Rags to riches…the rest of the story

 

I am not a celebrity. Not a sports phenom, not an award-winning entertainer, a renowned Ph.D. or a rocket scientist. Yet somehow, with very little formal education, having been born into Third-World poverty and deprivation, being a member of a minority race that still endures systemic discrimination, I have attained a level of success that most people can only dream of.

How did this happen? My book, Driven By Desperation, reveals my incredible tale of triumph. But here’s the short version.

Within eight years of entering the U.S., I owned my own business. Eight years after that, it was extremely successful, and today my assets far outweigh my debt ratio. I work with numerous Fortune 500 companies. For the past fifteen years I have managed all primary aspects of my corporation. I have dealt with all of the obstacles of running a successful enterprise, including labor board, labor union, OSHA and EEOC intrusions.

I was once, for a brief time, homeless and living out of my car. So I understand “challenges” and how quickly they can drain you. But I never allowed them to do that. Even as a child I prayed daily (I still do) for God to intervene in my life and to steer me in the right direction.

I dared to dream big. I pursued my first large company and persuaded them to take a chance on me. When they did, I under promised and over delivered––every single time. My roster of “anchor” clients grew and grew.

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Once I had shed my rags and embraced my blessings, I understood thoroughly the importance of operating with both integrity and generosity. Today I give back through my Foundation in Jamaica so that kids just like me can become educated and attain prosperity much faster. And here in Hamilton, Ohio, I have become a motivational speaker, most recently to Riverview Elementary’s graduating sixth graders, with additional engagements planned.

I also intend to employ teenage students who will be thrilled to earn their own income for the first time. Similarly, our Second Chance program employs former lawbreakers who have served their time and now yearn for a fair break. Donations to causes, I have learned, are wonderful––but playing a hands-on role and being physically present is far better.

My passion now lies in helping others to leave their own rags behind. And my blessings, I’m telling you, aren’t just financial. They lie in giving without any selfish expectations, enriching not just oneself, but others as well.

 

 

 


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