50 Famous People Who Failed at Their First Attempt at Career Success
As a career success coach, I always advise my clients to stick with it – to demonstrate their commitment to their career success to themselves and others by shaking off setbacks and moving forward. This morning, I received an email from Katina Solomon at OnLineCollege.org telling me about a new blog post she had just done and asking me to pass it on to my readers.
I loved this post. It tells the stories of “50 Famously Successful People Who Failed at First.” These people come from all walks of life. But they shared one characteristic in common — the commitment to their own career success. I am very happy to repost it here….
50 Famously Successful People Who Failed at First
Not everyone who’s on top today got there with success after success. More often than not, those who history best remembers were faced with numerous obstacles that forced them to work harder and show more determination than others. Next time you’re feeling down about your failures in college or in a career, keep these fifty famous people in mind and remind yourself that sometimes failure is just the first step towards success.
Business Gurus
These businessmen and the companies they founded are today known around the world, but as these stories show, their beginnings weren’t always smooth.
1. Henry Ford: While Ford is today known for his innovative assembly line and American-made cars, he wasn’t an instant success. In fact, his early businesses failed and left him broke five time before he founded the successful Ford Motor Company.
2. R. H. Macy: Most people are familiar with this large department store chain, but Macy didn’t always have it easy. Macy started seven failed business before finally hitting big with his store in New York City.
3. F. W. Woolworth: Some may not know this name today, but Woolworth was once one of the biggest names in department stores in the U.S. Before starting his own business, young Woolworth worked at a dry goods store and was not allowed to wait on customers because his boss said he lacked the sense needed to do so.
4. Soichiro Honda: The billion-dollar business that is Honda began with a series of failures and fortunate turns of luck. Honda was turned down by Toyota Motor Corporation for a job after interviewing for a job as an engineer, leaving him jobless for quite some time. He started making scooters of his own at home, and spurred on by his neighbors, finally started his own business.
5. Akio Morita: You may not have heard of Morita but you’ve undoubtedly heard of his company, Sony. Sony’s first product was a rice cooker that unfortunately didn’t cook rice so much as burn it, selling less than 100 units. This first setback didn’t stop Morita and his partners as they pushed forward to create a multi-billion dollar company.
6. Bill Gates: Gates didn’t seem like a shoe-in for success after dropping out of Harvard and starting a failed first business with Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen called Traf-O-Data. While this early idea didn’t work, Gates’ later work did, creating the global empire that is Microsoft.
7. Harland David Sanders: Perhaps better known as Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame, Sanders had a hard time selling his chicken at first. In fact, his famous secret chicken recipe was rejected 1,009 times before a restaurant accepted it.
8. Walt Disney: Today Disney rakes in billions from merchandise, movies and theme parks around the world, but Walt Disney himself had a bit of a rough start. He was fired by a newspaper editor because, “he lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” After that, Disney started a number of businesses that didn’t last too long and ended with bankruptcy and failure. He kept plugging along, however, and eventually found a recipe for success that worked.
Scientists and Thinkers
These people are often regarded as some of the greatest minds of our century, but they often had to face great obstacles, the ridicule of their peers and the animosity of society.
9. Albert Einstein: Most of us take Einstein’s name as synonymous with genius, but he didn’t always show such promise. Einstein did not speak until he was four and did not read until he was seven, causing his teachers and parents to think he was mentally handicapped, slow and anti-social. Eventually, he was expelled from school and was refused admittance to the Zurich Polytechnic School. It might have taken him a bit longer, but most people would agree that he caught on pretty well in the end, winning the Nobel Prize and changing the face of modern physics.
10. Charles Darwin: In his early years, Darwin gave up on having a medical career and was often chastised by his father for being lazy and too dreamy. Darwin himself wrote, “I was considered by all my masters and my father, a very ordinary boy, rather below the common standard of intellect.” Perhaps they judged too soon, as Darwin today is well-known for his scientific studies.
11. Robert Goddard: Goddard today is hailed for his research and experimentation with liquid-fueled rockets, but during his lifetime his ideas were often rejected and mocked by his scientific peers who thought they were outrageous and impossible. Today rockets and space travel don’t seem far-fetched at all, due largely in part to the work of this scientist who worked against the feelings of the time.
12. Isaac Newton: Newton was undoubtedly a genius when it came to math, but he had some failings early on. He never did particularly well in school and when put in charge of running the family farm, he failed miserably, so poorly in fact that an uncle took charge and sent him off to Cambridge where he finally blossomed into the scholar we know today.
13. Socrates: Despite leaving no written records behind, Socrates is regarded as one of the greatest philosophers of the Classical era. Because of his new ideas, in his own time he was called “an immoral corrupter of youth” and was sentenced to death. Socrates didn’t let this stop him and kept right on, teaching up until he was forced to poison himself.
14. Robert Sternberg: This big name in psychology received a C in his first college introductory psychology class with his teacher telling him that, “there was already a famous Sternberg in psychology and it was obvious there would not be another.” Sternberg showed him, however, graduating from Stanford with exceptional distinction in psychology, summa cum laude, and Phi Beta Kappa and eventually becoming the President of the American Psychological Association.
Inventors
These inventors changed the face of the modern world, but not without a few failed prototypes along the way.
15. Thomas Edison: In his early years, teachers told Edison he was “too stupid to learn anything.” Work was no better, as he was fired from his first two jobs for not being productive enough. Even as an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. Of course, all those unsuccessful attempts finally resulted in the design that worked.
16. Orville and Wilbur Wright: These brothers battled depression and family illness before starting the bicycle shop that would lead them to experimenting with flight. After numerous attempts at creating flying machines, several years of hard work, and tons of failed prototypes, the brothers finally created a plane that could get airborne and stay there.
Public Figures
From politicians to talk show hosts, these figures had a few failures before they came out on top.
17. Winston Churchill: This Nobel Prize-winning, twice-elected Prime Minster of the United Kingdom wasn’t always as well regarded as he is today. Churchill struggled in school and failed the sixth grade. After school he faced many years of political failures, as he was defeated in every election for public office until he finally became the Prime Minister at the ripe old age of 62.
18. Abraham Lincoln: While today he is remembered as one of the greatest leaders of our nation, Lincoln’s life wasn’t so easy. In his youth he went to war a captain and returned a private (if you’re not familiar with military ranks, just know that private is as low as it goes.) Lincoln didn’t stop failing there, however. He started numerous failed business and was defeated in numerous runs he made for public office.
19. Oprah Winfrey: Most people know Oprah as one of the most iconic faces on TV as well as one of the richest and most successful women in the world. Oprah faced a hard road to get to that position, however, enduring a rough and often abusive childhood as well as numerous career setbacks including being fired from her job as a television reporter because she was “unfit for tv.”
20. Harry S. Truman: This WWI vet, Senator, Vice President and eventual President eventually found success in his life, but not without a few missteps along the way. Truman started a store that sold silk shirts and other clothing–seemingly a success at first–only go bankrupt a few years later.
21. Dick Cheney: This recent Vice President and businessman made his way to the White House but managed to flunk out of Yale University, not once, but twice. Former President George W. Bush joked with Cheney about this fact, stating, “So now we know –if you graduate from Yale, you become president. If you drop out, you get to be vice president.”
Hollywood Types
These faces ought to be familiar from the big screen, but these actors, actresses and directors saw their fair share of rejection and failure before they made it big.
22. Jerry Seinfeld: Just about everybody knows who Seinfeld is, but the first time the young comedian walked on stage at a comedy club, he looked out at the audience, froze and was eventually jeered and booed off of the stage. Seinfeld knew he could do it, so he went back the next night, completed his set to laughter and applause, and the rest is history.
23. Fred Astaire: In his first screen test, the testing director of MGM noted that Astaire, “Can’t act. Can’t sing. Slightly bald. Can dance a little.” Astaire went on to become an incredibly successful actor, singer and dancer and kept that note in his Beverly Hills home to remind him of where he came from.
24. Sidney Poitier: After his first audition, Poitier was told by the casting director, “Why don’t you stop wasting people’s time and go out and become a dishwasher or something?” Poitier vowed to show him that he could make it, going on to win an Oscar and become one of the most well-regarded actors in the business.
25. Jeanne Moreau: As a young actress just starting out, this French actress was told by a casting director that she was simply not pretty enough to make it in films. He couldn’t have been more wrong as Moreau when on to star in nearly 100 films and win numerous awards for her performances.
26. Charlie Chaplin: It’s hard to imagine film without the iconic Charlie Chaplin, but his act was initially rejected by Hollywood studio chiefs because they felt it was a little too nonsensical to ever sell.
27. Lucille Ball: During her career, Ball had thirteen Emmy nominations and four wins, also earning the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kennedy Center Honors. Before starring in I Love Lucy, Ball was widely regarded as a failed actress and a B movie star. Even her drama instructors didn’t feel she could make it, telling her to try another profession. She, of course, proved them all wrong.
28. Harrison Ford: In his first film, Ford was told by the movie execs that he simply didn’t have what it takes to be a star. Today, with numerous hits under his belt, iconic portrayals of characters like Han Solo and Indiana Jones, and a career that stretches decades, Ford can proudly show that he does, in fact, have what it takes.
29. Marilyn Monroe: While Monroe’s star burned out early, she did have a period of great success in her life. Despite a rough upbringing and being told by modeling agents that she should instead consider being a secretary, Monroe became a pin-up, model and actress that still strikes a chord with people today.
30. Oliver Stone: This Oscar-winning filmmaker began his first novel while at Yale, a project that eventually caused him to fail out of school. This would turn out to be a poor decision as the the text was rejected by publishers and was not published until 1998, at which time it was not well-received. After dropping out of school, Stone moved to Vietnam to teach English, later enlisting in the army and fighting in the war, a battle that earning two Purple Hearts and helped him find the inspiration for his later work that often center around war.
Writers and Artists
We’ve all heard about starving artists and struggling writers, but these stories show that sometimes all that work really does pay off with success in the long run.
31. Vincent Van Gogh: During his lifetime, Van Gogh sold only one painting, and this was to a friend and only for a very small amount of money. While Van Gogh was never a success during his life, he plugged on with painting, sometimes starving to complete his over 800 known works. Today, they bring in hundreds of millions.
32. Emily Dickinson: Recluse and poet Emily Dickinson is a commonly read and loved writer. Yet in her lifetime she was all but ignored, having fewer than a dozen poems published out of her almost 1,800 completed works.
33. Theodor Seuss Giesel: Today nearly every child has read The Cat in the Hat or Green Eggs and Ham, yet 27 different publishers rejected Dr. Seuss’s first book To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.
34. Charles Schultz: Schultz’s Peanuts comic strip has had enduring fame, yet this cartoonist had every cartoon he submitted rejected by his high school yearbook staff. Even after high school, Schultz didn’t have it easy, applying and being rejected for a position working with Walt Disney.
35. Steven Spielberg: While today Spielberg’s name is synonymous with big budget, he was rejected from the University of Southern California School of Theater, Film and Television three times. He eventually attended school at another location, only to drop out to become a director before finishing. Thirty-five years after starting his degree, Spielberg returned to school in 2002 to finally complete his work and earn his BA.
36. Stephen King: The first book by this author, the iconic thriller Carrie, received 30 rejections, finally causing King to give up and throw it in the trash. His wife fished it out and encouraged him to resubmit it, and the rest is history, with King now having hundreds of books published the distinction of being one of the best-selling authors of all time.
37. Zane Grey: Incredibly popular in the early 20th century, this adventure book writer began his career as a dentist, something he quickly began to hate. So, he began to write, only to see rejection after rejection for his works, being told eventually that he had no business being a writer and should given up. It took him years, but at 40, Zane finally got his first work published, leaving him with almost 90 books to his name and selling over 50 million copies worldwide.
38. J. K. Rowling: Rowling may be rolling in a lot of Harry Potter dough today, but before she published the series of novels she was nearly penniless, severely depressed, divorced, trying to raise a child on her own while attending school and writing a novel. Rowling went from depending on welfare to survive to being one of the richest women in the world in a span of only five years through her hard work and determination.
39. Monet: Today Monet’s work sells for millions of dollars and hangs in some of the most prestigious institutions in the world. Yet during his own time, it was mocked and rejected by the artistic elite, the Paris Salon. Monet kept at his impressionist style, which caught on and in many ways was a starting point for some major changes to art that ushered in the modern era.
40. Jack London: This well-known American author wasn’t always such a success. While he would go on to publish popular novels like White Fang and The Call of the Wild, his first story received six hundred rejection slips before finally being accepted.
41. Louisa May Alcott: Most people are familiar with Alcott’s most famous work, Little Women. Yet Alcott faced a bit of a battle to get her work out there and was encouraged to find work as a servant by her family to make ends meet. It was her letters back home during her experience as a nurse in the Civil War that gave her the first big break she needed.
Musicians
While their music is some of the best selling, best loved and most popular around the world today, these musicians show that it takes a whole lot of determination to achieve success.
42. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Mozart began composing at the age of five, writing over 600 pieces of music that today are lauded as some of the best ever created. Yet during his lifetime, Mozart didn’t have such an easy time, and was often restless, leading to his dismissal from a position as a court musician in Salzberg. He struggled to keep the support of the aristocracy and died with little to his name.
43. Elvis Presley: As one of the best-selling artists of all time, Elvis has become a household name even years after his death. But back in 1954, Elvis was still a nobody, and Jimmy Denny, manager of the Grand Ole Opry, fired Elvis Presley after just one performance telling him, “You ain’t going nowhere, son. You ought to go back to driving a truck.”
44. Igor Stravinsky: In 1913 when Stravinsky debuted his now famous Rite of Spring, audiences rioted, running the composer out of town. Yet it was this very work that changed the way composers in the 19th century thought about music and cemented his place in musical history.
45. The Beatles: Few people can deny the lasting power of this super group, still popular with listeners around the world today. Yet when they were just starting out, a recording company told them no. They were told “we don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out,” two things the rest of the world couldn’t have disagreed with more.
46. Ludwig van Beethoven: In his formative years, young Beethoven was incredibly awkward on the violin and was often so busy working on his own compositions that he neglected to practice. Despite his love of composing, his teachers felt he was hopeless at it and would never succeed with the violin or in composing. Beethoven kept plugging along, however, and composed some of the best-loved symphonies of all time–five of them while he was completely deaf.
Athletes
While some athletes rocket to fame, others endure a path fraught with a little more adversity, like those listed here.
47. Michael Jordan: Most people wouldn’t believe that a man often lauded as the best basketball player of all time was actually cut from his high school basketball team. Luckily, Jordan didn’t let this setback stop him from playing the game and he has stated, “I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot, and I missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
48. Stan Smith: This tennis player was rejected from even being a lowly ball boy for a Davis Cup tennis match because event organizers felt he was too clumsy and uncoordinated. Smith went on to prove them wrong, showcasing his not-so-clumsy skills by winning Wimbledon, U. S. Open and eight Davis Cups.
49. Babe Ruth: You probably know Babe Ruth because of his home run record (714 during his career), but along with all those home runs came a pretty hefty amount of strikeouts as well (1,330 in all). In fact, for decades he held the record for strikeouts. When asked about this he simply said, “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.”
50. Tom Landry: As the coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Landry brought the team two Super Bowl victories, five NFC Championship victories and holds the records for the record for the most career wins. He also has the distinction of having one of the worst first seasons on record (winning no games) and winning five or fewer over the next four seasons.
The common sense point here is simple. Successful people commit to taking personal responsibility for their career success. They set high goals and do whatever it takes to achieve them. They also react positively to the people and events in their lives – especially the negative people and events. In this post, I told the stories of 50 well known people who ended up being wildly successful and well known. Let them be an example for you the next time you feel like giving up.
That’s my take on career success and not giving up. What’s yours? Do you have any people to add to this list? If so, please leave a comment sharing your thoughts with us. As always, thanks for reading.
Bud
Friday, 28 August 2015
Thursday, 27 August 2015
10 South African Entrepreneurs under 35 (1/2)
It’s a fact, entrepreneurs are changing the world. Now even more than ever. But what’s more exciting is how young these entrepreneurs are. Facebook must be the most well-known example. Founded by (now) 28 year old Mark Zuckerberg, this company has literally changed the world, the way we communicate and do business.
Gone are the days where you need millions to start a business. The biggest marketplace is now available to anyone who has an internet connection – and what a marketplace – billions and billions of consumers! American kids as young as 10 are starting online businesses generating 5 and 6 figure incomes.
A crazy world we live in. But damn, isn’t it exciting?!
And in South Africa it is no different. With a sky high unemployment rate young South African entrepreneurs are now creating jobs for themselves and are making their mark both within the continent and across the globe.
I was recently featured by Nokia as a young entrepreneur and this was the inspiration to find other young entrepreneurs making their mark in South Africa. I have studied a few over the last couple of months and this is my list of 10 entrepreneurs below the age of 35 who are doing amazing things and have achieved great success at a young age (This is a 2 part series – click here to view the 2nd part!):
Ludwick Marishane (22) – @theheadboy
According to the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, Ludwick Marishane is the best student entrepreneur in the world. Ludwick started businesses as a teenager in Limpopo. Many failed, like his own brand of biodiesel, healthy cigarettes and a security magazine. He then started HeadBoy Industries, a business that designs and commercializes new products and services in South Africa. One of its products, DryBath, is the world’s first bath-substituting solution. It is easy to use and needs minimal water. It moisturises the skin, kills germs, and leaves the user smelling fresh. If that is not enough, Ludwick was also named by Google among the 12 most intelligent young brains in the universe.
Rupert Bryant (25) – @waroop
Rupert Bryant is the chief operating officer (COO) and a director at Web Africa, one of South Africa’s most successful Internet Service Providers (ISPs). His involvement in the company started at the age of 16 when Matthew Tagg needed a partner for his new venture, and Rupert was a perfect choice. Rupert was running his own web development company from the age of 14, and when Web Africa started as a hosting provider it was a logical choice for Matthew to join forces with Rupert to build his new web hosting company. They started Web Africa with virtually no capital, and over the last decade have grown it into a company which generates well in excess of R130 million annually and employs 130 people.
Justin Stanford (28) – @JustinStanford
This South African-born entrepreneur is a software industrialist and venture capitalist. It all started for Justin at the age of 13 when he bought raw apple juice and sold it to his classmates for a profit. A few years later he dropped out of school to pursue his entrepreneurial career. But success didn’t come easy and he had two failed businesses under his belt by the time he was 21. Justin fought on and his perseverance paid off when he came across Slovakian anti-virus software package called ESET; he negotiated with its manufacturers and begun its distribution in South Africa. Today, ESET in South Africa sells ESET’s assortment of internet protection products in about 20 sub-Saharan countries, making it an enormously flourishing internet business and Justin heads up the 4D Innovations Group, which includes the venture capital firm, 4Di Capital.
Adii Pienaar (28) – @adii
In my opinion, Adii is one of the most successful young tech entrepreneurs in South Africa. He is a co-founder of WooThemes, a business which has had great success – in an international sense – with millions of dollars in revenue annually. On his website, he describes himself as an entrepreneur, husband and very new father. Following him on Twitter, it is evident that this youngster is well respected in tech circles all over the world. Today, WooThemes is four years old, with 25 employees. The company had no funding and was 100% bootstrapped.
Vinny Lingham (34) – @VinnyLingham
Vinny Lingham is a South African Internet entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Yola Inc., a San Francisco-based Web 2.0 start-up that provides free website building, publishing and hosting services to more than three million active consumers all over the world. The company has engrossed over $30 million in venture capital financing from institutional investors such as Columbus Venture Capital owned by SA’s Johann Rupert’s Richemont Group. He also developed CIick2Customers, a massively flourishing search engine marketing company housed in Cape Town, London and Los Angeles.
5 amazingly successful entrepreneurs each in their own right. With 4 of these entrepreneurs in the tech space, it just shows you again how possible it is to achieve success on an international platform by levering technology.
What do you think of these entrepreneurs? Any other young entrepreneurs making a dent in the universe? Let me know by commenting on the post below.
Also remember to subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Twitter.
Live simply, work hard, eat well, say no to nonsense, be positive and smile!
- See more at: http://marnusbroodryk.com/10-south-african-entrepreneurs-under-35-12/#sthash.XZ4I9gxQ.dpuf
It’s a fact, entrepreneurs are changing the world. Now even more than ever. But what’s more exciting is how young these entrepreneurs are. Facebook must be the most well-known example. Founded by (now) 28 year old Mark Zuckerberg, this company has literally changed the world, the way we communicate and do business.
Gone are the days where you need millions to start a business. The biggest marketplace is now available to anyone who has an internet connection – and what a marketplace – billions and billions of consumers! American kids as young as 10 are starting online businesses generating 5 and 6 figure incomes.
A crazy world we live in. But damn, isn’t it exciting?!
And in South Africa it is no different. With a sky high unemployment rate young South African entrepreneurs are now creating jobs for themselves and are making their mark both within the continent and across the globe.
I was recently featured by Nokia as a young entrepreneur and this was the inspiration to find other young entrepreneurs making their mark in South Africa. I have studied a few over the last couple of months and this is my list of 10 entrepreneurs below the age of 35 who are doing amazing things and have achieved great success at a young age (This is a 2 part series – click here to view the 2nd part!):
Ludwick Marishane (22) – @theheadboy
According to the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, Ludwick Marishane is the best student entrepreneur in the world. Ludwick started businesses as a teenager in Limpopo. Many failed, like his own brand of biodiesel, healthy cigarettes and a security magazine. He then started HeadBoy Industries, a business that designs and commercializes new products and services in South Africa. One of its products, DryBath, is the world’s first bath-substituting solution. It is easy to use and needs minimal water. It moisturises the skin, kills germs, and leaves the user smelling fresh. If that is not enough, Ludwick was also named by Google among the 12 most intelligent young brains in the universe.
Rupert Bryant (25) – @waroop
Rupert Bryant is the chief operating officer (COO) and a director at Web Africa, one of South Africa’s most successful Internet Service Providers (ISPs). His involvement in the company started at the age of 16 when Matthew Tagg needed a partner for his new venture, and Rupert was a perfect choice. Rupert was running his own web development company from the age of 14, and when Web Africa started as a hosting provider it was a logical choice for Matthew to join forces with Rupert to build his new web hosting company. They started Web Africa with virtually no capital, and over the last decade have grown it into a company which generates well in excess of R130 million annually and employs 130 people.
Justin Stanford (28) – @JustinStanford
This South African-born entrepreneur is a software industrialist and venture capitalist. It all started for Justin at the age of 13 when he bought raw apple juice and sold it to his classmates for a profit. A few years later he dropped out of school to pursue his entrepreneurial career. But success didn’t come easy and he had two failed businesses under his belt by the time he was 21. Justin fought on and his perseverance paid off when he came across Slovakian anti-virus software package called ESET; he negotiated with its manufacturers and begun its distribution in South Africa. Today, ESET in South Africa sells ESET’s assortment of internet protection products in about 20 sub-Saharan countries, making it an enormously flourishing internet business and Justin heads up the 4D Innovations Group, which includes the venture capital firm, 4Di Capital.
Adii Pienaar (28) – @adii
In my opinion, Adii is one of the most successful young tech entrepreneurs in South Africa. He is a co-founder of WooThemes, a business which has had great success – in an international sense – with millions of dollars in revenue annually. On his website, he describes himself as an entrepreneur, husband and very new father. Following him on Twitter, it is evident that this youngster is well respected in tech circles all over the world. Today, WooThemes is four years old, with 25 employees. The company had no funding and was 100% bootstrapped.
Vinny Lingham (34) – @VinnyLingham
Vinny Lingham is a South African Internet entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Yola Inc., a San Francisco-based Web 2.0 start-up that provides free website building, publishing and hosting services to more than three million active consumers all over the world. The company has engrossed over $30 million in venture capital financing from institutional investors such as Columbus Venture Capital owned by SA’s Johann Rupert’s Richemont Group. He also developed CIick2Customers, a massively flourishing search engine marketing company housed in Cape Town, London and Los Angeles.
5 amazingly successful entrepreneurs each in their own right. With 4 of these entrepreneurs in the tech space, it just shows you again how possible it is to achieve success on an international platform by levering technology.
What do you think of these entrepreneurs? Any other young entrepreneurs making a dent in the universe? Let me know by commenting on the post below.
Also remember to subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Twitter.
Live simply, work hard, eat well, say no to nonsense, be positive and smile!
- See more at: http://marnusbroodryk.com/10-south-african-entrepreneurs-under-35-12/#sthash.XZ4I9gxQ.dpuf
What does it take to become young and successful?
By Pedro De Abreu
@pedrodeabreu
In this guest entreprener blog, Pedro de Abreu catches up with some incredible young entrepreneurs and poses the question - what does it take to become young and successful?
I had the chance to interview some extraordinary young entrepreneurs from an 18 year old serial inventor to a 22 year old venture capitalist who are leaving their marks in the world. In this article, I will share with you the steps they took in order to become, despite their young age, very successful.
1. Find a cause:
I often share in my speeches that the first thing one must do is find a purpose, or define a vision for him or herself. And that is because if one does not know where one is going, one will never get there. It was no different for Sheel Tyle, a 22 year old entrepreneur and associate at venture capital firm NEA. He says that what motivated him to start his own fund and dedicate his life to allocate capital to maximize social impact was the man on the streets of Mumbai haggling 20 rupees down to 19, which equals less than 2 cents in US dollars. It was the young Kenyan entrepreneur who, with a few thousand dollars, could purify water for his local community. These stories, and many more, contributed to ultimately shaping his vision and the cause he wanted to pursue.
In order to find a cause and define a vision for yourself, ask yourself these questions:
What am I passionate about? What are my talents?What does the world need? And how can my talents help solve a specific need?What do I want to be known for?
2. Surround yourself with great people:
Jamie Dunn, 21, shortlisted as one of the top 20 young people in the world, says that the most important step he took towards success was to change his surrounding and the people with whom he spent time.
In his own words, I am a big believer that you are the average of the 5 people you surround yourself with most, and at a specific time in my life I wasn't surrounded by positive people who told me that I could achieve things. Instead, I was surrounded by people who told me that I couldn't. And I used the classic line success doesn't happen to people like us.
When I broke out of that circle out of that mindset that was holding me back and started spending my time with people who encouraged me, I found myself much more confident and actually achieving things.
3. Take action:
The old adage knowledge is power is wrong. At least, partially wrong. You can have the greatest ideas in your head, but if you dont put them into practice, they become worthless. The true mark of success lies in having the courage to invest emotionally, physically and financially in your idea.
Param Jaggi, 18, a successful inventor and a Forbes 30 Under 30 entrepreneur, says that the most important step was when he took his ideas from design into tangible form. He says, There is an interesting dichotomy between people that 'design and talk' about work and others that actually 'build and create.' When I was about 13, I reached a point where I had designed green-technologies on paper. At that point, I took a huge step by going into the lab and actually creating the technologies that I had been envisioning and talking about. To say the least: it was not easy. There is absolutely no glamour behind doing tedious and disruptive lab work. However, there is no greater feeling in the world when you create your first prototype or minimally viable product.
What is preventing you from taking action? What ideas, visions, are you keeping for yourself? Write them down and design a schedule that will help you implement them, little by little.
4. Turn the bad into good:
Rejection is a part of our everyday lives: often a phone call does not go through; a relationship turns sour; an investment does not pay off, and so forth. Instead of dwelling on the negatives, successful entrepreneurs have learned how to find strength in the highs and the lows, ups and downs. So says actress and talk show host Cassandra Perkins, 16. Perkins was bullied from 7th through 8th grade, and left school as a consequence. Shortly after she decided to help other girls who struggled with bullying and self-esteem by becoming a writer, spokes model and columnist for a girls self-esteem magazine.
When you face a challenging situation or rejection, know that those challenges can be used to help you go even further. Dont put your dreams in the backburner because things didnt play out the way you wanted them to. As life coach Veronica Cuyugan tell us, use those challenges and fears as motivating factors to help you succeed.
5. Never, ever give up:
I believe the true mark of entrepreneurs is their ability to never give up, says Vineet Singal, 22, cofounder of Anjna and a Forbes 30 Under 30 social entrepreneur. Singal says of his journey, I conceived of the idea for Anjna back in early 2011, and for the course of a year and a half, struggled to find significant funding and traction. There were countless times where I was on calls and meetings with potential donors who said that they weren't convinced in our vision and path. These failures, he concludes, were the most important periods of us as an organization and for me as a social entrepreneur.
As important as knowing which direction to go to is your ability not to give up until you reach your goals. When obstacles appear; when calls arent returned, remember what brought you to where you are, in the first place. It would make no sense for you to give up now. Keep pushing. Keep striving. Keep facing the sun. For each rejection, ask yourself, What can I do differently? What can I learn from this situation? Finally, say to yourself: I am bigger than this.
By Pedro De Abreu
@pedrodeabreu
In this guest entreprener blog, Pedro de Abreu catches up with some incredible young entrepreneurs and poses the question - what does it take to become young and successful?
I had the chance to interview some extraordinary young entrepreneurs from an 18 year old serial inventor to a 22 year old venture capitalist who are leaving their marks in the world. In this article, I will share with you the steps they took in order to become, despite their young age, very successful.
1. Find a cause:
I often share in my speeches that the first thing one must do is find a purpose, or define a vision for him or herself. And that is because if one does not know where one is going, one will never get there. It was no different for Sheel Tyle, a 22 year old entrepreneur and associate at venture capital firm NEA. He says that what motivated him to start his own fund and dedicate his life to allocate capital to maximize social impact was the man on the streets of Mumbai haggling 20 rupees down to 19, which equals less than 2 cents in US dollars. It was the young Kenyan entrepreneur who, with a few thousand dollars, could purify water for his local community. These stories, and many more, contributed to ultimately shaping his vision and the cause he wanted to pursue.
In order to find a cause and define a vision for yourself, ask yourself these questions:
What am I passionate about? What are my talents?What does the world need? And how can my talents help solve a specific need?What do I want to be known for?
2. Surround yourself with great people:
Jamie Dunn, 21, shortlisted as one of the top 20 young people in the world, says that the most important step he took towards success was to change his surrounding and the people with whom he spent time.
In his own words, I am a big believer that you are the average of the 5 people you surround yourself with most, and at a specific time in my life I wasn't surrounded by positive people who told me that I could achieve things. Instead, I was surrounded by people who told me that I couldn't. And I used the classic line success doesn't happen to people like us.
When I broke out of that circle out of that mindset that was holding me back and started spending my time with people who encouraged me, I found myself much more confident and actually achieving things.
3. Take action:
The old adage knowledge is power is wrong. At least, partially wrong. You can have the greatest ideas in your head, but if you dont put them into practice, they become worthless. The true mark of success lies in having the courage to invest emotionally, physically and financially in your idea.
Param Jaggi, 18, a successful inventor and a Forbes 30 Under 30 entrepreneur, says that the most important step was when he took his ideas from design into tangible form. He says, There is an interesting dichotomy between people that 'design and talk' about work and others that actually 'build and create.' When I was about 13, I reached a point where I had designed green-technologies on paper. At that point, I took a huge step by going into the lab and actually creating the technologies that I had been envisioning and talking about. To say the least: it was not easy. There is absolutely no glamour behind doing tedious and disruptive lab work. However, there is no greater feeling in the world when you create your first prototype or minimally viable product.
What is preventing you from taking action? What ideas, visions, are you keeping for yourself? Write them down and design a schedule that will help you implement them, little by little.
4. Turn the bad into good:
Rejection is a part of our everyday lives: often a phone call does not go through; a relationship turns sour; an investment does not pay off, and so forth. Instead of dwelling on the negatives, successful entrepreneurs have learned how to find strength in the highs and the lows, ups and downs. So says actress and talk show host Cassandra Perkins, 16. Perkins was bullied from 7th through 8th grade, and left school as a consequence. Shortly after she decided to help other girls who struggled with bullying and self-esteem by becoming a writer, spokes model and columnist for a girls self-esteem magazine.
When you face a challenging situation or rejection, know that those challenges can be used to help you go even further. Dont put your dreams in the backburner because things didnt play out the way you wanted them to. As life coach Veronica Cuyugan tell us, use those challenges and fears as motivating factors to help you succeed.
5. Never, ever give up:
I believe the true mark of entrepreneurs is their ability to never give up, says Vineet Singal, 22, cofounder of Anjna and a Forbes 30 Under 30 social entrepreneur. Singal says of his journey, I conceived of the idea for Anjna back in early 2011, and for the course of a year and a half, struggled to find significant funding and traction. There were countless times where I was on calls and meetings with potential donors who said that they weren't convinced in our vision and path. These failures, he concludes, were the most important periods of us as an organization and for me as a social entrepreneur.
As important as knowing which direction to go to is your ability not to give up until you reach your goals. When obstacles appear; when calls arent returned, remember what brought you to where you are, in the first place. It would make no sense for you to give up now. Keep pushing. Keep striving. Keep facing the sun. For each rejection, ask yourself, What can I do differently? What can I learn from this situation? Finally, say to yourself: I am bigger than this.
How to Create Habits Like a Millionaire and Live Your Perfect Day
Do you wish you could wakeup and have your perfect day everyday?
Ever wonder what the habits of the most successful people on the planet are like?
This is exactly what Jaime Tardy wondered when she started the Eventual Millionaire Podcast. Since then she has interviewed over 150 millionaires and become an expert on building systems in your business to free up two of our most finite resources, money and time.
Listen in as Jaime and I dive into exactly what she has learned from these millionaires and how we can put it into use in our everyday lives.
Quoteables
“Your time is leaking out of a bucket!”
“It goes back to the Michael Gerber E-myth mentality, where you want to be working on your business instead of in your business.”
“Entrepreneurs unfortunately think they can do it all themselves… but if you make an incredible hire, you say why didn’t I do this earlier?”
“What are the pieces and parts of my business I’m doing right now and how do I delegate them and where is the bottleneck?”
“Entrepreneur or not, people need to let stuff go!”
Read more at http://under30ceo.com/how-to-create-habits-like-a-millionaire-and-live-your-perfect-day/#Sg316x9gKslvsgOk.99
We often evaluate others but have you ever stopped to evaluate yourself?
What do you base your evaluations on?
Brent Beshore is the founder of Adventur.es where he invests in early and late stage companies. As an expert on evaluating small businesses and people he talks about the top 3 things he looks for when evaluating an entrepreneur and how he even evaluates himself.
We dive into his journey to live a healthier lifestyle, and more importantly his thoroughness in getting to the bottom of what he was trying to learn. His main piece of advice: “Make sure you hit bottom before you look up.”
Quotables
“Do what you love, in a place that you enjoy, with people that you admire”
“Everyone is living someone else’s highlight reel”
“Life is just an accumulation of decisions”
“I decided to treat myself like one of my companies”
“Wisdom is the ability to take your own advice”
“Earn your carbs”
“Focus on quality of life metrics more than anything else”
“Laziness bordering on sloth can be the right decision in many situations”
“Everyone has to find their own path”
“Try to get to the bottom of whatever you’re trying to learn”
“Make sure you hit bottom before you look up”
Get the podcast on your phone or listen below!
Read more at http://under30ceo.com/how-to-evaluate-yourself-and-the-people-around-you-with-brent-beshore/#P86JZYwptwQOzcbC.99
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