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 […]
The Underdog’s Edge: Lessons from a Children’s Book
White Collar Advice | Sunday Newsletter | April 6, 2025 Welcome to this Sunday’s newsletter I call, The Underdog’s Edge. Earlier this […]
Pressure. Rationalization. Opportunity.
I received a call last week from someone recently convicted at trial. He was filled with regret—not just because of the outcome, […]
How I Turned a Federal Prison Term into a Platform—One Page at a Time
“When you ain’t got nothing, you got nothing to loseYou’re invisible now, you’ve got no secrets to conceal.”– Bob Dylan My mom […]
200 Days in Federal Prison: What Will You Create That Lasts?
March 16, 2025 Newsletter #2 I read online, so it must be true, that smart people prefer to read rather than watch […]
If You’re in a Government Investigation, Every Choice Matters—Start Here
Most people don’t act until it’s too late. They wait, hope for the best, and tell themselves they’ll “figure it out” later. […]