John Wallace, Founder/CEO Surviving The Odds Project- No Warning Shots Fired

"No Warning Shots Fired in This Unit"

 

This is the sign on the wall at San Quentin Prison where John served 8 years.

Since his release, John Wallace, aka Freedom, has made a complete 180-degree turn from a life of gangs and drugs to one of hope and service.

Leaders and youth from all walks of life can learn from this vulnerable and inspiring, unedited conversation I had with John on my Dare to be Great, Dare to Be You Podcast.

John embodies and lives up to his stage name—Freedom.  He not only talks the talk, he walks the walk.

From head to heart to hands, John's mission and purpose to "pass it on", is freaking incredible!

Pull up a chair and listen to this raw, real, and open conversation about hope and freedom.

On a personal note, it has taken me 25 episodes to find my sea legs as a podcast host. I believe from the depth of my soul that THIS episode is what the universe was preparing me for.

I guarantee you will be inspired. After listening, some of you may want to even change the world.

To paraphrase John's wisdom:

Start small, be humble, and listen. We all want to belong.

My hope in this and all episodes of this show is for listeners to not only become inspired, but to become bold enough to trust your inner voice and DO SOMETHING that will make a difference in your life, the lives of others, and ultimately,the world.

This show is fast becoming a launching pad where dreams are reignited. I encourage you, wherever you are at this stage of your life, to dare to be great and dare to be yourself and see what happens.

Furthermore, there are many more stories like John's in differing arenas that you will hear in the weeks, months and years to come.

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About John:

John grew up in Marin City and found refuge in the arts as an escape from a troubled home life. Street life and drug use caught up to him, landing John in Marin County Jail numerous times and eventually to San Quentin State Prison for several years. Refusing to give up, John worked hard and earned his GED while in prison. John wrote over 75 songs about his lives experience while in prison.  After he was released, John went on to attend classes at College of Marin, Santa Rosa Junior College and Butte College. He is currently a recognized musician, tattoo artist, and hairstylist who often provides his services at low or no cost to those in need. John believes in the importance of giving back and understands the therapeutic value of art and music

 

Articles:

from https://sanquentinnews.com/sq-parolee-helps-troubled-teens/

"By the time John Wallace was released from San Quentin, he had written 75 songs.

John Wallace, 39, who discharged in 2003, founded a project called STOP (Surviving the Odds Project) to help deter at-risk youth from falling into the school-to-prison-pipeline. Fifteen years after his release, he’s showing kids the creative outlet he wished he had at their age.

The former gang member now empowers at-risk youth through musical self-expression at Legion Beats in San Rafael, reported the Marin Independent Journal. His first class of 13 students will write, record and create a music video over the course of a few weeks. In May, they’ll have their first live performance.

“I wanted to give back to where a kid wouldn’t have to suffer any longer or blame others for what they’re going through and learn how to express themselves,” said Wallace, who grew up in Marin City.

https://sanquentinnews.com/program-helps-at-risk-youth-through-music/