When I started creating content, I became obsessed with watching some of my videos go viral. But over time, I’ve come to look forward to the thousands of comments—they show how people view others going to prison and me.
On Saturday, I posted a video about Tina Peters, who was sentenced to nine years in prison. Hundreds, then thousands of comments started rolling in, and as usual, they were mixed. Some people see me as an executive, a husband, and a father who helps others. Others still view me as a criminal. And then some may no longer judge me, but they judge people in our community whom we help. They struggle with the disconnect.
I get comments like, “Justin, how can you offer advice to an extremist? Or that guy who embezzled $2 million? You’re a good dude. I’m confused, man. Advice to Lori Loughlin is one thing yet Jan 6 people, come one man.”
There’s a misunderstanding amongst some who follow White Collar Advice on TikTok, YouTube, and elsewhere. Some are troubled by the people we help—like the more than 40 defendants involved in the January 6 case. Some won’t talk to me because I praised President Trump (and did so again in this video) for passing the First Step Act.
The truth is, despite our name, White Collar Advice, we help people charged with all sorts of crimes, including some that many (myself included) find sickening. Yet nearly 100% of the people in our community accept responsibility and work daily to prove they deserve a second chance. Who am I to judge?
As my friend Paul Bertrand heard me describe at The FBI Academy years ago, I deliberately helped con a 90-year-old investor in 2003 when I was 28. I used to sleep better telling myself he got his money back, but that doesn’t erase the pain he felt or the hard work it took for him to build a seven-figure savings.
Is walking into the Capitol for 20 minutes on January 6 worse than what I did? I choose not to answer that question.
Rather than splitting hairs, we focus on embracing those who are doing the work, acknowledging their victims, and creating a better life through their own actions. That’s why White Collar Advice proudly sponsors Prison Professors Talent, a platform that allows people in prison to document their journey to freedom (regardless of their crime). We’re approaching 1,000 profiles, and every one of them reflects accountability and a desire to live as a law-abiding citizen.
I am grateful to do this work, even if that means receiving nasty messages, losing friendships, and accepting the inevitable judgment of working alongside people I’m proud to call friends.
Justin Paperny
P.S. Join our community–starting with your weekly webinar each Monday at 1 PM PST / 4PM EST.
