Ep 15 | Resilience from Prison to PhD with Dr Stanley Andrisse [ Season 2 ]

If you think you know enough about the power of resilience, you probably haven’t heard Stanley Andrisse’s story. After a series of wrong choices early on in life got him into prison – for 10 years, he knew it would take nothing but strong will, determination, and untethered resilience to succeed in his dream of becoming a doctor. Fast forward to today, Stanley is a Ph.D. and MBA holder, a doctor, author, and entrepreneur, who aims to change the lives of others with criminal convictions “through advocacy, mentoring, and policy change”.Join Mike and Stanley in this episode as the latter explains his story of triumph through tough times and the indomitable power of resilience, hard work, and faith in transforming your life. Labeled a criminal at just 14 for selling drugs, Stanley explains the challenges he faced in keeping his dreams alive amid all the negative opinions people surrounded him with.EPISODE 15  SUMMARY & HIGHLIGHTSHow do you understand your inner strength?27:47Do not let outside interference define or determine you. Do not let another person’s opinion harm you. Be a source of good.How did Stanley manage to get his Ph.D. despite being in prison?30:22Stanley read research articles and papers day in and out in prison, dreaming and working hard to become a doctor. He then put together applications for education in multiple colleges; all except one were rejected. St. Louis University was the only university that accepted his admission after being released. He managed to complete his MBA and Ph.D. simultaneously, as the topper in class. He moved on later to Johns Hopkins University, where he became the number one in Endocrinology.What do you do when the going gets tough?39:02Lean into your higher power. Hold onto your integrity. Do the right thing even if it brings you harm. Root into good beliefs and faith. Have patience and condition yourself to see multiple outcomes.QUOTES41:14-41:34“For me, I kind of had plans, A, B, C, D, E, and so forth. Like, if I wasn't going to get A, I was going to be okay. And so I think that's one of the tough things like people having their eyes set on a prize and not getting that is considered a failure. And for me, I had multiple things that I was going towards.”13:53-14:11“For most people that go through incarceration, it's like it just beached you down in terms of psychologically mentally, emotionally, to where you no longer have any feeling of self-worth or self-value or purpose.”RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE PODCASTBook: From Prison Cells To Ph.D. by Stanley AndrisseCONNECT WITH STANLEYWebsiteCONNECT WITH MIKELinkedIn