Work to your fullest, underdog!

Don’t ever let somebody tell you, you can’t do something. You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they tell you can’t get it. If you want something, go get it, period.

In a particularly insightful scene, Christopher tells his father the familiar joke about the drowning man who repeatedly turns away rescuers in motorboats saying, "God will save me." Of course, he drowns, and when he arrives in heaven asks God, "Why didn't you save me?" The Almighty replies, "I sent two boats for you. What were you waiting for?" Gardner gets the message. Things may seem grim, but their "rescue boat" may have already arrived as the internship. The rest is up to him.

Somebody’s here because you know somebody, somebody’s here because you think you are somebody. There’s one guy here who’s gonna be somebody. That person’s gonna be the guy who can turn into this. Eight hundred thousand in commission dollars. … it was simple. Xnumber of calls = x number of prospects. X number of prospects equals x number of customers. X number of customers equals x number of dollars in the company’s pocket.

Show up early.

Well qualified persons are interested in investing and have money to invest.

Whoever brought in the most money after six months was usually hired. We were all working our way up call sheets to sign clients. From the bottom to the top. From the doorman to the CEO. They’d stay till 7, but I had Christopher. I had to do in six hours what they do in nine. In order not to waste any time, I wasn’t hanging up the phone in b/t calls. I realized that by not hanging up the phone, I gained another eight minutes a day. Also, I didn’t drinking any water, so I didn’t waste any time in the bathroom.