Motivation: From Milkshake-Machine Salesman to CEO of McDonald’s Restaurants:
When Life Takes an Unexpected Turn
Success isn't
a straight path; it's a winding road with unexpected twists and turns. While
some might assume that notable figures in history took a clear route to
success, many had unexpected beginnings.
Let's explore
nine such iconic personalities who had very different jobs before they struck
gold:
Ray Kroc:
Before: 53-year-old
milkshake-machine salesman who made a risky career move while most of his peers
were probably dreaming of retirement.
Later in Life: In 1954, the man who
made McDonald’s what it is today was inspired by the
precision of the McDonald brothers’ roadside burger joint in San Bernardino,
Calif., Kroc eventually bought the small business and expanded it to the
worldwide company that today is worth more than $147 billion across nearly
36,000 locations worldwide.
Agatha Christie:
Before: Famous mystery writer
Later in Life: In her 40s, after a breakdown and divorce, Agatha
Christie found true love and became an archaeologist.
Suzanne Watson:
Before: Episcopal priest and housewife
Later in Life: After age 50, Family Medicine Physician and Psychiatrist.
She never lost the dream of practicing medicine.
When she was 50, she started to take stock of the years she had left, and her
son said to her, “You know, I’ve heard you talk about this your entire life,
and you either need to do it now and sign up tomorrow, or you need to just shut
up about it.” And she just decided, “You know what, I might as well give this
one more shot.”
Rodney Dangerfield:
Before:
He delivered groceries and sold
newspapers and ice cream at the beach.
At the age of 15, he began to write for stand-up comedians while
performing at the Nevele, a resort in Ellenville, New York.
He struggled financially for nine
years, at one point performing as a singing waiter until he was fired, before
taking a job selling aluminum siding in the mid-1950s to support his wife and
family.
Dangerfield came to realize that what
he lacked was an "image", a well-defined on-stage persona that
audiences could relate to, one that would distinguish him from other comics.
After being shunned by some premier comedy venues, he returned home where he
began developing a character for whom nothing goes right.
Roy
took the name Rodney Dangerfield, from a cowboy character portrayed by Jack Benny on his radio
program in a 1941 broadcast. The Benny character, who also received little
or no respect from the outside world, served as an inspiration to Dangerfield
while he was developing his own comedy character.
Later in Life:
Stardom started at the age of 46 when he made a
hit appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show”.
Peter Mark Roget:
Before:
British physician, natural theologian, lexicographer, and founding secretary
of The Portico Library.
Later in Life:
After retiring from his medical career in 1840, at age 61, Peter worked on his thesaurus as a way to battle depression. His thesaurus first printed in 1852, when he was 73, and had 28 printings.
Harland David Sanders, aka
Colonel Sanders:
Before:
Sanders held a number of jobs in
his early life, such as steam engine stoker, insurance salesman, and filling station operator.
Later in Life:
Harland David Sanders (aka Colonel
Sanders) opened his first franchise of the famous Kentucky Fried Chicken in
1952, when he was 62.
John Stith Pemberton:
Before: Confederate lieutenant colonel during the Civil War, Pharmacist
Later in Life: In 1885, at age 54, Pemberton mixed a version of the syrup in a
brass kettle in his backyard that would later become Coca-Cola. It contained
extracts of cocaine and of kola nuts, a rich source of caffeine, and sugar for
sweetening instead of wine. Pemberton took the concoction to Jacob’s Pharmacy
nearby for tasting. There it was mixed with carbonated water as a soda. It was
to be sold as a “brain tonic” and offered as an ideal temperance drink.
His bookkeeper, Frank Robinson,
came up with the name Coca-Cola and also developed the script style that
remains the company’s logo.
Anna Mary Robertson Moses, aka Grandma Moses:
Before: Housewife, farm help, embroiderer
Later in Life: Artist Painter, when arthritis made embroidery more difficult in her
sixties, she began dabbling with paint, mixing leftover house paints to create
pictures on old farm boards. In her late seventies, when her husband died, she
began to paint more, selling some of her primitive folk art paintings in a
local drug store.
Václav
Havel:
Before:
Playwright and writer
Later in Life:
Became president of Czechoslovakia at the age of
53 after the fall of the communist regime in 1989
This
compelling list showcases that the journey to success is often dotted with
experiences that might seem unrelated or insignificant at the time. But these
experiences mold us, provide us with unique perspectives, and often play a
vital role in our later success.
For
many, this winding road might feel daunting. It might be tempting to abandon
ship and give up on dreams, especially when faced with personal challenges.
Robert
Edward’s story resonates with this sentiment. At 64, after a life marked by an
endocrine birth disorder, an endocrinal nervous breakdown at age 24, a long
depression, numerous failures in work and in love, especially with numerous
rejections featuring several woman: one who said he was a waste of time for her based on
his low income, another woman who said there was no point in him continuing to
even being alive on account of his not having arrived anywhere significant in
life, a third one who said he was worth meeting only online and not in person
because of his ugliness – To those venomous humiliating rejections, Robert thus
asserted.
6] The
LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
[7] The
LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire
upon them that hate me. Pslams 118,
verses 6 and 7
Furthermore,
there were unrelated issues such as familial fears which kept him from pursuing
his ambitions for decades, Robert stands undeterred.
Armed
with a BFA degree earned at age 22 and a spirit unwilling to capitulate, Robert
Edward emphasizes the importance of self-encouragement.
Life's
challenges, though significant, are surmountable. As King David penned in the
Psalms during his moments of despair, "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted
within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of
my countenance, and my God." - Psalm 42:11, KJV.
So, wherever you are on your journey,
remember: that every job, every experience, and every struggle brings you one step
closer to where you are meant to be. Embrace the journey, no matter where it
starts or the detours it might take. The destination, often, is worth the ride.
Credits and References:
Entry for Ray Kroc https://parade.com/977149/parade/celebrity-late-bloomers/
