10 Famous Failures to Success Stories That Will Inspire You to Carry On

Ever since the dark ages and way before that, people have always had this burning desire to succeed. There’s been a struggle to stand out from the crowd, to be the alpha, to outdo the competition.

Human beings have been devising means and ways to make their lives better, more bearable, and comfortable. With advancements in language, knowledge, and technology we’ve been able to do amazing things. Survival is engraved in our DNA, it is the very fabric of our existence.

Throughout history, man has had failures alongside success.

The ability to always stand after failing repeatedly is what draws us closer to success. There are lessons to be learned from failure, it makes us better. You can achieve greatness in whatever capacity you’re seeking.

Talking about success is not meaningful without having some examples to emulate. We learn from people who have faced failure and lived to tell an entirely different tale. A tale of success.

People who were absolutely nobody but who never gave up and became living icons. We’ll cover stories of ten people who started from nothing but rose to be the best at what they do.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

If this isn’t the greatest story of persistence, then I don’t know what is. From losing eight elections, failing twice in business, and almost suffering a nervous breakdown, Abraham Lincoln never gave up, and he became the 16th President of the United States of America.

Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 to Nancy and Thomas Lincoln in a one-room cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky.

He taught himself law and passed the bar exam in 1836.

He was a very staunch advocate of the abolition of slavery. Even though he was unpopular because of his political stance against the Mexican-American war, the Republicans chose him as their preferred presidential candidate and he did not disappoint, he was inaugurated in March 1861 as the 16th president of United States of America.

On April 4, 1865 he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, a confederate sympathizer. Abraham Lincoln once said, “Nothing valuable can be lost by taking the time.” True to his words, that’s the life he lived.

STEVE JOBS

You’re probably reading this article on an iPhone or your MacBook, and you may or may not have a clue as to the story behind your electronic gadgets. The bite of the Apple logo is a bite connected to the success of Steve Jobs. He was an iconic billionaire, inventor, and entrepreneur.

Born in 1955, Job’s life wasn’t as rosy. He always felt unwanted, put up for adoption by his mother, and raised by a blue-collar couple in Palo Alto, California.

He dropped out of college and took courses that were more appealing to him instead of completing his university degree.

He co-founded Apple in 1976 with his friend Steve Wozniak. At the height of its success, Steve Jobs resigned from Apple after a fall out with John Scully, whom he had hired as a marketer from Pepsi.

With Steve out of the picture, Apple was on the verge of bankruptcy, but NeXT founded by Jobs was thriving. NeXT was gained by Apple in 1997, bringing him back into the fold of a new struggling company.

The Think Different commercial narrated by Steve Jobs best describes his philosophy. You can check out the commercial here

JIM CARREY

Born in 1962, Jim Carrey is a renowned comedian, actor, and entrepreneur. He wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth. His family had severe financial problems that forced them to all work at the Titan Wheels Factory.

Jim Carrey worked 8-hour shifts as a janitor. They lived in a VW Camper Van after leaving their factory jobs until they could afford enough to move to a decent house.

He dropped out of high school to pursue his passion for acting. In 1979 at 17 years he moved to Los Angeles and found his way into a regular stand up gig at the comedy store on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood.

After a 5 year failed marriage, Carrey threw himself into acting roles. In 1990, after 11 years of trying to pursue his dreams, he got his break to appear on a show called, in living color.

He got his big break in 1994 after getting a role to star in the film Ace Ventura. The rest as they say is history.

CHRIS GARDNER

Now this is what I consider a story of resilience. A story of someone that never gave up on their dream despite the many obstacles that life threw at him.

Born in 1954, Chris Gardner had a very rough upbringing, his father was ever absent, his mother and siblings suffered abuse at the hands of his stepfather. He was always in and out of foster homes.

In 1977, Gardener married Sherry Dyson. He left her after a 3-month affair with another woman who became pregnant with his child. His son was born in 1981, he used to sell medical equipment to support his family.

His business was suffering a great deal, but he remained committed to living a better life one day. His life changed when he met a man driving a red Ferrari who led him on a career path to becoming a stockbroker.

He did not have it easy though, his journey was marred with struggle. He suffered an eviction notice, was homeless, got divorced, went to jail before reaching the ACME of success.

He documented his success story in his biography, “The Pursuit of Happyness.” It was adapted into a movie in which will smith starred as Chris Gardner.

Chris gardener once said, “You got a dream… You got to protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they want to tell you you can’t do it. If you want something, go get it. Period.”

MADONNA CICCONE

Popularly referred to as the Queen of Pop, Madonna is an American Pop culture Icon. She was born in 1958 in Michigan, her father was an engineer in the automotive industry.

She lost her mother to breast cancer at the age of 5 years, which impacted her life. She dropped out of university in 1978 to pursue her dreams of being a professional dancer.

She took a job at Dunkin doughnuts to support herself. She was fired for squirting jelly accidentally on a customer. She took on random jobs whenever she could thereafter.

She pushed on and landed small parts singing and performing with bands such as The Breakfast Club. She got her big break in 1982 at 24 years after debuting her single Everybody followed by Burning up which both became huge club hits.

She released her self-titled album Madonna and has since then become an icon.

OPRAH WINFREY

Behind all the glam, lights, camera, and action is a gut-wrenching story of persistence, resilience, and determination all packed in Oprah Winfrey.

She was born in 1954 in Kosciusko, Mississippi to a single teenage mother. She lived in abject poverty under the care of her grandmother. In her early years, Oprah was sexually molested by her cousin, uncle, and a family friend.

At 13 years she ran away from home, became pregnant at the age of 14, and gave birth prematurely to a baby that died shortly after birth. She won a beauty pageant at 17 years and became a news anchor in Nashville after College.

In 1983 at 29 she relocated to Chicago and took over a fledgling show called AM Chicago which would ultimately become The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Today she is a multi-billionaire and has impacted the world in major ways.

KATY PERRY

Born in 1984 in Santa Barbara California, Katy’s family faced severe struggles. They had to survive on food stamps just to get by. In 1999, she dropped out of high school to pursue music full time.

Her big break came in 2007 when she signed with Capitol Records. She released the hit song I kissed a girl in 2008 when she was 24 years old. It took her nine years to achieve the success she had envisioned.

RICHARD BRANSON

Born in 1950, Richard is an English Billionaire, Entrepreneur, and Business Mogul.

In the late ’60s, Branson started the student magazine where he interviewed prominent people. He also sold records through the magazine at discounted rates. He opened a record shop in 1971.

By 1992, at 42 years of age, he created Virgin Atlantic and the Virgin Megastore. To keep the airline afloat, he was pressured into selling the record label or have to suffer a major financial failure and loss in the airline industry.

He sold the label to EMI for 500 million sterling pounds and was distraught after this because the record business was his first Love into the business world. The airline Virgin Atlantic became a sensational success.

WALT DISNEY

If there’s one person who believed in his dream was Walt Disney. He was fired on grounds of a lack of imagination in 1919 while working at a local newspaper, Kansas City Star. He was not demoralized and started a multi-billion company.

He had previously started a company called Laugh-O-Gram producing cartoon animations. His biggest client then was Newman’s theaters. In 1923, his company declared bankruptcy.

It was after moving to Hollywood to stay with his brother they founded the Disney Brothers Studio, which would later become the Walt Disney Company.

Disney created Mickey Mouse in 1928, and things took a turn for the best from thereon.

SYLVESTER STALLONE

Born in 1946, Sylvester Stallone is an American actor and director best known for his role as Rocky Balboa in the hit boxing film, Rocky.

He moved to New York in the 1920s to pursue his dream of being an actor. He always faced rejection due to the way he walked and talked. He was so broke that at one point in his life he had to sell his dog for 25 dollars to pay up his electricity bill. He worked many jobs just to make ends meet. He cleaned cages at a zoo, ushered at a movie theater, and even appeared in an adult film.

After writing the script for Rocky, he was offered a tremendous amount of money with one caveat-that he does not star in the film. He refused time and again but eventually accepted an offer of 35,000 dollars and a percentage of the film’s sales. The film grossed over 200 million dollars in the box office.

LESSON LEARNED FROM THESE SUCCESS STORIES

The best way an impact is made from anything is having a lesson to learn. Having something to look back at and emulate. The stories of these famous failures to success stories have and will mold many people to become the best versions of themselves.

Some lessons I have learned from these success stories are:-

You don’t need a formal education to succeed

Most of the success stories we’ve read or heard of are of people who dropped out of school. This does not mean that education is not important, but not synonymous with success.

You need to be persistent

For you to become successful you need to be persistent with your dream. You need to withstand any obstacles that come your way and pick yourself up whenever you fall.

You need to believe in yourself

For any success, however small, it all begins with the right mindset. how much do you believe in yourself and your dream? Have a goal and pursue it to the very end.

You need to keep off the naysayers

On your way to success, not everyone will believe in you. You’ll have people who will want to discourage you and tell you how much you can’t and won’t make it. Develop a thick skin and to keep such negativity at bay.

You need to be consistent

By doing something repeatedly, we become good at it, we get a better understanding of it. The more we want something and strive at being the best at it, the more the stars align in our favor.

In most success stories, the people involved did not stop doing what they loved most. They found innovative ways to rebuild whenever they hit a brick wall.

Find your purpose

There are times we find ourselves lost and disoriented, times we feel like we were not meant to exist at all. By asking ourselves the right questions, we’ll always be on the right track to success.

We need to ask ourselves, what do we want? why do we want it? how can we get it? finding answers to these questions can greatly help us in defining our purpose.

Stop Procrastinating

Time is a very crucial aspect of getting anything done. By assigning tasks to some level of importance, you get more done. Don’t engage in idle tasks.

Be mindful of other people

We cannot fully achieve success by ourselves. We need people to hold us and lead us by the hand so we can achieve massive success. We need not burn any bridges on our journey to success, especially if we’re aspiring to become entrepreneurs.

Push yourself

There’s no limit or measure to success. Most successful people push themselves to do more. They spend more time working on their dreams and are never satisfied with just enough.

They’ll go beyond their schedules just to achieve some desired results and they’ll always strive to be better every time.

You need not be a workaholic. A few extra hours each week will do the trick. The beauty of pushing yourself is the fact that should you fail you’ll still feel like a success since you’ll have put in your best.

IN CONCLUSION

Successes Success Story Guide

A success story shows how Local Workforce Innovation Area (LWIA) programs are making a difference in people’s lives. More than a list of events or activities, it describes a positive change and shows how that change benefits you and the people of Illinois. A good success story uses evidence to show the value of programs.

You can write a success story about a program, workshop or training opportunity that is particularly noteworthy and significant. It may be about how an employer worked with an employment program or about how a person gained personal employment.

Whatever you choose to write about, your story should show how participating with the LWIA program is making Illinois a better place to live – for individuals, families, organizations, businesses, local governments and communities.

8 Stories of Successful Entrepreneurs that Will Inspire You on Your Journey

The path to success is not always easy – just ask aspiring entrepreneurs, and they will tell you the tiresome, persistent process that has kept them awake on many nights. As you continue to pursue your career dreams, reading up on some successful entrepreneurship stories can help boost morale, especially if you already have a business plan, have taken out a loan, and have found a space, and all you need is a boost of encouragement.

After all, starting a business from scratch is one of the scariest things in the world. Instead of thinking about all the things that could go wrong, think about the things that could go right and how one day, your name could fall in the list of best entrepreneur stories. Of course, if you read up on any entrepreneurship success story, you will find that most successful businessmen have gone through their fair share of struggles. Many of them failed but continued to pursue their goals relentlessly. Remember, perseverance is the key to success.

If you are just starting out your career, we understand that you may feel overwhelmed and may also want to quit. However, here are some successful entrepreneurs in the world and their stories to lift your spirits:

MaryBeth Hyland- Founder of Spark Vision

One of the most inspiring entrepreneur’s stories is of MaryBeth Hyland. She faced loads of abuse during her early life, which led her to question her self-worth. However, she delved into creating her own company, despite all her struggles. Spark Vision is a company that collaborates with other businesses and encourages them to maintain a collaborative office workplace, moving away from the toxic office culture.

Hyland has excelled in millennial engagement as she aims for her business to help businesses build close bonds with their employees. Her survival is an inspiration for all of us, especially because she uses her past experiences to connect with people. Hyland believes that all the ugly things she went through in life have helped her succeed, creating a name for her in the list of top entrepreneurship success stories.

The lesson we learn through Hyland’s story is that even the most successful entrepreneurs have a past. They are not as unbreakable as they seem. However, using your past and your experiences to help you excel is one of the biggest strengths that many people acquire to have. Hyland had a troubled childhood. However, instead of letting her life being taken away from her and being a victim of her experiences, she used the pain and hurt to motivate her and create a wonderful business that promotes a healthy office culture.

Eric Yuan – Founder of Zoom

Without Zoom, can you imagine what quarantine would have been like, especially since businesses and schools have turned to the platform to carry out their day-to-day tasks and activities? However, once you find out how Zoom came into existence, you will be shocked.

During the era of the internet boom – mid-’90s- Eric Yuan entered the US from China. However, it took eight tries as each time he applied for a visa, it was denied. He kept at it because he believed that he could do great things. Patience and perseverance kept him going. Finally, when he applied for a US visa the ninth time, he was approved! However, the entire process took two years.

Yuan worked for a Silicon Valley communication startup initially, and by 2012, he introduced Zoom to the world. Yuan did not want distance to be a significant factor in communication. He did not want lives to be based around a 12-hour train journey. Instead, he aimed for virtual communication techniques so that long-distance was no longer an issue.

Today, 750,000 companies use Zoom. It is used to connect businesses via video and audio conferencing, shared workplaces, chats, and more. The face-to-face video conferencing allows people to see each other in real-time, making communication more realistic and humanistic. It has also allowed millions of employees to work from home and communicate with their workplaces, giving many people a chance to apply to businesses offshore.

Yuan, like millions of other immigrants, had a hard time entering the country of his dreams. However, this did not discourage him. In fact, one of the reasons why Yuan’s entrepreneurship story is inspiring is because of his sheer determination and persistent nature. Having a success story of entrepreneurs is not easy. However, don’t give up, even if you have to wait a few years for your dreams to come true.

Sheila Lirio Marcelo- Founder of

When looking for successful entrepreneur stories, Marcelo’s could not be missed. She started her company, in 2006, as a young mom. is an online database that gets caregivers in touch with those who want someone authentic to care for their loved ones or children while they are at work. Even though no one can replace the bond you share with your loved ones, the caregivers working via are skilled, compassionate, and responsible.

Marcelo got the idea to start this company because of her own personal experience. As a young working mom, she had to juggle her time between work, taking care of her children, and tending to her aging parents. Coupled with all the responsibilities, deadlines, and constant need to give support, Marcelo found herself buried deep in work. She wished to start a company for people, such as herself, who needed an extra hand in times of need. Today, is one of the most popular companies that is making its mark in the care industry.

What makes Marcelo’s company a story of successful entrepreneurs is that she had a need and was able to recognize other working people who may have the same need. Her niche market was clear-cut, and coupled with her personal experiences, she wished to make a difference and to ease people’s lives. Creating a platform to help find caregivers for people has been a huge success for Marcelo.

John Paul DeJoria– Founder of Patron Spirits and House of Blues

Are you familiar with Paul Mitchell hair products and Patron tequila? The one thing you might not is what these brands have in common. John Paul DeJoria is the mastermind behind both these companies, but he did not start off as a billionaire. In fact, his journey to success has been extremely difficult. Yet, he has managed to inspire millions and get his name included in the top stories of successful business entrepreneurs.

When DeJoria was 22, he had a two-and-a-half-year-old son and was on the streets. He has worked as a newspaper courier, janitor, and tow truck driver in the early years of his life to earn his bread and butter. Eventually, he started a new job at a hair care company and was introduced to Paul Mitchell.

From the start, DeJoria had a strong entrepreneurship vision. He was a determined boy who was not going to let the universe get in the way of his dreams. He partnered with Paul Mitchell, and with a loan of $700, both of them went on to build an empire which is today famously known as John Paul Mitchell Systems. DeJoria didn’t stop there. His thirst for success only became stronger. He went on to found Patron Spirits and co-founded the House of Blue chains. Today, DeJoria is also a philanthropist who fights for social issues. He helps provide resources to homeless people and continues to fight for justice.

DeJoria teaches us that you do not have to be born rich to become a successful entrepreneur story. You can be completely self-made and start from scratch if you have a clear vision, determination, and resilience. Hearing inspiring stories of people who went from nothing to everything is indeed inspiring.

Jan Koum- Founder of WhatsApp

For most people around the world, WhatsApp has become a very important part of their lives. In fact, many of us cannot imagine life without it. Even though there are other platforms that can be used to maintain long-distance relationships and day-to-day conversations between family and friends, a lot of us rely on the brilliant social media platform WhatsApp. However, you may not know the entrepreneur success story of Jan Koum, the founder of WhatsApp.

Koum comes from a small village in Ukraine. He was not born with abundant wealth. In fact, his struggling family moved to California when Koum was young as they were unable to make ends meet in Ukraine. When in California, Koum started to read more about computers whenever he got time. His interest started to develop, and by the age of 18, he had some brilliant skills computing skills. By 1997, he joined Yahoo! ‘s team as an infrastructure engineer. It is important to note that Koum educated himself and turned his hobby into a profession that could earn him billions someday.

Koum stayed a part of Yahoo! For a total of 10 years before he started to notice the boom of the app industry in 2009. He took a leap of faith and used his knowledge, skillset, and experience to launch WhatsApp Inc. Within just a few years, mainly by 2014, WhatsApp became one of the most popular social media applications known to mankind. Soon, Facebook purchased Koum’s application for a total of $19 billion.

The legendary founder of WhatsApp has a successful entrepreneur’s story because he was able to make the most of his circumstances. He did not have his father’s income or family money to fall back on. Instead, he studied and pursued his passion, and his hard work paid off.

How to Create a Messaging Application

Sophia Amoruso

When delving into successful entrepreneur’s stories, Amoruso falls high on our list. She was diagnosed with ADHD when she was very young and could not cope at school. As a result, she was taken out of the education system. During her early years, she worked odd jobs and would waitress at restaurants, such as Subway. After her parents got divorced, Amoruso moved to Sacramento, CA. There, she had no money and spent her life hitchhiking, shoplifting, and stealing from dustbins.

However, in 2006, Amoruso had had enough. She wanted to get back on track and make a successful living. She started selling vintage clothes under the name Nasty Gal Vintage on eBay. Even though growth was slow initially, she did not give up. By 2008, her revenue shot up to $223,000, and by 2011, it stood at approximately $23 million. In fact, the New York Times also did a cover on her and named her the “Cinderella of Tech.”

Amoruso’s entrepreneur story has evolved over time. She has also written a book about her life and experience. This became a TV series and was aired by Netflix. Even though she is no longer the CEO of Nasty Gal, she singlehandedly made $20 million by collaborating with huge retail brands, such as Boohoo. In 2017, Amoruso became the founder of Girlboss Media. Her aim was to create a lifestyle magazine that focused mainly on entertaining millennial women.

Amoruso’s story of successful entrepreneurship teaches us that sometimes, life does not go as planned. Being born poor is one of the greatest struggles you may face. Even though you find yourself lost and struggling, and you may believe that the path never gets better, it is important to hold on. At some point, you must snap out of it and realize that only you have the power to change your life. Amoruso did just that. She did not let a few bad years affect her entire life. Entire, she decided to take things into her own hands and started small. Bit by bit, she grew and seized opportunities. Today, she has a brilliant story of successful entrepreneurship.

Pierre Omidyar- Founder of eBay

Do you want to know something super surprising? Paris-born Pierre Omidyar spent his prime years as a software developer who was jumping from gig to gig. In 1995, he launched an auction website and named it Auction Web. The idea behind this was to get rid of the possessions that he did not use and were taking space in his house. What seemed useless to Omidyar became worthy possessions to others. As soon as Omidyar realized this, all his focus was shifted towards his website, and soon enough, it began to grow. Over the next few years, a huge number of transactions took place each and every day. Eventually, Omidyar renamed the website and started marketing it as eBay.

In 1998, the website was publicly offered. This meant that Omidyar was now an entrepreneurship success story. He became a billionaire almost instantly. In fact, in 2018, his net worth was more than $11 billion. To this very day, eBay continues to dominate the market. It is definitely a success, even though several other enterprises have entered the market and are trying to compete with the initial auction website. Omidyar is also a famous philanthropist and has worked as a producer for many Hollywood firms. Talk about not putting all your eggs in one basket, are we right?

Pierre Omidyar may never have dreamt of becoming this big of an entrepreneur. He used his experience as a software developer and his absolute boredom to start selling things that were readily available in his house. As soon as he realized a common need, he knew he had to expand and commercialize. He seized a wonderful opportunity and took full advantage of it. Soon enough, he was able to build a platform that sold a variety of things to customers from different parts of the country. What makes this an interesting entrepreneur story is that Omidyar managed to invest in a side business- he used his creativity to become a well-known producer, making sure that his revenue continued to increase.

Richard Branson

When discussing successful entrepreneurs and their stories, it is not possible for Richard Branson to stay off the list. For 40 years of his life, he switched from business to business, eager to try his hand at everything. This is incredible for someone who was never a good student and often struggled at school, was diagnosed with dyslexia at a very young age, and also received the title of Virgin when he started his first business. This was because of the mindset that he was a virgin at business, despite his age.

Despite all the laughs and mocks, Branson made a name for himself with his first enterprise. In the 1960s, he started importing and re-selling music records and also started managing the Student magazine. Due to his hard work, he was able to open up a record store in 1971 in London. Just like any other successful entrepreneur and their story, Branson was smart about reinvesting his money. He used it to build his very own company from scratch called Virgin Records. He built his name by using the contacts he had made when interviewing people for the Student, such as the famous band, the Rolling Stones.

From then on, Branson kick-started his career. He developed a number of products that became extremely famous in the market. He also provided services in a number of industries, such as aviation, media, beverages, and rail transport (to name a few). Today, his net worth has been estimated to $4.9 billion as Branson continues to invest his profits in numerous businesses and companies.

Branson is an example for young entrepreneurs who struggle to decide what they want to do in life. Many people find themselves in similar boats where they want to try everything before settling on a single career. Branson was able to do so. Even though he was humiliated by the common public every now and then, he proved them all wrong by becoming a successful entrepreneur.

Bottom Line

Our advice to young entrepreneurs looking to be successful, earn billions, and make a name for themselves is to gain inspiration from stories of successful entrepreneurs in the world. Many entrepreneurs mentioned in this article started from absolutely nothing. The only thing all of them had in common was determination. All these entrepreneurs, regardless of their education, resources, or fields that they initially excelled in, were able to believe in themselves and create their own startups through their constant hard work, talent, and creativity.

In life, you will come across countless opportunities. The one thing that will help you stand out from your peers is knowing what opportunity to seize. Even though it is wise to take your time to decide what career you want to go towards, remember that time is of the essence. Hence, you only have a limited amount of time to show the world what you are capable of- make sure not to waste it.

If you have an idea, you must figure out opportunities to execute it. After all, what is stopping you? Starting your own business is as easy as it gets. All you need is patience, consistency, and of course, determination. Who knows? You could end up on a list of stories of successful entrepreneurs in the future!