Resilient Worker Profile: Meet Brian “Fitz” Fitzgerald

This is the true story of Brian “Fitz” Fitzgerald.  He did not climb Mount Everest.  He did not serve multiple tours of duty in Afghanistan.  He did not win the Super Bowl MVP or the Heavyweight Title of the World.  There will be no biography on the History Channel about the incredible saga of Brian Fitzgerald.  Some would consider his accomplishments pedestrian when compared to other great American heroes.  But his battle was no less courageous.  His journey was no less significant.  His inspiration was no less impactful.  Why?  Because his fight embodies the spirit of  the Resilient Worker in all of us.

Like many of us, Brian did not fully apply himself in college.  A gifted student, he took the easy way out in many of his courses and never reached his full potential.  Upon graduation, he found it difficult to get the right caliber of employment due to his middling grades.  He eventually took a job as a bank teller and lived at home.  His parents supported him and would always be there for him.  But he was stuck in his current life and felt a deep emptiness inside. The kind of emptiness that stems from knowing you have so much more to offer.  The kind of emptiness that comes from feeling you have let others down.

Brian decided the only way he was going to get out of this predicament was through action!  Sulking about it wasn’t going to solve his problem.  His father was an accountant and Brian was always good with numbers.  So he decided to go back and take classes at night to earn his CPA.  This time, he hunkered down and took his work seriously, earning a 4.0 average in his first semester.  It was a proud moment.  But after struggling to get his life back on track, fate dealt him another blow.  One night while out celebrating his success, Brian lost his balance and fell off a retaining wall.  He suffered a traumatic head injury and woke up in Georgetown Hospital with no memory of the previous three days.  He would spend the next two weeks in the hospital learning to use his basic motor skills.  After that, he would spend six weeks at the National Rehabilitation Hospital, recapturing his mental and physical strength.  He would then spend the next six months in an outpatient program, unable to work or take classes.  He had lost his momentum and was sliding back toward that empty feeling of lost potential.  After a heart to heart with his father, Brian was convinced he needed to go back to school and finish his journey toward his CPA.  When he formally announced his plans to the family, tears of joy rolled down his father’s cheeks.  At that moment, Brian had all the motivation he needed to get his life back.

Brian resumed his job and, more importantly, re-enrolled for classes to help earn his CPA.  For the next year, he worked diligently toward his goal, studying early in the morning and late at night.  For his effort and resilience, Brian was rewarded with a 3.9 grade-point average and earned his CPA with high honors.  He was back.  In fact, six months later, American University offered him a scholarship for an MBA in Finance, based largely on his superior grades and intense work ethic.  After earning his MBA, Brian felt there as nothing that could stop him.  He was reaching his potential.  He had made his family proud.  He was filling that empty feeling burning inside him.  But little did he know that his greatest challenge was still ahead of him.

After a few years of work, Brian realized that he needed something more to advance his status.  He decided to take the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Exam in order to turbo-charge his career.  The CFA exam is administered in three parts (Level 1-3), each more difficult than the next.   Only 1 in 5 people (that’s 20 percent for you accountants!) who start the exam pass all three levels and earn their CFA certificate.  It would not be easy but, as with all things he tackled in his life, Brian dove in with relentless determination and persistence.  His brother decided to take the exam at the same time, and, together, they both passed Level 1 with flying colors.  This was going to be fun.  Both took on the Level 2 portion the following year.  Brian failed the exam while his brother passed.  Since it is only offered once a year, Brian hunkered down and studied 20 hours a week for the next 12 months.  He failed for the second time.  He repeated the same process for the next year, never once flinching in the face of adversity.  On the third try, Brian passed the Level 2 exam.  Now it was on to Level 3.

The next year, Brian failed Level 3 with one of the lowest scores possible.  Disappointed but undaunted, he pressed on.  By the time the next test year rolled around, Brian was engaged and had a supportive partner to help him through the studying.  He did much better on the second attempt but still failed.  Over the next year, Brian and his wife were expecting their first child and his life responsibilities were increasing.  He took the exam again and never felt better about the results.  He called his brother, who had passed years earlier, to share his confidence.  He received the results on the same day his wife was due.  She encouraged him to check the results before she delivered.  The three of them would celebrate together!  But it would not be a fairy tale ending.  Brian failed on his third attempt at the Level 3 Exam.  Devastation.  Now, he had a wife and a six-month old  living together in a 2-bedroom condominium.  Space was tight.  Tensions were high.  But he knew he could do it one more time.  His brothers and sister gave him hope and encouragement.  His friends inspired him.  His parents believed in him.  His wife and son were pulling for him.  This was an investment in his future and he could not let himself or his family and friends down.  Brian reached deep down inside one more time and put forth the effort.  20 hours a week.  Never cutting corners.  On the fourth attempt at passing Level 3, Brian was never more confident.  Two weeks later, the results came back.  He failed again.

Now his lofty goal became an albatross that threatened to bring him down.  Everyone still supported him, but they now had to face the possibility that Brian would never pass the exam.  Friends and family advised him, for his own good, to stop trying.  It was a valiant effort but didn’t seem to be worth it anymore.  But Brian could not give up.  He had come too far.  There was too much at stake.  He wanted to prove to everyone who helped him through his accident and helped him through his failures that he could still do it.  Most of all, he never wanted to experience the empty feeling that comes from not realizing your potential.  Instead of simply going back to the drawing board, Brian took his wife’s advice and invested in an intensive instructional class designed for the Level 3 exam.  The change in routine was exactly what he needed.  10 years after taking the Level 1 exam, and nine attempts later, Brian Fitzgerald finally passed the CFA exam!  When he called his father to tell him the glorious news, tears once again rolled down his father’s cheeks.  This time, they were tears of pride for his resilient son who simply would not quit.

The story does not end here.  There will be more challenges and there will be more disappointments.  This is life and you never get to spike the ball and ride off into the sunset (unless you are Peyton Manning).  But no matter what happens in the future, Brian Fitzgerald will always have this accomplishment.  Where there was once an empty feeling, there is now a warm feeling of pride and accomplishment.  And no one will ever be able to take that away from him.

There is much we can learn from Brian Fitzgerald’s journey.  How many of us feel, deep down, we are not reaching our true potential?   How many of us have the strength to take action instead of feeling sorry for ourselves?  How many of us have the fortitude to overcome incredible mental and physical hurdles?  How many of us have the resilience to persevere after continued failure?    How many of us seek new ways to attack our problems instead of constantly trying the same things?  How many us of rely on our inner circle of family and friends to get us through these rough patches?  And how many of us refuse to quit despite the incredible odds against us?  Brian Fitzgerald had a remarkable journey.  But the truth is that we all have that same journey inside of us.  We all have that same courage.  We all have that same potential.  It is time to find yours.  Stay resilient!  Stay positive! And keep striving to achieve your goals.  The battle is never over.  But the battle is never lost.

Until next week, keep smiling!