At 16, I dropped out of high school. It was the final in a long line of defeats, and it represented the acceptance of an inevitable fate.
Growing up underprivileged and self-reliant I existed in a tumultuous home with an abusive father and a disabled mother who couldn’t earn a living or fully take care of herself, let alone her three children. So I did the only thing I could think to do – quit dreaming of a future, get a job, and look after my mom as best as possible with limited life skills
One day, alone and lacking guidance, I wandered into a Jewish Community Centre where unexpectedly, I found the one thing that had been missing from my life and would change everything.
I found understanding, human connections, and relationships.
Over the last thirty years, my successes have included establishing myself as a well-established and highly respected personal injury lawyer, inspirational speaker, and most proudly, President and board member for the Barry and Florence Frieberg Jewish Community Center on Long Island.
My story is the story of a life gone full circle. The circumstances that held me back and threatened to derail me permanently are the same circumstances that motivated me to pull up my bootstraps, get my high school equivalency education, go to college, and earn my way into law school. And I did it all while working full-time.
Everything changed for me when I understood that real happiness and personal success come from cultivating genuine relationships and especially being worthy of them.
Whether it’s business success, recovering from an injury, overcoming life’s defeats and disappointments, or leading teams of other people to success, I believe the relationships we cultivate outperform any tool or technology and overcome all challenges and roadblocks.
The moment I recognized that life’s worst experiences represented my best purpose, I knew nothing could hold me back. Instead, I found personal gratification in the relationships I cultivated, which resulted in the desire and motivation to share that understanding with others.
By discovering and being willing to share my life stories and the lessons I learned in a meaningful way, I have found a new purpose in helping others. I will continue to be there for young people facing adversity, entrepreneurs figuring out how to connect with new clients, or anyone interested in the only true way to build success-through genuine and authentic relationships.
At 16, I dropped out of high school. It was the final in a long line of defeats, and it represented the acceptance of an inevitable fate.
Growing up underprivileged and self-reliant I existed in a tumultuous home with an abusive father and a disabled mother who couldn’t earn a living or fully take care of herself, let alone her three children. So I did the only thing I could think to do – quit dreaming of a future, get a job, and look after my mom as best as possible with limited life skills
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