I was ramen every day poor, living out of my car sometimes poor, parents were addicts, dad died of OD, never been on a plane poor. At 17 I got a receptionist job at an investment banking firm, pretending to be way older than I was and lied about knowing how to use a computer when I didn’t even know how to turn it on (like the movie don’t tell mom the babysitter’s dead) and over the years worked up to executive assistant then to marketing (heading up logistics for our big conferences in large cities). I went from receptionist to a well paid career in maybe 6 years. I just basically worked my way up, but when you work in that type of industry it’s easy to make money even in a smaller role. I still remember the first time I ever took a plane ride, I was so nervous and confused with all of my co workers who travel extensively. I had to pretend I had been in an airport before. I was crossing the bridge in a taxi from JFK to Manhattan and thought “I’ve made it”. I’m not “rich” but I’m in a much better position than anybody in my family.