Greg Lindberg Launches YouTube Channel To Share Lessons Learned During Wrongful Imprisonment
Few people can claim that they spent nearly two years in federal prison on a wrongful conviction and improved themselves because of it. Greg Lindberg, who received a seven-year sentence — later overturned — for bribing a state insurance commissioner in 2020, can honestly state that he feels grateful for the opportunities being in prison afforded him.
Lindberg wrote 633 Days Inside: Lessons on Life and Leadership, an insightful book about his experience. And now, he’s created a YouTube channel to further spread the wisdom he gleaned behind bars.
In his first video, he explains, “Hormesis is a fancy word for that which makes you stronger. We all know the concept of what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. But a lot of things, if done in excess, will kill you. Done in a moderate level, they will make you stronger. This is a key element of why my time inside was the single most positive, transformational experience of my life.”
Lindberg is equally grateful that the Fourth Circuit of Appeals overturned his sentence after he’d spent 21 months behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit. He had argued entrapment the entire time, and he still has the chance to prove his case when it hits the docket again in the spring of 2023. The Fourth Circuit judge saw ample proof that the lower court had violated Lindberg’s constitutional rights as related to the Fifth and Sixth Amendments, thus overruling his original conviction.
How Did a Successful Insurance Executive End Up in an Alabama Federal Prison?
From the outside looking in, it seems impossible that Greg Lindberg would face the accusations that ultimately sent him to prison. After all, he experienced success at nearly every venture he tried prior to this unfortunate series of events.
As a second-year student at Yale University, Lindberg created a medical newsletter that eventually evolved into a company known today as Global Growth. He continued to operate the business throughout college, expanding it further to Eli Global and later to Global Growth Holdings. Most people inside the industry admired Greg Lindberg for his hard work and tenacity.
In 2016, Lindberg was charged with attempting to bribe a public office in a case that mixed local politics and the FBI. Despite multiple irregularities in the case against Lindberg, he went to trial and a jury found him guilty.
Such news would devastate most people to the point they would never recover, but not Lindberg. He called upon the same tenacity that drove him to achieve business success to transform himself on a physical, spiritual, and intellectual level. Lindberg credits his great transformation to a process known as hormesis — a subject he shares in his book and on YouTube.
What is Hormesis?
Certain stressors and life situations can harm people when they experience them in large doses. However, these same pressures can make people stronger when broken down and tackled in smaller pieces. This is the definition of hormesis. The process is mostly biological as the body produces a favorable response to low levels of stressors and toxins.
Greg Lindberg gives the example of exposing himself to challenging mental and physical exertion, periodic fasting from all but water, and cold temperatures. He frequently went on fasts, took advantage of the prison’s weight room, and studied biological sciences as much as he could. What he learned from this experience is that people must seek out difficult and even painful challenges that ultimately make them fitter.
While Lindberg isn’t a doctor and isn’t sharing medical advice, he writes in 633 Days Inside, “Prison itself was a hormetic experience. Six hundred and thirty-three days in prison was in the ‘hormetic zone’ for me where the experience resulted in a biological and mental response that was favorable. If my prison time had been shorter — or a lot longer — this would likely have not been the case. “
Time in prison forced Lindberg to learn to focus in new ways. With limited access to email and no access to a smartphone, he had no choice but to work with pen and paper. Greg Lindberg found that slowing down to record his observations helped him become more in tune with them. Living the same routine day in and day out allowed him to master his tasks and schedule.
Greg Lindberg Learns Hard Lessons About Unequal Justice
Lindberg spent $50 million on his defense. Although he had the funds to do so, he received a seven-year prison sentence anyway. He realized how enormously privileged he was after spending nearly two years in federal prison.
Because some inmates he met didn’t have the resources he had, some fellow prisoners who claimed to be wrongfully accused had no choice but to accept a plea bargain despite believing they were innocent. These experiences had a profound effect on Lindberg and were the driving force behind launching a YouTube channel, writing a book, and starting a nonprofit organization for innocent prisoners.
What Can People Learn From Lindberg’s YouTube Channel?
Greg Lindberg launched a YouTube channel under his own name in September 2022. He has released the following videos thus far: “Fasting and Regeneration Through Hormesis,” “How the Justice System Really Works,” “Lessons Learned in Prison: The Art of Obeying and Learning to Commit to Your Values,” “Never Give Up the Fight: The Need for Criminal Justice Reform,” and “Overcoming Anxiety and Unlocking Your Inner Greatness.”
Lindberg hopes that hearing him speak about his experiences in his own words will inspire others who feel overwhelmed by their current circumstances. People need not be in literal prison to feel stuck in life, but Lindberg provides guidance to challenge limiting beliefs and move forward in life. Greg Lindberg’s deepest desire is that people will improve their health and take charge of the direction of their lives after watching his videos.
Greg Lindberg Helps the Inmate Population in Multiple Ways
Lindberg’s book 633 Days Inside: Lessons on Life and Leadership became available for purchase on Amazon on Sept. 18, 2022. He plans to make digital copies of the book available at no cost to people currently serving time in prison and their family members. Additionally, Lindberg has publicly stated that the companies operating under Global Growth Holdings will not automatically turn job applicants away due to a previous conviction.
In addition to his book and YouTube channel, Lindberg has launched a nonprofit called Investigating Justice to provide additional free or low-cost resources for the wrongfully imprisoned. His 633 days on the inside transformed his life, and Greg Lindberg has vowed to spend the remainder of his time on earth serving those whom society mostly overlooks.
“I would not trade my prison experience for anything,” Lindberg wrote. “Yes, I sorely missed my family and friends. But the experience was a necessary part of my character development and a necessary part of my life plan. “
