Today we’d like to introduce you to David Hirschfield Sr.
Hi David, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My Biography
5/08/2015
I want to share with you my story and how my journey has been up to this point
I was born and raised in Los Angeles December 11th, 1969, my father is German Jewish From New Jersey who is 75 years old and had a successful career in Real Estate. My Mother was 100% Mexican who sadly passed away
7-11-2013 God Bless Her
My parents were divorced when I was 11 years old, I lived between both households and had very little supervision from both parents, when I was 13 years old I got a job at Mc Arthur Park in Downtown Los Angeles pushing a Popsicle cart on the weekends and within 2 weeks I was the top producer in sales averaging over $100 a day on Saturday and Sunday, I figured out the best way to market the Popsicles was to always have one on my hand eating licking it like it was the most delicious thing I ever had.
At the young age of 15, I decided I didn’t need to go to school and I wanted a full-time job, so I called the
School acted like my father and said I moved to Mexico.
I dropped out of school in the 10th Grade and found a Job in Hollywood it was 1985 at Taxi Company making $5.00 an hour at 40 hours a week I lied about my age and said I was 18 and, in those days, it wasn’t verified.
I always from a very young age wanted to be the top achiever at anything I do. The first thing I wanted to know when I started work at the Taxi Company is what is the top pay and what do I need to achieve that. The Top paying position at the time was being a Dispatcher and it paid $10.00 an hour, I put a plan and a goal together to get that position within 6 months. I started learning on my own time off by staying extra hours and befriending the dispatchers and telling them to show me everything there is so I can promote to that position. In 5 months, I felt I was ready and went to the Supervisor and asked for the promotion, his response was a kid your way too young and won’t be able to handle it. I kept on him almost 3-4 times a week asking him and telling him I put a lot of my own time staying after shift to shadow dispatchers and learn the Job. I came in one day for my shift and my supervisor told me that a dispatcher called out and now he’s giving me a shot to turn my words and desire into action, I was his only choice at the time. The shift went perfectly I felt like I was doing it for a long time. The next day I came in I was promoted to a Dispatcher and my pay was doubled to $10.00 with 40 hours a week plus I worked all the overtime I could get. I was making over $500 a week in 1985 at 15 years old.
When I turned 16, I rented my own 1-bedroom Apartment in Hollywood living on my own for $650.00 a month, and bought a 69 VW Bug my first car. I stayed with the Company until 1987. I was Married when I was 17 years old in January 1987 and relocated to the Palm Springs area with my New Wife who was 3 years older than me. In March 1988 my first Child was born when I was 18 who is now 27 years old and I have a 7-year-old Granddaughter she’s the mother of.
When I was 19 my second Child was born David Jr. Who is 25 years old today. At the age of 18, I had a tremendous responsibility with no High School Diploma, I decided to take my GED test past it without studying the first time at 87%.
I was 18 years old and knew I needed to find a job that would allow me to provide for my family, I answered a sales ad for Toyota of the Desert and was hired on the spot. I was scared, shy, and timid and end up getting fired within a month.
I remember I was devastated and scared and all I can think about is my 2 small children and wife that depend on me. As I was walking back to my car in the Auto Mall, I noticed a Mitsubishi sign and I stopped and talked to a salesman., the salesmen told me they have a great training program and they need salesmen. I walked into the dealership and asked to speak to the owner, my father taught me at a very young age that it is important to speak to the right people to accomplish your goals. I was blessed and the owner was there, he didn’t realize I was asking for him to apply for a job. I guess I impressed him by doing that because he hired me after talking to me for 20 minutes, I was honest and told him I was fired and I’m desperate because I have 2 small children and a wife who depend on me.
The owner of the Dealership looks at me and said that I have unique talent and he will not let me fail. I was only without a job for less than an hour, now looking back I realize how Good God is.
I stayed with that Dealership over a year always being in the top 3 salesmen for units sold at the end of each month out of 15 salespeople. The moral of the story is without proper training and having an open mind like a sponge to learn how to do things properly failure is inevitable, I did not fail at Toyota of the Desert, they failed me. A little over a year later the owner sold the Dealership I was at and I noticed Toyota of the Desert was acquiring a Honda franchise and expanding. I walked across the street one day as the Sales Manager who fired me was walking and kicked up a conversation asking him if he needs a salesman, he hired me on the spot because the word got out how good I was.
I had a goal in my mind to go back as a Salesman and go for a manager position as soon as the expansion happened
My first Month back I was top Salesman out of 25 salesmen and I remember in the sales meeting the owner stood up and looked at my sales manager and said ” you fired this guy? How many good people have you failed and fired!!!! I should fire you ” It was an awkward moment however very gratifying to be recognized for my accomplishment over a year and a half later, up to that day I never even met the owner or even acknowledged by him. I knew now was my chance to go for the management position, I approached the owner after the sales meeting and told him I want a career with his Dealership and I have a desire to become a finance manager there and he looked at me and didn’t say much more than will see. After about 3-4 months of me bugging him for the opportunity to be a finance manager and proving myself with sales volume, I hear my name over the PA system that being paged by the owner to see him in his office. I thought for sure I did something wrong and was getting written up or terminated, I was wrong …., it was him telling me he’s giving me the shot and I’m the youngest at 20 years old that he’s ever seen in his career get this opportunity. I started training with the Finance Director that day, very soon after I was making at 20 years old as a high school dropout $10,000 – $12,000 per month based on my aftermarket sales volume on extended warranties, Lo-Jack, Paint, and Fabric protection and upgraded accessories such as Rims, Tint and bed liners. I progressed rapidly in the Business making no less than $150,000 a year for 10 years straight. I will never forget about 6 months after I was promoted to Finance Manager the Owner says to me that he thought I wouldn’t make it a week however he gave me the opportunity because I was so persistent.
I never saved money, we took lavish vacations as a Family and had 2 new cars and I was arrogant thinking the money would never stop and all I had to do is wake up and go to work.
I bought my first house at 25, my 3rd child Robert was born in 1999 who is 15 years old today and lives with his mother. I progressed all the way to a General Sales Managers position at a Nissan Store by the time I was 30 years old.
I worked every front-end management position including Being a finance director and sales manager.
By 2002 I was tired of the 60-70 hours a week and being consumed in life by work chasing unneeded luxury wants and never saving more than $50,000 dollars over a 12-year period.
At 32 I decided to leave a $200,000 Dollar a year Job and begin a new career, I always had a passion for Real Estate and went for it. I loved the idea of being my own boss, helping people, and making my schedule. I started with a company named Tarbell Realtors in their Rancho Mirage California office here in the Palm Springs area. I made my first sale in less than 30 days and never looked back. I averaged 2-3 sales a month averaging $20,000 a month in commissions. 1 year later in 2004, I was contacted by the owner
Broker of Keller Williams in Rancho Mirage and he made me an offer I couldn’t refuse; I was asked to come mentor and manage his sales team. I accepted the position and was paid an override on the team’s production plus my own production as a Realtor, Wow Life was great and all I had to do is wake up and apply myself.
Now the beginning of the crash and burn in my life In November 2006 I decided that I no longer wanted to be Married after almost 20 years of marriage.
I got married so young and I didn’t feel the passion or In Love anymore more. The day after Thanksgiving giving, I told the mother of my Children I wanted a Divorce and I’m leaving her, by the way, it wasn’t for another relationship. I never cheated and she was the first and only woman to that point I was ever intimate with. I blind-sided her and she never seen it coming, it was very heartbreaking to see her suffer however I had to live my life for me and no one else. We sold our assets I kept my new Mercedes and she kept her new Mini-Van, by the way, both were repossessed by 2008. I started not focusing on my business and went thru $100,000 in about a year.
In 2008 I did not want to except that our economy was nose-diving and did not conform to the current way of being a realtor. By the end of 2008, I Was broke with no money, no car bad bad credit with no assets. My Father opened with his big heart and invited me to live with him at his house. Now at the age of 38 for the very first time since I was 13 years old, I can say I’m broke with no Job and a suspended Driver’s License for non-payment of speeding tickets. For the next few weeks, the reality was sinking in, I would wake up wanting a diet coke and a Monster so bad and I couldn’t even buy one with my own means.
I had many days and hours alone to reflect back on 25 years of my life. I accept responsibility and blame no one, I know everything that transpired in my life was based on my decisions good and bad. I recognize that it wasn’t the economy because I have the intelligence and health to overcome that, it was purely bad decisions and being selfish that caused my crash and burn I was humbled. I did a lot of souls searching and from that point forward started transitioning to living a life of faith and spirituality.
I got a phone call from an old friend I hired in the car business about 2-3 weeks of saying in and being depressed, he knew I was down and out and called to offer me a job with the company he was a sales manager with. I asked him what type of position it was and he responded What difference does it make you don’t have a job.
My friend had a point I was broke and unemployed and had no car or driver’s license, it turns out it was a job as a Home Alarm salesman going Door to Door cold Knocking offering Homeowners Security systems. It was very humbling however I read the pay plan and embraced the position.
I quickly learned my product and mastered my pitch, I averaged 3-4 contracts a week which equaled about $1200-$1400 a week. I became a team leader within 3 months and I would mentor, manage and close my team members’ deals making a $50 override on their sales. I still had to maintain my own production of 3-4 deals a week.
In 2009 I got into a relationship with a woman who was an alcoholic, had severe emotional problems, and Borderline Personally disorder. I had the worse 3 years of my life living with her was like living in an emotional prison she was physically and emotionally abusive, I finally had no choice but to terminate the relationship in 2012. I forgive her for everything she did and hold no hard feelings or grudges, I realize I made the choice to stay.
I ended moving back to my Father’s house in October 2012, I came to realize that the most important thing each day is the opportunity to open my eyes and be healthy, also having a clear peaceful soul with no hate or anger towards any human being. I live my life that way and anything above that is a privilege.
In 2012 I also realized I need to be my own boss and started driving a Taxi as an Independent contractor leasing the vehicle. Taxi driving has been my therapy and sanctuary as far as being able to plan my life and keep a clear head. I have been blessed with always being the top earner with the company I work with. I make my own schedule however I work 6-7 days a week 12-15 hours a day. I’m ready for the next chapter of my life… I Love my journey and it has made me who I am today
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Over the last three years, I’ve had some health challenges with being diagnosed having heart failure with a defibrillator pacemaker implant two years ago and also had two brain bleeds thank God they did not hemorrhage and I lost no movement or capacity to my daily activities.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Over the last seven years, I started and operated a digital marketing company for two years from 2017 until 2019 I also got remarried in 2019. For maximum flexibility, I have driven Uber since 2017 on and off.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Never lose sight of your dreams keep failing until you succeed never let go of your hopes and you want and never allow others to influence you differently
Contact Info:
- Website: https://upickride.com/
- Instagram: www.Instagram.com/davidhirschfield
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Entrepreneur69
