Emily Dickinson - Success story

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Emily Dickinson is one of the most famous authors of modern times. In true sense, she considered herself a failure for most of her life. She never married and used to spend the maximum of her time writing poems. She is one of the most renowned poets of her time but less than a dozen of her poems were ever published.

After her death, her sister noticed close to 1800 poems stacked up. She eventually published the poems which made Emily gain international fame.

Lesson Learnt:

- Follow your passion and success will come your way.

Curtis Jackson - Success story

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Curtis was born in 1975 in New York. He is professionally known as 50 cents. Curtis had a rough past and a tough upbringing. At an early age, he was surrounded by drugs and crime. Sabrina, his birth mother herself was a drug dealer. When he was 8 years old, his mother died due to some mysterious fire. Eventually, his father too left. Curtis was now left with his grandmother. At the age of 12, he started dealing with drugs. In 1994, he was sentenced to 3-9 years in prison due to multiple accusations. Instead, he was sent to a boot camp for about 6 months.

He adopted the name 50-cent after his release. In 2002, he was signed by Eminem after he heard one of his songs. Ever since then, Curtis is known to be the best rapper and is world-famous.

Lessons Learnt:

- If you are born poor, it is not your fault. But if you die poor, it is your fault.

- Make use of the opportunities that come your way and give your best.

Chris Gardener - Success story

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Chris Gardener was born in 1954 and had a tough upbringing. He had a father that was never present while the stepfather abused his mother and siblings. He went in and out of foster care. Chris married in 1977 but an affair with another lady caused her to be pregnant. This was when he decided to leave his wife. After his son was born, he knew he had to do something in life. He decided to be a medical equipment salesman.

Finally, he met a man who showed him the career of a stockbroker. He suffered evictions, divorce, and jail. But in the end, he never gave up and kept trying to better his life.

Lessons Learnt:

- Make wise choices to end up in a safe and secure place.

- Learn from your mistakes and never repeat them.

Abraham Lincoln's Success Story: Lessons in Leadership

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Explore the inspiring success story of Abraham Lincoln. Learn valuable lessons in leadership, perseverance, and resilience from his journey.

Abraham Lincoln's story is a great example of persistence. If you have failed multiple times and wish to quit, read on to learn about the amazing life story of Lincoln and his life difficulties. He was born into a poor family and faced defeat at all ends. He failed twice in business, lost the elections eight times, and had a severe breakdown. He had many instances where he could have accepted defeat. But he did not give up. That is exactly why he went on to become the greatest president.

He lost his mother in 1818. In 1831, he tried his hand at business but failed. Lincoln also lost his job and wanted to do law, but could not get in. In 1835, he was to be married to his fiance, but she died, due to which he was heartbroken. He was then bedridden for six months. Finally, in 1860, he was elected as the President of the United States.

Lessons Learnt:

- The secret key to success is to never give up.

- Never accept defeat as the end game. Try until you succeed.

"The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same." -- Colin R. Davis

Albert Einstein Success story

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Albert Einstein was born on March 14, 1879, in the German Empire. His father worked as an engineer and salesman. During his childhood, electricity was not yet widespread, so homes were typically lit by oil lamps and gas, and horse-drawn carriages were a common mode of transportation.

Einstein began speaking around the age of four and started reading by age seven. He developed a strong interest in mathematics and physics from a young age, nurtured by his mother, who also introduced him to music. In 1905, he published several groundbreaking papers that established him as a leading figure in physics.

Known for his visionary thinking, Einstein was celebrated for his profound knowledge and wisdom. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. In 1940, Einstein became a citizen of the United States.

Lessons Learnt:

Einstein did not begin speaking until he was four years old, which led some to judge him. However, this did not discourage him.

Focus on finding the right path to success rather than seeking a quick fix.

Ursula Burns - CEO of Xerox

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Ursula Burns was brought up by a single mother in New York. She studied at Cathedral High School. After completing her schooling, she graduated in Mechanical Engineering in 1980. At the age of 22, she got an internship at Xerox. After completing her Master's, she became a permanent employee at Xerox. In 2000, she became the senior vice president due to sheer hard work. The company was going through a tough crisis at the time and Ursula was the one to get it back on track.

She is the first black American lady to head a Fortune 500 company. Since 2009, she is the CEO of the company and is achieving great success.

Lessons Learnt:

- Hard work pays off.

Michelle Mone - CEO of MGM

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Michelle was born in a poor household with basically no finances. She quit school at the age of 15 and had no education at all. She began modeling at an early age to support her parents financially. Her father was then wheelchair-bound. Soon after, she met her now ex-husband and got settled. But Michelle was not content and knew she wanted to do more out of life. She got a marketing job with Labbatt and within 2 years, she became the head of the sales and marketing team.

At the age of 24, she decided to start her own company. Before starting the company, she knew she had to focus on bras and lingerie. She soon opened Ultimo. There was no looking back after this. By June 2008, there were 12 stores across Ireland and the UK.

Lessons Learnt:

- Never lose hope and keep trying until you succeed.

- You will eventually win if you never lose patience.

Indra Nooyi - CEO of PepsiCo

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Indra Nooyi was born on the 28th of October, 1955. She belonged to a South Indian family and resided in Tamil Nadu. Her grandfather was a district judge and her father worked at State Bank of Hyderabad. She studied at Holy Angels.

AIHSS in Chennai. Indra then did her Bachelor's in Maths, Physics and Chemistry in 1974 at Madras Christian College. After graduation, she did her Master's from IIM Calcutta.

Indra then joined Johnson and Johnson in Mumbai with the role of product manager. She went on to work with the top companies and then finally gained the job at PepsiCo. Indra Nooyi is the 12th highest-paid women in the US.

Lessons Learnt:

- Talent needs to be worked upon to sharpen your skills.

- It is important to add experience to your journey.

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Sheetal Kabra - Earthy Sapo

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Sheetal Kabra worked in the corporate field for 9 years. Soon after, she got pregnant. She decided to take a break due to her high-risk pregnancy. It was during this break that Sheetal rediscovered her love for arts and crafts. She started gaining great interest in creating her personalized items. Sheetal also realized the need for natural products. Her baby did not react well to traditionally available soaps. Hence, she decided to create a hand made soaps.

She soon began on her interparental journey and started selling her hand made soaps to her friends, family, and relatives. That is how Earthy Sapo was created. Today the company has multiple products that include hair oils, natural soaps, shampoos, moisturizers, and conditioners. All products are natural and chemical-free.

Lessons Learnt:

- It is never too late to start working on your dreams.

- Hard work and consistency is the key to success.

Bhavish Aggarwal and Ankit Bhati - Ola Cabs

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Bhavish and Ankit both are IIT-B graduates who started the concept of booking cabs online. In the beginning, they followed the usual path and started working in reputed MNCs. They looked for various to start their entrepreneur dream. That is when they stumbled upon the lack of cab booking facilities online. Bhavish had a bad experience with a rented car while on a trip. He wanted to let customers experience convenience and safety while traveling. That is how Ola Cabs came into existence and made traveling simpler than ever.

It became one of the fastest running startups in India. By 2014, Ola Cabs spread to 100 cities with a network of 2,00,000 cars. The company held over 60% of the market share and had 1,50,000 bookings in a day. One of the prime reasons for its success is the cheap rates of cab services.

Lessons Learnt:

- No matter how small you start, you can always aim for high success.

- Your success is dependent on the amount of effort and hard work you put into it.

Falguni Nayyar - Founder of Nykaa

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Falguni hails from a Gujrati family. She was born and brought up in Mumbai. Her father was from the world of the business hence she was exposed to the field at a young age. She states that trade and stock market discussions were hot topics at home. She graduated from IIM Ahmedabad and worked for Kotak Mahindra Bank for 19 years. Her role was that of an investment banker. In the year 2012, she decided to do something for herself.

Falguni quit her job at the age of 50 and decided to venture into the world of business. She noticed that there was untapped potential in the field of beauty. Nykaa finally came to life in 2012. She got inspiration from big brands like Falguni and Sephora. Her dream to get the world of beauty in India was done through Nykaa. It was her aim to get the best retailers with the best beauty products in India. Falguni Nayyar achieved this feat way past her age. This is a true inspiration for women out there who feel it is too late to start something.

Lessons Learnt:

- It is never too late to start something new in life.

- If you believe in it, do it no matter what.

Bethany Hamilton -Surfer success story

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Bethany Hamilton was born on the 8th of February, 1990 in Hawaii. She grew up in a surfing family with older brothers Tim and Noah. Hence, she learned the art of surfing at a young age. Hamilton started competitive surfing at the age of 8. At the age of 9, she got her first sponsorship. In 2003 of May, she went on to taste success. In 2003, October 31, she faced a brutal shark attack. She lost about 60% of her blood and underwent multiple surgeries. Later, she recovered and was released.

Hamilton continued with her surfing just a month after her surgeries. She also has an autobiography to her name called 'Soul Surfer: A True Story Of Faith And Fighting To Get Back On The Board'. The book was a best seller. Her story is an inspiration to people out there who face challenges in their life.

Lessons Learnt:

- Hurdles are a part of life.

- Have a never say die spirit and follow your dreams.

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John Paul Dejoria - Success story

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John Paul was born in Los Angeles to a single mother. Soon after, he landed in foster care as his mother could not provide for him. At one point, he lived in the car to sustain himself. He faced economic hurdles every way. When he did not have enough money, he would sell Christmas cards.

Additionally, he also started selling encyclopedias to raise funds to attend college. As time passed by, he sold shampoos from door to door. In 1980, he partnered with Paul Mitchell and made a profitable hair care company.

He donates 50% of his earnings for the betterment of the world and is connected to 160 charities. His partner Mitchell soon died of cancer, and John Paul then took over the company. His beliefs and determination are what changed his life for the best. From the homeless to a billionaire is a long journey.

Lessons Learnt:

- No matter what, always give the best service to your customers.

- Rejection is all part of the game. Accept it from day one.

Richard Branson - success story

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Richard was a school dropout who had no interest in studies. By the time he was sixteen, he started a magazine called 'Student'. This was his first exposure to the world of business. It was a great launch for Branson. After a year of launching his magazine, he started Virgin Records, a recording studio. With time, some of the best and biggest names in the industry signed under his label. By the time he was 23, he was a billionaire. Soon after, he ventured into different fields to try his success.

In 1980, he launched a travel company named Voyager Group. In 1984, he started the renowned airline Virgin Atlantic. He is one of those people who believes in helping others or giving back. Hence, he is associated with multiple charities. Today, Branson owns more than 400 companies all of which are successful.

Lessons Learnt:

- Nothing is impossible in this world.

- It is important to start before you feel ready.

- There is no perfect way to do things. It all matters on your experience.

Ralph Lauren - success story

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Ralph Lauren was born in 1939 in a Jewish family. His family was working-class immigrants. He truly has rags to riches story. He had a great interest in fashion ever since he was little. At the age of 12, he started selling hand made ties to his classmates. A lot of his childhood was spent watching movies which raised his interest. He took the business in college but soon dropped out of it to join the army. Ralph left the service soon and joined Rivets and Co in 1967. Alongside he launched his brand called 'Polo' for men. Three years later, he won the award for Coty American Fashion Critics for men's line.

Ralph Lauren today has multiple boutiques opened internationally since the 1980s. The company produces fragrances, luxury clothing, and home furnishings as well. Today, fashion is synonymous with Ralph Lauren.

Lessons Learnt:

- Pursue your hobbies and make the best of your life.

- Create opportunities rather than waiting for them.

Walt Disney - success story

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Walt Disney was born in 1901 in Chicago. He was the fourth sibling among five. He was born in a relatively poor household. Disney's dad was abusive and barely made enough for the family. To distract himself, he found happiness in the drawing. His first business was a huge loss. Later, with just $40 in hand, he set off to Los Angeles to give acting a shot. Unfortunately, that attempt failed too. Disney then found success with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit.

The animation became a massive hit. But soon he fell into trouble with the legal rights of the same. Instead of fighting, he decided to start over again. On the train back to California, Mickey Mouse was created. Mickey Mouse was finally brought to life in the late 1920s. Initially, he faced multiple rejections until finally being accepted.

Lessons Learnt:

- Learn to accept failures and take them in a positive spirit.

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Phanindra - RedBus

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In the year 2005, Phanindra or Phani was working with Texas Instruments in Bangalore as a senior designer. During the festive season, he decided to spend the time with his family back in Hyderabad. Due to the massive traffic in Bangalore, he could not book the tickets. Eventually, he missed the bus. That was when he sensed the true need for an online Bus booking service. He then partnered with his co-founders and shared his story and idea with them. They started the company with initial funding of Rs. 5 lakh which was their savings.

They then built a platform wherein customers can book their bus bookings online. In the beginning, they faced multiple rejections. Finally, they got their first five bookings through an online agent. In 2006, they got a major leap through the Entrepreneur Acceleration Program. They got in touch with some mentors that made the company what it was.

Lessons Learnt:

- Failures and rejections are a part of success.

- Never give up on your dreams.

Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal - Flipkart

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Flipkart is no stranger to anyone. The giant e-commerce website is one of the most sought after websites for online orders. It was founded in the year 2007 with a fund of just Rs. 6500. Both the founders were employees at Amazon who wanted to achieve something big in life. They soon realized the need for online ordering. This is how they came up with Flipkart. The founders quit their jobs with a dream to change the shape of e-commerce.

Both had a love for books and founded Flipkart that served book enthusiasts. In the starting years, Flipkart got funds from capital funding. As the company grew, funding also grew with time. Flipkart was the first company to introduce the facility of 'Cash on Delivery'.

Lessons Learnt:

- Add skills to your talents.

- Never give up on your dreams no matter how hard they may seem.

Nandan Reddy and Sriharsha Majety -Swiggy

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Nandan and Sriharsha were alumni of the Birla Institute of Technology and Science. In the year 2014, they started their first venture called Bundl. The app was a logistics aggregator which connected medium-sized companies to providers of courier services. In the beginning, the business went on fine. But with time, they realized that they needed to change focus. The founders then ventured into the food industry. There was an urgent need for an online logistics company in the restaurant industry.

On August 14, they turned their dream into reality by developing Swiggy, the first online food ordering platform. The company was founded in a small office space in Koramangala, Bangalore. It started off with one neighborhood, 25 partner restaurants, and 6 delivery executives. Today, the company has a major presence in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, and Hyderabad.

Lessons Learnt:

- Be open enough to mold according to the needs of the public.

- Be ready to experiment.

Deep Kalra - MakeMyTrip Founder

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Deep Kalra was born and brought up in Hyderabad. He studied in Ahmedabad and Delhi. He studied Bachelor's in Economics from St. Stephens College in Delhi in the year 1990. He then went on to do his MBA from the Indian Institute of Management in Ahemdabad in the year 1992. Kalra decided to join ABN AMRO where he worked for three years. Later, he went on a long break. It was during this break that he decided to do something out of the box and gain new heights. He discovered the power of the internet and its massive reach. The idea of MakeMyTrip came to reality in the year 2000. In the beginning, they faced capital issues.

They also reduced employment due to multiple issues. The year 2005 changed the path of MakeMyTrip. It was the year when the railways started online bookings. The company made $5 million in 2008. MakeMyTrip had no turning back. It went on to deliver an amazing user experience to its customers.

Lessons Learnt:

- Believe in your dreams, even if others don't.

- Take risks and believe your path.

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