Today I’m sharing my story—from being sentenced and walking straight from a courtroom into a cell, to the long road of discovering who I really was. I once thought confidence meant dominance and control, but it was fear in disguise. Violence became my armor. It took years to unlearn that, to face pain, take responsibility, and rebuild from within. Shirin and I unpack what real confidence looks like—steady, honest, earned.

In this raw, eye-opening conversation with guest host Shirin Hejazi, I share hard-earned insights from my own journey – what it felt like to live behind emotional armor, the myths of masculinity I had to unlearn and the power I discovered in authentic connection.

This episode goes beyond my personal journey—it’s a call to see loneliness not as an ending, but as an opening. By facing it honestly, we can transform it into strength, connection, and even love.

From childhood trauma to 17 years in prison, my path has been anything but easy. But in this conversation, guided by host Shirin Hejazi, I open up about what I found beyond the walls: meaning, love, and the possibility of trust. I share moments of struggle, betrayal, and unexpected kindness, and how my understanding of trust has shifted – from survival mode to building real, lasting connections.