saw him walking toward the diner, I tried to have it on his table as soon as he sat down.
Thanks to the newfound confidence I picked up from Helen, I dreamed of having my own restaurant. But when I called my parents to ask for a loan, they said, "We just don't have the money."
The next day, Fred saw me and asked, "What's wrong, sunshine? You're not smiling today." I shared my dream with him and said, "Fred, I know I can do more if somebody would just have faith in me."
He walked over to some of the other diner regulars and the next day handed me checks totaling $50,000 - along with a note that I have to this day. It reads, "The only collateral on this loan is my trust in your honesty as a person. Good people with a dream should have the opportunity to make that dream come true."
I took the checks to Merrill Lynch - the first time I had ever entered a brokerage house - where the money was invested for me. I continued working at the Buttercup, making plans for the restaurant I would open. My investments soured, though, and I lost the money.
I found myself thinking about what it would be like to be a stockbroker. After great deliberation I decided to apply for a job at Merrill Lynch. Even though I had no experience, I was hired and ended up becoming a pretty good broker. Eventually I paid back Fred and my customers the $50,000, plus 14-percent annual interest. Five years later, I was able to open my own firm.
I got a thank-you note from Fred, which will be imprinted on my heart forever. He had been sick and wrote that my check had helped cover his mounting medical bills. His letter read, "That loan may have been one of the best investments that I will ever make. Who else could have invested in a counter 'girl' with a million-dollar personality and watch that investment mature into a very successful career woman. How few 'investors' have that opportunity?"
Note: Suze Orman is a bestselling financial author whose books include "The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom" and "The Courage to Be Rich."
PB 我的第一份工作
两名杰出的美国人回忆他们第一份工作的经历
路易斯·卡尔德拉：停车场的清洁工
