From “Defeated” Father to Dual-Coast CEO: How Class 151 Saved a Dad’s Life and Reunited a Family

For three long years, Todd W. felt like a man running out of time. After exhausting every resource to locate his 10-year-old twins and facing constant hurdles with custody and child support, Todd was ready to walk away from his life in St. Louis. He had already secured a job transfer and housing in another state, convinced he wouldn’t see his children again until they were adults.

“I came to the realization that I wouldn’t have a relationship with my children until they were adults,” Todd recalls. “I was a week away from relocating to start over.” A chance encounter at a local gas station changed everything. Todd met FFSC Facilitator Darryl Colvin, who told him about the 6-Week Family Formation program. Todd decided to give the program one last chance. It was a decision, he says, that “saved my life.”

A Shift in Perspective
When Todd first enrolled in Class 151, he carried a heavy burden of resentment toward the mother of his children. He struggled with an “unapproachable demeanor” and deep-seated anger regarding the three years he spent separated from his twins. Through the program’s parenting curriculum and a transformative therapy session with FFSC’s Family Therapist, Todd began to heal. He realized that to be the father his children deserved, he had to let go of the past. “The therapy helped me release the deeply rooted anger,” Todd says. “I realized my children’s mother could only parent the way she knew how. I had to change my own communication and approach.”

The Reunion
Armed with new tools and a spirit of forgiveness, the breakthrough finally came. With help from his sister, Todd arranged a meeting at a local pizza place convenient for everyone. Seeing his twins for the first time in years was a moment of pure magic. “When my daughter saw me, she said, ‘You look like me,’ as she rubbed my face,” Todd remembers. “And for my son’s eyes to light up saying, ‘I have a dad’—it was one of the best moments of my life.”

Building a Legacy
With the support of the FFSC Legal Team, Todd successfully established a formal parenting plan. As of September 1, 2024, he and the children’s mother settled for 50/50 custody. Today, Todd is fully present in their lives—doing homework, reading together, and making up songs to make learning fun.
Todd’s transformation didn’t stop at home. Inspired by the program to flourish as a “new person,” he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications from UMSL in 2023. Today, he is a successful traveling actor and the founder of two talent agencies—Promote Talent Agency in St. Louis and Explore Talent Agency in Los Angeles.

The FFSC Impact

• Family Reunification: Successfully located and reunited with his 10-year-old twins after a 3-year separation.
• Legal Resolution: Worked with the FFSC legal team to move from “defeated” to a secured 50/50 joint custody agreement as of September 2024.
• Co-Parenting Growth: Overcame deep-seated resentment through therapy and parenting curriculum, transitioning to a healthy, communicative co-parenting relationship.
• Educational Achievement: Inspired by his journey to return to school, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communications (Public Relations/Theater) from UMSL in 2023.
• Economic Empowerment: Transformed his career from a potential relocation for survival into a thriving entrepreneur, founding two talent agencies (St. Louis and Los Angeles).
• Generational Impact: Actively breaking cycles by focusing on his children’s literacy and emotional growth to raise them as “successful individuals of this world.”