Cecilia L.

When I was five years old both my parents had small business; my mom a home-based catering business and my dad was part owner of a restaurant. Two years later, my mom sold her business because costs were skyrocketing and my dad suffered the first of what would be a string of failures. My mother learned that being in business was risky and no amount of coaxing would ever induce her to try it again. My dad learned that any number of past failures should never deter one from seeking out a good business opportunity. Until the day he died, he remained nothing but optimistic. I take after my dad. Although I have a stable day job that I love, starting in high school I have tried direct sales, MLM, eBay, and various consulting gigs -- with varying levels of success. I'm not the biggest risk taker, but when I'm confident in the inherent opportunity of a particular venture, I can be relentless in pursuing it. For the past 13 years I have worked for the Infants and Toddlers Program in my state, supporting families who have young children with disabilities. As I do not have a family of my own, I pour long hours into my career because I am convinced that my efforts are making a lasting difference in the lives of families and this will be my legacy.