We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful TJ Lewis. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with TJ below.

TJ, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I think a lot of people share a similar story – ending up in a career they never planned for. To me, that says something about the kind of people who don’t let self-doubt or pride get in their way.

In high school, I was of the mind that my future was in the tech industry. I wanted to be the architect of networking infrastructures (in my head, I was going to be the cool sci-fi tech guy with the green code going up the screen like you would see in 90’s movies.) I was making all of the right moves by getting the certifications that nobody else had at my age, staying around others who would elevate me, and preparing to go to college to get my degree.

In 2015, I set off to college and that same notion I had didn’t change. I was headstrong and self-assured in what I wanted. In 2016, I started in an entry level position as a network technician at a local business in my college town while working on my degree. All was going according to plan.

Fast forward to 2018 where I graduated from college and in the summer of 2019, I married my high school sweetheart. Life was bliss and I couldn’t have been more excited for this next chapter. My wife finished her forensic science degree and was gearing up to find her next adventure. We said goodbye to our college town that we had called home and had grown so much. We wanted to move back home to the MS Gulf Coast where we could start our new careers with wide eyes and optimistic smiles. In February of 2020, we bought our first home. We moved in and were enjoying the fruits of our labor with our 2 dogs (Padme & Ella).

Then a month later, the world shut down.

When the pandemic hit, I lost my job. Suddenly my days were filled with house projects, baking bread, Tiger King, and waiting to see what would happen next. During that time, I started questioning everything — especially my career. I’d already been feeling burned out, and I had to be honest with myself: it just didn’t make me happy anymore.

While on this search, I had to bring in some kind of income, so I began delivering food and working a retail job as a part time solution. My first venture was real estate. I had just bought my first home and saw what my real estate agent’s paycheck looked like and thought to myself… that’s it! I went and took the real estate training, passed my test, and was ready to get to work! Except, most people don’t feel that they can trust a 22-year-old with one of their biggest financial purchases of their life. Thankfully, there were some family members who trusted me enough to give me a shot.

Things were looking up for a bit, but I didn’t know how to grow the business, and the bills kept coming. By late 2021, my wife and I were expecting our first child, and everything shifted to survival mode. Eventually, in 2022, we had to make one of the hardest decisions of our lives – selling our home. It was heartbreaking. That house held so many memories: our first big step as adults, family dinners, the nursery we’d built. But when our daughter was born that May, none of it mattered. She became our purpose.

The next month, we sold our house and were able to use our proceeds to buy a camper in cash to live in. It obviously wasn’t ideal, but hey, we had to start from scratch. Finally, we were able to breath and begin our financial and mental healing journey.

I left my dead-end retail job in the fall of 2022 after being offered a position to teach kids about S.T.E.M. in my old school system. FINALLY, I was doing something fun again, making a difference with kids, and also got an increase in income for it. It was the win that I needed for my family and myself personally. I had health insurance again; I was able to afford our monthly expenses again… I was able to breath.

I had no intentions of leaving this job. I wanted grow in this position and see where it would take me because it made my family and myself feel secure. Unfortunately, as it usually does, life began throwing additional curves at me. The administration that hired me was not who they made themselves out to be and it became increasingly worse the longer that I stayed. I either needed to be okay with the treatment that I was receiving or yet again, find something new.

I was scrolling on Facebook one day in early 2023 and came across this post in one of my dad groups asking if anyone is interested in building a limitless career in mortgages. It piqued my interest but of course kept my skepticism. I called some of the previous loan officers that I used to work with as a realtor to get their take on their career and within a few moments of that conversation… something clicked in my head. I hadn’t felt this excited or invested in an idea since I was working on my bachelors.

I did some additional digging into this career and officially set my sights on becoming a mortgage loan originator in the spring of 2023. I studied every chance I had and passed my licensing test on the first go in May of 2023. Now, this was the scary part… I was gearing up to leave my salary position with guaranteed time off, health benefits, and all of the other security to become a commission-based loan officer. I was no stranger to living paycheck to paycheck, but this was different. I was asking my family to trust me with our financial future in a way that I never had before. We had no savings built up, all we had was each other’s trust and belief that I was going to put us in a position that we never thought possible.

I did it, I officially quit my teaching job and started as a loan officer with CMG Home Loans in July of 2023. All of a sudden, my wide eyes and optimistic smile came rushing back. I felt that I had purpose again and felt more in control of my future more than ever before.

I threw myself into it. I learned how to market, how to build relationships, and how to create something from nothing. It wasn’t easy. I worked constantly and learned the hard way about boundaries. But by early 2024, things started changing. We moved out of the camper and into an apartment. By the end of the year, I was my branch’s top originator and was even recognized by Scotsman Guide as a Top Originator in 2025.

In January 2025, less than two years after losing everything, we were able to purchase a home again. Unlocking that front door after years of struggle, sacrifice, and rebuilding was one of the proudest moments of my life. It felt like proof that all the late nights, faith, and hard work had finally come full circle.

Through hard work, my wife’s never-ending patience and support, I have been fortunate enough to continue to grow my business and give my family a life that I never thought I would be able to. I added my first production assistant and also expanded my licensure into two additional states and look to grow my business year over year as the Lewis Group continues to help make happy homeowners make sound financial decisions with their mortgage goals.

The point of my story isn’t about switching careers or chasing success. It’s about believing in yourself when it feels impossible. It’s about taking risks, trusting your gut, and realizing your path doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.
Because sometimes, losing everything gives you the chance to build something even better.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hey there, I’m TJ Lewis, your friendly Loan Officer at CMG Home Loans and proud leader of The Lewis Group. With 27 years of coastal living under my belt, I’ve been immersed in the real estate scene since 2020, and let me tell you, it’s been quite the journey! My roots trace back to an IT background, proudly holding a degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. But when my wife and I took the plunge into homeownership, something clicked – I found my passion in this industry.

What sets The Lewis Group apart? Besides a deep-seated belief in the power of communication (seriously, it can work wonders), I’m armed with the incredible tools and products from CMG Financial. My mission? To make your loan process smoother than a sea breeze. I’ve seen firsthand how proper communication can dismantle 99% of obstacles, and I’m all about delivering that 1% extra.

But enough about me – it’s about you and your dreams. My team and I thrive on delivering top-notch service, leaving our borrowers with nothing short of rave reviews. Ready to embark on your homeownership journey? Give us a call or apply today, and let’s make those dreams a reality!

https://www.cmghomeloans.com/mysite/tj-lewis/team/The-Lewis-Group

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Starting from nothing is exciting, overwhelming, and scary.

Social media can feel unnatural to some people and to others they feel right at home. I was uncomfortable making posts. I didn’t have any confidence when it came to content. I had constant doubts about posting the wrong content.

At the end of the day, you just have to start. The comfort will come later. If you are passionate enough, the rest will come.

Consistency is KEY. I was posting daily AND I switched it up from business and personal because people will only like so many posts about a loan program lol.

I was aggressive and still am in my marketing. Nobody knew who I was when I started and that was my goal.. People needed to know who I was.

About 6 months after starting my social media journey, I had people asking me who did my social media and they would mention “you just came out of nowhere and killed it!” – This just validated me that I was on the right track and that I needed to keep going strong!

Social media is a very powerful, FREE tool that you should always be implementing in your business.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I’ve built my reputation by showing up consistently, being authentic, and focusing on relationships over transactions. I want people to feel like they’re working with a friend who truly cares about their goals, not just their loan. I stay active in the community, stay visible through education and events, and keep communication personal and transparent. Over time, that consistency and care have helped people see that The Lewis Group isn’t just about closing loans… it’s about helping families and agents build lasting success together.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.TJLewisLoans.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CMGMortgageGuy/ & https://www.facebook.com/tj.lewis.312326/