It’s July of 2000. Salt Lake City is sweltering in the summer temperatures, but inside the city’s
Convention Center there is a heat of an entirely different kind. Thousands of people pursuing their
financial dreams have come together to celebrate their successes, and they are doing so with a frenzy.
Backstage, I’m pacing with electric nerves and surging adrenaline. It’s a banner day and I’m dressed for it
in my $1600 custom Italian tuxedo, $400 Florsheim shoes and $300 custom French-cuffed shirt with gold
cufflinks. I look at the Rolex on my wrist and see that we’re just seconds away from the big moment.
I hear the public address system crank up. The crowd settles. I close my eyes to soak in the moment and,
seconds later, hear the words for which I’d waited years.