Robert is a Midwestern man in his mid-thirties. He has a young daughter and a teenage stepdaughter, owns a successful business, and has a patent pending.
Reviews of his business are consistently excellent, and use terms like “passionate,” “knowledgeable,” “perfectionist,” and “best quality.”
He owns a beautiful home, the building where his business operates, and investment property.
But, this success is clouded and expansion of his business limited because 20 years ago, Robert did something that hundreds of thousands of American teenagers do every year–engaged in a sexual relationship with his teenage girlfriend.
In many ways, Robert’s story is one of success and inspiration, especially for those who face similar problems and despair for the future. He built that successful business, many of the relationships in his life today, and his family after spending four years in prison. He established himself as a valuable member of the community despite his status as a registered sex offender.
But, there’s a dark shadow over all this success, and obstacles that sometimes seem never-ending. One of the houses Robert owns is off-limits to him: he’d need a special exemption from the city to move in. His business is poised for a growth spurt, but he’s not eligible for Small Business Administration (SBA) loans or many other types of funding because he has a felony conviction.
This website, and an upcoming book, will chronicle Robert’s journey from typical American teenager to convicted felon to successful businessman and beyond–to the day when we hope he and others in his situation will be free of the misleading label that attempts to define their lives.