First Day In Federal Prison—my final thoughts? #firstdayinprison #thankyoutiktok #whitecollaradvice #prisonadvice

If you are going to federal prison, this is what I want you to do the first day. This could be my final video on TikTok as they shut it down. It makes sense I talk about prison. That's all I talk about. Someone our community is like, "Hey, man, I'm going to prison. I'm freaked out. I'm scared. Is it bad?" In the totality of your life, the experience of getting checked in, in my case, I tried to shake hands with a correctional officer. I looked like a total fool. He's like, "We don't shake hands with inmates. I'm like God it." So amidst all of the bad decision-making and the new experience, you've got to recognize the correctional officers are doing their job. They've seen a million of us, a lot of us come and go for them. It's nothing for you. It's a big deal. In the totality of your life, as you're going through the strip search, the squatting and coughing, in my case, I didn't know how to do the squatting cough. I was going up and down like a sumo wrestler. The guards laughed at me. Not cool. The process of sitting in a cell for several hours, I started to do some push-ups. I was sore for days. All I had done was eat for three years before I went to prison. As you're going through this process, which can be dehumanizing, recognizing the totality of your life, it's just one day, man. In some ways, it goes so quick because it's emotional, it's drama. Before you know it, it is over. Here's what you should really be concerned about. Besides the first day and the chow hall and going to the dorm and the smells, the smells, holy good God, or prisoners asking, "Why are you here, man?" Let's go for a walk around the track. You want me to do your job? You don't need to do your job. You look like a smart dude who has money. Pay someone to do your job. Want to know what the commissaries like? Let's buy together. Let's shop together. What does that even mean? I've been in prison for 15 minutes. I'm not ready to have this conversation. Is this my last tech talk video? What I want you to be concerned about is not the first day in prison, but rather like the 30th, the 60th, the 90th, and when you get there, and you're settled in, and you're like, "This is my life." What are you doing when that moment hits you? I'm going to be here for a while. Am I preparing for the hardest part? Coming home, your family's visiting. They're sending money to commissary. You're not using the iPhone. You're avoiding problems. Are you mastering this environment and doing so in a way that makes it easier on those that love and support you? The hardest day ain't the first day. It's two, three, four weeks in when you realize I'm going to be here for a while. What am I doing to prepare to come home? If this is the last video for a while, I'm so grateful for all of you. One thing I regret. I never did a live video, which is a mistake. I'm thinking of doing one. Will you join? I have no idea. I'm talking to myself. So grateful for this tech talk community. Hope it continues.