About Compassionate Financial Counseling

In 2024, I made a decision I deeply regret. I pleaded guilty to two cannabis-DUI-related felony charges, accepted full personal responsibility, and served two years in state prison. I won’t minimize what I did or the consequences it carried. What I will tell you is what happened inside those walls.

I came into prison as a white-collar professional—a CPA, a veteran, and someone who had built a stable, accomplished life. On paper, I had little in common with many of the men around me. But I made a choice early on to be open about who I was, where I came from, and — just as importantly — where I started. I didn’t come from money. I left home with the clothes on my back and my driver’s license. Everything I built came from disciplined work and a habit I’ve kept my whole life: maintaining a running mental outline of my short- and long-term goals, always adjusting, never abandoning.

Once my fellow inmates understood that, something shifted. I became a resource. I started teaching finance and tax strategies informally — answering questions from the men inside and from their families on the outside. I watched people who had never had anyone explain money to them start to understand it, and I watched that understanding change how they thought about their futures.

That’s when I knew this wasn’t something I was doing to pass the time. This was my calling. Compassionate Financial Counseling exists because of everything I’ve been through—not in spite of it.