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Forgiven AFAuthor: Shawn Serfass
Prison saved his life and gave him a 2nd chance to make a difference in this world. Shawn has turned his life around, he now owns a successful fitness studio and runs a mentorship program for at-risk youth. The goal of this podcast is to bring motivational content but at the same time we will have hard conversations regarding our current society. Language: en Genres: Business, Non-Profit, Relationships, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Your Past is Not Your Future with John Reel
Episode 6
Wednesday, 18 March, 2026
Some people hear "15 felonies" and write a man off. John Reel heard it about himself and decided to prove everyone wrong — including the voice in his own head. This one hit different...John grew up in Texas, dealt with childhood trauma he buried for years, ran with the wrong crowd, joined a gang, went in and out of prison for about seven years, and got out in 2014 with nothing but a decision to change. Today he owns a seven-figure concrete construction company, is raising two boys, and is one of the most real conversations I've had on this show. What We Talked About: • The childhood trauma John Reel carried for years — and how prison is where he finally faced it • What it's like being a white dude in an all-black gang — inside and outside the walls • Getting baptized in a horse trough in prison and what that moment meant • Coming home and going right back — three DWIs, fighting parole, and finally surrendering everything to God in 2017 • Losing seven figures, hitting rock bottom again, and rebuilding from zero • Why your circle determines your ceiling — and how John Reel built his way into the right rooms • Reverse engineering your goals — starting with $500 a week and ending up with a company doing seven figures a year • What John Reel would tell his 16-year-old self Why This Matters: Your past is not your future. That's not just something we say on this show — John Reel is living proof. If you're locked up right now, just got out, or you feel like you've blown too many chances — this episode is for you. You can still build something real. All it takes is putting your back against the wall, locking in, and giving God everything — not just the parts that are easy. If you're watching this, you're loved and you're forgiven — and there ain't nothing you can do about it.









