Success: It’s less about leveling the playing field and more about having a dream you’re willing to work toward

I have had several conversations lately regarding the over-used phrase “level playing field” and how it relates to people starting their own businesses or otherwise realizing their dreams. Some believe that only certain people can achieve success and that not everyone has the ability to realize their dreams. They often refer to people who do as “the lucky ones.”

I believe that anything is possible and that anyone in a free society can achieve the amount of success they want if they put in the work required to get it done. In my experience, it is more of a matter of “where to start” versus not being able to create or find opportunities.

I know that life is full of obstacles that we all face and that some people have more than others. But I am a firm believer that every person has the ability to achieve their dreams no matter their circumstances, obstacles, or background and that such achievement leads to the freedom that so many seek, (like the freedom from the prison of self-doubt).

Not everyone has the dream of owning their own business or being an entrepreneur – and not everyone should – but for those who are “running the race” and working toward their goals, let me encourage you first by saying that you can do it! It can be done no matter what obstacles lay in your path. Life and your path may not go according to plan – and you may even be on a “detour” that will result in delays – but you need to keep pressing ahead!

One example of overcoming great obstacles is of a woman who was born to an unwed teenage mother and spent her early years on her grandmother’s farm while her mom looked for work. She lived a primitive but loving farm life and despite the hardships of her physical environment enjoyed the loving support of her grandmother and their church community.

All this changed when she was sent to live with her mother at the age of 6. Her mom’s job kept her away from their inner city apartment for much of the day and it was during this time that the little girl was repeatedly molested by male relatives and another visitor. The abuse lasted from the ages of nine to 13. The young girl tried to run away, but was sent to a juvenile detention home only to be denied admission because all the beds were filled.

So at the age of 14 the girl was out of the house and on her own. By her own account she was sexually promiscuous as a teenager, and after giving birth to a baby who died in infancy while still in her teens, went to live with her father.

The girl’s dad was a strict disciplinarian and would not accept anything less than what he thought was her best. She flourished in the structured environment and became an honor student, winning prizes for oratory and dramatic recitation. While with her dad, she won a beauty pageant, a full college scholarship, and got her first job in broadcasting. She worked at the radio station while attending college for a while, but her broadcasting career was taking off so she left school and signed on with a local television station as a reporter and anchor.

The young woman then began working at a television station in another market as a news co-anchor and reporter while also co-hosting her first talk show. She had found a niche that perfectly suited her outgoing, empathetic personality, and word about her soon spread to other cities. In January 1984, the woman was invited to work at a Chicago television station and host a faltering local half-hour morning program. In less than a year, she turned “AM Chicago” into the hottest show in town. The format was soon expanded to an hour, and in September 1985 it was renamed “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

A woman who came from very humble beginnings and suffered through terrible abuse and faced other obstacles rose to become a media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist. One of the most popular people in the world, Oprah could have just given-up and let life win but instead decided to take her dad’s advice and also used the life lessons learned to become who she is today.

Another example is of a man who emigrating from Jamaica to the Bronx at the age of 21 in 1981. Armed only with his green card, the young man landed a job as a stock handler with the NYPD and attended a local college. After graduating with an accounting degree, he eventually rose to become an accountant in the department. But the man had a dream. He had watched his father operate a bakery in his native Jamaica and knew that he wanted to be in the bakery / restaurant business. Unable to secure a loan for his Caribbean-themed, family-style eatery, he along with his seven brothers and sisters, who also emigrated to the U.S., took second mortgages on their homes and borrowed money from family and friends in order to raise $107,000 and launch the business.

In 1989 the man opened his first restaurant in the Bronx and in 1991 was able to leave the NYPD to work at the venture full time. He then franchised the restaurant and it has since grown to around 130 franchises in nine states along the Eastern seaboard. The wholesale division sells sauces and frozen Jamaican meat patties to Costco, 7-Eleven, Sam’s Club, and the New York City public school system. The company also distributes their Jamaican meat patties to supermarkets in 30 states.

The mostly takeout restaurants serve such Caribbean specialties as oxtail, curried goat, jerk chicken, pastries, and of course, patties. The company is Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery Inc. and the restaurants go by the name of Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery and Grill. The man who came to America and fulfilled his dream is Lowell Hawthorne.

It doesn’t matter where a person came from or what obstacles they face, anyone can fulfill their dreams with hard work and persistence. As Oprah says, “We are each responsible for our own life-no other person can be.” Let’s make the most of the life that we’re given and pursue our dreams!

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Brian Chicoine was born in Nashua and raised in Manchester, graduating from West High School. After earning his undergraduate degree from Rhode Island College in Providence, Brian and his family lived in Manchester for about five years before returning to the Ocean State. Brian has merged his passion for entrepreneurship and innovation with his love of new and bold ideas to bring fresh perspectives on the way things are done. Brian, his wife Jackie and their two boys live in Rhode Island, but their hearts are in New Hampshire.