We share the following anecdotes in the spirit
of inspiration and motivation we all need from time to time. Please enjoy
each and pass them on to others in that same spirit.
Jay Leno
failed the employment test at Woolworth’s. He went on to become a
popular stand-up comedian and then Johnny Carson’s successor as host of
The Tonight Show.
As a
teenager, Joey Barrow was teased for being a “fiddle-playing sissy.”
Joey gave up violin lessons for sparring in a gym. At age 23, he became
the heavyweight champion of the world: the “Brown Bomber”… Joe Louis.
Can you
picture famed country singer Willie Nelson selling encyclopedias and
vacuum cleaners? Well, that’s exactly what he did or at least tried to
do. Later, frustrated by his failed attempt to make it as a musician, he
tried pig farming. Refusing to give up, he became a country music
superstar boasting dozens of million sellers and even starred in several
movies such as Electric Horseman and Wag The Dog.
As a
student at Yale University in the 60's, Fred Smith created a detailed
term paper suggesting a business plan for a futuristic overnight
delivery service. Unimpressed, his professor offered an average grade of
“C.” That grade may well have been the inspiration that led Smith to
borrow over $200 million to launch Federal Express in 1973. Still acting
as President and CEO, Fred Smith earns an annual salary of near $1.5
million. I wonder what that professor is doing today.
Ray Kroc,
the late founder of McDonald’s, started selling paper cups to support
his family. At age 52, he was selling milk shake machines when he called
on a small fast food restaurant owned by the McDonald brothers. He
quickly visualized the possibilities of franchising this unique approach
to fast food, bought the rights from the brothers, and went on to build
McDonalds into a multi-billion dollar business in just 22 years! It took
IBM 46 years and Xerox 63 years to reach that level of sales.
Harry K. Jones is a professional speaker
and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a firm
specializing in custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting
services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as
change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting,
leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries,
including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and
manufacturing. He can be reached at 800-886-2MAX or by visiting
http://www.AchieveMax.com.
Publication Date: Winter 2003
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