Brenda Campbell’s 

Background

Brenda Campbell grew up on Inlet Island, surrounded by Lake Tapps near Seattle. She earned
excellent grades while working multiple jobs in a pizza shop, a bunk bed factory, and at the local
newspaper. After receiving her college degree, Brenda enjoyed success at a home security
company and at a major semi-conductor and computer parts distributor. Later, she became the
assistant comptroller at an RV dealership. Unfortunately, Brenda made personal purchases with
company credit cards. Then, she created false journal entries to make it appear that these
charges were legitimate business expenses. After a visit from the FBI, Brenda accepted
responsibility for her actions in federal court.

Working with White Collar Advice

When Brenda found White Collar Advice (WCA) online, she appreciated the detailed materials
and concrete guidance. Brenda drew strength from the stories of people who’d gone through
the federal system. “The personal examples helped me focus on how to create a positive
future, instead of focusing on past events I could not change,” Brenda noted.
To gain further insight, Brenda read Ethics in Motion by Justin Paperny. She reflected on how
she’d gone numb to the shady business practices in her industry. Taking the WCA team’s
suggestions, Brenda arranged to tell her story at Whitworth College and to business students at
University of San Diego. She spoke about her case and made no excuses for her bad choices. “It
felt good to turn my difficult moment into an opportunity to help others,” Brenda remembered.
Brenda described working with the WCA team on her narrative: “Nobody wakes up one day and
decides to go break the law. The process opened up the big picture of my entire life, including
what led up to my case. The narrative told my story well and helped me with healing. I hurt
people and I needed to own that. The narrative process helped me get there. When it was time
for my Pre-Sentence Interview, I was ready.”

Outcome

The government originally asked for a sentence of thirty-three months in prison. To prepare for
her sentencing hearing, Brenda composed a statement to read aloud based on what she’d
learned from WCA. Brenda took responsibility, expressed remorse, and focused on the victims.
In addition to her personal narrative, Brenda also submitted student feedback from her
presentation at the University of San Diego.
“The judge acknowledged the narrative. He said that I’d obviously taken ownership without
making excuses,” Brenda said, “He asked me about speaking to the students and mentioned

things that stood out to him from the letters.” Then, the judge departed downward from the
government’s recommendation and sentenced Brenda to twenty months.
“Without White Collar Advice, my outcome would not have been nearly as good. I would have
put all my trust in my lawyer, which would have been a mistake. My lawyer was not invested in
me like the WCA team,” noted Brenda.

Analysis

At the time she broke the law, Brenda worked in a negative environment with several
unscrupulous operators. It took time for her to focus on her actions without any rationalization.
The WCA team encouraged Brenda to reflect on her whole story—high points and low points.
Brenda then spoke openly and honestly to young people about what went wrong in this case.
The judge appreciated her candor and admired her willingness to help students.
Brenda is looking ahead with newfound wisdom: “I feel better than I have in a while. I felt
depressed and anxious during the hard waiting process. Now, the end is in sight. I am planning
for a happier, more fulfilling life. I am focusing on what is important. It’s a real reset and I feel
excited about the future.”