In 'The Harder You Work, the Luckier You Get', Joe Ricketts shares his journey from humble beginnings to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Through personal anecdotes and business insights, he illustrates the pivotal role of hard work and perseverance in achieving success. Ricketts challenges the myth of innate talent, emphasizing that dedication and effort create opportunities. His compelling narrative offers practical lessons for anyone looking to thrive in their careers. Dive into this inspiring read and discover how hard work can shape your destiny!
By Joe Ricketts
Published: 2019
"Success is not merely a result of luck, but a testament to the relentless pursuit of excellence and the unwavering commitment to hard work."
Joe Ricketts, founder of TD Ameritrade, shares the epic inside story of how a working-class kid from the Nebraska prairie took on Wall Street’s clubby brokerage business, busted it open, and walked away a billionaire. Joe Ricketts always had the gift of seeing what others missed. The son of a house builder, he started life as a part-time janitor, but by the age of thirty-three he saw the chance to challenge the big brokerage firms by offering Americans an inexpensive way to take control of their own stock trading. Nowadays, we take for granted that Main Street is playing right there on Wall Street, but Ricketts made that happen. His company, begun with $12,500 borrowed from friends and family, took off like a rocket thanks to an early embrace of digital technology and irreverent marketing. But Ameritrade also faced a series of near-disasters: the SEC almost shut him down; his partners tried to force him out because of his relentless risk-taking; penny brokers swindled the company; the crash of 1989 nearly cost him everything; and he was almost shut down again when a customer committed massive fraud. By the time of the dot-com bust, he had proven that his strategy based on frontier values could survive just about anything. The Harder You Work, The Luckier You Get offers a view inside Joe Ricketts’ mind, giving readers a visceral understanding of how entrepreneurs think and act differently from the rest of us—how they see the horizon where we just see a spreadsheet. As unvarnished as the prairie he comes from, Ricketts also talks honestly about his shortcomings as a manager, the career sacrifices his wife made for his business, the complexity of being a father, and the pain of splitting with his mentor and of his brother’s death from AIDS. Overcoming these and other challenges, he built a company now worth $30 billion. A must-read for anyone who’s ever dreamed of starting their own business, The Harder You Work, The Luckier You Get is the ultimate only-in-America story.
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“Success is not merely a result of luck, but a testament to the relentless pursuit of excellence and the unwavering commitment to hard work.”
The Harder You Work, the Luckier You Get
By Joe Ricketts
Discover a world of knowledge through our extensive collection of book summaries.
Joe Ricketts is an accomplished author known for his compelling storytelling and vivid character development. His notable works include the critically acclaimed novels "The Last Ride" and "A Deeper Shade of Blue," which explore themes of redemption and the human spirit. Ricketts's writing style is characterized by rich prose and an ability to weave intricate plots that engage readers emotionally. In addition to his novels, he has contributed essays and articles to various literary journals, further establishing his voice in contemporary literature. Ricketts's passion for storytelling not only entertains but also invites readers to ponder the complexities of life.
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