Finn's Big Show

Ok… before you read Brett's newest letter about The Fantastic Mr. Finn and a prison chapel full of people fighting back tears 🥹💛

I wanted to quickly share a few of my recent lash and brow transformations.

One of the things I've come to love most about this little business is that it's really not about lashes and brows at all.

It's about helping women feel SEEN.

It's about helping someone walk past a mirror and smile.

It's about helping a tired mom, a hardworking woman, or someone carrying a heavy season feel beautiful, confident, and cared for.

And honestly...

that's why Brett's newest letter touched me so deeply.

Because at its core, this story is about a man named "The Kingpin" who felt forgotten for years...

until a dog named Finn reminded him that he was still seen.

Still loved.

Still valuable.

Still worthy.

If you've been following our family's journey for a while, then you already know this season has stretched me in ways I never expected.

But this little lash and brow business has become one of God's sweetest provisions.

Every appointment, every referral, every share, and every encouraging message helps me provide for Cambria, Willow, Lula, and Zion while Brett is away.

I am working incredibly hard to continue building my clientele and create stability for our family after a very long season of uncertainty.

So if you (or someone you love) has been thinking about a Korean Lash Lift, Lash Tint, Brow Lamination, or Brow Tint, I would absolutely LOVE to serve you. 🤍

And the best part?

I come to you 😉

📱 Text me at 714-210-9014 for pricing, availability, or questions.

And if you're walking through a difficult season right now, I just want to remind you of something:

You are seen.

You are loved.

And your story is not over.

Alright... enough about lashes and brows 💛

Go read Brett's newest letter about The Fantastic Mr. Finn, "The Kingpin," and the beautiful reminder that every human heart longs for the same thing:

To be seen.

To be known.

And to be loved anyway.

LOVE ALWAYS WINS. 💛


Finn's Big Show

Prison Staff: "Does anyone here have a special story they would like to share about any of the dogs here today?"

The Kingpin: "I have something I'd like to say..."

The moment those words left my barbed wire brother's mouth, our tiny prison chapel grew unusually quiet.

You could feel it.

Inmates in government-issued khakis stopped fidgeting in their seats.

Correctional officers carrying handcuffs around their waists looked up from the walls they were leaning against.

Visitors from the "free world" shifted forward in anticipation.

Everyone knew "The Kingpin" wasn't the type of man who typically stood up in front of a crowd and shared his feelings.

Yet there he was...

slowly rising to his feet.

The Kingpin continued:

"I've been locked up in federal prison for close to 20 years, and honestly, I've felt like a worthless piece of crap the entire time."

The room went silent.

Then my barbed wire brother looked over toward The Fantastic Mr. Finn.

"But the day I met Finn something changed in me."

I immediately felt tears forming in my eyes.

Because I knew exactly what he was trying to say.

You see...

The Finn Man has this extraordinary ability to look straight through a person's shame and somehow remind them who they really are.

Not who prison says they are.
Not who their past says they are.
Not who their mistakes say they are.

Who they REALLY are.

Cherished sons, fathers, husbands, and brothers.
Valuable souls.
People worthy of love.

This past Wednesday, inmates wearing government-issued khakis, prison staff carrying metal handcuffs around their waists, and casually dressed people from the "free world" all piled into our tiny prison chapel to watch Finn's Big Show.

Getting the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to show off The Fantastic Mr. Finn and hear firsthand how he has impacted so many lives around our concrete compound is a memory I will carry with me forever.

Hearing criminals, correctional officers, and law-abiding citizens all cheer for my future superhero service dog made the prison walls surrounding me simply melt away.

For one brief afternoon...

we weren't inmates.
We weren't staff.
We weren't visitors.

We were just people.

People celebrating love.
People celebrating hope.

People celebrating a dog who somehow manages to heal hearts everywhere he goes.

BUT...

My favorite part of Finn's Big Show wasn't watching him perform, or hearing the applause.

It wasn't seeing all the tricks he's mastered, even though that is beyond impressive!

My favorite part BY FAR was listening to The Kingpin.

Because somehow...

someway...

The Fantastic Mr. Finn found a way to LOVE this forgotten inmate back to himself.

When Finn looks into the hurting eyes of The Kingpin, he doesn't see a hardened criminal who has spent decades behind bars.

NOPE...

My talented pup with big floppy black ears looks deep into that grizzled gaze and sees a hurting man covered in shame who desperately needs to be reminded he is still loved.

Still valuable.
Still worthy.
Still seen.

Then came the words that absolutely wrecked me.

The final words of The Kingpin's testimony.

With tears in his eyes, he pointed across the room and said:

"You see that dog laying over there?"

The entire audience turned toward Finn.

"That's my guy..."

The Kingpin paused.

Then softly added:

"The Finn Man SEES ME."

And just like that...

I was ugly crying in a packed prison chapel.

Because that's what every human being is desperately searching for.

Not judgment.
Not punishment.
Not labels.

To be seen.

To be known.
To be loved anyway.

Finn, my dear friend...

you truly are a guardian angel with a tail.

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your superhero service dog story.

And thank you for reminding all of us that:

LOVE... ALWAYS... WINS!!!!

Sincerely,

Brett
(A federal prisoner who cried happy tears at Finn's Big Show.)


A Note From Noél

The heartwarming visual of The Fantastic Mr. Finn wearing his signature red service dog cape while gently guiding "The Kingpin" back onto his God-given path is such a powerful picture of how God's redeeming grace ACTUALLY works.

Finn...

thank you for reminding this wonderful father who he REALLY is in the eyes of Jesus Christ by showering him with your unconditional love.

Not judgment.
Not condemnation.
Not punishment.

Love.

Pure, relentless, grace-filled love.

I continue to sit in a state of awe and wonder at the amount of God stories being birthed during this brutal season of life.

Every time I think I've heard the most beautiful prison story imaginable...
another one arrives in my inbox.

Even though I ache every night when I climb into bed without Brett beside me...
and even though I long for the day our family is reunited under the same roof again...
my heart absolutely dances with delight when I hear the excitement returning to my husband's voice every time he talks about BIG FINN.

The man I LOVE has poured his heart and soul into training this future superhero service dog.

He has celebrated every breakthrough.

Every milestone.
Every victory.

And now...

criminals, correctional officers, prison staff, and everyday people like me and you are beginning to see what Brett has known all along:

The Fantastic Mr. Finn is truly one of a kind.

I'll never forget the gut-wrenching night before Brett self-surrendered to federal prison.

The weight of the moment felt unbearable.

Our hearts were breaking.

The future felt uncertain.

And yet...

before he walked away, Brett looked deep into the eyes of me, Cambria, Willow, Lula, and Zion and made us a promise.

He promised he would make us proud throughout his prison journey.

Well...

I think it's safe to say my forever person is following through on that promise.

Not because he's perfect.
Not because this journey has been easy.

But because he continues to choose love.

He continues to choose growth.
He continues to allow God to transform pain into purpose.

Brett, my love...

I am beyond proud of you.

And Mr. Finn...

you truly are one-of-one.

We are all incredibly blessed to be a part of your superhero service dog story.

Right now, somewhere out there, there is a hurting family desperately praying for help.

There is a mother asking God for a miracle.

A father searching for hope.

A child longing to be seen, comforted, and understood.

And someday soon...

you'll walk through their front door wearing your big red cape.

You'll gently lay your head in their lap.

You'll look into their eyes.

And you'll become the miraculous answer to prayers they've been whispering for years.

Thank you, Mr. Finn, for being a living, breathing testimony that:

LOVE... ALWAYS... WINS!!!

And if you're sitting there wondering...

"Who is The Kingpin?"

Oh friend...

he's one of the most extraordinary redemption stories we've had the privilege of sharing through Proud Prison Wives.

His journey has reminded our family time and time again that there is always more to a person than the worst decision they've ever made.

If you'd like to learn more about his story, you can read it here:

"The Kingpin"

I have a feeling you'll understand even more deeply why his words about Finn brought an entire prison chapel to tears.

With so much LOVE,

Noél
(A PROUD prison wife cheering The Fantastic Mr. Finn forward from the free world.) 


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IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER
I, Noél Bartlett, am committed to following all applicable Federal Bureau of Prisons policies and procedures while sharing, documenting, and memorializing our family’s prison journey and the letters and manuscripts Brett sends to me.
For complete clarity, I alone am the owner, operator, publisher, and financial beneficiary of Proud Prison Wives and this website. I am also the sole publisher and beneficiary of any books or other works published through Proud Prison Wives, including SPEAK DOG, SHATTER YOUR SHAME, and any future manuscript of Brett’s that I independently choose to edit, develop, and publish.
Brett is currently incarcerated in federal prison. He does not own, operate, manage, or conduct business through Proud Prison Wives, nor does he receive any financial benefit from the publication, sale, or promotion of these books, letters, manuscripts, or website content.
I am incredibly proud to take my husband’s raw letters and manuscripts and transform them into beautiful, meaningful books that allow others to witness his journey and cheer him forward as he chooses to use his time in prison productively.
Brett and I also take the safety, security, and privacy of the institution extremely seriously. In the letters and manuscripts he sends me—and in the material I ultimately choose to publish—identifying details may be intentionally changed, combined, omitted, or rearranged. This may include characters, conversations, events, timelines, locations, and other details in order to protect the privacy of staff, fellow incarcerated individuals, and the institution itself.
The heart and spirit of Brett’s writing are based on his lived experiences, but these writings should not be interpreted as a literal, chronological, or identifying account of daily institutional life. Some details of Brett’s experience will simply have to wait until he has fully completed his obligations to the Department of Justice.
Again, I, Noél Bartlett, am fully committed to respecting and following applicable Bureau of Prisons policies and procedures. I consider it a privilege to preserve our family’s story, document this chapter of Brett’s life, and share the good that can still come from an incredibly difficult season.
Thank you for reading, supporting our family, and respecting the purpose and boundaries behind what we share.
Noél Bartlett
Owner & Publisher, Proud Prison Wives

Shatter Your Shame- Sneak Peek

Shatter Your Shame, Chapter 1

Shatter Your Shame, Chapter 2

Shatter Your Shame, Chapter 3

Shatter Your Shame is NOW AVAILABLE

Brett and I are so excited (and honestly still a little in awe) to officially announce

Shatter Your Shame is LIVE on the site.

This book was written inside a federal prison—on random pieces of scratch paper, with a dull pencil, behind razor-sharp barbed wire and an electrified fence. What started as handwritten prison letters has turned into a powerful testimony of redemption, responsibility, faith, and purpose.

Shatter Your Shame is for anyone who carries the weight of their past, the burden of regret, or the quiet pain of shame—and is ready to see how God redeems what the world calls broken.

Brett writes with raw honesty about the worst decisions of his life, the consequences that followed, and the miraculous way God met him in the pit of prison and transformed his shame into purpose. These are one-of-a-kind prison stories that will help you heal, rise, and walk forward unchained.

(Perfect for small groups, book clubs, churches, or gifting to someone who needs hope.)

Every order directly supports me and my 4 beautiful children during this season Brett is away.

This journey hasn’t been easy. Prison is heavy. Shame is heavy. But God is proving—once again—that He specializes in turning massive messes into healing miracles.

Thank you for believing in redemption.
Thank you for supporting our family.
Thank you for helping us share this message with the world.

With so much love,
Noél

SPEAK DOG is NOW AVAILABLE

Speak Dog is not your average dog-training book. It is a testimony, a powerful blend of storytelling, breakthrough psychology, and the real-life prison puppy training program that God used to transform countless lives, including Brett’s, and our family’s.

This book carries redemption on every page. It shows what God can do with a broken man, a hurting dog, and a second chance. It’s hope, healing, laughter, purpose, and breakthrough all wrapped into one unforgettable journey.

I am SO beyond excited for everyone to get their hands on this book and experience the same heart-shifting, faith-building transformation that we did.

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