Shows / Nightmare Success In and Out
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…
Episodes
- Nightmare Success In and Out
Dean Vagnozzi Lost His Business Overnight—Then Started Over | Be a Lion
What would you do if the business you spent 17 years building was taken over and your bank accounts were frozen? Dean Vagnozzi says he had $80 in his pocket…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
Lathan Word: Wrongfully Convicted, Never Defeated | 12 Years to Freedom
What happens when you’re five days away from Marine Corps basic training—and instead begin a nearly 12-year fight for freedom? Lathan Word joins Brent Cassity…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
From Wall Street to Federal Prison: How Failure Rebuilt Pierre Rogers
Pierre Rogers rose from childhood poverty to become one of the youngest senior vice presidents at Columbia Management, Bank of America’s asset-management…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
Dickie Scruggs: King of Torts | From Billions to Federal Prison & Redemption
He was known as the "King of Torts"—one of America's most powerful trial lawyers, who helped take on Big Tobacco in historic multibillion-dollar litigation…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
Life After Prison: Ending the White Collar Life Sentence | Jeff Grant & Drew Chapin
The prison gates open. But does the sentence really end? Jeff Grant and Drew Chapin join Brent Cassity to explore the lasting consequences of a white collar…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
The Death Row Artist Who Helped Solve Cold Cases | William Noguera
William “Bill” Noguera was 18 years old when he committed a murder he neither minimizes nor excuses. Sentenced to death, he would spend approximately 42 years…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
He Met Him in a Cage on Death Row: William Noguera & Walt Pavlo’s Unlikely Friendship
In 2013, Forbes contributor and former federal prisoner Walt Pavlo walked onto San Quentin’s Death Row and into a cage with William Noguera—a man who had been…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
60 Years in Prison. A Governor’s Pardon. Sam Harris’s Second Chance
Samuel E. Harris went from serving his country in the U.S. Army to battling addiction and receiving a 60-year prison sentence. More than 24 years later, a rare…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
From Addiction and Prison to Award-Winning Journalist | Ryan Moser
Addiction cost Ryan Moser his marriage, his freedom, and precious years with his son. After cycling through juvenile detention and prison, he received a…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
“I Ran Out of Tomorrows”: From Luxury Interior Designer to Federal Prison | Jennifer Michele Helm
Jennifer Michele Helm built a successful career designing luxury homes and believed she had finally made it. But behind the beautiful interiors and public…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
Sentenced to 40 Years—He Became the Jailhouse Lawyer Who Set Himself Free | Chad Marks
At 24 years old, Chad Marks received a 40-year federal prison sentence. Facing the possibility of spending most of his life behind bars, he began teaching…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
Wrongfully Convicted: Bruce Bryan Lost 29 Years — But Never Lost Hope | Nightmare Success
Imagine being 23 years old and suddenly facing the possibility that you may never come home.Bruce Bryan wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to life in…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
The FBI Knocked—and This Attorney Opened the Door | Stuart Anderson
Stuart Anderson spent more than two decades building a successful career in law and business. Then federal investigators knocked on his door and said they only…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
The Judge Who Sentenced Him to Life Fought to Set Him Free | Chris L. Young Story
Chris L. Young was only 22 years old when a federal judge sentenced him to two mandatory life sentences without the possibility of parole under federal drug…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
He Wore the Badge. Then Went to Prison. | Kent McGowen's Story
In this unforgettable episode of Nightmare Success, Brent Cassity sits down with former Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Kent McGowen to hear the story that has…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
Former Arkansas State Senator Jeremy Hutchinson: Federal Prison, Presidential Pardon & Finding Purpose Again
What happens when your entire life changes overnight? Former Arkansas State Senator Jeremy Hutchinson appeared to have it all—a successful legal career, a…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
The Hidden Cost of Gambling Addiction: Dr. Julie Howell opens up about surviving prison
How does a respected university professor lose everything? Dr. Julie Howell spent decades building a successful career in higher education, earning the respect…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
From Future Baseball Star to 27 Years in Prison: The Two-Time Exoneration of Jimmie Gardner
Exonerated twice. Jimmie Gardner was living his dream as a professional baseball prospect with the Chicago Cubs when a wrongful conviction stole 27 years of…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
Irvin Mayfield Jr.: Grammy Award, Federal Prison & The Comeback Story Nobody Saw Coming
Grammy Award-winning jazz trumpeter Irvin Mayfield Jr. joins Brent Cassity for an unforgettable conversation about success, public failure, federal prison, and…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
Death Row to Bestselling Author | Damien Echols on the West Memphis Three, Freedom & Life After Death
For nearly eighteen years, Damien lived inside a prison cell waiting for the state to execute him. Most people know the story of the West Memphis Three. They…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
From Federal Prison to Fortune 500 Speaker | Rashmi Airan's Incredible Comeback Story
Rashmi Airan had it all—an Ivy League education, a successful law career, and a bright future. Then everything changed. After becoming entangled in a mortgage…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
Mayor, Governor Candidate, Federal Inmate: Scott Maddox's Untold Story
Scott Maddox spent decades at the center of Florida politics. He served as Mayor of Tallahassee, chaired the Florida Democratic Party, and ran statewide…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
From Homelessness to the Time 100 List | Desmond Meade's Incredible Redemption Story
In this powerful episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, host Brent Cassity sits down with Desmond Meade, one of the most influential voices in criminal…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
From Silence to Strength: Kalise White’s Justice-Impacted Comeback Story
On this episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, host Brent Cassity sits down with justice-impacted author Kalise White, whose powerful journey from trauma and…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
The Golden Boy, Varsity Blues & Prison: Gordie Ernst’s Fall and Fight Back
What happens when the “golden boy” becomes national headlines overnight? On this episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, host Brent Cassity sits down with…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
Pre-IPO Millions, Federal Conviction & Fighting Back | Michael Castillero on Nightmare Success
What happens when everything you built comes crashing down? On this episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, host Brent Cassity sits down with Michael…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
She Was a Credit Union President… Then the FBI Showed Up | Kelly Givens’ Story
What happens when a career built on trust… ends in a federal conviction? In this episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, Brent sits down with Kelly Givens, a…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
He Built a $13 Billion Empire… Became a Fugitive | Steve Keller Story
What happens when innovation collides with power? On this episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, Brent Cassity sits down with entrepreneur Steve Keller, a…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
From Federal Prison to $78M Business: PJ Jensen on Addiction, Discipline & No-Excuses Recovery
What happens when addiction leads you to federal prison—but doesn’t break you? In this episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, Brent Cassity talks with PJ…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
Ambition Addiction: When Success Becomes Your Downfall | Juliet Jacobs
What happens when ambition—something we’re taught to chase our entire lives—becomes the very thing that leads to our downfall? In this powerful episode of…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
Doctor Turned Defendant: The COVID Hero Who Took on the Government | Dr. Ron Elfenbein Story
What happens when your worst fear becomes your reality? On this episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, Brent Cassity sits down with Dr. Ron Elfenbein — a…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
From Federal Prison to Entrepreneur | Doug Feller’s Comeback Story :Reentry Truth
What happens after prison? For most people, that’s where the real struggle begins. In this episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, Brent Cassity sits down…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
From Prisoner to Prison Owner: Kerwin Pittman’s Blueprint for Second Chances
What happens when your worst fear becomes your reality… and you come back determined to rebuild the very system that once held you? In this powerful episode of…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
From Federal Prison to a Piano: Jason Made Turns a Nightmare Into Music | Jason Pears
What happens when your worst fear becomes your reality… and you turn it into art? On this episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, host Brent Cassity sits down…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
All Charges Dismissed: Ryan Bloom’s 18-Month DOJ Nightmare
In this gripping episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, Brent Cassity sits down with Ryan Bloom to tell one of the most shocking stories ever featured on the…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
Fox & Rob Richardson: 21 Years as an Incarcerated Family | TIME Documentary, Angola Prison, Clemency & Redemption
What happens when your worst fear becomes your reality—and it lasts 21 years? In this unforgettable episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, host Brent Cassity…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
He Managed Beyoncé & Mariah… Then Stole Millions: Jonathan Schwartz’s Comeback Story
Jonathan Schwartz was Hollywood’s go-to financial manager—nicknamed the “Diva Whisperer”—trusted by some of the biggest names in entertainment, including…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 19 | How David Carrillo Earned an MBA in Prison & Won Clemency
David Carrillo was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole at just 19 years old — for a gang-related murder where he wasn’t the trigger man. After…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
Pageant Queen to Drug QueenPin to Purpose — Jennifer Rogers’ Fenced In No More
Jennifer Rogers’ story is a full-blown roller coaster—small-town “perfect life,” cheerleading and pageants, then addiction, meth dealing, custody loss, and a…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
From Wall Street High to Rock Bottom: Sean Mueller’s Redemption Story: Fuel To Change
Sean Mueller built a hedge fund empire from the ground up—without a college degree—raising over $100M and becoming “the guy who never lost money.” But in the…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
Sentenced at 16, Free at Last: Cheryl Armstrong on 26 Years in Prison & Planting Purpose
Cheryl Armstrong’s nightmare began at 16 years old—when she was sentenced to decades in prison and ultimately spent 26 years incarcerated. In this powerful…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
The Power of One Decision: From Prison to Paychex — Allyssa Baker’s Comeback Story
Allyssa Baker’s story is the definition of Nightmare Success. What began as a prescription for pain spiraled into addiction, homelessness, and a six-year…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
Wired on Wall Street: Tom Hardin (Tipper X) on Wearing a Wire and Surviving the Sting
Tom Hardin—better known as Tipper X—went from Wharton to hedge funds, then into a nightmare that turned into one of the most shocking comeback stories on Wall…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
From Film Sets to Federal Charges: John Santilli Surviving the System
Filmmaker and producer John Santilli joins Brent Cassity to share a story that goes way beyond Hollywood credits. From working on projects tied to major studio…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
“Duke Got Life: Boxer Charles Duke Tanner’s Journey from Two Life Sentences to Freedom”
Former undefeated boxing star Charles Duke Tanner went from ESPN and Angelo Dundee’s gym to two life sentences in federal prison for a first-time, nonviolent…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
“From Life Sentence to Leader: Yusef Wiley’s 100% Turnaround”
At 21, Yusef Andre Wiley was sentenced to life in a California prison after growing up in the gang-ridden streets of South Central Los Angeles. After surviving…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
From Prison to Popcorn: Emily O’Brien’s Comeback Snacks Story
What happens when your worst fear becomes your reality… and somehow becomes the launchpad for a popcorn empire? In this powerful episode of Nightmare Success…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
Why Not?”—Rusty Pangburn on Redemption, Radical Weight Loss & a Second-Chance Career
What happens when your worst fear becomes your reality—and you decide to ask, “Why not?” instead of “Why me?” In this episode of Nightmare Success In and Out…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
Zero Excuses: Kristin Kline’s Convicted Comeback
Coach Kristin Kline (“Zero Excuses”) turned a prison-yard workout into Convicted Comeback—a movement rebuilding women through fitness, mindset, and real…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
The Feds Couldn't Break Her Spirit: The Freya Pearson Story
What happens when you refuse to take a plea deal and the full weight of the federal system lands on you?In this explosive episode, Brent Cassity talks with…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
Wrongfully Convicted at 17 to Innocence Pardon: Dieter Tejada’s Comeback | Nightmare Success In and Out
At 17, a high-school party turned into a baseball-bat attack—and a life-altering case. Dieter Tejada took a plea to avoid a decade in prison, served time, then…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
"Unshackled: Topeka Sam on Transforming Incarceration into Advocacy"
Brent Cassity interviews Topeka Sam on the Nightmare Success Podcast, a true impact leader with an inspiring comeback story. Topeka K. Sam is a nationally…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
“Behind the FTX Collapse: A Father’s Story of Survival”: Joe Bankman
What happens when your son builds one of the largest crypto empires in history—and then it all comes crashing down? On this episode of Nightmare Success In and…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
“Criminal Law, Politics, and Redemption” Meet Lawrence Blackmon
In this episode of Nightmare Success, Brent Cassity interviews Lawrence Blackmon, a defense attorney and state representative from Mississippi. He is the…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
"The Man with 9 Lives: The Joseph De Gregorio Story”
In this episode of Nightmare Success, host Brent Cassity interviews Joseph De Gregorio, a former Wall Street trader who faced a life-altering journey through a…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
"Second Acts: Transforming Setbacks into Purpose" with Jeff Grant, Drew Chapin, Brent Cassity
In this episode of the Nightmare Success podcast, Brent Cassity, Jeff Grant, and Drew Chapin discuss the challenges faced by individuals with federal…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
From Time Served to Voice Heard: Eddie Ellis
In this powerful episode of Nightmare Success In and Out, host Brent Cassity sits down with Eddie B. Ellis Jr., returning citizen, author, and advocate to…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
When Everything in on the Line: Scott Rosenblum The Art of Criminal Defense
In this episode of the Nightmare Success podcast, host Brent Cassity interviews Scott Rosenblum, a renowned criminal defense attorney with over 42 years of…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
The Light Burns Bright for Kristen Johnson
In this episode of Nightmare Success, host Brent Cassity speaks with Kristen Johnson, who shares her powerful journey from addiction and incarceration to…
- Nightmare Success In and Out
Wrongful Conviction, Freed 13 years later: The Walter Dunn Story
One night everything in Walter Dunn's life changed. In this episode of Nightmare Success, host Brent Cassity interviews Walter Dunn, a man who was wrongfully…