#Clockedin with Jordan Edwards
Are you feeling stuck in life, wanting to grow, improve your income, or build a stronger community? Join performance coach Jordan Edwards as he interviews world-class achievers—including the Founder of Reebok and the Co-Founder of Priceline—who share their success stories and actionable strategies. Each episode provides practical tips on how to boost your personal and professional growth, helping you implement changes that can make a real difference in your life.
This podcast is designed for anyone looking to make progress—whether you're aiming to improve your mindset, relationships, health, or income. Jordan distills the wisdom of top performers into easy-to-follow steps you can take immediately. Whether you're stuck in your career or personal life, you’ll find new ways to get unstuck and start moving forward with confidence.
How to get unstuck? It’s a question many face, and in each episode, you’ll hear stories of how successful individuals broke through barriers, found purpose, and created systems to overcome obstacles. From building resilience to developing a success mindset, you'll gain insights into how high achievers continue to evolve and grow.
Looking to improve your income? This podcast also dives into financial strategies, offering advice from entrepreneurs and business leaders who have built wealth, created multiple revenue streams, and mastered the art of financial growth. Learn how to increase your income, find opportunities for advancement, and create value in both your personal and professional life.
Jordan also emphasizes the importance of building community. You'll learn how to expand your network, foster meaningful connections, and create supportive environments that contribute to personal and professional success. From philanthropists to community leaders, guests share their experiences in building impactful, values-driven communities.
At the core of the podcast are the 5 Pillars of Edwards Consulting—Mental Health, Physical Health, Community Service/Philanthropy, Relationships, and Spirituality. Each episode integrates these elements, ensuring a holistic approach to self-improvement. Whether it's enhancing your mental and physical well-being, giving back to your community, or strengthening your relationships, you'll receive actionable advice that’s grounded in real-world success.
This podcast is for everyone—whether you're an entrepreneur, a professional looking to advance, or simply someone seeking personal growth. You’ll gain actionable steps from every conversation, whether it’s about increasing your productivity, improving your health, or finding more purpose in your life.
Jordan’s interviews are designed to be perspective-shifting, giving you the tools and inspiration to transform your life. From overcoming obstacles to building stronger habits, these episodes are packed with practical insights you can use today. Whether you're looking to grow in your career, improve your income, or enhance your personal life, you’ll find value in every conversation.
Join Jordan Edwards and a lineup of incredible guests for thought-provoking conversations that will inspire you to take action, improve your performance, and unlock your full potential. No matter where you are on your journey, this podcast will help you get unstuck, grow, and build a life filled with purpose and success.
#Clockedin with Jordan Edwards
#211 - Hope and Hard Work Across Generations
Journey with us as we unlock the compelling life story of Dr. Salvatore Forcina, a retired surgeon whose path from the war-torn streets of Italy to the bustling medical halls of the United States is nothing short of incredible. Dr. Forcina transports us back to his childhood in a small Italian town near Monte Cassino during World War II, where survival was the day's agenda, and education was a rare luxury. His story is a tribute to resilience, shaped by the wisdom of his parents and the enduring hope that spurred him to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds.
Discover how determination and the pursuit of education became the driving forces behind Dr. Forcina’s success. His anecdotes reveal the immigrant's experience, one of navigating unfamiliar landscapes and overcoming language barriers in the U.S. medical field. Despite financial and linguistic challenges, Dr. Forcina’s journey underscores the importance of supporting relationships and the perseverance required to build a thriving career and life. By weaving personal connections into professional aspirations, he exemplifies how resilience can turn dreams into reality.
As the conversation unfolds, Dr. Forcina shares insights from his book, a motivational guide for his granddaughter that encapsulates the American Dream. His reflections on legacy, life lessons, and societal harmony offer a thoughtful perspective on the opportunities available in the U.S. His experiences illuminate the importance of discipline and community in personal growth, leaving listeners with a renewed appreciation for life's journeys and the landscapes they traverse. Join us for an episode filled with inspiration, wisdom, and the embodiment of hope across generations.
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Hey, what's going on, guys? I got a special guest here today. We have Dr Salvatore Fortuna. He's a retired general and vascular and trauma surgeon who served as the chief of surgery at two North Jersey hospitals for years and treated thousands of patients. He's also the author of the American Doctor. Now I want to Dr Furchina on here because I think his story is going to connect with a lot of you, because he's overcome a lot of adversity and he has hope on the other side, and I know a lot of us are going through struggles right now.
Speaker 2:So, Doc, how has hope been relevant in your life? Well, hope have been the. You know, like the sheep in the middle of the night, look for the light far away. Yes. Hope have been for me, what motivated me and assisted me and and guide me to succeed after many years of struggling.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. So. Tell us a little bit about your story. Where did you grow up and then? When did you come to America and how was that journey for you? Because I know it was a very, very different time.
Speaker 2:Yes, I was born in Italy, between between rome and naples during world war ii, and the area, the small town scoury is the area close to monte casino. Monte casino was where the german troops were staying during World War II and they prevented for the Allied to advance to our room. For six months. There were multiple casualties, misery you name it.
Speaker 2:People were terrible. The effect of the war was just family destroyed People. They had nothing. Yeah, and so I was born there in 1941. My parents were just simple workers and at that time there was so much poverty that the kids, they were only to school for one or two years and they were numerous members of the family. They had to work. Even small children would take care of the animals. Oh my God, well sure. Small children where they take care of the animals. Oh my god, well sure they there was. Everybody had the function. Because there was misery, there was no industry, there was nothing so every so all the families were.
Speaker 2:Everyone was helping out for the family helping out, and and also the. You see those people. They live day by day it was not such a thing like today in our society. A child can have a dream to look forward. Well, I'm going to be an engineer, I'm going to be a professor. I'm going to be an engineer, I'm going to be a professor, I'm going to be whatever. There was no such a thing. You were just nobody, and just live is sad, but that's what happened for centuries. And you live day by day.
Speaker 2:I think that perspective is so powerful because a lot of us take for granted the opportunity we have today yes, yes, because you see, first of all, the maybe more than 70 percent of the people, or more, those people didn't know how to write, how to read, wow, so the communication. They were really poor. There was a newspaper, but half of them, the majority of people, didn't know how to read, so they were lucky. There was just the beginning of the radio when my parents were there. There was no telephone, of course, so there was just a. It was a different world, different world. So now what happened? The young people. If they progress in life, with all the diseases they were, lack of immunization and all that stuff, if they succeed to become an adult, there was a major accomplishment in life.
Speaker 1:And I think it's so funny because nowadays everyone's like what's your dream? What do you want to do? Where are you going to be? Are you at your point right now? Did you hit your expectations? And we don't realize that literally just 60 years ago, 80 years ago, for many people that's just not even a possibility. And even there's people today where you go to some of these countries where it's just not even possible to think like that.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, you're right. You're right, so it's a different world. It's sad, it's sad, but it's a different world, because you know what happened in life. You have to have a hope yes but in order to if you, in order to accomplish your dream, you had to work hard yes.
Speaker 2:You have to. Really, it's not going to be easy. It's going to be an up and down situation. It's like climbing the mountain, but you're climbing the mountain but you don't have the right shoes, you don't have the right equipment, and so you're going to struggle. But the guy that reaches the top of the mountain and can put a flag only a few are going to be able to do that, and if you persist, it's not going to be today or tomorrow or whatever.
Speaker 2:But if you persist and you have faith, you're going to accomplish whatever you're dreaming.
Speaker 1:Yes, and I think that's so important because there's so many of us, like you were saying earlier, that live in that day-to-day mentality, but we have to be able to think long-term and have a vision of what we want and start to work towards that.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:How did you apply that in your life, this long-term thinking?
Speaker 2:First of all, I was lucky in a different way. I was lucky to have a father and a mother. Yes. Because my father was in war. His brother was killed during the war. Oh, my God, my grandfather was a German prisoner, so in other words, my father. Thank God. Thank God, I have a father. Yes, and my father was a simple man, but he was a lot of those people. They had a lot of common sense, because nature for some reason compensates the lack of instruction. Yes.
Speaker 2:They make them wise in the sense that they knew. They look at the sky and they can predict almost what kind of weather was going to be the following day. You know.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow.
Speaker 2:Observation or whatever. Okay, so, anyhow. So what happened was that my father used to talk to me since I was a small child and he used to tell me things. When he was younger, did they have the few things that they have? During the war, the struggle, how many times you know people, families were destroyed because they step in the mine, how they had to run to the mountain and then the mountain. They were cold and at that time they didn't have DDTs. So what happened? They were infestational lice. So what they do? The women? They have a big hole drum, put snow there and they put the cloth, the wool cloth, the inner cloth, and they had to boil in order to kill the lice. You know. Yes.
Speaker 2:It was terrible, terrible, and they were leaving a hut made of straw and it was a really primitive life in the mountain during the war, yes, and they didn't have the food, they didn't have a, you know. So, anyhow, my father used to talk to me and used to, and in the beginning I didn't understand, because for him, for me to study but of course when you are a small child, at that time you want to be kicking a ball in the middle of the street or whatever you know, and then you don't want to be studying or whatever. Okay, but he used to talk to me, he used to talk to me and you had to be somebody in life. And as I was growing up, I started, for some reason, I started to be more conscious of what he was telling me. Yes.
Speaker 2:And eventually, also because I saw when we eventually we moved to Argentina after the war and my father went in 1947 there, and we were in 1949, in May 1949. My mother, my brother and me. My brother was 18 months old, I was eight years old, and so what happened was that we went there for a better future because there was no war, but we were discriminated because we were in a foreign land. My mother was young, young didn't speak the language, the custom were different. And then, uh, and the separation from your family.
Speaker 1:You know, you were like transplanted in middle of the desert, really well yeah, I could I can only imagine, because the challenges of just a lot of us can probably experience going to a foreign country and feeling that.
Speaker 2:But to live through that and realize that can be very very challenging yeah, and in some way, you know, you felt you were not welcome yeah, because you know the, even the kids the kids mock you, whatever you know.
Speaker 2:And I was a small child, I mean, you know, and then so anyhow, and so my father was really, uh, one for me to study, like I said. But luck was that then one day the priest came to preach. There was a church, you know, several blocks away from my parents in Argentina, and this priest started to talk to me, show me some pictures. I was maybe 10 years old, something like that, and so he showed me some picture of the place, the school that they have, and the kids were playing soccer, kicking the ball, there was a pony, they were swimming in the lake, whatever. Okay, so I didn't have anything of that. So when I saw that, right away I went to my father. I want to go to this place. So my father said to go to this place. So my father said well, listen, whatever you know. So, to make a long story short, I went to the school in Buenos Aires. I was there, I was there for seven years. Those priests, they were German priests and they were very strict.
Speaker 1:I can imagine.
Speaker 2:And I was 11 years old when I went there. You know, put yourself in my situation the separation from my mother, from my parents, strict discipline, and you were punished. You were punished verbally and physically. Yes. There were different times, the education was different. At the time, the priest was behind you and he asked questions and you tried to come up with the answer, but at the same time you try to protect your head because he's going to slap you. So that's the, you know. 11 years old, you know. And you have a.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that kind of schooling does not promote creativity. It just promotes fear. And just not be as small as possible and don't be this big person and don't accomplish these things. So it's completely the opposite of what your dad was telling you to do.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but that was it, and so I grew up with that mentality that you just have to obey, no matter what. Yes. You have to keep your mouth shut, and so, and education was not the best, because you know it was a very archaic way of studying, it was no. You see, you cannot give what you don't have.
Speaker 2:And in general, the education, they were mostly religious thing, what they believe, and you just memorize things. You study the classics, you study Latin literature, history or geography. That was good, but the reasoning, no reasoning at all. Yes, as a matter of fact, and, uh, you don't ask too many questions because, uh, they were very sensitive. I remember one time I guess I was, I don't know, I was a teenager, maybe I was 15, 16, you know, at that age you know the hormones, you know the idea of the opposite sex. Yes, but you know, because it's inner, it's something inside us. Yes.
Speaker 2:But you cannot talk to nobody about that. So I start to ask questions, worry about that. So I start to ask questions. I was reported to the director and he admonished me and he told me strictly said listen, next time you don't behave, we're going to expel you. And he told me something very important. He said and what are you going to expel you? And he told me. And he told me something very important. He said and what are you going to do if, if we expel you because you are not an intelligent person? He told me at that time. At that time I didn't understand what that meant to. I was not intelligent because you are kids. But eventually, year after, it affected me because I said I need encouragement at that age, you need support, you need encouragement, you have to be patient, whatever to guide, to take the right direction. Yes.
Speaker 2:And those people. Because you question, you have to follow a blind path of whatever they tell you. They tell you jump from the window. You have to jump from the window because they tell you that you know it's an exaggeration what I'm saying, but psychologically that's what they're telling you.
Speaker 1:And that affects you very much so. And we have to realize that when we're training employees or training children, or training just our friends or our family on how we want to react, yes, you have to have that encouragement aspect of like you can do this.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, yes. You have to have that encouragement aspect of like you can do this, yes, yes, but they were different way um the teaching at that time the religious, religious. You know, it was a, it was a different way of uh bringing up, uh the education that gave an idea because, for instance through the history, for instance the Jesuits, they were the people that educated the nobility in Europe. Yes.
Speaker 2:All right and so, and that's why eventually some of the states they were so, eventually some of the state that they were so um one direction, so fanatic, so you know about they were no open for changes yeah, and it's fascinating to me because nowadays people are growing up, they have the internet, so they can see so many different options and they see all of these different things real time.
Speaker 1:So now there's too many options were there. There wasn't any option. So yeah you're right for you. How did you, how did you keep developing your hope? Because I you've, you're very accomplished and going through that can be very challenging.
Speaker 2:Well, what happened was that I'm going to just explain to you. There was a library there in the school and the books that we have there the book already some of them, the pages were removed and some of them with the erase marker were blank were blank because in the opinion of the proofs, whatever there was something that they remotely show, something feeling or love or whatever. Okay, that was no good yeah so that's the environment I grew up they closed off every option. Yes, even in the books.
Speaker 1:That's wild.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because you know, for some reason you know that's to keep you pure, or whatever, and eventually look at today, the history today. With the thing going on, the thing, the molestation and everything.
Speaker 1:Oh, I know, yeah, you hear about it so often and we've had guests on who talk about it and you're talking about communication and this and that today and this they still see happen.
Speaker 2:Yes absolutely yeah, so anyhow. So what happened was that they gradually in the beginning I went there, I was 11 years old, I didn't want to study over there. So gradually, I start, for some reason, looking around, whatever, yeah, it's mature and eventually end up I, yes, I start to understand that you have to apply yourself to be somebody, because I want to be somebody, I want to be like the other kids that when I left this place after seven years, all the other kids I went to public school for two years and all my friends, colleague, whatever, okay, they were all well off. They were no son of immigrant. I was the son of immigrant, the poor immigrant. But they were all successful. They had successful parents, they have a big name. They were doctor, lawyer, estanciero, people. They own a lot of property, they own cows. They were successful people. People they owned a lot of property, they owned cows. They were successful people. But you know what? Something that my parents never told me to hate or be envious yes.
Speaker 2:I was never envious of my colleagues. They used to come to my house. Those people used to eat in my parents' house. Okay, because my mother prepared Italian food, but they had the maid make them some simple thing. They were nothing, because then the parents didn't cook. You know, they were, they went out, they went out well, I think that's so.
Speaker 1:I think that's so important because you start to realize that, no matter what you have or what you don't have, like you always have some sort of value and I think everyone listening can realize that, no matter what's going on with their current situation, there is some value with inside of them yeah, and whether that's their ability, their mom's cooking, or whether that's their drive or their determination or their ability to dream big, there is something powerful for them yeah, and so what happened?
Speaker 2:was that this? Um, I start to see how they dress, how the friend that they have, they have a car, they have a motorcycle. I didn't have nothing. I was sharing a small bike with my brother, bicycle and then so. But I start to understand. I want to be somebody. In order to be somebody, my father used to say you have to work hard, you have to study, because for him, study was the key to open the door.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes. And that's what it is for a lot of people the studying yeah.
Speaker 2:And so and eventually, like I say, I was with the priest for seven years. That school was not recognized by the state. When I went to the public school, I had to take different exams. I had to repeat one year. So it was a typical life, my life. Nothing was straight. Yes. Because, you see, what happened also was that I never have a guidance. I never had somebody that told me do this, don't do that the mentor, the mentorship I didn't have.
Speaker 2:I didn't have nothing, like you say today, you can read the internet, you have a question. Friends, whatever, at that time I was alone. I was my surrounding. My surrounding were just other immigrants that they just look, try to succeed making ends meet. And they didn't have the looking forward to the future. No, they were just trying to. They just left the country where they were starving.
Speaker 1:They had lost their family, and so they tried to do the best to feed their children yes and I can only imagine yeah, I can only imagine how challenging that is when you're going through, yes, all the rising sides. You go to school, these people are successful, they have families owned a lot of stuff, and then your home is like, hey, we're just trying to survive.
Speaker 2:Yes, we're just trying to get by yeah, so anyhow. So eventually, what happened? That? My friends, when we finished a bachelor's like a college, when I was superior school, my friend, they were going to go to university. And so one day day, my father said okay, now that you're finished, what are you going to do? Well, I would like to. I knew my parents' limitation economically. And then what are you going to do? I said well, I would like to go to medical school.
Speaker 2:I didn't have a clue what medical school was. I just he put in my head a doctor, because a doctor, a professional, was a big thing for them. So I said so my father, my mother, said we're going to try to help you the best we can. And so now I went to the school. And so what happened? First of all, I didn't have books. I didn't have books. I didn't have books. I didn't have books because my books were very expensive and my parents couldn't afford that. So what happened? We were renting an old house with several rooms. There were maybe a dozen other friends, 12, 15, whatever and there were two, three people in each room. Yeah.
Speaker 2:And so what happened? That's where we started. So now La Plata University of La Plata in Argentina is very close to Buenos Aires. So what happened was, on the weekend, friday afternoon, my friends that were well off. They used to go and spend the weekend in Buenos Aires because that was the center activity. They had the money, they had the connection, whatever. So I was alone. I was alone. So that was the time when I used their books.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow.
Speaker 2:I used their books to study. You got to get more respect, Because during the week I used to go to the library and borrow some books there, but those books they were like a papyrus, they were like a stain, the pages were torn because you know, and so I tried to take notes or whatever. So it was not an easy way for me to. I had to study, but you never knew what was going to happen tomorrow.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So you had to be super resourceful, and I think that's something important for everyone to realize here is that, no matter what your situation is, there's some way to figure it out and there's some way to make it better. And the more resourceful we get, the more we can achieve and more we can accomplish. So you were able to get through medical school by not even purchasing books.
Speaker 2:Yeah, almost yeah. And so I was the medical school, was there seven years. Wow, when I finished that, I decided to go back to Italy to specialize. Yes. Like I say here again, nobody told me anything. I didn't know anything just because of sentimental value. So, anyhow, I went there to make an oyster short. I had to take four exams in order to because my title was not recognized.
Speaker 2:Four exams, but I had to wait until September. I was there in March, so meantime the town where my parents live, scowrie it's called Scowrie, it's a summer resort, it's a beautiful beach there. And then so, while I was waiting for September to come, I made some friends, distant relatives from the United States. They were coming to spend the summer in Italy.
Speaker 2:And we were talking and they hear about my situation. They say one of them. He says what are you doing here? There's no future for you here, social medicine, imagine. So what happened? I said you have to come to the United States. So, anyhow, I was lucky that I have family here. My cousin, uncle and I wrote to them and they welcomed me here, came here. Now I was 28 years old when I came to this country.
Speaker 2:I didn't speak English and my degree was not recognized again not recognized and it was recognized so now what happened is, first of all, and and there was this exam called multiple choices I didn't know, I didn't have a clue, what was multiple choice exam? I never saw that in my life.
Speaker 2:So, I'm 28 years old, talking about going through depression, and so what happened was that? So I had to learn English. I had to borrow money from my family because I didn't have any money to go to New York University to study English. I had to borrow money from my family because I didn't have any money to go to New York University to study English. And eventually I had to take refreshing courses because you had to pass an exam called ESFMG that is given for the foreign graduate and the foreign graduate and the American graduate outside United States. When you pass that exam, you cannot practice. That exam allows you to apply to the hospital for starting your training. Wow.
Speaker 2:And I decided to go into surgery, and so that was five-year training. Wow, and you weren't called every other night. You were a Spartan life and you had to study at the same time. So you were like a zombie.
Speaker 1:You was yeah I mean it sounds very, very challenging because it's. It's crazy to me because I'm 28 years old. So you're, you're telling this story. I'm like, oh my goodness the adversity and overcoming, and then spending another five years just to get back to that certification and be able to be a doctor.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, and so what happened was that when you were on every other night you were on call, you were up all night. I was. You were up all night because there were gun, gun, gun wound, gunshot wound, stabbing people. You had the operating room, you were up all night, and so during the day you had the operating room. You were up all night you did, and so during the day you had to work. And when you go home you were so exhausted and you had to eventually prepare yourself to take the exam, special exam, because after the train you had to take a special exam, board certification, federal license you had to pass, otherwise you cannot practice. So it was difficult.
Speaker 1:I can only imagine. So what kept you going? What kept? You excited and hopeful.
Speaker 2:There were many times more through my life. There were many times I was very low in my life, very depressed, very down without hope, and I just keep praying. I say God, give me a chance, Give me a chance. I said God give me a chance, Give me a chance Because the first time I went to take the exam, like I told you before, I didn't speak to nobody, I didn't know nobody. I went to New York. You have to go to take the exam and there is a big boardroom of more than a thousand doctors. Oh, wow.
Speaker 2:And they were talking about the multiple choices and they say that the, but the answer is there and I didn't have a clue. I didn't know. You see, what do you mean? The answer is there, they give you, they give you the answer. I didn't realize. So I went to take the exam and this was like Chinese to me and I didn't know there was a timing. I used to get up, I used to have a headache because so many hours I'm not used to that, and so I was not trained for this. My English was limited English and so as you get tired. So now suddenly I was taking my time. Suddenly they say you have half an hour to finish, half an hour to finish. I didn't know there was a timing, so I start to rush A, a, b, c, d, whatever. So you imagine it was a disaster. It was a disaster the first time I took that. Of course I failed, but you had to wait several months to receive the result. Try again yeah.
Speaker 2:To get the result. Oh, wow. So eventually and I was very down I started an iron day.
Speaker 2:And so what happened? Is that thinking about, if I cannot pass, I have to go back. When I go back to Argentina, go to Italy, I'm nobody again. I mean, you're like a small boat in the middle of the ocean. That was my life, so, anyhow. So finally, eventually, the other next time I passed the exam and they allowed me to apply to the hospital. I had to wait until July and then. So, anyhow, I spent five year training. I have a good training and eventually you start a practice, but nobody knows you. So here we are. You have an accent, I have an accent, I have an accent, nobody knows me. I applied to different hospitals, so in the beginning. So you cover the emergency room, most of the people. If you do surgery, most of the people you do for the emergency room, they don't have insurance.
Speaker 1:You do pro bono so you're not even making money.
Speaker 2:Meantime you have to pay for my practice, the expenses you have your family to feed you know the rent, whatever. So here we are. I mean, you know, put yourself in my situation, so anyhow. So one day I was in the hospital, I say, waiting for a miracle to happen, whatever walking around. So eventually there was an emergency in the operating room and the chief of surgery needs somebody to help out.
Speaker 2:So I went there and I helped the chief of surgery and I guess he was impressed and from that day on he started to his office, started to call my office to help him out, to assist him, and also when he was going on vacation I used to cover for him, see his patient and this and that. And gradually, gradually, gradually I start to one step at a time I start to move up, took time, took time yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:And I think that's so inspiring because you start to realize that it wasn't nothing's given, everything's earned. And as you continue on, you saw these different opportunities and you stepped up, even though you're tired, you're exhausted, feeling like life's not fair. And then you finally get recognition from someone who's actually doing it and they're like wait, you're actually pretty good and you're like thank you I appreciate.
Speaker 2:Thank you thank you so just to give you an okay. So one day my office got a call that the chief of surgery was away, whatever, and then there was a sick patient in the hospital. They want for me to see this patient. And I remember I went to see this patient and introduced myself. I went to see this patient and introduced myself and of course I noticed there was a barrier between him and me. Yeah. There was a distance. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:No connection, yeah no connection, no connection.
Speaker 2:So anyhow, it happened that this gentleman was very sick, he had a fever, he had infected gallbladder. Oh yeah, no connection, no connection. So anyhow happened that this gentleman was very sick, he had fever, he had infected gallbladder.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So I examined him, explained everything. I said he needs surgery and this and that, and so he said well, he said that let me talk to my family. You know it was a very cold communication, so anyhow. So the following morning I had to be in the operating room. I went to see him before I went to the operating room and the wife was there, the children were there, everybody. So I walk in and he say, dr Fortuna, this is my wife, this is my daughter, this and this. I said when are we going to do the surgery? Completely different picture from the day before.
Speaker 1:What happened?
Speaker 2:So what happened? I went to the head nurse. I said well, oh, dr Fortuna, you know, since you left yesterday, this gentleman was asking everybody to walk into the room or walk in the corridor, if they knew me.
Speaker 2:And of course I have very good report with the nurses and they knew Of course. So that's why the following day I have very good report with the nurses and the new kind of work. So that's why the following day you know of course he had the surgery, he did fine or whatever. But you see the barrier. There were barriers at different level.
Speaker 1:No matter what you were doing, you were facing adversity.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, different time, different thing, and that happened in my life, but you know what happened. I never give up. I never give up because, also, you know what happened during my career I didn't have what the other friends have, but I would think all the time the type of life my parents have, because they couldn't give me If the other friend they have $100, I have 50 cents, so I had to adjust my life to the 50 cents. Yes.
Speaker 2:And that was the but, because I knew my parents couldn't do more than that. And so, and because of that, I applied myself and studied night and day. Because it's just a sense of responsibility, I had to do this for them, because what they have done for me, yes, because you realize that, regardless of the financial component, people do what they can and they try their best.
Speaker 1:But maybe there's a way you can set up everybody a little bit better for your family and when you start building a family and all of that, yes, yes and that's life that's life, yeah. So so what do you when? When did you feel like you really made it and what was that feeling like? And because, obviously, as you continue to grow, the adversity drops down and down and down. But how did you feel? Because, I feel it was gradual.
Speaker 2:It took years already. When I started to make my first pennies, I was almost 40 years old. Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know. So what happened? And so eventually assistant at the doctor and eventually people start to know you and gradually this is something that took years, took years, so eventually at the end end up with chief of surgery in two hospitals, and this is close to New York, in New Jersey, just across from the Washington Bridge holy name hospital, and in and the middle land in Seacocas, new Jersey. Yeah, I was there for and so anyhow. But then, like I say, I was lucky to marry the right person too and assist me, help me, because you know alone you can. You know.
Speaker 1:So you think there's a value in finding the right partner?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, definitely, oh yeah, definitely. Listen, you know what the old tradition is. You know the farmers in the old country. Before the tractor came, they had the plows. Yeah. And the plow. They had two oxes. Yeah and when they plow the primitive plow to go straight, the two oxen had to be pulling at the same time, at the same direction. Yeah, if one pull in one direction and the other pull in the other direction, you know what's going to happen of course.
Speaker 1:So if you can get on the same page as your, partner.
Speaker 2:That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:So then, towards the same mission. Then you'll be able to accelerate it, because now you have a team.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you have to really work together, it's not easy. So I remember we were young and in the beginning I had to be available all the time, and in the beginning it had to be available all the time. And so what happened was that, in more than one occasion, when we were ready to go to some party, some place, once, in a while we were invited.
Speaker 2:We were ready to go and the emergency room called me, or whatever the floor called me. Somebody was bleeding or whatever, whatever, and I had to run and my poor wife had to stay home. So many many. That happened many times and so, like I say, not to every wife is the same some wife will take, that some other wife is a. This is the only type of life I will sacrifice. I will to do this.
Speaker 1:You know everybody's there so you, you've had an incredible 80 plus years of life. You've done a lot and legacy super important. So what do you think for the generation of today, like me, being 28 years old and I just got married last week, so like what would you recommend what? What do you think?
Speaker 2:yeah all right, I want, first of all, I want to congratulate you on success thank you yeah, the. The advice that I can give you is in life, to succeed you have to work hard. Yes.
Speaker 2:You have to work hard, you have to apply yourself and it's going to be up and down, like you always say, when you climb the mountain. From far away the mountain, everything looks smooth. Yes, you climb the mountain, for far away the mountain everything looks smooth, yes, but as you get closer, there are rocks, there's snow, storms, it's uneven uh, you know, uh, you have cliffs that you can fall down, you know, yeah, so anyhow. So that's why it's very important to have the right partner first of all. Yes.
Speaker 2:Because the worst thing is when you are alone. Yeah. And you are down. The best thing is to have somebody there to hold your hand. Yeah. And give you comfort and that support and and give you comfort and that support. And you feel the warmth and you say you're going to. Don't worry, it's not going to be easy, but you're going to make it. You're going to be able to go across this ocean. I know the ocean is very big, but you're going to be able to come across. Yeah.
Speaker 2:And you need that, because alone, yes, but there are moments when you feel like you're in the middle of the desert and you look all around and you don't see a reference point in which direction to go, because even the sun that day is cloudy. You cannot see the sun. So sometimes you're just in a stream. So sometimes you're just a stream. Yes, and that particular moment. That's when, if you have faith, believe in somebody, say God, please give me a chance.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and you keep going and you keep going, and you keep going, and you keep going, and you keep going. And so today there are a lot of people that work very hard, but also there are generations in which the young people you know you want everything to be done for you yeah, it's a very different time nowadays. Yes. Convenience is prioritized and there's a point where you have to push to be yeah. There are some people for Italy. You know, I know people in Italy whatever they don't get married.
Speaker 2:A lot of children don't get married. They are 40 years old, they live with their parents and they get up 11 o'clock in the morning and the parent had to give the money to go have a cup of coffee in the bar. If you had that attitude, I mean, what do you expect in life?
Speaker 1:yeah, so it really comes down to, like you said, being actively there and being intentional, because you can always be in the situations. But, like I was talking to some people, I have a group and we were talking yesterday about how you can go to the gym and sometimes people go to the gym and just talk the whole time. They don't do anything. There's some people who really work out and like do a lot of hard work and the working out person might only be there for 30.
Speaker 1:The talker might be there an hour and a half. They're both in the gym, but someone actually got stuff done where the other one did not and it's so important for us to realize that we have to focus on just getting the task done and being there and being as present as possible, because it really does move the needle you have to apply, you have to buy yourself yes, and then, like I said, there are days that you say, oh, I don't feel, I want to do this, but once in a while it's good.
Speaker 2:But if you every day, every day, say I don't feel, I don't feel, and you're just sitting there, you know the train is going to pass you by. If you don't grab a run to grab that and jump in the train, the train is going to leave you.
Speaker 1:I think that is so good because I like how it's. Our life comes down to the train and we can even make our own trains, like we can create our own lives. I think that's so amazing. And for you, I realized that you wrote the book. The american doctor yes, why? Why did you write the book?
Speaker 2:well, what happened was that when we were younger with my wife, occasionally we go to somebody's house or whatever. Okay, and they were different. They were, uh, doctor, lawyer, average person, politicians and they, more than one occasion they were doctors, lawyers, average persons, politicians. And more than one occasion somebody knew a little bit about me, excuse me, and then somebody started to ask questions where they came from this and that and I kind of guide I like very much history, classic music, opera, this and that, so we start to talk about and when I start to explain things, whatever like I am talking to you, some people say, wow, that's a wonderful thing what you have accomplished, because really this is what you call really the american dream yes you come here without any money, anything, just with a hope yes there may be, something is going to happen yes and so what happened is that in more than one occasion, people had told me oh, you should write down this, and at that time it never occurred to me.
Speaker 2:I said I was. You know, my life was like being in a train and go 150 miles per hour you know yes. And I tried to go look through the window and because the speed was so fast, the train was so fast, everything would look blurred. But now I retire that train is going 15 mile per hour. And I look through the window and say, wow, look at the landscape. The landscape has been there.
Speaker 1:The only thing is me yes, yes and that and that's why I think it's so important, because nowadays there are people that are working really hard and there are people that are enjoying the landscape and it's for me for our generation. I see it it's how do you mesh the two of them and figure out how to really enjoy your experience?
Speaker 2:Yes To see more of it. Yes, so now, what happened was that I have a granddaughter. Yes. A granddaughter, nine years old now. Ok. Wow, but when?
Speaker 2:I started this book she was, she was five, six, whatever. And so what happened is that the I said, being retired, I'm retired, I live in florida, and so my family, my daughter, is in new jersey. So what happened is that then you start to the age you know, I start to think about the past, how they think my life evolved, and start to write down things. So one day I sent it to my daughter, a few things, and so my daughter said Dad, that's beautiful, you should write. You should write for my granddaughter Lennon. So that stimulated me to write for my granddaughter Lennon. So that stimulated me to write for her, because I'm not going to be around forever, and so when she's a teenager, I hope it doesn't happen.
Speaker 2:But if she has a bad moment or whatever she one day may, perhaps she can pick up this book, open some pages and this book is a motivational book, encouragement book and maybe she can think oh, my grandpa, he succeeded with our books, with our anything came to a foreign land, he didn't speak the language and he succeeded. Maybe this can be a stimulus for her to say well, you know, I'm born here in this country, my parents are in this country, I have everything. I'm in college, I have TV, I have a car, I have an air conditioner, I have a heater. I have everything. I'm not happy.
Speaker 1:What's wrong with me? Yes, yes, it gives you a proper perspective and for me, even when I started the podcast, it was a legacy thing. It was me being like I want to be 80 years old and then be like your grandkids going, or my grandkids going jordan. What'd you do when you were in your 20s? Yes, check out my 500 plus episodes of podcast.
Speaker 1:I'm not 200 but we're continuing on and I think it's so important to focus on the legacy and look at the end in mind and kind of work through that, because there's so many impactful lessons that we have that we don't get to share. So, Doc, I know our time is running slim, so tell me what would you recommend to the audience if they want to improve their life in any way? You've obviously dropped a ton of nuggets throughout this, but what do you think people should?
Speaker 2:know. First of all, I would encourage them to get this book.
Speaker 1:Yes, I'll put it in the show notes. It's on Amazon.
Speaker 2:And to read this book slowly, because there is a lot of stuff there. There is for all the ages and at different levels. Like I said, there was the classic, the common sense, approach to the common sense, and reading this book I hope it opened the horizon for some people and gave us support and motivate them to keep going. Absolutely.
Speaker 2:It's like life is like a small child. You have to learn to walk the first few steps. The child make it two, one, two step, fall down and get hurt and cry, Get up and do it again. You have to get up and keep doing If you fall down and you stay down, that's not good. Yes, and that's what life is about. And keep doing. If you fall down and you stay down, that's no good. Yes, and that's what life is about.
Speaker 1:I love that. So it's more that we have to keep fighting, keep hope, keep faith and find that partner that's perfect for us Keep working. Keep working, Keep going. I love it.
Speaker 2:Doc, don't give up. Listen, let me tell you this If you don't succeed in the United States, god bless this country. Okay, yes, with all the things that we have and we have those things because our ancestors worked very hard to build this country. Yes. For different cultures, immigration, whatever, okay, you want, but they apply themselves and they make this country different than the rest of the world. Yes. And so that's why everybody wants to come to this country. Yes.
Speaker 2:There has to be a reason. They don't want to go to other countries where there is dictatorship, censorship. No, they want to come to the United States. There has to be a reason for that. So, god bless, you come to this country. You sacrifice yourself and don't look for yourself. Just look for the future you're going to give to your children yes what kind of future are they going to have?
Speaker 2:the education they can have, the type of job they can have and they start a better life and they can have the thing that you never had, you were just dreaming to have. Yes. And that's what life is about.
Speaker 1:You're incredible. God bless America, yes. I really mean, that, I really mean that, and we need more of that nowadays, because there's so many of us that are just More you.
Speaker 2:You see what happened. It's like the civilization. Look at the roman civilization yes what empire they have yeah and the beginning. They have a patriotism. They love the country, the father figure, the discipline, this and that. Eventually, when they conquered the world that they knew at that time and they became rich, they squandered everything. They became so the corruption and the atrocities that the Barbar came and instead of defending the frontier, the barbarians came in and they had to pay the barbarians. The Romans pay the barbarians for protection. Yes.
Speaker 2:And how did it end up? Yes, they fought the Roman Empire. How did it end up before the Roman Empire? How they end up? Because they lost the essential thing, that was, the discipline, the harmony.
Speaker 1:Yes, so it's the reminder that we should always have the discipline, regardless of the situation, you have to have discipline. And you have to build the hard work.
Speaker 2:You have to be disciplined, you have to respect. To me, life is the hard work. You have to be disciplined, you have to respect. To me, life is like you see, I'm a classic guy. So you have a concert, you have 100 different instruments. Okay, now for that symphony to play and be pleasant, everybody had to follow the rule. There is a piano, pianissimo, forte, fortissimo. There is a pose. You cannot just do whatever you want. They had to be in harmony, they had to be, they had to match, they had to be pleasant.
Speaker 1:It comes down to the hard work and the discipline.
Speaker 2:Yes, and that's what life is about.
Speaker 1:I love it.
Speaker 2:Imagine driving in the street and you don't follow the signs. You do whatever you want.
Speaker 1:You got to be part of the society and grow it and provide the value.
Speaker 2:I want the freedom. Yeah, you want the freedom, but you have to follow it. Follow if you're going to drive, you have to follow the, the sign, the rules absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 1:This has been absolutely incredible. I know we're running out of time and I really do appreciate the time you provided so much wisdom and you've really helped, I think, provide a really great perspective of like why we're so special to live in america and what the american dream is all about. So thank you very much and good luck, good luck.
Speaker 2:Give me my congratulations to you and your wife thank you and I hope to talk to you soon absolutely.
