An Interview With Edward Sylvan
Out of the Tunnel has so many stories that a person can look at from any walk of life and be able to identify with some part of it, and thereby get the inspiration, “If this guy can do it, I can too.” Anyone who has ever gone through poverty, homelessness, rejection, abandonment, health challenges, loss of love, friendship, or money, this book is for them. Anyone who feels like they don’t have the answers or have nowhere to turn can find guidance in this book.
As part of my series about “authors who are making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Marvin Peake.
Rising from the depths of hardship, homelessness, and extreme poverty to the heights of financial freedom and triumphant success, Marvin Peake beat the odds to become a highly sought-after Speaker, Philanthropist and Entrepreneur.
Author of the upcoming, highly anticipated book Out of the Tunnel, Peake’s diverse solutions-oriented experience includes serving in both the military and FBI, as well as developing national non-profit organizations that provide housing, employment, training, personal development, and other life-sustaining resources to those citizens who are left behind and marginalized in America.
In addition to being an entrepreneur, financial advisor, and philanthropist, Peake is an international public speaker and personal and business development strategist who has toured worldwide as both a featured speaker and Platinum Partner with Tony Robbins.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
Thank you very much for having me; I truly appreciate it.
I grew up homeless in some of America’s less than desirable inner cities — living through incessant poverty, hustling the streets, and going in and out of no less than a dozen different schools. Life on the streets teaches you to never get settled. From a very young age, I was exposed to rampant violence, crime, alcohol and drugs, gambling, pimping, and prostitution. Odd as it may seem, this unspeakable experience brought me an invaluable education.
I remember former President Obama saying poor boys like me, without a father at home, had one in two chances of ending up in the criminal justice system, with an even higher chance of falling victim to a violent crime.
Well, there was a zero chance for me, because I grew up without a mother or father, nor even a home. How I avoided ending up in the criminal justice system or becoming a victim of a violent crime still shocks me to this day.
As a young person moving from city to city, homeless shelter to foster care, I spent most nights sleeping in cars, abandoned buildings, or on the streets — anywhere that I could lay my head down and get some rest. I go into much greater depth and storytelling in my book Out of the Tunnel, but I can tell you that it was a remarkable way to come of age. Growing up homeless, I had to develop certain skills like creativity and innovation that impacted the rest of my life.
When you were younger, was there a book that you read that inspired you to take action or changed your life? Can you share a story about that?
Yes. There were many books that I read when I was younger, but the first book that really inspired me was The Autobiography of Malcolm X. I remember sitting down with it one New Year’s Eve and reading it all night long. I just couldn’t put it down.
The next pivotal book I received was from a dear friend of mine; it was The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra. Reading it absolutely changed my life growing up. It led me to an entirely different understanding of life itself, one that began to open me up to my purpose and my understanding of people. I began to understand how connected I was to everyone around me — how we are ultimately One, and how we are constantly in a balance and an exchange of light and love, giving and receiving.
I began to utilize these principles as Mantras — not spoken Mantras, but those that you practice and live by. Especially given my upbringing, the Law of Giving spoke to me. Deepak discusses the idea of never going to anyone’s house without a gift. So, any time I was invited or arrived unannounced to someone’s home when I was a child, I would always have something to give. I still practice that to this day. It really sets the tone and opens the person up to receive more. They get a greater appreciation, and sometimes it would even allow me to stay a little bit longer!
Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or take away did you learn from that?
I’ve made loads of mistakes — I don’t know how funny they are! (Laughs.) But it’s funny you mention that question. I was talking to someone just last night about the difference between a mistake and a wrong. A mistake is an unintentional departure from what is right. That is something that is inevitable as long as we are here in this physical world. Challenge is inevitable, and with those challenges, there will be unintentional departures from what is appropriate and right. But wrong is an intentional departure from what is right. I think that’s how we distinguish good from evil. When we choose to do something intentionally knowing it’s not the appropriate behavior but we will persist in it anyway, that is wrong. I’ve learned over the years as I’ve grown and evolved to reduce my wrongs and to reduce those unintentional departures that we call mistakes.
To dive a little bit deeper, people get their sense of right and wrong from their conditioning, the way they’ve grown up, their practices, disciplines, and way of life. As humans, we have a tendency to think our way is the right way, our way is the only way. It falls into the category of this illusion of separation. Me against you. Them against us.
I always tell people to look at everything as mathematics. We may use different formulas or practices, but we are all going to the eventual destination. When we can recognize, and open ourselves up with a greater awareness that there are differences that we can learn to appreciate and love in others, then we are a little slower to judge that person’s formula.
When we get to the point we want to refute and disparage someone else’s 6 and 1 because our 5 and 2 is the only way, that’s when we start to enter into an intentional departure from what is right and appropriate, from what is harmonizing, from what unifies us.
Can you describe how you aim to make a significant social impact with your book?
Absolutely. My book, Out of the Tunnel, is filled with incredible stories — some horrific, some inspirational. It is full of breakthroughs. Most of my friends from my childhood got caught up in selling drugs, and either went to jail or are sadly now dead. Some are still living on the streets to this day. I could have easily gone that way.
Out of the Tunnel has so many stories that a person can look at from any walk of life and be able to identify with some part of it, and thereby get the inspiration, “If this guy can do it, I can too.” Anyone who has ever gone through poverty, homelessness, rejection, abandonment, health challenges, loss of love, friendship, or money, this book is for them. Anyone who feels like they don’t have the answers or have nowhere to turn can find guidance in this book.
Because this book will be an inspiration, a tool that readers can use to unplug the subconscious programming that helps precipitate homelessness, poverty, setbacks, loss, or loneliness. This book will help to inspire and ignite the knowledge that we are operating something in our subconscious that’s not working for us. There is something that has to shift.
I share stories as well as strategies to make this transformational shift forward.
I won’t give away all of the strategies now, but I will say that I am no longer in poverty, broken, hurt, or lonely. I have transmuted a heavenly experience into my present living, and my book is there to help folks experience that as well.
Can you share with us the most interesting story that you shared in your book?
One of the most interesting stories from my book is a dialogue I had with Tony Robbins. I toured with him as a featured speaker for over five years. We were in Maui at a relationships conference, and my life was in turmoil. I was going through the motions with a fake smile, but I was suffering incessantly on the inside.
Tony somehow saw through the pleasantries and pulled me aside. He said the following words to me, which I have never forgotten:
“When I first met you, I knew you would be King. You had King written all over you. The problem is, you were a late Prince at best with a King’s lifestyle. Most men will never get to where you are. And those that do will die before they bear the crown. I know the turmoil you’re in, it’s the closest thing to death. But you are not alone, and I will not let you die until you bear your crown.”
I didn’t know what to make of his remarks. There was someone nearby who was ear-hustling, and he said to me, “He’s talking to you about being in the Tunnel.” I thought to myself, what Tunnel? What is he talking about, and the biggest question, how the heck do I get out?
That’s when I studied the work of Stages of Development of Manhood, and Stages of Development of Womanhood with Tony, Alison Armstrong and others. I began to recognize what was happening with me. What I did not connect yet was the subconscious programming I mentioned, which works hand in hand with these systems of thought. That concept was given to me later with my studies with others, one being Dr. Joe Dispenza.
When I learned about this I recognized I was solely responsible for my reality and my experiences.
My subconscious mind was telling me, “If I were to check out of here, who would really care?” But there was also this divine spirit that’s in each one of us saying, “You have more to give. There’s a greater expression of you that the world did not have before you came.”
I’ve done so much in this lifetime — I’ve amassed riches, access, and material possessions, I’ve traveled and had incredible experiences, but I was never happy. For the first time in my life, I’m really, truly happy, because I control what my life is going to be like. I know how to create my own reality, I know how to draw in my experiences. If something doesn’t align with me, I don’t negotiate with it. I send it off with love and keep moving. That’s an empowered way of living.
What was the “aha moment” or series of events that made you decide to bring your message to the greater world? Can you share a story about that?
The book actually came to be because I was divinely manipulated into doing it. I initially fought the idea. There were so many reasons to give up and quit or go the other way. In fact, one of my favorite authors, Laura Day, was one of the first people to challenge me to make this a reality.
She told me, “You have a story to tell, and the world needs to hear from you. I know why you’ve never told it before. You wanted to protect yourself and those around you. It’s very noble of you, but it’s also selfish. The world will continue to suffer until you tell this story. If you don’t, I will consider you selfish.” That statement shook me to my core, and was the first time anyone called me selfish! What I heard was a challenge, and I decided to move forward with it even through my resistance.
So, I put myself on a regimen and course to get out of this experience called the Tunnel. First and foremost, it was my aim to build myself back up economically and financially. I had amassed so much money and riches and I saw it dwindling down to nothing. I had begun to panic at this point.
I went through a deep effort of reprogramming my thinking, consciousness, and vibration. I was meditating, doing Tai Chi, and on this serious regimen of spirituality and aligning myself with my soul’s purpose. I was making the effort to find something joyful and something good and meaningful to live for every day. I was journaling, talking to myself, creating all kinds of tools for self-improvement. I even created my own commercial to reprogram my brain with the combined positive accomplishments of my past and hopes of my future.
I was not looking for a relationship during this time, but I ended up having a chance encounter and meeting a beautiful woman who I clicked with right away. We decided we would be together.
I go into further depth in the book, and there are some captivating stories about this time period. But suffice it to say, I was ready to be with this person forever, to devote myself to her and to our journey together.
However, she ultimately broke the promises she made to me. I tried to explain to her that difficult times are bound to come. Again, I go into more detail in the book, but losing her after committing to her so deeply was a major disruption, and a serious breakdown I did not see coming in my journey to get out of the Tunnel. When that happened, I took it so hard that I wound up in the hospital for the first time in my life. I’ve always been the pillar of health — I work out every day and have always been an athlete. I can count on my hand how many times I’ve had a cold since childhood.
I found myself in the hospital from an ear issue, and suddenly the nurse was checking my heart. She said to me, “You have spikes in your heartbeat when it’s supposed to be smooth. We need you to go to the emergency room right away.” This was a week after the breakup.
I rushed to the hospital, where they put me in a room and began hooking me up to machines. I was terrified. My heart started jolting and then stopping. I laid in that hospital bed and I wept. I wept because, out of all the things I have gone through in my life, I have always prevailed and it has never affected my health. I was angry with myself and hurt. I was experiencing emotional, psychological, and now physical pain. I took my phone out and, in the notes, I began to finally write my book.
Without sharing specific names, can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
I created a national non-profit helping military families and veterans, with a specific emphasis on homeless veterans. Instead of getting people from under the bridge and cardboard boxes and forcing them to go into self-sufficiency, I made my programs available for those who wanted to help themselves.
I was not going to waste their time, my time, and the taxpayers’ dollars forcing anyone to be independent if that wasn’t their choice. Everyone has a life’s curriculum that must be fulfilled. Some people come here to do exactly what they’re doing. Any time we try to force someone to do something because our reality says, “You shouldn’t be out here on this street,” that goes back to our own conditioning, and has nothing to do with their cosmic calling. I will not force you to leave homelessness. I will make it accessible when you’re tired of sleeping on the ground.
I opened up a center to give people temporary housing. We turned it into a hotel-style complex with Wi-Fi, DirectTV, and three chefs serving wholesome meals. We offered health services, education, wellness activities, exercise, a business center, and conference rooms. Everything was laid out for their success. To access it, they had to take part in personal development — occupational training, job hunting, business training, and entrepreneurship. We would set folks up with their own case managers, and we would bring in dynamic speakers in every field to help these people reach self-sufficiency and independence.
Everyone who went through my program had 30 days to grow in personal power. If they had a broken family, we would help them reconnect with their children or loved ones. In the end, everyone we provided service to was obligated to serve the community themselves in some capacity. They would sign a strict contract with us and if they broke anything in the contract, they would have to go. Once they started working, I would take a portion of their income to get them used to pay bills. But I never kept that money.
I believed so much in self-sufficiency and independence for those who wanted to give their expression to the world. I knew these marginalized people just needed opportunity and access. What they didn’t know was that the money they paid me each month went into Escrow accounts we set up for them. So, when they graduated from my program — with permanent housing and employment, new bank accounts, credit repair, and reunited in some capacity with the family they had been estranged from — the money they gave us that they thought was rent was actually given back to them.
My goal was to give people what I would have wanted in my past. Not a handout, but a chance of opportunity and access. I was able to live vicariously through those people and be who I would have wanted someone to be for me, for them. I wanted them to understand resilience and determination. I wanted to teach them to take any measure of success they’ve ever had in their life, and build upon it. To use that formula on every other aspect that’s giving them a challenge. We were there to inspire them along the way. I made sure my trainers and case managers with me were upstanding people with high morals and character, who were deeply dedicated to the lives of these individuals.
One of the non-profits I created was the national ecumenical conglomerate of faith, community, and business entities. Comprised of Christians, Jews, Hindus, Native Americans, Muslims, and Buddhists, all of us worked together as one, with the common goal to go out into the world and help those who are less fortunate than us. We understood that we were co-missioned under a Love Covenant — all faiths came together to serve military families, non-custodial fathers, single mothers, troubled youth, and senior citizens. The government played an interesting role in this process and I go into more juicy detail in the book.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
First, it is so important to recognize that the life force that runs through me and you is the same. There’s not a separate one. Plants, the animals, and everyone around us share the same life force.
Those that are suffering or looked over are people who have something unique to give the world. We are robbing them and ourselves of receiving that expression. So instead of marginalizing and separating ourselves from them, why don’t we engage them? Not by giving a handout, but by creating access and opportunities so people can thrive.
I would ask the government and those in leadership in society to be more responsible in their inclusion of everyone. Meaning not condemning people or setting them aside as unworthy to reach their true potential.
I also just don’t want us to so easily give up on each other. We have this quit culture wherein we can abandon each other so easily. We should have more understanding, mercy and grace. There is no love if there isn’t Unconditional Love.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
Leadership is about access, an expansion, an opening, a doorway, so to speak, into something larger. A leader empowers others with a vision, and that vision impacts people wholly willingly to take it on and make their own until it comes to fruition. There are many components that go into making a great leader.
The first act of leadership is responsibility. Leadership is selflessness, it’s loyalty. It’s self-accountability. It’s authenticity. In a lot of cases it will include vulnerability. You can’t be a leader and be inauthentic at the same time.
Leadership is given to those willing to take the mantle for the betterment, the interest, the protection, the growth, and the guidance of others. Leadership is not for those who want to dictate, pass on orders and have other people do things while they sit back and watch. A lot of politicians will do that. They’re good at talking, but when it comes to showing up and serving, they can fall short.
As a kid, I would always see the heads of churches driving up in big fancy cars, with nice clothes and nice homes, while the masses in the church were just getting by. I said to myself that if I ever reached that level as a leader, I would make sure everyone could experience the comforts I have.
That philosophy is how I operated my own businesses. If I found out that someone working with me was broke, drowning in debt, or struggling to make ends meet, I would ask them to lay it all out, and we would develop a plan together towards getting out of debt, saving, investing, and growing to have a positive impact on their family and community. If I’m a leader here to eradicate poverty on this planet, I can’t be impoverished, and neither can you. If you have a good heart and talent and want to be a part of my company, we take care of you first so that you can take care of other people. Because you are a reflection of me.
Again, it’s about what I would want someone to do for me if I was in their shoes. So I took care of folks so they could take care of themselves, and so they could take care of other people as well.
I also always take to heart that wonderful Maya Angelou quote, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” That’s what leadership is about, too. Getting the best out of individuals not by forcing, manipulating and controlling them. It’s about communicating with love, and it requires kindness, respect, and courtesy to bring out the best in people.
I heard someone say recently, “If you want to know how someone will treat you- pay attention to look at the way they treat others. The way they treat others will show you that at some point, your turn will come.” When something doesn’t go someone’s way, some people will find a way to be disrespectful, arrogant, and egoic. A great leader will instead be kind and loving to every individual.
What are your “Five things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
- I’ve heard this expression so often, but now I truly understand what this means — “this too shall pass.” Because everything is constantly moving, shifting and changing, whatever we are going through is impermanent. If we can observe from outside of ourselves- recognizing that this is just an experience making its way through our life’s curriculum and not allowing ourselves to get caught up in the fear of things or attachment to things- we could end our suffering or avoid it altogether.
- Another thing is understanding suffering itself is a choice, it is not ordained. We did not come here to suffer. We are often in survival mode that comes from early life conditioning. We want to protect ourselves from suffering. But it’s all an illusion. If someone had told me that, I would have seamlessly gone through some of the things that I suffered with.
- Another piece of wisdom is learning to honor that each individual has their own expression. Everyone doesn’t have to think and be like me. Everyone won’t have my background. That doesn’t make me less than or more than the other person. I can learn to glorify the differences and see the beauty in them, because that will help me to grow as well. There are no two flowers that are exactly the same. In fact, when we go to a flower garden, we look at all the colors, shapes, sizes, and fragrances. We are overwhelmed with the beauty of their diversity. Only in humanity are we so strict about what divides and differentiates us. I’ve experienced loads of discrimination, many times because I didn’t fit in someone’s culture. How many times do we miss a gift and opportunity in others because we won’t give them an opportunity to express the gifts they have? If someone gives you a gift and you don’t recognize wrapping paper, would you just throw it away without looking inside?
- Another piece of knowledge is that receiving is the gift that you give to the giver. I found myself always wanting to give. Part of that came from my paradigm in conditioning wherein I had to earn everything I got. So if you would give me a meal, or allow me to sleep on your couch or floor, I needed to do something for you. I was operating a subconscious program because I wanted something in return. So when folks tried to give me something, I would subconsciously feel that I was somehow obligated to them. Now I understand that all of us have a Karmic bank, and some have surpluses and some have deficits. If we want to ward off some of the deficit and have a surplus in our Karmic bank, sometimes it requires giving. If you are giving to me and I refuse you, that would be an act of selfishness on my part. Giving and receiving are two sides of the same coin. Our very breathing denotes that fact. A person cannot continue to exhale if they’re not taking an inhale. This applies to people who want to receive all the time. At some point, they will have to lose something. It also goes for those that want to keep giving; they won’t have anything to give if they’re not open to receiving. There is a perfect balance in nature- even the cells in our body are in this dynamic of exchange. The blood flows through a cell, takes what it needs, and passes it on to the next cell. There is not one cell that hoards the blood for itself or won’t receive any so it can give to the rest. We are bodies in cells of the earth, giving and receiving. So now I practice this awareness of the balance of giving and receiving. If someone gives something to me, I will take it whether I want it or not, and I will say thank you! We give others a gift by receiving their offerings.
- Another thing I would share with my younger self is that everything is energy. Everything is light and vibration. There is no such thing as lack. There is an abundance of energy. Money is only energy and it is constantly transferable. Currency is the name we give to money. The root of currency is current. Current is also energy, or electricity. It also means this present moment. In every present moment, there is energy that is transferable and can be transmuted into the form of money at any time. Before something can come from a physical form into matter, it starts as energy, imagination, and consciousness. This idea is about being conscious and intentionally harnessing energy. Energy seeks its own kind. So whatever vibration I am seeking, I go into that energy. I feel the emotion I want to attract, and that energy itself sends a signal out into the ether and begins to form itself to become my reality. I go into very specific techniques for harnessing energy and creating your reality in Out of the Tunnel. Here’s an example: I have a technique called the ‘Amazon Effect’ that I detail step-by-step in the book. It’s like putting orders into Amazon. We look at what we want on Amazon, find it, and see it, which helps to enhance the imagination. We put it into our cart, which already has our information in it, and we hit submit. We don’t have the item yet, but somehow with Amazon we know we’re going to get it. We don’t even worry about it. We need to practice this level of faith and attraction with the universe.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I have a lot of those! I’ll give you this one. “There has never been a horse that couldn’t be rode, nor a jockey that could not be thrown.” My uncle shared that quote with me when he saw me ready to quit on a pool game, when I thought I was going to lose.
It doesn’t matter how good or great you think you are, there’s always someone who on a particular day may just be a little better than you. But you shouldn’t allow that to keep you from getting back on the horse. No matter how difficult or seemingly impossible something is, there’s never been a horse that couldn’t be rode. It may buck and buck, but whatever it takes, at some point you will be able to ride it. But also, don’t get on that horse and think you’re so high and mighty that you can’t be thrown. Don’t give up, stay with it; but when you get there, don’t get too proud and mighty or arrogant, because you could be thrown.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
There are a couple! I will start with the singer Sting. A friend of mine who was at Harper Collins said, “Marvin, I had a song you need to listen to, this song actually spells out your story.” The song “It’s Probably Me.” It speaks about how the singer has been through so much — poverty, homelessness, loss of friendship and support. The question always came back: who will be there to support, to help? “I hate to say it, I hate to say it, but it’s probably me.” Woah! If I could talk with Sting, I would love for him to either do the book’s foreword or endorse it.
I got a chance to spend a few days with Michael Jordan in Paris, and I would like to sit down with him again. He leads by his example of determination, the will to win, never give up, and to not be afraid to fail.
Others I would love to sit down with are Meryl Streep and Leonardo DiCaprio. Streep, who is in the same vein as Katherine Hepburn and Ingrid Bergman, is the absolute best. The way she embodies characters and brings them to life takes great imagination, and there’s a lot I could learn from her. I would ask her how she makes that shift into a character. If she can do that in acting, I could learn how to be more effective in teaching people to imagine and physicalize their intentions by using the methodology that this great actor uses when she plays those characters. Leo is also outstanding and powerful as an actor. His commitment to every role that he plays is extremely impressive.
Another would be the great Stevie Wonder, who I think is the greatest poet who ever lived. If you go back and listen to his songs and read his lyrics it will blow your mind. There are mysteries and surprises in the lyrics of his songs that most people don’t even notice, because it’s so easy to get carried away in the beauty of the music.
The last person is Manoj Bhargava. He is the Founder of 5-hour ENERGY. The story is that he was working in the tech world and needed to stay awake, but coffee wasn’t doing it anymore. So he took his earnings and hired scientists to come up with a concoction. He put it on the market and made billions. He asked himself what to do with all of that money, he didn’t need it all. He understood that there was suffering in the world, so he rehired scientists to come up with equipment people could use to produce their electricity and clean water. I encourage everyone to watch his Billions in Change video, it’s incredibly inspiring. I would love to sit down with that man!
How can our readers further follow your work online?
- You can preorder Out of The Tunnel book by visiting: www.MarvinPeake.com
- Follow us on social media @TheMarvinPeake
- High-res Photos- to be provided by Marvin
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
Social Impact Authors: How & Why Marvin Peake of ‘Out of the Tunnel’ Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.