| Zenaida Lorenzo... | | | | before her, and it wasn't until she shared her trouble |
| An interesting name, derived from Zenobia, Queen of | | | | with her friends that she learned that all along, her |
| the wealthy city of Palmyra in the Arabian Desert, and | | | | problem had been dyslexia. Zenaida persisted in her |
| in Latin, a feminine form of "Zeus." Indeed a powerful | | | | learning, until she taught herself to read. |
| name, but quite appropriate for an incredibly self-driven | | | | At 25, she got a job working for a bankcard system in |
| woman, rather adequately described by the words | | | | sales, and was the top earner two months in a row. |
| "motivation" and "prosperity." Zenaida was the #1 | | | | Her self-esteem rose. In fact, it rose enough to secure |
| earner in her home business in 2005, though she didn't | | | | a job with a newspaper, also in sales. She lied on her |
| start off with a silver spoon, didn't have the best | | | | application, and said that she had a degree in liberal |
| education, and generally had a rough time just living as | | | | arts from the University of Puerto Rico, where she |
| she grew up. | | | | had moved and lived for a short while. |
| Zenaida began life in an ethnic neighborhood, primarily | | | | And her boyfriend continued to help her. Unbeknownst |
| Puerto Rican like Zenaida herself, in Dover, New | | | | to her employer, her boyfriend at the time, was writing |
| Jersey. The family was so poor that there were a | | | | all her sales correspondence, then her boss started |
| few times when she went hungry and had to wear | | | | doing it for her, too. By the time he had figured |
| the same clothes to school more than once. It didn't | | | | everything out, Zenaida was important in the company, |
| seem to matter then, as many of the families in her | | | | and was making a great deal of money for them. |
| school had similar problems. Poverty was a way of | | | | But that wasn't the end of Zenaida's career. She |
| life. | | | | decided that she wanted to work for the |
| "Welfare was much better then," Zenaida remembers. | | | | world-renowned publisher Conde Nast, and asked her |
| But she can still recall coming home to a bare | | | | boyfriend to help her get a job with the company. Yet, |
| cupboard at times. School trips were out, because | | | | he told her, "I can't keep writing to your clients." In fact, |
| there was no money for them. There just wasn't | | | | he told her she couldn't get another job, until she |
| money for anything, and many times, not enough for | | | | learned to read and write. |
| food. | | | | So, she set to work. She was determined to learn to |
| But when she was about seven years old, she moved | | | | read, no matter what. First she bought two books |
| with her single mother and four siblings (another child | | | | about getting higher scores on the SAT--"Princeton |
| would be added later) to another neighborhood, which | | | | Review Word Smart, Volumes 1 and 2." Her friend and |
| bordered the Anglo part of town. The most difficult | | | | her boss taught her how to speak properly without the |
| part of that was that she would have to attend an | | | | ghetto slang, and after work every night, Zenaida |
| all-Anglo school, a place where it would be extremely | | | | would take an index card and choose a word from |
| difficult for her to fit in. She went from a school where | | | | each of the two Princeton books, beginning with the |
| the student body was 70-80% minority to a school | | | | letter "A." On the front of the card, she would spell the |
| where 95% of the kids were Caucasian. In the early | | | | word, write its phonetic pronunciation, and on the back, |
| 1970s, this was about as different as night and day. | | | | its meaning. |
| The school administrators had no experience with | | | | Zenaida played games with the cards. She read an |
| Hispanic children, for one thing, and to make matters | | | | article from the "New York Times" each day, which |
| worse, Zenaida was severely dyslexic, though nobody | | | | took her about forty minutes. If she didn't know a word |
| seemed to realize it. Her teachers told her mother, | | | | that was included in the article, she would look it up in |
| "There's something wrong with Zenaida," implying that | | | | the dictionary and then, add an index card for it. |
| the child was mentally challenged. The fact that her | | | | She got to the letter "P" before stopping her routine. |
| mother didn't speak English and that there was no | | | | She was finally functionally literate by the time she |
| father in the house only compounded the issue. | | | | was 29. |
| Zenaida failed her first year in the new school, which | | | | Zenaida bolstered her knowledge of history by going |
| was 2nd grade. She went on to repeat the pattern in | | | | to the Museum of Modern Art every weekend. She |
| third, fourth, and fifth grades, as well, without anyone | | | | bought audio-taped biographies of the artists, which as |
| understanding what Zenaida's problem really was. The | | | | with all good biographies, drew in the history of that |
| girl was not only alienated from her classmates | | | | person's time, the culture, the politics, and so on. She |
| because of race, but because she just had no way of | | | | hung on every word. |
| getting help with her problems. Her mother just kept | | | | And she prospered. Her achievements led her to |
| pushing her ahead because her mother just didn't want | | | | making a commercial for then Mayor of New York |
| her to fail. Zenaida's mother was uneducated, and | | | | City, Rudy Giuliani for the local disabilities center. She |
| didn't understand the consequences of her decision. | | | | also received a proclamation from Mayor Newman of |
| Yet, dyslexia wasn't Zenaida's only issue. She was | | | | Dover, New Jersey for teaching herself to read and |
| also ADHD--she had attention deficit hyperactivity | | | | for speaking to local high school students about |
| disorder, a condition that wasn't even recognized | | | | dyslexia, using the theme "Anything is Possible." |
| during the time Zenaida was growing up. ADHD sends | | | | Zenaida also came to excel in business. She was |
| thoughts through the brain at rapid speed, likened often | | | | making 6 figures a year, and at 34, decided to go back |
| to a ping-pong ball game going on inside the person's | | | | to college and to continue until she reached an MBA. |
| head. What ADHD meant for Zenaida was that she | | | | When her company was sold in 2003, Zenaida was |
| was easily distracted and easily bored. The | | | | forced to take a 30% pay cut because there were no |
| hyperactivity only added to those issues, making it | | | | other jobs. Soon, she wasn't meeting her obligations, |
| very difficult for her to remain still for any length of | | | | and decided that there had to be a better way. She |
| time. | | | | started a home business. In 2005, after less than one |
| At age 13, Zenaida was not just going to school; she | | | | year with her home business company, Zenaida was |
| was working and paying her mother rent. By the time | | | | their top earner, making close to $1 million in sales. |
| she got to high school, she was working two jobs to | | | | Though Zenaida is an incredible inspiration, and |
| help support the family. | | | | someone worthy of the people that follow her, she |
| But in high school, Zenaida began to flourish. Her artistic | | | | says, "When I was in my twenties, I was very angry. I |
| abilities came to light and she began to design her own | | | | would look at successful people and I always thought |
| clothing. She even won 2nd place in the school arts | | | | that if I could only read and if I only had an education, I |
| competition. Then, in her senior year, Zenaida wanted | | | | could have the opportunity to be as successful as |
| to work in the area where she had found her only | | | | they are. Today I realize that the reason I am so |
| success--fashion design, and she tried to get into | | | | successful is because of all the disadvantages and |
| college. Yet, her grades weren't good enough to go to | | | | disabilities I had to overcome. They made me strong, |
| the schools of her choosing. She was functionally | | | | persistent, and gave me the courage to look to |
| illiterate. | | | | alternative businesses. There are so many people who |
| About that time, Zenaida left home for New York City, | | | | today, have every advantage, but they still work for |
| and she found a video tape of a very old book, one | | | | others and earn a fraction of what is truly available. |
| that inspired millions and continues to do so | | | | Today, I have total time and financial freedom. My goal |
| today--Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich." Zenaida | | | | is to empower others to see what is available to them, |
| poured over the book, working very hard to | | | | and to help them overcome their self-imposed limits." |
| comprehend its forceful tenets of focus and | | | | If you were to follow one person toward success in |
| persistence in the face of resistance. And at 21, she | | | | business or in life, Zenaida is certainly a woman to |
| went back to college. | | | | follow. She has helped many people to succeed at the |
| Her first step was to run down to the local Barnes & | | | | same level she has succeeded herself. Today, she's |
| Noble and pick up a 5th grade reader because she | | | | eager to help more people live the life of financial |
| was intent upon getting a college degree. She started | | | | freedom and to make herself the best person she can |
| to realize how the words jumped around on the page | | | | be. |