I am sure that everyone has heard by now about ‘The pursuit of happiness’, the movie that tells the story of a man trying to become a stockbroker while overcoming huge difficulties, professional and personal at the same time. What few know is that the movie is based on a true story, the story of Chris Gardner.

In 1976, he moved to San Francisco for a good research job under a young ambitious heart surgeon. He was paid only $13,000 a year, but he managed to gain a lot of experience. After a while, he worked as a salesman in the medical supply field. One day, in 1981, he spotted a red Ferrari convertible and asked the man behind the wheel “How did you do it?’. After finding out that the man was a stockbroker, he decided to follow the same road, looking for a better life for him and his son.

The man in the red Ferrari was Bob Bridges, one of the most successful stockbrokers at that time, and the meeting moment was crucial for Chris. Bob helped Chris become a trainee at the Dean Witter brokerage firm. On the other hand, Chris’ life got harder and harder, especially after his wife left him and he got thrown out in the streets with his 2 year-old son. While sleeping in a room at the local church or in the subway station bathroom, Chris Gardner struggled to pass the training program offered by a prestigious brokerage firm. Chris scored 88% at the final broker exam, and started working at Bar Sterns in San Francisco. At, 34 Chris Gardner made his first million, with his brokerage firm in Chicago. The first thing he bought was a red, convertible Ferrari. It’s strange how life turns around when you decide to fight for happiness ….

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