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  • Mi Barrio

    Author: Robert J. Renteria, Jr.

    “Don't let where you came from dictate who you are, but let it be part of who you become.” That’s the message of MI BARRIO, the memoir of a man who slept in a dresser drawer as a child and grew up to become a civic leader, business owner, and VP of a publicly traded company. This hard-hitting tale, written in English, is used in schools to battle gangs, school violence, and the dropout rate.

    Tracing the journey from his childhood of abuse and poverty to his emergence as a successful entrepreneur, author Robert Renteria creates vivid portraits of the people who inspired him with hope and the forces that dragged him down (gangs, alcohol, and drugs) as he struggled to free himself from the barrio of East LA. Sometimes funny, always gripping, the story offers smart, practical self-help advice that shows youths how to clear the hurdles on their path. The book drives home the point that anything can be achieved by anyone through persistence, hard work, heart, and soul.

    Robert J. Renteria, Jr.

    Robert J. Ronteria, Jr. is a successful businessman turned author of From the Barrio to the Board Room, who is using his memoir with youth across America to replace violence, delinquency, gangs and drugs with education, pride, accomplishment, and self esteem. Renteria came from humble beginnings, growing up in an impoverished East L.A. barrio. His family was abandoned by his drug and alcohol addicted father. At the age of six, Robert was involved in a carnival accident that resulted in serious head trauma and three years of rehabilitation to recover his motor skills. As a teenager, he became involved with a tough street crowd, used and dealt drugs, dropped out of high school, was shot at and stabbed, and went from one dead-end job to another. After learning that his estranged father had died on skid-row, Robert resolved to make better choices in his life. He returned to school, joined the military, and after honorably serving seven years in the United States Army, he moved to Chicago. Searching for that job where he could prove himself, he talked his way into a position with a commercial laundry management and sales company that eventually led to his becoming corporate Vice President of a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange. Having the success he had been seeking, he was convinced to strike off on his own, opening and operating several successful businesses.

    Robert has now dedicated his life to sharing his story with thousands of others so that they, too, can help break the vicious cycle of poverty through hard work, determination and education. His book and the accompanying curriculum, are forming our “leaders of tomorrow” by helping them to find their identity, establish core values, set goals for themselves, prioritize education, and strive to reach their full potential.

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    • Depressing
      from Donna Brown

      Depressing

    • Descent
      from J.K. Brown

      Descent. Way better titles: Think Grow Rich and Masashi Book of Five Rings.

    • The American Dream?
      from Carl J.

      The American Dream?

    • Inspiring?
      from Mark Heller

      I wasn't inspired. Common SmarterComics, you can do much better.

    • Incredible!
      from Bobby Minor

      Robert takes from his life experience-the good, the bad, and the ugly, and turns into a foundation not only for his success but for the success of anyone willing to listen to and live out these two words- HARD WORK. There are no shortcuts to success but for those not afraid to put forth the effort the sky is the limit. Thanks Robert for keeping it real!