From setback to success - Nine stories to inspire your career

Feeling stuck in your career? You're not alone.  Our 20-plus years of helping people become unstuck has given us many inspiring stories – most of which we can’t share out of respect for our Bravo client’s privacy!. However, there are many public stories we can share. 

We would like to introduce nine individuals who turned frustrations, and in some cases abject failure, into monetary success. Even if you are not chasing billion-dollar dreams but simply more meaning and purpose in your life, we hope their stories of resilience and innovation will show you that no matter how tough a journey gets, you can learn from the secrets behind such transformations and find the inspiration to fuel your own career breakthrough.

1 Janine Allis: Started with No Experience

Janine Allis had no experience. Before founding Boost Juice, she had never worked in retail or food service. Here's why her fresh perspective disrupted the industry and led to a multi-million dollar empire: Allis focused on health and convenience, building Boost Juice into a global brand with over 500 stores. Her story exemplifies how a willingness to learn can turn inexperience into an advantage But Allis' success with Boost Juice is not just a result of her lack of experience. It was also due to her determination, hard work, and innovative thinking. Allis’ lack of experience could be seen as simply having an open mind.

 Question: How can you leverage your unique perspective and willingness to learn in your current career?

2 Eddie Mabo: Changed Australian Law

Eddie Mabo changed law. His landmark case challenged the legal doctrine of "terra nullius" in Australia. Here's how his determination transformed Indigenous land rights: After ten years of legal battles, the High Court of Australia ruled in favour of Mabo, recognising Indigenous land ownership. This victory not only honoured his heritage but also reshaped Australia's legal landscape, showing how steadfast commitment to justice can create lasting change. It hopefully has also made us a more compassionate nation, understanding the consequences of our actions.

Question: What cause are you passionate about, and how can you make a lasting impact through your efforts?

3 Melanie Perkins: Built a Unicorn

Melanie Perkins faced rejection. When pitching Canva, her graphic design software, she was turned down by numerous investors. Here's what she did to eventually build a billion-dollar company: Perkins refined her pitch, improved the product based on feedback, and persevered until securing funding. Canva is now a globally recognised platform used by millions. Her story highlights that resilience and adaptability can overcome initial failures, leading to extraordinary entrepreneurial success.

Question: How can you use feedback and persistence to turn your setbacks into opportunities?

4 Cathy Freeman: Overcame Intense Pressure

Cathy Freeman carried a nation's hopes. At the Sydney 2000 Olympics, she was the face of the Games and under immense pressure to win. Her triumph became a symbol of unity and inspiration: Freeman won gold in the 400 meters, delivering a moment of national pride and reconciliation. Her victory against overwhelming expectations demonstrated how embracing both personal and collective pressure can result in defining career achievements and lasting impact. Many of us know where we were when Cathy ran her race.

Question: How can you harness the pressure you face to achieve a significant goal in your career?

5 Sara Blakely: Turning Setbacks into Success

Sara Blakely failed the LSAT twice and faced numerous rejections in her career aspirations as a lawyer. However, her transformation from a door-to-door fax machine salesperson to the founder of Spanx highlights her resilience and innovative spirit. Frustrated with traditional undergarments, she created a revolutionary product that addressed a common problem for women. Her journey involved significant obstacles, from failing to break into law to dealing with the challenges of entrepreneurship. Yet, these experiences only fuelled her determination. The moment she cut the feet off her pantyhose became a turning point, leading to a billion-dollar shapewear empire. Sara's story teaches us the importance of persistence, creative problem-solving, and turning failures into opportunities.

Question: What setbacks or frustrations have you faced in your career, and how could you turn them into opportunities for innovation?

6 Jan Koum: From Poverty to Billion-Dollar Innovation

Jan Koum, the co-founder of WhatsApp, struggled with poverty and lived on food stamps after immigrating to the United States from Ukraine. Despite this challenging environment, he taught himself programming Jan had no connections or resources, but through hard work and determination, he built a strong network within the tech industry. This network would eventually lead him to Yahoo!  where he gained valuable experiences that would later contribute to his success. The early days of WhatsApp were marked by limited resources and working out of a rented space, but Jan's resilience and innovative thinking turned it into a messaging app that sold for $19 billion. His transformation from a struggling immigrant to a tech entrepreneur underscores the transformative power of hard work and vision. Jan's story shows that significant hardships can be overcome with determination and creativity.

Question: What skills or knowledge can you develop that might transform your current challenges into opportunities for future success?

7 Howard Schultz: Starbucks Wasn't Even His Idea

Howard Schultz didn't start Starbucks. He joined the company when it sold coffee beans and machines. Here's what he did to transform it into a global coffeehouse empire: Schultz persuaded the founders to experiment with espresso beverages like those he'd seen in Italy. This pivot led to the Starbucks we know today, with thousands of stores worldwide. His vision and willingness to innovate turned a small business into a cultural icon, demonstrating the impact of visionary leadership.

Question: What innovative ideas can you introduce in your workplace to create a transformative impact?

8 Walt Disney: Bankrupt at Age 22

Walt Disney went bankrupt. His first animation company failed miserably. Here's how this failure laid the groundwork for building an entertainment giant: Undeterred, Disney moved to Hollywood and started anew, creating Mickey Mouse and establishing the Disney brand. His early failures fuelled a relentless pursuit of innovation, ultimately leading to the creation of Disneyland and a legacy that endures to this day. Disney’s story teaches us that failure is just a stepping stone to greater achievements.

Question: How can you turn your past failures into motivation for future success?

9 Sophia Amoruso: From Dumpster Diving to Fashion Mogul

Sophia Amoruso's entrepreneurial journey began in the most unlikely of places—dumpster diving and working odd jobs to make ends meet. Despite these early obstacles, her eye for fashion and understanding of market trends led her to sell vintage clothes on eBay. This venture grew into Nasty Gal, a multimillion-dollar fashion retailer. Sophia's story is one of grit and creativity, demonstrating that embracing one's unique path can lead to extraordinary success. Her experiences highlight the importance of leveraging personal passions and insights to create a successful business. Sophia's transformation from scavenging to building a fashion empire serves as a powerful lesson in turning life's challenges into opportunities for growth and success.

Question: What unique strengths or passions can you tap into to carve out your own path to success?

Wrap up

These inspiring stories demonstrate that even the most successful people have faced significant obstacles and setbacks. They show us that persistence, creativity, and resilience are key ingredients in transforming failures into monumental successes.

For anyone feeling challenged in their careers, we encourage you to see these stories as powerful reminders that obstacles can be catalysts for change and innovation, and finding purpose and meaning in your work. If you would like us to make a deeper dive into stories like this, let us know. 

If you need to get  “unstuck” in your career, contact Bravo Careers

Creating Champions, Applauding Success.

Please note: No cats were harmed in the making of this post

SOURCES

1. https://www.smartcompany.com.au/entrepreneurs/influencers-profiles/from-no-experience-to-500-stores-janine-allis-and-the-story-of-boost-juice/ - "From no experience to 500 stores: Janine Allis and the story of Boost Juice" by Michelle Gibbings (August 9, 2018)
2. "How Melanie Perkins turned her start-up Canva into one of Australia's most successful tech companies", ABC News, available at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-29/melanie-perkins-canva-success-tech-company/11107176?nw=0&pfmredir=sm&fbclid=I
3. https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/eddie-mabo-and-land-rights
4. https://www.olympic.org/cathy-freeman
5. Lauren Sherman, "Meet the Woman Behind Nasty Gal and How She Became a Multimillion Dollar Fashion Mogul," Fast Company, June 23, 2014, https://www.fastcompany.com/3031607/meet-the-woman-behind-nasty-gal-and-how-she-became-a-multimillion-dollar-fashion-mogul
6. https://www.businessinsider.com/starbucks-howard-schultz-never-founded-story-2016-4?utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=topbar&utm_campaign=nextstory
7. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ruthblatt/2012/04/19/sara-blakely-founder-of-spanx-and-the-youngest-self-made-woman-billionaire/?sh=54a8b6c56f12 (Forbes article) and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHjE1ZvO3KA (TED Talk by Sara Blakely herself)
8. https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2019/03/02/jan-koum-whatsapp-facebook-wife-house-charity/?sh=5ab3b8f73cc7
9. "Walt Disney Biography," A&E Television Networks, April 12, 2019, https://www.biography.com/business-figure/walt-disney