Ben Owen’s Post

Crossing the Rubicon: In the year 49BC, Julius Caesar made a decision that would shape world history, in every single way. And that decision was signaled, cemented, and reverberated across the world with the simplest of acts: A footstep. A single footstep. Followed by another. Then the steps of 5,000 soldiers following him as they marched towards Rome. By crossing the Rubicon River with an army under his command, legally speaking, he had started a civil war in the Roman Empire. He knew there was no turning back. No U-Turns. No “I’m jus’ playin’ yall.” No “whoops my bad.” He declared war on the Roman Empire, stepped into his destiny, and so his place in world history, with a single step. From that point forward, he only had two options: reach his full potential or face certain death. The consequences of a decision you’ve probably never heard of until just *now* have actually affected your entire life - you just didn’t know it. For centuries, we used the Julian Calendar, which he created after taking control of Rome. Even though it’s changed, every moment, every date of significance in your entire life has a name and number because one man chose to step across the Rubicon and into the unknown. Nearly ALL of western history was shaped by Caesar in one way or another. While not necessarily Caesarian in magnitude, every one of us faces our own Rubicon Rivers in life. Some good. Others horrendously tragic. For example - addiction. There was a point in that journey of abusing substances I could’ve stopped before becoming a junkie. At some point, I’d “crossed the rubicon,” and lost that power of choice in the matter. I had to finish marching that road to its necessitated end. Not the rubicon I want to be remembered for crossing. On the good side - when Jess and I returned to south Memphis, where we suffered, bled, nearly - and probably SHOULD have - died; we chose to step across a rubicon we’re proud to be remembered for. We walked back into hell together. We started amassing an army of our own to march with us. It was the single most terrifying decision we’ve ever made, but it’s the one that will leave the most impact on this earth when we’re gone. Carrying hope to the hopeless, taking war to the same evil that almost took us out, on the same streets where we once lost the battle to it. What’s your rubicon? You ready to cross it? What are the stakes? What does failure mean and what does victory look like?

Addiction blinds people to their own value. It tells them they're not good enough, that they're beyond hope, and convinces them that they have nothing to offer. But here at Gangland Express, we know that's a lie. We've seen firsthand how recovery can transform lives-how people who thought they were lost forever can rise up, not just to survive but to thrive. Our team is made up of those who've walked through fire— formerly homeless Veterans, addicts, gang members, survivors. They've all been in places where they didn't think they were good for themselves, let alone anyone else. But they fought, and now they're building, creating, and giving back in ways they never imagined possible. Every cutting board we make isn't just a product; it's a symbol of that fight, that journey from darkness to light. Gangland Express stands for more than just a business. We are a movement of second chances, showing that even when you don't believe in yourself, there's still hope. You are worthy, and your story isn't over yet. Join us in proving that recovery is possible and that everyone has a purpose. Shop Here and support that mission on the deadliest streets in America - https://lnkd.in/eVRY_FbF

How insane is it that we got invited to this? A motley crew of addicts, ex cons, and ne'er-do-wells who turned their lives around... What's even wilder? We keynoted the event. In front of MULTIPLE agencies that have arrested us, incarcerated us, pursued us... We DO recover! The War on Drugs is something we will NEVER prosecute our way out of, it's been an abject failure by every metric imaginable. I'm so grateful that we have attorneys general, district attorneys, and law enforcement agencies in Memphis that understand that. It's going to take a collaborative effort with the community, the legislature, the judiciary, the enforcement, and the system as a whole all working together to actually win that war. By working together to rehabilitate salvageable people, while ensuring truly bad actors are removed from our civil society, we WILL see a change in this city in short order. We may be the deadliest city in America today, but relationships like this are going to change that. Just watch!

Wanna hear some incredible rock bottom stories from folks who went on to change the world? Of course you do! I’ve got a series of interviews dropping with real life heroes who came from the bottom and rose against all odds to accomplish great things, yall join me at Patreon.com/BenOwen

We were asked to speak today at the West Tennessee Violent Crime and Drug Task Force luncheon as the keynote to close out a talk about how task force partnerships can help reduce problems like human and narcotics trafficking. We’ve taken many of the lessons we learned in Afghanistan and Ukraine and started applying them right here on the streets of America’s deadliest city in furtherance of a collective effort to shed Memphis of that dubious distinction - one of the most valuable lessons we learned in those efforts is the raw power of a public/private partnership that understands the importance of meeting people on their level. Garland told some of his story in a room full of cops, local, state and federal, elected officials, and state representatives - wrap your mind around that, and give this a listen!

Ain’t about where you’ve been as much as it is where you’re heading - use your past, your scars, your struggles, and especially your failures as building blocks and fuel to climb that mountain we call “purpose.” You’ll never look back with regret. If we can do it, literally anyone can. We came from the absolute bottom of the barrel.

I loved the night in this picture so much. Those girls wouldn’t be with their mama if it weren’t for this mission, and they wouldn’t have a father figure in their lives either. We do a whole lot more than we’re able to post about. And we could do a whole lot more if we had the funding.

There was a house I used to call “hell” on a street called Melrose in Memphis TN. I saw friends die in this house. I saw dreams die in this house. I saw hope die in this house. This house cost me my family, my home, my business, and ultimately, my freedom. It nearly cost me my life. I should have died in this house. Instead, I found rock bottom. I left Memphis in the rear view - for good, I thought. I got sober, I found recovery, I found hope, and I found purpose. I found myself called back to Memphis, back to that same street, in fact. I ended up shutting down the narcotics and human trafficking operation that had been run out of that house for a decade. I ended up owning that house. I ended up with an army by my side and we ripped that house to pieces and then rebuilt it for two women and two children to be reunited as a family in - women and kids whose lives were tragically altered by the very thing that house used to represent. I turned a dope house into a hope house. And then we turned the century old floorboards from that house - after a lot of processing and planing - into food safe serving boards, to be used or to be decorative - to help us fund repeating this exact same process on another street someone else once called “hell.” I’m dropping a link in comments to where you can get one and support this mission to take back the deadliest streets in America.