Nightmare Success In and Out

What happens if your worst fear becomes your reality? Brent Cassity was a successful CEO working in a family business that grew to a national company that was recognized by the media of being the pioneers in their industry. Brent had it all and lost it all. He found himself standing at the gates of Leavenworth Prison to serve a 5 year sentence. Brent’s podcast explores the stories of inmates who were in and now out of prison. What was life like before they went in, life inside prison, and life now that they are back home. These conversations are deep, sad. often funny, but always interesting.

Latest Episodes:

"Alive Again: The Andreea Parc Redemption Story" May 29, 2025

Show notes

Andreea Parc was living what many would call the American Dream—a successful New York attorney with a thriving practice. But that dream unraveled when her law firm was raided for immigration fraud. Convicted and sent to prison, Andreea lost everything—except her will to transform.

In this raw and inspiring episode, she shares her journey from courtroom success to courtroom defendant, from prison walls to personal breakthrough. Now a mindset coach and author of Alive Again, Andreea opens up about shame, resilience, and the power of starting over. This is not just a story of crime and consequence—it’s about redemption, reinvention, and reclaiming your life.

Tune in to hear how Andreea Parc turned her lowest moment into her greatest calling.

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The Bookie behind the Shohei Ohtani story: Mindset is Mathew Bowyer’s Superpower May 22, 2025

Show notes

Do you remember the sport story that captivated the nation about LA Dodgers Shohei Ohtani who's business manager and interpreter was illegally gambling millions of Ohtani's money? In this episode of the Nightmare Success podcast, host Brent Cassity interviews Mathew Bowyer, who was the bookie who ran the largest exclusive illegal sports book in the nation to the rich and famous. Matt shares his journey from a challenging childhood marked by family struggles and a gambling addiction to creating the largest illegal sports betting business in the nation. Matthew was indicted last year and decided to take a path that almost no one takes while under indictment. He decided to start an Instagram account for people to follow his story while he is living through a personal storm. The Instagram @mathewbowyer5 account now has over 85,000 followers in six months. Is this a new way to handle an indictment crisis? He is definitely showing resilience and courage. His sentencing is October of 2025. The conversation delves into themes of resilience, personal growth, and owning your story. He discusses the moral dilemmas he faced in commodity trading, the thrill and addiction of gambling, and the consequences of his choices, including the FBI raid with his son in the car that changed his life. Mathew reflects on the emptiness that accompanied his financial success and the importance of recalibrating his life moving forward. He shares the challenges of facing public scrutiny and the decision to share his story through social media and a forthcoming book Recalibrated and a documentary. His experiences serve as a reminder that while life can be challenging, it is possible to emerge stronger and help others along the way. When he has this crisis behind him, he plans to mentor major league baseball players and NFL players how to avoid the addiction of gambling that created his nightmare.

"My Life is Over" but it wasn't: The Tanya Pierce Story May 15, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Nightmare Success, host Brent Cassity speaks with Tanya Pierce, who shares her harrowing journey from a successful real estate career to facing federal indictment and imprisonment. Tanya discusses her early life, the shock of her indictment, the challenges of her trial, and the emotional turmoil of receiving a guilty verdict. She reflects on her experiences in federal prison and the lessons learned about resilience and personal growth. In this conversation, Tanya Pierce shares her transformative journey through prison and reentry, highlighting her adaptation to life in prison, the challenges of reentry, and her advocacy for restitution reform. She discusses her emotional toll of watching life go on outside while incarcerated. Tanya also emphasizes the need for community support and the creation of her nonprofit, Life Unbolted, aimed at helping those impacted by federal convictions. Tanya is now a first year law school student who's journey is driven by a desire to address injustices in the restitution system, advocating for policy changes in the criminal legal system.

Does Personal Growth come from Adversity? The Tyler Foster Story May 08, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Nightmare Success, host Brent Cassity speaks with Tyler Foster, a young 22 year old man who faced his worst fears as a teenager and transformed his life after a traumatic encounter with the criminal justice system and prison time. HIs experience ignited his passion for criminal legal reform. Tyler chose to lead with his story and not hide from it. It is the main reason why he was accepted into law school with a full tuition scholarship.. Tyler shares his journey from a challenging childhood to becoming a go to "jailhouse attorney" to being accepted in Law School, advocating for criminal legal reform. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Formerly Incarcerated College Graduates Network helping to enhance educational and employment opportunities for the formerly incarcerated individuals. He discusses the importance of resilience, the impact of his experiences on his career aspirations, and the lessons learned along the way.

New York Prosecutor Serves Prison Time: The Tara Lenich Story May 01, 2025

Show notes

Imagine if you were a well known New York Prosecutor and you found yourself as an inmate in a Federal Prison. How does one make that situation work? In this episode of Nightmare Success, host Brent Cassity interviews Tara Lenich, a former New York prosecutor who faced her worst fears when she was arrested for forging a signature of a judge for a wiretap that resulted in spending time in a federal prison. Tara shares her journey from a successful career in law to navigating the complexities of the legal system as a defendant. The conversation explores themes of pressure, resilience, and the importance of asking for help during challenging times. Tara's story serves as an inspiration for those facing their own nightmares, emphasizing the need for support and understanding in difficult situations. In this conversation, Tara Lenich shares her experiences of entering and navigating life in prison as prosecutor, the importance of building new relationships, and the hard challenges of reentry into society. Tara also discusses her new company, Liberty Advisors, that helps people walk through the journey of being indicted, mitigation strategies, the court process, prison, and helpful steps for reentry. If you are in need of these services go to libertyadvisorsllc.com

A 15 Year Old Survives His Nightmare And Becomes A Success: The Keenan Hudson Story Apr 24, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of the Nightmare Success podcast, host Brent Cassity speaks with Keenan Hudson, who shares his harrowing journey from a troubled youth in Philadelphia to serving nearly 15 years in prison for a robbery that included a group of kids that turned fatal. Keenan discusses the challenges he faced growing up without a father, the impact of his mother's death who he was incredibly close to, and the choices that led him down a dark path. He reflects on what it was like to enter maximum security prison as teenager knowing that this would be the place he would mature into a adult. He was given wise advice from his judge on how he should do his time. Keenan received his GED and a college education, and took advantage of self development opportunities behind the walls. He used mentors and a plan to successfully tackle reentry as a musician, author (The Unspoken Truth and Life Story), speaker, and entrepreneur. Keenan had the mindset that things would get better for him, and implemented his plan to stay on track. This conversation highlights themes of resilience, personal growth, and the importance of mentorship in overcoming life's obstacles. Keenan discusses how he built a new life after prison by asking for help from a minister who had a shared experience. He concludes with valuable lessons learned from his journey, encouraging others to find their unique paths and not compare themselves to others. Keenan is the host of "The Reentry Connect Podcast." Learn more about Keenan at keenanhudson.com

Partner of Famous Stratton Oakmont: The Richard Bronson Story Apr 17, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Nightmare Success, Brent Cassity interviews Richard Bronson, a former partner at Stratton Oakmont from the movie "The Wolf Of Wall Street", who shares his incredible journey from Wall Street success to prison and back. Richard discusses the challenges he faced, the lessons learned, and how he turned his life around after incarceration. The conversation delves into the realities of life in prison, the impact of his past decisions, and the importance of resilience and personal growth. In this conversation, Richard Bronson shares his unique experiences in prison, highlighting the humor and humanity often overlooked in such environments. He discusses the challenges of reentry into society after incarceration, the founding of his employment platform '70 Million Jobs', and the impact of the pandemic on his initiatives. Richard emphasizes the importance of community and employment for the formerly incarcerated, advocating for their empowerment and the need for a collective voice in society. Contact Richard Bronson at richard@70millionjobs.com

From Prominence to Prison: Mikel Jones Journey Apr 10, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Nightmare Success, Brent Cassity interviews Mikel Jones, a former prominent attorney who faced a dramatic fall from grace, leading to a 42-month prison sentence. Mikel Jones was a nationally recognized attorney who was a frequent guest on numerous TV and radio shows. He was General Counsel for the impactful Congressman Alcee Hastings. Mikel shares his journey from a troubled childhood in Philadelphia to becoming a successful lawyer, his experiences with the FBI, the challenges of trial and conviction, and the harsh realities of prison life. His Reentry story is raw and real. He discusses the importance of faith, resilience, and community support in overcoming adversity. Mikel now advocates for nonviolent white-collar offenders, aiming to bring awareness to their struggles and injustices within the criminal justice system.

Injustice for a 17 year old girl: The Sheena Eastburn Story Apr 03, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Nightmare Success, host Brent Cassity interviews Sheena Eastburn, who shares her harrowing journey from being convicted of murder at 17 to serving 25 years in prison. Sheena discusses her traumatic childhood, including getting married at the age of 15. She shares with us the nightmare of the night that forever changed her life. Sheena shares with us what goes through your mind when you are sentenced to life without parole as a teenager. Sexual abuse happened to Sheena with a guard while she was in jail waiting for her trial. The evidence of this abuse was purposedly hidden until years later when it was revealed in another abuse case. Sheena walks us through the struggles she faced in prison, including the challenges of reentry into society. Despite the odds, Sheena found hope, purpose, and a passion for advocacy, working to help others navigate the criminal justice system and fight for reform. She is now a paralegal at a law firm and the founder of two non-profits: Show Me Justice For All and P.R.E.P for Release.

A True Survivor Story: Creator of Prison Land Jerry Durand Mar 27, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of the Nightmare Success podcast, host Brent Cassity interviews Jerry Durand, who survived being sentenced to 20 years in prison, the heartache of his wife's death while he was incarcerated, then dealing with his own prostate cancer diagnosis, shingles, and covid. He shares his harrowing journey from being a successful investor in the foreign currency market to being sentenced to 20 years in prison after going to trial for financial crimes. Jerry discusses the challenges he faced during his time in prison, his innovative idea for a game called 'Prison Land', and the lessons he learned about resilience, personal growth, and the justice system. The conversation delves into Jerry's early life, his career in professional wrestling and brokerage, the rise and fall of his financial ventures, and the emotional turmoil of going through a trial. Jerry's story is one of overcoming fears and finding strength in adversity. Jerry is a true survivor on so many levels and he is open about his coping strategies, and how he refused to give up. Jerry also introduces his innovative concept for a prison-themed game, Prison Land, aimed at fostering change and supporting inmates, emphasizing the significance of hope and resilience. Learn more about the game Prison Land https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/prisonland/prison-land?ref=8xmxlo

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