As paradoxical as it may sound, failing is a crucial step to entrepreneurial success. The idea of failing can be scary and intimidating. However, failure is important. It allows us to learn from our mistakes, identify where we went wrong, and better understand what we can improve! Check out these stories of successful entrepreneurs who failed (maybe even more than once) before they achieved success.
Vera Wang
Before she created her fashion empire, Vera Wang wanted to compete as a figure skater in the 1968 Olympics. Unfortunately, she didn’t make the team. She then went to work as an editor at Vogue, where she wasn’t initially given the editor-in-chief position. Wang persevered in the fashion industry, eventually finding her niche in designing bridal wear.
Soichiro Honda
Soichiro Honda began his career in Japan. He valued passionate individualism, and incorporated these ideas his business model for a car company. The Japanese business community didn't identify with his vision, and his fellow businessmen alienated him. Rather than accepting the rejection of his ideas, he took his ideas to the United States. In doing so, he started a complete automotive revolution in the US.
Oprah Winfrey
Now a household name, Oprah began her career as a local news station reporter. She was fired because producers said she was becoming too emotionally invested in her stories. That capacity for deep involvement, however, is exactly what has made her so successful today. Rather than accepting this trait as a failure, she figured out how to better apply it, leading to a successful TV and lifestyle brand career.
