Everyone Deserves A Second Chance

In episode 304 of the Who Ya Know Show, we invite Cheri Garcia. She is the CEO of Cornbread Hustle , a staffing agency for second chances. A company that helps people coming out of prison or people in recovery find meaningful employment.

On the show, Cheri shares her journey since her high school days. She says, "In high school, I decided to try meth and it was appealing to me because I heard it makes you lose weight and stay up late. And it worked till it didn't. Every time I got arrested it was because of an unpaid warrant. It was because of my lifestyle. I have had like a second chance, third chance, fourth chance, I don't know 50 chances. The only thing in my record right now is a misdemeanor DWI that I did get while being the CEO of Cornbread Hustle and that was what really made me finally turn my life around."

Cheri recalls her earlier days. She says, “I did the drugs every single day for two years after I tried them. So I was bringing it to school, I was putting it in my drink, I was smoking meth in the parking lot, all of it. It was really bad."

Talking about her time spent in jail, Cheri says, "My first couple of arrests was before I even tried meth. I just had this thrill of stealing. And the second time I got caught, my parents said you're staying. So I stayed in Juvi over Thanksgiving break. It was worse than anything. It was terrible. Juvie was the worst experience."

Cheri talks about getting rehabilitated from Juvie. According to her, "That juvi experience, I still hold my breath and get scared walking out of any retail store to this day. I will not steal ever again in my life. They made me do some theft therapy or some kind of theft classes. It did work for me. But I found different ways to be rebellious. And it was through drugs and alcohol."

Cheri also talks about her recovery and transformation. She says, "I got the DWI in 2017. I even went back to the police station the next day and had to ask what city my car was in. I was bad off. I could have hurt myself or somebody else big time. I still drank for that entire year telling myself that everybody drinks and drives. In the next couple of months, I had two near DWIs and a couple of people that were close to me were like, you're about to ruin your life. And I read a book called 'Control Alcohol' because that's how bad I wanted to control it. Then I started to go like one month at a time and it felt good. But when the feeling would hit me, I would be like that doesn't feel good. Every time I drank after one month or two months, It was horrible. It wasn't worth it ever."

She further adds, "I said I think I'm gonna stop drinking. And new years eve came along and it was really hard not to drink. And I decided to go to church and I was not a church person. I didn't know at the time what it meant to have the holy spirit hit you but I know that's what happened. Little by little the Lord was speaking to me. I remember falling to my knees and throwing my bible against the wall and just saying, help me."

Talking about corporate America giving a second chance to felons, Cheri says, "A lot of times, somebody who has a felony conviction, will go work for a staffing agency. After that 90 day period, it's time for them to convert and be hired directly. that when they are usually told no, you have a criminal record. And so they then have to go to another staffing agency. And sometimes the employees aren't loyal to the staffing agencies."

Cheri also talks about her company Cornbread Hustle. She says, " At Cornbread Hustle, for every single employer that we work with, based on their criteria of what they will accept, we only place you at a place where you will get a job in 90 days. You will not be turned away because they already know about your background upfront."

On running her company and getting business, Cherry says, "Sometimes the vulnerability of my LinkedIn post will hit a CEO in the heart. And they will reach out to me and say, I have my HR person reaching out to you. So, I haven't had to do a single cold call or knock on a door."

Cheri also talks about supporting people who are trying to turn their life around. According to her, "I do have a 12-week program that I created that they all get for absolutely free and they get a certificate of completion. So they can take it to any job and show. If you're a felony convict and you're watching this right now and you want that certificate of completion, I'll give you a promo code to take the whole course for free. "

??Trevor at 04:15 - We got a very special guest today with us. Sherry Garcia!

??Trevor at 21:32 - I wanna just say that I appreciate your honesty. I love that. So I’m gonna have a mic drop for that.

??Cheri at 23:15 - The only thing on my record right now is a misdemeanor DWI that I did get while being the CEO of Cornbread Hustle and that was what really made me finally? turn my life around.?

??Cheri at 24:12 - God wastes nothing.

??Cheri at 30:16 - I was the wrong person.

??Cheri at 34:13 - A song came on. “Come Alive (Dry Bones).”

??Cheri at 35:38 - I got on LinkedIn and I did a selfie video as the CEO of Cornbread Hustle telling the whole world that I got a breathalyzer in my car and I’m just sharing this with you because I bet there’s other professionals that have a breathalyzer in their car and feel shame, and embarrassed and scared but I’m with you. And if this causes me to have no credibility and not place a single person then that’s just what I deserve.?

??Trevor at 41:10 - I want to ask you a question about Cornbread Hustle. I got to know about the company name. Was it inspired by the movie ‘Life?’

??Cheri at 43:25 - At Cornbread Hustle, for every single employer that we work with, based on their criteria of what they will accept, we only place you at a place where you will get a job in 90 days. You will not be turned away because they already know about your background upfront.?

??Cheri at 45:50 - If you guys have been following me on LinkedIn, you have seen that I have posted several six figure opportunities, some of them being remote.?

??Cheri at 47:12 - We made $100,000 in one month disinfecting.?

??Cheri at 49:35 - Sometimes the vulnerability of my LinkedIn post will hit a CEO in the heart. And they will reach out to me and say, I have my HR person reaching out to you. So, I haven't had to do a single cold call or knock on a door.?

??Cheri at 52:38 - You don’t come to Cornbread Hustle to get a job to fix you. You fix yourself and you get a job.?

??Cheri at 54:22 - She finally said, you know what, there’s a hole in my ceiling and I’m just gonna show it to you. That’s what messing up your life does for you. You get a trailer with a hole in your ceiling. And I was like, you’re hired.?

??Cheri at 56:03 - Snake in the grass.

Coming up Next - 03/09/2022

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Sherry James, PMP has been actively engaged on the speakers’ circuit for well over 10 years. Her presentations have taught audiences next generation leadership, corporate mental health, suicide prevention and leadership development.

Ms. James created the non-profit #2020Lives Changed, Inc to touch 2020 lives by facilitating difficult conversations regarding mental health and suicide prevention.

As the Founder and CXO of Phoenix Speaks, Inc, Sherry James is an online coach, trainer and keynote speaker. What questions o you have for Sherry James?

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