“The Italian Kid Did It: How I Turned $3K into $44B and Achieved the American Dream” is Tom Golisano’s 2022 memoir in which he provides an unfiltered account of his life, from his childhood years in Irondequoit, New York, to founding Paychex–one of the largest payroll processing and HR services firms in the U.S.–and political ventures. Unlike many other people, whose memoirs shy away from exposing uglier details about themselves (and often embellish), Golisano presents himself as a more controversial character, which felt more authentic to me. With that, I have no doubt that some readers will come away from his memoir believing he’s an awful person—his behavior has been distasteful at times.
While Golisano always had a knack for business and grew up surrounded by it, with both his parents being entrepreneurs at some point, he had not originally set out with the intention of becoming one. His drive emerged when he realized that neither Automatic Data Processing nor the small firm he was working for were serving small businesses, which was a market he believed had enormous potential (he was right).
Golisano is a testament to one being able to achieve enormous levels of success, coming from modest beginnings. Luck absolutely plays a part, but certain fruits of it cannot be attained without preparation, skill and ambition.
Some have it easier than others, but not everyone decides to walk a road even when it’s paved for them. Golisano was never dirt poor, but he went from a middle-class kid to prominent businessman and third-party political figure, while also demonstrating generosity and selflessness through philanthropy. Inspired by his son who is cognitively disabled, one of the main focuses of Golisano’s giving is healthcare and support for intellectually and developmentally disabled people.
On a personal level, Golisano’s story resonated with me like no others have—I was brought to tears at certain points. His cadence, athletic and academic experiences and perspective on the world are extremely similar to mine. Additionally, if I’m going to be even more vulnerable, I believe our ways of seeing the world can also be attributed to some degree of mental illness (I don’t say that lightly), which was born from hardships endured in our developmental years.
While Golisano’s story was inspirational and empowering, it was also a warning of how much of a burden harboring negative thoughts can be on one’s happiness. Life is so much better when you approach it with a positive mindset and try to see all the beauty around you. At the same time, you should act boldly in areas you care about, as the future is shaped by those who act today.
I would recommend “The Italian Kid Did It” to anyone interested in business and entrepreneurship, especially those from nontraditional backgrounds. While politically minded folks could learn from Golisano’s memior too, I think there’s better content available for that. So, all in all, Golisano is living proof that a middle-class kid with an associate’s degree is capable of doing extraordinary things in their lifetime and reaching the highest levels of business success.
