From Prison to Purpose: David Heppard on Healing, Humanity, and the Black Rose Collective
At age 16, David Heppard was sentenced to life in prison. He served 24 years. Today, he’s the co-founder of The Black Rose Collective, helping others heal and reenter society with dignity.
What does it mean to truly believe that your life still matters — even when the world has written you off?
This week on UnLost Cause, I had the privilege of sitting down with David Heppard, co-founder of The Black Rose Collective and one of the most powerful voices for healing and justice I’ve ever encountered. David was sentenced to life in prison at just 16 years old. He spent the next 24 years behind bars, carrying the weight of a system that told him — again and again — that he wasn’t worth saving.
But he didn’t stay there.
Instead, he made one of the most courageous decisions a person can make: he chose to heal.
“I didn’t change. I healed.”
This UnLost Cause community is filled with people over 40 who’ve asked themselves the same question David once faced: Is it too late for me to pursue what matters?
This episode is a resounding no. Not just because of what David endured, but because of how he emerged — not bitter, not broken, but brilliantly whole and deeply committed to serving others.
🌱 My Top 5 Moments from the Conversation (it was so hard with an incredible amount of amazing stories. Please share your favorites in the comments below).
1. The White Crow
David described the moment when a prison ministry couple looked at him not as a criminal, but as a human being. That empathy shattered decades of internalized shame.
“If you’ve only seen black crows, you assume all crows are black. But if you see just one white crow… you can never unsee it.”
2. Brick by Brick
Without knowing if he’d ever get out, David structured his days around an 8-hour investment in himself — studying, journaling, reflecting. He built his future one small, deliberate act at a time.
“Success isn’t a destination. It’s how you show up in this moment.”
3. The Inner Critic as a Signal
David flipped the script on self-doubt by treating it not as a truth-teller, but as a messenger of unhealed pain.
“That disrespectful voice in your head — that’s not the real you. That’s your trauma trying to get your attention.”
4. Reentry and Reciprocity
When David returned home, he didn’t just rebuild his own life — he became a son, husband, godfather, and community builder. He even cared for his ailing father in his final days, bringing their relationship full circle.
“I gave up on myself. But love had a longer memory.”
5. Founding The Black Rose Collective
Born out of both personal loss and professional disillusionment, The Black Rose Collective is David’s vehicle for healing others. It offers reentry support, systems change, and something rarer — hope with accountability.
“People don’t need to be fixed. They need an environment where their brilliance can grow.”
🌿 For the UnLost Cause Community
David’s story is your reminder that healing is not a solo act — it’s a collective process.
We often talk about self-help, self-discovery, and personal reinvention. But what if the real path forward is community healing? What if the things we most regret — the things that feel like lost causes — are actually opportunities to reconnect with our shared humanity?
“When you reconnect with your own humanity, you create space for others to do the same.”
Whether you're trying to launch a business at 50, rebuild a relationship, or just believe in yourself again — David’s story is a mirror and a map. You are not broken. You are already enough. You are not too late.
You’re exactly where you need to be to start building — one brick at a time.