How a convicted 'violent thug' became a multi-millionaire

A British man has revealed how he turned his life around by going from a three-time-ex convict to a multi-millionaire nomad travelling the world "with no possessions".

Lewis Taylor, 32, from Hertfordshire, grew up on a council estate and was first arrested when he was just 13, spending the next 10 years of his life involved in petty crime such as shoplifting, smashing windows and stealing cars.

He had a fraught relationship with his parents and as a young adult struggled with a drug and alcohol addiction, spending six months in rehab, while going in and out of prison.

Lewis' life-changing moment didn't come until 2015, when he was charged with grievous bodily harm for leaving a man in a coma and sentenced to 18 months. Filled with remorse and struggling behind bars – even considering suicide about one point – he knew it was time to say goodbye to a life of crime.

"At the time, I thought I might have killed the man, ruined my own and was going to be sentenced to life in prison. I rung up a friend and asked what was being said about me and was told I was being called a violent thug," Lewis told NeedToKnow.Online.

"There were also two photos in a paper showing me outside the same courtroom, seven years apart, with the caption 'nothing changes'. I was blaming everything and everyone around me for the difficulties in my life.

"For the first time, I realised that I was the problem and that was my turning point. This became my last time in prison and the last time I ever threw a punch." The victim, not named for privacy reasons, has since made a full recovery.

'I realised I could do this for a living'

Lewis was released in November 2015 after serving half of his prison sentence and enrolled himself into a six-month rehabilitation program, where he was "broken down" and "rebuilt" into a new man. After leaving the program, Lewis found himself offering advice to strangers on the street – and something inside the ex-con "clicked".

"I was doing voluntary work as part of my probation at homeless shelters and I liked the way it made me feel. It made me realise that I had a lot to offer; all the rehab, all the psychotherapy and honestly all the coaching was teaching me how to help other people," he said.

"So I started doing it for free – meeting up with people in local coffee shops to see what I could do for them." With time, Lewis realised he could make a business out of his passion and used it as a leaping off point to start a new life.

"I’ve heard so many stories of denial, breakthrough and traumas and have absorbed it all – in a way it was the world's best life coaching. I saw that people were getting amazing results and I realised I could do this for a living," he said.

In 2016, he launched an online business coaching group called The Coaching Masters. Within six months, the venture was making six figures, working with clients across the globe.

Ex-con has net worth of $21 million

Lewis believes that by sharing his own story, he is able to "connect" with people – ultimately leading to his financial success. His team has grown dramatically too, having even worked with ex-Love Islander, Jonny Mitchell, one of the three directors of coaching masters.

"A lot of people are scared of revealing the traumas that they’ve experienced because they're worried about what people might say. But with me having my own trauma, they feel like their issues aren’t as bad in comparison, so it allows them to open up to me a little bit easier," he said.

In 2022, Lewis has a net worth of £12 million (A$21 million) but money isn't how he gets his joy. In fact, the self-made millionaire "doesn't own any possessions".

Instead, he spends his days travelling with his fiancée Dayana Carmona, 26, from Venezuela, with the pair currently living in Bali.

"My life now consists of travelling the world as a digital nomad. I don't own any possessions, house or car, I just love travelling the world. To be able to stay in rented accommodation and be able to have the freedom to travel without any ties, it’s very, very different from living in the same village that I grew up in," he said.

"It just feels fantastic to coach other people but reflecting on my past and how I've been able to overcome my demons. I'm very proud of myself, but I feel like I've got a long way to go. So I'm still very much climbing."

Lewis has also tried to reach out to the man he assaulted but claims he has not received a response.

Emmie Norton/Jam Press/Australscope

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