Why I Love "The Gift of Struggle" by Bobby Herrera.

I highly recommend "The Gift of Struggle" by Bobby Herrera to all leaders or aspiring leaders. This book is an absolute must-read! From the first page, the author's story about his humble beginnings as a child of hard-working immigrant parents resonated deeply with me. His "Bus Story" particularly hit home and connected with my story of struggle and desire for a better life.

As the author, my parents immigrated to the US in search of new opportunities, and we were thrust into a new world that looked and sounded vastly different from our beautiful native land. Like the author, I, too, experienced struggles and a burning desire for a better life from an early age. After arriving in the US, my parents opened a small shop in the local Flea Market to make ends meet; my sister and I were part of their workforce. Flea Market work was tough, but I didn't mind the work so much as waking up at 4:00 AM every weekend.

Most kids we knew disliked going to school and couldn't wait for the weekend to arrive; however, it was the opposite for us. We loathed weekends and relished going to school. Christmas time was not a time we looked forward to, either. We had to work extra hard during the Christmas holidays, selling toys and ornaments on a street corner when school was out.

During the long hours at the Flea Market under the scorching South Florida sun, I dreamed of enjoying a weekend outing with friends or simply sleeping in on a Sunday. But, I didn't realize then that this was the training ground for a strong work ethic, like an athlete training for a match.

At the Flea Market, you quickly learn how to refine your bargaining skills, exude confidence in your products, and engage with demanding and savvy customers.

Competition is fierce; you must learn to position your merchandise to showcase well. You learn how to present a product in a brief but compelling manner to keep customers engaged. You practice asking the right questions to understand the customer's needs, not fear rejection, and close the sale while treating your customers respectfully. All this while running an efficient operation on a tight budget!

These experiences ignited my love for sales, a passion for leadership, a solid foundation of entrepreneurial skills, and a fire and drive to improve myself. I am grateful to my mom for this gift. She is the best salesperson I know, never hesitating to present a product confidently. Rejection only inspires her to try harder the next time. She is inventive and clever, and despite some personal setbacks, she continues to sell with passion!

I thank my intelligent sister for sharing those challenging Flea Market days. She is a true embodiment of courage and unwavering determination. As a Middle School student who did not speak English well, she would still volunteer to read in class, even at the expense of other kids making fun of her accent. Despite the challenges, she was one of the best students in class, graduating with Top Honors. Gracias, Hermana, for being a continuous source of inspiration in my life!

I am grateful to Bobby Herrera for encouraging his readers to share their stories of struggle, not as a source of unpleasant memories but as gifts that laid the foundation for a better and more meaningful life. "The Gift of Struggle" is now part of my collection of favorite leadership books.

Looking back, I now remember those days of struggle with love and gratitude!