Tom Barrella Famously Took Out a Billboard in Search of Love – New Autobiography Answers the Question: What Happened Next?
Millions will remember Tom Barrella, who became a TV and Internet sensation following his rental of a gigantic Manhattan area billboard which pleaded with single women everywhere: be my sweetheart? Many were left wondering: did it work? Well, spoiler alert: Barrella did find true love – however that certainly wasn’t the end of his journey. In ‘The Billboard’, Tom Barrella fills in the blanks and recounts a life so unconventional that even Hollywood couldn’t have created it.
Long Island, NY – Remember him? That “crazy” New Yorker who was so desperate to find love that he rented a billboard as big a house in order to attract the attention of beautiful single women? Tom Barrella’s risky and unconventional idea was far from a PR stunt and, ten years after he hit headlines around the world, he is finally releasing a gripping and inspirational biography to showcase exactly how his life has played out since.
Barrella did find a family, although thousands of miles away in Brazil. This self-made millionaire has spent the last decade grappling with loss, his private struggle to maintain happiness and the ultimate realization that true love is not the product of grand plans or marketing gimmicks. Throughout it all, Barrella has amassed a vault’s-worth of stories that he is now sharing with the world.
Synopsis:
Tom Barrella seemed to have it all. He was successful, independent, and loved his work. However, he felt incomplete. Despite exploring traditional dating channels, he still hadn’t found his soul mate.
Ever the entrepreneur, Tom decided to harness the power of public relations and the Internet to solve his problem. Using highly unconventional means, he eventually found his true love, and together they faced the challenges of family life with strength and humor.
Tom Barrella is the man behind “the Billboard,” a giant advertisement for himself and plea to single ladies everywhere. The resulting media frenzy landed Tom on television and introduced him to many women—but no one fit the bill.
Through a series of coincidental events, he eventually landed in Brazil, where he met Sueli and her two daughters. Sparks flew, and she agreed to marry him. The ensuing years would present their newly blended family with many obstacles: culture shock, financial ruin, natural disasters and the loss of their home.
Through hilarious ups and unexpected downs, Tom and Sueli remain committed to one another and their two daughters. And here for the first time, Tom shares their tender, funny, and honest family story.
“The lack of love left a gaping hole in my life, so I decided to tackle it using the same devices I used to build up a technology company I founded with three others – sheer determination and innovative strategies,” admits Barrella. “I thought the billboard would do it and, while I literally had the world’s media knocking on my door, it took a trip to Brazil to realize that love comes to you naturally when you least expect it.”
Continuing, “This is the story of me and my beautiful family, a story thousands have contacted me to hear about in the ten years since my initial media splash. It’s a story of how far we as humans will go to find love, how we try to balance our happiness in a world that keeps throwing curveballs, and how the struggles of culture can ultimately bind us together.”
The Barrellas have faced life’s best and worst in their first decade as a family. It has proven to Tom that patience, fortitude and humor are the best weapons in today’s unpredictable world.
“The message of this book is to never give up, and prove that taking risks or unconventional approaches to life’s problems does pay off. My family and I have lost our home due to the financial crisis, used what little money we had left to renovate our new home, which then narrowly missed destruction in Hurricane Irene. I was left with the false belief that surviving a storm was easy, until the home fell victim to the wrath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Do I regret a second of it? No! Want to find out why and how the lessons I have learned can effect positive change in your own life? You’ll need to buy the book…” he adds.
‘The Billboard’ is due for imminent release.
For more information, follow the book and its progress on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1LYNWJe.
About the Author:
In 1985 Tom Barrella co-founded the technology company Radiant Systems, leaving in 1995 to pursue other projects. Radiant went public in 1997 and was acquired in 2011 for over a billion dollars by NCR Corporation.
Currently, he is a financial educator who teaches and advises students at his alma mater, Syosset High School. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a master’s degree from Hofstra University. Tom and his wife, Sueli, have two daughters and enjoy traveling, water sports, and seeking out new and unconventional adventures. In addition to promoting his memoir, The Billboard, Barrella is currently working on two other books and a satirical website.
