March 14 | Don’t Network in Prison

If you find yourself heading behind bars today, here’s a few pieces of advice:

Stop reading this. Seriously. Why the hell would you take advice about going to prison from an email. Please seek legal counsel and possibly conserve the charge on your phone. 

Let’s start over.

If you find yourself in a situation you don’t want to be a part of, don’t start networking.

If you find yourself surrounded by people you don’t want to become more like, don’t stat shaking hands.

Don’t start figuring out who does it better. Don’t start introducing yourself. Don’t look for the corporate ladder and don’t start figuring out how to climb it. 

This doesn’t mean be an asshole. It doesn’t mean don’t find good in the people around you. But if you find yourself thrown into a bad situation you don’t want to be a part of, you’ve got to have a serious conversation with yourself about who you want to be. 

The advice is often given that “you are who you spend time with” or “show me the sum of your five closest friends and I’ll show you who you are.” And that advice is great, until you find yourself in a situation where you have no control over who you’re around.

The first rule of being in a bad situation is to not make it worse.

Don’t network in prison.… Read the rest