It Was Simple.

X number of calls equals X number of prospects.

X number of prospects equals X number of customers.

X number of customers equals X number of dollars in the company’s pocket.

- Chris Gardner

The first time I saw the Pursuit of Happyness was because of pure luck. I must have been a freshman in high school, and I was on a date at the movie theatre with my first boyfriend when I had the opportunity to put my name in a bowl to be the "lucky winner" to see a new movie premiere. I didn't even know what movie I put my name down for, I just wanted to try my luck at winning, because I never win these things. Until I did! Two tickets, so I obviously had to bring the guy I was dating with me. A few weeks later, we went to see it, and I remember something switched in my way of thinking about my future.

First of all, I was balling my eyes out most of the movie and trying to hide it because I was ashamed of crying in public. Chris Gardner has a beautiful story of resilience, endless determination, and a very deep motivation to succeed. I was crying because I felt like I was all of it, and had a long way to go. What switched in me was the fact that Chris's story is real, and so is mine, so at that age I started to allow myself to do more with my life.

I am all of the things I was crying about for Chris, and for a long time I felt like a victim of my childhood, until I saw the strength in growing up with a different background than my peers. I've realized that I actually like to be the "underdog" because it constantly challenges and pushes me to the next level. I wasn't "supposed" or "expected" to do well in life, because I grew up in two foster families, my dad passed away when I was 9, I had major trouble focusing in school in my early years, and had been through other rough patches in my childhood. None of the social workers who visited at least once a month expected me to do well (and I know this from reading their reports years later), but they speculated that I would "get by and get through life". Like Chris, and so many others, I am extremely determined to compete with myself in all areas of life, and do more, do better, and go beyond expectations.

I studied Business and Admin in high school, and during senior year, everyone had the opportunity to build a business. I created a business that my partner and I named YoUnique and my partner designed dresses that we had students studying fashion at a nearby school make for us at a discounted price. I then sold dresses to friends and family members. We made a small profit, but the point of this exercise was to learn about business and then showcase the products at the end of the year to our classmates, families, and friends during an expo. I remember the days where my partner would say: "I'm not calling those students to have them make these dresses, you are" So I did. I had to call so many schools and ask to speak with "the person in charge" of the fashion & design program. I then had to figure out who I knew that knew someone that studied at that particular school. This was in 2006, and we didn't have Instagram and Facebook at our disposal. Finally, I was able to go from prospects, to customers, to a small profit in our pockets.

My point with this story and experience is that, from seeing the Pursuit of Happyness in 2006/2007 and then graduating from high school in 2009, I can now look back at these years and understand the correlation and drive I was feeling. I knew nothing about business back then, and I have so much more to learn, but with resilience, determination, and inner motivation to succeed, the pathway becomes more clear and within enough reach to wake up everyday ready for the challenges ahead.

Obviously, if you for some reason haven't watched this amazing movie, I highly suggest you do it (it's on Netflix). I was re-watching it this Friday evening, but had to take a long break to write this post because when inspiration knocks on the door to share experiences, thoughts, and feelings with my network, I do.