Action Solves Everything. But Can You Handle the Reaction?
“Did you read them?” a friend awaiting sentencing asked after sending me fifteen Rockefeller quotes last month. “Thank you for sending them. […]
What I Learned Re-Reading The Stranger—16 Years After Federal Prison
I first read The Stranger by Albert Camus in federal prison after my late friend Andrew Altchuk introduced me to it. I tried to […]
What Atlas Shrugged Gets Right And What Too Many Get Wrong
Happy Father’s Day. While I wasn’t a father when I served time in federal prison, I was thankful my dad visited me […]
Atlas Shrugged, The Prince, and What I Learned from Michael Santos
Someone in our community said to me, “Dude, that Plato allegory story really stuck with me. Got any more?” That question changed how I […]
You’re Not Ready for Sentencing Or Prison If You Haven’t Answered These 7 Questions
When I was in prison, I wanted to be a better reader. But early on, when I told Michael Santos I’d read […]
You Don’t Rebuild a Reputation by Hiding—Here’s What Works Instead
I’m always grateful when people reach out after a webinar. But Monday’s generated more replies than usual. Some shared what they learned. […]
Don’t Just Defend—Persuade: The Smarter Way Through a Federal Case
Tik Tok Introductions I first saw Justin on Tik Tok. Bright. Fast talking. Persuasive. He spoke well. Almost too well. Was this […]
What Kind of Giver Are You?
I took my daughter to Barnes & Noble at the Irvine Spectrum a few weeks ago. She’d just finished the entire Harry […]
The Janitor Who Tried
Last week, my daughter Alyssa asked me to watch America’s Got Talent with her. I told her: “Alyssa, I’d rather go back to prison […]
Lessons From a Prison Quiet Room at 5 A.M.
It was 2008. I was in a federal prison quiet room with Michael Santos. He’d been there since 1:30 a.m. I’d join […]
You Might Still Be in the Cave (I Was Too)
White Collar Advice | Thursday Newsletter | April 17, 2025 For a long time, I told myself I had it handled. That […]
Accountability, Failure—and the Joy of Starting Over
White Collar Advice | Sunday Newsletter | April 13, 2025 In 1912, the Titanic left Southampton bound for New York. It was […]