Only the Strong Survive

By Preston Pickett

Preston Pickett is the Co-author of Success Starts today with Jack Canfield; author of Best Selling Series-"Chicken Soup for the Soul".

Preston has received letters from the Congress of the United States to help with our homeless veterans who suffer from PTSD. And has been personally acknowledged for his work with the Vets by local Non-Profits in the area such as The Veterans group.

Preston attended the Pennsylvania State University Main Campus. His freshman year he was President of M.E.C.A (multi ethnical cultural association) and received an award from the Pennsylvania Conference on Higher Education, was secretary of SGA, member of the PSU power cougar club, member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity Inc., award recipient for Outstanding Boxer of the Penn State Boxing Open tournament, Orleans Tech student of the Month and The Community Advocates for Children and Youth 1st place Team winner at their golf fundraiser tournament. Who's Who labeled Mr. Pickett someone to watch.

Delta Theta Alumni awarded Mr. Pickett a Custom Only Fraternity jacket for helping the organization purchase a Fraternity house for the younger brothers and donating $120,000 for the cause and served on the committee....He is someone who helped the younger college kids achieve and supported the cause."

Preston volunteered at Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta and received the Best Team Member badge for his fun personality and going above and beyond to make everyone laugh and enjoy the experience.

Preston has spoke at Light of the World Christian Academy in Atlanta to the youth and left the kids with one Mission. To change the Narrative. Preston was also a member of the Dicks & Nanton Celebrity Branding Agency. Before the pandemic was asked to join the promotional tour in New York's Time Square and be interviewed by ABC, CBS, NBC, WSJ, USA Today and FOX News.

Preston grew up on welfare in the projects of North Philadelphia "Abbotsford Projects", where he witnessed those around him being murdered and imprisoned. Mr. Pickett moved to SouthWest Philadelphia where his Mother was murdered due to a break in. After going to live with his Father in Norristown. College became his only way out; he took advantage of his opportunity there that forever changed his life. He was the President of M.E.C.A a student organization, Penn State Boxing Team and joined a Fraternity amongst other things that involved Leadership.

He started his first business out of college flipping houses. After helping the Alumni secure a Fraternity House. Things took off and he soon became the Vice President of a HomeVestor's Franchise. After doing over 100 deals and going thru the great recession of 2005. Mr. Pickett lost it all and went bankrupt. But God had a plan for his life. He packed up and moved to Atlanta, got a fresh new start. As a professional speaker and author Mr. Pickett got back up after being knocked down, learned some hard lessons and now has Purpose and gained his stride. Founder of 3P Legacy Partners Inc. Mr. Pickett likes to donate money to students without Mothers, a Non Profit here in Atlanta and give back as much wisdom as he possibly can to the next generation.

For fun, Preston likes to travel, hit the beach, listen to music, and read magazines.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 9, 2022
• ISBN: 9781639031719

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Only the Strong Survive

Preston Pickett

Copyright © 2021 by Preston Pickett

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Don’t Do It If You Don’t Love It

Don’t Underestimate the Value of Note-Taking—Get Educated

Don’t Be Afraid to Be That Dude or Dudette—the Value of Networking

Don’t Be the Prodigal Son—Find a Mentor

Don’t Take Shortcuts—Long Money Is in Solid Spending

Don’t Be a Jack of All Trades—Find Your Strengths and Stay On Course

Don’t Skimp on Preparing Your Own Credit—Qualify for the Money

Don’t Quit Your Day Job Yet!—Buying Your First Income-Producing Property (Team)

Don’t Believe in Get Rich Quick Schemes

Don’t Worry, Hard Work Pays Off

Chapter 1

Don’t Do It If You Don’t Love It

Getting Back Up After Being Knocked Down

The Call—When did you get the call to get into this work?

I was born and raised in North Philadelphia in Abbotsford Homes at Women’s Medical Hospital to Sandra Pickett and Preston Ayres. My father worked at Lukens Steel in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, and my mother was a stay-at-home mom. My grandmother was an alcoholic, and my mother was her pride and joy. She had lost her brother years earlier.

My mother got up one day and left with me and my older sister, Candace. We moved around a lot and stayed with family until my mother got on her feet. She was the first one in our family to go to college. She attended Community College of Philadelphia and would take me with her to night class. I would sit in the back of the room and just listen to the professors teach. I was well-behaved. I enjoyed being in her classes at a young age and just listen. I was around five to six years old. We eventually moved into a three-bedroom home in 5538 Angora Terrace, Southwest Philadelphia. During those years, the Motown sound was everything to African American families. The music was always playing in our home—Teddy Pendergrass, Motown, The Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, The Commodores, The Whispers, Teena Marie—you name it. That was my mom’s therapy. We used to come in the living room and dance a lot while we listened to records.

I attended Harrington Elementary and then went onto Harrington Middle School. One day in fourth grade in Mrs. Pennington’s class, we had to write an essay. I wrote mine on why the world needed more black businessmen. Everyone else was writing about Pac-Man and their family and favorite sports player. My teacher sent me to the principal’s office. I was very scared and nervous. I peeked into the office, and she was calling my mother. I was thinking I was in trouble. I was eventually tested and was skipped to the next grade, fifth grade. Wow! That’s when I knew what I wanted to do. I heard the cries from community leaders and from hearing adults in her class, family members, and Mom’s friends who have talked about it. I was just repeating what I was hearing. But I kinda knew that was the road I wanted to travel. I wanted to be a businessman.

The Pit—Describe the time you were in the pit facing your biggest challenge with no hope and feeling frustrated.

Growing up in Southwest Philadelphia was tough. We lived near the train tracks. I grew up in a single-parent household. My father and mother had never seen eye to eye. My father lived in Norristown and was a Renaissance man or a rolling stone. He had another family.

My mother had three kids and raised us by herself. It was hard. But we never wanted for anything. I would sneak down the stairs late at night and see her smoking Newport cigarettes looking at a table full of bills. I was too young to work, and I was just wishing I could help her. That’s when I knew it was becoming too much for my mother. She began to use drugs.

My stepgrandmother, Lucille Pickett, was a strong, stable woman who lived in a very nice home. She was very wise, smart, and financially brilliant with nothing but a high school education. She was my rock, and she raised us. She always took us to church and made sure we were grounded. She would always talk to us about being smart and strong and using common sense and tithing and saving your money. She was very strict. She was my praying grandmother. Then one day, I was at a friend’s house after school in Southwest Philadelphia. I went to Bartram Freshman Center. My friend Micah Solomon had come over to my friend’s house. He looked spaced-out. He knocked on the door and said, You need to get home right away. Cops are all over the block. Everybody is looking for you, and you need to get home right away.

That day, it was raining, and I ran home through Frazier St. and over the train tracks, through the alley and onto Angora Terrace. My house was to the right. I just remember seeing cop cars everywhere. Everybody started looking at me and pointing. Adults started walking me to my porch. As I walked up the stairs to my porch, the police officer looked at me and said very slowly, I’m sorry, son. Your mother was murdered.

I lost my breath and went blank and looked around. I saw my sister across the street crying, and people were consoling her, and then she ran up the street screaming. I dropped to my knees. My father came down from Norristown that night to get us. As we set on the stoop, I heard a voice say, "Your mother is gone, and she’s not coming back. You have two choices: You can be a failure and put your tail between your legs, or you can take the high road and fight and become a success. But it’s not going to be easy. Decide. It’s