Life After Prison: Change Your Mindset To Change Everything

Imagine if you were in a gang and ended up spending 17 years in prison.  What would you do when you got out?  What would your life after prison look like?  DJ Verrett was there before. His advice is that you have to change your mindset.  Additionally, you have to change everything.

Change is hard. Changing everything about yourself is even harder. Nonetheless, it is important for growth. The guest this week makes hard change look easy. He is the true against all odds story.

The Against All Odds Radio Show Presents:

How Crip Gang Member Became A Sons Of Anarchy Actor After 17 Years In Prison

In this episode, Sean V Bradley, CSP and L.A. Williams dive deep into change.  Of course change is necessary, but how you change is just as important.  Today, they sit down with DJ Verrett.  DJ was a crip gang member who spent 17 years in prison.  Despite this, he changed everything and became a Sons of Anarchy actor.

About DJ Verrett & His Life After Prison

Once upon a time, DJ Verrett went by many “terms”.  Gang banger, troubled, and convict were just a few of them. Rightfully so, as he was a Crip gang member.  This was a result of his environment, as well as the choices he made.

However, Verrett had an epiphany that changed his life. Verrett made his past his greatest asset. He worked on his mental health and found “freedom within”. Against all odds, he surpassed those labels and built a life to be proud of. 

Today, DJ is many things.  He is an author with his book An Inside Job.  Additionally, he is an actor with several roles, including the television show Sons of Anachary.  Lastly, he is a Motivational Speaker, Clinical Supervisor and Mentor. 

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Life After Prison: Change Your Mindset To Change Everything

Life Before Prison

Verrett grew up in California with his mother and younger sister. The Crips were the gang associated with his neighborhood. From the age of 12, he was enticed by it. “It was the lifestyle. I was looking for. Acceptance, companionship, and understanding.” Referring to the Crips as a fraternity, it offered him all of those things and more.

DJ didn’t join the Crips to get into trouble.  “Nobody joins the fraternity looking to wreak havoc.  It’s when you add other things that it can sometimes become nefarious”, Verrett told the host. Additionally, Verrett explains that the “other things” are the warring of different fraternities. Gangs have evolved.  From protecting your neighborhood to then holding it hostage, gangs have changed.

Hustle, Grind or Starve

Verrett made it very clear that he chose this life for himself.  He doesn’t blame anyone else. However, he explains that many factors led him there. From a young age, his mother emphasized that he was going to be the man of the house. Verrett grew up without a father or a positive male role model.  He didn’t understand what that meant.  

Eventually the fraternity took him in.  They offered him a way to provide for his family. Finally, he saw a way to become the man of the house. When you come from a low-income area, there are not many other options. If you aren’t good at basketball or rapping, hustling is the last option left to you.

Turning Point

Over time, the Crips developed DJ to the point where he began leading them. Then, in February of 1990, Verrett’s life would change forever. Three of Verrett’s fellow gang members were caught by federal agents with cocaine in their possession. 

They revealed that Verrett had given it to them. As a result, their testimony put Verrett on the hot set.  He was put on trial at the age of 19 years old. At such a young age, Verrett was also put on the spot.  He had 60 seconds to decide if he was to plead guilty to a 20-year prison sentence or not.

Verrett didn’t know what to do.  The prosecutor was literally counting down the seconds.  DJ knew that the deck was not in his favor. So, he pleaded guilty.  At the age of 19 years old, DJ received a prison sentence for more years than he had been alive.

Words For People In This Lifestyle

DJ wasn’t prepared for the risks associated with the gang life.  Gangs don’t warn or prepare new members for the potential consequences.  More importantly, they don’t prepare anyone for the potential of going to prison. 

With that in mind, DJ doesn’t blame anyone but himself.  He takes full responsibility for his actions. In an effort to help the current generation, DJ tries to deter the youth from joining the “fraternity”.  He shares his experiences and the risks of the lifestyle to help them.

Life During Prison

The Beginning

At the start of his sentence, DJ was bitter.  Realizing everything he learned was a lie, he was angry at everyone. He felt that he “gave his life and will” to the fraternity.  He thought they had his best interest in mind.  However, at the end of the day, they didn’t.

The Turning Point: Change Your Mindset to Change Everything

16 years into his sentence, DJ had an epiphany. While intoxicated, a friend stated that he couldn’t live like that anymore. Additionally, others mentioned that he had always been that way. This is the moment that turned his life around. 

DJ looked in the mirror and heard a voice say “freedom is on the inside”. That was the catalyst.  It was his turning point. He realized there was only one thing that he needed to change.  Everything!  He needed to change everything!

“What drives me is to be the point of reference for anybody who has been to prison or is in a prison of their own making, which is between their ears.” DeJuan DJ Verrett

Life After Prison

Life After Prison: Sons of Anarchy

DJ’s life after prison is the true against all odds story.  He was walking on the street when a couple walked up to him.  They said they liked his look and would be perfect in their TV show. 

Confused, DJ questioned what they meant.  He nearly hit the floor laughing when they said the part was a convict. The rest was history, and DJ joined the cast of Sons of Anarchy.

On set, they asked his opinion on the accuracy of the scenes. After giving them advice, he eventually had to realistically act things out. For this reason they utilized his advice for many scenes.  

DJ appreciated that they valued his opinion.  He enjoyed being involved in the process of writing, acting, and consulting. 

Life After Prison: Change Your Mindset: Giving Back

Despite his success in the entertainment industry, he felt the call to go back to prison.  But, this time it would be different.  He wanted to go back on his own terms to help others. This was his second epiphany.

DJ followed this calling and went back to school. Eventually, he was hired as the clinic supervisor.  In this role, he would help prisoners.  He preached to them his “change your mindset” mentality.  Additionally, he taught them that they had to change everything. 

Life After Prison: Facing The Past

Verrett eventually ran into one of his former gang members.  It was the man who taught him how to deal.  Additionally, it was the person who put him away. The last time DJ saw him, it was testimony at his trial.  

DJ never thought this would happen. However, DJ followed his new path and said, “I have only one thing to say to you.  I’m sorry”. Verrett apologized for giving him something he couldn’t handle.  He apologized for assisting in his life going down this path.

Confused, DJ’s former gang member broke into tears.  “You are apologizing to me” he questioned.  “After what I did to you?” 

Verrett replied, “It’s not what you did to me, it’s what you did for me.   Look where I am today.” Without him, Verrett completely changed his thinking.  He understood that his time in prison led to this change. Lastly, he understood that that anger didn’t serve him to hold on to.

More About The Against All Odds Radio Show’s Hosts and Guests

Sean V Bradley | L.A. Williams | DJ Verrett

Life After Prison Resources

Dealer Synergy & Bradley On Demand: The automotive industry’s #1 training, tracking, testing, and certification platform and consulting & accountability firm.

The Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast: is the #1 resource for automotive sales professionals, managers, and owners.  Also, join The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group today!

The Against All Odds Radio Show: Hosting guests that have started from the bottom and rose to the top.  Also, join The Against All Odds Radio Show Guests & Listeners Facebook Group for the podcasted episodes.

For more interactivity, join The Millionaire Car Salesman Club on Clubhouse.

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Last Week’s Episode of The Against All Odds Radio Show

Last week, Sean V. Bradley, CSP and L.A. Williams discussed training.  Additionally, they touched on development, both personally and professionally.  In order to succeed, everyone must constantly train.

Joining them were two veterans of the United States Military.  The first guest was Sean Matson, a Navy SEAL officer turned Multi-Millionaire entrepreneur.  Also joining them was Joe Kalitz, an Airborne Infantryman and now the Director of Operations at Dealer Synergy. 

They talked about how life or death training and development can be. Not only as a Navy SEAL or paratrooper, but also as an entrepreneur and business professional. Additionally, they spoke about proper escalation of training. Lastly, Sean Matson spoke about how he became a multi-millionaire entrepreneur.

The Against All Odds Radio Show Podcast

The Against All Odds Radio Show broadcasts live every weekend and is podcasted every Monday.  Click Here for markets and times.  So, be sure to tune in next week. Also, check out all of the previous episodes of the The Against All Odds Radio Show.

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