Regardless of what your past looks like – whether you’ve had some addiction issues, been incarcerated, had a failed marriage, or whatever situation you were in due to a bad decision you’ve made–there’s nothing you can do to change your past. But you can always focus on the present and work towards a better, brighter future. You either create excuses or create opportunities ; it’s your choice!

In today’s conversation, Michael Santos, the founder of Prison Professors, talks about how a drug kingpin serving a 45-year sentence, managed to change the course of his life and to craft his own success story. Even while in prison, Michael created opportunities that would allow him to contribute to the lives of other people. It was also in prison that he learned about the Socratic way of thinking, an approach that helped make his transformation possible.

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:

[01:49] Michael’s family background

[03:37] How he got into the narcotics game

[07:03] Helping your kids define success

[09:29] How he started selling cocaine

[13:23] How he became a drug kingpin

[18:57] The day he got arrested

[25:24] Owning the problems you created

[27:41] How Socrates changed the way he thought

[30:21] How he got through difficult times in prison

[36:53] A sense of gratitude instead of regret

[43:20] Adjusting to the world outside of prison

[50:40] His journey through writing

[58:19] How he got started with real estate

[61:42] Why he created Prison Professors

Notable quotes from the Episode:

"None of us can change the past... but we can always work to influence the future."

"When you have that mindset of knowing what you want, you can start making decisions accordingly.”

“We either create opportunities or create excuses – it's our choice.”

“Everybody has the power within to make a better life."

“The right decision at the wrong time is the wrong decision.”

Connecting with the Guest

Website: https://prisonprofessors.com/

Books: https://prisonprofessors.com/books-of-prison-professors/

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E219: How a Drug Kingpin Became a Millionaire While Serving a 45-Year Sentence with Michael Santos

The Matt King Show