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Meet Chris Gardner
By JLP | September 13, 2006
The September 18, 2006 issue of Fortune has a story about a guy named Chris Gardner. Apparantly Mr. Gardner went from being a homeless single parent to becoming a successful stockbroker and eventually a successful business owner. I looked on the Fortune website but could not find a link to the article but here’s a link to his website. His story, which you can read about here, is pretty inspiring.
It all boils down to a decision: he decided that he was going to make something of himself DESPITE the circumstances he was in. He did that and now people will be watching Will Smith play his part this December in the movie “The Pursuit of Happyness.” FINALLY a movie worth watching!
UPDATE: For more information on Chris Gardner (or Christopher Gardner as his website says), read this October 2005 San Francisco Chronicle article by Marianne Costantinou. I like the fact that Mr. Gardner hasn’t forgotten where he came from and that he is giving back:
“It still smells good,” Gardner says during dinnertime in the church basement recently. Even with his fancy duds and new life, Gardner oddly doesn’t seem out of place, and the other diners nod their heads or greet him as if he were still one of them. Gardner donates heavily, in cash and in retired clothing, to the church, and still drops in whenever he’s in town, to honor this place that gave him more than nutritional sustenance.
Topics: Personal Growth | 2 Comments »
September 13th, 2006 at 9:47 am
That is a very inspiring story. It’s refreshing to know that with the right determination financial independance is attainable regardless of where you start.
September 13th, 2006 at 12:06 pm
It’s great to see his story highlighted here. For the most part, PF Bloggers are about security and frugality, instead of building businesses and wealth by pushing hard, taking risks and leverage. I know a lot of that is just the way some people are wired, but it is a great example for us – thanks for sharing!