▁from ▁dress es ▁to ▁ice ▁cre am ▁sand wich es , ▁his ▁mother ▁found ▁work ▁as ▁a ▁house keeper ▁in ▁Green wich , ▁Connecticut . ▁ ▁Esp uel as ▁said ▁to ▁The ▁Indust ry ▁Standard , ▁" As ▁a ▁kid ▁I ▁had ▁to ▁leave ▁my ▁home ▁country , ▁Uruguay , ▁when ▁my ▁parents ▁got ▁divor ced ▁and ▁my ▁mother ▁couldn ' t ▁support ▁herself . ▁We ▁lost ▁everything ▁over night , ▁so ▁we ▁came ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁For ▁ 1 0 ▁years ▁we ▁lived ▁in ▁a ▁one - bed room ▁a partment , ▁and ▁my ▁mother ▁worked ▁ 1 2 ▁hours ▁a ▁day . ▁It ▁is ▁not ▁that ▁these ▁types ▁of ▁experiences ▁make ▁you ▁a ▁better ▁person , ▁but ▁they ▁give ▁you ▁a ▁different ▁perspective ▁on ▁failure . ▁I ' ve ▁seen ▁people ▁older ▁than ▁I ▁go ▁into ▁pan ic ▁mode ▁and ▁lose ▁confidence ▁in ▁themselves ▁because ▁of ▁t ough ▁market ▁conditions , ▁thinking ▁that ▁it ' s ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁world . ▁Person ally , ▁I ▁always ▁know ▁I ' ll ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁surv ive ." ▁ ▁As ▁he ▁rec ount ed ▁on ▁P BS ' ▁T av is ▁Sm iley ▁show , ▁Esp uel as ▁started ▁his ▁first ▁business ▁in ▁Green wich ▁while ▁in ▁the ▁fifth ▁grade , ▁when ▁he ▁convinced ▁his ▁friends ▁to ▁invest ▁in ▁a ▁k ids ' ▁bank ▁and ▁ins urance ▁company . ▁The ▁next ▁year , ▁he ▁founded ▁the ▁first ▁student ▁government ▁in ▁North ▁Street ▁School ▁and ▁was ▁elected ▁President ▁of ▁his ▁class