***
In an effort to multitask, I analyzed some data while soothing ‘hold’ muzak from Trek Micro flooded through my office from the speaker phone. Just as I was getting into it, a lady picked up.
“Trek Micro Systems, how may I assist you?”
“Yes, hi, may I please speak with someone in your account management department?” I asked.
“Certainly, sir, may I have your name?”
“Yes, my name is Trevor Morrison.”
A few moments later a familiar voice came on the line. “Trevor?” she said. As soon as I heard her voice, my stomach knotted up. “Ashley?”
“Oh my god, Trevor, how’s it going?”
“Things are going well, how are things with you?”
“I’m doing well. This is so weird, I heard there was a Trevor Morrison on the phone and I thought, no it couldn’t be.”
“I had no idea you worked for Trek Micro.”
“Yeah, I’ve been here for almost a year. So I take it you’re not a lawyer?”
“No, I decided to go in a different direction.”
“So what do you do now?”
“I’m back in Vancouver, just working for some company. I would love to get together some time to catch up.”
“Sure, what’s your number? I’ll call you when I’m off work.”
I disconnected the phone and exhaled a deep breath. I was so caught off guard that I forgot all about the reason for my call in the first place.
I looked down and felt my hands – they were sweating profusely. Who would have thought a girl I dated so many years ago would still make me feel so nervous. I felt like I did when we first met in Banff. I had no idea my feelings for her were still so strong. I guess I had been suppressing them all this time.
Similarly to when I was seventeen and in Banff, I allowed my mind to wander, once again thinking of all the possible scenarios that could possibly unfold tonight. Would she still be the same person? Had she gotten over me? Was she seeing anyone else? All these questions came to mind. In any event, I was about to find out.
In preparation for our date, I went to the mall and bought a new shirt and some flowers, nothing too fancy, in case she was married. I wanted to send the message I was doing well and still cared about her, but I would allow her to fill in the details of how much. I also went to a car rental agency and rented a mid-sized vehicle for the night. The only decent car they had was a blue Ford Focus. It was not the classiest car, but it would have to do.
I drove back to my place to get ready. After I had a shower, I took my new shirt out of the bag and pulled the tags off. I held it up and looked at it. It still had creases from being folded in the store so I took out my iron and ironed it too. I ironed my pants while I was at it. I wanted everything to be perfect for the evening so no detail was overlooked.
After I was done ironing, I put my pants on and buttoned my new shirt overtop a clean white tee. I did my hair, brushed my teeth, and donned a single spray of her favourite cologne. By the time I was finished, it was 5:30 – time to pick Ashley up from work.
I pulled up to the Trek Micro building and saw Ashley waiting promptly. She looked as gorgeous as ever. Other than her hairstyle, she had not changed a bit.
“Hey, nice car,” she said as I got out and opened the passenger-side door for her.
“Oh, it’s not mine, it’s a rental.”
“Still don’t own a car yet, huh?”
“No, not yet. So do you want to grab something to eat?”
“Sure, there is this awesome new restaurant I want to try, it’s called Ace, have you been there before?” she asked.
“Um, well, why don’t we go somewhere else?”
“Don’t worry, it’s my treat.”
“What, no, it’s not that, it’s just...”
“Have you heard bad reviews or something?”
“No, I was actually just there for lunch and I don’t want to go back, it’s embarrassing.”
“Who cares, weren’t you the one always telling me not to care what people think?”
“Okay, fine.”
I was a little apprehensive at first taking Ashley to my restaurant; I did not really want her to know too much about my financial situation. I just prayed none of my staff would blow my cover. I had good reasons for keeping Ashley in the dark about certain details of my life, but I also did not want her thinking I was withholding things from her. In order to pull this evening off, I had to spread the word quickly to my staff to treat me like a regular customer. My plan for that was to excuse myself from the table as soon as possible.
When we arrived at the restaurant, I opened the door for her. This actually served a dual purpose. With some luck I could hide behind Ashley and sneak passed the hostess – who would undoubtedly greet me by name.
“Good evening Mr. Morrison. Table for two?” the hostess said.
So much for that plan. “Yes, please,” I replied, keeping my head down, trying to maintain a low profile.
“Right this way please.”
“Wow, they know you by name. You must come here often.”
“Yeah, you could say that.”
The hostess brought us to our table and stuck around to chat for a bit, the customary glad-handing of the boss. I set my coat down and politely excused myself. I walked right up to the manager and told him to spread the word to the staff I was to be treated like a regular customer tonight. I did not want any special attention. After that was done, I relaxed a little and walked back to our table.
“So tell me about your job,” I asked.
“Right now, I’m an account manager for Trek Micro Systems. I’ve been there for just over two years. The people I work with are nice, but the job itself is a little dull. We actually just landed this big account so it has been really busy lately.”
“Tell me about this account.”
“The company is called Unity Inc. I’m not sure if you have heard of it, but it’s actually kind of cool. With our help, they are launching this service that will allow users to combine all the cards in their wallet into one card.”
“Sounds interesting.”
“Well, it’s a brand new company so we’ll see how they do.”
“What about you, where are you working?”
“I work for this company called Unity Inc., perhaps you’ve heard of it.”
“No way! Why didn’t you stop me, I feel so embarrassed.”
“If I told you I worked there, then I might not get honest feedback.”
“Oh, so that’s why you called Trek today, I get it.”
“It’s funny because as soon as I hung up with you I realized I had forgotten to ask you about our account.”
“Why didn’t you just call back?”
“Once you have a date with a girl, you don’t call back!”
We both smiled at each other. The chemistry was still there, you could practically cut it with a knife.
“So what do you do at Unity Inc.?” she asked.
“Research and development mostly, nothing I want to bore you with.”
“So what happened to wanting to be a lawyer?”
“I decided it wasn’t for me. While all my classmates were interning at law firms during the summer, I was inside my apartment all day trading stocks.”
“Did you lose all your money?”
“No, of course not.”
“So how long have you been in town for?”
“I’ve been here a few months.”
“Why didn’t you call? Were you just “busy” like the first time you came to Vancouver and didn’t call me?”
“Something like that.”
C H A P T E R
F I F T Y - T H R E E
A couple of weeks had passed since I had reconnected with Ashley. It only took a few dates and the discovery that we were both single for things to pick up right where they had left off. I didn’t really know what to tell her about what I did for work, so I left that part vague. She didn’
t ask too many questions, and I didn’t volunteer too much information.
“So this is your place, huh?” she asked, as she looked around my modest one bedroom apartment. “It’s nice.”
“I think you said that same thing when you first came over to my place on West 4th Avenue.”
“Did I?”
“Yes, I believe you did, and that place was a dump.”
“Oh yeah, I remember. It had the thick orange shag carpet,” she laughed. “And remember the owner busting in at three in the morning?”
“Yeah, those were some crazy times.”
“Yeah, I miss those times,” she said, as our eyes locked for a moment.
There was a brief silence as we studied each other. It was the perfect moment for a kiss and we both felt it. I leaned in closer, and then my phone rang.
“Steve, what’s up, man?”
“Hey, sorry, did I catch you at a bad time?”
“No, not at all, what’s up?”
“What are you doing right now?”
“I’m with Ashley, we’re just hanging out.”
“Do you guys want to come car shopping with me?”
“You’re buying a new car?”
“Yeah, I need something for the mountains out here.”
“What’s wrong with your Hummer?”
“I got rid of it; it was bad for the environment.”
“And the Lexus?”
“I got rid of that too. I got rid of all my cars when I moved out here, I thought I told you.”
“Alright, let me ask Ashley.”
I put the phone down by my waist and covered the receiver.
“Hey, do you want to go car shopping with my friend, Steve?”
“Sure.”
“Alright, we’re in. Can you come pick us up?”
Steve was a little bit late, but I expected it. He picked us up in his parents’ Mercedes S500. I remembered the last time I was in this car, I had had a good time. It was probably best to keep those details to myself.
We cruised down to the car dealership on Burrard Street. I really enjoyed watching Steve do his thing, he was a really good negotiator.
“Do you have the V10 in stock … fully loaded?” Steve asked.
“Yes we do, right this way, sir.”
We followed the peppy sales associate around the lot. There was no shortage of fine automobiles, but Steve knew exactly which one he wanted.
“Okay here it is,” the man said, as he proudly presented the Range Rover Sport. I could tell he worked on commission; you could almost smell it on him.
“This is one of our most popular models, it has a supercharger in it and…”
“It’s orange,” Steve interrupted him.
“Well, it’s a burnt orange – it’s a very popular color right now.”
Feeling his commission slipping away he quickly shifted gears on his pitch. “This is our last one in stock and I can give you a fantastic price.”
“Sir, I appreciate it, but I can’t drive an orange truck.”
“Yes… well, it’s burnt orange and like I said, it’s a very hot color right now. You will notice more and more vehicles are painted in earth tones.”
“You said something about a fantastic price?”
“Hey, Trevor,” Ashley said, as she pulled me aside. “You need a car right, you should get this one,” she said, pointing to a cherry red Ferrari 599 GTO.
“Yeah, I’ve already had that one, it hurt my back.”
“Ha ha, very funny.”
C H A P T E R
F I F T Y - F O U R
When I returned to my office, I began to respond to some phone calls and emails. I placed my routine call to the manager of Ace Restaurant. I allowed him the freedom to run the business, but I still liked to check in every few days. When we spoke, he apologized to me because the restaurant was so busy and he had to go. I informed him there was no need to apologize; it was exactly what I wanted to hear. Business at Ace was doing so well that it allowed me to focus most of my attention on Unity Inc.
I continued to get through as many emails and phone calls as possible before my meeting with the city’s largest marketing firm. We were finalizing some details on Unity’s new marketing campaign. It was a massive effort to push the product name into as many homes in North America as possible, and it was not cheap.
“Trevor, there’s a ‘McAfee’ on line one, shall I put him through?” Tami asked.
“Yes, please, you can put him through.”
“Trevor Morrison speaking, how may I help you?”
“Hello, Mr. Morrison, my name is Arthur McAfee, President of the National Group Bank of Canada. How are you today?”
“I’m really busy, what can I do for you, Mr. McAfee?”
“Mr. Morrison, I don’t want to take up too much of your time, so let me be brief. The National Group Bank has a great interest in acquiring Unity Inc. We are prepared to offer you a substantial figure for your business. In addition to that, we are willing to allow you and your team to remain in your current positions. How does that sound?”
“I appreciate the call, but unfortunately we are not for sale.”
“Mr. Morrison, we are willing to go as high as ten.”
I chuckled a little bit. “Ten million? That’s funny. Listen, thank you so much for calling, but I have a lot of work to do, have a good day,” I said, as I hung up the phone.
“What did Mr. McAfee want, Trevor?”
“He offered to buy us out for ten million dollars.”
“I think we should consider the offer, we are struggling to stay afloat here and that’s a lot of money.”
“Honestly, I don’t really care about the money, that’s not what drives me. All I care about is running a business the way I see fit and not having to take orders from people. For the longest time, I have been jerked around and held back by people who were in a higher position than I was. Now that I have my own company, that problem no longer exists for me.”
“Yeah, but perhaps you could work out a deal where you still have full autonomy.”
“Nope, it doesn’t exist. There’s no such thing. He actually did say that we could keep our entire staff, but if you think National Group is just going to give us ten million dollars and leave us alone, then you’re very naïve. You see, the problem with many corporations is that they are run by old egomaniacal white men who have been living in the upper echelon for so long that they are out of touch with reality. They look down on people like me and you and treat them as second-class citizens. They think they know what is best and want things done their way. They also want to protect their position in life so they have no problems lying, cheating, and stealing to maintain it. That’s where I’m different. I come from the bottom and I vow that if I ever make it to the top, I will treat people fairly.”
“I can see this is a very sensitive issue for you.”
“I don’t dwell on it, it is what it is, but if he calls back, tell him I’m in a meeting.”
C H A P T E R
F I F T Y - F I V E
The New Year had arrived, marking another successful year. This year, I flew the entire company, over fifty employees, down to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. I did not have the extra cash to pay for the trip so I put it all on my Amex. It was important to me that I treat my staff well, despite the lack of funding to do so. They had all worked incredibly hard for me and I wanted to express my gratitude. I had faith business would boom and I would eventually pay back all of my debts.
Upon our return, we all felt rested and ready to go. It was nice coming back to work. The new offices were definitely an upgrade. Thanks to my good friend Allan, I was able to negotiate a good deal and relocate our operations to the Lindberg Building.
“Good morning, Trevor.”
“Good morning, Tami. Did you enjoy your time in Mexico?”
“Yes, it was a lot of fun having everyone down there, thank you so much.”
“It was my pleasure. Give me some
ideas on where we can all go next year.”
I walked into my office and did my usual morning routine. I checked the stock market, replied to some emails, and read the news.
“Trevor,” George said, as he barged into my office holding a copy of the day’s newspaper. “Did you read the article about National Group Bank announcing they are discontinuing their partnership with us?”
“Yes, I read that,” I replied calmly.
“And…?”
“And, I don’t care.”
“What do you mean you don’t care? This is bad, Trevor.”
“You’re right, it’s bad for National Group Bank. I’m not the least bit worried about us.”
“Aren’t you concerned other companies will start to pull out, and then our card will become useless.”
“That’s backwards thinking, George. National pulled out because they make bad business decisions, you know that. I believe in our product and I think our clients do too. If anything, it will just get people to cancel with National Group and switch to another bank.”
“Do you want to issue a statement to the paper?”
“No, I think that would be a mistake at this time.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because George, we’re leaders, pioneers, the forgers of new territory. As such, we don’t pay attention to what others are doing. They are behind us – they watch us, we don’t watch them. We take action, rather than whimsically react to every little thing others are doing.”
“So what’s our next course of action, what new territory are we forging?”
“Let me answer that question with a question.”
“Alright.”
“Do you believe in signs?”
“Do I believe in signs?” he repeated. “What do you mean?”
“I think the universe is trying to tell us something, George.”
“What’s it saying?”
“It’s saying we should put National Group out of business.”
“Put National Group out of business? They’re one of the biggest companies in the world.”
“Not for long they’re not.”
“Okay, so how do you suggest we put National out of business?”
“It’s a multiple step process. Hold on a sec, George,” I said as I saw Tami at my door.
“Trevor, Bill Simpson from the sign company is here, he wants to know where you want the sign.”
“See, George, it’s all about signs! Thanks, Tami, tell him to put it above our front door.”
“What sign did you order?”
“I wanted to have a banner in our office that says, ‘NEW IDEAS WELCOME’. It’s to promote innovative thinking.”
“Speaking of which, you were saying how you plan to take down National Group.”
“Right. Like I was saying, it’s a multiple step process. The first step is to get Unity Card into as many wallets in North America as possible. If we can achieve something close to that, then our card will become synonymous with ‘payment’. The second logical step – once people have swapped out all their credit cards and replaced them with their Unity Card – is to start lending people money. So instead of replacing a credit card, we become one.”
“Yes, but people still like to have multiple credit cards. I don’t see how this will put National out of business.”
“Right, I was just getting to that. This is where step three comes in. People won’t be using their other credit cards because our card will do what no other credit card can do. Suppose by using your Unity Card, you received a discount on everything you bought. Imagine going to a store and receiving a five or ten percent discount off your purchase, everywhere, just by using your Unity Card. Tell me, who in their right mind is going to use any other method of payment?
“Since our competitors can’t do what we can do, soon there will be no other competitors. We will have more revenue than we will know what to do with, and that’s when we hit National Group right where it hurts.”
“So if I’m following you correctly, you’re saying you want to become a bank?”
“Correct. You see, George, unlike the major banks, profit is not my sole motivation for existence. Also, unlike the major banks, I don’t have to answer to shareholders. That puts me in a unique position to provide a service unlike any major bank. I will run my company the way a customer would – no exorbitant fees, no hidden clauses or fine print, no high interest rates. We will treat our customers and our employees fairly and not let the money corrupt us. If we can achieve that, then we will be one of the largest companies in the world, thus bringing down National Group Bank.”
George paused for a moment and looked at me with a smile. “Then what?”
I could not help but laugh. “That’s what I like about you, George. If I were to tell ten people what I just told you now, eight of them would tell me it can’t be done, one person would be perfectly content with that plan alone, and the final person would wonder what else is possible.”
“So, what else is possible?”
“If we take it a step further, the way I see it, Unity Card will essentially eliminate the need for cash. When credit and debit cards were introduced, it nearly wiped cheques off the map. People still used cash, but not as much. It’s a lot of hassle carrying around large sums of money.”
“Not to mention you constantly have to go to the bank to get more of it when you run out.”
“Exactly, then the banks ding you for fees for withdrawing your own money, it’s criminal.”
“So if Unity Card does what it is designed to do, then who’s going to use cash when they can use our card and save money off their purchases?”
“Do you realize the implications of what you’re saying?”
“I believe I do. If cash becomes obsolete, then we could create our own e-currency – call it the Unit. Since it can’t be printed like traditional money, in theory there will be no risk of inflation. If that’s true, then other countries are likely to adopt the Unit. Furthermore, since e-currency is fully traceable, then black market transactions could not occur discreetly. If people no longer feel comfortable operating under the guise of anonymity, then crime and corruption will plummet. Following that, markets will stabilize, the standard of living will improve for all, and the world will prosper. If that happens, Unity Inc. will be heralded as the greatest company in the history of the universe.”
George chuckled at my exuberance. “Is that what this is all about, you want to create the greatest company in the history of the universe?”
“Of course, that’s what drives me,” I said jokingly. “I just want to make a difference in this world, I want to be successful – not necessarily rich – but successful. I’m absolutely terrified of being a loser.”
“First of all, you’re not a loser. Second, if what you’re saying comes true, you will revolutionize the way commerce is done.”
“I know, that’s what I keep telling people! I’m not deluded about it; I realize that a series of highly unlikely events need to go right in order to achieve even a fraction of this. We probably won’t even see this come to fruition in our lifetime, but perhaps our kids or grandkids will, and they can take the reins on it after we pass.”
C H A P T E R
F I F T Y - S I X
Unity Card was a success, but the victory was not nearly as sweet without having someone to share it with. Ashley still had no idea what exactly it was I did for a living. I told her I was in research and development at Unity, which although was not a complete lie, it was definitely not the whole truth. I did not like lying to her and it was becoming ever more difficult to keep it up. I had done several interviews for national media groups that somehow slipped under her radar. I had to leave the house in disguise whenever I was with her just to avoid being recognized, and my phone kept ringing at all hours of the night. For all she knew, I had a really demanding boss. The worst part about it was that I finally had enough money to live a lavish lifestyle with her, but I was living in
a crumby one-bedroom apartment. I still had my one bedroom on the second floor, but that was not my primary residence. I only hung out there when I was with Ashley, but that was about to change.
“Ashley,” I said, as we sat down on my cheap sofa, “I feel like I’m at a point in my life where I’m finally happy. There’s just one thing that’s missing.”
“What’s missing?”
“I’m not exactly sure, but I was hoping you can help. Here, I have something for you.”
I pulled out an envelope and handed it to her.
“What’s this?”
I did not say anything, I just sat there and watched her open it. “Is this the card that I gave you in Banff? I can’t believe you saved this.”
“Just open it.”
‘Dear Ashley,
We were just kids when you came into my life and gave me this card. I had no idea how my life would turn out or how important that meeting between us was. Now that we are both adults, I’m glad you are still a major part of my life. It would be a great honour if you would continue to be a part of my life until we grow old together. Will you marry me?’
“OH MY GOD YES!” she screamed out.
“It’s a little cheesy I know, but…” Before I could finish my sentence, she threw her arms around me and planted a kiss on my lips.
“Don’t you want to see the ring first? You might change your mind?”
“Nothing will make me change my mind. I love you,” she said as tears of joy rolled down her face. I took out a small box from my pocket and presented her with a beautiful solitaire diamond engagement ring. She was speechless.
She immediately slid the ring on her finger and looked at it.
“Perfect fit,” she said, still crying.
“You know, I couldn’t afford the real Cubic Zirconia, so I went with this instead,” I said jokingly as I winked at her.
“Shut up. This is gorgeous. I hope you didn’t spend too much on it, I don’t need anything fancy.”
“Oh really? That’s too bad actually because something tells me your life is going to get a whole lot fancier,” I said with a mischievous grin.
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m not exactly sure how to tell you this, but… well, maybe it would be easier if I just showed you.”
“Showed me what?”
“Come with me, I want to show you something.”
“Another surprise? What are you up to?”
“Just follow me please.”
We went into the elevator. I scanned my key fob against a sensor and pressed 16.
“What’s on the sixteenth floor?”
“You’ll see, it’s a surprise.”
As we came to a stop, the elevator doors opened. There was a large open space with a couch on one side, a large tinted mirror on the other, and a door in the centre. I led her to the door and inserted my key into the lock.
“Are you ready?” I asked.
“Ready for what? What’s going on?”
“Ashley, before I reveal what is behind this door, I just want to tell you I haven’t been completely honest with you… but I hope you understand.”
I swung the door open to reveal my posh 6300 square foot penthouse suite.
“Ashley, welcome to my real lifestyle.”
Ashley did not say anything at first; she just stood there in complete shock.
“Come in, take a look around. Of course, we can get new furniture if you feel it’s too ‘bachelor paddy’.”
“So, you live here?” she finally said.
“Yes… when I’m not hanging out with you.”
“How… wait, why… no wait, how…?” she stuttered. Perhaps two big surprises in less than ten minutes were too much for her to process. She was dumbfounded, but not upset, which was good. I gave her a minute to gather her thoughts. She walked around the apartment in awe. She walked over to the large floor to ceiling windows and checked out the magnificent view. When she was ready, she spun around and delivered her questions more succinctly. “Trevor, why do you have two apartments?”
“When I moved back into town, I was renting the apartment downstairs. Then after a while, this place became available so I bought it.”
“So you pay rent on one apartment and own another, in the same building, and you live in both of them?”
“Sort of, I actually own that apartment too.”
“How do you afford to own two apartments?”
“Actually, I own the whole building.”
“What? How?”
“You know the company I work for?”
“Yeah.”
“I actually own it. I started it when I first moved into town.”
“You own it? Is that why you didn’t call me?”
“I told you I was busy.”
“I don’t know what to say…”
“Are you upset?”
“No, I mean, I’m sure you had your reasons. So what else do I need to know about you?”
“Um, well, let’s see… you know that restaurant we went to when we just started hanging out again?”
“Let me guess, you own that too?”
“A fraction of it.”
“So why did you lie about it all?”
“I needed to know you’d still be with me if you thought I was broke.”
“Of course I would, I met you when you were poor.”
“Yes, but money changes people. I needed to know if your feelings for me were still pure and this is the only way I knew how to do it.”
“I guess I’m not one to talk, I did the same thing to you,” she said with a smile.
“Yes, exactly, Ms. Brand-new-BMW-X5!”
Her eyes scanned the room, then eventually ended up on the ring on her finger.
“Oh, and don’t lose that, that cost me a fortune.”
“So this is where we’re going to live?”
“It’s up to you. I don’t mind living downstairs in the one bedroom if that makes you more comfortable.”
“No, that’s okay, I think I could get used to this place.”
“Don’t get too cozy, I plan on building us a house. Well, I won’t be building it of course, but I’ll hire someone to build it.”
“I don’t know what to say, this all seems surreal.”
“I’m really sorry I had to keep this from you. And don’t worry about calling your parents and telling them the good news, they already know.”
“They already know what?”
“I asked your father for permission to marry you and I assume he told your mother.”
“Really, when did you talk to my dad?”
“A couple days ago. His firm actually represents Unity Inc. He couldn’t tell you of course, you know, attorney-client privilege.”
Ashley looked around again, this time something caught her eye. I spun around to see what she was looking at. It was a copy of Force Magazine, which was lying on my coffee table.
“Is that you on the cover?”
“Yes, it’s not the best picture I know, but they were able to edit out a lot of my imperfections.”
She read the title article aloud, “The Richest Under 30. Did you make the list?” she asked.
“Yes, but I’m not number one. They put me on the cover because of my recent and rapid success. In fact, I have to go to New York tomorrow for an interview with the American News Network. I’m going to appear on their program, In the World of Finance. Do you want to come with me?”
Epilogue
“Welcome back, everybody. I’m Mikayla Martens for In the World of Finance. If you are just joining us now, I’m speaking with the president, CEO, and founder of Unity Inc., Mr. Trevor Morrison. Before the break, I asked Mr. Morrison when all of his success began. So tell us, how did you go from rags to riches?
“Right, well, if you want to know when it began, then I would have to say it all started when I was born. That was probably not the answer you were looking for, but it’s the truth. The amalgama
tion of my life experiences has led me to be where I am today. Even the terrible moments in my life contributed to the collective whole. I credit those times for building character, strength, and wisdom. I needed those moments just as much as the happy times. Without each piece of the puzzle, my life would have been drastically different. I would have made other choices, met different people, had different opportunities, and ultimately would have gone down a different path.
In terms of how I went from rags to riches, I think it came from my hustle – that is, my determination, my work ethic, and my ambition. But hustle is like an art, you can’t simply plough through life with hard work and a dream, there are many subtleties that need to be enacted along the way.”
“I’m sure there is a lot more to be said on that point. I guess we’ll have to wait until you write a book about the art of the hustle.”
“That’s a good idea, maybe I’ll do that.”
“So, for someone who wants to follow in your footsteps, what advice would you give them in order to avoid some of the pitfalls you’ve experienced in your life?”
“Looking back at my journey now, I recognize one common thread. The worst times in my life resulted from when my options were limited. I made some wrong choices that led me to being in those types of positions. So, my advice is to avoid making decisions that don’t leave you with many outs.”
“Is this another poker analogy?”
“Sort of. This ties into what I was saying earlier about the art of the hustle – life is like a game and needs to be played as such. If you want to be successful, you must think several steps in advance. By doing so, not only will you be able to avoid certain pitfalls, but also you can act instead of react. You never want to be backed into a corner with limited options.”
“Did you ever imagine your life would turn out to be like this?”
“No, not at all. Some ancient philosophers believed that things that are alike are attracted to each other. For instance, water flows toward the ocean, fire goes upward toward the sun, rocks on a beach are arranged according to size, and so on. Much like these things, I was always seeking my natural place. Ever since I was young, I felt a little different from the other kids – I didn’t quite fit in. However, after many years of shuffling and sorting, I eventually found my place, among the elite few. Some people end up here by chance, but don’t quite belong. For them, the universe continues to sort, and they eventually get shuffled out. But I feel this is my natural place.”
“You make it sound like it was destiny.”
“Yeah, I think about that a lot actually. As I mentioned to you earlier, everything in my life has played some role in getting me to where I am today. The decision to become a lawyer seemed very organic, in that I came up with the idea on my own. However, thinking back on it, it appears as if it was not just one decision, but rather a series of choices in a much larger process. It was as if there were a number of external forces that guided me along the way, pushing me in that direction. In the end, what choice did I really have?”
“So if you could travel back in time, what would you tell the eighteen year old you?”
“I wouldn’t say a thing; I wouldn’t want to change how my life has turned out.”
“Can you describe the contrast between when you weren’t so well off and your life now?”
“I’m the younger of two children so I would get a lot of hand-me-downs. The four of us were constantly moving around, living in tiny basement suites that always had huge spiders crawling around everything. We didn’t own, we always rented, we didn’t own a car, never went on vacation, cut coupons, and did just about every other money saving thing in the world just to scrape by. Today, I still live pretty minimally; in fact, I don’t even own a car.”
“So does money buy happiness?”
“You always hear rich people say money does not buy happiness, and to some extent that is true. However, money allows you to live a little more comfortably – you can go on vacation, eat well, and you don’t have to worry about bills and so on. But I realized what is important in life. The most important things in the world are having meaningful relationships with people, setting and achieving your goals, and being healthy.”
“What about having a lot of free time?”
“Time is only good if you have those other things I mentioned. Time to a starving man in the desert is torturous.”
“I guess you’re right. My next question is one I always ask my guests. I find the different answers fascinating so I will ask you the same thing – who do you admire?”
I chuckled a bit before I answered the question, but finally confessed. “The person whom I admire most and try to model my life around is Clark Kent.”
“Superman?”
“Yes.”
“That’s interesting; I’ve never heard that one before.”
“I don’t mean for this to come across the wrong way, but I can relate to Superman in a lot of ways. The people around me didn’t seem to understand me or didn’t recognize my abilities. Clark Kent is unassuming, he fumbles around, and is constantly underestimated by the people around him – nobody expects him to be Superman. We both have issues with our birth parents not supporting us, we both want to find that one true love, and we both ultimately want to do good. Even now, with all the success I have had, I find parallels between us. Being a multi-billionaire is a lot like having super powers. It’s something very few people can relate to or even comprehend. But the reason I say Clark Kent, and not Superman, is because he is a model human being. He always does the right thing. That’s who I want to be.”
“For someone who has achieved so much at such a young age, what’s next for you, what are some goals you have set for yourself?”
“I want to have a long and happy marriage, raise wonderful children, and start a foundation that empowers underprivileged children and helps them realize their potential. Despite what I have accomplished, I’m still very young and I have a lot of goals. This is only the beginning.”