For A Reason Podcast

This is PART 2 of a two part interview with Thomas Cotton. Be sure to listen to the first half of this interview (PART 1) before listening to this section.

ROM STREET HUSTLER TO A LIFE OF PURPOSE.In this powerful episode of For A Reason, host Kenny Tenny sits down with his childhood friend Thomas Cotton for an honest and deeply personal conversation about where he came from, the choices he made, incarceration, faith, redemption, and the purpose he discovered on the other side of his past.Thomas doesn't just talk about his transformation—he has spent nearly 30 years helping others transform their lives and communities.Today, Thomas Cotton is an entrepreneurial polymath, urban missionary, strategist, and innovator whose work brings together lived experience, faith, community development, public health, research, and entrepreneurship.He is the founder of Redemption & Advancement Alliance and Next Level Freedom, LLC, and initiated the New G Movement, an effort focused on transforming gangs and communities from within. He is also the author of New G Mentality, a blueprint for leadership, personal growth, and gang redevelopment.And sometimes, the person who has been furthest from where they need to be can become the person who helps others find their way.---CONNECT WITH THOMAS COTTONLearn more about Thomas Cotton and his work:https://www.newgmovement.comhttps://nextlevelfreedom.netThe New G Mentality book on Amazon CLICK HERE#ForAReasonPodcast #ThomasCotton #Redemption #Faith #Jesus #Transformation #SecondChances #Purpose #PrisonReform #CommunityTransformation #NewGMentality

This is the second half of my interview with Hollywood writer and educator Stacie Craig. Listen to PART 1 first.

What happens when the person who helped shape your identity is suddenly gone—and you have to figure out who you are without them?In the Season 2 premiere of the For a Reason Podcast, we welcome back writer, storyteller, teacher, and lifelong creative Stacie Craig for a deeply personal conversation about life, loss, identity, and finding your way back to yourself.Stacie was born to write. Literally.Her first novel, All About Stacie, was written at age six. By seven, she had written, directed, and starred in her own play, Magic Shoes. Years later, after earning an MFA in playwriting from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Stacie returned to Los Angeles with dreams of breaking into television.She worked throughout Hollywood, gaining experience in casting, art, production, and writers' rooms while pursuing the one position she never quite landed: staff writer.Then life changed.After becoming a mother, Stacie stepped away from Hollywood and became a public school teacher in South Central Los Angeles. But the writer in her never disappeared. Between lesson plans, family responsibilities, and everyday life, she continued creating stories and developing original television projects.In this episode, however, the conversation goes far beyond Hollywood.Stacie opens up about losing her mother to cancer, the impact that loss had on her life, and what it took to begin finding herself again. We explore what happens when grief changes your sense of identity, how life can pull us away from the things that once made us feel alive, and what it means to reconnect with the person you were always meant to become.We also dive into Stacie's passion for writing for Hollywood and her determination to tell stories that combine sharp humor with genuine emotion. She shares what she has been creating, including original pilots such as Straight A+Holes, Super Single, and My Boyfriend's a Vampire, and why storytelling remains such an important part of who she is.This is a conversation about grief—but it isn't defined by grief.It's about rediscovery.It's about identity.It's about pursuing the things that still matter when life doesn't go according to plan.And ultimately, it's about asking a question that may resonate with all of us:When life changes you, can you find your way back to yourself?Welcome back to For a Reason.🎙️ Guest: Stacie Craig🎬 Season 2, Episode 1 — Welcome BackIf this conversation speaks to you, share it with someone who may need to hear it.#ForAReasonPodcast #StacieCraig #Podcast #Hollywood #Screenwriting #Writing #Grief #Loss #Identity #Resilience #FindingYourself #Storytelling #Writers #LosAngeles

At 55 years old, Ron Mukai is still standing—by the grace of God! A devoted husband, father, attorney, broker, real estate developer, and entrepreneur, Ron’s true passion lies in building character through jiu-jitsu. In this episode, he shares his incredible journey of faith, resilience, and service—from starting jiu-jitsu at 39 to earning his black belt, founding multiple academies (including the nonprofit East LA Jiu Jitsu), and mentoring the next generation on and off the mats.   With deep roots in East LA, Ron blends the principles of faith, humility, perseverance, and self-control into both his martial arts philosophy and his Christian walk. Tune in as he discusses the parallels between jiu-jitsu and spiritual growth, his commitment to serving underserved communities, and why he believes “today is the best day of my life.”   Learn more about East LA Jiu Jitsu at www.eastlajiujitsu.org.