Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez are on the cover of Vanity Fair this week. The article tells a flattering story about their relationship and discusses their astronomical success and formidable challenges over the last two decades. Whether you are a fan of the two of them or not, you can’t help but admire their resilience and work ethic. Rodriguez openly shared the emotional devastation he experienced during his infamous one-year suspension from Major League Baseball for taking performance enhancing drugs, and Lopez acknowledged that there were years in her life when she was lost and thought she sucked at everything. Both, however, seem to be at peace today. J.Lo, who was one of the first celebrities to position herself as more of a brand and not just an entertainer, has a wide array of projects in the works. A-Rod, who considers Warren Buffet one of his pals, is off to an impressive start with Act 2 of his career with a role on the very cool reality television show, Shark Tank. Both seem to have innate business savvy – Buffett himself says Rodriguez would have been a successful businessman if he had never seen a baseball in his life.
Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez are two Latinos who come from humble beginnings, and by the sheer force of their personalities, and plenty of God-given talent, have catapulted themselves to superstardom – yet they seem to genuinely care about other people and want to be a force for good. I’m rooting that they continue their fairy tale journey and that they inspire millions along the way.