1. J.K. Rowling: The Story of an Impoverished Child to a World Renowned Author.
Hardship: Rowling became a single mother who lived on welfare in Scotland following her divorce. She was in depression and was financially challenged when she was writing the first Harry Potter manuscript.
Opportunity: Rowling persisted though he received 12 rejections by publishers. Her book was later published by Bloomsbury. Nowadays, Harry Potter series is an international phenomenon and Rowling is one of the richest authors in the world.
Lesson: Never give up and hold onto your dream, as it can improve your life even in the most challenging moments.
2. Nick Vujicic: Life Without Limbs.
Challenge: Nick Vujic was born with tetra-amelia syndrome, which meant that he had no arms or legs. He battled bullying, depression and hopelessness in his childhood.
Opportunity: Nick made a decision to concentrate on what was possible and not what was not. He mastered the skills of writing, swimming and living on his own. He is a motivation speaker and writer that is inspiring to millions of people today.
Lesson: Limitations may be used to inspire and empower others.
3. Sara Blakely: Building SPANX
Challenge: Being a young salesperson, Sara had problems with getting a perfect fit of hosiery under the white pants. She encountered too many rejections by male dominated manufacturing firms in her attempt to bring her product idea to life.
Opportunity: She continued to improve her product, and bootstrapped her business using her savings. The company SPANX turned out to be a billion-dollar enterprise that transformed the fashion business.
Lesson: When there is a way to notice an empty spot in the market and chase it to the max, the results can be unbelievable.
4. Malala Yousafzai: Education Activist.
Challenge: Being born in Pakistan, Malala was under threat by the Taliban because she defended the education of girls. In 2012, she was almost shot dead.
Opportunity: Malala employed her voice to get attention all over the world instead of dwelling on her experiences. She was made the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner and is still struggling to obtain education rights.
Moral of the story: The most serious issues may be transformed into the force of the global change.
5. Howard Schultz: Starbucks Vision.
Challenge: Howard Schultz was brought up in Brooklyn in a poor family and his parentage was sales. At the time he joined Starbucks, it was only a small coffee bean retailer. His visions were challenged as he wanted to make it like a cafe experience.
Opposition: Howard ended up purchasing Starbucks and made his vision true. His will made Starbucks a global coffee company.
Moral: When one has a clear vision and is ready to move on it, resistance can be overcome and global success achieved.
6. Oprah Winfrey: Poverty to the Power.
Issue: Oprah was raised in poverty and she was abused as a child. She has also experienced rejection and has even been demoted as a news anchor at an early stage of her career.
Opportunity: Oprah made it her way, and she developed The Oprah Winfrey Show. She turned into a social icon and she used her platform to empower and motivate millions.
Lesson: Use the pain in your life to cause purpose in your life and you can make an enormous impact.
7. Bossman: Airbnb Founders: Revolutionizing Travel.
Difficulty: Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia were unable to afford a rent in San Francisco and they had an idea to rent air mattresses in their apartment. They were treated with doubt and could not easily get finances to fund their idea.
Opportunity: The founders also pushed on, and continued perfecting their business model. Airbnb is a multi-billion dollar enterprise today that has changed the way people travel and stay.
Learning: Necessary innovation can result in a revolutionary idea.
8. Kathleen Steingold: Thomas Edison: Failure to Success.
Obstacle: When Edison worked on light bulb, he tried his hand at thousands of failures. His ideas and his methods were questioned by many individuals.
Opportunity: Edison viewed all his failures as one more step towards success. The world became different because of his persistence that resulted in the invention of an electric light bulb.
Lesson: Part of success is failure and the most important thing is perseverance.
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