• Name: Richard Hunt, 56
• Hometown: Yarmouth, Maine
• Job: Food distribution executive

There is no magic or mystery to this "elusive" American dream. It's all about wanting it more than the next guy!

I grew up on a 5th generation dairy farm in upstate Connecticut. Since the age of 12, 40- to 50-hour work weeks (before and after school) were the norm.

But the work ethic I witnessed in my father and grandfather became part of my "fabric." When I was a high school junior, my father had a back injury that forced the sale of the farm. I took a full-time job at the local grocery store and worked part time on the neighbor's farm.

It was at the grocery that the light came on. I earned a two-year degree from a state agriculture school in Vermont while working full time. After graduation, I began working days on the neighbor's farm and nights at a new upscale conference resort.

I began working "free" at the hotel on my day off to learn other parts of the operation. Three years later, I was the youngest operations manager in the company, overseeing five departments. At 24, I became general manager of a major hotel in central Connecticut.

Fast forward 30 years: I now run a food distribution business that covers New England, New York and New Jersey. What motivated me to get there was having a clear goal in mind. You have to look at the steps along the way and be prepared to take the next step.

The American dream is fading because of the misunderstanding of what it takes to achieve it. Since he was 11, my son has raised chickens and run an "egg route" in addition to selling eggs to the local school. He does this while his friends are playing video games.

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