Personal Journey
Otis Winstead is a survivor, servant-leader, and healing advocate whose life journey spans trauma, addiction, incarceration, and restoration. Raised in environments shaped by pain, instability, and unspoken wounds, Otis learned early how survival often replaces safety. Childhood trauma left lasting impressions that followed him into adulthood, shaping how he saw himself and the world.
In search of relief from unresolved pain, Otis fell into substance use that eventually developed into addiction. What began as an attempt to cope became a cycle that cost him relationships, freedom, and years of his life. His struggle led to long-term incarceration, where he spent nearly fifteen years in a maximum-security prison. Prison was both a place of punishment and profound reflection—forcing him to confront the roots of his trauma, the consequences of his choices, and the question of who he still had the potential to become.
