Lewis Howes’s journey is far from a typical success story. Growing up, he grappled with depression, functional illiteracy, and a sense of foreboding, fearing he was destined for a path of trouble, much like his older brother. However, today, Lewis Howes stands as a beacon of resilience and achievement. He’s not only a former U.S. Olympic handball team athlete but also the founder of a 7-figure business, and a driving force committed to empowering 100 million individuals to pursue their dreams.
Raised in Delaware, Ohio, as the youngest of four children, Lewis Howes, now in his 40s, recounts a childhood where vying for attention within his family was a constant struggle, overshadowed by his parents’ frequent disputes. “They had dreams of being opera singers, meeting in college as opera majors,” Lewis Howes reflects. Instead, they started a family early, at 19, and his father navigated multiple jobs, including demanding physical labor like laying concrete, facing financial hardship for years before finding stability in the insurance industry. “They were unfulfilled, not earning a living doing what ignited their passion,” Lewis Howes explains. “Those were difficult times, and the strain in our household deeply affected us kids.”
Tragedy struck their family with his older brother’s incarceration for selling drugs to an undercover officer, and his sister’s battle with alcoholism, Lewis Howes shares. School was another arena of suffering for Lewis Howes. Placed in special education, he found learning a painful ordeal. “When it was our turn to read aloud in class, I’d be drenched in sweat, paralyzed by anxiety. Reading was a struggle; I would just mumble through the words,” he confesses. “I endured ridicule and developed profound insecurity about public speaking.”
Feeling lost and dejected both at home and in the classroom, Lewis Howes describes himself as “a tall, awkward, and academically challenged kid with acne, devoid of friendships.” He sought refuge and a sense of purpose in athletics, initially pinning his hopes on football as his escape route. But fate intervened in the form of a transformative encounter that redirected his life’s trajectory.
Every summer, Lewis Howes’s parents enrolled their children in a Christian summer camp. One year, Lewis Howes connected with a group of kids who attended a boarding school in St. Louis. “There was an undeniable energy about them that resonated deeply with me,” Lewis Howes recalls. “They were incredibly welcoming, genuinely interested in creativity and fun, and utterly non-judgmental. I instantly felt, ‘This is the kind of environment I crave.'”
“I was deeply unhappy in my small town, and I was becoming someone I didn’t want to be – resorting to stealing, lying, and cheating, and feeling internally conflicted. I knew I needed a radical change. Prison, like my brother, was not an option.”
Upon returning home, Lewis Howes relentlessly persuaded his parents to allow him to attend the boarding school for 8th grade. Despite testing at a second-grade reading level, he thrived in football. “I was never the most physically gifted athlete on any team I joined. But I possessed an unmatched willingness to endure pain to make the plays,” Lewis Howes states. “That was my gift: I was willing do whatever it took to make it happen. It stemmed from feeling utterly isolated as a child – I felt I had nothing to lose.”
He progressed to college football and then professional Arena League football in Huntsville, Alabama, earning a modest $250 per week. “It was the minor leagues, playing on an AstroTurf-covered hockey rink. A crowd of 20 felt like a stadium full of fans,” he humorously remembers. “Sponsors lined the rink walls, and a chicken tender company offered a $25 bonus for a touchdown followed by touching their poster.”
In 2007, a broken wrist sidelined Lewis Howes, mirroring his precarious financial state. He moved back in with his sister in Ohio, underwent 1.5 years of rehabilitation, and found himself lacking marketable job skills amidst the economic downturn of 2008-2009.
The Forbes eBook To Succeed In A Brutal Job Market Don’t let a rotten economy spoil your goals. Use the career and money advice in The Millennial Game Plan to get and stay ahead for good.
During this period of depression and uncertainty, Lewis Howes watched the Beijing Olympics and was captivated by handball. “I was instantly hooked and frustrated – frustrated that I had never encountered this sport before. But I thought: ‘This could be my sport,'” he remembers.
Lewis Howes discovered that the premier U.S. club team was in New York City. “I made a firm decision to generate income so I could relocate to New York and train with this team,” he says. “But time was ticking – I was already 25.”
Back at his sister’s, Lewis Howes dedicated himself to online learning, improving his reading skills, watching personal development videos, and searching for a business model that would fund his move to New York for handball. A mentor suggested LinkedIn as a starting point, and Lewis Howes was immediately intrigued. He immersed himself in LinkedIn for up to eight hours daily, connecting with influencers, mastering the platform’s intricacies, and eventually launching a LinkedIn group for sports executives. This group rapidly grew to 10,000 members within a year, solidifying Lewis Howes’s expertise in social media and online community building.
Here’s the pivotal turning point:
Members began reaching out, sharing how my group facilitated job opportunities and consulting engagements. Some even offered to pay me for LinkedIn coaching. Others encouraged me to monetize my social media knowledge. I started organizing live meetups for those interested, which led to an invitation to present on a webinar hosted by social media authority Joe Comm. I discovered a passion for public speaking and sharing my insights. At the webinar’s conclusion, I mentioned my PayPal account, offering advanced LinkedIn training the following week. The next morning, my inbox revealed the most incredible sight – more exhilarating than anything I had ever experienced. There was $6,300 in my account. I felt like the wealthiest person alive.
Driven by this success, Lewis Howes became “obsessed” with public speaking and crafting digital educational resources. Partnering with someone, he developed and sold webinars, ebooks, and online training programs, empowering individuals to advance their careers through social media strategies. Webinars became his preferred method for sales and engagement. To date, Lewis Howes has conducted over 750 webinars, teaching others to harness their potential. Within 1.5 years, his company’s revenue surpassed $1 million, reaching $2.5 million in the subsequent two years.
“By then, I had finally moved into my own apartment in Columbus, with a $495 monthly rent,” he recounts. In 2012, Lewis Howes relocated to New York (rent: $3,700) to join a handball club. “As a novice, I was surrounded by seasoned European professionals who would converse in their languages, seemingly about me,” he remembers. Remarkably, nine months later, Lewis Howes earned a spot on the U.S. national handball team and began training for the Olympics, a testament to his unwavering dedication and athletic prowess.
Two years later, Lewis Howes sold his education company to his partner to fully dedicate himself to his podcast, The School of Greatness, launched in 2013. This platform is dedicated to helping people create fulfilling lives by pursuing their passions. The School of Greatness podcast has garnered over 5 million downloads and consistently ranks among the top podcasts on iTunes, solidifying Lewis Howes’s position as a leading voice in personal development and entrepreneurship. Lewis Howes also expanded his media presence with Greatness Magazine on iTunes and secured a book deal with Rodale, further amplifying his message of achieving greatness.
Lewis Howes’s overarching goal is to impact 100 million lives through his diverse platforms – podcast, articles, public speaking, and books. His mission is to prevent others from experiencing the career-related unhappiness he witnessed firsthand in his childhood. “I firmly believe that if people are engaged in work they love, the world will become a more positive and thriving place.”
The Cornerstones of Lewis Howes’s Success:
1. Set Ambitious Goals: Lewis Howes consistently aimed high, from professional football to the Olympic handball team and a million-dollar business, achieving each milestone through sheer determination and strategic action.
2. Cultivate a Greatness-Focused Network: Early mentorship from Stuart Jenkins and later connections with digital marketing luminaries like Chris Brogan, Marie Forleo, and Gary Vaynerchuk underscored the power of association. “You are the sum of the people you spend time with,” Lewis Howes emphasizes.
3. Embrace Full Commitment: Throughout his handball training and entrepreneurial ventures, Lewis Howes faced numerous physical setbacks, including torn groins and serious injuries. “When I have a vision, my fear is not failing at it, I’m more afraid of not taking on the new challenge and regretting it,” highlighting his unwavering commitment to his goals, regardless of obstacles.
