Famous People Who Failed at Their First Attempt

There are so many famous people who would not be famous today if not for their persistence. We are all going to fail. Keep trying. Make it happen for yourself.

Famous People who Failed

1. Walt Disney: Walt Disney faced multiple failures and rejections in his early career. His first animation studio went bankrupt, and he was fired from a newspaper for lacking creativity. Yet, he went on to create one of the most iconic entertainment empires in the world.
2. J.K. Rowling: The author of the immensely popular “Harry Potter” series faced rejection from multiple publishers before one finally accepted her manuscript. Today, she’s one of the world’s best-selling authors.
3. Thomas Edison: Edison is famous for his numerous attempts and failures while inventing the light bulb. He once said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
4. Albert Einstein: The brilliant physicist didn’t speak until he was four and was labeled as slow by his teachers. He went on to develop the theory of relativity and win a Nobel Prize.
5. Oprah Winfrey: Before becoming a media mogul, Oprah was fired from her job as a television reporter because she was considered “unfit for TV.”
6. Stephen King: The best-selling author’s first novel, “Carrie,” was rejected by 30 publishers. He threw the manuscript away, but his wife encouraged him to resubmit it, and it eventually became a hit.
7. Henry Ford: Ford’s first two automobile companies failed before he founded the Ford Motor Company and revolutionized the automobile industry with the Model T.
8. Marilyn Monroe: Monroe’s early modeling and acting career was marked by rejection. She was told she wasn’t pretty or talented enough. However, she went on to become one of the most iconic actresses in history.
9. Elvis Presley: Before becoming the “King of Rock and Roll,” Presley was told by a talent manager that he should go back to driving a truck.
10. Colonel Sanders: The founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) didn’t find success until he was in his 60s. He faced numerous rejections when trying to franchise his recipe.

Leadership Quotes:

• “Eagles don’t flock – you have to find them one at a time.” ~ H. Ross Perot
• “My job is not to be easy on people. My job is to make them better.” ~ Steve Jobs
• “Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish.”  ~ Sam Walton
• “To have long term success as a coach or in any position of leadership, you have to be obsessed in some way.”   ~ Pat Riley
• “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”   ~ John Quincy Adams
• “Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily; even if you had no title or position.” ~ Brian Tracy
• “To lead people, walk behind them.”   ~ Lao Tzu

Leadership and Motivational Blogs.

• Don’t let fear keep you from your dreams. Amazing story.
• Famous Failures – Michael Jordan, Albert Einstein, Oprah Winfrey…
• Hard Times. Don’t Give Up – Motivational Video
• I am a champion – the greatest coach speech ever. 
• IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING – Motivational Video.
• Inspiration: High school player gives epic speech. Never give up.
• Inspiration: Look at yourself after watching this.  No Arms, No Legs, No Problem.
• Inspirational Moments: Remember the Titans.
• Inspirational True Story. Don’t Give Up!  Very popular video.
• Leadership Quotes by Presidents, CEOs, Coaches, Generals …
• Martin Luther King, Jr. – I Have A Dream Speech.
• Need motivation? Rocky II – Rocky’s Run.
• Nicholas James Vujicic. No arms, No legs, No worries!
• ONE SHOT. Make your dreams come true. – Motivational Video.
• Oprah Winfrey on Career, Life and Leadership.
• Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things. We are all capable of extraordinary things.
• Peter Senge – Organizational Learning Expert.
• PROVE THEM WRONG – Motivational Video.
• The Essence of Leadership. General Colin Powell.
• Unstoppable – Motivational Video.
• Zig Ziglar – Attitude makes all the difference.

“The word impossible has been and must remain deleted from our dictionary.” ~Ingvar Kamprad, founder and CEO of IKEA.

“What’s dangerous is not to evolve.” ~Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.

“I’m a normal guy.” ~Jack Ma, founder and CEO of Alibaba.