“How I became a successful entrepreneur, it turned out, wasn’t separable from how I became who I am.”
Cody McLain faced many challenges during his childhood. His parents were alcoholics. He and his sister lived with their grandparents in Florida for a while so their parents could get their acts together, but once they came back home to Ohio, it wasn’t long before the drinking started again. His father passed away from drinking complications and Cody headed to foster care while his mother went to rehab. Around that time, Cody decided to do something that would change his life’s path – he started a business.
From Foster Care to Millionaire: A Young Entrepreneur’s Story of Tragedy and Triumph was recommended to me through my blog. The story sounded interesting and it was mostly set in the state I live in – Ohio. I find stories where children manage to overcome childhood tragedies and find a way to do something positive with their lives.
In many stories similar to Cody’s, it’s a person who comes along and helps the child take a new path. For Cody, it was mainly a computer. He rarely had friends in school and most of them ended up bullying Cody. One bully did suggest they start a web hosting business and after a few weeks, his friend bailed and Cody stuck with it. It took a lot of time and effort, but Cody started making money. After a few more twists and turns, Cody learns to rely solely on himself to make his business run, even when he has a partner. Through it all, every time Cody saw a problem, he focused on finding a way to create a solution – even for when he realized he was lonely.
Cody’s story had me captivated early on and I wondered how a boy in this family situation was going to turn out. How would he get to be a millionaire? At the end of the book, he unveils that he found out as an adult that he has ADHD and Asperberger’s. Knowing those at the beginning of the book would have helped understand his interactions with his peers a little better. It’s an amazing story of how someone can be successful no matter what cards he’s dealt. People who love biographies and inspiring stories will enjoy reading From Foster Care to Millionaire: A Young Entrepreneur’s Story of Tragedy and Triumph. More information on Cody can be found on his Web site.
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