Homeless man tells his rags to riches story in Milton Keynes

Julian MacIntyre's world fell apart when he was made homeless in February 2019 after being evicted from his privately rented property in MK.

"I was suffering from depression and everything had got on top of me," said the 49-year-old.

He went to the council and was given a place at the Milton Keynes Winter Night Shelter (WNS) charity.

"I stayed there for a couple weeks and then moved on to The Bus Shelter MK, where I remained for six months," he said.

With the help of the Bus Shelter charity, Julian found longer term accommodation. He has now thanked and praised both charities for their help, and he is also 'paying it forward' by volunteering for the Milton Keynes Homeless Partnership initiative.

With his accommodation secured, Julian was in a position to think about work. He set up his own digital coaching business called DigITalCEO-MK to help local businesses and organisations improve their online profiles.

"I used the opportunity to rebuild my life, getting clear on what it was I really wanted and the person I needed to be to achieve it," he said.

"The experience of being homeless made me realise I had been carrying learned beliefs from my past, which had held me back from achieving my goals. I went through counselling for my depression and got certifications in direct response, copywriting, content marketing and customer value optimization.

"I also researched ways of leveraging the power of the internet, to achieve a life of joy, value and profit in the digital era. I now use my knowledge and experiences from the past, to help professionals, businesses and charitable groups use the internet to achieve their goals."

Julian added: "It's a dream come true to have my own business, DigITalCEO-MK, at a time when many are feeling undervalued and underpaid in the digital era. I am on a mission to help support local professionals and business owners to leverage the internet, as well as to achieve more joy from the life they lead, the work they do, and the people they work with."

"The charities who were there for me when it counted most helped me to see the real me and discover my path to success, which is why I am delighted to be repaying that support by helping Milton Keynes Homeless Partnership. I support our local community's mission to end homelessness in MK."