When I was a kid all I wanted to be was RICH! (Chris Rock’s voice and going forward anytime you see RICH, it’s in Chris Rock’s voice.)

Big house, nice car, lots of money…RICH!

My parents say that when I was just five years old we walked into a restaurant and I proclaimed, “Ooooh, this place is expenssis (how I said expensive back then)” as my eyes lit up with joy! (btw, it was Quincy’s haha, not so high end, but what did I know?  I was five!)

That childhood wonder and fascination with wealth followed me through my adolescence and early adulthood.

I was gonna be RICH and successful!  I had to be.  I remember being a teenager and watching the movie Pretty Woman starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, with my parents.  I knew then, that’s the guy I wanna be! (minus the hooker of course)

He was RICH!  He was successful!

That was going to be me!

Fast-forward to where I am today and the truth is I’m extremely blessed and beyond thankful for all that I have.  I think most would say that I’ve achieved some level of success, at least if they viewed success in the limited manner in which I once viewed it.

I learned something though, from those wonder years to my current profession of wealth management…being RICH (Chris Rock’s voice, don’t forget and I’m not btw) doesn’t make you successful.

What Makes Someone Successful

Throwing the baseball or football with your son after an all I want to do is sleep 65-hour workweek.

Buying a wide-eyed dreamer a pair of shoes (Jordans) that cost more than the last four pairs you owned yourself combined.

Taking the word “can’t” out of a kid’s vocabulary so early on that it’s one of his oldest memories.

Attending every basketball game, no matter the distance, even though the one you’re there to watch barely plays.

Putting up with the constant peppering of the orange Spalding ball against the driveway as that same kid worked his ass off to get better.

Giving up the living room television on odd weekday nights and weekends, no matter what you had planned on watching, so that your two sons could watch their hoops heroes.

Instilling a belief that all things are possible so deeply in the minds and hearts of those you helped raise.

Lending an ear and actually listening as long as a rambling kid can talk.

Offering sound advice with a sense of confidence that would make any person march forward!

Dropping everything to help plant bushes, hang fans, install lights, fix plumbing, assemble furniture, and even move.

Being available, ready and willing.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY…Making sure that your two sons now 34 and 28 have felt loved every single day of their lives.

That’s success.

That’s my Dad, the most successful man I know.

Happy Upcoming Father’s Day Dad! Love ya!

You (and Mom) are the reason I am the believer and dreamer I am today!  Thank you!

(Note:  For inquiring minds, in the picture above my Dad was 32 yrs old, I was 7 and my brother was just 1. :-D)

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Me vs. Gebru! (THIS SUNDAY!!)

This Sunday it’s test time.  It’s time to see if I’ve improved since Garfield Blair and this time the test is going against 6’4” Andy Gebru (see video below), who prior to this past season had a workout with the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs and currently plays professional hoops in Brazil.

Everyone I run into that knows of Andy tells me the same thing, with that did you loose your mind face, “Andy’s really good!”

I just smile.  I know he’s going to be great!  That’s why we are playing.  There is nothing ordinary about this journey of mine to play Michael Jordan.  Not one thing!

me vs. MJ…time to put on that game face!

Video of Andy Gebru playing in Brazil:

Go to 1:56 to see him posterize a guy with the game on the line!

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdkfRfgvvaE

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