That was an amazing read. I chuckled at this bit though:
"But selling drugs was the best preparation I could have asked for, entering the real world. Now equipped to handle situations that it takes others years to prepare for. More than anything, selling drugs taught me to believe in myself and what I’m capable of. It taught me to trust my instincts and how to make difficult decisions."
I know a founder that used to move drugs, lots of drugs. Got caught threw himself at the mercy of the court. He's doing well now, but the judge was basically like "this is your only chance".
Damn, I feel for this guy and it makes me proud. I know from experience how hard that situation can be. I'm a recovering addict and I've been to jail. Luckily I completed a treatment program that allowed me to have my record expunged. But the criminal record isn't the only thing standing in your way. There's a whole host of issues having that sort of path brings with it that aren't obvious. In my case it was the debts I incurred while addicted (it's amazing what bills you decide aren't important to pay and how you use credit when you're an addict) that ruined my credit and have forced me to do things without funding. In Duane's case I'm sure there's some sort of past following him besides his record. I'm willing to bet his former "colleagues" in the gang come around to try to mooch or shake him down from time to time. That's just a thought and my only evidence is my knowledge of how that world works but hopefully his old buddies really are gone forever.
I think the message to this story should be less about "if a dealer can do it, so can you" and more about trying to figure out what it really was that sparked the change in Duane ans try to apply it to other convicts, especially in the US where the prisons are overcrowded and we just don't see much of any real reforms out of prisoners who are released. They're mostly on an in and out of prison rotating cycle. Is there something in Duane's case that we can learn from to help other inmates or is Duane a special case of a guy who really did just get mixed up in some bad stuff but had no real criminal bent.
Having watched my best friend develop a rather serious smelling problem, I can certainly confirm the debt issue. He had a pretty decent job selling cars at the time, took out a loan to buy one he couldn't afford, then stopped making payments when they interfered with his ability to buy more blow. In a span of ~8 months he managed to rack up $25k on his credit card(s), owe another $10k for taxes, $6500 to his brother and $5k to his parents. One of the biggest challenges for him coming out of rehab was the crushing burden of debt, and the realization that he wouldn't be able to pay it off without living very frugally for a number of years. It's now three years later and he's still putting a good chunk of each paycheck towards it.
Luckily, my friend never went to jail (not for lack of effort), so he doesn't have the additional burden of a criminal record severely limiting his employment options. I sympathize with anyone who's trying to change their lives while living with a criminal record.
It's tough but not impossible to overcome this sort of thing. In my experience I think that in a twisted way that kind of messed up situation can actually be beneficial given you've got the right personality traits. For me the same traits that predispose me to being an addict are the very same ones that predispose me to entrepreneurship and date I say success even.
I think it's a combination of obsession and compulsively chasing something that gives you a rush that can actually make addicts amazingly successful. Those traits can be equally beneficial or detrimental depending on how you focus them. Do you see any of that in your friend? I sometimes go back to the program that allowed me to get the charges dropped and speak to addicts and I always tell them that despite what the world tells them they're in a unique position to take their problem and turn it into the opposite.
Consider the addict that hits bottom has no food, shelter or money but somehow manages to keep getting his fix. I know that I was beyond broke but nothing could stop me from getting what I craved. Now I swapped out craving a harmful thing for craving a beneficial thing and I channel my energy into achieving success now instead of a syringe full of dope. As an addict you're often forced to hustle just like in business. You also have to take a lot of shit and negativity from every which way. Apply that to business and you're almost impervious to being beaten down by inevitable failure. And lastly, the ability for someone to overcome a substance addiction at all shows that they have some serious will power and persistence. Dropping the habit isn't a one time deal. Almost all addicts must make multiple attempts and deal with relapse before finally succeeding. In business you'll also likely fail multiple times and having that prior experience and knowing someone has done something similar before is a pretty good indicator of how well they'll do if they apply themselves correctly.
That said, it can't apply to everyome with that background. You've still got to have some degree of intelligence and we can never discount luck but all things considered I think people with that type of background come out the other side stronger, hungrier, and have the inborn traits needed to succeed if focused well.
