Struggle2Succcess Podcast
Welcome to the Struggle2Success Podcast.
I’m your host, Sterling Brown — and around here, we don’t hide from the hard stuff.
I didn’t launch this podcast from a polished place — I launched it while still healing. What started as my personal story has grown into something bigger: a space where we talk real about the struggles that shape us, the systems that confine us, and the current issues that weigh on our communities.
This isn’t just about surviving — it’s about transforming. From incarceration and fatherhood to mental health, relationships, reentry, and everything in between — this is where we get honest about the climb and what it takes to keep going.
So whether you’re tuning in from your car, your crib, or somewhere in between trying to figure it all out — you’re not alone. We’re in this together. Airing every other Saturday.
This is Struggle2Success — life is trials. Stay focused.
Struggle2Succcess Podcast
Urban Incarceration: Overcoming Stereotypes: Proof That You Can Make It
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With over 15 years of advocacy experience and more than a decade specializing in educational and court interpreting, Eloisa V. Baez is passionate about empowering individuals and families through access, representation, and support.
Throughout her career, Eloisa has been a trusted advocate for clients navigating complex systems such as education, healthcare, and legal services.
Advocacy isn’t just a service — it’s a calling. Everyone deserves a voice, and I’m here
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This episode was hosted by Sterling Brown
If you have ever been told by someone that you're not capable of attaining success, if you have made mistakes or lived in an underprivileged neighborhood, then this podcast is for you. You are now locked in to Struggle2 Success. Struggle2 Success aims to inspire individuals to navigate life's challenges with courage, fortitude and unwavering determination. So if you're in your car jogging or somewhere else trying to find the calm in the storm, then join Struggle to Success airing every other Saturday. Remember life is trials. Stay focused.
Speaker 2:They say that once you've been labeled, that's all you'll ever be, and in most cases, they're right until you prove them wrong. Be, and in most cases, they're right until you prove them wrong. Hello, wonderful people, welcome back to the Struggle to Success podcast. I'm your host, sterling Brown, and yes, I was once a convicted felon. This episode is for anybody who's ever been underestimated, overlooked or misjudged because of their past. If that's you or someone you love, lock in, because today we're talking about how to rebuild your identity after incarceration and the truth they don't tell you about what the process really feels like.
Speaker 2:In 2017, I applied for a paraprofessional job at a school district not far from my home. I had experience, I had heart, but I also had a felony. I marked the box and kept it moving because by then, I was used to rejection. But this time, something different happened. A director pulled me to the side, looked me straight in my eyes and said with your accomplishments, it will be criminal if you continue to live under this cloud. It would be criminal if you continued to live under this cloud. That moment stuck with me, not because it felt good, but because, deep down, a part of me still believed the cloud was mine to carry. Even after everything I had done to grow, I was still living under the weight of the past. But here's the thing those weren't heavy, obvious chains, they were thin, solid, made of paper Court documents, criminal background checks, public databases. They don't clank when you walk, they rustle, but they bind you all the same.
Speaker 2:Picture this A man walks into an interview Fresh suit, fresh mindset. He's ready, he's done the work, he's proud of how far he's come. But every step he takes, something follows paper change. On one sheet, background check failed, another felony record flagged, then voting rights denied and the last one, housing application rejected. They don't see the man, they see the paper. My chains don't rattle, but they speak. They whisper, felon, before I do, let's go deeper.
Speaker 2:A man stands outside his bathroom, fresh shirt, tie straight, child in his arms, ready to face the world. But the mirror? It doesn't reflect the growth, it reflects the ghost. He sees himself in an orange jumpsuit, a tired face, an ID number, flickering lights behind him, a distant tower, a locked door. He wipes the mirror, but the image doesn't change.
Speaker 2:Because even when you've done the work, even when you've healed, society might still show you the same broken reflection. And sometimes it's not about how you see yourself. It's about how they've taught you to see yourself. You ever get out but still feel locked up. I'm not talking about the cell or the system. I'm talking about your mind, your peace, your spirit. How you question your worth even when you've done everything right, how you wonder if you'll ever be more than the label.
Speaker 2:Nobody tells you this part, that after you've done your time there's another sentence waiting. And this is the one that's mental. Let's be real. Being labeled felon ain't just status, it's weight. And that weight shows up in your walk, your posture, your dreams. You might have survived the sentence, but now you're fighting the residual.
Speaker 2:So how do you heal? You reframe your story, not to lie about your past, but to reclaim the truth about your future. Stop calling yourself what they called you and you start calling yourself what you're becoming Father, provider, leader, healed man. You find your people, the ones who aren't afraid of your scars, the ones who see your growth, not your rap sheet, the ones who remind you you're not alone in this, and you forgive yourself. That's the hardest part, because healing doesn't start in the courtroom, it doesn't start in the re-entry program. It starts in the quiet moment when you're whispering to yourself I'm not my worst mistake. I'm the proof that change is real. Let's breathe for a second worst mistake. I'm the proof that change is real. Let's breathe for a second. Wherever you are on a jog, in your car, at your job, in your house take a deep breath with me and repeat this I am not who I was, I am who I decide to be. What will your life look like if you finally believe you deserve the freedom you already have? Let's bring the facts in.
Speaker 2:Right now, over 70 million Americans have a criminal record. That's one in three adults. One third of our population drag in paper chains. Some of us can't vote, some of us can't rent, some can't work. Some can't sleep at night because of the mistakes we've already paid for. Some can't work. Some can't sleep at night because of the mistakes we've already paid for. And Michelle Alexander said it the best Once you're labeled a felon, the old forms of discrimination employment, housing, voting are suddenly legal. Let that sink in.
Speaker 2:The punishment doesn't end with the time served. It continues every time someone Googles your name. So what now? We build community. We stop letting society isolate us. We connect. We check on each other. We speak the truth. Don't break stereotypes by yelling. You break them by being consistent, being present and being unapologetically excellent. And we take ownership. We don't just want freedom from the system, we want freedom from the shame, because if we keep walking like we're still in chains, we teach the next man, the next young man, that freedom ain't possible. Let's teach him something else.
Speaker 2:Here's your challenge this week Write down your story, but not from your past, from your future, just one page at a time. Start with the words today I am becoming, because if you can speak it, you can become. It going to be a straight line, but it is real and it's definitely worth it. So, to every person still carrying the invisible chains I see you, I was you and I promise you you can outgrow this label. You are not your record, you are your redemption. In our next episode, we're closing out the Urban Incarceration Series with my brother, Corey Angelo. He served 10 years and came out swinging. He's a podcaster, a father, an author and a walking testimony that your story ain't over unless you stop writing it. So don't miss it! And if nobody told you this week, you're doing better than you think, keep going, keep healing, not for the approval, but for your own freedom. This is Sterling Brown and this is the Struggle2 Success Podcast. And until next time. Remember life is trials. Stay focused.
