What were Catherine Hoke's early entrepreneurial experiences?

Catherine Hoke started selling hamsters at age seven, golf balls salvaged from water hazards, and later worked door-to-door selling Cutco knives, which taught her valuable sales and persistence skills.

How did Catherine Hoke get into UC Berkeley after being rejected?

After being rejected from the undergraduate business program, Catherine Hoke wrote a seven-page appeal letter to UC Berkeley, detailing her student-athlete status and 40-hour work week, promising to make them proud, and was subsequently admitted.

What was Catherine Hoke's upbringing like with her inventor father?

Her father, an electrical engineer and inventor, fostered an entrepreneurial spirit from a young age, having her invent and pitch ideas. He taught her to solve problems instead of complaining and always believed in her potential, including jokingly calling her the future US President.

What motivated Catherine Hoke to start Defy Ventures?

Her first prison visit at age 26 was a life-changing experience. Witnessing the humanity and difficult circumstances of incarcerated individuals, like Johnny whose father was murdered, ignited her empathy and led her to dedicate her life to giving them second chances.

How does Defy Ventures' 'Step to the Line' exercise build empathy?

The exercise asks volunteers and incarcerated participants to step to a line if certain life experiences apply to them, revealing shared vulnerabilities and challenging judgment. It helps volunteers recognize common human experiences and the systemic nature of incarceration.

What is the success story of Costas Moraites and Con Body?

Costas Moraites, a Defy graduate, created 'Con Body,' a prison-style fitness boot camp, after losing 70 pounds in solitary confinement. His business thrives, employing formerly incarcerated individuals, with a gym even opening in Saks Fifth Avenue and an online platform reaching 24 countries.

How does Defy Ventures maintain a low recidivism rate and high employment rate?

Defy works with high-need populations, including those in maximum-security prisons. By providing intensive entrepreneurship training, executive mentoring, personal development, and employment readiness, Defy focuses on rehabilitation, leading to a less than 5% return to prison rate and 95% employment.

What is Catherine Hoke's personal story of receiving a 'second chance'?

After her divorce and a period of personal crisis, Catherine Hoke confessed to crossing boundaries by having relationships with released individuals from the prison system. This led to her forced resignation from her previous organization and public scandal. She was supported by 'adopted parents' who helped her overcome shame and rediscover her potential.

What advice does Catherine Hoke offer for self-forgiveness?

She advises recognizing that 'you are not your past' and actively replacing self-limiting beliefs with self-freeing ones. This involves identifying the 'tape of shame,' challenging negative self-talk, repeatedly affirming forgiveness, and seeking support from friends who believe in grace and second chances.

Why does Defy Ventures use competition-based training?

Catherine Hoke believes healthy competition brings out the best in people, especially with the competitive spirit of many incarcerated individuals. Inmates participate in 'Shark Tank'-style pitch competitions, fostering drive and resilience, with the understanding that the process is more important than winning.

How does Catherine Hoke manage feeling overwhelmed and maintain focus?

She prioritizes her tasks, often bouncing them off a trusted staff member. She implements 'monk days' once a month (and sometimes longer business monk days quarterly), where she disconnects from email and phone to reflect, plan, read, and engage in self-care activities.

What is Catherine Hoke's long-term vision for Defy Ventures?

Her vision is to serve in every major prison and city in America by the time she's 53, ultimately aiming to end mass incarceration as we know it. This includes tackling sentencing and bail reform, and addressing racial and economic disparities in the justice system.

Key Moments

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Key Moments

TL;DR

Catherine Hoke champions entrepreneurship for formerly incarcerated individuals, transforming lives and reducing recidivism.

Key Insights

Entrepreneurship can be a powerful tool for rehabilitation and social reintegration.

Challenging societal labels and embracing second chances is crucial for human potential.

Empathy and understanding are key to breaking cycles of crime and incarceration.

Personal resilience, cultivated through self-belief and support, can overcome past mistakes.

The "us vs. them" mentality surrounding incarceration hinders progress; collaboration is vital.

Effective programs focus on holistic development, including life skills, emotional healing, and entrepreneurship.

Internalized beliefs significantly impact behavior; reframing shame is essential for growth.

THE POWER OF SECOND CHANCES

Catherine Hoke founded Defy Ventures, a nonprofit that leverages entrepreneurship to transform the lives of currently and formerly incarcerated individuals. Her own journey of receiving multiple second chances fuels her mission to end mass incarceration by empowering people with criminal histories. Defy Ventures boasts remarkable results, with a recidivism rate under 5% and an employment rate of 95%, demonstrating the transformative power of opportunity and belief.

BUILDING EMPATHY AND CHALLENGING LABELS

Hoke emphasizes the critical importance of language and perception when discussing individuals with criminal histories. She advocates for referring to them as "people who committed criminal acts" rather than "criminals" or "ex-offenders." This distinction is vital for fostering empathy, recognizing their humanity, and understanding that most incarcerated individuals will eventually return to society, thus necessitating rehabilitation rather than mere punishment.

THE SEEDS OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND RESILIENCE

Hoke's own childhood, influenced by her inventor father, instilled a strong sense of possibility and problem-solving. Early experiences selling hamsters and golf balls, coupled with her father's encouragement to "figure out how to fix" problems rather than complain, laid the groundwork for her entrepreneurial spirit. Her background as a competitive athlete, including wrestling and rugby, further honed her resilience and drive, qualities she now sees reflected in the "entrepreneurs in training" at Defy.

THE 'STEP TO THE LINE' EXERCISE AND EMPATHETIC CONNECTION

A core tool at Defy Ventures is the "Step to the Line" exercise, designed to build empathy and show volunteers how easily circumstances can lead individuals down similar paths. By asking participants to step forward if certain life events are true for them, the exercise reveals the shared human experiences that often precede incarceration. This fosters compassion and understanding, shifting the perspective from judgment to connection.

TRANSCENDING SHAME: AFFIRMATIONS AND FORGIVENESS

For individuals struggling with shame and self-limiting beliefs, Defy Ventures utilizes affirmations and promotes forgiveness as transformative practices. Hoke stresses that one is not defined by their past mistakes. By actively replacing negative self-talk with empowering affirmations and choosing to forgive oneself and others, individuals can break free from the mental prisons that confine them, enabling them to build a better future.

DEFY VENTURES: A HOLISTIC AND COMPETITIVE APPROACH

Defy Ventures' effectiveness lies in its comprehensive curriculum, which includes intensive personal development, leadership training, and entrepreneurship education, often taught by high-caliber instructors. The program utilizes competition as a motivator, bringing out the best in participants. Crucially, it creates a safe, loving, and accepting environment where individuals, regardless of their past, feel seen, valuable, and empowered to pursue their goals.

THE VISION FOR A LAND OF SECOND CHANCES

Hoke's ultimate vision is to end mass incarceration by reforming sentencing, bail, and parole systems, and by championing rehabilitation. She believes that by providing incarcerated individuals with opportunities for redemption and success, society benefits through reduced crime and a more just system. Defy Ventures aims to be a model for transforming lives, proving that with support and belief, even those who have committed grave mistakes can build fulfilling and productive futures.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Supplements

●Products

●Software & Apps

●Companies

●Organizations

●Books

●People Referenced

Common Questions

Catherine Hoke met Seth Godin after sending him a cold email inviting him to teach at Defy Ventures. He responded, taught a class, and became her mentor and friend.

Topics

Entrepreneurship Mindset & Self-Improvement Business & Entrepreneurship Criminal Justice Reform Personal Development Overcoming Adversity Non-profit Leadership Empathy Building

Mentioned in this video

Organizations

Ashoka

Catherine Hoke is an Ashoka fellow.

Stanford University

University where Catherine Hoke's father was invited to teach electrical engineering, leading to their family's move to the US.

Defy Ventures

A national nonprofit organization founded by Catherine Hoke that provides entrepreneurship training, executive mentoring, and business incubation to currently and formerly incarcerated individuals, boasting a recidivism rate under 5% and 95% employment rate.

New York Stock Exchange

Financial institution whose former CEO, Duncan Niederauer, Catherine Hoke met through a cold email.

Harvard University

Mentioned as providing MBA professors who teach courses for Defy Ventures.

University of California, Berkeley

University where Catherine Hoke was initially rejected from the undergraduate business program but gained admission through a seven-page appeal letter.

Baylor University

University whose MBA program vets Defy's curriculum and issues certificates to graduates.

Prison Entrepreneurship Program

Catherine Hoke's first organization, which she started in Texas, dedicated to rehabilitating incarcerated men to become legal entrepreneurs.

Software & Apps

Dickens Process

An exercise used in Tony Robbins' 'Unleash the Power Within' event to identify and replace self-limiting beliefs.

Books

Leading on Empty

A book by Wayne Cordeiro with a Christian spin, which Catherine Hoke read while studying reasons for failure and how to focus on one's core contributions.

A Second Chance

Catherine Hoke's book, introduced to Tim Ferriss by Seth Godin, which focuses on forgiveness and second chances.

Fast Company

Publication that named Catherine Hoke one of the '100 Most Creative People in Business'.

Option B

Sheryl Sandberg's book on healing and building a new future, which Catherine Hoke highly recommends and used to gift often.

Essentialism

A book mentioned by Catherine Hoke that provided a good framework for making decisions and controlling her calendar, helping her manage overwhelm.

The 4-Hour Body

A book by Tim Ferriss where he previously recommended Athletic Greens without compensation.

Supplements

Athletic Greens

An all-in-one nutritional insurance supplement that Tim Ferriss recommends and uses daily.

Stevia

A sweetener that was initially in Four Sigmatic's Reishi elixir, which Tim Ferriss preferred to avoid.

Reishi mushroom elixir

A product from Four Sigmatic that Tim Ferriss uses to aid sleep. He recommends the sweetener-free version.

People

Tim Draper

A venture capitalist who has taught a course for Defy Ventures.

Catherine Hoke

Founder of Defy Ventures, a national nonprofit transforming the lives of currently and formerly incarcerated people through entrepreneurship.

Brad Feld

An incredible investor, known to Jerry Colonna and mentioned by Tim Ferriss.

Costas Moraites

A graduate of Defy Ventures who, after being incarcerated at age 19, started Con Body, a prison-style fitness boot camp and became a CEO.

Henry Cloud

Top therapist mentioned as teaching some of Defy Ventures' courses.

Duncan Niederauer

Former CEO of the New York Stock Exchange, whom Catherine Hoke managed to meet through a cold email and persistence.

Jerry Colonna

A venture capitalist and coach, mentioned as a faculty member for Defy Ventures who taught a course on the fear of the entrepreneur.

Ann Kieny

A friend of Catherine Hoke who teaches character development courses for Defy, from whom Catherine learned the concept 'you can't be angry and curious at the same time'.

Seth Godin

Author, speaker, and entrepreneur; a mutual friend and mentor to Catherine Hoke who connected her with Tim Ferriss and published her book.

Emily Post

Author of etiquette books, mentioned because Defy offers etiquette training taught by an Emily Post instructor.

Tony Robbins

A motivational speaker and life coach, whose Unleash the Power Within event and specific tools like the 'Dickens process' are mentioned in comparison to Defy's methods.

Bill and Andra Townsend

Adoptive parents who supported Catherine Hoke after her resignation, demonstrating deep compassion and belief in second chances.

Sheryl Sandberg

Author and inspiring woman, whose book 'Option B' Catherine Hoke previously gifted often. Sheryl also wrote the foreword for Catherine Hoke's book 'A Second Chance'.

Roger Gordon

The newly hired president of Defy Ventures, who will handle day-to-day operations, allowing Catherine Hoke to focus on her 'top 5%' contributions.

Wayne Cordeiro

Author of 'Leading on Empty', a book Catherine Hoke read to understand what leads people to failure, focusing on what only she can do.

Locations

Salt Lake City, Utah

City where Bill Townsend, Catherine Hoke's adoptive parent, lives and is a serial entrepreneur.

Pelican Bay State Prison

A notorious maximum-security prison in America with a solitary confinement facility, where Defy Ventures runs a program.

New York City

Location where Defy Ventures used to have its brick-and-mortar classroom for formerly incarcerated people.

Texas

State where Catherine Hoke had her first prison visit, which changed her life, and where she started the Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP).

Companies

Nokia

Company that named Catherine Hoke one of 17 global influencers expanding human possibility through technology.

Union Square Ventures

Venture Capitalists who have recorded giving live pitch feedback to Defy's released men and women.

Summit Partners

A venture capital firm where Catherine Hoke worked, cold-calling CEOs.

Saks Fifth Avenue

Luxury department store that opened a Con Body gym inside to increase foot traffic.

Kleiner Perkins

A venture capital firm, one of whose partners recorded a course for Defy Ventures.

Four Sigmatic

A company known for mushroom coffee and elixirs. Tim Ferriss mentions their Reishi mushroom elixir helped him with insomnia.

Con Body

A prison-style fitness boot camp founded by Defy Ventures graduate Costas Moraites, which has grown to over 14,000 customers and hired many people with criminal histories.

Products

Cutco Knives

High-end knife sets that Catherine Hoke sold door-to-door in her youth, teaching her sales persistence.

Media

Wired

Magazine that named Catherine Hoke a 'Make Tech Human Agent of Change'.

Forbes

Publication that included Catherine Hoke in its '40 Women to Watch Over 40' list.