Growing up, many of us have had the impression that the only way to be successful and financially stable in life is to earn a college degree and get a high-paying corporate job. And many of us know that in order to be able to get a college degree, we must either have parents who can afford to pay for our college, somehow get enough scholarships and grant money to cover our college expenses, or we must spend years setting aside money to fund our own education. Nothing comes for free, and success is certainly one of those things.
Early on in life, as in just two days after his birth, Freddie Figgers already wasn’t “supposed” to be one of those successful people. Neglected in a dumpster by his own birth mother, Freddie was essentially left to die. But today, he would tell you a very different story.
Fortunately for Freddie, not long after he was dropped off, he was adopted by Nathan and Betty Figgers. Their love might not have been enough to erase his unfortunate past, but it was enough to overpower the many detrimental effects of knowing he was abandoned early on in life. The secure environment and nurturing parenting he was given by his adoptive parents was exactly what he needed to develop into the motivated and intelligent man he is today.
In fact, at a young age, it was clear that Freddie already exhibited above-average intelligence. When he was given his first computer at the age of nine, which didn’t work. Freddie’s curious mind was eager to discover what was wrong with it. And, through trial and error, he was able to successfully fix it.
Then later on when Freddie’s father started to develop Alzheimer’s, he came up with a solution. He noticed his father would often forget to put on a pair of pants, however, he would never forget to put on shoes. So he came up with the idea to invent shoes that featured a device that doubled up as a “phone” and a GPS tracker.
“I could pick up the phone and say, ‘Hey Dad, where are you at?’ and he doesn’t have to do anything, just lean down and talk into his shoe, and I can track his location,” Freddie explained.
And at the age of 12, young Freddie already had a job as a computer technician. Three years later, he started his own cloud computing service from his parents’ backyard.
That’s not it! Freddie ended up dropping out of school once he received an $8,000 contract to finish a computer program over the course of four weeks. With the money he earned from the project, he started Figgers Communications, a cell phone manufacturer and telecommunications company based in Florida, in 2009.
Just a decade later, Figgers Communication was worth over $62 million! In fact, this company is the only minority-owned company of its kind in all of the United States.
But money isn’t everything for the now-29-year-old entrepreneur. His primary goal is still to find solutions to real problems to help real people.
In an interview with Codeblack, Freddie said, “I’m going to impact this world and change today for a better tomorrow because money is nothing but a tool, but with that tool, we can impact and change everyday people lives with opportunities.”
With his smarts and growth mindset, Freddie has come up with a special build-in, wireless device for those with diabetes. Additionally, he has come up with software to potentially help with the dangers of texting while driving once and for all.
If Freddie had listened to the discouragement of others, he wouldn’t be anywhere where he is today.
“Believe in what you do. Don’t let anyone talk down on you. People will not see your vision. People would not believe in you, but just believe in yourself, and keep thriving,” the young man advises.
Watch below to learn more about the inspiring entrepreneur!
