Greetings, I am the youngest of 3 boys, we are all about two and a half years apart. As the youngest, I got to observe and learn from what my brothers went through and avoided many childhood punishments. I was the "sweet" one. In school, I was popular and a flirt. In class, I received good grades and I was usually one of the teacher’s favorites. At the same time I was one of the rebels often in trouble. I was also the one that just happened to come across, on my way to school, a stray missile from el toro marine base in 4th grade. I picked it up and took it to school for show and tell. Not knowing the bomb was of course live and I was told it could have blown up 6 city blocks. I stood out to say the least. I did my own thing and I was lucky enough to be allowed to do so. I became an entrepreneur at an early age (in elementary school), My first business, of course, was mowing lawns. My first lawn taught me a valuable lesson. I ask the neighbor if he wanted his lawn cut. He said, "sure." I cut his grass. I went to the neighbor for payment and the neighbor said, "Payment was never discussed" and I did not get paid. That is a hard lesson when you are maybe 7 years old.
I graduated to a car washing business around the age 8 or 9. I got my work permit at 14 and did house cleaning or ‘odd jobs’ around people’s houses through an employment service. I walked door to door distributing flyers for a Tv repair shop. I worked at a local pizza parlor. At 15 years old, I went with my Granddad who worked for Allied Van Lines Corp cross country over the summer moving household military. Meaning we pack for them and load the truck. From California to New Hampshire back to California over 4 months. Worked my tail off. I made about $4500 in those 4 months. I wanted to buy a car. Mom said, "No!' So, I bought a stereo instead. Then became a stock boy at a liquor store earning minimum wage $3.30 an hour.
My point is that I have always been a hard worker. I enjoy work and helping others. The information I pass to you in book form, has been well thought out, lived, and researched to provide you my enlightened and experienced prospective.. I hope it helps those, that read and absorb the contents, avoid some of the hard lessons I had to learn or perhaps understand better what they have gone through because of my viewpoint. I have done so many different jobs, my father told me find where I want to work or discover what I wanted to do in life at 30. I did exactly that. I tried everything that came my way. Fast food, copier delivery and repossessions,’ Shipping & Receiving’ Manager at C.E.D. Consolidated Electrical Distribution. I was doing great. I was 17 years old, had about $8000 in the bank & graduated high school early.
Then, in about a months’ time, I lost my job. My $8000 was stolen and I felt betrayed by my father. I was unable to find a job now. Frustrated, I got in my truck. I had about $175, and I drove my truck cross country to my cousin’s house. Still out of work, I went to the military. I was turned away by every branch of the military because of a “no injury” car accident I was in when I was 15 years old. I was tired of trying to find work and nothing. I felt like I was beating my head against a wall. With my savings being stolen, feeling betrayed by my father, and now the military won’t take me. This was too much. I don’t like to share this, because it is not to be consider an inspiration, but I attempted to take my own life the night after visiting the military branches. I was just tired. I was 20 years old. It was one of the best things that happened to me.
Six months later, I was working at Pep Boy’s Corporate in Los Angeles, in the Special-Order Department, living in my own place. After about 2 years in LA and patching things up with my father, I went back to Bakersfield. I opened my own little burger joint. I learned a valuable lesson in partnerships which was, ‘Avoid them if at all possible.” I soon began volunteering at local community theater helping my father who got into the theater a few months before. Next thing I knew, I was working as ‘local crew’ for artists like Ozzy Osbourne, Tom Jones, George Strait etc. I had a lot going on and life was good. I met a girl and Got married 2 days shy of only a month of knowing her. I got her a job with the company I was working for outside of entertainment. I would get leads for a vinyl siding company and we moved to San Jose, Ca. Just somewhere neither one of us had been before. Two months after moving, the company we both worked for closed their doors. This put massive strain on our new marriage. After trying our hardest and a few more setbacks the marriage ended (ugly). Not long after, I was stopped by police for expired registration. It turns out, I had an outstanding warrant out for my arrest. Something I didn’t take care of from the Pep Boy’s Days. I was extradited and I went to Jail for 25 days. When I got out, now back in Los Angeles, I worked ‘the Price is Right’ with Bob Barker & ‘Family Feud’ with Richard Karn.
The tech industry was beginning to explode, computers were on the rise. I had been working with computers and programming since 1981, it’s now 1995. So I left the entertainment industry and got to work in the tech industry. My salary doubled every year. in, 1999, just from pure luck, here I am at 29 years old and I found my dream job. I did what my dad suggested. I found where I belonged and what I would be doing. I would have stayed there my whole life. But it was the tech industry and after a few great years, we got bought out. and the dream job vanished. Then my father passed, and I became a father myself. all in under a 2-year time frame. Talk about a tailspin. I have always said, I have had an amazing life and careers. The best things in my life were actually the worst. They were the best because they pivoted my life to develop it into something much bigger. That was 20 years ago now, and I have at least 60 more years on this earth.
So you will be seeing more works from me. Always motivational, inspiring because it is never about being knocked down, its about what you do when you stand back up.
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