What does it really take to unlearn a street-made identity and rebuild a life that lifts others? We sit down with Andre Dotson—once a teen hustler in East Cleveland, now an apostle, youth mentor, CCW instructor, and mayoral candidate—to trace the choices, influences, and turning points that shaped his transformation. The story is raw and unvarnished: early drinking at 11, hustling at 12, juvenile life by 14, and the gravitational pull of fast money even after release. Andre credits grace for keeping him out of prison—but he also names the daily discipline and the adults who finally modeled a better way.

We dig into the mechanics of influence: how so-called OGs can either funnel kids toward danger or shield them with real opportunity. Andre breaks down why kids crave structure, not chaos, and how consistent boundaries create safety where posturing and peer pressure once ruled. From late-night parties that spiral to violence, to small moments where a mentor shows a teen how to start an LLC instead of carrying a pack, the pattern is the same: environment teaches. We explore youth programs that carve out hours of safety, feed kids, and normalize accountability, and we share a practical framework for teaching consequences without shaming—so a flipped desk becomes a lesson in cause and effect, not a scarlet letter.

Parents get a straight answer too: raise your child, don’t be their friend. Love includes the courage to say no, enforce limits, and build habits that outlast the moment. Andre’s idea of being “powerfully broken” reframes pain as a doorway—something has to end for something stronger to rise. If you’re a parent, educator, mentor, or community leader searching for tools to keep kids safe and growing, you’ll find a blueprint here: consistent boundaries, safe spaces, real-world skills, and adults who mean what they say. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway—what boundary are you recommitting to today?

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Book: A Powerful Divorce
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Watch Powerfully Broken Podcast airing on Fridays at 9am.