From Prison to Reinvention
Realistic Reinvention™ for Real Life


You’ve checked all the boxes.


The career. The house. The lifestyle.


By all external measures, you should feel successful.


But inside?


You feel stuck, restless, and quietly ask yourself: “Is this all there is?”


No matter how good your life looks on the outside, something significant is missing on the inside.


And the cost is mounting; you feel empty and trapped, your relationships are strained, you know your time is limited, and regret creeps in with every birthday.


You feel like you’re leaving the best parts of you untapped and unfulfilled. 


Here’s the truth you need to understand:


You’re not missing more career and status success; you’re missing the self you left behind to achieve it.


That realization became the four words that form the foundation of my work:


Stop Chasing. Start Creating.


What is Realistic Reinvention™ for Real Life?


I help midlife professionals stop chasing what doesn’t fulfill them and start creating extraordinary lives of meaning, purpose, and joy, without giving up everything they’ve built or burning it to the ground.


Through my 3C Reinvention Framework™️, Connect, Create, Contribute, I guide audiences to:

  • Reconnect with their inner truth and values.
  • Reclaim the creativity and passions they abandoned.
  • Contribute to something larger than themselves.


The result? 


Clarity. Alignment. Confidence. Self-Trust. Fulfillment. Energy. Peace of mind. Unleashed potential. Deeper relationships. Impact. 


Most importantly, a life that feeds both your family and your soul.


I don’t teach from a textbook. 


I teach from lived experience, terrible choices, lessons earned, and a decade of reinvention built from the inside out.


I deliver transformational keynotes that redefine success, resilience, and reinvention. 


Through raw storytelling, real-world insights, and actionable strategies, I help audiences unlock their potential and thrive in work, life, and beyond.


Let’s connect and bring the power of Realistic Reinvention™️ to your next event.

Speaking Engagements

With a deeply personal story of overcoming federal prison and hitting rock bottom, Craig delivers powerful keynotes that resonate with anyone seeking to unleash their potential, discover purpose, and live authentically.

Midlife Reinvention Newsletter

Are you professionally & financially successful yet woefully unfulfilled? Are you ready to craft your authentic and extraordinary second half? Join the “Midlife Reinvention” newsletter for weekly tips, insights, and inspiration.

Blank Canvas Book

This book isn’t just a memoir; it’s a roadmap for anyone who has ever felt lost inside their own life, a guide back to authenticity, and a call to action to reinvent. Hear more about Craig’s memoir and purchase Blank Canvas.

Hear from Craig

Craig is a regular contributor to numerous blogs and publications and has been a guest on many different podcasts. To read and hear the latest from Craig, see the latest blog posts and our in the media section.

The Latest from Craig

  • You Built A “Successful” Life. How About An Authentic One?

    You Built A “Successful” Life. How About An Authentic One?

    There’s a lot of chatter about our authentic selves, but I haven’t seen a definition of it that I connect with. So I went into my creative sandbox, and created my own definition of authentic self: Our authentic selves are the unlived lives within us that we sacrificed on the altar…

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  • You Chased the Dream. Now You’re Empty. What Comes Next?

    You Chased the Dream. Now You’re Empty. What Comes Next?

    The weather in the Northeast was outstanding last week, and I decided to take full advantage by going to the beach. Thankfully, it’s a short drive. There’s nothing like sitting on the beach in Connecticut outside the “normal” season. I sat at the edge of the beach right before the amazing…

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  • Stop Chasing the Result—This Is Where Fulfillment Actually Lives

    Stop Chasing the Result—This Is Where Fulfillment Actually Lives

    We’re taught to live from one accomplishment to the next. It’s part of our conditioning. I love a good “To-Do” list, but it’s a reinforcement of a belief that limits our potential and reduces our sense of happiness and joy to intermittent bursts of dopamine.   The belief is that accomplishment is…

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  • How to Reclaim Agency in Your Life’s Second Act

    How to Reclaim Agency in Your Life’s Second Act

    “An empty coffee pot left on the coffee maker will shatter and hurt you.” I remember, but I can’t recall where I heard this as a kid, but it stuck with me. So much so that every morning, after I pour the last drop, I turn the machine off and place…

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  • How to Drop the Invisible Load Weighing You Down

    How to Drop the Invisible Load Weighing You Down

    Years ago, I was sitting on the balcony of my apartment in Brooklyn, unaware of the lesson about to unfold. It was a gorgeous spring day, and the morning routine I’d started in prison was unfolding as the sun peeked over the neighboring apartment buildings. It was me, a single chair…

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  • Why Meaning Feels So Elusive — And How to Reclaim It

    Why Meaning Feels So Elusive — And How to Reclaim It

    It’s becoming easier to live an unfulfilling life. The amount of external short-term dopamine-producing escapes from reality is increasing, and the existing platforms are becoming more effective in sucking us in. The algorithms are designed to keep us connected to whatever we’re doing for as long as possible, showing us more…

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