What is your excuse for not going for your dream, not believing in yourself, and not reaching financial freedom? Let’s have a look at Chris Gardner’s financial freedom story!
In an earlier post, I wrote a bit about Chris Gardner, a homeless man who, against all odds, managed to create wealth for himself and his son. In this post, I will go deeper into the story of this truly admirable human being and see how we can learn something from it and how it applies to our pursuit of financial freedom.
💥 Who is Chris Gardner?
Chris Gardner is the man behind The Pursuit of Happyness, the movie in which Will Smith plays his character. But Gardner’s real-life story goes beyond Hollywood.
He grew up in a home filled with abuse, alcoholism, and poverty. As a young adult, he tried to create a better life, but life kept punching back harder.
He ended up:
- Homeless in San Francisco
- Taking care of his toddler son alone
- Sleeping in public restrooms, shelters, and on buses
- Selling medical equipment during the day to scrape by
He had every reason to give up.
But he didn’t.
🚀 The Turning Point
One random afternoon, Chris saw a man pull up in a red Ferrari. Curious, he asked,
“What do you do, and how do you do it?”
The answer? Stockbroker.
That one moment sparked a fire. Chris made a bold decision: he would become a stockbroker, despite having:
- No formal education
- No connections
- No home
- And no experience in finance
Somehow, he convinced Dean Witter Reynolds to give him a shot in an unpaid internship program. He studied for his licensing exam while raising his son, working by day, and sleeping wherever they could at night.
📈 The Rise
Chris passed his Series 7 exam and was offered a full-time job. He became a top-performing broker, eventually opening his firm, Gardner Rich & Co., in 1987.
In time, he sold his stake in a multimillion-dollar deal and reached financial freedom in the most real, raw sense of the word.
But that wasn’t the end of his journey—it was just the beginning of his purpose.
He became a philanthropist, motivational speaker, and author, helping thousands rise from difficult circumstances. His story has inspired millions around the world, including me.
🔑 Life Lessons from Chris Gardner’s financial freedom story:
There is no excuse:
You can come from the worst background, and still create the kind of life you want, no matter the circumstances. Chris was homeless, and at the same time, was taking care of a toddler, and still managed to reach financial freedom. So what’s your excuse?
Never give up:
No matter how hard it got for Chris, he didn’t give up. Life hit him hard, again and again, but he rose every time and got rewarded in the end. It’s not how many times you fall, but how quickly you get up from the fall that matters. So keep going!
Have faith:
Having faith is important because if you don’t, you will more easily give up, or at least you will not give your 100%, or maybe not even start. Chris had faith in himself and believed that he could become a successful stockbroker, even though he was homeless, even though he had no formal experience, even though his life was extremely challenging, even though he had no connections, and no formal education. He still had faith in himself and pushed through.
Be curious and open:
If Chris hadn’t been open and curious to ask the guy with the Ferrari what he was doing, he might never have come out of his downward spiral. He asked because he was open and curious, and the answer started a spark in him, eventually getting him where he and his son wanted to be.
Be bold and courageous:
If Chris had backed down and let the fear of failure control him, he would never have made the bold decision to try and convince Dean Witter Reynolds to give him a shot. He could have thought: ”No, I have no experience, I have no skills or former training in this area, he will tell me no, and it will be embarrassing to get rejected.” He put himself on the line and tried, even though the odds were against him, knowing he could have easily been rejected and looked upon as a fool. So try, don’t stop even though you might get rejected or embarrassed.
My reflection:
I think this is an amazing story, and one that can inspire anybody who is in a tough situation and wants to get out of it. I encourage you to come back to this story every time you feel like giving up, every time you feel it’s not possible, every time you have lost faith in yourself, to remember that it is possible for you too, to reach financial freedom.
What about you?
Chris Gardner’s financial freedom story, is a story to remember. I would love to hear your comments. What do you do when you have no motivation or feel yourself in a tough spot? What sources of inspiration and motivation do you have? Share in the comments!
Do you have limiting beliefs that hinder your financial growth? Check out my post about common limiting money beliefs: https://freedomwithmarkus.com/common-limiting-beliefs-about-money/
Want to hear Chris Gardner speak? Here is a video of him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LynsFswk51Y
English 
Français
Leave a Reply