Ep 39: Addiction, Incarceration & the Power of Asking for Help

Ep 39: Addiction, Incarceration & the Power of Asking for Help

💡 In This Episode David Whitesock, founder and CEO of Commonly Well, shares his journey from a troubled youth in North Dakota to overcoming addiction and incarceration. David discusses the pivotal moments in his life, including the judge's intervention that led him to a sobriety program, the importance of mentorship, and his eventual transformation through education and the creation of the Recovery Capital Index. This tool aims to help individuals in recovery assess their strengths and weaknesses, guiding them towards a more successful reintegration into society. David emphasizes the need for systemic change in how society supports those in recovery and the importance of asking for help. 🔗 Resources to Help You Move Forward 📘 Create Your Reentry Plan with Our Workbook Our workbook, created by a formerly incarcerated individual with lived experience, is designed to help you  build a personalized plan for success after incarceration. ➡️ Buy it here [https://www.amazon.com/2nd-Opportunity-Program-Companion-Workbook/dp/B0CSVTK6NP/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3ERESJRLQXEHT&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.BtAgWFKcesRY1m5UaOu5EKop88nT6VDBkEca3QNTArN9gbeZmwnI13-btqNtuBf_GD4JtQuoj8xEkhNqaWkLLw.mBISI4eeNG7KuKC59HBzTf3KlZYUCJtoWc_ZAPSTL-g&dib_tag=se&keywords=augie+ghilarducci&qid=1737729014&sprefix=augie+ghilarducci%2Caps%2C122&sr=8-1]. 🎓 Take the First Step Toward Your Path Forward  Our reentry program includes five comprehensive courses focused on reentry planning, job readiness, and personal growth, and career exploration.  ➡️ Enroll today: courses.2ndopp.com [https://courses.2ndopp.com/] 🤝 Support for Families of Incarcerated Individuals Reentry impacts more than just the individual—it affects families too.  ➡️ Access our family resources: 2ndopp.com/resources [https://www.2ndopp.com/resources] ✉️ We Want to Hear From You! Have a question or topic suggestion? Want to share your own story of reentry success? Fill out a form here: 2ndopp.com/success-stories [https://www.2ndopp.com/success-stories] ✨ Subscribe & Leave a Review If you find our podcast valuable, please subscribe and leave a review. Your feedback helps us reach more listeners and continue sharing stories that inspire second chances and hope.

Ep 38: My Journey to Employment after Incarceration

💡 In This Episode Augie speaks with Courtney Buchholz about her journey from a troubled past to finding purpose through employment and education. Courtney shares her experiences with addiction, the challenges of reentry into society, and the importance of education, culminating in her recent achievement of obtaining a GED. She discusses her work with the Center for Employment Opportunities (ceoworks.org), the Emerging Leadership Program, and how her lived experiences have shaped her perspective and career aspirations. 🔗 Resources to Help You Move Forward 📘 Create Your Reentry Plan with Our Workbook Our workbook, created by a formerly incarcerated individual with lived experience, is designed to help you  build a personalized plan for success after incarceration. ➡️ Buy it here [https://www.amazon.com/2nd-Opportunity-Program-Companion-Workbook/dp/B0CSVTK6NP/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3ERESJRLQXEHT&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.BtAgWFKcesRY1m5UaOu5EKop88nT6VDBkEca3QNTArN9gbeZmwnI13-btqNtuBf_GD4JtQuoj8xEkhNqaWkLLw.mBISI4eeNG7KuKC59HBzTf3KlZYUCJtoWc_ZAPSTL-g&dib_tag=se&keywords=augie+ghilarducci&qid=1737729014&sprefix=augie+ghilarducci%2Caps%2C122&sr=8-1].  🎓 Take the First Step Toward Your Path Forward  Our reentry program includes five comprehensive courses focused on reentry planning, job readiness, and personal growth, and career exploration.  ➡️ Enroll today: courses.2ndopp.com  [https://courses.2ndopp.com/] 🤝 Support for Families of Incarcerated Individuals Reentry impacts more than just the individual—it affects families too.  ➡️ Access our family resources: 2ndopp.com/resources  [https://www.2ndopp.com/resources] ✉️ We Want to Hear From You! Have a question or topic suggestion? Want to share your own story of reentry success? Fill out a form here: 2ndopp.com/success-stories  [https://www.2ndopp.com/success-stories] ✨ Subscribe & Leave a Review If you find our podcast valuable, please subscribe and leave a review. Your feedback helps us reach more listeners and continue sharing stories that inspire second chances and hope.

Ep 37: From the Streets of Compton to Global Speaker

💡 In This Episode Dr. Will Moreland, president of Moreland Training & Associates, shares his extraordinary journey from a troubled youth in Compton, California to becoming an Army veteran, global speaker, and author of over 50 books on personal development. Dr. Moreland reflects on the critical turning point when a judge gave him a second chance — one that led him to enlist in the military and change the course of his life. He dives into the role mentorship, vision, and discipline played in shaping his future, and why civility — intentionally treating others with respect — is key to reducing conflict and building stronger communities. 🔗 Resources to Help You Move Forward  📘 Create Your Reentry Plan with Our Workbook Our workbook, created by a formerly incarcerated individual with lived experience, is designed to help you  build a personalized plan for success after incarceration. ➡️ Buy it here [https://www.amazon.com/2nd-Opportunity-Program-Companion-Workbook/dp/B0CSVTK6NP/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3ERESJRLQXEHT&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.BtAgWFKcesRY1m5UaOu5EKop88nT6VDBkEca3QNTArN9gbeZmwnI13-btqNtuBf_GD4JtQuoj8xEkhNqaWkLLw.mBISI4eeNG7KuKC59HBzTf3KlZYUCJtoWc_ZAPSTL-g&dib_tag=se&keywords=augie+ghilarducci&qid=1737729014&sprefix=augie+ghilarducci%2Caps%2C122&sr=8-1].  🎓 Take the First Step Toward Your Path Forward  Our reentry program includes five comprehensive courses focused on reentry planning, job readiness, and personal growth, and career exploration.  ➡️ Enroll today: courses.2ndopp.com [https://courses.2ndopp.com/]  🤝 Support for Families of Incarcerated Individuals Reentry impacts more than just the individual—it affects families too.  ➡️ Access our family resources: 2ndopp.com/resources  [https://www.2ndopp.com/resources] ✉️ We Want to Hear From You! Have a question or topic suggestion? Want to share your own story of reentry success? Fill out a form here: 2ndopp.com/success-stories  [https://www.2ndopp.com/success-stories] ✨ Subscribe & Leave a Review If you find our podcast valuable, please subscribe and leave a review. Your feedback helps us reach more listeners and continue sharing stories that inspire second chances and hope.

Ep 36: The Mascot

💡 In This Episode In this special episode of The Path Forward Podcast, host Augie introduces Nunzio—the show’s official mascot—and shares the heart behind the podcast: to bring hope, inspiration, and real resources to those impacted by incarceration. Augie takes listeners inside the mission of the 2nd Opportunity Program, a powerful initiative designed to support reentry through life skills training, employment readiness, and access to essential resources. He speaks candidly about the importance of mental preparation, the value of skill-building, and the courage it takes to ask for help. Whether you're currently incarcerated, recently released, or supporting someone on their journey, this episode is a reminder that change is possible, and you don’t have to do it alone. 🔗 Resources to Help You Move Forward 📘 Create Your Reentry Plan with Our Workbook Our workbook, created by a formerly incarcerated individual with lived experience, is designed to help you  build a personalized plan for success after incarceration. ➡️ Buy it here [https://www.amazon.com/2nd-Opportunity-Program-Companion-Workbook/dp/B0CSVTK6NP/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3ERESJRLQXEHT&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.BtAgWFKcesRY1m5UaOu5EKop88nT6VDBkEca3QNTArN9gbeZmwnI13-btqNtuBf_GD4JtQuoj8xEkhNqaWkLLw.mBISI4eeNG7KuKC59HBzTf3KlZYUCJtoWc_ZAPSTL-g&dib_tag=se&keywords=augie+ghilarducci&qid=1737729014&sprefix=augie+ghilarducci%2Caps%2C122&sr=8-1]. 🎓 Take the First Step Toward Your Path Forward  Our reentry program includes five comprehensive courses focused on reentry planning, job readiness, and personal growth, and career exploration.  ➡️ Enroll today: courses.2ndopp.com [https://courses.2ndopp.com/] 🤝 Support for Families of Incarcerated Individuals Reentry impacts more than just the individual—it affects families too.  ➡️ Access our family resources: 2ndopp.com/resources [https://www.2ndopp.com/resources] ✉️ We Want to Hear From You! Have a question or topic suggestion? Want to share your own story of reentry success? Fill out a form here: 2ndopp.com/success-stories [https://www.2ndopp.com/success-stories] ✨ Subscribe & Leave a Review If you find our podcast valuable, please subscribe and leave a review. Your feedback helps us reach more listeners and continue sharing stories that inspire second chances and hope.

Ep 35: How I Turned Time Served into Service

💡 In This Episode Augie sits down with DeAndre Brown, whose early life was shaped by hardship and family struggles that led him down a difficult path. But behind the prison walls, DeAndre made a decision that would change everything—he transformed his mindset, took accountability, and became a model of what’s possible when purpose meets perseverance. 🔗 Resources to Help You Move Forward 📘 Create Your Reentry Plan with Our Workbook Our workbook, created by a formerly incarcerated individual with lived experience, is designed to help you  build a personalized plan for success after incarceration. ➡️ Buy it here [https://www.amazon.com/2nd-Opportunity-Program-Companion-Workbook/dp/B0CSVTK6NP/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3ERESJRLQXEHT&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.BtAgWFKcesRY1m5UaOu5EKop88nT6VDBkEca3QNTArN9gbeZmwnI13-btqNtuBf_GD4JtQuoj8xEkhNqaWkLLw.mBISI4eeNG7KuKC59HBzTf3KlZYUCJtoWc_ZAPSTL-g&dib_tag=se&keywords=augie+ghilarducci&qid=1737729014&sprefix=augie+ghilarducci%2Caps%2C122&sr=8-1]. 🎓 Take the First Step Toward Your Path Forward  Our reentry program includes five comprehensive courses focused on reentry planning, job readiness, and personal growth, and career exploration.  ➡️ Enroll today: courses.2ndopp.com [https://courses.2ndopp.com/] 🤝 Support for Families of Incarcerated Individuals Reentry impacts more than just the individual—it affects families too.  ➡️ Access our family resources: 2ndopp.com/resources [https://www.2ndopp.com/resources] ✉️ We Want to Hear From You! Have a question or topic suggestion? Want to share your own story of reentry success? Fill out a form here: 2ndopp.com/success-stories [https://www.2ndopp.com/success-stories] ✨ Subscribe & Leave a Review If you find our podcast valuable, please subscribe and leave a review. Your feedback helps us reach more listeners and continue sharing stories that inspire second chances and hope.