John Bird

The first few years of John Bird's life read like this. Homeless at five, in and out of orphanages between seven and ten and in and out of prison during his teens and twenties.

However, in his late twenties, John decided to turn his life around. He set-up a business and began to live a conventional life.

At the age of 45, John set up a magazine called The Big Issue.

This magazine is written and edited by journalists but is sold by homeless people on the street and is a way for them to have an income.

John helps homeless people change their lives by first helping them take small steps. The first step is to show up regularly to training sessions and meetings. The second step is to start taking pride in their appearance and presentation. He then encourages them to start selling the product and regularly working towards making consistent sales so that they can develop a good income and, eventually, afford a place to live.

John Bird understands that the secret to success is to start by taking small steps and building momentum. It is how he changed his life and how he encourages the homeless people that he works with to change their lives as well.