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Six Dimes and a Nickel: Life Lessons to Empower Change
From a life-sentence to a global inspiration, Six Dimes and a Nickel introduces the principles and stories that allowed Damon West to rewrite his narrative and become one of the greatest underdog triumphs of all time.
Damon West was a promising college athlete and Division 1 starting quarterback when a career-ending injury incited his struggle with drug abuse. Once he was introduced to methamphetamines, he became instantly hooked. The lives of many innocent people would forever be changed by the choices he made in order to feed his insatiable meth habit. By 2009, a Dallas jury had sentenced him to sixty-five years—a life sentence—for engaging in organized crime. Or, in prison slang, he got six dimes and a nickel. It was a RICO case, of which he was the ringleader.
Inside the suffocating walls of a Texas maximum-security prison, fighting for his life and sanity, he found grit, courage, and determination to make a change. 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 and a renewed sense of faith, Damon transformed so thoroughly that the parole board released him in 2015, placing him on parole until 2073. Since then, he’s become a highly sought-after speaker, bestselling author, husband, and stepfather, college professor, philanthropist, and an extremely successful entrepreneur.
If you want to not only make a change in your life, but discover how to maintain that change and become the best version of yourself, then you’ve come to the right place. The principles and stories in this book are the blueprint for how Damon rewrote his story and, if applied, how you can rewrite yours.
Damon West was a promising college athlete and Division 1 starting quarterback when a career-ending injury incited his struggle with drug abuse. Once he was introduced to methamphetamines, he became instantly hooked. The lives of many innocent people would forever be changed by the choices he made in order to feed his insatiable meth habit. By 2009, a Dallas jury had sentenced him to sixty-five years—a life sentence—for engaging in organized crime. Or, in prison slang, he got six dimes and a nickel. It was a RICO case, of which he was the ringleader.
Inside the suffocating walls of a Texas maximum-security prison, fighting for his life and sanity, he found grit, courage, and determination to make a change. 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 and a renewed sense of faith, Damon transformed so thoroughly that the parole board released him in 2015, placing him on parole until 2073. Since then, he’s become a highly sought-after speaker, bestselling author, husband, and stepfather, college professor, philanthropist, and an extremely successful entrepreneur.
If you want to not only make a change in your life, but discover how to maintain that change and become the best version of yourself, then you’ve come to the right place. The principles and stories in this book are the blueprint for how Damon rewrote his story and, if applied, how you can rewrite yours.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published July 29, 2025
30 people are currently reading
198 people want to read
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September 19, 2025
a judge handed him a 65-year prison sentence. In convict parlance, that’s known as “six dimes and a nickel.”
ANYWAY HE SOMEHOW GOT LUCKY
an analogy I havent come across before: When you drop a carrot into boiling water, it turns soft – it gets beaten down and broken. If you drop an egg in there, it hardens – it’ll have a strong shell, but it’ll also be closed off to love and change. But a coffee bean, on the other hand, will transform the water itself. A coffee bean changes its environment from the inside out.
notes:
- while guilty of countless burglaries and thefts, had never actually caused anyone physical harm
- In fifth grade, West’s teacher recognized something in him – an undeniable ability to lead. She warned him that this gift could go one of two ways: he could steer people toward the right path or the wrong one. Over time, he found himself doing both.
- At one point, he stood under the bright lights as a Division I starting quarterback, leading with discipline and drive. Years later, he led again, but this time at the head of a band of addicts, orchestrating break-ins across Dallas to fuel a relentless meth habit.
- In the world of crime, loyalty was fragile at best, and betrayal was inevitable.
- a flashbang grenade exploded beside him, followed by the cold steel of an assault rifle pressed to his face. SWAT officers in full riot gear shouted commands as he screamed back in panic. So ended the two-year career of the “The Uptown Burglar,” a name that would follow him for life.
- With his old crew gone, he had the rare opportunity to rebuild his life and choose a new crowd blah
-
Six Dimes and a Nickel
In 2009, Damon West received the harshest of wake-up calls: a judge handed him a 65-year prison sentence. In convict parlance, that’s known as “six dimes and a nickel.” Since the full term would likely outlast West’s natural life, it was effectively a life sentence. That’s a harsh punishment for someone who, while guilty of countless burglaries and thefts, had never actually caused anyone physical harm. Yet, paradoxically, that sentence may have been what ultimately saved his life.
In this Blink, we’ll explore how a life sentence became the doorway to a second chance. We’ll see how the author learned to release his past, embrace recovery, and dedicate himself to serving others. His story is both sobering and inspiring – proof that even in the darkest circumstances, transformation is possible. So, let’s dive in.
In fifth grade, West’s teacher recognized something in him – an undeniable ability to lead. She warned him that this gift could go one of two ways: he could steer people toward the right path or the wrong one. Over time, he found himself doing both. At one point, he stood under the bright lights as a Division I starting quarterback, leading with discipline and drive. Years later, he led again, but this time at the head of a band of addicts, orchestrating break-ins across Dallas to fuel a relentless meth habit.
That destructive chapter began to unravel just days after his partner, Dustin, was arrested over a stolen car. West knew his time was running out. In the world of crime, loyalty was fragile at best, and betrayal was inevitable. His reckoning arrived violently: a flashbang grenade exploded beside him, followed by the cold steel of an assault rifle pressed to his face. SWAT officers in full riot gear shouted commands as he screamed back in panic. So ended the two-year career of the “The Uptown Burglar,” a name that would follow him for life.
That night, when West sat in jail, his mind kept drifting to the same question every addict asks: How would he get more drugs? But as the high faded and reality set in, an unexpected feeling took hold – faith. He had once prayed for his chaotic life to end, and here was his answer, delivered in the form of a SWAT raid.
His angels didn’t have halos; they came armed and armored, breaking through doors and windows to pull him out of the life he’d been living. They gave West something invaluable: the chance to start over. With his old crew gone, he had the rare opportunity to rebuild his life and choose a new crowd – one that would lift him up instead of drag him down. That shift required humility, to let go of his ego and the past, and to move forward with grace.
West came to understand that most people will never face a literal SWAT raid, but life brings its own versions – financial collapse, heartbreak, loss, or sudden change. Each painful disruption carries within it the possibility of growth. Angels, he believes, are all around, though they aren’t always easy to recognize. Sometimes they come in moments of quiet guidance; other times, they kick in the door and change everything.
In 2015, after six long years behind bars, West was lucky enough to be granted parole. One of the first opportunities waiting for him was at the Provost Umphrey Law Firm in Beaumont, Texas – a door that had actually begun to crack open while he was still behind bars. While working on his own legal appeal, he had caught the attention of Walter Umphrey, the legendary Texas lawyer who owned the firm. Walter was impressed that someone who’d never set foot in law school could write with such precision and depth. So he promised that if West ever got out, he’d have a job waiting. (somehow)
- When West finally found Dabo, he spoke quickly, fueled by passion. After listening for a minute, Dabo asked for his card, slipped it into his pocket, and moved on. West left convinced it was his eighth rejection – but proud he’d given everything he had. Months later, an email from Clemson’s director of football operations proved him wrong. Dabo wanted him to speak to the team. That talk ended with a standing ovation and players lining up to thank him.
- if you don’t ask, the answer is already no
- West’s journey from getting arrested to landing those first big speaking gigs was a long and transformative one. It required a lot of self-discipline, but it was also shaped by mentors and messengers who refused to let him drift from his purpose.
- Years later, West launched The Change Agent Prison Curriculum, teaching incarcerated men the principles that had transformed his own life. Four times a year, groups graduated from the twenty-lesson course, celebrating their progress in front of families and fellow inmates. West was proud of the impact the program had on others, but watching the first round of graduates accept their certificates, he was proud to recognize that he’d now become the most qualified person to help the man he used to be.
- Ray, his sponsor in the Alcoholics Anonymous program.
was all the god stuff necessary??
- hope is important, but hope isn’t a plan
By 2020, his reputation as a speaker led to two bestselling books, and West saw his story reaching people he never imagined. But when success pulled him away from home for weeks at a time, his mentor Jon Gordon helped him shift from chasing “balance” to finding “rhythm” – being fully present wherever he was, whether on stage or at home.
West’s philosophy is simple: create positive change wherever you stand. Be the coffee bean.
ANYWAY HE SOMEHOW GOT LUCKY
an analogy I havent come across before: When you drop a carrot into boiling water, it turns soft – it gets beaten down and broken. If you drop an egg in there, it hardens – it’ll have a strong shell, but it’ll also be closed off to love and change. But a coffee bean, on the other hand, will transform the water itself. A coffee bean changes its environment from the inside out.
notes:
- while guilty of countless burglaries and thefts, had never actually caused anyone physical harm
- In fifth grade, West’s teacher recognized something in him – an undeniable ability to lead. She warned him that this gift could go one of two ways: he could steer people toward the right path or the wrong one. Over time, he found himself doing both.
- At one point, he stood under the bright lights as a Division I starting quarterback, leading with discipline and drive. Years later, he led again, but this time at the head of a band of addicts, orchestrating break-ins across Dallas to fuel a relentless meth habit.
- In the world of crime, loyalty was fragile at best, and betrayal was inevitable.
- a flashbang grenade exploded beside him, followed by the cold steel of an assault rifle pressed to his face. SWAT officers in full riot gear shouted commands as he screamed back in panic. So ended the two-year career of the “The Uptown Burglar,” a name that would follow him for life.
- With his old crew gone, he had the rare opportunity to rebuild his life and choose a new crowd blah
-
Six Dimes and a Nickel
In 2009, Damon West received the harshest of wake-up calls: a judge handed him a 65-year prison sentence. In convict parlance, that’s known as “six dimes and a nickel.” Since the full term would likely outlast West’s natural life, it was effectively a life sentence. That’s a harsh punishment for someone who, while guilty of countless burglaries and thefts, had never actually caused anyone physical harm. Yet, paradoxically, that sentence may have been what ultimately saved his life.
In this Blink, we’ll explore how a life sentence became the doorway to a second chance. We’ll see how the author learned to release his past, embrace recovery, and dedicate himself to serving others. His story is both sobering and inspiring – proof that even in the darkest circumstances, transformation is possible. So, let’s dive in.
In fifth grade, West’s teacher recognized something in him – an undeniable ability to lead. She warned him that this gift could go one of two ways: he could steer people toward the right path or the wrong one. Over time, he found himself doing both. At one point, he stood under the bright lights as a Division I starting quarterback, leading with discipline and drive. Years later, he led again, but this time at the head of a band of addicts, orchestrating break-ins across Dallas to fuel a relentless meth habit.
That destructive chapter began to unravel just days after his partner, Dustin, was arrested over a stolen car. West knew his time was running out. In the world of crime, loyalty was fragile at best, and betrayal was inevitable. His reckoning arrived violently: a flashbang grenade exploded beside him, followed by the cold steel of an assault rifle pressed to his face. SWAT officers in full riot gear shouted commands as he screamed back in panic. So ended the two-year career of the “The Uptown Burglar,” a name that would follow him for life.
That night, when West sat in jail, his mind kept drifting to the same question every addict asks: How would he get more drugs? But as the high faded and reality set in, an unexpected feeling took hold – faith. He had once prayed for his chaotic life to end, and here was his answer, delivered in the form of a SWAT raid.
His angels didn’t have halos; they came armed and armored, breaking through doors and windows to pull him out of the life he’d been living. They gave West something invaluable: the chance to start over. With his old crew gone, he had the rare opportunity to rebuild his life and choose a new crowd – one that would lift him up instead of drag him down. That shift required humility, to let go of his ego and the past, and to move forward with grace.
West came to understand that most people will never face a literal SWAT raid, but life brings its own versions – financial collapse, heartbreak, loss, or sudden change. Each painful disruption carries within it the possibility of growth. Angels, he believes, are all around, though they aren’t always easy to recognize. Sometimes they come in moments of quiet guidance; other times, they kick in the door and change everything.
In 2015, after six long years behind bars, West was lucky enough to be granted parole. One of the first opportunities waiting for him was at the Provost Umphrey Law Firm in Beaumont, Texas – a door that had actually begun to crack open while he was still behind bars. While working on his own legal appeal, he had caught the attention of Walter Umphrey, the legendary Texas lawyer who owned the firm. Walter was impressed that someone who’d never set foot in law school could write with such precision and depth. So he promised that if West ever got out, he’d have a job waiting. (somehow)
- When West finally found Dabo, he spoke quickly, fueled by passion. After listening for a minute, Dabo asked for his card, slipped it into his pocket, and moved on. West left convinced it was his eighth rejection – but proud he’d given everything he had. Months later, an email from Clemson’s director of football operations proved him wrong. Dabo wanted him to speak to the team. That talk ended with a standing ovation and players lining up to thank him.
- if you don’t ask, the answer is already no
- West’s journey from getting arrested to landing those first big speaking gigs was a long and transformative one. It required a lot of self-discipline, but it was also shaped by mentors and messengers who refused to let him drift from his purpose.
- Years later, West launched The Change Agent Prison Curriculum, teaching incarcerated men the principles that had transformed his own life. Four times a year, groups graduated from the twenty-lesson course, celebrating their progress in front of families and fellow inmates. West was proud of the impact the program had on others, but watching the first round of graduates accept their certificates, he was proud to recognize that he’d now become the most qualified person to help the man he used to be.
- Ray, his sponsor in the Alcoholics Anonymous program.
was all the god stuff necessary??
- hope is important, but hope isn’t a plan
By 2020, his reputation as a speaker led to two bestselling books, and West saw his story reaching people he never imagined. But when success pulled him away from home for weeks at a time, his mentor Jon Gordon helped him shift from chasing “balance” to finding “rhythm” – being fully present wherever he was, whether on stage or at home.
West’s philosophy is simple: create positive change wherever you stand. Be the coffee bean.
August 23, 2025
I really enjoyed what I learned from 6 Dimes and a Nickel by Damon West. Throughout the story I found myself taking notes because a lot of the advice he shared felt genuinely valuable. The idea of being a coffee bean and not living in a prison mindset stuck with me, because it’s so easy to fall into that way of thinking in today’s world. What really stood out was his perspective on trauma instead of running from the difficult experiences we’ve been through, he teaches us to face them with a “servant, useful perspective.” That shift in mindset makes all the difference.
I also found the ending powerful, when he mentioned living near the prison and choosing to look at that place with kindness. Most people would want to avoid somewhere tied to such painful memories, but his ability to transform his outlook shows the strength of his message. If we can change how we see the world, especially for the younger generation, and approach life with perseverance instead of fear, we can handle hardships with resilience.
This book is a reminder that our outlook defines us more than our circumstances. Everyone, please remember — be a coffee bean.
I also found the ending powerful, when he mentioned living near the prison and choosing to look at that place with kindness. Most people would want to avoid somewhere tied to such painful memories, but his ability to transform his outlook shows the strength of his message. If we can change how we see the world, especially for the younger generation, and approach life with perseverance instead of fear, we can handle hardships with resilience.
This book is a reminder that our outlook defines us more than our circumstances. Everyone, please remember — be a coffee bean.
Read
September 20, 2025"Six Dimes and a Nickel: Life Lessons to Empower Change" by Damon West is a story that begins in the depths of despair and somehow transforms into a message of resilience, hope, and service. The title itself refers to the sixty-five year prison sentence West received in 2009, a punishment so severe it was essentially a life sentence. For a man who had once been a college quarterback with a promising future, this sentence seemed to mark the end of everything. Yet it became the foundation of a story that continues to inspire people around the world. West’s journey is a striking example of how even the darkest setbacks can carry the seeds of transformation when faith, humility, and perseverance come together.
From a young age, Damon West showed strong leadership potential. A teacher once told him that this ability could either be used for good or misused for destructive ends, and his life illustrated both paths. He led on the football field with discipline and determination, but later found himself leading a group of addicts in a wave of burglaries across Dallas to feed his meth addiction. That downward spiral ended violently when a SWAT team stormed his apartment, throwing flashbang grenades and pointing rifles at his head. While this was the worst moment of his life, it also became the start of something new. For the first time, West felt that his desperate prayers for his chaotic lifestyle to stop had been answered. The raid was brutal, but he saw it as his angels arriving - not with halos but in tactical gear - pulling him out of a destructive life and giving him a second chance to choose differently.
In prison, however, despair quickly resurfaced. Facing sixty-five years, West broke down, overwhelmed by the idea that his life was effectively over. It was in this moment of collapse that he experienced a vision of Christ reassuring him that he would be okay. Soon after, he met Muhammad, a wise older prisoner who became his mentor. Muhammad gave him advice that would stay with him forever through a metaphor about carrots, eggs, and coffee beans. In boiling water, carrots soften, eggs harden, but coffee beans change the water itself. Muhammad urged him to be a coffee bean - to bring positivity into a negative environment and transform it from within. That simple but powerful lesson became the foundation for West’s transformation and would one day become the message he shared across the world.
Life in prison was still violent and divided, with gangs pressuring him to align by race. Remembering his father’s lessons about sports uniting people, West refused to conform. Instead, he earned respect by repeatedly showing up on the basketball court, even when it meant enduring bruises and hostility. This stubborn integrity impressed his father and gave West confidence that he could lead differently. Alongside that, mentors like Muhammad and his cellmate Carlos helped him reframe prison not as punishment but as an opportunity to grow. West began tutoring other inmates, helping them learn to read and prepare for their GEDs, creating programs that turned wasted time into constructive change. In service to others, he found his own healing.
During this period, he also embraced the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous, guided by his sponsor Ray. Ray pushed him to take a full inventory of his resentments and wrongdoings, clearing out the 'emotional trash' that had weighed him down. He reminded West to focus only on what he could control - his thoughts, words, and actions - and to surrender the rest to God. Service became central to West’s recovery. Helping others gave him purpose and reminded him daily of the responsibility he had to stay sober and be useful. That word - 'useful' - became his guiding principle and would even be his answer when asked at his parole hearing what he wanted to be in life.
In 2015, after six years in prison, West was granted parole. He had prepared meticulously, showing through his actions that he had changed. True to a promise made years earlier, Walter Umphrey, a prominent Texas lawyer, hired him as a paralegal, offering him not just a job but validation. This role allowed West to rebuild his life and also gave him the flexibility to pursue his growing passion for public speaking. He began sharing his story in schools, churches, and community groups, emphasizing the lessons he had learned in prison. His message resonated, but the turning point came when he pushed past repeated rejections to secure an opportunity to speak with Clemson University’s football team. That moment opened the door to a national platform, leading to countless speaking engagements and endorsements from respected coaches like Dabo Swinney.
The lesson from that episode was clear: persistence is essential. If you give up after rejection, you’ve already failed. But if you keep showing up, you increase the chances that eventually someone will say yes. For West, staying in the room even after seven rejections led to the opportunity that changed everything. His ability to keep trying, fueled by his belief that he was worthy of a second chance, demonstrated the resilience that had carried him through prison and into a new life.
Alongside his speaking career, West honored his mentors by giving back. He created the 'Be a Coffee Bean Scholarship' in memory of Muhammad, ensuring that the wisdom that helped save him would continue to impact future generations. He also developed a prison curriculum called 'The Change Agent', teaching inmates how to embrace positivity, discipline, and servant leadership. Watching others graduate from this program was one of his proudest moments, as he saw himself transformed into the very guide he once needed. In helping others change, he cemented his own transformation.
West’s personal life also grew in meaningful ways. He found love, marriage, and a family with Kendell, and with the help of mentors like Jon Gordon, he learned to prioritize rhythm over balance - being fully present at home and on stage instead of trying to stretch himself thin. This grounding allowed him to stay centered despite the demands of success. By 2020, he had become a bestselling author, spreading his story and the coffee bean message far beyond what he ever imagined.
The central theme of his journey is that attitude is a choice. In prison, in life, or in any struggle, you can either be broken like a carrot, hardened like an egg, or transformative like a coffee bean. Transformation begins within, but it has the power to ripple outward, reshaping the environment and inspiring others. Damon West demonstrates that redemption is not about erasing the past but about using it as a foundation for service. His story affirms that no matter how low one falls, change is always possible when humility, faith, and perseverance guide the way.
In conclusion, "Six Dimes and a Nickel: Life Lessons to Empower Change" by Damon West is more than a memoir of crime and punishment - it is a testament to resilience, service, and the enduring possibility of transformation. What began as a life sentence turned into a life mission. West’s journey from quarterback to addict to inmate to speaker illustrates that even in the darkest moments, there is a path forward if one is willing to embrace change and live with purpose. His story shows that everyone, no matter their past, can choose to be the coffee bean, spreading positivity and creating change wherever they are planted.
From a young age, Damon West showed strong leadership potential. A teacher once told him that this ability could either be used for good or misused for destructive ends, and his life illustrated both paths. He led on the football field with discipline and determination, but later found himself leading a group of addicts in a wave of burglaries across Dallas to feed his meth addiction. That downward spiral ended violently when a SWAT team stormed his apartment, throwing flashbang grenades and pointing rifles at his head. While this was the worst moment of his life, it also became the start of something new. For the first time, West felt that his desperate prayers for his chaotic lifestyle to stop had been answered. The raid was brutal, but he saw it as his angels arriving - not with halos but in tactical gear - pulling him out of a destructive life and giving him a second chance to choose differently.
In prison, however, despair quickly resurfaced. Facing sixty-five years, West broke down, overwhelmed by the idea that his life was effectively over. It was in this moment of collapse that he experienced a vision of Christ reassuring him that he would be okay. Soon after, he met Muhammad, a wise older prisoner who became his mentor. Muhammad gave him advice that would stay with him forever through a metaphor about carrots, eggs, and coffee beans. In boiling water, carrots soften, eggs harden, but coffee beans change the water itself. Muhammad urged him to be a coffee bean - to bring positivity into a negative environment and transform it from within. That simple but powerful lesson became the foundation for West’s transformation and would one day become the message he shared across the world.
Life in prison was still violent and divided, with gangs pressuring him to align by race. Remembering his father’s lessons about sports uniting people, West refused to conform. Instead, he earned respect by repeatedly showing up on the basketball court, even when it meant enduring bruises and hostility. This stubborn integrity impressed his father and gave West confidence that he could lead differently. Alongside that, mentors like Muhammad and his cellmate Carlos helped him reframe prison not as punishment but as an opportunity to grow. West began tutoring other inmates, helping them learn to read and prepare for their GEDs, creating programs that turned wasted time into constructive change. In service to others, he found his own healing.
During this period, he also embraced the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous, guided by his sponsor Ray. Ray pushed him to take a full inventory of his resentments and wrongdoings, clearing out the 'emotional trash' that had weighed him down. He reminded West to focus only on what he could control - his thoughts, words, and actions - and to surrender the rest to God. Service became central to West’s recovery. Helping others gave him purpose and reminded him daily of the responsibility he had to stay sober and be useful. That word - 'useful' - became his guiding principle and would even be his answer when asked at his parole hearing what he wanted to be in life.
In 2015, after six years in prison, West was granted parole. He had prepared meticulously, showing through his actions that he had changed. True to a promise made years earlier, Walter Umphrey, a prominent Texas lawyer, hired him as a paralegal, offering him not just a job but validation. This role allowed West to rebuild his life and also gave him the flexibility to pursue his growing passion for public speaking. He began sharing his story in schools, churches, and community groups, emphasizing the lessons he had learned in prison. His message resonated, but the turning point came when he pushed past repeated rejections to secure an opportunity to speak with Clemson University’s football team. That moment opened the door to a national platform, leading to countless speaking engagements and endorsements from respected coaches like Dabo Swinney.
The lesson from that episode was clear: persistence is essential. If you give up after rejection, you’ve already failed. But if you keep showing up, you increase the chances that eventually someone will say yes. For West, staying in the room even after seven rejections led to the opportunity that changed everything. His ability to keep trying, fueled by his belief that he was worthy of a second chance, demonstrated the resilience that had carried him through prison and into a new life.
Alongside his speaking career, West honored his mentors by giving back. He created the 'Be a Coffee Bean Scholarship' in memory of Muhammad, ensuring that the wisdom that helped save him would continue to impact future generations. He also developed a prison curriculum called 'The Change Agent', teaching inmates how to embrace positivity, discipline, and servant leadership. Watching others graduate from this program was one of his proudest moments, as he saw himself transformed into the very guide he once needed. In helping others change, he cemented his own transformation.
West’s personal life also grew in meaningful ways. He found love, marriage, and a family with Kendell, and with the help of mentors like Jon Gordon, he learned to prioritize rhythm over balance - being fully present at home and on stage instead of trying to stretch himself thin. This grounding allowed him to stay centered despite the demands of success. By 2020, he had become a bestselling author, spreading his story and the coffee bean message far beyond what he ever imagined.
The central theme of his journey is that attitude is a choice. In prison, in life, or in any struggle, you can either be broken like a carrot, hardened like an egg, or transformative like a coffee bean. Transformation begins within, but it has the power to ripple outward, reshaping the environment and inspiring others. Damon West demonstrates that redemption is not about erasing the past but about using it as a foundation for service. His story affirms that no matter how low one falls, change is always possible when humility, faith, and perseverance guide the way.
In conclusion, "Six Dimes and a Nickel: Life Lessons to Empower Change" by Damon West is more than a memoir of crime and punishment - it is a testament to resilience, service, and the enduring possibility of transformation. What began as a life sentence turned into a life mission. West’s journey from quarterback to addict to inmate to speaker illustrates that even in the darkest moments, there is a path forward if one is willing to embrace change and live with purpose. His story shows that everyone, no matter their past, can choose to be the coffee bean, spreading positivity and creating change wherever they are planted.
August 22, 2025
Not sure why this book hasn’t gotten the praise it should yet but I hope it does. As a person now going on 9 years of sobriety from alcoholism this by far has been the best self help book I have read. Damon’s redemption story is a remarkable one. I first heard part of his story on the Him & Her podcast and from there I been devouring all of his books. There is so much I can relate to; Mr. West understands struggles and how to redeem oneself. There is so much more I want to share but I will leave you with this…
Read this book!! Listen to the podcast. Emerge in the knowledge that Mr. West is sharing as I have read many help self book throughout my recovery but none like his book. This book is also good for anybody who needs motivation not just people in recovery.
Read this book!! Listen to the podcast. Emerge in the knowledge that Mr. West is sharing as I have read many help self book throughout my recovery but none like his book. This book is also good for anybody who needs motivation not just people in recovery.
September 18, 2025
i used blink it to listen to the summary I will say you must read or listen to it . damon west story is very inspiring and the lesson he wrote about are actually empowering . I really love it . ( I gave 4 stars because I did read the book , so don't if it boring tonread or not ) maybe i will read the actual book one day
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews