As an American investor, entrepreneur, apparel developer, and motivational speaker, Daymond John has inspired millions with his story of success. His innovative business mindset has sparked economic growth across the globe while allowing him to become a leader in many industries. John is also the mastermind behind the iconic hip-hop apparel company known as FUBU, which helped him become one of the most successful and richest entrepreneurs in history. So in consideration of his many impressive accomplishments, we aim to unravel a few of his best success insights in this Daymond John Success Story special.

How can someone go from humble beginnings of selling homemade t-shirts on the streets of Queens, New York, to becoming an international superstar? Well, there’s no doubt that Daymond John’s story will leave us clues to such questions, as most success stories tend to do. So, if you’re ready to discover what his particular success story can teach, let’s dive right in.

THE DAYMOND JOHN STORY OF SUCCESS

An Entrepreneurial Spirit From the Start

On February 23rd, 1969, Daymond John was born and raised in the lower middle-class neighborhood of Hollis, Queens in New York City. His parents continuously reminded him that in order to achieve success, hard work was necessary.

Unfortunately, his parents eventually opted to go their separate ways and filed for divorce while he was still young. In fact, when Daymond was just ten years old, his father abruptly left, and hasn’t been seen or heard from since.

This was a big even in John’s life, as it forced him to become the man of the house and stronger emotionally; considering this event also transformed his mother into a single parent who now had to take on all of the household responsibilities, and all of the extra pressures and anxieties that came along with this new reality._^[1]

In his teen years, John worked tirelessly to make ends meet, taking on the task of distributing flyers for a meager salary of $2 an hour. Additionally, he attended high school and was enrolled in a unique program that allowed him to both work full-time and study simultaneously. After graduating high school, he established his very own commuter van service while also waiting tables at a restaurant.

From an early age, Daymond John was driven and possessed a strong entrepreneurial spirit.

Building FUBU

In 1992, Daymond John had a revolutionary vision of creating an apparel line specifically designed for young men, resulting in the birth of FUBU. Furthermore, his mother helped nourish his creativity by teaching him how to sew and provided a platform for John to practice crafting in her home. She too would help him to sew his initial line, showing through her actions her support and commitment to his success.

At first, he stitched together a set of nearly 90 hats and sold them to passersby in New York. To his delight, they made him $800 on the very first day. Following the success of selling hats, John and his business partner decided to branch out into printed T-shirts. They began selling on consignment as well as attending larger events in an effort to grow their brand.

Even though FUBU was off to a great start, it wasn’t enough to financially sustain Daymond John and his business partner. John took up a full-time position at a local restaurant and he and his mother took a mortgage of $100,000 out on her house to fund their operation.

Now, all that was left was to put in the sweat equity to make their brand a success. Daymond John and his business partner started knocking on each and every door, determined to make FUBU recognized by the fashion industry.

The Rise to Success

After putting forth much hard work and relentless effort, Daymond was eventually noticed by the hip-hop community. The name FUBU, which stands for “For Us By Us”, spoke to the young generation of musicians who wanted to be united through their creative pursuits, not their budgets or backgrounds.

Brand Nubian and Miss Jones from popular radio station Hot 97 were Daymond’s first supporters, and the recognition from the hip-hop industry was enough to attract the attention of the famous rapper LL Cool J._^[2]

In the Gap advertisements of the time, Daymond noticed that LL Cool J was wearing a FUBU hat. This was Daymond’s first big break, which put his brand into the spotlight. It didn’t take long before other famous celebrities such as P.Diddy and Will Smith were wearing Daymond John’s FUBU gear.

By the mid-nineties, Daymond had successfully established his business empire and earned celebrity status throughout the fashion industry. FUBU rapidly became renowned far beyond urban areas, from shopping malls in the Midwest to websites across Europe, becoming a global powerhouse.

At its zenith, FUBU was achieving $350 million in yearly sales, and since it’s inception, the . popular brand has amassed over $6 billion dollars in global revenue._^[3]

Getting On Shark Tank

While Daymond John was known in fashion and musical circles, he gained even more recognition from mainstream America when he became a star of the hit TV show Shark Tank. Daymond wasn’t keen on the idea when he was first invited to join the show in 2008.

However, with time, he realized that he could use his business acumen to mentor and help others succeed while expanding his own portfolio. As such, he leaned into the opportunity.

He signed onto the budding show in 2009 at the height of the recession, and soon after, Daymond gained a reputation as an influential, decisive, and shrewd investor. Daymond has been on Shark Tank ever since, using his experience to carefully choose investments in companies that have the potential for long-term success.

How Daymond John Gives Back

After a life-changing success story, Daymond John is driven to give back to his community. As a proud member of the Board of Overseers and volunteer host or judge for NFTE events, John dedicates his time to giving back. The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship is a worldwide entity with chapters in 12 countries, devoted to teaching the core principles of entrepreneurship and fundamental skillsets to scholars living in underprivileged communities.

The For Us, By Us Fund (FUBU fund), is committed to providing assistance for folks in need of financial support and mutual aid in Maine with the resources they need to lead a fulfilled and meaningful life. By empowering BIPOC-led projects, organizers, and even granting individuals in need of financial aid or mutual support, they are providing much-needed grants to those who require it most._^[4]

Success In His Own Words

Daymond John’s story leaves many clues on how anyone can get on the right path towards achieving success. But, John has also generously offered up many success insights of his own in the form of advice captured from quotes. So, here’s a few success gems that can be found in Daymond John’s own words:

1. “If people haven’t laughed at your dreams, then you aren’t dreaming big enough, just keep pushing forward.” – Daymond John

2. “Sometimes you have to learn how to fail before you can succeed.” – Daymond John

3. “Just because someone is already doing something, it doesn’t mean you can’t do it better.” – Daymond John

4. “You become what you think about the most.” – Daymond John

5. “Success is waking up everyday and doing what you want to do.” – Daymond John

There you have it, Daymond John’s success ethos summed up in a a few short sentences.

Related: Daymond John Quotes

Lessons We Can Learn From the Daymond John Story

When someone as influential as Daymond John takes the time to share his success story, it is essential that we take note and use it as a guide as well as a source of motivation. Daymond John’s journey teaches us some valuable lessons about ambition, resilience, and determination.

Daymond never gave up on his dream or ambitions, despite numerous obstacles and failures. His community was also a critical factor in Daymond’s success. Without key figures such as his mother, his friends, his FUBU co-founder, and the burgeoning hip-hop community in New York, Daymond’s success would have been much more difficult to achieve.

So remember when you’re losing motivation, ask for a helping hand, make an offer to support someone else, and stay connected and committed to your passions and goals. But most importantly, don’t be afraid to dream big and take some risks to bring those big dreams to life.

Till you reach your aims,

STRIVE

Daymond John’s success story is a combination of hard work, dedication, and taking risks.

PS – If you enjoyed this Daymond John story, then chances are you’ll also enjoy the success stories of some of his fellow sharks like Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, or Robert Herjavec.

Richard Branson is one of the most successful businessmen in the world. He is the founder of Virgin Group, which includes more than 400 companies. He has a net worth that is in the multi-billion dollar range, and he was once named one of TIME magazine’s ‘100 Most Influential People’. So what is his secret to success? Well, that’s exactly what we aim to uncover in this Richard Branson Success Story writeup.

“The Brave May Not Live Forever, But The Cautious Do Not Live At All”

– richard branson –

We will discuss Branson’s business ventures, his personal life, and some of the lessons that he has learned over the years as one of the world’s most famous business magnates. There’s no doubt that his story will provide many clues to success. So, if you’re ready to see what Richard Branson’s inspiring success journey can teach us, then let’s dive right in:

THE RICHARD BRANSON SUCCESS STORY

How It Began | Richard Branson Success Story

Richard Branson was born in 1950 in Surrey, England. Doing well in school was always a struggle and he did not take well to conventional classroom learning. By the age of 16, he decided to drop out of boarding school and create “Student”, which was a culturally relevant magazine for young people.

This free publication was able to sell $8,000 in advertising and 50,000 magazines were circulated for free. This was the start of his entrepreneurial journey and the seed that eventually grew into a multi-billion dollar empire.

Of course, the magazine eventually began to lose money, and over time it failed. But, it lead Branson to his next endeavor.

In 1970, at the age of 20, Richard Branson founded Virgin Records. The company’s first release was “Tubular Bells” by Mike Oldfield. This song topped the charts in the UK and was the start of Virgin Records becoming a successful record label.

In 1984, at the height of the Cold War, Richard Branson decided to launch Virgin Atlantic Airways. This was an extremely risky venture as no one had ever independently decided to start an airline, particularly one that would compete with British Airways.

However, the airline was a tremendous success, and Virgin Atlantic Airways is now one of the largest and most respected airlines in the world.

Challenges Along the Way

Richard Branson’s first challenges appeared when he was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia. These conditions made it difficult for him to focus in a traditional learning environment, but they did not stop him from achieving his goals.

He has stated that “Dyslexia is a kind of disability, but actually it’s an opportunity if you turn it into such.” Without a doubt he’s proven this belief system time and time aging through all of his successful endeavors.

However, external factors have made life challenging at time for Branson. In the early 1990s, music industry sales were declining and Virgin Records was struggling to stay afloat. In fact, Virgin Group ran into dire financial difficulties which forced them to sell its music division.

This was a difficult time for Richard Branson and he stated that the experience of selling his music division felt “like selling your children”, despite the necessity of the deal.

Other Virgin investments struggled to achieve success over the years, most notably including Virgin Cosmetics, Virgin Brides, and Virgin Cola. Virgin megastores and Virgin trains also closed down in the early 2000s in most markets.

These ventures didn’t last, but Branson made up his mind to never give up. As such, he never let these setbacks hold him back from continuing to pursue his goals.

The Virgin brand has been successful due, in part, to the fact that Richard Branson is not afraid of failure. He knows that failure and adapting is is a natural part of the process and he uses these experiences as lessons for future endeavors.

“Every Success Story Is A Tale Of Constant Adaption, Revision And Change.”

– richard branson –

The Turning Point

The 1990s were a time of great expansion for Richard Branson. He branched out into other businesses, including Virgin Mobile, Virgin Trains, and Virgin Galactic (tourist space travel).

By the 2000s, Virgin had become a global brand with more than 200 companies in over 30 countries. His genius has been in recognizing new opportunities and pursuing them with full force while being mindful of growing Virgin Group’s capital.

In recent years, Richard Branson’s focus has shifted to more innovative forms of entrepreneurship now that he has established himself as a self-made billionaire.

Some of his most ambitious projects include a high-speed train line in the UK and a $25 million plan to stop global warming, and space travel tourism.

His high-speed train line known as the Hyperloop was conceived in 2012 and aims to create a comfortable and accessible new form of fast transportation worldwide.

The Virgin Galactic project has been in development for over a decade, and Richard Branson is determined to make space tourism available to the masses. At Spaceport America, the first commercial spaceport, Virgin Galactic has completed a handful of flights and is working on improving the safety and experience of space travel.

Branson believes that focusing in the areas of land and space travel are actually important pieces of the puzzle when it comes to addressing climate change. This has culminated with the Virgin Earth Challenge, an initiative that is offering a $25 million prize for anyone who can come up with a commercially viable way to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

Lessons Learned

Richard Branson has learned that in order to be successful, you have to trust your gut, take risks, and learn from your mistakes. For Branson, one of the most important lessons has been to always stay true to yourself. He also believes in hiring people who are smarter than himself and empowering them to make decisions.

Branson is a firm believer in the power of collaboration, which has been evident in Virgin’s success over the years. By working together towards a common goal, everyone can benefit – including the customer.

There’s no doubt about it, Richard Branson is an inspiration to entrepreneurs all over the world and his story proves that anything is possible with hard work and determination.

Success In His Own Words

Richard Branson often speaks about success and offers up invaluable advice to all who listen. That said, here are handful of some of his best quotes. Give them a read and mull on them as if they were if he was giving you his personal advice about what it takes to succeed. Here they are:

1. “The best way of learning about anything, is by doing.” – Richard Branson

2. “Learn from failure. If you are an entrepreneur and your first venture wasn’t a success, welcome to the club.” – Richard Branson

3. “The best advice I could give anyone is to spend your time working on whatever you are passionate about in life.” – Richard Branson

4. “The most important skills to learn to be successful are people skills.” – Richard Branson

5. “To be successful you have to be out there, you have to hit the ground running.” – Richard Branson

Related: Richard Branson Quotes

Here’s a short video of Branson providing some of his best advice for entrepreneurs:

_{^{Video Credit: Big Think (Subscribe Here)}}

Final Thoughts

The most inspiring aspect of the Richard Branson story is his never-give-up attitude. Richard Branson faced many setbacks throughout his career, but he always found a way to bounce back and continue chasing his dreams.

In today’s world, it’s more important than ever to be creative and innovative in order to stand out from the competition. Richard Branson’s story is a perfect example of how embracing change can lead to great success.

Lastly, if you ever doubt your ability to do extraordinary or great things, it’s helpful to keep in mind that Branson created a record label, airline company, pioneered tourist space travel, and became a multi-billionaire all while living with ADHD and dyslexia.

So, never doubt what’s possible for you.

Till you reach your aims,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed this Richard Branson Story of Success, then you’ll likely enjoy these other short inspirational stories of success.

Robin Sharma is considered to be one of the top five leadership experts in the world. His work has been embraced by rock stars, royalty, billionaires, and many high-profile CEOs. Sharma is also the author of multiple #1 international bestselling books like The 5AM Club, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, and many other notable books like The Leader Who Had No Title. Considering he’s sold over 20,000,0000 books, is considering one of the most in-demand speakers on leadership and self-mastery, and is an inspiration to many across the world, we will be diving into how the success superstar came to be in this Robin Sharma Success Story special.

“Your “I CAN” Is More Important Than Your IQ.”

Success leaves clues, and its one of the main reasons we cover legendary high achievers like Robin Sharma. We believe every story possesses subtle insights that can teach us, guide us, and benefit our lives in unimaginable ways. With that being said, if you’re ready to learn how Robin Sharma became the extraordinary leadership guru he is today, then let’s dive in:

THE ROBIN SHARMA STORY

Humble Beginnings

As mentioned earlier, Robin Sharma is one of the top leadership guru’s alive. But, he wasn’t always the world-renowned leadership expert, motivational speaker, and best-selling author that he is today. In fact, this leader of leaders, had very humble beginnings.

Robin Sharma was born in Uganda to two Indian parents (one was a physician, and the other a teacher); but, he and his younger brother would be raised in the small town of Port Hawkesbury which resides in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada.

After experiencing a fairly normal and middle-class upbringing on Canada’s Cape Brenton Island, Sharma would go off to college to obtain a professional degree in law. And after a few years, Sharma would eventually graduate from the Schulich School of Law at the ‘Dalhousie University, which catapulted him into becoming a practicing litigation lawyer in Canada.

However, at the age of 25, and regardless of an appearance of success that any person with a law degree and high-paying job might feel, Sharma’s enthusiasm for the profession waned.^[1]

Listless Living to Mega Living

Robin had “made it” in the world. He had the education, the dream job, and all the worldly success that most people dream of, especially immigrant parents who travel across the world in search of a better life for their children. But, Robin Sharma’s career and material possessions were unfulfilling.

Robin Sharma was a highly successful lawyer who appeared content and accomplished on the outside, but felt unfulfilled on the inside.  Robin had the sense that he had more to give to this world. As such, he harnessed the lack of fulfillment that was experiencing in his life, and would use that frustration to fuel his efforts to break free from the unfulfilling life he was living.

Knowing he was meant for more, he made the choice to follow his dreams and to strive to become the person he knew in his heart that he was meant to be. As such, while still employed at his day job as a litigation lawyer, he set in motion a plan where he would invest all of his spare time towards launching his first self-published book, ‘Megaliving!’.

His first book was to be a blue print for people interested in cultivating personal excellence, living successfully, and creating a perfect life. Once he finished his book in 1994, he self-published it out of a Kinko’s copy shop. He would then spend a good portion of his spare time attending events where he would promote his book to just about anyone who would lend him their ears.

If At First You Don’t Succeed

Of course, his initial efforts towards living his dreams didn’t go as planned. His book, while crammed packed with life-changing insights and enjoyed by many, didn’t quite become the smashing hit that he was expecting it to be. So, he put his head back down and his nose back to the grind stone, and would get to work on a second book.

This next book was titled The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari and was again self-published by Sharma three years later in 1997. And while it didn’t take off at first, the book begin to gain traction after a few months. And once the major publisher known as Harpers Collins took notice, Sharma would sign a deal with the publisher, and republished the book under their banner in 1999.

Sharma’s book The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari became an international hit. The book was a fable about fulfilling your dreams and reaching your destiny, and as fate would have it, Sharma’s publishing of this very book set in motion a situation where his life mimicked his art. As such, Sharma with his newfound success, would soon after depart from his profession as a lawyer to pursue his dreams of becoming a life-changer. And as they say, the rest was history.

Dreams Fulfilled and a Destiny Reached

Since that fateful day, Robin Sharma has gone on to become one of the world’s most highly sought out and highly paid motivational speakers. In addition to this, he has become an authority on leadership and self-mastery, and an uber-successful author, publishing 16 different books and selling over 25 million of them in over 96+ different countries.^[2]

Here’s a list of some of the books he’s published since:

• Mega Living!
• The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari
• Leadership Wisdom From The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari
• Who Will Cry When You Die
• Family Wisdom From The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari
• The Saint, The Surfer, and The CEO
• The Greatness Guide
• The Greatness Guide Book 2
• The Leader Who Had No Title
• The Secret Letters of The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari
• Little Black Book of Stunning Success
• The 5 AM Club
• The Everyday Hero Manifesto
• The Wealth Money Can’t Buy

As such, it is safe to say that Robin Sharma has been living a life that is congruent with the books he writes. He has fulfilled his dreams and has created an inspiring destiny.

Related: Inspiring Robin Sharma Quotes

Success Insights | Sharma Success Story

Robin Sharma found massive success since he venturing out beyond the comfort of his stable law career. No doubt, the success he has found is not typical. However, there are some insights we can glean from his story that we can use to improve our lives as well.

The first success insight that can be gathered from his story is that if you want to live an extraordinary life, then you have to not only dream big, but you have to have a big belief in your dream.

Secondly, if you want to have an extraordinary life, you will have to partake in some extraordinary efforts. In short, if you want more for your life, you’ll have to take some risks, get outside of your comfort zone, and take action on following your dreams.

An additional success insight that can be pulled from Robin Sharma’s life story is this; if at first you don’t succeed, you just try again. Things never go as planned, and no matter how prepared you are, you will always face a set back or two as you endeavor for a bigger and better life. Robin Sharma could have quit after that first book of his flopped, but he didn’t, he pressed on, and it has made all the difference.

As such, it is critical that no matter what happens, you persist, and keep to your dream longer then the haters and naysayers think you’ll be able to stick to that dream. Keep pushing forward.

Words of Wisdom

With that being said, here are a few supporting Robin Sharma Quotes to help sum up his success ethos. Observe his wise words so you can follow suit:

1. “We are all here for some special reason. Stop being a prisoner of your past. Become the architect of your future.” – Robin Sharma

2. “The smallest of actions is always better than the noblest of intentions.” – Robin Sharma

3. “Great achievement always requires great sacrifice.” – Robin Sharma

4. “Success belongs to the relentless learners. Because as you know more, you can achieve more.” – Robin Sharma

5. “Your daily behavior reveals your deepest beliefs.” – Robin Sharma

The handful of words above are quotes that Robin Sharma has uttered which we believe sums up the ethos that has guided much of his success.

_{^{Video Credit: Robin Sharma (Subscribe)}}

Robin Sharma’s Net Worth

This Robin Sharma biography wouldn’t be complete without addressing the financial success that Robin’s efforts have yielded him over the years. As such, the result of selling over 25 million books, booking countless high-ticket speaking gigs, and being a consultant to many of the world’s most iconic CEOs and public figures has helped Robin Sharma grow his net worth to approximately $19.6 million.

Excluding Sharma’s ongoing book royalties, Sharma can very easily rely on approximately $784,000 per year from the earning power of his net worth alone (assuming a 4% yield).

Money Metric	Amount
Net Worth:	$19,600,000
**Earnings Per Year:	$784,000
Per Month:	$65,333
Per Week:	$15,077
Per Day:	$2153
Per Hour:	$89.7
Per Min:	$1.49
Per Sec:	$.02

Note: this is a estimated earnings metric based off the earning power of Robin Sharma’s net worth.  It does not include how much Robin Sharma currently makes from on-going projects, sponsorships, royalties, social media, etc. These calculations (while based on publicly available sources) are for entertainment purposes only._^Methodology

Conclusion

There you have it, the Robin Sharma life story that describes his success journey from being a highly successful yet unfulfilled lawyer, to a side-hustling self-published author striving for his dreams, to the best-selling author and world-renowned leadership authority he is today.

We’ve uncovered a few of the success insights that has guided Sharma towards creating the massive success and fortune he now enjoys. As a quick recap, to answer the question about how Robin Sharma became successful, here are those success insights once again:

Dream Big | Take Risks | Work Hard | Persist

Now go forth and apply these simple, yet effective Robin Sharma success insights to improve your life. We are certain they will assist you in creating not just a better life for yourself, but the life of your dreams.

Till next time,

STRIVE

PS – If you are a fan of Robin Sharma and you enjoyed this Robin Sharma Story, then you’ll love our Tony Robbins Success Story special.

If you’re a fan of action movies or body building there’s little doubt you’ve not yet heard of Arnold Schwarzenegger.  Arnold is beyond famous, primarily due to his great accomplishments as a world champion bodybuilder who then became a Hollywood action hero, and then a successful businessman, who eventually became a best-selling author, and ultimately a Governor of the state of California.

“You Must See It. You Must Believe It. And Then You Must Never Stop Working To Make It Happen.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s life is a true success story which has the power to inspire all of us.  As such, we will be focusing on Arnold’s life and the many success lessons it has to teach in this Arnold Schwarzenegger Success story special

THE ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER STORY OF SUCCESS

Early Days

These days Arnold Schwarzenegger is a household name, especially in the USA. However, he was born in the country of Austria in 1947.  Being born and raised in a country that had just suffered through a brutal defeat in a world war, had a huge impact on Arnold. 

It is said that the alcoholism became rampant after the war, and that there was little food, and lots of poverty throughout the country due to the post-war occupation.  As it was these conditions that negatively impacted the moral of many of the men throughout the country for years, including Arnold’s father.

Bodybuilding

It was these initial conditions that would eventually motivate Arnold to want to escape from Austria to America as soon as he could.  Fortunately for Arnold, at the young age of 15, he discovered his “golden ticket” and his way out after Austria after learning about Reg Park. 

Reg Park was a champion body builder who leveraged his success in body building to make it into Hollywood.  And it was after learning of this man and his success, that Arnold definitively decided what he wanted to be and do with his life.

After five short years of learning of his success plan, and after putting in five hours a day six days a week in the gym, Arnold would become the youngest European Champion bodybuilder at the astonishing age of 20.  And for the next 15 years Arnold would go on to Dominate the field of bodybuilding.

Hollywood

Throughout all of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s achievements in body building, he would never lose sight of his main goal, which was to become a big time Hollywood movie star.  He kept his eye on the prize.  And sure enough before he turned 30 he made a name for himself in Hollywood  after being awarded with a Golden Globe award for new male star of the year. 

Just a few years after that, Arnold would blow up in the industry after being cast as Conan the Barbarian. From this point forward, Arnold would go on to achieve superstar status around the world, as he would go on to make hit after hit with movies like:

Conan the Destroyer, The Terminator, Red Sonja, Commando, Predator, The Running Man, Red Heat, Twin, Total Recall, Kindergarten Cop, Terminator 2, True Lies, Collateral Damage, The Expendables, and countless more.

Politics

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Story doesn’t end after Hollywood. In fact, after decades of success in front of the silver screen, Arnold would turn his sights onto politics.  As such, he ran for governor of California and succeeded in winning the office.  With that he became the 38^th Governor of the state of California. 

To be sure, Arnold is still on the prowl and seeking out newer and bigger accomplishments.  Since his final days in politics, he’s published multiple books, become involved in philanthropic causes, continues to build his sizeable net worth, and keeps busy with various new projects in the fitness and movie industry.

Related: Arnold Schwarzenegger Net Worth

Success Ethos

One of the most critical aspects of this Arnold Schwarzenegger Success Story that we want to cover is the success ethos that ushered this man to such great heights.  We believe including this information is what will help you most in finding more success in life.

So, here is what we discovered.  Arnold’s success can be boiled down to a few key aspects. 

The first key success aspect was his desire.  Arnold desired a better life for himself, and believed he was deserving of that life.  

The second aspect was his belief.  Not only did Arnold think himself worthy of his desires, but he believed he was destined for it. 

If you read any of his books or watch any documentary on him, you’ll notice him saying things to the effect of “I deserved better” and “I believe there was more to life than this”.

Vision.  The next key ingredient to Arnold’s success was the vision he held in his mind for what he wanted. Arnold created a grand vision for himself. A vision that was exciting for him to imagine. And one that was strong enough to pull him through the challenges that he would face to reach his goals.

The next aspect of Arnold’s success ethos was his dedication.  Arnold’s dedication and self-discipline were almost other worldly.  And if it were not for Arnold’s making up his mind to continually put in the work to reach his dreams, he would never have accomplished as much as he did.

Success In His Own Words  

That said, one of the best ways to peer into the mindset that helped Arnold become such a high achiever, is to observe his quotes. So, take a look at this collection of success in his own words:

1. “What is the point of being on this Earth if you are going to be like everyone else?”  –  Arnold Schwarzenegger

2. “I was poor because I didn’t have anything.  I had no money, I had not things, we had no TV, we had no refrigerator, we had nothing as kids.  But I was rich because I had a dream.”  –  Arnold Schwarzenegger

3. “If you are going to accomplish anything, you have to think big and shoot for the stars.”  –  Arnold Schwarzenegger

4. “Work your ass off.  There is no magic pill.”  –  Arnold Schwarzenegger

_{^{Video credit via Chispa Motivation (subscribe to their channel)}}

Related: Arnold Schwarzenegger Quotes

Final Thoughts

Without a doubt Arnold’s success story has a lot to teach us. If you observe his life closely enough, you’ll learn exactly what it takes to achieve those big dreams that you are striving for. 

So, if you take away anything from this success story it should be this, for a dream to come true, you must first have a vision.  Once you’ve locked down your vision, create a plan and begin demonstrating faith in your dream.

To do this, you must follow up your plan with hard work and relentless dedication towards realizing your dreams.  Do these things, and you’ll be well on your way to accomplishing massive success just like Arnold.

Till next time,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed our Arnold Schwarzenegger Story of Success, then also enjoy this great collection of short motivational stories.

Marie Forleo considers herself a “multi-passionate entrepreneur” because everything she does is outside of the box. She’s a successful author, philanthropist, and runs a growing online media empire that is geared towards self-improvement and lifestyle design. With an award winning TV show, called MarieTV, a podcast, and a #1 New York Times best-selling book, the Marie Forleo story is an inspiring tail that shows what a small-town girl from Jersey can do with her life to help other people make theirs better. And she’s taken her message worldwide.

“Ambition Is Beautiful.”

– MARIE FORLEO –

With that said, we believe success leaves clues.  Which is why we cover uber-successful people like Marie Forleo.  In addition to this, we also believe every story possesses hidden insights. Success insights that can teach us, guide us, and benefit us in unimaginable ways. 

So, if you’re ready to get inspired, let’s dive into the Marie Forleo success story. No doubt it is a true testament of the spirit of optimism, and a subtle guide for all those brave enough to pursue a better life.

THE MARIE FORLEO STORY

Marie’s Early Years 

Marie Forleo was born December 7, 1975, in New Jersey to loving parents who sometimes call her “Ri.” Both of them were instrumental in guiding Marie towards her current career and her seven-figure business as a life coach. 

Something her mom said to her when she was 8-years-old really struck a chord with Marie. Unfortunately, her parents divorced around this time, which made an impact on young Marie. Her mom said to her one day while crying at the kitchen table during the divorce that it’s important to always be smart and financially independent. Don’t rely on another person. This piece of advice about never being financially dependent on anyone stuck with Marie throughout her early years and beyond. Watching her mom suffer after the divorce because of financial worries was a pivotal moment for Marie. 

In 1997, Marie went on to graduate from Seton Hall University. She graduated first in her class with a degree in finance. After finishing school her first post-graduate job was as a trading assistant on Wall Street. She was essentially working on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. As one of only a few women who did that job, Marie experienced quite a bit of negative attention. This was especially the case as a beautiful woman in what was is traditionally a male dominated environment. _^[1]

Marie has given interviews about the discomfort she experienced in that an environment. And she’s detailed how the negative culture of the financial world, back then, was difficult to deal with. 

Words That She Needed to Hear

In the middle of a grueling workday, after six months of being on the job, she stepped outside to catch her breath and call her parents. Should went on to tell them that she wanted to quit, but was afraid of disappointing them. Fortunately, her dad gave her the best advice. He said, “you have to quit your job, and find something that you love.”

Her father’s advice was exactly what she needed to hear. And it would would pivot her career into an amazing new direction. 

After that Marie worked in the media industry for a while, most notably for magazine publications like Mademoiselle and Gourmet. She also had stints as a bartender and dance/fitness instructor. It was being a fitness instructor that led her into her next profitable venture.

In 2001, Marie established a newsletter catering to her fitness clients, but she then went on to star in a few exercise dance videos that gained her some notoriety and fame with followers. Nike even named her their Elite Dance Athlete of 2005. Thus, important people started to take note of everything Marie was doing with her life. 

Her First Book

In 2008, after taking some life coaching classes at a university, she published a book called, “Make Every Man Want You.” The book was published in 16 languages and distributed all over the world. And it would be a catalyst for Marie starting her own business coaching practice as Marie Forleo International.

_{^{Image Credit: Eric Michael Pearson}}

From there her list of connections and accomplishments just snowballed. 

Oprah, Tony Robbins, and Richard Branson all interviewed Marie on their various shows to allow her star wattage to shine even brighter. Shortly after that in 2011, she launched MarieTV, which was a venture that showcased actionable ideas to her followers on how to create a “life you love.” 

In 2014, Marie spoke at the Life Is Beautiful conference to a huge audience. On top of this, her company wasl also listed by Inc. Magazine as a top 500 private company in their “fastest growth” category. Her company was also in the top 50 for female-led companies in that same year._^[2]

The Success and Love For Marie Continued 

Two docu-series followed, “Transcendence: Live Life Beyond the Ordinary” and “We Rise Up.” Both of these cemented Marie’s position as one of the top life coaches in the world with millions of people looking to her for guidance in everything in business, dating, family, and pursuing a passion in today’s difficult world.

There are courses available on her television channel that provide insights into building a life you truly love. The courses are called the B-School, The Copy Cure, and Time Genius. And they training programs for creating successful businesses, writing, and how to live a joyfully productive life.

It was this kind of success that led Marie to have a second book published in 2019, “Everything Is Figureoutable.” This new book quickly became a New York Times best-seller, which she discussed on the Today Show with Hoda Kotb and Meredith Viera, as part of their Transformation Tuesday series. 

Many people fell in love with the book because of it’s ability to strengthen their mindset and help them think more creatively in the face of personal challenges and adversity.

Note: We’re reader-supported. If you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related: Inspiring Marie Forleo Quotes

Making Her Way Forward 

Oprah describes Marie as a “thought leader for the next generation.” And getting an endorsement from Oprah herself is a great indication of just how influential and successful, Marie Forleo has truly become.

Today, it’s estimated that with all of her success in her many ventures, Mare Forleo’s net worth is in the multimillions. She has been married to actor Josh Pais, since 2006, who is known for roles in “Ray Donovan”, “Law & Order”, and as Raphael in the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” film. 

From where we stand, the Marie Forleo success story is one of dogged perseverance in finding a path to making all her dreams come true. And the best part is that she isn’t afraid to share that determination, and how to get there, with anyone who is interested. It’s her life’s work. Marie has shown that passion and dedication clearly equal success. 

The Marie Forleo story is filled with hope, triumph, and Marie’s unique ability to see a direct way to achieve greatness in many areas of life. So, follow her advice and expertise. And before you know it, we may be writing about your inspiring success story here on this site.

Till then,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed Marie Forleo’s story of success, then you’ll certainly enjoy this powerful collection of the most inspiring stories of success.

Lionel Messi is a professional soccer player from Argentina, and is widely considered to be one of the greatest soccer players of all time. He has represented Argentina at numerous World Cups and finally lifted the World Cup championship trophy for the first time in 2022. 

When taking a look at Messi’s upbringing in Argentina, and tracking his soccer career to where he is today, his journey and achievements becomes even more remarkable. That said, let’s take a closer look at the Lionel Messi story of success, and figure out what has made him such an impressive talent and inspirational individual worthy of admiration and emulation.

“I Made A Lot Of Sacrifices By Leaving Argentina … But Everything I Did, I Did For Football, To Achieve My Dream.”

– lionel messi –

When we take a look at successful people, particularly athletes, we typically only see the end product. We do not see the countless hours, numerous sacrifices, or they many obstacles they had to overcome along the way. 

This is especially true for Lionel Messi, as his path to greatness is one of continuous sacrifice and relentless effort. By understanding what he has given up to get where he is today, we can leverage his story for inspiration to drive ourselves to accomplish our goals as well. 

THE LIONEL MESSI STORY OF SUCCESS

A Working Class Upbringing In Argentina

Lionel Messi was born in Rosario, Argentina in 1987. He came from a working-class family. His mother worked as a cleaner, and his father worked as a factory worker. Like many children in Argentina, he decided to take up soccer._^[1]

He quickly separated himself from his peers, and everyone began to recognize his talent; however, he was also diagnosed with a chronic medical condition that threatened to derail his career.

When he was just eleven years old, he was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency. It required extensive medical treatment, and his family wondered if they could afford it. Without it, he may never finish growing, which would make it very difficult for him to become a competitive, professional athlete.

He and his family decided to sacrifice everything to obtain the treatment that he required. In some situations, he even needed to take Human Growth Hormone (HGH) to complete his development and become a man. 

An Audition In Barcelona With Everything On The Line

Despite all of the sacrifices that his family made, his condition would require continued treatment. His local club, which was River Plate, was very interested in signing him. His talent was impressive, but it wasn’t impressive enough for the club to pay for his expensive medical treatment.

Eventually, after a lot of hard work and negotiating, Lionel Messi earned an audition and trial with Barcelona. During the workout, the coach at the time, Carles Rexach, was blown away by his talent. He decided to offer a contract to Lionel Messi immediately, and the team even offered to pay for his medical treatment.

The first contract was so impromptu that it was even written down on a napkin._^[2] Lionel Messi accepted the offer, and he moved with his father to Barcelona. There, he joined FC Barcelona, and he got the cost of his medical treatment covered by the team, giving him access to some of the best doctors in Spain. 

The Hard Work Begins To Pay Off

After moving to Barcelona, Messi got to work immediately. He knew that if he wanted to become one of the best players in the world, he would have to outwork a lot of more experienced soccer players who were bigger and more developed than him. Eventually, he worked his way through the ranks, and he debuted with Barcelona during the 2004-2005 season. He became the youngest player in history to score a goal in the league.

By the 2006-2007 season, Messi had become the top striker at Barcelona. In just 26 games, he scored 14 goals, positioning himself as one of the best players in the world.

Despite his success, Messi would not stop there. During the 2009-2010 season, he scored 47 goals, tying the record for the most goals scored in a year at Barcelona, which was held by Cristiano Ronaldo. He continued to break records, and in 2012, he broke the record for the most goals scored in a calendar year.

That year, he scored 91 goals, breaking the record held by Gerd Muller of Germany, who had scored 85 goals. That record has stood for 40 years, and people started to debate whether Messi was the greatest player of all time. 

A Juxtaposition Against Historic World Cup Struggles

Even though the accomplishments of Lionel Messi during his club seasons are impressive and unparalleled, his struggles in the World Cup are just as striking.

Given the undeniable talent of Lionel Messi, a tremendous amount of pressure was placed on his shoulders. He was expected to help Argentina hoist another World Cup Championship, something they had not done in decades. 

Sadly, the pressure appeared to be too much for the anointed golden child of Argentinian soccer. In 2006, he made three appearances, mostly off the bench, scoring only one goal. Then, in 2010, he was a full-fledged starter.

He was expected to carry Argentina to victory, but he did not score a single goal. In 2014, he played in seven games, but he only scored four goals. Then, in 2018, he was a disappointment. He appeared in all four games, but he only scored one goal.

Hoisting The Championship Trophy

Entering the 2022 World Cup, there was a lot of debate regarding whether Lionel Messi was the greatest soccer player of all time. The only thing missing was a World Cup championship trophy. In dazzling fashion, he led Argentina to the World Cup championship, scoring seven goals, including multiple penalty kicks._^[3]

He let Argentina to victory over France in the World Cup final, scoring during the penalty kick shootout that would ultimately decide the tournament. In doing so, Lionel Messi has positioned himself as one of the greatest soccer players ever.

Final Thoughts

The story of Lionel Messi is one of success, but also one of perseverance in the face of overwhelming obstacles. He came from a disadvantaged background and was diagnosed with a chronic medical condition that threatened to derail his career.

He overcame those limitations with grace and courage, and committed himself to improve himself year over year, regardless of all the awards and accolades he’d received.

Messi pressed on. Then, despite the tremendous amount of pressure he faced as his team moved forward in the world cup, he lead Argentina to Glory, helping his team win the long awaited World Cup championship in 2022.

Till next time,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoy this Lionel Messi Success Story, then you’ll probably enjoy these inspiriational Lionel Messi quotes.

This Kobe Bryant Success Story is to honor and better understand the awe inspiring achievements of the late and great Kobe Bryant.

“Dedication Makes Dreams Come True.”

Kobe Bryant, was one the greatest basketball players of all time, as well the one of the biggest competitors. He won five National Basketball Association (NBA) championships, was an 18-time All-Star, a 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, a 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), and a two-time NBA Finals MVP.

In short, he’s achieved just about every achievable accolade when it comes to basketball. Due to such achievements, he is considered a legend to many.

KOBE BRYANT’S STORY OF SUCCESS

Early Life | Kobe Bryant Success Story

Kobe was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and partly raised in Italy. His father was Joe Bryant, a former NBA player. At the early age of 3, he was pushed by his father to pursue basketball.

At the age of 6, his father moved to Italy for a different basketball opportunity so he had to grow up in the new environment. Kobe grew accustomed to the culture as he became quite fluent in the Italian language, while still keeping interest in the sport of basketball.

At the age of 13, his family returned to the United States where he remained interested in the game. As a senior in high school, Kobe achieved many awards for his outstanding performance at Lower Merion. Not only did he lead his team a state championship, he was named the Naismith High School Player of the Year.

In 1996, at the age of 17 Kobe was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers, and he became the youngest player ever to play in an NBA game (at that time). He was exactly 18 years and 72 days old.

From then on, you could just see the continual and gradual improvement leading to greatness personified, year after year, after year until his retirement. It was apparent that Kobe had an intense focus for the game and an extreme intention to become the best basketball player of all time.

The Makings of a Legend

How did Kobe Bryant become successful? Simply put, his work ethic. Kobe was relentless. He showed up to work every day, and never made any excuses. Without a doubt, it is quite evident that Kobe’s penchant for success was directly correlated with his work ethic. And Kobe’s work ethic was fueled by his passion.

In fact, the stories of Kobe’s work ethic have become a type of folklore. There are countless people who have witnessed what that man’s work ethic really was. Below is an account of just one of the many instances of Kobe’s phenomenal work ethic.

During an interview with Impact Theory during Kobe’s prime years between 2000-2002, former NBA player Jay Williams stated the following:

“The game was at seven… this is the championship Lakers. I’m going to get there at 3:00, and I want to make sure I make 400 made shots before I go back into the room and then I sit in the sauna and get ready for the game. Who do I see? I see Kobe Bryant, already working out,” Williams says.

“Once I set my foot across the line I started working out. I worked out for a good hour, hour-and-a-half. When I came off, after I was done I sat down and of course I still heard the ball bouncing. I looked down I’m like ‘This guy’s still working out?’ It looks like he was in a dead sweat when I got there,” Williams said.

“That game he drops 40 on us. After the game is over I’m like ‘I have to ask this guy, I have to understand why he works like that.’ After the game I’m like ‘Hey Kobe, why where you in the gym for so long?’

Williams stated that “He was like ‘Cause I saw you come in and I wanted you to know that it doesn’t matter how hard you work, that I’m willing to work harder than you’”.^[1]

Success Ethos | Relentlessness

Kobe Bryant’s work ethic hands down is what helped him become the legend he is today. But what also must be understood about Kobe Bryant, is that he was relentless. He had a mental toughness and steely focus that was driven by his almost over-the-top competitiveness.

In short, Kobe wanted to be the best, and would do whatever it took to achieve this mental goal. If he had a weakness in one area, he would commit to mastering that weakness. If was a lack of strength in his shot, he would get to work exhausting all options to rectify that lack of strength; researching and then applying the routines that instructed him on how to get stronger.

Similarly, if his weakness was a lack of speed, he would put in the time and effort to overcome the limitation. And there in lies his secret to success. The willingness to learn and then apply what he learned to inch himself closer to his goals.

As such, Kobe Bryant’s success ethos can be summarized as a relentless focus on the end result. The great news is, the ability to be relentless is in all of us.

To get a better glance into the mindset of a winner, watch this Kobe Bryant video. It’s 11 minutes long and full of great insights about the mindset of a true champion:

^{Video Credit: Motiversity (Subscribe to Their Channel Here)}

The Next Chapter

After so much success in the NBA, Kobe would channel his relentless work ethic into his entrepreneurial career. Taking all the success lessons he learned from basketball, he harnessed them into different endeavors which included filmmaking.

In fact, in 2018, he earned an Oscar and took home the trophy for best animated short film for the short called “Dear Basketball.” Narrated by Kobe, “Dear Basketball” is a about a five-and-a-half-minute short illustrating a poem that he wrote for “The Players’ Tribune” to announce his retirement in November 2015.

During his award acceptance speech, Bryant famously stated… “I don’t know if it’s possible. I mean, as basketball players, we’re really supposed to shut up and dribble, but I’m glad we did a little bit more than that.” – Kobe Bryant ^[2]

Kobe Bryant’s Enduring Impact

Kobe Bryant has inspired so many with his mass appeal of his “Mamba mentality”. As he transitioned into the next stage of his life, he would bring that same attitude and intensity as a supporter for youth and women’s sports.

Not only did he help spread basketball across the globe, but countless NBA players have said Bryant inspired them to play the game.

There are innumerable people who have been affected by Bryant’s greatness.

Related: Kobe Bryant Quotes

Interesting Kobe Bryant Facts

Kobe Bryant was more than just a phenomenal basketball player. He was a well-rounded champion in all areas of life. That said, here a few interesting facts that you probably didn’t know about Kobe, which demonstrates his versatility and exceptionalism as a human:

• Was named the youngest slam dunk champ in 1997.
• Achieve a 3-Peat NBA championship for the L.A. Lakers.
• Bryant once tore his Achilles heel, but made a comeback just 8 months later.
• Kobe used to play and practice through mild colds and flu symptoms, nothing could suppress his determination.
• Kobe Bryant was honored with his own day in Los Angeles. The Day is August 24th.
• Bryant once won an Oscar for participation in the 2017 film ‘Dear Basketball’.
• Kobe Bryant published and co-wrote over 5 different books.
• He founded a sports academy, today known as ‘The Academy’ to cultivate the talent of the youth.
• Bryant founded Granity Studios; an award winning multimedia content company.
• Kobe Bryant’s net worth in 2020 was $600 million (equivalent to $700 million today).

Kobe Bryant’s Net Worth

With Kobe Bryant’s net worth being approximately $700 million by today’s standards when you take inflation into account, he was set to live a very prosperous retirement.

That said, this is how much his vast fortune could have easily earned him every single year for the rest of his life in retirement: $28 million per year.

Money Metric	Amount
Net Worth:	$700,000,000
**Earnings Per Year:	$28,000,000
Per Month:	$2,333,333
Per Week:	$538,465
Per Day:	$76,923
Per Hour:	$3,205
Per Min:	$53.4
Per Sec:	$.89

Note: this is an estimated (but very possible) earnings metric based off the earning power of Kobe Bryant’s net worth assuming all of his money was invested in assets yielding a 4% annual return.  It does not include how much Kobe’s businesses and royalties could have made him. These calculations are for entertainment purposes only.

Key Takeaways

At first, it might seem weird to relate your day-to-day life with that of a world-class athlete. But what we can take from this Kobe Bryant success story, is that success is a choice, and it is something that we can aim for in our lives.

And if we do it right, we can be apply the main driver of Kobe’s success to any aspect of our lives, and dramatically improve any of these areas in the process.

Here’s a recap to answer the question about how Kobe Bryant became successful:

Work Ethic | Relentlessness | Insatiable Competitiveness

Ultimately, Kobe Bryant ended up finding out that basketball was more than just a sport. It taught him, and all of us, the life lesson of becoming the best version of yourself through hard work and dedication.

Rest in peace, Kobe “Bean” Bryant.

Till next time,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed this Kobe Bryant Success Story then you’ll likely also enjoy our Michael Jordan Success Story or these Michael Jordan Quotes.