Gardner shares meaning of 'happyness'

by Courtney Bullard, co-associate editor

                                                                

After struggling to make it to the top of Wall Street, Chris Gardner showed true perseverance in the face of poverty and misfortune.

He shared his amazing story at Texas Tech University in the Allen Theater on April 26. Gardner is the owner and CEO of the Christopher Gardner International Holdings, which has offices located in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. He is also the best-selling author of his autobiography, “The Pursuit of Happyness,” which was recently made into a motion picture in 2006 starring the Academy Award winning actor Will Smith. Gardner is also a philanthropist, donating his time and money to many organizations.

Gardner’s life did not always involve book singings and Wall Street deals. He had to work his way up from the absolute bottom. After spending three years in the United States Navy, Gardner went on to work for a prestigious heart doctor and co- authored many articles that are still significant today.

To have an opportunity to work for someone of that caliber and stature was huge. At the time, Gardner had a real interest in becoming a doctor or a scientist. He was his assistant and received $7,500 dollars a year. At 23 years old, single with no children, he worked there for four years until he met and fell in love with a young lady and had a child.

“Becoming a parent for me was the most precious, loving, and challenging thing I have ever been required to do in my life,” said Gardner.

He was one of those little boys who grew up with out a father and had a step- father who made sure he was aware that he was not his son. He decided at the age of 5 that when he had children no one would ever talk to, treat, or terrorize his children like that.

After starting his family, he had $16,500 when he went into scientific sales. One day, he was making a sale at the San Francisco General Hospital where there was never any parking.

 “I saw a guy” Gardner recalled “he was sharpest guy I had ever seen in my life, driving a gorgeous red Ferrari and he was looking for some place to park. I said to him, “You know I’m coming out. You can have my spot. But I’ve got to ask you two questions:  What do you do, and how do you do it?” He was a stockbroker and top institutional sales person on Wall Street. “We developed a relationship, and I would go to his office in downtown San Francisco in the financial district and ask him questions about his trade. But his company did not have a training company, so he introduced me to friends so I started interviewing.”

“I heard the same word more than I ever heard it in my life,” added Gardner. “No, no, no.”

He interviewed for a year, and at home he had no support from his now ex-wife who called him delusional and unrealistic. To get to a training program, it was required to have a MBA, and he had never gone to college. But it didn’t mean he wasn’t smart, Gardner said. It took a year to get an internship and many people have asked if it was racism.

“No, it was not racism; it was placism,” Gardner said. I had never gone to college, did not come from a politically-connected family, and had no money of my own.”

While trying to get into Wall Street, Gardner still had no money to support his family. He did everything legal that he could, cutting grass, cleaning basements, roofing and painting.  One night, after having a huge fight with his future ex-wife, the police were called, and the police then ran Gardner’s license plates and found that he owed $1,200 in unpaid parking tickets. He had accumulated all the tickets while interviewing for jobs in downtown San Francisco. He could not pay them, so he said that he had to make a decision between paying rent and paying parking tickets. He was taken to jail for the first and last time of his life. He was placed in a cell with a murderer, a rapist, and an arsonist. When he was asked what he did to get in, he lied.

“I told them I was in her for attempted murder!” said Gardner. “I wasn’t going to tell anyone it was for parking tickets!”

This all happened on a Friday, so there was no court until Monday.

“All I could think about was where’s my little boy? Where’s my little boy?” Gardner said.

He had only one shot left at Wall Street and set up an interview the day before he was supposed to be released from jail. He made a phone call with the help of one of the prison guards and was able to reschedule the interview for 6:30a.m. in the morning the next day. Unfortunately, this did not allow him time to change his clothes. He showed up to the interview wearing bell bottom jeans, and a red Members Only jacket.

He could not think of a good lie, so he decided to go with the truth. Fortunately, the man conducting the interview had been married three times.  He got the job, which only paid $1,000 a month, and was soon required to take the exam qualifying him as a broker.  When he went home, he found no one there, including his son.

He lived for months without his son, but he had to continue to study and work while hoping he was alright. He finally passed the exam, and had the highest grade in his class. After some time, his ex came knocking on his door with their son. She no longer wanted him, and Gardner finally was reunited with his son. But the boarding house he was living in did not allow children, and in that instant they were homeless. This was without the influence of drugs or alcohol.

He explained to the audience, “There is something that can be as equally lethal as both of those things, life. Life happens.”           

Gardner continued to work, living in homeless shelters, sleazy hotels and train station bathrooms with his 2-year-old son.  He also continued to try to save money for a home. Gardner said he and his son were “homeless, not hopeless.” One day at work, a big wig from another firm was visiting his girlfriend who worked near Gardner and saw him diligently working. He offered him an opportunity to advance his career with his company.

Gardner accepted, getting him and his son off the streets. There he began building his remarkable career which led him to creating his own company. Gardner ended the lecture by urging people to find what truly makes them happy.

“ We should have a dialogue on new definitions of success, new definitions of wealth and I’ll be the first one to say money got nothing to do with either,” said Gardner.