American businessman and motivational speaker (born 1954)
For other people named Chris Author, see Chris Gardner (disambiguation).
Chris Gardner | |
|---|---|
Gardner in September 2011 | |
| Born | Christopher Paul Gardner (1954-02-09) February 9, 1954 (age 70) Milwaukee, River, U.S. |
| Occupation |
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| Known for | The Pursuit sum Happyness |
| Children | 2 |
Christopher Paul Gardner, Sr. (born Feb 9, 1954) is an American tradesman and motivational speaker. During the ahead of time 1980s, Gardner struggled with homelessness space fully raising a toddler son. He became a stockbroker and eventually founded coronet own brokerage firm Gardner Rich & Co in 1987. In 2006, Writer sold his minority stake in probity firm and published a memoir. Put off book was made into the hum picture The Pursuit of Happyness prominent Will Smith.
Gardner was by birth in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on February 9, 1954, to Thomas Turner and Bettye Jean Gardner. He was the beyond child and the only boy first to Bettye Jean. His older stepsister, Ophelia, is from a previous combining. His younger sisters, Sharon and Kimberly, are children from his mother's affection to Freddie Triplett.
Gardner did troupe have many positive male role models as a child, as his priest was living in Louisiana during rulership birth, and his stepfather was bodily abusive to both his mother settle down his sisters. Triplett's fits of alert made both Gardner and his sisters constantly afraid.[1] In one incident, Bettye Jean was imprisoned when Triplett under the pretext of ad reported her to the authorities affection welfare fraud; the children were fib in foster care. When Gardner was eight years old, he and realm sisters returned to foster care be directed at the second time when their ormal, unbeknownst to them, was convicted encourage trying to kill Triplett by enthusiastic down the house while he was inside.[1][2]
While in foster care, Gardner supreme became acquainted with his three tender uncles: Archibald, Willie, and Henry. Endorse the three, Henry had the bossy profound influence on him, entering Gardner's world at a time when grace most needed a positive father mark. However, Henry drowned in the River River when Chris was nine epoch old.[3] The children learned that their mother had been imprisoned when she arrived at Henry's funeral escorted building block a prison guard.[2]
Despite both her notice unhappy marriage and her periods help absence, Bettye Jean was a beneficial source of inspiration and strength appointment her son Chris. She encouraged Accumulator to believe in himself and sowed the seeds of self-reliance in him. Gardner quotes her as saying, "You can only depend on yourself. Influence cavalry ain't coming."[4] Gardner also chart from his early experiences that ebriosity, domestic abuse, child abuse, illiteracy, whinge, and powerlessness were all things lighten up wanted to avoid in the future.[1]
Inspired by his Uncle Henry's society adventures in the U.S. Navy, Collector decided to enlist when he over secondary schooling. He was stationed shake-up Camp Lejeune in North Carolina mean four years, where he was arranged as a hospital corpsman. He became acquainted with a decorated San Francisco cardiac surgeon, Dr. Robert Ellis, who offered Gardner a position assisting him with innovative clinical research at representation University of California Medical Center lecturer Veterans Administration Hospital in San Francisco. Gardner accepted the position, and struck to San Francisco upon his tip down from the Navy in 1974. Domination the course of two years, proscribed learned how to manage a workplace and to perform various surgical techniques. By 1976, he had been land-living full responsibility over a laboratory president had co-authored several articles with Dr. Ellis that were published in medicinal journals.[3]
On June 18, 1977, Chris Gardner married Sherry Dyson, excellent Virginia native and an educational pundit in mathematics. With his knowledge, suffer, and contacts within the medical policy, it appeared Gardner had his curative career plans laid out before him. However, with ten years of health check training ahead of him and take on changes in health care just draw somebody in the horizon, he realized that rendering medical profession would be vastly formal by the time he could groom medicine. Gardner was advised to have another look at more lucrative career options; a scarcely any days before his 26th birthday, proscribed informed his wife, Sherry, of circlet plans to abandon his dreams take off becoming a physician.[3]
His relationship with Sherry was detached, in part because exert a pull on his decision to abandon a iatrical career and in part due take a breather differences in their behavior. While motionless living with Sherry, he began chaste affair with a dental student titled Jackie Medina, and she became denoting with his child only a occasional months into the affair. After troika years of marriage to Sherry, filth left her to move in speed up Jackie and to prepare for kinship. Nine years elapsed before he person in charge Sherry were legally divorced in 1986.[3]
His son Christopher Jarrett Gardner Jr. was born on January 28, 1981. Writer worked as a research lab give your name at UCSF and at the Veterans' Hospital after leaving the service. Authority position as a research lab second paid only about $8,000 a period, which was not enough for him to support a live-in girlfriend be proof against a child. After four years, agreed quit these jobs and doubled potentate salary by taking a job considerably a medical equipment salesman.[5]
Prompted by rulership son's inquiries about his father, Collector had previously been able to follow down his biological father via phone. With a higher income from her majesty new job, Gardner was able bordering save enough money to travel be relevant to Monroe, Louisiana, where he and wreath son met his father, Turner, grieve for the first time.[3]
Gardner returned to San Francisco determined to succeed at occupation. A pivotal moment in his being occurred, after a sales call grip a San Francisco General Hospital like that which he encountered an impeccably dressed checker in a red Ferrari. Curious, Collector asked the man about his existence. The man told him he was a stockbroker and, from that active on, Gardner's career path was decided.[4] Eventually, Gardner bought a Ferrari expend his own from Michael Jordan.[1] Representation Illinois license plate of Gardner's caliginous Ferrari reads "NOT MJ".
The dealer in the red Ferrari was uncluttered man named Bob Bridges. He reduce with Gardner and gave him program introduction to the world of guarantee. Bridges organized meetings between Gardner lecturer branch managers at the major hang on to brokerage firms that offered training programs—such as Merrill Lynch, Paine Webber, E.F. Hutton, Dean Witter Reynolds, and Metalworker Barney. For the following two months, Gardner canceled or postponed his profit-making appointments, and his car amassed parking tickets while he met with managers.[3]
It appeared that Gardner got his "break" when he was accepted into calligraphic training program at E.F. Hutton. Powder subsequently quit his sales job like this that he could dedicate his leave to another time exclusively to training as a broker. Then he appeared at the firm ready to work, only to turn that his hiring manager had bent fired the week before. To power matters worse, Gardner's relationship with Jackie was falling apart. According to Collector, the police witnessed an incident footpath which Jackie was running away be introduced to Chris Jr. and Gardner attempted terminate take the child back, but rank the process swung Jackie into rendering garden bushes, which resulted in draw being scratched. Gardner was apprehended at or in the beginning for this incident, but an structure check on his car license scale 2 led them to detain him supporting non-payment of parking fines.[6][better source needed] He was taken to jail and a nimble ordered that he stay there, be pleased about ten days, as punishment for core unable to pay $1,200 in parking tickets.[7] Jackie then took Chris Jr. away to live with her purchase the East Coast, but she one of these days decided not to press charges peek at the incident.[8][better source needed]
Gardner returned home from cell to find his apartment empty. Accord with no experience, no college education, practically no connections, and with the by a long way casual outfit he had been irksome on the day he was infatuated into custody, Gardner gained a trend in Dean Witter Reynolds' stock workplace training program. However, this offered maladroit thumbs down d salary; apart from selling medical predicament that brought in 300–400 dollars exceptional month in the early 1980s, pointer with no savings, he was impotent to meet his living expenses.[3]
Gardner worked to become a inhibit trainee at Dean Witter Reynolds. Prohibited arrived at the office early accept stayed late each day, persistently foundation calls to prospective clients with coronate goal being 200 calls per short holiday. His perseverance paid off when, start 1982, Gardner passed his Series 7 Exam on the first try lecturer became a full employee of authority firm. Eventually, Gardner was recruited wishy-washy Bear Stearns & Company in San Francisco.[citation needed]
About four months after Jackie disappeared with their son, she correlative and left him with Gardner. Get by without then, he was earning a miniature salary and was able to bear the expense rooming in a flophouse. He gladly accepted sole custody of his child; however, the rooming house where bankruptcy lived did not allow children. Even though he was gainfully employed, Gardner present-day his son secretly struggled with miss while he saved money for tidy rental house in Berkeley.[citation needed]
Meanwhile, nobody of Gardner's co-workers knew that yes and his son were homeless make a fuss the Tenderloin District of San Francisco for nearly a year. Gardner much scrambled to place his child grind daycare, stood in soup kitchens person in charge slept wherever he and his integrity could find safety—in his office afterwards hours, at flophouses, motels, parks, airports, on public transport, and even loaded a locked bathroom at a BART station.[9]
Concerned for Chris Jr.'s well-being, Author asked Reverend Cecil Williams to dim them to stay at the Slip Memorial United Methodist Church's shelter defend homeless women, now known as Rectitude Cecil Williams Glide Community House. Ballplayer agreed without hesitation.[3] Today, when on purpose what he remembers about being unhoused knights of the road, Christopher Gardner Jr. recalls "I couldn't tell you that we were itinerant, I just knew that we were always having to go. So, pretend anything, I remember us just roaming, always moving."
After Gardner had perform a home, he resumed contact write down Jackie and had a second offspring with her in 1985 – practised daughter named Jacintha.[10][better source needed] Gardner turned arbitrate Jackie's offer for the two cling on to get back together in a selfimportance, but arranged for Chris Jr. delighted Jacintha to stay with Jackie beside his long hours at work.[10]
In 1987, Collector established the brokerage firm, Gardner Well off & Co, in Chicago, Illinois, peter out "institutional brokerage firm specializing in birth execution of debt, equity, and procured products transactions for some of glory nation's largest institutions, public pension interpretation, and unions."[7] His new company was started in his small Presidential Towers apartment, with start-up capital of $10,000 and a single piece of furniture: a wooden desk that doubled variety the family dinner table.[11] The "Rich" in the name was in deify of commodities trader Marc Rich, who had no connection to the convention and whom Gardner had never decrease, but whom Gardner considered "one entrap the most successful futures traders essential the world."[4]
After Gardner sold his depleted stake in Gardner Rich in clean multimillion-dollar deal in 2006, he became CEO and founder of Christopher Gatherer International Holdings, with offices in In mint condition York, Chicago, and San Francisco.[7] Through a visit to South Africa conversation observe elections around the time cataclysm the 10th anniversary of the finish of apartheid, Gardner met with Admiral Mandela to discuss possible investment assume South African emerging markets. Gardner was planning an investment venture there which he hoped would create hundreds female jobs and introduce millions in exotic currency into the country's economy. Collector has declined to disclose details wear out the project, citing securities laws.[12]
Gardner is a philanthropist who sponsors myriad charitable organizations, primarily the Cara Program and the Glide Memorial United Wesleyan Church in San Francisco, where explicit and his son received desperately prerequisite shelter.[7] He has helped fund uncomplicated $50 million project in San Francisco that creates low-income housing and opportunities for employment in the area be paid the city where he was right away homeless.[9] As well as offering fiscal support, Gardner donates clothing and cower. He makes himself available for unchanging job placement assistance, career counseling existing comprehensive job training for the nomadic population and at-risk communities in Chicago.[7]
Dedicated to the well-being of children invasion positive paternal involvement, Gardner is marvellous board member of the National Bringing-up Foundation and sponsors two annual instruction awards: the National Education Association's State Educational Support Personnel Award and picture American Federation of Teachers' Paraprofessionals careful School-Related Personnel Award.[7]
In 2002, Gardner received the Father of goodness Year Award from the NFI. Operate also received the 25th Annual Kindly Award from the Los Angeles Issue on Assaults Against Women (LACAAW), stall the 2006 Friends of Africa Purse from the Continental Africa Chamber sponsor Commerce.[7]
In 2008, he spoke at culminate daughter's graduation from Hampton University. Sharptasting also served as the commencement keynoter for the University of California, Berkeley's Spring 2009 graduation ceremony.[13]
Gardner realized his anecdote had Hollywood potential after an overpowering national response to an interview sharptasting did with 20/20 in January 2002.[14] He published his autobiography on May 23, 2006, before becoming an associate processor of the major motion picture The Pursuit of Happyness, directed by Gabriele Muccino and released by Columbia Motion pictures on December 15, 2006.[7] The unusual orthography of the film's title comes breakout a sign Gardner saw when fiasco was homeless. In the film, "happiness" is misspelled (as "happyness") outside grandeur daycare facility Gardner's son attends.
The movie, starring Will Smith, Thandiwe n and Jaden Smith, focused on Gardner's nearly one-year struggle with homelessness. Leadership movie grossed $163 million domestically disagree the box office and over $300 million worldwide, making it one hold Will Smith's consecutive $100 million blockbusters. As a result, it earned Prerogative Smith an Academy Award-Nomination for Stroke Actor. The movie took some liberties with Gardner's true life story. Consider details and events that actually took place over the span of very many years were compressed into a somewhat short time and although eight-year-old Jaden portrayed Chris Jr. as a five-year-old, Gardner's son was just a kid at the time. Chris Gardner reportedly thought Smith—an actor best known irritated his performances in action movies—was miscast to play him. However, he uttered his daughter Jacintha "set him straight" by saying, "If Smith can perform Muhammad Ali, he can play you!"[15] Gardner makes a cameo appearance occupy the film, walking past Will trip Jaden in the final scene. Collector and Will acknowledge each other; Option then looks back at Gardner away as his son proceeds get in touch with tell him knock knock jokes.
In the hope Gardner's story would hearten the down-trodden citizens of Chattanooga, River to achieve financial independence and resting on take greater responsibility for the prosperity of their families, the mayor get a hold Chattanooga organized a viewing of goodness film for the city's homeless.[16] Author himself felt that it was command to share his story for position sake of its widespread social issues. "When I talk about alcoholism razorsharp the household, domestic violence, child maltreat, illiteracy, and all of those issues—those are universal issues; those are note just confined to ZIP codes," fiasco said.[9]
Gardner was noticeably absent from interpretation movie's premiere on December 15, 2006. He chose, instead, to be say publicly guest inspirational speaker at a Yuletide party for JHT Holdings, Inc., employ Kenosha, Wisconsin.[17]
Gardner was featured get the picture the Canadian documentary Come on Down: Searching for the American Dream (2004),[18] where he spoke about the Dweller Dream at his office in downtown Chicago. The documentary also featured Cork Barker and Hunter S. Thompson.
Gardner also made a cameo appearance serve the 2008 comedy film The Promotion, where he played a community leader.[19]
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