You might know Peter as @fosterdadflipper. In this episode, he tells Gail about the night he left home believing he'd rather die among strangers than at his father's hands. About street life, where kindness was a warning sign because it always came with a price. About the market vendor who fed him once a week for a year and a half, kept saying his name, and finally offered the one thing no street kid could refuse: three meals a day.

Peter also takes us to Rwanda, where he worked rescuing children after the genocide, and describes in his own words the moment he realized the hatred he carried toward his father could turn him into the very thing he was standing in the middle of. Forgiving his father didn't mean letting him off the hook. Peter just refused to give the past a vote on his future.

And he leaves us with the message this whole episode builds to: not everyone is called to foster, but everyone can do something. A meal for a struggling mom. A mowed yard. Video games with a teenager who's never had a dad show up. One person saying his name changed Peter's life. You can be that person for a kid in your town.

Peter also shares some news in this episode that he hadn't told anyone yet. You'll hear it around the 40-minute mark.

In this episode:

03:27 – Running away at age 10

08:23 – Five years as a street kid in Kampala

13:16 – "He said my name": the stranger who changed everything

24:04 – Rwanda and choosing to forgive his father

31:08 – Room makeovers: "once they gave me a bed, I began to dream"

37:51 – How to help foster kids without fostering

47:05 – Life as a single foster dad

About Peter:

Peter Mutabazi is a former street kid from Uganda, an international child advocate who has worked with World Vision, Compassion International, and the Red Cross, and the founder of Now I Am Known. He is a single adoptive and foster dad in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the author of Now I Am Known and Love Does Not Conquer All.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this powerful episode of Relentless Restart, Gail sits down with Joe, a former gang member who served 12 years in prison for attempted murder and emerged determined to transform his life. What follows is an extraordinary story of resilience, personal growth, accountability, and the relentless pursuit of becoming a better man.

Joe shares the painful realities of growing up in an abusive household after immigrating from Romania, the anger and trauma that shaped his early years, and how those experiences led him into gangs, violence, and ultimately prison. He opens up about the pivotal moment behind bars that forced him to confront the path he was on and decide whether he would die in prison or build a different future.

Through years of self-education, personal development, and discipline, Joe discovered the power of mindset, leadership, fitness, and personal responsibility. Today, he is a successful fitness coach, mentor, speaker, and entrepreneur helping others transform their lives both physically and mentally.

This conversation explores:

• Growing up with abuse and trauma

• Gang life and the road to prison

• The attempted murder conviction that changed everything

• Surviving maximum-security prison

• The books and lessons that transformed Joe's mindset

• Building a successful fitness business after release

• Personal accountability and overcoming self-limiting beliefs

• Fatherhood, forgiveness, and healing family relationships

• Why mindset is the foundation of success

• How anyone can rewrite their story

Joe's story is not about perfection. It's about taking ownership, refusing to stay trapped by the past, and proving that adversity does not have to define your future.

If you're struggling with setbacks, searching for purpose, rebuilding after failure, or looking for inspiration to take control of your life, this episode delivers practical wisdom and a powerful reminder that your past does not determine your future.

Subscribe for more conversations with people who have faced incredible challenges and created extraordinary comebacks.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.