This week on Ep 125 I am joined by Damon West. At 20 years old, Damon was a starting quarterback at the University of North Texas, when he suffered a career ending injury. He turned to hardcore drugs to cope with disappointments of life. After graduation, he worked in the United States Congress, was a national fundraiser on a U.S. Presidential campaign and eventually trained to be a stockbroker for United Bank of Switzerland (UBS). One day at UBS, he was introduced to methamphetamines; he became instantly hooked and the lives of so many innocent people would forever be changed by the choices he made to feed his insatiable meth habit. Damon, “The Uptown Burglar” was sentenced to 65 years in prison.

After a fateful discussion during his incarceration with a seasoned convict, Damon had a spiritual awakening. He learned that, like a coffee bean changing with the application of heat and pressure, he was capable of changing the environment around him. Armed with a program of recovery, a renewed faith, and a miraculous second chance at life, Damon emerged from over seven years of prison a changed man. His story of redemption, grit and determination continues to inspire audiences today.

Today, Damon lives a life of recovery and service, going to meetings and sharing his story all over the country with schools, church's, athletic teams, corporations, conferences and inside correctional facilities. Over the past few years, he has been sharing the Coffee Bean lesson with dozens of college football teams such as Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, and Texas, and countless schools and businesses. His #BeACoffeeBean message has inspired thousands from Walmart to the US Army to the NBA.

Damon’s story has been featured both nationally and globally. His second book, The Coffee Bean, co-authored with best-selling author Jon Gordon, became an instant best-seller and a part of Forbes’ “Top Twenty Books You Need to Read to Crush 2020.” 

In this incredible episode you will hear:

05:30 Damon’s story is one of the most transformational stories Jon Gordon has ever heard

06:15 Damon’s incredible story

09:25 “we got the Uptown burglar”

09:50 Ten minutes to find Damon guilty and sentenced to 65 years in prison on May 18th 2009

11:15 Mother’s tough love before going in to jail

12:20 Mr. Jackson’s life changing advice

13:25 Fear and Faith both believe in a future

14:10 you don’t have to win all your fights but you do have to fight all your fights

14:40 a carrot, an egg and a coffee bean

16:45 changing prison from the inside out

20:15 a powerful prayer and the serenity prayer

26:00 the fork in the road days

28:30 becoming a coffee bean maximum security prison - the 5 rules to being a coffee bean

34:20 the hardest place to do time is in your mind

36:50 the longer you’re in the hot water the stronger the coffee

38:00 you get to choose

I really hope that hearing Damon’s story and simple life lessons inspires you to create your own transformation and that you become your own Coffee Bean.

Please do share this episode with someone you know will love to hear the message too.

Always love

Ryan

Connect with Damon:

Website: https://damonwest.org/index.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/damonjosephwest

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damonwest7

Connect with Always Better than Yesterday

Website: www.ryanhartley.co.uk

Email: [email protected]

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