brian everett kessler

(Dear Laurie and Jonah) Going to college, getting in – I got in by the skin of my teeth – no one in my family had gone before. And when I was there I just kept telling everybody, I can do this, I'm doing this for my family so that they can go to college and have a better life than I did, and their kids can have a better life than they did. So I basically lived in the library and just worked harder. I went in at the very bottom 10% of the class and finished top 5% at a very prestigious university. And then since then I've continued to really work hard to try and provide a better life for my family than I had. Then for them to do better. So I always say 'you're doing it for them.' I had a lot of hobbies like golf and things that I used to do. But I don't do any of those now with kids because it's all about them, making sure that they have everything. I either work or I'm with them, and it's for them. They've seen that I've given away most of the things that I do to make sure that they have the things that they need and the things that make them happy. It's all about them and my wife as well. That's one thing that I tell them so that when they grow to my age they'll know what I did for them and they'll do it for their kids. I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. C: How did you become a person that desired to do that? My parents. They pushed me to do better than I was as well. I was the worst in my classes and everyone was so much smarter growing up. And they kept telling me I was the best. So I didn't believe it, but I kept working hard and they instilled that into me and it was just never an option. They just always have pushed me to do good things. My parents weren't as available as I am for my kids. They were never there – they worked – I saw how hard they worked and I knew I wanted better. And I wanted better for my kids than I had. C: Tell me about your kids They both are in top schools. They have lovely little prep schools in West London that have 42 clubs to choose from – more than I had at my university. When I say they have more, they have a lot more. They have great opportunity. They can do anything they want now. They're lovely boys. I say I wanted a lot for them, but I never thought they'd have this much. And my wife struggles to make all this possible for the kids as well – she's given up a lot. She had a very tough upbringing so she's right there with me. She's given up a lot of what she worked so hard to get to try and do it for them as well. I think what I wrote is from both of us, not just me. She's given up so much more than me and she came up through a much harder route. She never even thought any of it was possible. My kids don't have a great idea of what I do, but they want to do it. Because they see what it's done for them. They don't really understand what it is but it's funny – [they say] “I want to sell!”