Nightmare Success IN and OUT Thanksgiving Gratitude

Taking a Break for What Matters

Okay Nightmare Success lifters, we’re doing something different this week. Instead of bringing you another interview, I wanted to hit pause and talk about gratitude. I’ve got some great conversations lined up in the queue, but with Thanksgiving here, I needed to step back and share what’s on my heart.

I’ve always loved Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday, hands down. But this year feels different because I’m feeling particularly grateful for things I couldn’t have just a few years ago.

The Holidays Behind Bars

Not too long ago, I wasn’t able to be with my family during the holidays. The guys I interview on this show know that feeling all too well. The holidays in prison, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas, are brutal. “It just makes you feel as low as low and as lonely as you can be, knowing that you can’t be with your family and there’s nothing you can do about it,” I said on this week’s episode.

That helplessness hits different during the holidays. Everyone else is gathering around tables, sharing meals, making memories. You’re counting down hours until another day passes. The contrast between where you are and where you want to be becomes impossible to ignore.

But here’s what I’m holding onto now. Tomorrow I’m going to be with my family. I get to enjoy it. I never want to lose that feeling because it’s so good. Family really is the best.

Appreciating the Chaos

Even when family gatherings get complicated, they’re still worth it. Different personalities, different political views, whatever drama might surface. It’s still good for everybody to be together, eat, have fun, have some drinks. The messiness is part of what makes it real.

That perspective shift comes from experience. When you’ve had holidays taken away, you stop sweating the small stuff. Uncle Jerry’s political rants or your sister’s dietary restrictions don’t seem like such big problems anymore. You’re just grateful everyone’s breathing and in the same space.

Building Something That Matters

The other thing filling me with gratitude is this podcast. Being able to have my guys on the show and share their stories has created something I didn’t expect. We’ve built a platform to connect and really define some commonality with everyone.

Every conversation teaches me something new about resilience, about starting over, about finding purpose after everything falls apart. These aren’t just feel-good stories. They’re blueprints for rebuilding when the bottom drops out.

The support from listeners has been incredible. I appreciate the listeners, the likes, everything about it. “It really fills me up. Very, very much appreciated,” I shared this week. That connection keeps me going when the work gets heavy.

Sharing the Full Story

Here’s some news I’m excited about. Just yesterday, my book made it onto Amazon. You can buy it on Kindle or get the physical book. This is Nightmare Success, my complete life story. All of it, not just the sanitized version.

If you’re looking for something to read over the weekend, this covers everything. The rise, the fall, the federal case, the time inside, and what rebuilding actually looks like. It’s the story behind all these conversations we’ve been having.

Writing it forced me to revisit every mistake, every consequence, every moment I thought I wouldn’t survive. But it also reminded me how much has changed since then. How much is possible when you’re willing to start over completely.

What We’re Building Together

This community we’re creating through these conversations matters more than I initially understood. Every story we share breaks down another wall between “us” and “them.” Between people who’ve been inside and people who haven’t. Between those who’ve lost everything and those who fear they might.

The commonalities run deeper than the differences. Everyone’s dealing with some version of starting over. Everyone’s carrying some version of regret. Everyone’s trying to figure out how to move forward when the past keeps pulling them back.

That’s why these stories matter. Not because they’re inspiring in some abstract way, but because they’re practical guides for navigating real problems. How do you rebuild trust? How do you find work with a record? How do you repair relationships you damaged? How do you forgive yourself enough to keep trying?

Looking Forward

As we head into this holiday weekend, I want everyone to know how grateful I am for this platform and these connections. The interviews will be back next week. We’ve got some powerful conversations coming up that I can’t wait to share.

But today, I’m focusing on tomorrow’s dinner table. On being present with people who stuck around when everything else fell apart. On appreciating the simple fact that I get to choose where I spend my time and who I spend it with.

To everyone listening, especially those who might be spending this holiday somewhere they don’t want to be, your situation isn’t permanent. The holidays will come around again. The tables will still be there. The people who matter will understand why you were away.

For now, I want to wish everybody a very happy Thanksgiving. Thank you for listening. “I appreciate it so much. Thank you,” as I said this week, and I mean every word of it.