Arnold Schwarzenegger
Why we like him: What more can we say, really? He’s Ah-nold! Born in a small village in Austria, Arnold rose to fame through the unconventional route of bodybuilding (which arose out of his father’s wish that he become a police officer). Eventually his years of pumping iron allowed him to enter a career in acting and he even married into America’s famed Kennedy family. In recent years, he pulled off the remarkable feat of becoming the governor of the state of California, but the surprising news is that the kid from the Austrian Alps refuses to play the party line: He sees himself instead as a politician for the people and not for a party, and that’s something our country’s needed for a long time. Keep pumpin’ iron, Arnold.

Mark Zuckerberg
Why we like him: The representative of the new generation, Zuckerberg has made his name for himself—and a fortune—by creating the Internet social networking tool known as Facebook. Zuckerberg, despite the fact that his simple site will bring in around $100 million this year, refuses to be bought out by larger companies such as Microsoft and Yahoo!. In fact, according to the Wall Street Journal, Zuckerberg turned down an 8:00 a.m. meeting with Microsoft because he doesn’t wake up that early! In an age when a lot of entrepreneurs start a successful business seemingly for the sole purpose of selling it to a larger company, Zuckerberg is a prime example of the power of one person to make a difference in today’s world.
Visit Zuckerberg’s phenomenon for yourself at www.facebook.com.

Oprah Winfrey
Why we like her: Oprah’s the classic rags-to-riches story. Born in Mississippi to unmarried teenagers, Oprah moved to a poor area of Milwaukee by the age of six. Despite her often rough upbringing, she applied herself and advanced quickly in school, even skipping two grades. Oprah had a wild side, however, and her mother sent her to Nashville to live with her father. There she continued her progress in school and won a scholarship to Tennessee State University, where she majored in communications. While in Nashville, she made a name for herself on the local news, which prompted a move to Chicago in 1983. Oprah quickly became famous after hosting an early morning talk show, and today she has built a multi-million dollar company and become one of the most recognizable women in the world.


This could be you!
Have a success story of your own? E-mail the editor at leif@gowithabc.com and we might feature it in a future issue!