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Through the story of Louis Borgenicht and his wife, Regina, Gladwell reinforces the potential to create opportunity from challenge. As immigrants arriving in Manhattan in 1889, the Borgenichts experienced the challenge of trying to build a better life for their young family with very little money in a new country. Gladwell illustrates that Borgenicht, at first overwhelmed by the size and energy of his new city, turns the challenge to inspiration, earning money selling a variety of different items including fish, linens, notebooks, bananas, and socks. As Borgenicht continued to seek an idea for a business, Gladwell suggests that his search is about more than just money. It’s about creating a future for his family. Struck by an epiphany, Borgenicht combined the garment industry talents learned in his homeland with the availability of store-bought clothing in his new home to create meaningful work. Through Borgenicht, Gladwell defines and demonstrates meaningful work as work which offers independence, challenge, and reward in relations to one’s efforts. While Gladwell notes the challenges of being an immigrant, he also notes that Borgenicht experienced good fortune arriving in New York with sewing talents at a point when the garment industry thrived. Like Bill Joy, Borgenicht’s good luck put him in the right place at the right time. Gladwell suggests that Borgenicht’s most important success comes not from building a prosperous business, but from the lessons and inspiration building that business taught the next generation about overcoming challenges to find work with meaning.
