A Preview of Earning Freedom with Michael Santos

A summary of things you should know about Earning Freedom according to Michael Santos:

Introduction

In this episode Michael Santos takes a deep dive into his book, Earning Freedom, where he shares his incredible journey from a 25 year prison inmate to super successful business man.

In his book Santos discusses the day he was arrested to the day he left prison and highlights the lessons he learned along the way that allowed him to build his bank account to $100,000 behind bars. The goal of the book is to help you build yourself upon the influences Michael Santos embarked upon, find your inner motivation to start increasing your value, and learn how to use your resources effectively.

This book is perfect for aspiring entrepreneurs who have a desire to become very successful in a niche but lack the motivation or inspiration to start making moves towards a goal.

The Book’s Unique Quality (4:49)

The difference is it’s the very personal nature. This is truly a memoir in the sense that I am expressing and helping the reader see what was going through my mind when I was in my early twenties and facing this monstrous sentence. What’s different about this book is that it shows how I was able to sustain a high level of energy and discipline as those days turned into weeks, those weeks turned into months, the months turned into years, and the years turned into decades.

The Best Way To Engage (6:22)

This is a personal memoir that is divided into three sections the first being I Came, second is I Saw, and lastly I conquered. The book would not make sense if the reader jumped around so I suggest reading it straight through.

The Reader’s Takeaway (14:12)

It’s that hope is what unites us all as human beings. It’s that as long as we have hope of something better we can make it through anything.

A Deep Dive Into The Book (9:01)

In the beginning of the book I define what it was that made it different for me. The first thing I had to do is define my values and if I don’t define that then the world is going to define me by the bad decisions I made when I was 20. For me those value categories began with making a commitment to education because I was projecting myself into the future of connecting with law-abiding leaders. These leaders became my avatar and role models and would expect me to educate myself.

Second these leaders would expect me to contribute to society because if I was contributing to society I would demonstrate that I don’t want to be a criminal but rather a good citizen.

And thirdly these leaders would expect me to build a support network because if I could get strong leaders to believe in me it might be easier for them to believe in me. Once I had my values it was about setting these clear goals that would define what it meant to educate myself, contribute to society, and to build a support network. To me educating myself meant I needed to get a degree. Contributing to society was to live a life of meaning and the reader will see that and be able to transfer those concepts to his or her own life. And building a support network was about finding 10 people that I didn’t know and who don’t know who I am and persuade them to believe in me.

The end result that the reader will get out of the book is that regardless of what challenges you face in life, there is always a path through. And that path begins by professing the values which you choose to live.

NOTE: That was just a summary. To get the full deep dive, play the audio clip at 09:01

Notable Quotes From The Book (15:23)

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” – Gandhi

The Credibility/Inspiration Of The Author (1:14)

I made some really bad decisions as a young man when I was 22 years old. I saw the movie Scar Face and thought that that would be a fun way to live. I moved to Miami began trafficking and using cocaine and for the next eighteen months I was living that very fast and reckless life. I was arrested on August 11, 1987 when I was 23 years old and I proceeded to spend the next 9,500 days in federal prison which is a total of 26 years and one day. While I was incarcerated I spend every day working to reconcile with society, to build a support network, and to come back as a law-abiding contributing citizen. I have now been back in society for about 18 months and currently working really hard to inspire other people in showing them that we are all on a journey and we should look at the challenges that come our way and figure out strategies to overcome them.

The story is about going through a 45 year prison sentence but the inspiration is that we all as human beings face struggle and challenges. The context of my story may be about prison and overcoming it but the reality is that I’ve met many people in society who live in a much bigger prison than I ever did. I felt that if I could just share the strategies that empowered me through the time I served in prison people would be able to see those same strategies to could help them in their personal struggles. All of these strategies are none that I’ve created, they are strategies that I’ve learn from leaders and masterminds and I wanted to share those lessons with other people through the context of my own journey.

Other Books Recommended By The Author (17:32)

What Got You Here Won’t Get Your There by Marshall Goldsmith

More Information About This Book and The Author

Buy Earning Freedom by Michael Santos on Amazon today
Visit MichaelSantos.com to learn more about Michael and his books
Follow Michael Santos on Facebook and Twitter

More Information About This Episode

Download the full transcript here (coming soon)
Listen on iTunes, Stitcher , and SoundCloud

What did you like and not like about this episode? Fill out this one minute survey here.

What do you think about Michael Santos’s book, Earning Freedom? Share your review in the comments below:

Share this

Wade Danielson

Wade is a 4-time serial entrepreneur and is the Founder/Host of The Entrepreneurs Library. With a long time passion for reading books, Wade created an online resource and podcast for entrepreneurs who love to read personal and business development books. His long-term goal in life is to start an entrepreneurial home schooling program for children of business-minded families.