explained how important it is to always have at least six months operating capital in a business bank account as a safety net before beginning any venture. We then learned the correct meaning for cash flow, which happens to be actual funds that flow into the firm minus the cash that flows out. The cash flow must be sufficient for the proposed business to survive its early days and thrive as an established entity. After Keith, we then heard from Diana who is a professor at Rice University, an entrepreneur, and an ex Chief Marketing Officer. Diana spoke about the ins and outs of financing and accounting. She taught us about profit and loss statements, which will help us keep track of our revenues, losses, and profits in our future potential business ventures. We then learned about current assets and fixed assets. It was a busy but particularly good day!

Aaron C (aka “Wayman”)

Thursday                                                                                                    November 14, 2024

            Today when we walked into class it was like walking into a different world. We could feel the purpose in our lives waiting for us. The energy in the classroom today was great! Today we discussed chapters 3 & 4 out of our “Living in the Village” book. In chapter 3 we went over getting our homes in order and creating/maintaining a household budget. In chapter 4 we learned about obtaining adequate insurance coverage. Both chapters contained valuable information that we can use and apply into our lives once we make it out into the world. Next, Donald Jones came up to the front of the class to say a few words, but before he could say anything, the class erupted into cheers and applause leaving him absolutely speechless and with a smile on his face. It was more of the same with the in-prison manager: Martin. Today in class the vibe was unbelievable for such a short day. We accomplished so much and definitely worked out the ten-driving value “Fun.” We are grateful to have such great in-prison management and look forward to what is to come!

Gregory C. (aka “Elmo”)

Friday                                                                                                          November 15, 2024

              It was a great Friday! The best day we have had thus far and the days that go by and the experiences just keep getting better and better. We prayed in to get the day started off right and the DJ always knows the right music to play to lift our spirits up. If it’s early in the morning, and we are kind of down and out, the music puts us in a better mood. The vibe in the classroom was warm, welcoming, positive, and full of love. We had a ceremony to honor our brothers who demonstrate the “Ten Driving Values” with praise reports. Then, we celebrated each other’s accomplishments as a group which helps us grow together. During the second half of class, we all sang the song “Neon Moon” and walked around the room shaking hands and exchanging words of encouragement and love. Then, we began with “Toastmasters” in order to continue honing our public speaking skills and we worked on speech organization. One brother’s speech was about “living between the wings,” which is all about leadership, family, and business. PEP is teaching us so many skills and valuable tools that are so vital and helpful to becoming a better leader that we can take with us back to our communities and families. Everyone is very thankful for the opportunity that is given to us here and all the progress we’re making. This program is the best, so thank you PEP!

Expressions

“Tough times don’t last but tough people do.”

                                              -Thomas Edison-

            I love this quote because of what it’s saying. It is adversity that is either going to make or break you. It makes the strong stronger and the weak weaker. When tough times come around you face them and never give up or quit. There’s always opportunity in opposition. The opportunity to grow and transform into a better version of yourself. So, level up when adversity comes around and hang in there! Don’t give up! Roll into the person you were meant to be, and you might just find out you’re a lot tougher than you thought.

                                              Paul L. (aka “Little Sweet)

Monday                                                                                                       November 4, 2024

            Today was progressive, fun, and full of adventure. We also found out which 24 men were going to be picked for CEO’S (Chief Executive Officer); then we broke down into teams of four consisting of a COO, CMO, & CFO. We heard multiple times today that we are all winners and kings getting closer and closer to reaching the goal which is graduation and becoming better men for ourselves and our families.      In the second half of class, we did two team building exercises with our BPC (Business Plan Competition) teams. The first exercise was done using balloons, each person had an orange balloon with their name written on it and then we threw the balloons over the wall. The object you would think was quite simple: find your balloon without talking to anybody. Only about 15 men found their balloon. So, we did it again, only this time we could talk, and we could help our brothers get their balloon if we saw it. This way was so much better, and everyone got their balloon back in the allotted time. The second exercise consisted of constructing a spaghetti noodle tower that had to hold a marshmallow on top. This one was much harder, but we all got it done. Thank you PEP for this program!

Melcum C. (aka “Caterpillar”)

Tuesday                                                                                                      November 5, 2024

          Today was an enjoyable day! We are all coming together and really learning to work as a team. Our servant leaders are helping us to prepare for our “workshop” videos that we are going to make for our team business plans. The “workshop” videos consist of each member from every team stepping up, introducing themselves, and their position, then asking for written feedback from the executives. We also took our chapter eleven entrepreneur tests today and we did very well. Not only are we learning about business; but we are also learning about being creative, intentional, and proactive. We are also working on character development and learning the importance of helping one another. We are doing so much and learning so quickly and it has been great so far!  Being able to grow with one another on this journey to becoming better men is truly inspiring and gives each of us hope that we did not know we had before PEP. We are grateful for this opportunity to learn and grow in many areas that will help us maintain a healthy lifestyle on the outside. We are all extremely excited about the future and being part of the PEP program!

Marc C. (aka “Ned Flanders”)

Wednesday                                                                                                November 6, 2024

            Today November 6, 2024, started off by one of our class members praying the class in. Our servant leaders then had some encouraging words for the class by acknowledging our hard work and dedication to the program so far. We then moved on to turning in our “Living in the Village” (course that teaches us financial literacy) workbooks to be graded.  Chapters 1 & 2 covered “The Great Depression” in 1929 and “The Great Recession” in 2007. After we got our workbooks graded, a servant leader came and presented a power point for us going into more detail of chapters 1 & 2.    Once we were done with “Living in the Village” we had a conversation on one of the “Ten Driving Values” (PEP has 10 values that all class participants embrace). Execution is the ability to get things done. We as a class have overcome a lot of challenges so far and each day we have been executing the tasks at hand. The last two hours of class we participated in “Better Man.” During the video we learned about the lies that men tell themselves then we learned how to become better leaders, fathers, and sons. We are thankful for the fresh-start outlook PEP has provided us and look forward to what is to come.

Austin C. (aka “Ben Stiller”)

Thursday                                                                                                     November 7, 2024

            Today we had the honor of welcoming two highly intelligent people to the class. Doug and Diana came in to teach us about our Entrepreneurship course chapters 9 & 12. Diana taught us about legal agreements and to always read legal contracts before signing anything and have a lawyer present to help us with any questions we may have. We then learned about the benefits of having insurance and how important it is to have it for a new small business. Doug then taught us about preparing a critical path chart which is making a schedule for things that need to be done in a certain order.             Doug also gave us some advice on location and why a business needs a good location to be successful. He explained to us the importance of knowing our businesses and the crowd we will be selling to so that we can properly place our business in an area where we will be successful. We spent the second half of class taking our test for “Living in the Village” while some of us did our workshop videos for our teams. Today was a successful and fun day and we are grateful for this program.

Martin C. (aka “Daddy Yankee”)

Friday                                                                                                           November 8, 2024

            Today we started the first half of class by praying in and welcoming some guests to the classroom. We had the honor of welcoming the PEP Re-entry team so they could talk to us about the transitional houses and help us reintegrate back into society in Houston or Dallas. We were given the opportunity to fill out forms if we needed or desired to go to a transitional house. While we were filling out these forms, our servant leaders and in-prison management gave us some encouraging words that uplifted each of us and let us know that we are not alone in this walk. We have brothers in here and out in the free that are willing to fight tooth and nail for us.             For the second half of class, we all participated in “Toast Masters.” Some of us had to complete our first speech, which was the “Ice Breaker,” while the rest of us moved on to the second speech that focused on having an opening, body, and conclusion. The second speech really helps us in our speech organization and to give details on what it is we are to talk about. After “Toast Masters,” we talked about our schedule for next week and what we need to study. Overall, today was an incredibly good and eventful day. Winter 25’ cannot be stopped!

Sergio C. (aka “Squirtle”)

Expressions

“Strength has a million faces”

                               -Desiree-

I have come to realize strength has been of immense importance in my life. The Bible states to let the Holy Spirit dwell within and the strength that is necessary will come by Him. Spiritual, mental, and physical strength are important to me, and I try to do my best to grow and get stronger every day.

Angel T. aka (Donatello T.M.N.T)

Monday                                                                                                         October 28, 2024

Today the servant leaders (men that have graduated from PEP and are waiting for a release date) taught us how to do a market competition differentiator or an “MCD”. They explained that we need to be specific about our location and how to research our market area. Also, how and where our business would be different and what would set us apart from our competition.  They also taught us how to do a “market analysis” in the city we want to start a business. This will help us earn the highest profit margins. After that, a member of the salutations team taught us about filling out “Thank You” cards and “Networking” cards and we talked about the importance of the cards. “Networking” cards help us keep track of all the executives we meet and what we talk about, also we document the advice and feedback they give us during our events. The “Thank You” cards are sent to the executives and volunteers we have met. It means a lot to all of us that they take time out of their busy days to be with us. This program has given us the chance to make something of ourselves and to learn things we might have never gotten the opportunity to do. We are all excited to be in PEP and incredibly grateful for the program and this second chance!

Nathan. A

Tuesday                                                                                                        October 29, 2024

            Today we took a test from our Entrepreneurship book over chapters 3 & 4. Chapter 3 covered “business idea generation” and “initial evaluation,” which are initial business concepts. Chapter 4 covered “external analysis,” which is a broad examination of certain industries. We spent all weekend studying hard for these tests and we did scored well. We had a great start to class today by praying in and then learning key terms such as, “bench marketing,” “exit barrier,” “competitive map” and “fragmented markets.”      We also practiced our pitches without notes so we could pitch without our notes for our “Big Idea Pitch” Event. As a class, we all felt confident about going in front of the executives and pitching our ideas to them. We have been working hard, uplifting one another, working with each other, and holding each other accountable so we are at our absolute best come Friday! We are learning every day how important it is to be a man of integrity. Not only for ourselves, but for our families and friends. We are grateful for our servant leaders and in-prison management for showing us the way when it comes to navigating through this program. Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to better ourselves. Winter 25’ to the moon!

Danis Avalos. (Aka “Dak Prescott)

Wednesday                                                                                                   October 30, 2024

Today in class we pitched, pitched, and pitched some more. We have a big event coming up, which is the “Big Idea Pitch” Event, on the 1^st of November in front of a lot of executives. We have been working together and uplifting each other as a brotherhood throughout these first few weeks of class, which have been challenging, but together we have overcome the challenges and now we are striving together! We are getting better with public speaking and for a lot of us that was something we never did, but it feels so good to overcome that fear.           We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to complete this program, walk across that stage, and make something of ourselves. Our families and friends should be proud. The sense of accomplishment we all feel when we leave the class for the day is a surreal feeling knowing that we are doing something positive for our lives, something that is going to change the world. We are taking advantage of everything that this program has to offer. To have all that this program offers right at the tip of our fingers is something that does not come twice so we are working hard, while holding ourselves accountable, and executing the mission. Thank you, PEP! We are ecstatic for what’s coming!

Gayland B. (aka “Chia Pet”)

Thursday                                                                                                       October 31, 2024

            In PEP we have a topic every day, so today’s topic was Entrepreneurship. We started off the morning with Winter 25’ (the name of this class) turning in our heart checks, which is a written assignment based on how much we desire to be a part of PEP. It was amazing to see all our fellow brothers turning in the finished or unfinished heart checks. The effort is truly what matters. We prayed in to get started. A servant leader asked if we needed any help with anything we could call upon him, or any of the other servant leaders, and they would be glad to assist us. Next, we moved on to the Entrepreneurship discourse. We had a guest come to class and he             opened his speech by saying never, never, never, never, give up. Then he shared experiences about how he got fired from a guy he worked for that wanted to burn every bridge he crossed. He then passed out business cards to us for the company he founded in 1994 called “Cameron Management”. We took a five-minute break, and next Diana spoke and gave a summary of herself and life experiences. She is a teacher at Rice University, and she is the Chief Marketing Officer. She also does cyber security. She spoke about marketing then asked us how we plan to price our businesses. We are grateful for this fresh-start outlook PEP is providing us with!

Anthony B. (aka “Sponge Bob”)

Friday                                                                                                           November 1, 2024

            On Friday November 1st we waited in the classroom and practiced our pitches early in the morning before our “Big Idea Pitch” Event. We have been practicing all week for this event where we will be pitching our businesses to executives who have a lot of knowledge when it comes to starting a business. When we finally made it down to the gym, we motivated each other to do our absolute best and to focus on the task at hand which was executing our pitches. When all the executives showed up it was exciting, and everyone knew it was time for business. Before we started pitching, we did an exercise called the “Ice Breaker,” which allowed us to get to know the executives and people rooting for us a little better. We asked simple questions and saw how similarly we answered the questions while “stepping up to the line,”. We then lined up in rows and waited, filled with excitement, and ready to get up in front of the executives and spill our pitch! After everyone finished their pitches, we each had time to sit with the executives for a one-on-one conversation and talk to them about our businesses and ask them for any advice that would pertain to our businesses. We all got great feedback and had an amazing time! We were able to leave with confidence, and with the knowledge we had never had before, which to all of us is a tremendous way to start off this month. We are ready to see what next month has in store. Winter 25’ on the rise!

Robert B. (aka “McLovin’”)

Expressions

“Rock bottom will teach you lessons that mountain tops never will.”

-Unknown

I am not sure who wrote this, but it rings true to me. Some of us had the pleasure of learning lessons the hard way, and I am one of those people. When you have nothing but yourself to blame, it is your fault when you mess things up. So, when you hit rock bottom, get clean, change your ways, and take that moment to inventory yourself and reevaluate your life, you realize what it is that is causing you so much trouble. The fork in the road for you is your opportunity to change. If you are lucky enough to walk away from these lessons, you will be all the wiser from them. Acknowledge what God is doing in your life and what life is trying to teach you. Be receptive in those hard times because they are the most important lessons in life.

Ernest T. (aka “Chris Stapleton”)

Week 3

Monday                                                                                                         October 21, 2024

Today we started the day writing down the quote of the day and explained what it meant to us. Then our teacher explained to the class that we should have a pitch (short speech about our business) ready by Thursday and we should be able to deliver it without notes. The pitch log is to help us practice every day by asking different people to listen to us practice our pitch. In-prison management (staff from PEP that comes  into the unit daily) explained to us that our first event will be November 1st and that we should be prepared to pitch in front of the executives (men and women who come to the unit to work with our class) and that we must speak loud and clearly. This is exciting!       After that the business plan consultants gave us assignments for our leadership statement and our personal fit, they gave us a presentation that explained what we should and should not include. After that we were given the results of our personality tests. By the end of class many of our classmates wanted to give up and walk away because we were overwhelmed with all the things we needed to do; the heart check, pitch log, leadership statement, personal fit, four square, business name assignment. But we know that we will all prevail and do our best. We are so excited for the future and this opportunity provided to us by the Prison Entrepreneurship Program!

Tobias A.

Tuesday                                                                                                         October 22, 2024

Hello to all. We want to start off by saying thank you for all the love and support that each of you provide for us. We started our day with a prayer and doing a pray out for one of our brothers who recently made parole and will be getting out soon. We had several brothers who spoke on his behalf to lift him up and offer him words of encouragement and for his successful reentry into society. We had plenty of fun dancing down the aisle and giving each other fun names. We also started on our business plans and worked on our business pitches to get our class used to public speaking and to help us memorize our business pitches. We also had fun having several classmates compete with their business pitches to see who the class favorite was. We heard pitches about everything, from faith-based programs, food trucks, car detail services and everything in-between. We offered words of encouragement and support for all our classmates. As long as we keep lifting each other up and supporting each other, there is no limit to what we can accomplish. We ended our day in a group prayer giving thanks to the Lord for each day and every blessing. We cannot wait to see what He has in store for us!

Daniel A.

Wednesday                                                                                                   October 23, 2024

            Today was a wonderful day! We learned how to obtain a credit report and what we can do to work on fixing our credit. We also spent time working on our pitches. Our first event is coming up on the first of December where we are going to pitch our ideas in front of several executives. We have been participating in “Toast Masters” to help us with our public speaking skills, and to better prepare us for this upcoming event.            We had the opportunity to talk with three executives and listen to their business stories. We are all closer to memorizing our pitches and being 100% ready for our “Big Idea Pitch Event.” We learned about having a fresh start outlook and learning not to let our past mistakes define us or label us as something we are not. We understand that if we accept change and put our minds to it our lives will transform with the help of PEP. We are all grateful for the opportunity that PEP is providing us with, to be in prison and have so many people that are rooting for us all, and waiting for us to be in the world is truly inspiring. We are one step away from being the men we are destined to be! Thank you PEP!

Travis A.

Thursday                                                                                                       October 24, 2024

Today in PEP we had a wonderful day! There were a few birthdays among our brothers (classmates) and some positive parole news. We went over chapters 3 and 4 in our Entrepreneurship workbooks and we discussed some important topics like things to look for in new markets and the importance of having 6 months of working capital saved to cover expenses in case of emergencies. Then we talked about synergy (the connection between people, skills, and understanding of an industry). Then we discussed about creating a competitive advantage. During the second half of class, we had an opportunity to practice our “Elevator Pitch” of our business ideas to our class mates, which is a minute business pitch equivalent to an elevator ride with an executive or potential business partner. We have been improving daily and some of us even have our pitches committed to memory and do not even need our notes. We reach new milestones every day. We ended our day with a pray out to thank God for this opportunity and to continue guiding us on our journey to becoming better men.

Jorge A. “sporky”

Friday                                                                                                             October 25, 2024

            Today we participated in “Toastmasters.” We all delivered our “Icebreakers,” which is an introductory presentation about any appropriate subject which could include our personal stories. It has been said that going to prison, public speaking, and dancing are the three most common fears. In PEP, we have been given the opportunity to eliminate those fears.    We all learned about the prior experiences of the speakers. We learned about how our fellow participants. Today we began our journey of becoming brothers as we learn more about each other. We are now united by the common goal of becoming better men, fathers, sons, and better public speakers in the process. We are still learning the formalities of “Toastmasters.” There are aspects of “Toastmasters” that seem strange at first, but as time passes, we are learning how to best recite a speech to an audience of people. If we can effectively deliver a speech to ourselves then we can become comfortable addressing a larger group of people. PEP has helped us to get out of our comfort zone and learn to work under pressure. Today was very educational and influential as we all thank PEP for this opportunity.

Michael A.

Expressions

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility comes from being superior to your former self.”

-Ernest Hemingway

This quote has long been a source of stability for me. There were many points early in my life where I felt as though I was either ahead of my peers for some shallow, superficial reason, or lagging far behind them for similar reasons. Either way this false metric for measuring my own success and self-worth led to untenable highs and lows, periods where I left my identity in the hands of factors beyond my control. Living like this made it difficult for me to maintain healthy relationships with habits, hobbies, competitions, and of course, peers. Learning to live my life with the express purpose of developing myself as a person comes with the challenge of having to live out Mr. Hemingway’s wisdom. It became a goal, at first a difficult one, to stop measuring myself in the standards other people set for themselves. Slowly but surely, I found peace and even fulfillment in learning to accept myself for who I was and working to learn and grow to develop into something more. It reminds me that no matter where I am at in life, if I am moving forward, I am okay.

David M. (aka “Nacho Libre”)

Lockdown – No Journals

Lockdown – No Journals