Avodah Talk w/ Matt Walton
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Avodah Talk w/ Matt Walton
From Prison to Provider: Javier's Transformation Story
The transformative power of structure, second chances, and meaningful work takes center stage in this deeply moving conversation with Javier. From the depths of addiction to becoming a provider for his family, Javier's journey demonstrates what's possible when someone receives the opportunity to rebuild their life.
"I didn't have a job and I didn't have a life. The only thing I did is do drugs every day," Javier candidly shares at the start of our conversation. His wake-up call came through incarceration – an experience that finally broke through where previous rehabilitation attempts had failed. The transition program Casa Grande became his lifeline, helping him recover basic identification documents and connecting him with employment opportunities that would change everything.
What makes this story remarkable isn't just Javier's personal transformation, but how quickly he embraced structure and responsibility. Where once his days revolved around substance use, now his mind focuses on work tasks, supporting his mother financially, paying child support, and saving for his own place. "It feels good being able to provide to my family," he explains with genuine pride. His enthusiasm for planning five and ten years into the future reveals how profoundly his mindset has shifted.
As business leaders, we have the unique privilege of collaborating with individuals like Javier, providing the structure that paradoxically creates freedom. Through our DCAT program, we're developing blueprints to help employees accomplish their goals systematically. Listen to this episode to understand how Kingdom-minded business practices can transform lives while building successful companies. Have you considered how your business might become a vehicle for similar transformation stories?
What's up, guys? This is Matt with Avoda Talk, or the Real Matt Walton. This is your hub for all things Kingdom business business as ministry business strategy, my goal is to provide as much value, minute by minute, each podcast that you listen to, so let's get to it. So, what's up guys? This is Matt with Avoda Talk, or at the Real Matt Walton, depending on how you found me, and thank you so much for joining us today.
Speaker 1:I am very excited to provide just a further update with Javier. He's one of my guys here and he's got just a great story, and so we're going to get into that here in a minute. But the purpose of this channel is to just, minute by minute, provide as much value as I possibly can for the listeners out there, and I believe that Javier's story is one that can really encourage and motivate those that are out there. So, without further ado, let's welcome Javier man. Thank you for coming back on Javier. Yeah, of course You're welcome. So I want to give the audience just a brief story about where you're at and then kind of segue that into where you're at now.
Speaker 2:So I didn't have a job and I didn't have a life. Like the only thing I did is do drugs every day. And now it's like I'm I have a job, I have responsibilities at work at home. Back then I didn't like I didn't worry about paying have responsibilities at work at home. Back then I didn't Like I didn't worry about paying rent, paying bills, anything I had to do with bills, or anything.
Speaker 2:Now I can actually provide for my family. I actually pay child support. It feels actually good. I help my mom. Like my mom, if she needs help, she'll call me. She'll tell me hey, you think you can let me borrow some money so I can pay this. I'm like, yeah, of course. So it feels good being able to provide from uh to my family. Anybody that asks me hey, you think you can let me use some money. It's like it feels good to be able to help someone.
Speaker 2:Um, now it's like I have a good job, I have responsibilities at my work, I accomplish things, and it feels good. Back then it was just like I didn't even think about it. Now it's like I wake up happy that I have a job, that my family is happy, brothers and sisters are happy for me that I'm doing good, that I have a job and I'm gonna keep doing what I'm doing, and it's hopefully in five or let or three years, I don't know uh, get my own house or something, be able to get a house for my mom, my sister, and it just feels good being able to think like that. Cause back then I that didn't even cross my mind at all and I was like I'm thinking about my, the goals, uh, that I have been like going forward right now in my life, and it just feels good.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. That's awesome. So, um, the just for the audience, javier really embodies our culture here, and our culture is the way that he interacts with people I mean, he's always smiling and his appetite to get better and to educate himself on something like painting. That was a struggle there for a while, but Javier would come and tell me hey, I was watching these videos, I was doing this. I called this guy to get some information and just really took ownership over becoming what he has the ability to do now and that's, you know, getting pretty close to being perfect on painting, and so that embodies our culture here. And somebody that that may not have been able to meet our requirements on day one, but you fast forward a couple of weeks or a couple of months and then he's, he's climbing that ladder to to meet that and, um, so that's just awesome.
Speaker 1:I wanted the audience to hear that. I want to. I want to talk about what. What are some things that, um, you had to overcome and how did you overcome them? Drug addiction you know that kind of deal, and how did you, how did you overcome it, being in prison and all that?
Speaker 2:how did you overcome it, being in prison and all that going to prison? Uh, that was my first time going to prison, because I've done rehab and uh, for some people it actually does help. Uh, for me, I don't know why, it didn't. Um, I went to rehab for like seven months and, uh, probably like less than a month I went back to using drugs and this time I went to prison, not even for a long time, but still it's like that experience, that, or just when I was in county just thinking about you know what damn, like I'm getting sentenced to go to prison. So it's like that just changed everything.
Speaker 2:And when I actually hit prison, it was like I like just looking at everything that was that was going on. So it was. It's like this is for real, this is, this is happening. So that right there it changed my life. Like, um, like when I got out, it's like I don't know, I just started thinking differently, got a job.
Speaker 2:Oh so when I got out of prison, I went to this place called Casa Grande. That place is amazing. It's like it's an amazing place. It helps you out a lot. So they help you get a job, they help you get your ID, everything back together Everything your social, everything, things that I didn't have, like when I was like on drugs I didn't even have my ID, my social, everything was lost.
Speaker 2:Everything in my life was lost. Now it's like, yeah, that place right there helped me out. They helped me with this job that I have right now, this container post Amazing place. So, yeah, casa Grande was an experience that changed my life and yeah, so that place right there got me to where I'm at right now, and now it's like I'm always busy. I always have something to do. So that right there, like it, helps me out not to think about negative things or having to use drugs or think the way I, not to think about negative things or having to use, go use drugs or think the way you think now is like I think about just work. Once I get to work, I'm just thinking about what am I gonna do, or or what do I have to do today, or make sure this gets done.
Speaker 1:That's the only thing that's going through my mind and it just feels good awesome, yeah, and it's really encouraging to watch as well, because, just for the audience he was, I hired him when you were still in prison. That was the Casa Grande that you were in, and then you know there's always that concern with everybody whenever we get out. You know it's like okay, you know we get hit with the real world and Javier adapted really really well. And you know I get hit with the real world and Javier adapted really really well and you know it's I think it's awesome.
Speaker 1:Um, we, as business people, um have an opportunity to um collaborate with people like Javier to a lot of times. We just need a little bit of structure, you know, and then you take that to a whole nother level, you know, and take it to where you're at now and, um, structure is a is the very thing that can provide that freedom that somebody is in search for, is in need of, and it provides those goals to where they can start to climb those ranks and accomplish those goals. And when you get ID, when you get social, when you get all of those things, you start, you know, building up that confidence and through that confidence, you're able to have motivation to do more things and to continue to climb those ranks. Last question is what are you most excited for going forward, and it can be 10 things.
Speaker 2:I don't know. I just think like everything that's going on right now is like like I actually do think about it. I do. I'm like, wow, so if it's going this good for me, this is good, like, even though I don't have a, I live with my mom, I help her on everything. But it's just having to think that, okay, I have a job, I'm paying rent, I have income, income coming in, so it just feels good. It's like.
Speaker 2:But now, thinking about what's going, what's going to happen in five, ten years, that question, like, is this? It's very strong. It's like just thinking about what am I gonna, where am I gonna be in five, ten years? You know? So it's like, well, I really want in those like when, like you're saving, I'm gonna save money up and just try to get a place, that's where, that's where I see myself how to get in a place, and then just, uh, working myself, like I'm, like I've seen myself before and right now, where I'm at right now, I just I'm like I'm, that's the only thing I think about. It's like okay, so if I'm doing this good, imagine in five years, damn, like, yeah, yeah, so that's oh, yeah, I literally do think about all that. Yeah, like not having a house, but at the same time, yes, but then just myself, like that's where I'm like, okay, you don't get nervous talking in life, I don't know, it just changes myself. That's where I'm Just excited to see Myself. Yeah, where you'll be at in five years from now.
Speaker 1:I love it, man. That's where I'm at right. I think you'll, because you touched on a couple of things. You know it's like get into a house, you know, and just get into, get into somewhere. I think that's a big goal of yours as well. Also, you know, you mentioned a child support earlier, you know, and kind of working through that as well. Um, those are, those are at least some things I'm super excited about as well. Um, those are, those are at least some things I'm super excited about as well. And or, um, um, javier is a part of our um.
Speaker 1:We're at the very beginning stages of our DCAT program, to where we come alongside Javier and other other guys that I have as well that are giving a blueprint of how you're going to accomplish every single one of those goals, and so, um, I can't wait to see in five to 10 years Also, it's really cool to accomplish every single one of those goals, and so I can't wait to see you in five to 10 years also, it's really cool to see after a couple of years and to see where you're at, and where you're at now. It's very encouraging. I think you're going to accomplish those goals. I think it's going to happen, probably quicker than five to 10 years, for sure, 10 years. I think that we get on a what what I would call is a roadmap, um, and a goal plan, and then we just start pursuing that day after day after day, um.
Speaker 1:So just some encouragement, javier, man keep doing what you're doing, but don't ever allow yourself to get stagnant. You know, always be analyzing at what can I do different now, you know, like maybe I'm just going to make up stuff right or throw stuff out there. Maybe now I want to start exercising, I want to start eating different, and in order to do that, I need to wake up a little bit earlier. You know, I want to start reading or educating on something, or maybe learning a new skill within leadership or something like that, all while working on a budget and working towards the goal of what it's going to take to get into the house and to get, you know, with the child support and all of that kind of stuff. So, very encouraged by that, javier, can't wait to see where you're at. And you know, I got your back, man, thank you, thanks. Cool, awesome. Well, thank you, javier. Yeah, thank you.