We all need a little inspiration, whether we are having a bad day, week or month, it is nice to know our little failures are not so detrimental in the big scheme of things. And since we are in the habit of making our clients (and readers) happy in all aspects of life, we figured we go over just how miniscule some failures are and how even the most successful businessmen and women all fall flat of their dreams at one point or another. Most often than not, ideas are not met with success and it can be disheartening for all those involved (family, friends, business partners and you) but if you have had a business venture that fizzled out before it met its potential, don’t lose hope. Countless well-known successful individuals have achieved their dreams despite multiple setbacks. And we hope their stories will inspire you to try once more, or at least have a better outlook on that last work mishap.

Henry Ford
Best known for the most ubiquitous automobile on the road
today, Ford founder, Henry Ford had a rocky start. Early on in his life, Ford worked as an engineer for the Edison Illuminating Company in Detroit. It was during this time that he built the first gasoline-powered horseless carriage in a shed behind his home. Due to a number of factors, including controversial views on politics and battles with the United Automobile Workers, Ford reportedly went broke three different times. Despite numerous setbacks, Ford went on to develop new methods for mass production that put the automobile within the reach of ordinary citizens.

Louis Pasteur
Louis Pasteur was a French Chemist and Microbiologist most
well-known for his invention of pasteurization, a process that kills bacteria in food through extreme heat. Beyond making food safer for people for years to come, this below-average chemistry student is also responsible for creating vaccines for anthrax and rabies. Not bad for a student ranked 15 out of 22 chemistry students!

George Lucas
George Lucas…the man that brought us Luke Skywalker, Han
Solo, Darth Vader, and the Force, fueled every kids' dream of being a fighter pilot in outer space. It’s hard to imagine that a franchise worth over $30 billion began with rejections from every studio in Hollywood before 20th Century Fox finally took a chance on it. We shudder to think what would have happened had he just given up and went home.

He's what George Lucas says about failure:

“If you’re creating things, you’re doing things that have a high potential for failure, especially if you’re doing things that haven’t been done before. And you learn from those things. No matter how you cut it, you say, 'Well, that didn’t work,' or, 'Well, this didn’t work,' or 'That was not the best idea.' And you use that information that you’ve gotten, which is experience… Failure is another word for experience.”

Walt Disney
Known for his fanciful theme parks and animated children’s
tales, Walt Disney wasn’t always living in the lap of luxury. Countless instances of adversity rained down on Disney in his early years as an animator. After having to dissolve his company in 1921, he was unable to pay his rent and was living on dog food to survive. Later, after gaining some success with a cartoon character named Oswald the Rabbit, Universal obtained ownership of the character and hired all of Disney’s artists when Disney tried to negotiate with Universal Studios to increase his pay. Not surprisingly, Disney reportedly suffered from depression during his long career. The suffering and perseverance paid off, as assets of the Walt Disney Company are currently in excess of $89 billion in 2015.

Dr. Seuss
Who would have thought that one of the most well-known
and revered children’s book authors had trouble getting his writing career off of the ground? It’s true, though. The crafty "Cat in the Hat" creator was reportedly rejected by 27 publishers for his first book "And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street." The 28th publisher, Vanguard Press, took a chance on the young author, ultimately selling over 6 million copies of that first book. Since then, Dr. Suess has published over 40 books and sold over 600 million copies. The best part is how he made a positive impact on the lives of millions of kids around the world.

We hope that this may have cheered you up and pushed you toward making that next move with your next bright idea. More often than not, if you think of someone successful that you admire, they have had many failures, yet they turned those fails into opportunities instead of excuses to quit. Like George Lucas said, “Failure is experience.” Do you have another example of a famous or successful person who had a significant failure before they reached success?

For more famous failures click here.

AJ Printing & Graphics and Wine Country Signs is a commercial printer in Santa Rosa, California specializing in all things signs and printing. We put our relationships with our clients over everything in order to ensure their success. With over 30 years’ experience in the industry, you can leave the printing to us and focus on other things. We are a green business, recycling all of our paper and buying from trusted businesses that commit to the sustainability of our planet. We are your partner in print, design, signs and marketing located at 1315 North Dutton Ave, Santa Rosa, CA (707) 525-8600!