Welcome to "What I Know Now," the podcast by The Delta Project, where we dive deep into the realities of the juvenile justice system and explore the journeys of those who have found their way through it. In this powerful episode, host Bilal and co-host Cole Williams sit down with Eric Freeman—an entrepreneur, community advocate, and father in Grand Rapids—to discuss turning pain into purpose, breaking cycles, and the power of mentorship.

Eric shares candid reflections on his upbringing, spanning from growing up with material comfort but emotional absence, to navigating a challenging family dynamic as the child of an interracial relationship. He recounts his early encounters with loneliness, the crucial influence of extended family, and how sports shaped his sense of integrity and leadership.

As the conversation unfolds, Eric opens up about his time in prison at just 19, what it taught him about survival, and the pivotal role that elders and mentors played in his journey. He explains how barriers to employment following incarceration led him to entrepreneurship—and how that "forced path" sparked his mission: building both positive social impact and wealth creation for underserved communities through his business, Mindset Meals.

The hosts and Eric delve into food deserts, poverty, generational cycles, and what true manhood and fatherhood look like—and how showing up, consistently and with love, changes lives. You'll also hear from Bilal and Cole about their own experiences within the system, and the vision behind The Delta Project: to create a community where elders, mentors, and lived experience guide the next generation toward hope, healing, and real opportunity.

This episode is a raw, uplifting conversation about resilience, the healing power of relationships, and what it means to break cycles and build a better future—not just for ourselves, but for our whole village.