“A major obstacle that I had to overcome was going from homeless to published.”
– Brian Shell, Author at PassionHero.com
What do you call someone giving up a successful career as an engineer to chase his dream? Probably crazy, but then it’s the crazy ones who do remarkable things. Living a safe, predictable life is easy, but true rewards lie at the other end of the spectrum. Brian Shell’s life has been one roller coaster ride, showing what perseverance and faith in yourself can do.
Brian went from a being a successful engineer to homeless and to a published author with more than 30 books.
Overcoming a Major Obstacle
With a master’s degree in electrical engineering, Brian had a promising career as an engineer. Always bubbling with creative thoughts, Brian came up with a great idea for a film. Brian’s belief in his idea was so strong that he was willing to give up everything for it. It was more than stepping out of his comfort zone; it was jumping into an unknown realm, without a safety rope. Brian says, “I decided to make a leap of faith to chase it while still young, single, and without children.”
What followed was a long, hard struggle that was enough to knock wind out of anyone’s sails. After running out of his savings and living on his credit cards, Brian was left with nothing. “No money. No credit. No more friends and family to let me couch surf,” he shares. Homeless, he slept on the streets of LA while still believing in his script and trying to sell it to Hollywood. After 9 arduous months, Brian’s mother took him in.
The perspectives he learned along the way were priceless—something that can’t be taught in schools. Brian says, “You have to live through them to understand.”
“Ten years later, I have over 30 books published and own my own home on a peaceful lake,” he reveals. Brian is truly perseverance personified.
Amazing Transformation
Along his amazing journey, Brian has learned a lot about life.
He recalls someone telling him on Venice Beach “You’re just temporarily houseless right now… everyone has a Home.”While Brian wouldn’t want to repeat the experience, its roller coaster ride transformed his life and gave him material to write about and publish for the rest of his life.
Brian says, “If one day Hollywood does knock on my door, I have a supernatural screenplay that shows us the monster in the mirror of who we have become inside when in need of a sign to change.”
About Brian Shell
Brian Shell became an antenna design engineer in Los Angeles in his 20’s where his athleticism enabled him to play pro-level racquetball. Later, he taught engineering as a professor. Over the last 20+ years of being an author, Brian has published 35 eBooks and 11 paperbacks.
