Home
>
Success
>
Success -- A Secret and A Formula

Success -- A Secret and A Formula

Are you looking for the secret or magical formula for success? Do you think it's a well-guarded, password-protected valuable locked away in some private vault? Good news! In this article I open the vault wide.

Here's The Secret...

The secret to success is having a strong vision and the will to overcome whatever obstacles get in your way. Not what you wanted to hear? Read on.

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 indeed!

About The Author

The story used in this article is taken from Daily Secrets For Success. You can receive motivational stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things by going to: http://www.dailysecretsforsuccess.com. Ginny Dye is the author of 18 books and owner of two other online companies also designed to inspire and give back to the world: Shop For Charity Day.com and http://www.dailysecretsforsuccess.com

scheduled cleaning services Winnetka ..

In The News:

Cybersecurity firm Infoblox reveals that over 90 percent of parked domains now redirect visitors to scams and malware, making simple typos extremely dangerous.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

GPT-5.2 is now live for all ChatGPT users with improved coding, writing and image interpretation, with Kurt Knutsson offering his review.

New iPhone replacement scam uses pressure tactics and fake carrier calls to steal devices from buyers. Criminals claim shipping errors and demand urgent returns.

Amazon Ring's new facial recognition feature sparks privacy controversy as Electronic Frontier Foundation critics argue the AI upgrade expands surveillance risks.

New Android banking trojan Sturnus steals credentials, reads encrypted messages and controls devices.

Denmark's 3D-printed student village proves automation builds 36 apartments faster than traditional methods. Skovsporet project shows housing future.

Discover Android's new Sound Notifications feature that alerts you to smoke alarms, doorbells, and baby cries even when wearing headphones.

New SantaStealer malware reportedly threatens holiday shoppers with password theft. This Christmas-themed info-stealer targets browsers and crypto wallets.

The Christmas season brings a surge in Netflix phishing scams targeting shoppers with fake emails. Stacey P received convincing scam but verified account first.

San Francisco Giants invite Jamie Grohsong to throw ceremonial first pitch at Oracle Park after he learned to play baseball with a bionic hand following an injury.

FBI warns cybercriminals are stealing family photos from social media to create fake proof of life images in virtual kidnapping scams targeting victims.

Instagram's new 'Your Algorithm' tool lets you control your Reels feed in real time. The app now gives you power to customize what videos you see.

Major Marquis fintech breach exposes 400,000-plus Americans' data through unpatched SonicWall vulnerability, with Texas hardest hit at 354,000 affected.

Free up iPhone storage fast by clearing large photos and videos from Messages app. Simple steps for iOS users to delete attachments without losing chats.

Scammers are flooding inboxes with fake tracking alerts that mimic real carriers, exploiting the holiday rush to steal logins and personal data.

The Fox News AI Newsletter brings you the latest news on AI technology advancements and the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Texas family reunites with missing 11-year-old cat Grayson after 103 days using Petco Love Lost's AI photo matching technology and community help.

Tired of AI customer service loops? These insider tricks help you escape "frustration AI" and get real human help when you need it most for urgent issues.

Unlock richer audio from your streaming apps with simple tweaks to volume normalization, equalizer settings, and quality preferences for cleaner sound.

Scammers are sending fake Facebook settlement payout emails that mimic legitimate notices from the privacy settlement administrator to deceive users.

Holiday shopping scams surge as fake refund emails target distracted consumers during Black Friday and holiday seasons, costing Americans billions annually.

The AI-powered IRMO M1 exoskeleton features four modes, including turbo, eco, training and rest for hiking, running, cycling and sports with eight-hour battery life.

OpenAI announced upgrades for its ChatGPT Images platform on Tuesday, saying the program can now make more precise edits and produce images more quickly.

Chrome for Android now turns web articles into AI-powered podcast conversations. Get hands-free browsing with Google Gemini's natural audio summaries.