Choose Positive Living with Sara Troy and her guest Nick Marshall, on air from April 29th
Nick Marshall, New York City-based writer, actor, director, producer and author of the new book, Try Again: An Ex-Con’s Path from Prison to Prosperity. This is about the struggle, hope (both loss of and holding on to), grit and perseverance. It’s a story about working hard and trying again, even when we feel the odds are stacked against us — and about the desire to be a person of humility and integrity.
Nick’s journey back into society has been anything but easy. With a criminal record shadowing his every step, finding steady work and forming new relationships meant constantly confronting and disclosing his past. Despite these barriers, he poured himself into the hospitality industry, relentlessly climbing the ranks until he found himself at the center of New York City’s elite nightlife, working at iconic clubs like Avenue, The Darby, 1OAK, and Up&Down. But the path from suburban New Jersey kid to state prison inmate sentenced for armed robbery taught him hard, humbling lessons. Immersed in the glitz of A-list celebrity culture, Nick eventually lost himself in the illusion, costing him not only his career but his mental health and sense of stability. Through it all, his grounding force has always been storytelling, reading, and writing became his anchors, offering clarity amid chaos. Now pursuing his lifelong dream of being an artist, actor, director, and writer, Nick channels his pain into purpose. He co-founded The Collective NY, a not-for-profit theatre and film company dedicated to the authentic creative expression. His directorial debut, A Long Road, currently in pre-production, reflects his journey, a testament to the resilience, redemption, and the long path to healing. Nick continues to face challenges tied to PTSD, anxiety, OCD, and addiction, but through art, he finds strength, meaning, and a connection.
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Nick Marshall’s story is one of grit, reinvention, and the price of chasing dreams. At just 21, he walked out of prison after serving three years for armed robbery, carrying the weight of his past and the uncertainty of a future as an ex-con. Though he had a steady job, a roof over his head, and the basics for survival, something deeper called to him, his need to create, to express, to be more than his record.
Willing to risk stability for purpose, Nick started at the bottom of the hospitality industry, eventually climbing his way into New York City’s high-end nightlife. From bartending to brand ambassador, he moved through the velvet ropes of celebrity-studded clubs like Avenue, The Darby, 1OAK, and Up&Down. Surrounded by fame, luxury, and endless access, Nick looked like he had made it. But beneath the surface, the fast life took its toll on his mental health, his identity, and the very dream that started it all.
Try Again: An Ex-Con’s Path from Prison to Prosperity is Nick’s raw, inspiring account of rebuilding a life against the odds. It’s about losing everything, more than once, and still choosing to rise. Today, he’s a writer, actor, director, and co-founder of The Collective NY, a not-for-profit theater and film company where he brings stories to life—his own and others’. His journey isn’t just for those who’ve been incarcerated, it’s for anyone who’s ever had to start over, question their worth, or fight to become who they were always meant to be. He is currently in pre-production for his first directorial feature, A Long Road, based on his experience as an ex-convict trying to reintegrate into society, and a scripted series based on his experience in a New Jersey state prison. Try Again is his first book.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-marshall
https://www.instagram.com/thenickmarshall
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