Hi, I’m Craig Stanland.
Welcome to my page.
I f*cked up; you don’t have to.
How?
Let me show you how my journey can help you craft your own extraordinary second act.
I was a massively successful corporate sales executive with all the professional, financial, and materialistic success many would say was having “it all.”
But that couldn’t have been further from the truth; I had zero sense of direction, purpose, meaning, authenticity, or fulfillment.
My life was riddled with fear, self-doubt, and a sense of unworthiness and inadequacy.
I felt suffocated by my own success, trapped in a life that didn’t truly reflect who I was.
Desperate to break free, I made a catastrophic choice:
I defrauded a tech giant. The consequences were severe.
The FBI arrested me, I was sentenced to federal prison, and I lost everything material. But my greatest loss was my sense of self.
I had no idea who I was but hated who I had become.
At my lowest, I considered ending my life until a simple visit from a friend changed everything.
From here, my life transformed, and one of the most important questions we can ever ask ourselves presented itself:
Continue as is, or choose to create something new and reinvent?
I chose reinvention.
Today, I’m a Speaker, Reinvention Architect, and Author of the best-seller, “Blank Canvas, How I Reinvented My Life After Prison” and the soon-to-be-published series, “Mastering Midlife: Get Unstuck, and Reinvent Your Authentic Extraordinary Second Half.“
I also write the “Midlife Reinvented” newsletter. A weekly edition filled with actionable strategies and insights from my personal journey over the last decade.
My mission? To inspire you to discover your authentic self, unleash your full potential, and craft a meaningful, extraordinary second act.
And, most importantly, to do it NOW
Not later, not waiting for life to change, not waiting for the “perfect” time, but NOW.
Ready for Your Reinvention?
Join The “Midlife Reinvented” Newsletter
This is your first step toward creating your extraordinary second act.
📣 Looking for a keynote speaker that will leave your audience inspired and ready to take bold action in their lives?
Let’s connect and bring the power of reinvention to your 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
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I Was Sentenced to Prison 10 Years Ago Today
June 10th, 2014 I’m alone; I’m terrified; I want this to be over. I can’t understand what she’s saying, I get that it’s all English, but the words are a blur and I can’t keep up with them. The gavel comes down, echoing through the room. I don’t know what happened.…
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How to Leave More Than Just Material Wealth Behind
“Keeping up with the Joneses.” The term conjures up images of people displaying their prosperity through their homes, cars, clothes, country clubs, and parties. It’s a code term for materialism and flaunting your wealth, but underneath it lies a desperate need to fit in. Keeping up with the Joneses is a…
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Here Are 5 Simple Steps to Discover Your Purpose
Purpose. Purpose. Purpose. You have to find your purpose. There is a lot of content out there about finding one’s purpose, and there is a lot of pressure to do so. Because if you don’t, you’re doing life wrong. Many fall prey to the belief that their life is incomplete without…
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You Have to Start Where You Are (and start now)
I started writing Blank Canvas when I was in prison. I used those black and white composition notebooks from high school and a cheap Bic pen. I used an iPhone when I was released to the halfway house because it was all I had. When I went home, I used an…
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An Email From Prison is Better Than a Multi-Million Dollar Deal
When I worked in corporate sales, life felt one-dimensional. Chase deals, land deals, spend commission checks on a luxurious lifestyle. It was one chase after another, with constant anxiety that there wouldn’t be another deal around the corner – or even worse, I’d lose a client. The luxurious lifestyle was my…
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The Shortness of Life is The Best Motivation
What makes life rich and meaningful? Towards the end of his life, an interviewer asked Norman Mailer (American novelist, journalist, playwright, filmmaker, and Pulitzer Prize winner) if he had any regrets. One may think he’d list some common regrets: more time with family, less time working, or more time in nature.…