Shawn M. Lewis is a native of Dayton, Ohio, who grew up in the gang infested streets of South East San Diego and Spring Valley, California in 1989-2010. Having to survive through the day to day violent gang activity that was going on in the neighborhood where Shawn lived, he eventually grew tired of seeing the shootings and aggressive environment fueled by violent activity. Shawn knew he had to leave the streets and the gang activity that was consuming him. He wanted more out of life for himself and his family, so he enrolled into San Diego City College following the advice of a friend.

Once Shawn enrolled in college, he became friends with a professor who taught financial planning. Professor Lem Lemons took an interest in Shawn and introduced him to opportunities in business ownership and investing in real estate. This opened up a whole new world of possibilities for Shawn to explore. After studying at San Diego City College for two years, he got a job as a loan officer for a mortgage company in Mira Mesa, California. While working as a loan officer for four years, Shawn became one of the top producers in the mortgage company.