Page 25 - LifelineInaugural

The Motivation of Pain

Inside-Out: Story of converting pain into By: Willie Dawkins-Miller

purpose and prosperity
prison life to us; but not what prison did to him
“Pain in the eyes of my children because I had not rather what he did while in prison. “I prepared
in prison. I read a lot. I had time to think about
been there was a motivation for me.” what was and what should have been….I learned

to type 180 words per minute in prison. When I
How do you explain five years of not ever coming home, missing birthdays left prison, I left with my record in hand, but not in
and the first day of school? How do you explain Father’s Day at school heart. I left with credentials and credibility,” says
and your friends ask “you gotta a daddy?” After all they have never seen McKinnon. “I knew my credentials would speak
him in the five years that you have gone from kindergarten to 4th grade. for me, but my hard work would speak louder. I
How do you explain it? Eric McKinnon, a local entrepreneur and former had a mindset that if a door was shut and locked,
ex-offender says it was that pain in his children eyes that motivated him then I would just knock on another one, until a
to not give up no matter what, after five years of incarceration. door opened.”

McKinnon whose life has not been an easy one, admits that everything Thank God for a changed mind says McKinnon,
he has experienced was a result of choices. He admits the 5 years behind because he had resolved that whatever it took
bars was because of choices, and the success he is experiencing now to make it work on the outside, he was not going
is because of choices. The 15 minute interview was as if McKinnon back on the inside. His resolve manifested a
hit a rewind button, and then fast forward. He replayed a snippet of lion’s strength that was camouflaged in quiet
humility. He reunited with family, friends and
faith, which became his anchor for holding on
during the door closing experiences. He began
to establish alliances with people who could help
springboard him. “My current business partner
recently joined with me for this 2nd location.
Our experiences are similar but our values are
even more similar, our value for family, faith,
and financial accountability”. McKinnon, who
admits that his business success takes a lot of
hard work, and he has to balance it with giving
back to the community, taking care of his children
as a single father, and mentoring other children
and adults in the community, says “this is just
the beginning. As I am faithful over little I will be
provided even the more…..I am pleased to be a
mentor of men who are seeking another chance
at getting it right.”

McKinnon constantly sends a message to people
reentering society, “If the world don’t accept us,
we must build our own world of opportunities for
legitimate businesses, support mechanisms and
empowerment.”

Eric McKinnon, a changed man from the Inside-
Out.

Eric McKinnon is the owner of Leola’s Crab
Shack Restaurants, Tallahassee, FL. For more
information visit: leolacrabshack.com or their
New Location at 2790-4 West Tennessee Street.
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