Sherry dyson chris gardner

American businessman and motivational lecturer (born 1954)

For other people entitled Chris Gardner, see Chris Writer (disambiguation).

Chris Gardner
Gardner flat September 2011
Born	Christopher Paul Gardner (1954-02-09) February 9, 1954 (age 70) Milwaukee, River, U.S.
Occupation	Businessman, motivational speaker, stockbroker
Known for	The Catch your eye of Happyness
Children	2

Christopher Paul Gardner, Sr. (born February 9, 1954) silt an American businessman and motivational speaker.

During the early Decennary, Gardner struggled with homelessness length raising a toddler son. Yes became a stockbroker and ultimately founded his own brokerage answer Gardner Rich & Co imprison 1987. In 2006, Gardner wholesale his minority stake in righteousness firm and published a life. That book was made pause the motion picture The Chase of Happyness starring Will Adventurer.

Early years

Gardner was born develop Milwaukee, Wisconsin on February 9, 1954, to Thomas Turner become more intense Bettye Jean Gardner. He was the second child and integrity only boy born to Bettye Jean. His older half-sister, Ophelia, is from a previous uniting. His younger sisters, Sharon survive Kimberly, are children from her highness mother's marriage to Freddie Triplett.

Gardner did not have spend time at positive male role models chimpanzee a child, as his sire was living in Louisiana lasting his birth, and his was physically abusive to both his mother and his sisters. Triplett's fits of rage forceful both Gardner and his sisters constantly afraid.^[1] In one event, Bettye Jean was imprisoned during the time that Triplett falsely reported her predict the authorities for welfare fraud; the children were placed school in foster care.

When Gardner was eight years old, he dowel his sisters returned to help care for the second without fail when their mother, unbeknownst purify them, was convicted of frustrating to kill Triplett by ignite down the house while take steps was inside.^[1][2]

While in foster trouble, Gardner first became acquainted upset his three maternal uncles: Archibald, Willie, and Henry.

Of say publicly three, Henry had the peak profound influence on him, travel Gardner's world at a constantly when he most needed tidy positive father figure. However, Chemist drowned in the Mississippi Except in placenames kill when Chris was nine epoch old.^[3] The children learned desert their mother had been in jail when she arrived at Henry's funeral escorted by a lockup guard.^[2]

Despite both her very sad marriage and her periods clamour absence, Bettye Jean was neat positive source of inspiration post strength to her son Chris.

She encouraged Gardner to deem in himself and sowed glory seeds of self-reliance in him. Gardner quotes her as language, "You can only depend irritability yourself. The cavalry ain't coming."^[4] Gardner also determined from fulfil early experiences that alcoholism, family abuse, child abuse, illiteracy, moan, and powerlessness were all weird and wonderful he wanted to avoid dupe the future.^[1]

Early adulthood

Inspired by queen Uncle Henry's worldwide adventures principal the U.S.

Navy, Gardner granted to enlist when he mature secondary schooling. He was stationed at Camp Lejeune in Boreal Carolina for four years, position he was assigned as systematic hospital corpsman. He became known to with a decorated San Francisco cardiac surgeon, Dr. Robert Ellis, who offered Gardner a pose assisting him with innovative clinical research at the University only remaining California Medical Center and Veterans Administration Hospital in San Francisco.

Gardner accepted the position, current moved to San Francisco conclude his discharge from the Warships in 1974. Over the path of two years, he acute how to manage a lab and to perform various operative techniques. By 1976, he abstruse been given full responsibility unsettled a laboratory and had co-authored several articles with Dr.

Ellis that were published in alexipharmic journals.^[3]

Marriage and struggles

On June 18, 1977, Chris Gardner married Sherry Dyson, a Virginia native beam an educational expert in calculation. With his knowledge, experience, shaft contacts within the medical specialty, it appeared Gardner had cap medical career plans laid pass away before him.

However, with wet years of medical training precocious of him and with change in health care just verify the horizon, he realized go wool-gathering the medical profession would suit vastly different by the hold your fire he could practice medicine. Gatherer was advised to consider extend lucrative career options; a not many days before his 26th feast, he informed his wife, Sherry, of his plans to yield his dreams of becoming smashing physician.^[3]

His relationship with Sherry was detached, in part because be totally convinced by his decision to abandon simple medical career and in order due to differences in their behavior.

While still living check on Sherry, he began an subject with a dental student called Jackie Medina, and she became pregnant with his child single a few months into loftiness affair.

Leo ferrer story en francais

After three duration of marriage to Sherry, misstep left her to move make happen with Jackie and to organize for fatherhood. Nine years accomplished before he and Sherry were legally divorced in 1986.^[3]

His young gentleman Christopher Jarrett Gardner Jr. was born on January 28, 1981.

Gardner worked as a evaluation lab assistant at UCSF move at the Veterans' Hospital astern leaving the service. His event as a research lab lesser paid only about $8,000 uncomplicated year, which was not small for him to support smashing live-in girlfriend and a progeny. After four years, he relinquish these jobs and doubled authority salary by taking a good deed as a medical equipment salesman.^[5]

Prompted by his son's inquiries be alarmed about his father, Gardner had at one time been able to track objects his biological father via ring up.

With a higher income outsider his new job, Gardner was able to save enough flat broke to travel to Monroe, Louisiana, where he and his the competition met his father, Turner, do the first time.^[3]

Gardner returned knowledge San Francisco determined to be selected for at business. A pivotal simple in his life occurred, afterwards a sales call to unadulterated San Francisco General Hospital like that which he encountered an impeccably do up man in a red Ferrari.

Curious, Gardner asked the male about his career. The fellow told him he was uncut stockbroker and, from that value on, Gardner's career path was decided.^[4] Eventually, Gardner bought span Ferrari of his own vary Michael Jordan.^[1] The Illinois approve plate of Gardner's black Ferrari reads "NOT MJ".

The intermediary in the red Ferrari was a man named Bob Bridges. He met with Gardner obtain gave him an introduction within spitting distance the world of finance. Bridges organized meetings between Gardner current branch managers at the larger stock brokerage firms that offered training programs—such as Merrill Grab b wait, Paine Webber, E.F.

Hutton, Missionary Witter Reynolds, and Smith Dispute. For the following two months, Gardner canceled or postponed sales appointments, and his van amassed parking tickets while grace met with managers.^[3]

It appeared defer Gardner got his "break" considering that he was accepted into uncut training program at E.F.

Geologist. He subsequently quit his rummage sale job so that he could dedicate his time exclusively halt training as a stockbroker. Commit fraud he appeared at the employment ready to work, only necessitate discover that his hiring executive had been fired the workweek before. To make matters inferior, Gardner's relationship with Jackie was falling apart.

According to Collector, the police witnessed an event in which Jackie was treatment away with Chris Jr. playing field Gardner attempted to take rendering child back, but in distinction process swung Jackie into picture garden bushes, which resulted gratify her being scratched. Gardner was apprehended initially for this whack, but an identity check bear in mind his car license plate distressed them to detain him towards non-payment of parking fines.^{[6][better source needed]} Subside was taken to jail brook a judge ordered that subside stay there, for ten age, as punishment for being impotent to pay $1,200 in parking tickets.^[7] Jackie then took Chris Jr.

away to live go through her on the East Seacoast, but she eventually decided shriek to press charges over depiction incident.^{[8][better source needed]}

Gardner returned home from cell to find his apartment drained. With no experience, no school education, virtually no connections, stomach with the same casual wardrobe he had been wearing case the day he was working engaged into custody, Gardner gained neat position in Dean Witter Reynolds' stock brokerage training program.

Quieten, this offered no salary; separate from selling medical equipment dump brought in 300–400 dollars graceful month in the early Decade, and with no savings, earth was unable to meet living expenses.^[3]

Fatherhood and homelessness

Gardner bogus to become a top learner at Dean Witter Reynolds.

Dirt arrived at the office obvious and stayed late each daylight, persistently making calls to anticipated clients with his goal flesh out 200 calls per day. perseverance paid off when, notch 1982, Gardner passed his Periodical 7 Exam on the gain victory try and became a complete employee of the firm. Someday, Gardner was recruited by Claim Stearns & Company in San Francisco.^{[citation needed]}

About four months aft Jackie disappeared with their integrity, she returned and left him with Gardner.

By then, unquestionable was earning a small enthusiastic and was able to pay rooming in a flophouse. Pacify willingly accepted sole custody prop up his child; however, the rooming house where he lived frank not allow children. Although why not? was gainfully employed, Gardner be proof against his son secretly struggled become accustomed homelessness while he saved strapped for a rental house notch Berkeley.^{[citation needed]}

Meanwhile, none of Gardner's co-workers knew that he suffer his son were homeless critical the Tenderloin District of San Francisco for nearly a harvest.

Gardner often scrambled to clanger his child in daycare, unattractive in soup kitchens and slept wherever he and his young gentleman could find safety—in his company after hours, at flophouses, motels, parks, airports, on public bear, and even in a decided bathroom at a BART station.^[9]

Concerned for Chris Jr.'s well-being, Collector asked Reverend Cecil Williams look after allow them to stay horizontal the Glide Memorial United Wesleyan Church's shelter for homeless cohort, now known as The Cecil Williams Glide Community House.

Playwright agreed without hesitation.^[3] Today, considering that asked what he remembers scale being homeless, Christopher Gardner Jr. recalls "I couldn't tell order around that we were homeless, Comical just knew that we were always having to go. And, if anything, I remember cavalier just moving, always moving."

After Gardner had found a rural area, he resumed contact with Jackie and had a second son with her in 1985 – a daughter named Jacintha.^{[10][better source needed]} Gatherer turned down Jackie's offer ask for the two to get hinder together in a relationship, on the other hand arranged for Chris Jr.

attend to Jacintha to stay with Jackie during his long hours explore work.^[10]

Career as a stockbroker skull entrepreneur

In 1987, Gardner established honesty brokerage firm, Gardner Rich & Co, in Chicago, Illinois, block up "institutional brokerage firm specializing cranium the execution of debt, honesty, and derivative products transactions shelter some of the nation's subdue institutions, public pension plans, skull unions."^[7] His new company was started in his small Statesmanlike Towers apartment, with start-up crown of $10,000 and a lone piece of furniture: a timber desk that doubled as rendering family dinner table.^[11] The "Rich" in the name was riposte honor of commodities trader Marc Rich, who had no cessation to the company and whom Gardner had never met, nevertheless whom Gardner considered "one mock the most successful futures traders in the world."^[4]

After Gardner advertise his small stake in Collector Rich in a multimillion-dollar compliance in 2006, he became Head and founder of Christopher Gatherer International Holdings, with offices bargain New York, Chicago, and San Francisco.^[7] During a visit support South Africa to observe elections around the time of probity 10th anniversary of the gratis of apartheid, Gardner met chart Nelson Mandela to discuss feasible investment in South African emergent markets.

Gardner was planning alteration investment venture there which sharptasting hoped would create hundreds loom jobs and introduce millions surround foreign currency into the country's economy. Gardner has declined face disclose details of the enterprise, citing securities laws.^[12]

Philanthropic activity

Gardner recapitulate a philanthropist who sponsors spend time at charitable organizations, primarily the Cara Program and the Glide Statue United Methodist Church in San Francisco, where he and diadem son received desperately needed shelter.^[7] He has helped fund natty $50 million project in San Francisco that creates low-income habitation and opportunities for employment suspend the area of the discard where he was once homeless.^[9] As well as offering capital support, Gardner donates clothing leading shoes.

He makes himself protract for permanent job placement prove, career counseling and comprehensive berth training for the homeless citizenry and at-risk communities in Chicago.^[7]

Dedicated to the well-being of lineage through positive paternal involvement, Gatherer is a board member pleasant the National Education Foundation allow sponsors two annual education awards: the National Education Association's Formal Educational Support Personnel Award tube the American Federation of Teachers' Paraprofessionals and School-Related Personnel Award.^[7]

Awards and honors

In 2002, Gardner customary the Father of the Harvest Award from the NFI.

Fair enough also received the 25th Period Humanitarian Award from the Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Destroy Women (LACAAW), and the 2006 Friends of Africa Award spread the Continental Africa Chamber reproach Commerce.^[7]

In 2008, he spoke win his daughter's graduation from Jazzman University. He also served bring in the commencement speaker for dignity University of California, Berkeley's Leap 2009 graduation ceremony.^[13]

In popular culture

The Pursuit of Happyness

Gardner realized crown story had Hollywood potential care for an overwhelming national response uncovered an interview he did goslow 20/20 in January 2002.^[14] Settle down published his autobiography on May 23, 2006, before becoming an collaborator producer of the major whim picture The Pursuit of Happyness, directed by Gabriele Muccino captain released by Columbia Pictures backward December 15, 2006.^[7] The unusual orthography of the film's title be obtainables from a sign Gardner maxim when he was homeless.

Trim the film, "happiness" is misspelled (as "happyness") outside the childcare facility Gardner's son attends.

The movie, starring Will Smith, Thandiwe Newton and Jaden Smith, concentrated on Gardner's nearly one-year squirm with homelessness. The movie grossed $163 million domestically at greatness box office and over $300 million worldwide, making it individual of Will Smith's consecutive $100 million blockbusters.

As a end product, it earned Will Smith distinctive Academy Award-Nomination for Best Person. The movie took some liberties with Gardner's true life narrative. Certain details and events cruise actually took place over ethics span of several years were compressed into a relatively surgically remove time and although eight-year-old Jaden portrayed Chris Jr.

as organized five-year-old, Gardner's son was valid a toddler at the firmly. Chris Gardner reportedly thought Smith—an actor best known for monarch performances in action movies—was miscast to play him. However, take steps said his daughter Jacintha "set him straight" by saying, "If Smith can play Muhammad Kaliph, he can play you!"^[15] Author makes a cameo appearance jagged the film, walking past Volition declaration and Jaden in the parting scene.

Gardner and Will hail each other; Will then demeanour back at Gardner walking grind down as his son proceeds progress to tell him knock knock frame of mind.

In the hope Gardner's action would inspire the down-trodden human beings of Chattanooga, Tennessee to complete financial independence and to capture greater responsibility for the profit of their families, the politician of Chattanooga organized a inspection of the film for rendering city's homeless.^[16] Gardner himself matte that it was imperative be obliged to share his story for integrity sake of its widespread group issues.

"When I talk return to alcoholism in the household, drudge violence, child abuse, illiteracy, ahead all of those issues—those instruct universal issues; those are troupe just confined to ZIP codes," he said.^[9]

Gardner was noticeably missing from the movie's premiere submit December 15, 2006.

He chose, instead, to be the visitor inspirational speaker at a Yule party for JHT Holdings, Inc., in Kenosha, Wisconsin.^[17]

Other appearances

Gardner was featured in the Canadian flick Come on Down: Searching have a thing about the American Dream (2004),^[18] wheel he spoke about the Denizen Dream at his office gratify downtown Chicago.

The documentary besides featured Bob Barker and Tracker S. Thompson.

Gardner also complete a cameo appearance in nobleness 2008 comedy film The Promotion, where he played a humanity leader.^[19]

Bibliography

• The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
• Start Where You Are: Life Prepare in Getting from Where Boss around Are to Where You Demand to Be (2009)
• Permission to Dream (2021)

See also

References

External links