Damon West Keynote Speaker

From Prison to Inspirational Speaker, College Professor & Philanthropist
"The Coffee Bean: A Simple Lesson to Create Positive Change" was a Forbes 2020 must-read
3x Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author

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Damon West's Biography

Damon West, M.S. Criminal Justice, is a college professor, nationally known keynote speaker and best-selling author. With best-selling author and motivational speaker Jon Gordon, he wrote “The Coffee Bean: A Simple Lesson to Create Positive Change.” His first book and autobiography, “The Change Agent: How a Former College QB Sentenced to Life in Prison Transformed His World,” was published just three years after his release from a Texas maximum-security prison.

At 20 years old, he was a Division I starting quarterback at the University of North Texas when he suffered a career-ending injury. He turned to hard-core drugs to cope with life’s disappointments. After graduation, he worked in the United States Congress, was a national fundraiser on a U.S. Presidential campaign, and 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 many innocent people would forever be changed by the choices he made to feed his insatiable meth habit.

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, 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, Damon lives a life of recovery and service, attending meetings and sharing his story across the country with schools, churches, athletic teams, corporations, conferences and correctional facilities. He has shared the Coffee Bean lesson with dozens of college football teams including Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, and Texas, and countless schools and businesses. His #BeACoffeeBean message has inspired thousands, from Walmart to the U.S. 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 was included in Forbes’ “Top Twenty Books You Need to Read to Crush 2020.” Damon is passionate about the Coffee Bean message and loves sharing how it changed his life and how it can change yours, too.

His latest book (with coauthor Jon Gordon), “The Coffee Bean for Kids,” is the inspiration for Coffee Bean Clubs being started by students at schools across America.

Overcoming Adversity: The Damon West Story

In this intimate and personal presentation, Damon shares his cautionary tale and message of hope in a brutally honest presentation. Damon takes his audience on an emotional journey from childhood sexual abuse, adolescent addiction and living with ADHD, playing Division 1 football, working in the United States Congress and ultimately working for one of the biggest Wall Street banks, UBS, before being introduced to meth. His nightmare life of meth-addicted crime and receiving the maximum punishment (Life) is vividly described. The survival stories on the life-sentence building inside a Texas maximum security prison and the lessons he learned while incarcerated, which ultimately delivered him into recovery, are spell-binding and riveting. Additionally, Damon will end with a Call To Action, to be like the coffee bean from his story. At the conclusion of the event, Damon will field questions from the audience on any and all topics he discussed.

Core Values of Your Team: Inspire to Your Full Potential

This presentation is designed for businesses, corporations and teams to realize their full potential and stay ahead of the competition. For maximum effectiveness, Damon will personalize his story with your core values and goals, splicing valuable lessons and life-changing realizations he learned along the way with your organization’s story and mission statement. The themes of character, grit, goals, determination and winning the day are paramount in this presentation. Additionally, Damon will end with a Call To Action, to be like the coffee bean from his story. At the conclusion of the event, Damon will field questions from the audience on any and all topics he discussed.

Servant Leadership: The Secret To Life

Designed for any group, this presentation is focused and personalized for audiences who are working to positively change their culture. Before coming in to speak to your group, Damon will learn your most serious issues and address them as part of his presentation. Damon emphasizes the need to become servant leaders in their teams, schools, communities, organizations and families. Additionally, Damon will end with a Call To Action, to be like the coffee bean from his story. At the conclusion of the event, Damon will field questions from the audience on any and all topics he discussed.

Convocations

Hear the message that school districts all over the country are implementing as their motto: Be A Coffee Bean! This presentation is designed for school districts and academic institutions wanting to both motivate their teachers and staff, as well as implement the vitally important message of the coffee bean, that the power to change any situation is within you, not in the outside forces around you. The culture of your district can be positively changed in one hour!

Damon’s message not only addresses the physical and mental well-being of students and staff, it also meets the criteria for social and emotional learning (SEL). The SEL aspects of the coffee bean message provide the audience with much needed leadership skills and tips for living a positive life.

Additionally, Damon will end with a Call To Action, to be like the coffee bean from his story. At the conclusion of the event, Damon will field questions from the audience on any and all topics he discussed and do book signings where requested.

Books by Damon West

The Change Agent: How a Former College QB Sentenced to Life in Prison Transformed His World

How to be a Coffee Bean: 111 Life-Changing Ways to Create Positive Change

The Locker Room

The Coffee Bean: A Simple Lesson to Create Positive Change

Comments & Testimonials

Our players were very impressed. He did a great job of talking about servant leadership, did a great job of talking about choices and decisions, cause and effect of those decisions. I think his story is very compelling because of the sacrifices he had to make to get his life back to where it needed to be. The message about helping other people and the power of controlling yourself, what you do and what you say, is so important. I’ve never heard it said as well as what Damon did tonight.

Nick Saban, Head Football Coach, University of Alabama

We are really pleased to be working with Damon to further AIG’s commitment to giving back and helping those most in need.

Lucy Fato, Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Global Head of Communications and Government Affairs for AIG