Happy Tuesday!
Failure is often said to be the first step toward success, and nowhere is that more true than in the business world. Many of our time’s most successful entrepreneurs and businesspeople had experienced failure before they achieved their dreams. In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the most famous businesspeople who failed before becoming successful.
- Steve Jobs – Co-founder of Apple Inc.
Steve Jobs is one of the most famous examples of a successful businessperson who failed first. In 1985, Jobs was fired from Apple, the company he co-founded, after a power struggle with the company’s board of directors. Following his departure, Jobs founded a new computer company, NeXT, which struggled to gain market share. However, in 1997, Apple acquired NeXT, and Jobs returned to the company as CEO. He oversaw a period of incredible growth and innovation, including the development of the iPod, iPhone, and iPad development.
- Arianna Huffington – Founder of The Huffington Post
Arianna Huffington founded The Huffington Post, a news and opinion website that she sold to AOL in 2011 for $315 million. However, before she succeeded with The Huffington Post, Huffington experienced several setbacks. In the 1990s, she wrote several unsuccessful books and ran an unsuccessful California gubernatorial campaign. It wasn’t until she launched The Huffington Post in 2005 that she found her calling as a successful businesswoman.
- Henry Ford – Founder of Ford Motor Company
Henry Ford founded Ford Motor Company, one of the world’s largest and most successful car companies. However, before he achieved success with Ford, he experienced several business failures. In the early 1900s, Ford founded two unsuccessful car companies, the Detroit Automobile Company, and the Henry Ford Company, before finally finding success with Ford Motor Company in 1903.
- Walt Disney – Founder of The Walt Disney Company
Walt Disney is the founder of The Walt Disney Company, now one of the world’s largest media and entertainment companies. However, before he achieved success with Disney, he experienced several business failures. In the 1920s, Disney founded several failed animation studios, including Laugh-O-Gram Studio in Kansas City. However, in 1928, he created Mickey Mouse, and the character’s success helped him build his empire.
- Colonel Sanders – Founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken
Colonel Sanders is the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, one of the most successful fast-food chains in the world. However, before he achieved success with KFC, he experienced many business failures. In the early 1950s, Sanders traveled around the United States, trying to sell his fried chicken recipe to restaurants. Hundreds of restaurants rejected him before finally succeeding with his restaurant, which eventually grew into KFC.
In conclusion, these famous businesspeople show that failure is not the end but the beginning of a journey toward success. Their stories inspire us to keep pushing forward, even when the road ahead seems tough. As Steve Jobs famously said, “I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of success was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.”
Thank-you
Wishing you much success!