When Amadeo Peter Giannini (better known as A.P.) was only 7, his father died in a fight over one dollar. Times got real hard. Eventually A.P.'s mother married a man in the produce business. At age 14 A.P. quit school to work with his stepfather. By 19 he was a partner in their thriving enterprise. It was here that A.P. built his reputation for integrity and honesty. At 31 years of age he had all the money he needed or wanted, and announced his retirement.
At 32, A.P's real career started when he was asked to join the board of the Columbus Savings & Loan society. It wasn't long before A.P found himself at odds with the other directors. He wanted the bank to loan money to hard-working immigrants, but at that time banks catered only to business men and the wealthy. His ideas of loaning money to the working class were scoffed at.
But A.P. had the vision and the will. He raised $150,000, and bought a converted saloon across the street from the Columbus S&L. A. P. kept the bartender on as an assistant teller, and opened the Bank of Italy.
It was considered improper and uncouth, but A.P. began ringing doorbells and talking to everyone he could about his bank. He advertised. He kept the bank open longer hours and on weekends to fit into working people's schedules. Business boomed.
But making money wasn't A.P.'s sole measurement of success. He believed in making other people's dreams come true, too. He helped the California Wine Industry get started. He bankrolled Hollywood when they were trying to make movies popular. When Walt Disney ran $2 million dollars over budget on Snow White, he stepped in with a loan.
A.P.'s story exemplifies the secret to success -- a strong vision and the will to overcome obstacles thrown your way.
OK, I Gave Away The Secret -- Now Here's The Formula
Integrity combined with "giving back" is the formula for success. This was A.P.'s success formula. What began in 1904 as the Bank of Italy is now the Bank of America - the world's largest bank.
And what about A.P.? Did he die a billionaire?
When he passed away at age 79, A.P.'s estate was worth less than $500,000. This was purely by choice. A.P. looked down on great wealth. He believed it would make him lose touch with the people he wanted to serve. He worked without pay for years. One year he was given a surprise $1.5 million bonus and promptly gave it to the University of California.
It's a winning formula -- integrity plus "giving back."
There's One More Thing…
By every standard, Amadeo Peter Giannini was a success. But his true measure of success was making a difference every day of his life. I hope that will be your measuring stick as well. To achieve success, you've got to have a strong vision, and the will to overcome the obstacles that will come your way permeated with integrity. Add to that giving back to your community and you'll be successful.
Author Ginny Dye offers over 100 practical acts of kindness in 101 Ways to Change the World. Start making a difference in your community. Get your copy today at http://www.101WaysSeries.com
Time Saving Uses For RSS RSS is an underused and underappreciated technology by a majority of internet users. There is a small minority who are just starting to appreciate the benefits ...
Success Lessons I Learned From My Single Mom I was at a dinner party the other night when someone posed this question: Who has influenced your life the most? I thought for a moment and said what no one els...
Want Money? You Got It! Six out of six people who were asked to list their highest priority in life said, "I want money". Maybe not in those exact words, but that was the gist of the r...
What to Do if You are Over 40 and Have Lost Your Job Unexpectedly loosing your job can be a very traumatic and distressing experience at the best of times. If you are over 40 and can't find the job you deserve, yo...
How to Buy Used Baby Clothes Online! There are multitudes of ways to purchase used clothing for your baby. In this article I will cover only the online options available in the hopes that it will h...
How to Choose the Right Bank for Your Online Business Before selecting a bank, be sure to have a good understanding of your own business needs, and what you need from your bank. If you know what you will need from ...
Whose Voice is that Anyway? Writers are always being told to find their voice. But what is voice? This article explains it simply.
Dont Treat Your Business Like a Casino It's amazing how many people are jumping into the internet marketing business. The good news is that the pie is pretty unlimited so we can all get a nice slice....
Flax Seeds, Seeds, and Nuts For Constipation Relief Here are a variety of home remedies for constipation using flax seeds with other seeds and nuts. They provide the fiber and oils that you need to relieve const...
Reporting Identity Theft Knowing what to do and how to do it properly is often the difference between success and failure. There are few times when knowledge is more important than whe...
How to Blow Rapport Really Fast Article discusses some of the poor language phrases many salespeople use that cause them to look bad in front of their prospects.
When Your John Doe Is Homeless Identifying and finding the emergency contact information for homeless John Does in the ER.
New Leadership For A New War The author observes that the war on terror calls for a new kind of leadership. Just as the war is "asymmetrical", it needs "asymmetrical leadership" to help wi...
Is A Collie Puppy Right For You? If you want a medium-sized dog to protect your family and play with the kids, the Collie may just be the perfect pet for you.
Save Yourself Hours of Time in One Easy Step Most of us have spent hours of time looking for information on those affiliates and membership sites that we have joined. Here is one very simple step to save y...
How You Can Find Freelance Editing Jobs Freelance editing opportunities are out there, you just need to know where and how to look for them. Find out how, here.
Five Ways to Influence Change in Others If you want more effective teams, better Customer Service, higher creativity, more effective training, or more effective leadership in your organization, someth...
10 Thoughts on Tax Offer in Compromise Beware of advertisements that claim to settle tax debts for "pennies on the dollar". Check the Offer In Compromise requirements to see if it is right for you.
Print this page