Chicago Shoeshine Boy: I Didn't Aspire to Be a Leader. I Resolved Not to Be a Follower.

In 1955, a young boy in Chicago's South Side began his entrepreneurial journey selling trash from the alley on 71st Street. That boy was Mike Benner, and little did he know that those small, odd jobs-whether shining shoes, delivering newspapers, or working at the circus-were shaping him into the self-made businessman he would become. From being a bean picker, a hired man, and a door-to-door salesman, Mike learned the value of hard work, resilience, and an unbreakable spirit. His relentless ...