From Zero To Hero: The Rags To Riches Story Of Chris Gardner

There are many rags to riches stories out there, and Chris Gardner’s is one of them. If it wasn’t for the movie The Pursuit of Happyness, (which is based on his book of memoirs of the same title) I wouldn’t have a clue who this person is. I watched that movie with an open mind that and Chris was aptly portrayed by Will Smith.

Many stories about rags to riches we know and they consist of mainly ups and downs and this story is not an exception. He struggled with homelessness; his father abandoned him when he was a child and though his mother remarried, his stepfather made their lives a miserable hell. Obviously, during his early years, he lacked some positive male role models.

Like most rags to riches tales, there’s always a hope, a motivation that somewhere in the midst of his struggling and wretched life, he has that indomitable spirit lurking within, telling him not to give up cause where there’s life, there’s endless possibilities. I’ll never forget that scene wherein he was working as a medical supplies salesman and then a parked red (hot) Ferrari caught his eye.

He went up to the man driving it and asked, “What do you do and how do you do it?” The man answered that he’s a stock broker. That was the starting point of his rags to riches story—that’s all he needed to know and his child is his inspiration (his wife left him at this point) and he wanted a good life for his son.

Now, he wanted to be a stock broker too. Father and son, now homeless, slept wherever they can (including a subway station and a bathroom). But this rags to riches zero to hero never wavered in his faith to secure a better future, in his homeless state, still studied for a licensing exam in which he passed successfully.

Though they’re struggling alright, but they had more hope than ever before and success is almost within reach that Chris can feel it before it actually happened. In the long run, Gardner was recruited by Bear Stearns & Company in San Francisco. He worked hard each day and his efforts, hard work and perseverance paid off when their situation started to get better.

Eventually, he started earning more and he and his son were able to find their own home. Ultimately, Chris Gardner became the CEO of his own firm, Gardner Rich & Co. based in Chicago. His rags to riches story is an inspiration to all as he is a self-made millionaire, motivational speaker, philanthropist and entrepreneur.