John Paul DeJoria is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and self-made billionaire. He co-founded John Paul Mitchell Systems; a manufacturer of hair care products and styling tools through brands like Paul Mitchell, Tea, Neuro, and more. He’s also launched many other successful businesses and brands as well like The Patrón Spirits Company. The intrigue of John Paul DeJoria, is the fact that he came from nothing, struggled through poverty and heartbreak, and yet, still managed to created a multi-billion dollar enterprise.

“Success Unshared Is Failure.”

– john paul dejoria –

That said, it’s clear that John Paul DeJoria knows a thing or two about what it means to be uccessful. As such, we’ve decided to share this John Paul DeJoria Success Story, because success leaves clues. So, if you’re looking for a bit of guidance or insights when it comes to success, then stick around as we unpack how he did it in this John Paul Dejoria story. Let’s dive in!

THE JOHN PAUL DEJORIA SUCCESS STORY

Early Days

John Paul Dejoria was born into a rough neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA in 1944. He was the second son of an Italian father and a Greek mother, both of whom were immigrants. When he was just two years of age, his parents divorced.

His mother got custody of the children but struggled to support them. As such, she sent them to a foster home. Fortunately, she was able to get back on her feet after a few years, and was able to support them again when John Paul Dejoria was around 9 years old. _^[1]

Their financial situation was still bleak, which forced the young John Paul DeJoria to lend a helping hand to help is mom makes ends meet. So, he hit the streets and started selling Christmas cards, newspapers, flowerpots, etc…

It was not an ideal situation for the young John Paul DeJoria, let alone a kid. But, he did learn how to sell and how to work hard.

John Paul DeJoria eventually made his way through high school, even though he was once scolded by a teacher as someone who would never make it in any business or in life.

Making Ends Meet

After high school, DeJoria would enlist with the Navy where he spent two years on the aircraft carrier, the USS Hornet. After his two years of service, he would take on various low-paying jobs.

DeJoria eventually got married to a young woman named Bella, and started a family. They had a son together, as such, he did whatever it took to provide for his budding family.

He was once a janitor, worked at a gas station, and even tried out the insurance sales industry. He also worked for a short time for in haircare sales for Redken Laboratories before getting fired. Then he took a job as an encyclopedia sales person, which he would persist in for over three years. This was no small feat, as the average encyclopedia sales person only lasted three days on average.

Rejection was the norm in his early career, but DeJoria learned how to master rejection, and maintain his enthusiasm as he went from customer to customer. Despite his mastery of sales and rejection, he would still struggle to make ends meet.

Unfortunately, his wife decided that she didn’t want to be a mother anymore. She took all of his money, left bills unpaid for months, and abandoned him and his two year old son to do it all on their own.

A Reversal of Fortune

When DeJoria’s wife left, he and his son would become homeless due to the unpaid rent and the loss of money. Fortunately, John Paul had a generous friend who was in a biker gang that offered to house them.

John still struggled to stay afloat as he didn’t have steady work. He would collect glass bottles on the street and resell them, earning him just a few bucks a day. He also ate the cheapest foods, and pinched pennies to get by.

Serendipitously, at the age of 36 he came across a hairdresser named Paul Mitchell while getting a haircut. He learned that Paul had products that would sell out often and saw the opportunity in the demand.

As such he went into business with Paul Mitchell to create a business partnership. They secured funding with an investor, but the deal fell through. Undeterred, he managed to borrow $350 from his mother, combined with Mitchell’s $350 to purchase, design, and sell an officially branded haircare product for $700.

The Beauty of Business

John Paul DeJoria and Paul Mitchell would go about selling their products exclusively to beauty salons. They didn’t find success at first, as they still faced lots of rejection. Fortunately, John Paul DeJoria was used to the rejection from all of his previous sales work, and so he persisted.

One of the aspects of their approach which helped them succeed, was their product guarantee. They guaranteed salon owners would sell all products purchased, and if they didn’t, they would be allowed to return any unsold products for a 100% refund.

Two years would pass before they would make a profit. In fact, John Paul DeJoria once stated that, “It was miserable”, exclaiming, “I can remember not sleeping at night because I couldn’t pay my bills. Every week, for almost two years, we should’ve gone out of business.”_^[2]

Things eventually started looking up for John Paul DeJoria after so many years of struggle. The tide finally turned for him.

Boom Years

The Paul Mitchell brand finally started to take off. And before John Paul DeJoria knew it, he had a highly profitable brand on his hands with John Paul Mitchell Systems becoming one of the fastest growing privately-held companies in the United States._^[3]

In 1989, John Paul DeJoria’s partner would pass away, leaving him to take on the reigns of the business. DeJoria would eventually lead the company to becoming a multibillion dollar global powerhouse, with sales of over $2.7 billion a year.

John Paul would also co-found other companies like the Patrón Spirits Company, which he would eventually sell to Bacardi for $5.1 billion. And he also owns ROKit Telecommunications, a company dedicated to providing affordable technology and products to the world.

In addition to these homerun successes in business, he’s also funded various philanthropic organizations, and founded the non-profit Grow Appalachia, an initiative that teaches people how to grow, prepare, and sustain fresh food in areas with scarce access to nutritious foods.

He’s become a lifetime member of the Horatio Alger society, and has been listed on Forbes’ Top 400 richest Americans list.

John Paul DeJoria’s Success Ethos

A large portion of John Paul DeJoria’s success is due to his persuasion and communication skills. He learned how to listen to people as a sales person, and not take rejection to heart. He learned how to persist and stay positive even when the odds seemed to be against him.

That said, over the years he’s uttered in his own words what he believes helped him achieve the staggering success he now enjoys. Here are a few of those insights:

Success Insights

If you’re looking for further insights into how John Paul DeJoria went from homeless to billionaire you’ll enjoy this video. Give it a watch if you’re looking for some of key billionaire habits to copy:

_{^{Video Credit: Lewis Howes (Subscribe Here)}}

Final Thoughts

John Paul DeJoria’s story is a quintessential rags-to-riches story which clearly demonstrates that it doesn’t matter where you come from. It shows that you can come from a broken home, be put in a foster home, have your wife leave you, become homeless, have people doubt you, struggle for many years financially, and still come out on top.

So, if you find yourself struggling in your own journey towards a better future, just remember, not now, doesn’t mean never. And when things get hard, just remember John Paul DeJoria’s story, and keep pushing….

Until you reach your aims,

STRIVE

Barbara Corcoran is a businesswoman, investor, and television personality. In addition to this, she is best known as one of the main judges on the hit business-themed reality show ‘Shark Tank’. And before that claim to fame, Barbara had an amazing real estate career journey, where she acquired the business wisdom and success insights that she now enjoys sharing with aspiring entrepreneurs all over the world.

“My Best Successes Came On The Heels Of Failure.”

– barbara corcoran –

That said, it’s clear that Barbara Coracan knows a thing or two about success. As such, we’ve decided to present this Barbara Corcoran Success Story, because success leaves clues. So, if you’re looking for a bit of guidance or insights when it comes to success, then stick around, because you’ll find plenty of both here. Let’s dive in!

BARBARA CORCORAN STORY OF SUCCESS

The Early Days

Barbara Corcoran was born in Edgewater, New Jersey in 1949. She is the second oldest of ten children and grew up in a working-class family. Her father worked odd jobs and her mother was a stay-at-home mom, making both income and opportunity scarce in the household._^[1]

Corcoran did not have an easy childhood. She was dyslexic and was unaware of it for much of her childhood, suffering from shame and low self-esteem. In school, she was often teased and made to feel like she was not smart enough, giving her an adverse relationship with school and learning.

However, there was one thing she was good at – never giving up. This had a lot to do with the encouragement of her mother, who told her to use her powerful imagination to invent the solutions she needed to overcome her challenges.

By the time young Barbara was 23 years old, she had already worked 20 different jobs but struggled to find one that felt authentic for her. But, she relented until settling on waitressing gig in New York City, which is the moment before her real estate career began.

“I Was Labeled the ‘Dumb Kid’ That Couldn’t Read or Write, Coming All Through to When I Was Graduating in High School”

– Barbara Cocoran –

The Journey Begins

In 1973. Corcoran was working for the Giffuni Brothers’ real estate company as a receptionist. Having exposure to the real estate world gave her a feeling she had never had before. She felt like she belonged.

But Barbara knew that she was meant to lead, not follow. So, by the age of 23, she resolved to become the “Queen of New York Real Estate” and take over the market._^[2]

As such, she borrowed $1000 from her boyfriend Ray Simone and they both started the Corcoran-Simone Company. She focused on residential real estate in Manhattan’s Upper East Side and had seven agents working with her in the area.

The company slowly grew and showed signs of success. During this time, Corcoran learned how to sell, how to negotiate, and most importantly – how to close a deal. It had always been her dream to be confident enough to make it on her own, and she was finally starting to see that dream come true.

The Challenges

In the 1970s, the New York City real estate market was booming. This is when Corcoran-Simone Company really took off and the dream became a viable and profitable reality. Barbara quickly learned how to take advantage of the market and make a lot of money.

However, a personal betrayal created a big dent in her business. Her partner and boyfriend at the time announced that he was going to leave the relationship. To add insult to injury, his plan was to marry Barbara’s secretary.

But Barbara did what she always did when she was faced with a challenge – she got back up and kept going. Using her roadblocks as fuel hurtled her into a completely independent business arrangement.

She used the money from the sale and dissolution of their company to start a new one, called The Corcoran Group.

“I Have a Theory and I Really Believe It. I Think Your Worst Weakness Can Become Your Greatest Single Strength.”

– Barbara Corcoran –

The Big Break

The Corcoran Group quickly became one of the most successful residential real estate firms in New York City. Barbara’s hard work and dedication had paid off, and she was finally living her dream.

In addition to running one of the most successful businesses in the city, Barbara also started to gain recognition for her work. She started to publish “The Corcoran Report”, a monthly analysis of the real estate market. This helped her to be seen as an authority in the industry, and she began to be featured in major publications.

After decades of hard work, Barbara had finally made it. She was one of the most successful and well-known entrepreneurs in the country.

In 2001, Cocoran decided to sell her real estate assets to a residential real estate brokerage company for $66 million dollars. This was one of the biggest deals in real estate history, and it made Barbara Corcoran a very wealthy woman._^[3]

Advocating and Educating Entrepreneurs

Despite all her success, Barbara has never forgotten her humble beginnings. She is an advocate for women entrepreneurs, and she continues to work hard to help others achieve their dreams.

Her podcast, “Business Unusual”, features interviews with successful entrepreneurs from all walks of life. Through her podcast, she hopes to educate and inspire the next generation of business leaders.

She has also begun the podcast “888-Barbara” where listeners are invited to call in and ask for advice on their businesses.

Barbara is also passionate about the Systane Real Relief for Visionary Woman Campaign, an initiative that provides $5,000 grants to women in the states who don’t have the capital to get their business ideas off of the ground.

She has offered to counsel the grand winner, giving them the guidance and advice they need to make their business a success.

The Shark Tank Years

In 2009, Barbara Corcoran’s story took an even more exciting turn when she was asked to be a judge on the hit reality TV show “Shark Tank”. This gave her national recognition and made her a household name.

She has consistently been one of the most popular “sharks” on the show, and she has helped to make it one of the most watched programs on television for the past 14 years.

“Don’t You Dare Underestimate the Power of Your Own Instinct.”

– Barbara Corcoran –

Related: Barbara Corcoran Quotes On Success

Lessons To Learn From Corcoran

This Barbara Corcoran story of success clearly demonstrates that embracing and facing your weaknesses can turn into your deepest strengths. Despite all the challenges she’s faced in her life, she has always gotten back up and kept going. She is an inspiration to entrepreneurs everywhere, and her story is a reminder that anything is possible if you’re willing envision what you truly want, and then work hard enough for it.

She has also taught us the importance of diversification and always being open to new opportunities. Her willingness to take risks has paid off in a big way, and she is proof that taking chances can lead to incredible success.

Barbara’s story is one of determination, resilience, and hard work. She is an inspiration to us all, and her story is proof that the American dream is still alive and well. So take a moment to think of what that dream is for you, and how you can make it a reality. Because if Barbara Corcoran can do it, so can you.

Till you reach your aims,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed this Barbara Corcoran Success Story, then you’ll equally enjoy the success story of fellow “Shark”, Mark Cuban.

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.

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 named one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” in 2007. So what is his secret to success?

We will discuss his business ventures, his personal life, and some of the lessons that he has learned over the years in this Richard Branson Success Story special.

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

– richard branson –

Many clues to success can be found in Richard Branson’s personal life. If you’re feeling like you’re not extraordinary or capable of doing great things, it’s helpful to keep in mind that Branson created a record label, airline company, and pioneered tourist space travel, all while living with ADHD and dyslexia.

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.

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:

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. He has faced many setbacks throughout his career, but he has 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 is a perfect example of how embracing change can lead to great success.

Till next time,

STRIVE

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

Earl Nightingale was a popular radio show host in the 1950’s, who achieved substantial financial and career success before the age of 35. He was the most listened to man in the history of the broadcasting industry. However, his meteoric rise to the enduring and legendary levels of fame which he achieved, came from his contributions to the self-development, motivational, and success industry; which was driven by his retelling of his quest for the secret of success. Without a doubt, he was one of the best story-tellers of all time, who’s scholarship on the subject of success and motivation is to this day, is unmatched. So, If you’ve been wondering “Who Is Earl Nightingale?”, this is who he is in a nutshell.

Of course, there is so much more to this titan of success. So, if you want to really know who Earl Nightingale was, and why you should learn more about him and his words of wisdom, then keep reading, as we aim to unravel his inspiring story, and some of his most prized secrets of success.

THE STORY OF EARL NIGHTINGALE

Earl Nightingale | A Success Story

Earl Nightingale’s story is a true rags to riches story. Nightingale was born in 1921 in Long Beach California. He was a Depression-era child, who at the age of 12, during the height of the Great Depression, had to move into a literal tent after his father abandoned the family. His mother moved the family to tent city, a makeshift form of government housing created to assist families during the Great Depression.

Nightingale’s experience with poverty, and watching his mother struggle to barely make ends meet to take care of him and his two brothers frustrated him. In fact, it bothered him so much, that he decided to figure out why some people have money, and lots of it, while many others struggled to earn the bare minimum.

This began Earl Nightingale’s quest for the secret to success. And from 1933 to 1950 he went on a mission to discover how people can go from poverty to success. He read every book he could get his hands on. He also questioned every adult whom he suspected of “that special knowledge” of the key to success.

And it was at the ripe age of 29 when he finally had his “ah-ha” moment. At the age of 29, he finally cracked the code while reading Napoleon Hill’s ‘Think and Grow Rich’. The words that stood out to him, and hit him like a ton of bricks was the following:

“We Become What We Think About.”

– Napoleon hill –

Early Career

Now, before Earl Nightingale’s made his key discovery, he went about to make his living by joining the Marines. Soon after joining, he would eventually get stationed in Hawaii.

In fact, he was aboard the U.S.S. Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor. And he was one of only 334 marines who survived the attack on the ship out of a total of 1,511other crewmates.

Before his service would end in the military, Nightingale happened to stumble upon radio by volunteering to be an announcer on evenings and weekends. He volunteered for this job for the sole purpose of picking up what he thought could be a good skillset to have once he re-entered the civilian world. And his instincts paid off.

Earl Nightingale would enter into the broadcasting industry soon after his time in the Marines came to an end, and he took the industry by storm. He started off his Radio career in Phoenix, AZ.

But after a few short years, opportunity quickly presented itself. As such, he soon found himself working for one of the most prominent radio stations at the time; WGN radio out of Chicago, IL.

It wasn’t long after this, that Earl Nightingale really hit his stride. In fact, by 1957, at the age of 35 Earl Nightingale had officially “made it”. Nightingale was successful enough to officially retire.

No doubt, Earl was able to achieve such staggering success by applying the secret to success that he discovered just 7 years earlier.

The Making of a Legend

Earl Nightingale would lean into the next phase of his life as the owner of an insurance company. He invested his money into the purchase of an insurance company, with much of his new found wealth derived from his success within the broadcasting industry.

And it was this experience that would would ultimately lead to Earl Nightingale’s true legacy. As the owner of an insurance company, Earl would typically give motivational speeches to his insurance reps often.

However, one day he was preparing to do some travelling out of town, and the sales manager asked him if he could record one of his famous speeches to keep his team motivated while he was gone. Nightingale agreed to the request, and serendipitously, the result was one of the first audio-recordings of the self-development industry. It was a seemingly small act that would essentially become a revolutionary moment.

Word got out of Nightingale’s inspiring recorded sales speeches. And soon after, he was asked to record his accumulated advice on how to others can achieve similar success. And it was from here that one of the best motivational/self-help recordings of all-time was born: ‘The Strangest Secret’.

Once “The Strangest Secret” was complete, and word got out about how insightful and inspiring the work was, demand skyrocketed and caught Earl Nightingale off-guard. Once Nightingale partnered with friend Lloyd Conant to handle bottlenecking issues on orders, the audio-recording would become a national best-seller.

Amazingly, the wisdom from that recording is still impacting millions of people all over the world to this day. In fact, snippets from this classic can be found all over the web; here’s one such example:

^{_{Video Credit: Siddarth Rajsekar}}

Notable Accomplishments

Earl Nightingale went on to achieve numerous notable accomplishments over the timespan of his life. His life, and his accomplishments are a prime example of his success secret in action.

Here are a handful of some of his other noteworthy accomplishments:

• Awarded a Golden-Record Award for ‘The Strangest Secret’

• Hall of Fame Inductee for ‘The Association of National Broadcasters and National Radio’

• Awarded the Napoleon Hill Gold Medal for Literary Excellence

• Achieved Toastmasters International Golden Gavel Award

• Created Hit Audio Book ‘Lead The Field’

• Authored “The Greatest Discovery”

• Co-founded Famous Self-Development Company Nightingale Conant Corp.

Earl Nightingale Net Worth

The biproduct of Earl Nightingale’s stacked up accomplishments was a super-sized fortune. How large of a fortune? Well, at the time of his death in 1989, his net worth was estimated at roughly $38 million. Which is a lot of money, even by today’s standards.

That said, if Earl Nightingale managed to preserve his wealth over the years in a high yield savings account, his $38 million would be worth approximately $95 million after taking inflation into account.

Here’s another fun fact. Had Earl Nightingale invested his entire $38 million net worth into the SP500 back in 1989, it would be valued at roughly $497 million today.

Earl nightingale was not only a highly successful man, he was a very rich one.

Earl Nightingale Success Lessons

Below are just a few of Earl Nightingale’s key success lessons derived from his own words. These quotes are from two of his best-selling works. That said, they should provide a glimpse of the wisdom contained within his classic books, and best-selling audio books ‘The Strangest Secret’, and ‘Lead The Field.” Enjoy:

This quote above is the essence of his discovery of the secret of success; namely, that we become what we think about. So, be careful what you put into your mind (news/media/etc…). And pay careful attention to what you are thinking about (because you’ll usually get more of it).

No doubt, this success insight stems from his experience through life, and his keen observations that the riches you receive, usually comes down to the exact value you gave through your product or service offering.

If success was easy, everyone would achieve it. So, the best way to ensure you are not successful, is to listen to and follow the crowd. This bit of Earl Nightingale wisdom is still accurate to this day.

One of the keys to success, aside from being vigilant about what we think about, is persistence. Too many people let their doubts (negative thinking) talk them out of putting in the effort because of what almost always appears to be an uphill battle. Pro Tip: All striving is an uphill battle.

This is a great piece of wisdom by Earl Nightingale. It’s key because so many people think that success is what others say it is. But this isn’t true. Success is what you decide it to be. And so long as you’ve made up your mind what your success is, and you commit to making continual progress on it until you achieve it, you are on the path of success.

Final Thoughts

There you have it, the answer to the question “Who Is Earl Nightingale?”. We hope this brief synopsis of one of the world’s most influential motivational speakers, writers, and success scholars, has given you the insight you were looking for.

Without a doubt, he is someone to be studied. His philosophy of success is as relevant and true today, as it ever was. So, we hope at the very least, this Earl Nightingale profile has inspired you to dig deeper into the lessons and insights offered up by ‘The Dean of Personal Development’ himself.

Till you achieve your aims,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed this Earl Nightingale biography, then you’ll love this inspiring collection of Earl Nightingale Quotes.

Cristiano Ronaldo is the world renowned Portuguese professional footballer who was named the greatest Portuguese player of all time by the Portuguese Football federation.  He is also considered by legions of soccer fans all over the world to be the best of all time.  In addition to this, he is the first soccer player ever to earn over $1 billion dollars.   So, considering the impressive accomplishments of this phenomenal athlete, we will be diving into how such a legend came to be in this Cristiano Ronaldo Success Story special.

“The Best Always Follow The Best”

– cristiano ronaldo –

They say Iron sharpens Iron, and Ronaldo himself has said, that the best always follow the best, which is why we decided to cover Cristiano Ronaldo. Because without question, he is the best.  Cristiano, is a world-class athlete and a successful businessman, and his inspiring success story can teach us, guide us, and benefit us in unimaginable ways.  So, with that being said, if you’re ready to discover this legend’s blueprint for success, let’s dive in to Cristiano Ronaldo’s story.

THE CRISTIANO RONALDO STORY

Early Life |  Cristiano Ronaldo Success Story

Nobody starts off as a highly successful elite athlete, let alone an accomplished professional business person.  We all have a beginning, a starting point.  And the same goes for Cristiano Ronaldo as well.

As a child, Ronaldo shared a room with three of his siblings due to their poor financial circumstances.  And although he came from household that was struggling financially, he still found time to play the sport he loved, and dream of greater things. Being born and raised in remote island known as Madeira, an autonomous region of Portugal, his life early on revolved around soccer.

Cristiano wasn’t born a legend, but he did something early on which most likely impacted the trajectory of his life. Despite being raised in a home that barely made ends-meet on a remote island, and despite having a father who struggled with alcoholism, Ronaldo decided at a young age to be the best in the world.

Soccer was a big deal in Madeira, as it is in most of Europe, and Cristiano absolutely loved the sport.  He loved it so much, that even when they couldn’t afford a ball to play the game with, he would use bottles, or make a ball made of rags instead.  But a lack of money could not stop his insatiable love for the game.

Even when people doubted his future in the sport, saying he was too skinny, Ronaldo would use their doubt as fuel and often sneak into the gym to bulk up.

Ronaldo was lighting fast, had great footwork, and loved winning.  And it was this concoction of talent and his dedication to being the best,  that would pave the way for his meteoric rise .  A rise that saw him by the young age of 10, to be considered the best on his entire island.

The Sacrifice

Indeed, Ronaldo’s talent was noticed, and after playing for two of the island’s amateur teams, he was offered an opportunity to be groomed to play football for one of Portugal’s most well-known Football clubs. 

The club was known as Sporting CP, and they had a youth academy located 600 miles across the ocean on the mainland of Portugal. 

Now, this was no small matter however, as it required Cristiano to make a massive sacrifice.  It is a sacrifice that not everyone would make.  He had had to make the decision to leave the island of Madeira and his entire family at the young age of 11.  Fortunately, he made the sacrifice, and it was one that would put him on the path to stardom.

Career and Accolades

In just six short years after leaving his hometown and his family, his talent, dedication to training, and prowess on the pitch (field), would have him become the youngest player ever to sign a contract with Europe’s most prestigious professional football league,  ‘Manchester United’.  And this transaction would become one of the most expensive transfer contracts to date.  In 2003, Cristiano Ronaldo made history.

Since then Cristiano Ronaldo has managed to rack up accolade after accolade after accolade.  Here are just  a handful of his biggest accomplishments:

He’s won 5 Ballon d’Or awards, he holds the record for most goals in the UEFA Champions League and the EUFE Championship, the FIFA World Cup, and the UEFA Nations League Finals.  He received the FIFA Player of The Year Award, 2 of The Best FIFA Men’s Player Awards, a FIFA Club Word Cup Golden Ball Award, 3 FIFPro World Player of the Year Awards, 5 World Soccer Player of the Year Awards, 6 Globe Soccer Awards for the Best Player of the Year, 3 Gold Onze Mondial Awards, and the Golden Foot Award.

He’s also the first person in the world to reach over 500 million social media followers, the first active team sport player to earn over $1 billion dollars,

He’s also won hundreds of other national and region awards as well, throughout his colorful professional soccer career playing for the following teams:

• Andorinha CF (1992 – 1995)

• Nacional Club (1995 – 1997)

• Sporting CP(1997 – 2002)

• Manchester United (2003 – 2009)

• Real Madrid (2009 – 2018)

• Juventis (2018 – 2021)

• Manchester United ( 2021 – 2022)

• Al Nassr (2023 – Present)

Future Career and Personal Life 

Currently, Cristiano Ronaldo plays for Saudi Arabia’s All Nassr and earns a salary of $200 million dollars a year. But his ambition has not been limited to just the profession of football.  He’s also a successful businessman who has a strong personal brand, and earns plenty of money as the owner of multiple hotels in Portugal, gyms throughout Europe, and a hair transplant clinic in Spain.

Cristiano has proven to be a success both on and off the field.  And there is no doubt that his future both in sports and in business looks bright.

As far as his personal life goes, Cristiano has homes all over the world. He previously lived in a mansion in Turin Italy with his family, and then in Manchester, UK for a short time.

However, now that he’s playing for Al Nassr, he’s living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.  Ronaldo has been in a relationship with his girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez since 2017. And he is the proud father of six children; Cristiano Ronaldo Jr., Bella Esmeralda, Alana Martina dos Santos Aveiro, Eva Maria Dos Santos, Mateo Ronaldo, and Angel dos Santos Aveiro.

Success Ethos | CR7 Success Story

So, now that we covered all of Cristiano Ronaldo’s accomplishments, we now want to leave you with the ethos that has driven him to achieve the massive amounts of success and fame that he currently enjoys.

As a true student of success, you know it pays to observe the words uttered by the greats. It pays to understand what they believed. Their words provide insights into the drivers of their success.  And according to our research, we’ve observed Cristiano consistently uttering words that confirms the following:

He has an unmatched confidence in himself. Plus, an inspiring and clear vision of who he wants to be and where he wants to go. He has an insane work ethic and an insatiable will to win. Lastly, extremely dedicated to self-improvement.

But don’t just take our word for it, see for yourself.  Here are the handful of words that Cristiano Ronaldo has uttered himself which sums up the ethos that guides his success:

More CR7 Success Insights

If you play close enough attention to Cristiano Ronaldo’s story, it’s easy to observe exactly what it is that drives him, and helps him achieve at such a high level. The quotes above also do a good job helping you see exactly how he thinks. That said, if you’re looking for even more success insights, then you’ll want to watch this inspiring video. It’s only a few minutes long, but it will tell you everything you need to know about the mindset that drive’s much of Cr7’s success:

_{^{Video Credit via XLR8 Productivity}}

Conclusion

There you have it, the Cristiano Ronaldo struggle story that describes his journey from a poor kid living in a remote island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, to becoming the most famous athlete in the world.  We’ve uncovered the success ethos that has guided him in creating the massive success he now enjoys.

Here they are again as a recap to answer the question about how Cristiano Ronaldo became successful:

Decision | Sacrifice | Self-Confidence | Inspiring Vision | Work Ethic | An Insatiable Will to Win

If you enjoyed the success insights above, then you’ll love these Cristiano Ronaldo quotes about success as well. Surely you can gain some insights from this Cristiano Ronaldo Success Story and apply them to your life.  Our hope is that by doing so, you can become the very best YOU there is.

Till next time,

STRIVE

In the world of entertainment and success personalities, it doesn’t get any bigger than Dwayne Johnson, a.k.a. “The Rock.” Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is one of the biggest stars in the world as an actor, businessman, and former professional wrestler. He’s widely considered one of the most successful professional wrestlers in the world with his eight-year stint with the WWE.

“With Drive And A Bit Of Talent You Can Move Mountains.”

– dwayne “the rock” johnson –

The Rock’s powerful signature tagline of, “can you smell what THE ROCK is cooking?” made fans everywhere get up on their feet and cheer with delight. But it was Dwayne Johnson’s heart, character, and infectious personality that has endeared him to millions of fans around the world. And it was this unmatched charisma that he inevitably leveraged to make his mark in Hollywood.

Now with a box-office record of success that amounts to films that have grossed over $10.5 billion worldwide, his status as one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood today has been cemented. Conquering projects in film and television isn’t his only gig, even though you would think that would be enough.

Dwayne Johnson has also found lots of success as a businessman. He has multiple ventures that include a production company, a YouTube channel, wellness app, tequila brand, and many more. The Rock has his hand in a number of financially successful projects. And he’s not done expanding his empire. 

On top of this, he’s also an activist and a philanthropist. Let’s just say that The Rock clearly has a heart of gold. He does charity work, cares for his fans, and has a sincere passion for his Dwayne Johnson Rock Foundation. He founded this foundation in 2006, and works with at-risk and terminally ill children often.

What hasn’t this great man accomplished? It’s true that this guy just might become President of the United States someday. That said, let’s dive a little deeper into how “The Rock” came to be in this Dwayne Johnson success story.

Let’s see if we can discover a few clues and insights within his life that have helped him become the pillar of success that he is today. So, if you’re ready to peer into the story of one of the most recognized and accomplished men in the world, let’s dive right in.

THE ROCK SUCCESS STORY

The Early Years | Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne Douglas Johnson was born on May 2, 1972, in the San Francisco Bay area of California. His parents were Ata Johnson and former professional wrestler, Rocky Johnson. So you can see how he fell in love with professional wrestling from an early age.

His father was Black Nova Scotian, while his mother is Samoan. His father was also in the WWE as part of the first black tag team champions. Both The Rock’s father and his grandfather were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006. 

Growing up, Dwayne played a lot of team sports, including rugby, track and field, wrestling, and football._^[1] That led him to receive a full-ride scholarship for football at the University of Miami in Florida. As part of the team and a defensive tackle, Dwayne won a National Championship as part of NCAA Division I in 1991.

Graduation followed in 1995 and he quickly signed on to the Calgary Stampeders within the Canadian Football League. Unfortunately, not long after signing he would get cut from the team. However, this setback would become great news for the wrestling world. Because, in 1996, Dwayne Johnson made it into the WWF, which is what the WWE was called back then. 

Monster Success Followed 

Dwayne Johnson’s rise to superstardom in the WWE mainly came in the late 90s to the early 2000s. Once he started to wrestle under the nickname “The Rock”, it became clear that Dwayne was an important part of the massive success of the WWE at that time.

Fans loved to cheer him on at Royal Rumbles, Smackdown, and of course, the pinnacle of the wrestling year, WrestleMania. His signature pose sent fans into ruckus cheers when he would stand on the edge of the rink with his arm triumphantly in the air, shouting his tagline.

It was an exciting time for wrestling and one that would cement his star status. Johnson would leverage his newfound popularity which eventually lead to an acting career. 

Ready For His Close Up

One of the first Hollywood acting roles that Dwayne had was “The Mummy Returns” in 2001. In this movie he played the role of The Scorpion King. The box-office success of this movie led Dwayne into a starring role in the spinoff in 2002, “The Scorpion King.”

At the time, he was the highest-paid actor ever for a first-time starring role with a paycheck of $5.5 million. The Rock was clearly on his way to bigger and better things as one of the most bankable box-office stars in the world. 

His movie career is on fire. Over the years, he has appeared in successful movies like “Fast Five” as Luke Hobbs in the Fast and the Furious movies, “G.I. Joe: Retaliation”, “Pain & Gain”, “Moana”, “Central Intelligence”, and “Empire State.” Those are just a few of his notable roles since there are many more._^[2]

Dwayne also executive produced and starred in the HBO series, “Ballers”, which had five seasons and was a fan favorite show set in Miami about former ball players. Dwayne, along with his business partner, Dany Garcia, has a production company called Seven Bucks Productions. It’s a reference to the number of bills The Rock had in his pocket right before he signed his initial contract with the WWF. 

His Personal Life As A Girl Dad

Dwayne is also an attentive father, which is admirable with everything he does professionally. He is one of the most-followed people on Instagram with 278 million followers.

Fans especially love to see the adorable pictures and videos he posts of his daughters as the ultimate Girl Dad. He’s not afraid to have his nails painted by his daughters, or put on silly pranks that get played on him by his two youngest girls, Jasmine and Tiana, who are 6 and 4-years-old.

Dwayne has a daughter, Simone, who is 20-years-old and is actually a new professional wrestler with the WWE called Ava Raine. With her long family legacy of pro wrestlers, it’s easy to see how proud Dwayne is that she’s following in the family’s large footsteps. 

When it comes to The Rock success story, it really doesn’t get any better than this man who dedicates so much of his time to not only being a great actor, family man, and businessman, but also devotes so much of his time to his charity and activism endeavors. 

Still Striving For His Potential

Dwayne Johnson is an example of someone who, even though he doesn’t look like the typical leading man, has carved a giant place for himself in this world, while being a good guy in the process. Everyone loves The Rock, but going even further, people love that Dwayne Johnson is so upfront, open, and candid with the world about his opinions on right and wrong.

He said one time on the Today Show that “I do have the goal to unite our country.” This followed up on a poll in 2021 that said 46 percent of Americans would consider voting for Dwayne Johnson for President of the United States.

Maybe this will be the ultimate feather in his cap on a career of success that is unlike any other.

Dwayne Johnson’s Net Worth

Dwayne Johnson’s achievements in the world of entertainment, his partial ownership of the Teramana tequila brand, the XFL, a few other business ventures has undoubtedly helped him build up a sizable fortune over the years. How large of a fortune?

Well, as of 2023 Dwayne Johnson’s net worth is approximately $800 million. That said, it’s only a matter of time before he officially becomes a billionaire.

At the rate he’s going, he’ll most certainly reach the coveted billionaire mark within the next 3 to 5 years.

Mahalo Joe 🥃🙏🏾
Our @Teremana growth has become a true case study of the “how and why” we created a new paradigm in the spirits biz.
High quality liquid, very accessible price point, authentic storytelling & trust equity I’ve been lucky enough to build over the years with… https://t.co/WHNvPYK2Mk

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) April 28, 2023

Success Ethos | Dwayne Johnson Success Story

Dwayne Johnson success stems from many things. But the most apparent reason for his stratospheric success comes down to his work ethic._^[3] Certainly, The Rock’s large physique, and his natural athletic abilities have helped him succeed. But it’s been his determination to do more than what’s been expected of him that has lent to his achievements.

Dwayne says it best in his own words, stating the following:

Related: Best Dwayne Johnson Quotes

With that said, here’s a great video that we highly recommend. It does a great job encapsulating the elements that have helped the Rock become so successful:

_{^{Video Credit: Forbes (Subscribe Here)}}

Final Thoughts

There you have it, The Dwayne Johnson Success Story. We hope you’ve learned a few new insights related to The Rock’s success. But more importantly, we hope you’ll now want to emulate and employ success insights like:

Effort | Focus | Hard Work

If so, dream big and keep working hard. Because if you do, before you know it, we may be writing an inspiring success story about you.

Till then,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed our Dwayne Johnson Success Story, then you’ll likely love these short, but powerful collection of success stories.