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September 5, 2025 36 mins

Taken from The Oprah Podcast, this special episode brings together Shaka Senghor, a16z cofounder Ben Horowitz, and Oprah Winfrey for a powerful conversation on resilience and transformation.

Shaka, a resilience expert, motivational speaker, and bestselling author of Writing My Wrongs, shares his journey from incarceration to redemption along with insights from his new book, How to Be Free. Full of hard-earned wisdom and practical tools, it’s a guide for anyone seeking freedom in their own life.

Timecodes: 

0:00 Introduction 
1:30 Shaka’s Journey: From Prison to Freedom
4:10 The Power of Narrative and Mindset
6:10 Active Journaling & Writing My Wrongs
8:45 Escaping Life’s Hidden Prisons
10:00 The Role of Forgiveness
16:40 Healing Family Relationships
21:00 Unconditional Forgiveness & True Freedom
22:40 Resilience as a Spiritual Principle
24:15 Mentorship & Meeting Ben Horowitz
28:55 Lessons on Success and Failure
30:20 The Meaning of a Pardon
31:50 Life After Prison: Finding Joy in Freedom
32:30 Advice for Listeners: How to Begin Your Own Journey
35:15 Closing Thoughts 

Resources: 

Find Shaka on X: https://x.com/ShakaSengho

Find Ben on X: https://x.com/bhorowitz

Find Oprah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oprahpodcast/

Listen to the full podcast:

https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381

 

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Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z

Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z

Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/

Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

Stay Updated:

Find a16z on X

Find a16z on LinkedIn

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts

Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg

 

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.


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