Brant Choate

Thanks to the generosity of Lee Nobmann, Carole and I were able to start making a meaningful impact on society while I was still serving my sentence. Lee’s financial sponsorship allowed us to publish several books, which we distributed, free of charge, to people in prison—many of them in juvenile facilities. Those books planted seeds, but at the time, I had no way of knowing how far their influence would spread.

After my release from prison in 2012, I focused on building a career. Technology, especially LinkedIn, became a critical tool. Through LinkedIn, I could find people with shared interests and connect with them in ways that would have been unimaginable just a few years earlier. One of those connections turned out to be Dr. Brant Choate.

Dr. Choate was leading the Rehabilitation Services Division for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department when I came across his profile. Though I didn’t know him personally, LinkedIn gave me the opportunity to send him an unsolicited introductory message. I was surprised—and encouraged—when he replied. Even more surprising was what he shared: Brant already knew about my work.

Before his role in Los Angeles, Brant had led educational training for adolescent services in Orange County. He explained that many students in his facility had brought my books to their classes. What I saw as simple acts of contribution—writing books and distributing them to incarcerated individuals—had created ripples far beyond what I could have imagined.

That interaction with Brant exemplified a fundamental truth I’ve come to live by: every decision we make today lays the foundation for opportunities that may come weeks, years, or even decades later. At the time, I had no idea who might be influenced by my work. I only knew that I wanted to create a record of value. That record became the bridge to countless opportunities after my release.

Brant later transitioned to the role of Director of Rehabilitation for the California Department of Corrections. True to his commitment to rehabilitation, he introduced me to others within the system. Ultimately, the agency brought programs from Prison Professors into every state prison in California. Through this collaboration, we’ve influenced the lives of more than one million people.

This trajectory of progress highlights how interconnected our choices can be. Consider this chain of events:

1. If I had not read the Bible while in solitary confinement, I would not have read the Parable of Talents, which inspired me to work hard.
2. If Officer Wilson had not believed in my potential for redemption, he would not have introduced me to Socrates and Frederick Douglass.
3. If I had not learned from leaders, I would not have invested thousands of hours developing skills and learning to write.
4. If I had not learned to write, I would not have inspired a student to research more about me.
5. If that student had not reached out to my high school, I would not have reconnected with Carole and married her inside a prison’s visiting room.
6. If I had not married Carole, I would not have launched a publishing company from prison.
7. If I had not launched a publishing company, Lee Nobmann would not have sponsored my work and allowed me to send books to people in prison.
8. If I had not sent books to prisons, I would not have opened a relationship with Brant Choate.
9. If I had not met Brant Choate, our nonprofit would not have reached over one million people

Each step, seemingly small or isolated at the time, contributed to the larger tapestry of progress. Every decision builds momentum, often in ways we can’t foresee. It’s a powerful reminder that no effort is wasted when aligned with a clear vision and purpose.

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