Personal Stories
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Personal Story
Success Story
Biographies
Overcoming adversity
Today I became an American citizen πΊπΈ
11 years ago, I arrived in the U.S. alone with $200 in my pocket.
Today, I have an incredible wife, 2 amazing kids, a home, and I'm the CEO of an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing company.
Here's my American Dream story:
11 years ago, I arrived in the U.S. alone with $200 in my pocket.
Today, I have an incredible wife, 2 amazing kids, a home, and I'm the CEO of an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing company.
Here's my American Dream story:
Growing up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, my family had one foot in poverty and another in the middle class.
My family was originally in a neighborhood between two rival favelas.
The rival gangs would fire at each other and bullets would fly over the house.
My family was originally in a neighborhood between two rival favelas.
The rival gangs would fire at each other and bullets would fly over the house.
"ABAIXA!" (Portuguese for "DOWN") - my mother would scream.
We would hide under a gap in the couch and wait for the bullets to stop firing.
While my mother grew up there, for me that was a brief experience. My family fought their way out of poverty into middle-class life.
We would hide under a gap in the couch and wait for the bullets to stop firing.
While my mother grew up there, for me that was a brief experience. My family fought their way out of poverty into middle-class life.
Wanting to get out of this neighborhood, my father spends everything he has to buy us a small apartment in a good neighborhood.
They move from Madureira
To Botafogo
If it wasn't for this decision, my whole life would have been much harder.
At 10 years old, I gave back to my parents in a big way.
I passed an exam into one of the best public schools in the country, the Rio de Janeiro Military School.
That saves my parents a lot of money and is a fantastic experience that helped me build a good foundation.
I passed an exam into one of the best public schools in the country, the Rio de Janeiro Military School.
That saves my parents a lot of money and is a fantastic experience that helped me build a good foundation.
Still, I didn't have it easy.
At 13 years old, I fell in love with tennis, a "rich kid" sport in Brazil.
There was only one problem: I sucked at it.
Older kids made fun of me... gave me nicknames.
I did everything wrong on the court, except one thing:
I wanted to be great.
At 13 years old, I fell in love with tennis, a "rich kid" sport in Brazil.
There was only one problem: I sucked at it.
Older kids made fun of me... gave me nicknames.
I did everything wrong on the court, except one thing:
I wanted to be great.
One day, one of Brazil's best tennis coaches watches me play, and tells my dad:
"Your son has potential. Let me coach him"
This was one of the pivotal moments of my life.
My dad could not afford him, but somehow he made it happen. Credit cards, loans, whatever it took.
"Your son has potential. Let me coach him"
This was one of the pivotal moments of my life.
My dad could not afford him, but somehow he made it happen. Credit cards, loans, whatever it took.
Paulo Sanches, my new coach, was the real deal.
Both his kids were Brazilian champions and received full rides to play tennis in American universities.
"This is it," I thought, "I want the same for me."
I tell Paulo of my goal and we get to work.
My American Dream begins...
Both his kids were Brazilian champions and received full rides to play tennis in American universities.
"This is it," I thought, "I want the same for me."
I tell Paulo of my goal and we get to work.
My American Dream begins...
Training with Paulo was a Karate Kid type of experience.
He was my Mr. Miyagi.
First lesson. Before I even hold the racquet, he says:
"I have one condition. You need to promise to forget everything you think you know about tennis, and do everything I say instead from now on"
He was my Mr. Miyagi.
First lesson. Before I even hold the racquet, he says:
"I have one condition. You need to promise to forget everything you think you know about tennis, and do everything I say instead from now on"
3x/week, I'd travel 90 minutes each way just to train with him.
It was a physical and spiritual experience.
He corrected every single motion to the inch until my technique was flawless.
Within 2 years, I beat those same kids that used to make fun of me.
I was State champion.
It was a physical and spiritual experience.
He corrected every single motion to the inch until my technique was flawless.
Within 2 years, I beat those same kids that used to make fun of me.
I was State champion.
At 17 yrs old, I receive 8 scholarship offers and go to Columbus, OH.
I had never seen snow.
Until then.
The plane opens its doors, and boy, I feel it.
Bone chilling cold. "Is my face actually freezing?" I thought.
Even with the puffiest jacket I had back home, I feel naked.
I had never seen snow.
Until then.
The plane opens its doors, and boy, I feel it.
Bone chilling cold. "Is my face actually freezing?" I thought.
Even with the puffiest jacket I had back home, I feel naked.
Rio is warm, beautiful, chaotic, almost in a good way.
Ohio is plain, cold, and orderly.
But I'm grateful.
I'm in America. Land of the free, home of the brave.
I'm HUNGRY and I'm going to make my mark.
Ohio is plain, cold, and orderly.
But I'm grateful.
I'm in America. Land of the free, home of the brave.
I'm HUNGRY and I'm going to make my mark.
Our tennis team goes to Nationals for the first time in my college's history.
I'm voted All-American, twice.
In between partying and tennis trips I'm an honors student and an official paid tutor in finance, economics, and accounting... for seniors.
I want to win it all.
I'm voted All-American, twice.
In between partying and tennis trips I'm an honors student and an official paid tutor in finance, economics, and accounting... for seniors.
I want to win it all.
But then... my shoulder gives in. It hurts so much I can barely lift my arm.
I can no longer play the sport I love.
Time to pivot and focus on what I'm going to do for a living.
I can no longer play the sport I love.
Time to pivot and focus on what I'm going to do for a living.
Loving finance, where else better to be than New York City?
I transfer to Pace University with an academic scholarship.
That's another pivotal moment.
I transfer to Pace University with an academic scholarship.
That's another pivotal moment.
In New York, I meet Grace, my future wife. We fall MADLY in love. She's incredible.
We have big dreams of starting a business together, but until those dreams are possible, I have to pay the bills.
I didn't know how to serve or bartend yet, so I become a busser at a nightclub.
I didn't know how to serve or bartend yet, so I become a busser at a nightclub.
After 6 months of bussing tables, I get a big break. An entry-level job in investment management at a bank in Park Avenue.
It paid $50k/yr with no bonus, but I felt like a big shot. My career was set if I just coasted along...
It paid $50k/yr with no bonus, but I felt like a big shot. My career was set if I just coasted along...
I worked there for almost 2 years.
Grace and I had gotten married :)
Grace and I had gotten married :)
... but we barely spent any time together, and our entrepreneurial dreams felt more and more distant.
So I quit, with no savings, to start a *SUCCESSFUL* business and live our dream!
So I quit, with no savings, to start a *SUCCESSFUL* business and live our dream!
My bosses and coworkers were shocked, but they thought we were already making it big,
that I was moving on to something bigger and better of my own.
Little did they know we had nothing yet.
6-month emergency fund?
Heck, we didn't have $6 of savings.
that I was moving on to something bigger and better of my own.
Little did they know we had nothing yet.
6-month emergency fund?
Heck, we didn't have $6 of savings.
Our business idea was simple: Hypnotherapy.
Grace quit smoking with Hypnotherapy, got a certification, and helped my dad move his hand for the first time after months of him being paralyzed by a stroke!
Hypnosis was powerful, and the whole world had to know about it.
Grace quit smoking with Hypnotherapy, got a certification, and helped my dad move his hand for the first time after months of him being paralyzed by a stroke!
Hypnosis was powerful, and the whole world had to know about it.
We would record Grace's angelic meditation voice in a makeshift studio in our apartment and sell it online.
Except we made no money.
Our power gets cut off. We are overdraft, almost every single day.
For a full week we buy food with coins and change we find around the house.
Except we made no money.
Our power gets cut off. We are overdraft, almost every single day.
For a full week we buy food with coins and change we find around the house.
My only solution: back to bussing tables.
I went from being in a suit on the top floor of a Park Avenue office helping high-net worth clients...
... to a having a literal rag on my waist to clean dishes, broken glass, and vomit from drunk people at the club.
I went from being in a suit on the top floor of a Park Avenue office helping high-net worth clients...
... to a having a literal rag on my waist to clean dishes, broken glass, and vomit from drunk people at the club.
Except it gets worse...
I could never dream of what happens next.
I could never dream of what happens next.
As I'm cleaning the floor of the restaurant part of the nightclub,
I look to the front door and see a group of people in nice suits walking in.
My heart froze.
Out of everyone in the world, it was them.
My coworkers. From the bank.
I look to the front door and see a group of people in nice suits walking in.
My heart froze.
Out of everyone in the world, it was them.
My coworkers. From the bank.
In their minds, I was quitting to be a successful entrepreneur, and here I was bussing tables.
I clean their table with my rag and ask if they'd like some water.
I can see them looking and talking about me, in disbelief.
I clean their table with my rag and ask if they'd like some water.
I can see them looking and talking about me, in disbelief.
I wanted to hide, cry, whatever it was... except be there cleaning the table of my former coworkers.
That experience fired me up even more.
As Michael Jordan says...
That's when I took it personal.
That experience fired me up even more.
As Michael Jordan says...
That's when I took it personal.
With trial-and-error, no funding, 100% bootstrapped, we began figuring out this game.
With no money for ads, we mastered how to get press, partners, and clients to promote our business.
With no money for ads, we mastered how to get press, partners, and clients to promote our business.
From failure to breakthrough to another failure, we kept doubling the business every year.
The success of our clients inspired us to keep going.
Grace's audios and sessions helped people feel better than ever. 1000s of people overcoming anxiety, stress, fear, and much more.
The success of our clients inspired us to keep going.
Grace's audios and sessions helped people feel better than ever. 1000s of people overcoming anxiety, stress, fear, and much more.
Almost 10 years later Grace is widely considered to be one of the world's top hypnotherapists.
We're an Inc. 5000 fastest growing company, with over 30 team members.
Our hypnosis recordings have been listened to hundreds of thousands of times by people all around the world.
We're an Inc. 5000 fastest growing company, with over 30 team members.
Our hypnosis recordings have been listened to hundreds of thousands of times by people all around the world.
We bought a home and live in a beautiful small town in Florida with our two kids, surrounded by dolphins, manatees and gorgeous nature, running a fully-remote business from home.
If you know me, you know I'm not one to brag, but it took a lot to get here and it feels good to say...
I can still beat the people who made fun of me in tennis growing up ;)
and I could now afford to open an investment account at the bank on Park Ave. where I used to work.
I can still beat the people who made fun of me in tennis growing up ;)
and I could now afford to open an investment account at the bank on Park Ave. where I used to work.
From Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to the United States...
This is my American Dream.
This is my American Dream.
If you enjoyed my story, follow me @bernfeitosa
I will give you inspirational and actionable content around mindset and entrepreneurship. And memes.
I will give you inspirational and actionable content around mindset and entrepreneurship. And memes.
Also, we JUST launched our new Grace App that's currently live on the iOS app store. Android coming next week!
Grace will help you feel calmer and more confident, even if NOTHING else has worked.
All voiced by Grace herself :)
apps.apple.com
Grace will help you feel calmer and more confident, even if NOTHING else has worked.
All voiced by Grace herself :)
apps.apple.com
@agazdecki you inspired me to write a story on our bootstrapping journey πͺπ½
And if youβd like to share this story to inspire more entrepreneurs, just RT the FIRST tweet on this thread ππ½
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