Watch Episode #4, Airdate: July 20th
We had four powerful guests, Jacqueline Hollows (aka MamaJ), Omar Wilson, Derrick Mason, and Pete Mears, featured in my upcoming book “THRIVING IN THE EYE OF THE HURRICANE, UNLOCKING RESILIENCE IN TURBULENT TIMES” appearing live on our podcast. They each had an amazing message and some great dialogue from our participants made it one of our best episodes yet! Here’s a small introduction to each of our guests.
Jacqueline Hollows (aka MamaJ)
Jacqueline Hollows (aka MamaJ) is the founder of Beyond Recovery, a facilitator and speaker.
BR’s mission is to revolutionize the way addictions, mental health, and offending behavior are viewed and treated. Through sharing an understanding of how our experience of life is created from our own minds, the pioneering work that BR does has the potential to reform the criminal justice system from the inside out.
Jacqueline is an author of research papers evidencing BR’s approach and is a regular contributor for a prison newspaper: InsideTime (readership c60,000).
Jacqueline is passionate about uncovering the potential in people who have been marginalized and eliminating the stigma human beings suffer as a result of mental health issues. She is an author and is working on her second book Mind Beyond Bars – Stories of Transformation and What They Mean for Humanity which describes some of the wonderful changes she has seen in people who have been in prison and charts her journey from a trauma filled childhood to becoming a pioneer in the world of prison reform.


Omar Wilson
Omar Wilson is a director, facilitator, and speaker
He grew up in Manor Park, East London. At a young age he was diagnosed with ADHD & Dyslexia. Growing up in a single parent household with his two siblings plus a low income. Omar thought having money would help change everything and because of his disability education was not an option. The only role model he had was killed when Omar was 13. With no guidance but what was in front of him …DRUGS. Omar was part of one of Newham’s (in London) biggest drug organisations for almost 10 years. As a result of this he was sent to HMP Onley where he found Beyond Recovery.
Omar became a BR Peer Mentor helping to facilitate groups. Since leaving prison he has worked closely with Beyond Recovery at HMP Nottingham and online, in addition to working with young people affected by crime and has now become a Director at Beyond Recovery with the blessing of MamaJ
He is one of the founders of Beyond Truth.
Derrick Mason
Derrick Mason is a director, facilitator and speaker
He first came across Beyond Recovery during his time in HMP Onley, taking the course purely to improve his chances for getting to open prison! He was so impacted by his experience that upon release from prison in August 2018 he got a job and started building good family relationships with his partner and children. When he hit a low spot in May 2019, he contacted Jacqueline and was invited to speak at a global conference about his transformative experience.
Since then, he’s become a director with Beyond Recovery, he is also now on the board of directors of the 3 Principles Global Committee and is co-founder of Beyond Truth. Derrick co-facilitates a BR Virtual Impact Program in the community and presents on webinars and radio programs.


Pete Mears
Pete Mears loves to share and help others. He has spent a lifetime suffering in a dark, lonely place and trying to escape the devil he thought was inside him. For 25 years he tried to escape through drink and drugs, even threw the breakdown of his marriage and eventually couldn’t see any other way out resorted to jumping off a bridge. Fortunately, he was saved by a passing policeman and is here to tell his story.
Pete has now realised the irony that the very thing he was trying to escape was himself! He didn’t know he had a choice to be how he wanted to be. He felt negative much of the time and now he realizes that is all down to Thought.
Now he can see a way of welcoming negative thoughts in as there is something to be learned from everything.
He has been sober and most importantly happy for 9 months and he wants to share his inner joy with others to spark the light in them. His message is that “you are not alone” and “the solution is simple”.
Upcoming Speakers:
Join us every three weeks at 1 PM (CDT) We gather for our podcast “Thriving in the Eye of the Hurricane” every three weeks! Dates for the next 3 months: June, 8th & 29, July 20th and August 10th and 31st
Join us every three weeks at 1 PM (CDT) We gather for our podcast “Thriving in the Eye of the Hurricane” every three weeks!
- Watch Episode #1 (Airdate: May 18th)
Featuring Beverley Wilson Hayes - Watch Episode #2 (Airdate: June 8th)
Resilience in Action: Healthcare and Healing
Featuring Teresa Walding RN, Louise O’Dailgh RN, and Debbie Milam - Watch Episode #3 (Airdate: June 29)
Resilience in Action: The Body/Mind Connection
Featuring Chana Studley, John El’Mokadem - July 20,
Resilience in Action: Transforming Corrections and Inmates in Recovery
–Jacqueline Hollows, Derrik Mason, Peter Mears - August 10,
Resilience in Action: Transforming Communities at High Risk
–Joyce Davis (Bronx), Lloyd Fields ( South Carolina), Cynthia Stennis (Miami, Florida) - August 31, Michael Neill:
Coach, Trainer, Author (“The Inside-Out Revolution”), and Consultant Michael Neill who wrote the forward to my new book