Before he became one of Wagga's biggest business hotshots, Danny Russell started life in social housing to a single mother, never even knowing who his father was.
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He got all of his clothes at the local op shop "back when it wasn't cool", and he missed out on a lot of the school excursions and sporting competitions due to a lack of money.
"I'm a statistic that says I should be in jail: single parent family, housing commission," Mr Russell said.
"I could have very easily gone down a very different path, which some of those kids have. My mum's a massive, massive reason why that didn't happen."
Mr Russell said his mother's tough love was what set him on the right path early in love, even if he didn't appreciate it at the time.
He said he was "forever getting flogged" for his various acts of mischief, but says she instilled within him an unbreakable belief that he could better his lot in life through hard work.
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From the age of 11 Mr Russell helped his mother clean houses around town in attempt to help support his two younger sisters.
He said it was a tough childhood, especially during the "brutal" summer nights without air conditioning, but says he still cherishes those days.
Mr Russell continued cleaning houses when he moved to Wagga for bible college, studying theology during the day and mopping floors during the nights.
He went on to start a cleaning business of his own as well as short-term accommodation unit, and he is currently working on developing Cadell Place on Fitzmaurice Street.
Mr Russell said he has no fear taking on such risky business ventures, saying that he has clawed his way up from zero before and is confident he could do so again.
"The worst case scenario is I end up broke with nothing, but I still have love in my family and love in my friends. That's what ensures you can always rebuild again," Mr Russell said.
"The real important things in life don't get stripped away just because of finances, so I'm okay with taking the risks."
Mr Russell said he hopes to help other people in Wagga who have hit rock bottom, saying there is always hope even for seemingly hopeless cases.
He says he tends to be quite harsh with these people, just like his own mother was with him back in the day.
"Get out there, get yourself a job, and stick to it. Don't drink, don't smoke, don't get into drugs, don't hang around bad people. Head down, bum up, and work," Mr Russell said.
"It's a personal choice; the help is out there, and the amount of people who will give you a go. There's a lot of people who will support you having a go."
Mission Australia case manager Jessica Beer said it was hard but possible to break the cycle of poverty, saying she had seen such cases with her own eyes.
Ms Beer works with troubled youths and homeless people all around Wagga, and she says the hardest part is getting people off the street or out of social housing.
However she says that once people leave the social housing system, land a solid job, and find a private rental, they tend to stay that way.
"Since I've been doing my job I haven't seen a client that's been in a private rental go backwards. They only move forward, and they tend to stay in the private rental market," Ms Beer said.
"For them, all they dream of and all they hope for is to have a space of their own; somewhere they can go where they've got a bed and food in the fridge."