Starting Over with Branden Terrell: Episode 1
Welcome to The Drumbeat of Life podcast, where your always curious host, DonJay Rice, speaks with a wide variety of servant leaders to uncover the drumbeat of their lives.
A drumbeat is what keeps someone motivated, keeps their joy alive, and refills their cup every day. Drumbeats can be found through our highest highs or our lowest lows. Through this podcast, you and I will learn how to implement these drumbeats to better our own lives and relationships.
This week’s guest is Branden Terrell. Most people have never heard of Branden – and if you have, what you’ve heard may be shocking. Until recently (September 2022, to be exact), Branden was incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison for an extremely serious offense. During his ten years and seven months in prison, he underwent a major personal and spiritual transformation and now strives to help others do the same.
In this episode, Branden and I discuss healthy ways to approach new beginnings. He shares his hopes, anxieties, and challenges when he had to restart his life after ten years of incarceration, and what you can take from that and apply to your own restarts. Whether it’s a new job, moving to a new city, or rebuilding after a loss, there’s something each of us can learn from Branden.
Branden’s Bio
In 2012, Branden was sentenced to 15 years in prison where he would have to face and overcome the trauma and mistakes of his past. During an almost year-long stint in solitary confinement he would have his life forever changed for the better.
The last 7 years of his incarceration were spent at San Quentin State Prison where he was able to transform his life through completing multiple in-depth self-help/transformational classes, while creating a handful of innovative programs. A couple of Branden’s most meaningful programs were “Coaching 4 Life”, a program designed to better equip youth coaches in teaching authentic masculinity through the context of sports with young athletes and men.
Branden also co-created ForwardThis Productions, an incarcerated-ran film program that specializes in short videos that humanize the incarcerated while helping restore public safety and reduce mass-incarceration. It was this program that allowed Branden to tap into his storytelling passion and help produce the “Dream Chaser” documentary that is currently making a festival run.
Branden’s Book Recommendations
- H3 Leadership by Brad Lomenick
- Undistracted by Bob Goff
- It Didn’t Start With You by Mark Wolynn
- Blitzscaling by Chris Yeh and Reid Hoffman
Helpful Links
Branden
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandenterrellcoaching/
Website: https://brandenterrell.com/
The Incarcerated-Ran Film Company Branden Helped Found: https://forwardthisproductions.org/
DonJay
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donjayrice/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@donjayrice
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/DonJay-Rice-Author-Speaker/100087519799104/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRZdfT3yeJhjCnSYNkXFV3g?app=desktop
