Perseverance: Forging My American Dream

In 1956, at the age of ten, John Pistacchi and his parents immigrated to the United States with all of their possessions in a small metal steamer trunk. Being uprooted two more times in short order meant rebooting his life each time. He learned English, overcame bullying, survived high school, and graduated with a master's degree in engineering from UCLA, always forging ahead with determination.

Perseverance is about a young immigrant boy's dreams and his steps toward realizing them. Sailing slowly past the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, John declared his goals of owning his own company and retiring early-milestones he accomplished through his company, Opticom. However, the road to creating a successful multi-million dollar entity was neither straight nor smooth. It had many potholes and crossroads, often requiring tire-screeching U-turns. This earned John his client-given nickname, Fast Johnny.

John's commitment and his never-take-yourself-or-life-too-seriously attitude helped him overcome obstacles and survive the most trying times. How did John fight to achieve his American dream while on two occasions literally being one phone call away from losing it all? That is when flexibility, creativity, a sprinkle of luck and heavy doses of perseverance turned a childhood dream into reality.