Successful People Who Kicked Off Their Careers With Failure

It is said that you miss a hundred percent of the shots you don’t take. And to extend this saying, one may say that there is a good chance of failing at every shot you take, as well. The fact is that great successes have been built on greater failures and since the failures remain hidden, we remain oblivious to their existence. No one who has ever succeeded in life has done so without failing dramatically but what made them a success was their ability to get up, dust themselves off, and try again. So, when it comes to successful people who kicked off their careers with failure, one could spell out a million of them but 7 of these stars shine brighter than most.

Albert Einstein (Science) 

Albert Einstein not only had troubles in his early career but also as a child. The traditional approach to learning and communication was not his cup of tea and he failed spectacularly in even expressing himself. But that never stopped him from winning the Nobel Prize and transforming the entire branch of Physics into what we know today.

J.K. Rowling (Author) 

When she became the first author to be valued at a billion dollars, her story became even more interesting for the struggles she went through. Not only were her initial drafts of Harry Potter rejected numerous times by numerous publishers, she had written them while living off on welfare. Failure, then, became history.

Colonel Sanders

One of the greatest entrepreneurial stories of all time, Colonel Sanders, of KFC fame, traveled the entire length and breadth of America looking for people to partner with and those who can help him establish his business. The break came much later when he got a helping soul in Utah and today, his brand is one of the most recognizable brands across the world and is almost a household name.

Walt Disney (Entertainment) 

If you were told that Walt Disney was fired from his job at Kansas City Star because his editor felt he had no good ideas or imagination then you may probably not believe it. But this did happen and from then to this day, his name and creativity shine brighter than the very place he was fired from. A grand success, indeed.

Soichiro Honda 

Soichiro Honda was ostracised by his own peers in Japan for adopting an individualist stance. While the Japanese auto industry focused on teamwork, Honda single-handedly challenged the American automobile industry and revolutionized his own.

Bill Gates (Technology)

The story of Bill Gates is legendary and almost everyone knows about Traf-O-Data, his first venture which failed spectacularly. There really is nothing which hasn’t been said about this man but the fact is that he would always remain a person who defied odds to succeed on his own terms.

Jim Carrey (Comedy) 

There are few stars who shine as bright as him in the industry but he was the kind of person who had to quit school, take up jobs as a janitor, and do everything it took to care for his family. But then he did rise to his true potential and has become a source of inspiration to millions around the world. The common thread in each of their stories, irrespective of their fields of profession, has been their grit to overcome the odds and the spirit to not bow down before failure, and more often than not, this is just what it takes.