A former athlete who grew up poor has shared how his challenging childhood inspired his journey to becoming a successful CEO. Rene, now 47, said his early years living in trailers and migrant camps motivated him to work harder, especially after having children.
“My family didn’t have much,” the motivational speaker and CEO told JamPrime.com. “When I was very little, we lived in migrant camps; I remember different mums taking turns to watch over me when my own mum was busy working.” He added that he was bullied as a child and lacked video games or cable TV, but never felt bothered by poverty.
Basketball became his escape, playing from age seven through college. To pay bills, he sold cookware door-to-door, sparking a passion for sales and business psychology. After graduating in 1998, he joined his mother’s consultancy firm, Volentum, becoming CEO two months before 9/11.
Today, Rene employs eight people and has helped hundreds of thousands become millionaires through his methodologies. Living in a million-dollar home with his six children, aged four to 22, he said: “Making money is great but I will always work hard to create more value for my clients and my family.” His mother, Magaly del Carmen Rodriguez, passed away in February last year, but he said she was proud of his success.
