A woman from Essex named Melissa Lewis thinks that she was a real “nightmare” at school. When she was expelled at 15, the young woman thought she was going to get nowhere. Today, she runs her own successful property business and helps others become millionaires. But the journey wasn’t always easy, as Melissa started smoking at the age of 12 and was soon skipping school. She was then expelled from school at the age of 15. She rebelled against her super-strict parents and never imagined her behaviour would come back to haunt her. When she was told she couldn’t return to school, she was shocked and scared.
Melissa, now 33, said: “One day I was told I had to stay in detention for talking in class. It was the first day I had returned to school after being suspended every week for the previous two months. “I bravely told the teacher I was not going to stay in detention for lunch and walked out. When I returned after lunch, I was told I was being expelled.”
“That was my last day at school; no graduation ceremony, no signing of my uniform, no prom. I was terrified of what my parents would say. I thought they were going to kill me. I remember shaking when I got home,” she added. Undeterred, her parents told her she needed to get a job straight away; so, she became an apprentice with Transport for London. She stayed in that role for two months, before being fired for failing a safety test.
Melissa didn’t know what to do next and found a job as a human resources administrator that she could do alongside her studies. She enrolled in college and then university, and studied human resources management.
Melissa worked hard both in school and job, and amazed her parents when she bought a Ford KA at 17. Also, she loved listening to music on a stereo, while driving with her friends around town. She used to park and have car parties. Melissa probably got the most parking tickets in my first year driving alone.
When Melissa was 20, she set a goal to be a senior HR officer by the age of 30, which she achieved at 26. During that time she worked hard and saved while all her friends went out and spent their money on clothes and clubs.
At the age of 26, she bought her first house and moved from London to Essex where it was more affordable. After 10 years in HR, she started her own property business sourcing properties and building sites for investors. She explained: “I manage multi-occupancy properties and, most excitingly, I work with women over 35 who want to get into property. I haven’t looked back.”
In the first year, she took in just over £172,000 (Rs 1.7 crore) from rental income alone. She started with nothing and now has a six-figure turnover. Melissa added: “I’ve learnt a lot of lessons along the way but the most important thing I’ve had to change was my mindset.
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