Raul Baez was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. His early childhood consisted of massive traumatic experiences in a chaotic and dysfunctional family. At the age of thirteen, he dropped out of seventh grade and soon after embarked on twenty-six years of drug abuse. The addiction led to multiple incarcerations for a total of twenty-three years. Attempting to commit "suicide by cop" in a shootout with two NYPD police officers, he survived a barrage of bullets-thirty-two shots. In total, Raul had six near-death experiences. As a result of these events he faced over two hundred years in prison. He struggled with homelessness, depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. For all intents and purposes he should be dead or in prison for the rest of his life!
Raul unequivocally and unambiguously attributes his powerful transformation to his relationship with God. With a renewed mind, he was able to eradicate the values and belief system that subjugated him for decades. He eventually earned an associate's degree in real estate appraisal, a bachelor's degree in personal finance to better understand how money really works, and a master's degree in business. He started a Sole Proprietorship, an S-CORP, and a non-profit which are the genesis of
Set Your Thoughts Free
. He is fully passionate about his mission to equip individuals transitioning from prison with biblical principles, character development, and financial literacy. He has developed his program with various youth organizations, high schools, and multiple prisons in New York State and New England.
Raul illuminates that the battles that count aren't the ones for a gold medal. The struggle within and the fortitude to make the invisible visible is where you sculpt greatness. Your life is directly connected to the way you see yourself-your time, your money, your relationships, your vocation, your values, your beliefs, your expectations. Your reality is a true reflection of everything you see and feel on the inside. The book is a compass to get you from where you are now to where you want be in the future. Tomorrow does not have to look like today. Tomorrow is absolutely in your control based on the decisions you make in the now, today and thereafter.
Today, Raul lives in Rhode Island with his wife Odalys and owns multiple properties in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. He is a member of Getsemani Church and is also a member of the music ministry. Raul travels throughout the Northeast, committed to spreading God's word with his powerful testimony and the multiple curricula he has created in business, real estate, and character development.