Try Again: An Ex-Con's Path from Prison to Prosperity

by Nick Marshall

Fans of redemption stories will love this brutally honest personal account of a climb from failure to fortune. Nick Marshall was not exactly your average twenty-one-year-old from New Jersey. After serving three years in prison for armed robbery, he was still fairly young upon his release, but wondered what kind of life he could lead as an ex-con. As he soon came to find, life on parole had its limits, but he was fortunate enough to have a salaried job, a roof over his head, and a car. Yet something still tugged at his yearning to be an artist. Aware of the immense time and effort it would take to fulfill such a dream, he gave up his safety net and took his place at the bottom of the totem pole in the hospitality industry. What Nick did not expect was for a series of jobs in bars and restaurants to catapult him into the exciting yet treacherous world of New York City nightlife. By connecting with all of the right movers, shakers, gatekeepers, and the like, he began to blaze a new trail. Before he knew it, he was a power player who had it all—or so he thought. He began to question if trips to Saint-Tropez, infinite freebies, and celebrity-like treatment were enough to let the dream that started it all take a backseat. Yet again, he found himself ready to make a major sacrifice. Try An Ex-Con’s Path from Prison to Prosperity is the inspirational story of one man’s climb back into society as the woes of post-prison life kept kicking him down. It is a recount of the lessons he learned—how being blinded by the limelight cost him everything he worked so hard for, as well as his mental health and stability. Try Again won’t just speak to the formerly incarcerated; it is for anyone looking to start anew when it feels utterly impossible. This must read is proof that sometimes reckless mistakes are the ones that can change our lives indefinitely.

302 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 25, 2025

Reviews

[Caitlyn Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant (and personal) commentary on the prison industrial system and how it affects lives far past a sentence is served.
Nick has lived a hundred lives and he captured it all in an easy to follow and interesting way. I loved getting a glimpse into his life and therefore into a lifestyle so far beyond my own- I’m more of a dive bar and work an office 9-5 job so to get a glimpse into Prison, Acting, and NYC nightlife was fascinating. The pacing and timeline was well thought out and kept his story engaging and easy to follow.