People often ask David if he wanted to be an entrepreneur. As a child, he didn’t really have that desire. He wasn’t the kid selling lemonade on the corner. He didn’t understand that the reason he enjoyed the life he lived was because his father worked many jobs, day and night, to make ends meet. His family didn’t have a lot, but he was always provided for; David always had what he needed to succeed.
As a teenager, David began to understand and appreciate his father’s sacrifice. He began to understand the value of hard work and learned that if he wanted to fulfill the vision he had for his life, which included college, he’d need to learn to work in smart and committed ways.
David traversed all kinds of jobs: landscaping, construction, food service. “I was even a singing waiter,” he remembers with a smile.
One day, David thought deeply about the benefits of entrepreneurship after musing about how cool it would be to be his own boss. Soon after, he noticed that on many houses, it was hard to read the street numbers when looking for an address. The numbers, which had once been easy to spot on the curb, were faded and cracked. Some residences didn’t even have numbers.
David’s solution? Instead of asking people if they wanted their curbs painted, he picked a street and meticulously repainted each address on the curb of the home. When was he done? He’d knock on the homeowner’s door, explain what he’d done, and ask for a donation toward his college fund. Instead of asking for a job, David performed the job and requested a donation for his service.
One woman gave David six silver dollars for the work he did. Years, multiple degrees, and millions of dollars later, David retains those silver dollars. They remind him of how much people appreciate a job well done and what can happen when someone takes the initiative.
Today, 4Life Research, the company that David founded with his wife Bianca almost twenty-five years ago, has established a Silver Dollar Award to recognize the entrepreneurial spirits and passionate hearts of those who sell and represent the company’s products.
Wise people say: David Lisonbee’s Silver Dollar Wisdom is more simple to convey than its rewards are to earn. Success requires vision, commitment, humility, and determination. “Above all,” says David, “one must surround him or herself with people who share similar dreams. And those who are willing to pursue them in meaningful ways.”