The first half of this book describes the founding of Merry Maids, its growth and final sale to ServiceMaster. In the second half, the author gives seven principles for real success, one that comes from serving God and people. Peterson's goal of writing this book is to inspire people to reach for success in life.

Who wants to be a millionaire? Who doesnt? From magician to manufacturing magnate, fi nancial columnist to real estate investor, poet to college dropout, here are the profi les of 17 ordinary people who started with nothing-and became millionaires!These are stories of people who overcame poverty or in some cases middle class lifestyles to single-handedly beat overwhelming odds and achieved fi nancial success. They may not all be household names, but their stories can serve as an inspiration to us all. Praise for Rags to Riches: There are as many paths to fi nancial success as there are people who want to achieve it. This book shows that wealth is within the reach of just about anyone. -Tom Siedell, Managing Editor, Your Money The most extraordinary thing about Rags to Riches is that it affi rms how ordinary people have this tremendous, innate ability to achieve success and generate wealth if they put their minds to it. -John E Wasik, Author, Retire Early and Live the Life You Want Now Rags to Riches: Motivating Stories of How Ordinary People Achieved Extraordinary Wealth goes well beyond the quick-fi x guru guidebooks to explore effective, longterm strategies that systematically build wealth. Its fascinating, candid look at how every day, people reach their goals by turning challenge into opportunity.-Marla Brill, Publisher, Brills Mutual Funds Interactive www.brill.com A fascinating and instructive collection of biographies. -Evan Simonoff, Associated Publishedr/Editor-in-Chief, Financial Planning Now readers everywhere can discover what Palm Beach Daily News readers have learned: Gail Liberman and Alan Lavine know everything there is to know about personal wealth-how to get it and how to grow it. Gails weekly column in our paper tells affl uent readers how to manage their fortunes. This book takes a step back and tells readers, in the words of millionaires whove been there and done it, how to acquire a vast personal fortune. -Linda Rawls, Editor, Palm Beach Daily News Husband and wife Alan Lavine and Gail Liberman know money. They are syndicated fi nance columnists and authors based in North Palm Beach, Florida. Their joint columns run weekly in the Boston Herald, on America Online, and in numerous newspapers. They are frequent guests on radio and television as well as columnists for Fundsinteractive.com and Quiken.com. Alan and Gail are the authors of Love, Marriage & Money, as well as the bestseller, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Making Money with Mutual Funds.

From Rags to Riches is the true story of two strangers who find each other in midlife and turn rags into riches and make their Christian marriage and businesses a success. Joseph and Annette Trawick were both born in small, rural areas, Wilkinson and Hancock Counties in Georgia, approximately sixteen miles apart--only separated by pine trees, dirt, and gravel roads. Both had previous marriages and have adult children. Although they felt it was love at first sight, there were many obstacles in their path that undermined what God had set as their destiny. There were many struggles, from starting their business to maintaining their marriage and maintaining the bond between their adult children.Throughout this book, they will take you on a journey of good and ugly. Believing in the faith of God and each other, they discovered that being rich is not all about money but about love, family, health, and happiness.

Thrive: 30 Inspirational Rags-to-Riches Stories shows the power of perseverance to achieve unbelievable success. Follow the stories of ordinary people who overcame adversity to become wealthy entrepreneurs, innovative businessmen, and famous artists, including Jim Carrey, Eminem, Vin Diesel, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Charlize Theron, Ellen DeGeneres, Mark Cuban, and Jay Z. Never give up. Thrive.

Presents brief biographies of the enterprising individuals who started such products and companies as Apple computers, Sears, the Dow Jones Index and The Wall Street Journal, J.C. Penney, Hershey's Chocolate, Ebony Magazine, and Kinney Shoes.

Most people anticipate a success story that describes a character's (real life or fictional) triumph from rags to riches. What if we turn the tables and read about an already "lucky" character who was practically born with a silver spoon in her mouth, looks down upon others who have less than her or who don't meet her standards, feels entitled to get what she desires from others, and gets away with countless bullying antics at school since her father knows what strings to pull to get her out of trouble? Meet Serendipity (a.k.a. Serene), who needs to be humbled in her world of entitlement to fill the endless void she is trying to fill. How will she turn from her vacant and selfish ways if she doesn't have God in her life? Does she need to lose everything and go from riches to rags to find her purpose in the life that God intended for her?

Where do you want to be in one, three, or five years? Even small adjustments can bring about enormous results to your personal success. Where does that “winning edge” you’ve heard so much about come from? How do some people seem to find success simply from waking up and getting out of bed? World-renowned performance expert Brian Tracy has spent decades studying uncommonly high achievers. Instead of finding commonalities such as Ivy League educations, gold-star connections, and a dash of blind luck, Tracy discovered that the keys to their success were more often small adjustments in outlook and behavior. In this easy-to-follow guide, Tracy lays out a simple, clear plan for anyone to be able to unlock their potential and find the success they previously thought was unattainable for them. In Personal Success, you will learn to: Change your mindset to attract opportunity Banish self-limited beliefs Build your self-confidence Practice courage and taking risks Sharpen your natural intuition Continually upgrade your skills and more! Packed with simple but game-changing techniques, Personal Success is the answer you’ve been searching for to gain that winning edge and turn your dreams into realities.