By Raúl Gorrín.
Christopher Paul "Chris" Gardner has quoted these words time
and time again as a motivational speaker. He is an is an American entrepreneur,
investor, stockbroker, motivational speaker and philanthropist. Gardner
established the brokerage firm , Gardner Rich and company in Chicago, an
"institutional brokerage firm specializing in the execution of debt,
equity and derivative products transactions for some of the nation’s largest
institutions, public pension plans and unions.
After Gardner sold his small stake in Gardner
Rich in a multi-million dollar deal in 2006, he became CEO and founder of
Christopher Gardner International Holdings, with offices in New York, Chicago
and San Francisco. During a visit to South Africa to observe elections
around the time of the 10th anniversary of the end of apartheid, Gardner met
with Nelson Mandela to discuss possible investment in South African emerging
markets as indicated in his 2006 autobiography. Gardner is reportedly
developing an investment venture with South Africa that will create hundreds of
jobs and introduce millions in foreign currency into the nation. Gardner became
no doubt a very successful entrepreneur.
To be a success, it’s necessary to embrace and operate
from the principles that produce success, not just imitate the actions of
successful people—for to really do what they do, it’s necessary to be like they
are.
Successful people follow other successful people’s
actions and principles and incorporate them into our own self. So let’s learn
from Mr. Gardner’s actions and what made him successful.
The difference between a successful salesperson and a
mediocre one often lies in the nuances of social behavior and the skills for
building relationships and controlling another person’s perception. That is one
of the reasons that we are told to dress for success. A stockbroker would tend
to wear a rolex watch so that his client sees that sign of success. The image
we give will have a direct correlation on how our potential customers accept
us.
Another key to success is to learn as much as you can
about your trade and to become the best at it. Gardner became friends with a
Bob Bridges, who organized meetings between Gardner and branch managers at the
major stock brokerage firms that offered training programs—such as Merrill
Lynch, Paine Webber, E.F. Hutton, Dean Witter Reynolds and Smith Barney.
Gardner returned home from jail because he could not pay for parking tickets.
With no experience, no college education, virtually no connections, and with
the same casual outfit he had been wearing on the day he was taken into
custody, Gardner gained a position in Dean Witter Reynolds stock brokerage
training program. However, this offered no salary. Gardner worked to become a
top trainee at Dean Witter Reynolds. He arrived at the office early and stayed
late each day, persistently making calls to prospective clients with his goal
being 200 calls per day. All this and for zero salary. His perseverance paid
off when, in 1982, Gardner passed his Series 7 Exam on the first try and became
a full employee of the firm. Eventually, Gardner was recruited by Bear Stearns
& Company in San Francisco.
Meanwhile, none of Gardner's co-workers knew that he
and his son were homeless in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco for
nearly a year. Gardner often scrambled to place his child in daycare, stood in
soup kitchens and slept wherever he and his son could find safety—in his office
after hours, at flophouses, motels, parks, airports, on public transport and
even in a locked bathroom at a BART station.
Regardless of his challenges, he never reveals
his lowly circumstances to his colleagues, even going so far as to lend one of
his bosses five dollars for cab fare, a sum that he cannot afford. Perception
was that important to Gardner. He also made sure to wear nice suits and pressed
shirts despite not having the money. He would give up food to look good at an
internship in which he was not paid. On the last day of his internship, his
boss complimented his clothes and told him to come in wearing those impressive
clothes the next day. From hundreds of others he was chosen for a full time job
and was no longer a free intern. Mr. Gardner was to go on to make
millions in that field.
Mr. Gardner was willing to work for free to learn his
trade and he was willing to live in a homeless shelter to achieve his goals of
being the best at what he did. He tried to learn from the very best and copy
and learn from them. Lastly despite his circumstance of being homeless and
living in shelters, his outside image to his bosses and clients was one of
incredible success. By Raúl
Gorrín.
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