Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Nowack.
Hi Josh, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
If you looked at my LinkedIn profile years ago, you’d have seen a pretty traditional path—CPA, Duke MBA, CFO roles, running a successful tax firm. I checked all the boxes. I was the guy people called when they needed help building or turning around a business.
But life doesn’t always stick to the script.
I went through a stretch where everything came undone—divorce, losing my home, heart surgery, and eventually incarceration. That chapter of my life reshaped everything. I got a front-row seat to how hard it is to rebuild when the system is stacked against you. It’s not just about getting a second chance—it’s about having access to one.
When I came home, I knew I had two choices: go back into finance and keep my head down… or use what I’d been through to build something that made life easier for the next person coming out. I chose the second.
Today, I’m the co-founder of Breaking Free Industries, a T-shirt printing company in Santa Ana that gives folks with records a fair shot at real employment. I’m also proud to serve as the Chief Development Officer and a board member at Inmates to Entrepreneurs, where I help people with criminal backgrounds start and grow businesses. For a lot of our folks, no one will hire them—so we teach them how to hire themselves.
Every time someone gets their first customer, their first check, or tells me they finally feel like they’re building a future—that’s the win. That’s why I do this.
My story isn’t unique. I just decided to stop running from it and start using it. I believe business ownership is one of the most powerful tools for dignity and freedom. And now, I spend every day helping others build that freedom for themselves.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not a smooth road—and I wouldn’t want to pretend otherwise. The truth is, the journey’s been full of hard lessons, sharp turns, and moments where I didn’t know how I’d make it through.
Before incarceration, I was doing well professionally—CPA, Duke MBA, CFO roles—but behind the scenes, my personal life was unraveling. Divorce, homelessness, and eventually major heart surgery all hit me at once. I went from being the person people relied on to someone trying to survive day to day.
And then came the lowest point: incarceration. That experience stripped away every label and title I’d ever held. Coming out, the road back wasn’t just uphill—it was stacked with barriers. Doors didn’t just stay closed—they slammed. I had to rebuild not only my livelihood, but also my sense of self-worth. You find out quickly how society treats people who’ve fallen, no matter how hard they’re trying to get back up.
Starting Breaking Free Industries and working with Inmates to Entrepreneurs gave me purpose again—but even that came with challenges. Funding a business when no one wants to take a chance on you, navigating stigma, earning trust back… those aren’t small hurdles.
But those struggles are exactly why I keep doing the work. Because I’ve lived what so many others are going through—and I want to be part of tearing down those walls for the next person trying to rise.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Through Breaking Free Industries, I run a T-shirt printing business that hires folks with records—people who are willing to work, but who’ve been shut out by employers who can’t see past a background check. We give them a paycheck, yes—but more than that, we give them a chance to rebuild their confidence and their future.
I also serve as Chief Development Officer and a lead instructor at Inmates to Entrepreneurs, where I teach people with criminal records how to start and grow their own businesses. Not theoretical, not fluff—real-world, practical tools they can use to earn income on their terms. I’ve taught workshops in prisons, halfway houses, and community centers, and I’ve seen firsthand what happens when someone realizes, “I can do this.”
What sets me apart? I’ve lived both sides. I’ve been the CFO with the corner office, and I’ve been the guy trying to figure out how to start over after incarceration. I speak from experience, not theory. That’s why people listen—because they know I’m not just teaching it. I’ve walked it.
What I’m most proud of is watching someone I’ve mentored go from feeling hopeless to running a business they built themselves. That transformation—that reclaiming of identity and agency—that’s the win.
At the end of the day, I’m not here to save anyone. I’m here to remind them they still have power, and that building something better is possible—even after the worst chapters of your life.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
I’m not sure if this is my favorite but the first one that came to mind was the 1986 Mets winning the baseball world series. Figure I’m 11 years old and baseball is my life. That team was wild and crazy and as an 11 year old I only new the rated G version of the team. But they were lots of fun to watch. We went to many games that year with my parents and my brother. The journey that year included an unsuccessful attempt at watching the Mets clinch the championship in Philly, but they were getting rid of their seats. So there were huge piles of discarded seats from the old Veterans Stadium. We might have helped ourselves to a few. But then when Buckner booted the ball in Game 6, and the Mets ultimately won-my family and I were absolutely ecstatic. Again – I don’t know if its my favorite one but it is the first to mind.
Pricing:
- On apparel, we offer custom apparel for shirts as low as $5 a shirt depending on what you’re doing
- Our inmates to entrepreneurs program is free
Contact Info:
- Website: breakingfreeindustires.com, inmatestoentrepreneurs.org
- Instagram: breakingfreebfi, inmates2entrepreneurs
- Facebook: Is anyone still on facebook? https://www.facebook.com/BreakingFreeBFI/ https://www.facebook.com/InmatesEntrepreneurs/
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joshua-nowack, https://www.linkedin.com/company/breakingfreebfi, https://www.linkedin.com/company/inmatestoentrepreneurs
- Twitter: Nah
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@inmatestoentrepreneurs
