Ep 21: Challenging Stigma & Re-Empowerment After Incarceration ft. Emily O'Brien
Emily O’Brien is an entrepreneur and the founder of Comeback Snacks—a specialty popcorn company that challenges the status quo. After being sentenced to a four-year jail term stemming from her battle with addiction, Emily set out on the mission to get clean, transform herself, and make her time in jail as meaningful as possible. Aware of the hardships of being incarcerated, Emily is driven to help remove the stigma surrounding people with prior convictions, as well as give them opportunities for reintegration through training, empowerment and education. As a leading voice in this unique movement, Emily has been frequently called upon by various media outlets, including CBC, CTV, CHCH, VICE, Global, and more.
In this episode we discuss:
- Emily shares about her experience being incarcerated and starting her biz from prison
- Emily shares the mission of comeback snacks to re-empower those who have been through the system
- We talk about the barriers and challenging of re-entering society after incarceration
- Taking accountability while practicing self-compassion
- Drug trafficking & acknowledging the coercion and lack of choice that interweaves with many people’s crimes, especially for women and marginalized communities
- Lived experience as fuel for mission balanced by burnout prevention
- The harm caused by labelling people and how stigma makes us all less safe
- The invasive nature of parole and how excessive surveillance & humiliation tactics violate boundaries
Resources/links:
Follow Emily on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/comebacksnacks/?hl=en
Follow Comeback Snacks on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/comebacksnacks
Check out Marlee's offerings (both paid and free): https://www.marleeliss.com/workwithme
Get Marlee's EBook '22 Journal Practices for Sensual Self-Love': https://www.marleeliss.com/22
