Holly Pasut’s life has been marked by soaring highs and devastating lows. For years she was a successful Charlotte real estate broker, specializing in luxury homes. Then it all came crashing down when she trusted a group of business professionals she had known for a very long time who were well respected in her industry. That trust got her involved in a mortgage fraud and money laundering case, which landed her in federal prison.
She had faced plenty of hardships before, including being widowed while caring for three young children. At times it all seemed like too much to bear, but Holly says her faith and innate toughness helped her pull through. Today, she is a speaker, writer, blogger, and life coach who challenges others to “find their inner joy” through her company, Freedom Speaker.
Almost 100 people were charged in this case, which was considered one of the country’s largest mortgage fraud cases. Holly was sentenced in 2013 for twenty-one months, and she reported to Alderson Federal Prison Camp in West Virginia. She was released after one year.
“The whole thing was a nightmare, and I have to live with it,” she said. “I have come home to a different world because I see things differently now.”
She did a lot of self-reflection in prison, including how her desire to please others led to some poor choices. She eventually decided to share her story, which gave rise to Freedom Speaker. “For so long I felt like I didn’t have a voice,” she said. “Now I can help people through their own struggles and let them know there is light at the end of the tunnel.”
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