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🗣️ Dr. Kim Nugent is a leadership development expert and author of "From Prison to Possibilities" who created a peer-to-peer mentorship program operating in prisons across multiple states. After receiving an unexpected call in 2018, she began training inmates to become certified mentors for other inmates, creating structured 6-month programs focused on behavioral change, employability skills, and release planning.

In this prison mentorship conversation, Stacey and Mark talk with Dr. Kim about why 68% of released inmates are rearrested within three years (recidivism statistics), how peer-led mentorship in prisons reduces recidivism up to 40%, and why men with life sentences often make the most committed prison mentors. She shares powerful transformation stories, including how facilities with her inmate mentorship program saw rule violations drop dramatically - from 300 per month on average to just 6 violations total over three years among program participants.

Dr. Kim explains the difference between mentors, coaches, and teachers in prison settings, why incarcerated individuals respond better to peer guidance than staff instruction, and how ownership of mentorship programs creates lasting behavioral change. She also discusses the ripple effects of prison reform through mentorship: correctional officers seeing inmates differently after graduations, families noticing behavioral changes in their incarcerated loved ones, and participants developing their own community bylaws and leadership structures within facilities.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 - Prison Recidivism Statistics: The 68% Problem
1:16 - How Dr. Kim Started Prison Mentorship Work
2:24 - What Makes an Effective Mentor in Prison
4:01 - Who Becomes a Prison Mentor
6:09 - Why Life Sentence Inmates Make the Best Mentors
7:23 - What Makes This Prison Program Different 10:19 - Can Outside Volunteers Be Prison Mentors?
14:29 - The 6-Month Inmate Mentorship Program Structure
15:39 - Training Inmates to Become Mentor Trainers 16:35 - Prison Violence Statistics: 98% Rule Violation Drop
17:07 - Seeing Transformation in Incarcerated Individuals
18:18 - When Correctional Officers' Perspectives Changed
19:09 - Behavioral Change: People Do Better When They Know Better

Connect with Dr. Kim Nugent: Book: "From Prison to Possibilities: Paving Your Path Through Peer Mentorship" - Amazon Website: https://DrNugentSpeaks.com

Related Topics: prison mentorship programs, inmate mentors, recidivism reduction, prison reform, behavioral change in prisons, peer mentorship, prisoner rehabilitation, criminal justice reform, reentry programs, incarcerated mentorship, prison violence reduction, life sentence inmates, correctional officer training, second chances, inmate leadership development

📲 Connect with Our Hosts: Stacey: https://www.instagram.com/staceymgrant/ Mark: https://www.instagram.com/mark_lubragge_onair/

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🤔 Brad Beeler protected President George W. Bush as a Secret Service agent. Then he spent 17 years giving more criminal polygraph exams than anyone in Secret Service history - interrogating murderers, bank robbers, child predators

🗣️ He sat across from murderers, bank robbers, child predators, and liars of every kind. And he learned something: catching a liar isn't about reading body language.

It's about asking the RIGHT questions.

Brad gives you 3 questions that reveal liars almost every time. These questions work because of how our brains process lies - and most people have NO idea they're being tested.

Bonus technique: The Tall Tale Trick

Plus how to perfect the World's Perfect Handshake.

And why lying is neurologically HARD to do.

Brad's #1 Communication Rule:
"Be the most interested person in the room. Ask 80% of the questions. Let people teach you about what they love. That's when they let their guard down."

About Brad's Book:
"Tell Me Everything" (February 17, 2026) - Not just about polygraphs or interrogation, it's a communication book. How to get anyone to open up, tell the truth, and connect on a deeper level.

Resources:
Instagram/LinkedIn: @bradbeeler1865
Website: https://bradleybeeler.com/
Book: "Tell Me Everything" (Pre-order available)

Chapters:

[00:00] Cold Open
[01:46] Meet Brad Beeler
[06:30] The World's Perfect Handshake
[09:51] The 3 Questions That Catch Liars
[14:51] Why Lying Is Hard
[16:47] The Tall Tale Trick
[19:30] Why Polygraphs Aren't Admissible
[22:51] "Tell Me Everything" - The Book
[24:23] Be the Most Interested Person
[29:00] High Profile Cases

Connect with Gurus and Game Changers:

🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GurusAndGameChangers

📲 Instagram - Stacey: https://www.instagram.com/staceymgrant/

📲 Instagram - Mark: https://www.instagram.com/mark_lubragge_onair/

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🗣️ In 1978, Dave Raymond became the FIRST person to ever wear the Phillie Phanatic costume. He had no training, no acting experience, and his only direction? "Go have fun. G-rated fun."

For 16 years, he brought joy to millions. He danced with nuns. He handed babies to strangers. He knocked over ground crews. He made the Phanatic an icon.

But behind the mask, his life was falling apart.

When tragedy struck, Dave told the Phillies he had to quit. But during his final appearances, something unexpected happened:

"When I got out of the costume, I felt a tick better."

The Phanatic saved his life.

Key insights:
🗣️ His deaf mom taught him physical comedy - becoming his greatest gift when he needed it most
🗣️ "Go have fun" was his only direction - he made it up as he went
🗣️ The fanatic puts the FUN in funerals - powerful fun works everywhere
🗣️ Philadelphia fans threw snowballs at Santa because "Santa sucked that day"
🗣️ He handed babies to strangers for laughs (yes, really)
🗣️ Vodka + water = the secret to cleaning mascot costumes
🗣️ When you're in crisis, your brain tells you things feel "legitimate" that aren't
🗣️ A 17-year-old girl told him she was thinking about ending her life - after hearing his story, she changed her mind

POWERFUL FUN methodology:
🗣️ F = Force (Fun isn't just for break time - it's a tool everywhere)
🗣️ U = Universal (It works at funerals, hospitals, layoffs - anywhere)
🗣️ N = No (Learning to overcome the "fun killers" who say "don't do that")

🎥 Check out this episode on Youtube for photos and videos of Dave in action! https://youtu.be/fj_mmB4pE0Q?si=rtkAT6AvY32ci9ll

Resources:

Website: DaveRaymondSpeaks.com - https://daveraymondspeaks.com/

Book: "The Power of Fun" - https://daveraymondspeaks.com/the-book/

Chapters:
[00:00] Introduction & Hosts Preview
[02:15] Growing Up with Tubby Raymond
[04:19] Becoming the First Phillie Phanatic
[06:08] Meeting the Muppet People
[07:23] First Day: "Go Have Fun"
[10:18] Creating the Ground Crew Routine
[13:50] Dancing with Nuns from "Nunsense"
[16:10] Why Mascots Matter
[19:24] Vodka Spray Cleaning Trick
[22:34] The Baby Story
[25:13] How His Deaf Mom Taught Him Physical Comedy
[28:18] When Everything Changed
[32:51] How the Phanatic Saved His Life
[37:15] POWERFUL FUN Explained
[45:37] The Girl Who Needed His Story
[47:32] Writing the Book
[50:47] Why Santa Deserved Those Snowballs
[52:35] Outro

Connect with Gurus and Game Changers: 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GurusAndGameChangers 📲 Instagram - Stacey: https://www.instagram.com/staceymgrant/ 📲 Instagram - Mark: https://www.instagram.com/mark_lubragge_onair/

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⚠️ This conversation includes frank discussions about loss, grief, and mental health struggles. If you're struggling, please reach out to someone you trust.