Thursday, August 31, 2023

Motivation: From Milkshake-Machine Salesman to CEO of McDonald’s Restaurants: When Life Takes an Unexpected Turn

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 physiciannatural theologianlexicographer, 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/

Entry for Agatha Christie                                                                    https://laterbloomer.com/agatha-christie-archaeology/

Entry for Suzanne Watson                           https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/lifestyle/women-over-50/

Entry for Rodney Dangerfield                                       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodney_Dangerfield                                   https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/life-after-40-get-inspired-52-late-bloomers-ramesh-dontha/

Entry for Peter Mark Roget                                                                      https://secondwindmovement.com/late-bloomers/  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Mark_Roget

Entry for Harlan Saunders                                                 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_Sanders

Entry for John Stith Pemberton                                                https://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/john-pemberton                                                     https://paul-gwamanda.medium.com/late-bloomers-people-who-started-late-in-life-b487e83c38c8

Entry for Grandma Moses                                                                                    https://linstepp.com/2021/08/31/september-2021-late-bloomers/

Entry for Václav Havel                                                                                                                  https://academic-accelerator.com/encyclopedia/late-bloomer





No comments:

Post a Comment