Progress, Purpose, & Prayer with Mel Burgess

How can you avoid becoming a statistic after incarceration? How do you go about succeeding in life and business when you come out with nothing but the clothes on your back? Finding (or creating) your family and building a resilient character on the bedrock of health and wellness are among the must-dos you need in order to discover your purpose beyond those prison walls.

In this episode of the Prosperity after Prison Podcast, we have Mel Burgess, a successful fitness entrepreneur who was incarcerated for 11 years at the age of 17 in the late 1990s. He is the CEO of Pangaea Wellness & Development, which offers a myriad of programs that promote holistic fitness.

After being released from prison in 2008, Mel started New U Fitness before establishing Pangaea two years later. Today, alongside his general clientele, Mel has been putting much of his focus on corporate wellness and genetics programs.

Listen in to learn how to develop the mindset of an over-comer and achieve true happiness through progress, purpose, and prayer. You will also learn the importance of shedding victim mentality and in its place develop a solution-oriented approach to life built on a foundation of physical and mental health.

In this episode you will learn:

• [1:28] Mel shares the moment his life was forever changed at the age of 17.
• [2:44] Why Mel says, “I want to inspire, to show people that they can overcome hardship.
• [3:57] Mel’s state of mind when he was sentenced to 11 years in prison at 17.
• [5:40] Mel’s 3 Ps.
• [6:53] Faith as a foundation of growth.
• [9:02] Owning up to your mistakes.
• [12:14] How time in prison changed Mel as a man.
• [18:04] What Mel would tell his 17-year-old self today.
• [20:12] How to not become a “statistic” out of prison.
• [23:56] The importance of mental toughness.
• [26:57] What to do when you come out of prison with nothing but the clothes on your back.
• [29:32] Mel’s vision as a fitness business owner.
• [35:50] Promoting physical and mental health in prison.
• [38:25] Mel breaks down a couple of his most provocative sayings

Standout Quotes:

• “How you overcome hardships dictates character to me. No matter whether you go to Harvard or to prison, what you perceive and do after that is more important.”- Mel [2:45]
• “Prison’s like heat. It’s going to melt you, it’s going to burn you, or it’s going to make you like steel. The more heat that gets put on you is going to test where you’re at. It’s going to test your character; it’s going to test your manhood; it’s going to test your faith.”- Mel [17:37]
• “If you don’t have family, you’ve got to create your family.”- Mel [24:01]
• “If you overcome the things that are holding you back in prison, then you’re better prepared when you leave prison. If not, then you’re going to become a victim, and you’ll have a victim mentality. That’s the number one killer of any dream..”- Mel [37:43]

Resources Mentioned:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mel-burgess-438b25a7

Be inspired and be bold, this is the Prosperity after Prison podcast.

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