About

Our journey has been anything but ordinary. Through every step, we've focused on staying true to our values and making space for thoughtful, lasting work.

Fifty First Street isn’t just a business—it’s a reflection of what we believe in. We’re here to create work that matters, led by our Faith in God.

The Day the System Broke Us

He turned around, looked at his mother, his father, and me sitting in the front row of the Norwalk Court, and whispered, “I’ll be OK.”

That is who Brett is. Someone who always puts the people he cares about first.

But that day, he was chained like an animal. His arms were locked tightly around his waist, and his ankles were shackled together. His crime? Possession of the very medication his doctor had prescribed him for severe shoulder pain. A successful Arborist. A family man with two young boys, Brett was handed a $7 million bond and a 12-year prison sentence. A first-time, non-violent offender, sent to slaughter. Ultimately, spending 25 years behind bars—never violent, yet housed alongside some of the most vicious offenders in Maximum Security Prison in Suffield, CT.

I remember sitting there completely devastated, wondering: Who are we? Who have we become? How could an entire town—Westport, Connecticut, one of the wealthiest communities in America—turn its back on us?

It was intentional. Driven by our government.

The System isn’t Broken—The System Works Exactly as it was Designed to

Look at Kensington, Pennsylvania, home to one of the largest open-air drug markets in the United States, fueled by a deep-rooted, synthetic drug crisis. Look at the open-air markets beginning to raise alarms in New York City, or Skid Row in Southern California. 

Intentional Neglect.

Now, look at the reality of modern pain management. Because the system has made us deathly afraid of becoming "one of them," doctors and/or managers now substitute controlled substances—which we know work beautifully for severe pain—with NSAIDs, even after major surgeries that simply do not work, creating entirely new health crises from their toxic side effects. We don't have to look far to see that it is all about profit.

I distinctly remember visiting a friend in the hospital when first responders wheeled a patient down the corridor. She was screaming bloody murder. The social worker turned to me and casually said, “Don’t worry about her, she’s just in pain.”

“Just in pain!" What?

After surviving prison, Brett required multiple surgeries after contracting an infection from someone with tuberculosis in prison, and tragically lost three vertebrae. Right in front of my eyes, a pain management staff worker stripped away the exact medication his physician had prescribed him.

I had seen enough. And we wonder why there is a $154 billion demand for illicit drugs in America—a demand the cartels are more than happy to meet. 

Intentionally Engineered.

We Were Fooled. But God…

If we look closely enough the dots connect themselves. We have been sold for destruction and annihilation and slaughter. We have been led to believe we can trust our government to do what is right, while blindly disregarding an entire demographic because "nothing can be done for them anyway." As our culture gradually shifts into moral decay weakening our ability to discern right from wrong.

I have spent a lifetime discerning who I can truly trust. And, unapologetically, I remain obedient to Him.  So as we enter the 56th year of this failed War on Drugs, I suggest we finally face the truth with courage, let go of our fear, and Trust God. Acknowledge the intentional indoctrination of our children, the systemic intention to break up the nuclear family and remind ourselves with conviction that our government is supposed to serve us.

To save our children and grandchildren, we only need to look to Jesus and His purpose for Brett—at his courage to face the truth, his refusal to give up, and his journey to heal by his Faith in God. Then, look at alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, and gambling. They are all decriminalized, legalized, regulated, and—through proper education—managed without societal destruction.

The Simple Truth

Change begins with vision. Fifty First Street steps in with its vision to create grounded, purpose-driven lives. By offering real alternatives, we provide new opportunities to the very individuals who might otherwise be systematically funneled into supplying the illicit drugs for the cartels.

By finding the courage to love one another again, the power shifts. Who then must serve us?

Who then is also out of business?

Entirely intentional. But this time, entirely intentional-by us.