From the Bronx to the Millionaires' Club: she called in sick to work one day and headed to New York's Museum of Natural History, where she gave a presentation to its executives. Rosado Shaw left with a $140,000 order, which she gave to the stunned company president. He promoted her to salesperson - Corporate Leader

Latino Leaders: The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino, August-Sept, 2003 by Gabriela Velazquez

"We are born perfect, powerful, and predestined for greatness."

"You can define and create your own success."

These statements could be regarded as commonplace in self-help literature and motivational speeches. But coming from Deborah Rosado Shaw, these words hit that innermost spot where dreams dwell, and the message becomes true inspiration. The awesome effect emerges from the fact that Deborah is herself an embodiment of success. The material in her book, Dream BIG! A Roadmap for Facing Life's Challenges and Creating the Life You Deserve, is drawn from her actual experience as a poverty-stricken Latina growing up in the South Bronx, but who now owns a multi-million-dollar business.

No wonder she can speak so commandingly about her strategies for success at the countless events where she often takes part. Her knowledge on what it takes to make it--and the. hardships one must go through--is first hand. Rosado Shaw's first childhood challenge was dealing with gang violence, drug abuse, disease, family dysfunction, scarcity, and many other tragic trends in her neighborhood. She was not stifled by such circumstances. Instead, she looked up to hard-working people whose strength somehow helped them survive. She realized then she could aim higher. Rosado Shaw recollects some of the thoughts she used to have during her bus rides through midtown New York: "I wanted everything I passed on that moving bus, not just the coats and the shoes in the windows, but the abundant life: choices, power, dignity--nobody was gonna give all that to me. If I was going to have a different life, I was going to have to get it for myself."

Yet, there were no easy ways out or shortcuts along the road she was determined to walk. After graduating from high school she decided to attend Wellesley College in Massachusetts, and had to overcome the guilt involved in challenging the expectations of most Latino families who hold on tight to their girls. Women were supposed to stay home, so it was hard for her relatives to encourage moving out to receive an education that would enable her to fully develop all her talents. It did not stop her though. Even then she was aware that having a degree was part of the big dream she had already shaped for herself.

Making the right choices also means throwing away illegitimate dreams, those fantasies not worth chasing, and then getting on with your life. Deborah learned this when she gave up law school for the whole new world of business she had discovered. "I kept moving towards this law degree that was never happening," she said. "It's really good to know when a dream is dead in order to move on." A most insightful step that in the long run placed this bold Barnard College graduate among the top Latino entrepreneurs who have left behind the adverse socioeconomic conditions they were raised in.

"Would you get into a taxi and tell the cabby 'drive anywhere'?" Of course not. In her simple language, Deborah urges women to be defiant and, once they have defined their goals clearly, to actively control their pursuits. Waiting for a turn that might never come hinders success. Rosado Shaw's remarkable professional career is built upon timely fearless actions. When she was a customer service clerk at an umbrella manufacturing company she watched as others were groomed for advancement, with no one recognizing that she could be more than a clerk. Rosado Shaw called work one day to say that she was sick and was not coming in. She headed to New York's Museum of Natural History where she gave a presentation to its executives, and left with a now legendary $140,000 order. When she placed it in front of the stunned company president, he promoted her to salesperson. Success is never "waiting for you somewhere over a rainbow.... No tornado is going to sweep you into it someday ... you bring that world into being each day," she said.

Bravely moving forward one assertive step after another, she eventually became an independent businesswoman in California. Being her own boss made it possible to organize her life anyway she needed in order to take care of her marriage and her three children. Her beach umbrellas and chairs retail company was steadily growing when she found herself standing at a crossroads where her dreams needed some remodeling to keep them going within the ever changing circumstances of life. Her marriage had failed. To successfully parent her kids by herself some family support was called for, so Deborah moved to New Jersey. It did not seem a smart business strategy, but she had assessed the risks thoroughly and felt she had the resources to pull that off.

The final outcome could not have been more overwhelming. Deborah Rosado Shaw is presently a role leader in the Latino community. Her Umbrellas Plus is a major wholesaler and importer of fashion and sun accessories that holds very profitable accounts. Her strategies are being used as case studies in several textbooks and are so widely respected and acknowledged in the business world that she could create Dream Big Enterprises. This company trains entrepreneurs in acquiring the skills and methods that got her to the top. Sharing her knowledge is an experience Deborah considers a rewarding source of inspiration to reach out for new goals even now when she could choose to sit down and live off her fortune.