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Chris Gardner Stock Broker

Article Overview: He may not have landed the biggest clients or made the most money, but multi-millionaire stock broker Chris Gardner is possibly one of the most successful stock brokers in the world. From living on the street, bathing in public restrooms, and having to spend ten days in jail, Chris Gardner has crossed valleys and moved mountains on his way to creating his own successful and internationally-known stock brokerage firm.

Chris Gardner Stock Broker

He may not have landed the biggest clients or made the most money, but multi-millionaire stock broker Chris Gardner is possibly one of the most successful stock brokers in the world. From living on the street, bathing in public restrooms, and having to spend ten days in jail, Chris Gardner has crossed valleys and moved mountains on his way to creating his own successful and internationally-known stock brokerage firm.

When he first decided he wanted to be a stock broker, he didn’t know a single one or even what one did. All he knew was that he wanted to be like this man he was talking to in the parking lot that day – impeccably dressed behind the wheel of a Ferrari, and earning $80,000 a month as a stock broker. How he would become a one himself and what that meant, well, he hadn’t figured that out just yet. Nevertheless, he knew he was going to do it.

After much persistence, he finally got an interview with Dean Witter – the fact that he had just gotten out of jail and had no clean clothes let alone a suit was not about to stop him from this one shot at becoming a stock broker. He told the interviewer the plain truth about his situation and it seemed to work; he was hired on the spot and placed in the company’s training program. In little time, he was on his way to living his ultimate dream.

Left to care for his young son on his own with no home to live in and subsisting on a meager trainee’s salary, nothing was about to discourage Chris Gardner from his dream of becoming a stock broker. He never told his coworkers that he spent his nights with his son sleeping in locked bathrooms at subway stations – it didn’t seem to matter.

In 1981, he passed his licensing exam on his first try and could now officially practice at Dean Witter. Eager to demonstrate his ability, he would always be the first one to arrive in the morning and the last one to leave in the evening. Hour after hour, he spent his time making cold calls to attract new clients to the firm. His success as a stock broker was noteworthy, but perhaps even more significant for this single father was the day he was able to finally afford to rent an apartment for him and his young son.

In 1983, Chris Gardner became a stock broker at Bear, Stearns & Co., where he quickly rose in the ranks and became one of the top producers in both San Francisco and New York. His success there led to the creation of Gardner Rich & Co. in 1987, which later expanded into Christopher Gardner International Holdings. Today, with business in North America and Africa, Chris Gardner has become one of the most successful stock brokers in the industry. Not bad for a man who just less than ten years ago didn’t even know what a stock broker did.

Related Articles
  Chris Gardner Story
  Chris Gardner Pursuit of Happiness
  Chris Gardner Bio
  Chris Gardner Book
  From Rags to Riches: Gardner Lives the American Dream

Article Tags: becoming a stock broker, chris gardner, clean clothes, cold calls, coworkers, dean witter, evening hour, interviewer, little time, millionaire, parking lot, persistence, plain truth, public restrooms, single one, stock brokerage firm, stock brokers, subway stations, trainees, valleys



Related Forum Posts
Re: Do Women Play the Stock Market? - I also play Stock Market.....
Re: Millionaire or Happyness? - [quote="mphcoach":2xpspnai]I recently watched the movie 'In Pursuit of Happyness' and was rather disappointed that the 'happiness' achieved was merely the accumulation of wealth.[/quote:2xpspnai] Hi Martin, I actually loved the movie, and interpret the "pursuit of happyness" as Chris Gardner setting a goal in life and then reaching it through the process of hard work and a fighting spirit. In fact, I once heard that people who work harder are actually happier than those who are talented. The logic behind this mindset is that people tend to enjoy their success more when they feel they've struggled to earn it. However, I still think a person is better off being rich and unhappy, rather than being poor and unhappy.
Re: Who to profile next? - Hi Evan, Because I'm an online marketer, My recommendations will be online marketers. I think Rosalind Gardner can be the best for adding to you site. She is making more than 1.000.000$ a year and is one of the best affiliates in the world and very successful woman. Also her picute is beautiful too. (her picture looks like the same Kim Castle which is one every page of the site). Also M. FIlsaeme and R. Brunson can be my recommendations. They are making 4.500.000$ in sales a year as a marketer.
Re: Do Women Play the Stock Market? - Thankfully, I do the finances in our household so there will be no surprises here! I cannot imagine not knowing what is going on. (In case you're wondering, my husband and I do consult with each other about major purchases though.) Until recently, I've only played a little in my RRSP's. I can't say I made any huge gains. I've done much better in real estate. My sister has done really well trading her RRSP's in penny stocks and if I remember correctly, she recently doubled her money in only a year. I'm hoping to change my own Stock Market record though! I got in on the ground level of a new green energy company in BC. It began as a private offering at 50 cents a share and now is offered at $1 a share only 3 months later. It's selling like hot cakes and will be closed to sales by the end of April (if there are any shares left). It was just evaluated by an independent company at around $6 a share. The company plans to be on the TSX this year and I expect to make a good return. Wish me well!
Re: If you had a million dollars... - What do you do, Chris?


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