Some call them dreamers, yet they can name us sleepers. Those that dare to go out on a limb and risk everything for something they believe in are often rewarded with triumph and wealth.
It’s rare that success stories don’t originally contain hardships and setbacks. These days, new-age entrepreneurs are looking to find prosperity through the internet in online stores, in the footprints of giants Amazon and eBay.
Looking to the past however, detailed are some incredibly prosperous business people who endured yet eventually overcame their fair share of adversities.
Henry Ford, the man behind the powerful car manufacturer, Ford Motor Company, had bad luck and eventual bankruptcy in 1901, with his first effort of the Detroit Automobile Company. He later founded the Henry Ford Company in the following year, yet left after a heavy financial dispute with his business partners.
In 1903, Ford set up the company we know today, even though he nearly crippled the business due to differences over design updates, after a once-successful Model T car began to decline in sales.
However, it would be the new Model A automobile that eventually launched the successful company. Ford himself discussed bouncing back from difficulties: “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”
James Dyson, creator of the hugely popular and revolutionary bagless Dyson vacuum cleaner, initially went through an incredible 15 years and 5,126 failed designs before finally landing success.
Launched in 1993, the DA001 model was the first design sold using the patented “Dual Cyclone” technology and consequently, James Dyson is now worth a Forbes estimated $4.8 billion as of now. He spoke of his primary failure and subsequent fame with Entreprenauer.com in 2012.
Before going on to make universally loved films such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Bambi, Disney first formed Laugh-O-Gram Studios in 1921 that eventually led to his bankruptcy.
A bad distribution deal was made with Pictorial Clubs, as the idea was to ship Laugh-O-Gram’s cartoons from Kansas to the New York distributor, yet payment would only be received after at least six films.
Following the failure, Disney moved to California with nothing but a suitcase and light clothing, ultimately producing a successful cartoon named “Oswald the Lucky Rabbit” in 1927. However, Walt barely profited with Universal Pictures controlling the rights to the character.
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Not to be deterred, Disney finally rose to fame and fortune with his own studio when he released the cartoon “Steamboat Willie” in 1928, additionally creating one of the most recognizable characters in the world: Mickey Mouse.
Think of these stories as evidence, that even the greatest hindrance can sometimes be no match for a determination to succeed.