Success Story: J. K. Rowling

It was in 1990 whilst on board a delayed train trip from Manchester to London’s Kings Cross that the idea of writing a book about a boy came to Joanne Rowling’s (a.k.a. J. K. Rowling) mind. In the next six years Joanne would write Harry Potter’s story; six years of imagining a wizardly world cuddled up with a devastating personal life.

Joanne Rowling was born on June 31,1965 in a sizable town of Yate, Gloucestershire, England. It can be said that Rowling grew up in a loving family and a peaceful neighborhood, never worrying about food or money.

Rowling lost her mother when she was 25, something that self-admittedly devastated her. This happened six after she started writing Harry Potter. Hence, the similarity of her personal life and that of Harry’s background. Her mother never knew that she was writing.

The young Joanne then moved to Portugal after her mother’s death where she taught English for Foreign Language classes. She got married to Portuguese journalist Jorge Arantes and gave birth to her daughter, Jessica. But the marriage only lasted for 13 months.

On December of 1993, she went back to Edinburgh with her child and the first 3 chapters of Harry Potter.

Things became more complicated after. She was a single mother and unemployed, contemplating suicide and was diagnosed with clinical depression. Eventually, Rowling signed up for welfare benefits from the state. The single mother received 70 pounds per week which she spent on cheap food and some clothes for Jessica. Seven years after being a college graduate, Joanne felt like a huge failure.

She divorced her husband on August 1994.

Miss Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 1995. She submitted manuscripts to literary agents, saying that the story was too long and that it would be uninteresting for children. This hit Joanne, thinking that maybe that’s the end of her dream. 

Thanks to her sister’s encouragement, she pursued in getting her book published. She finally met famed literary agent Christopher Little. But Mr. Little is not in love with children’s books. Hence, Harry Potter was put into the archive. Thankfully an employee read the manuscript and loved its plot; she sneakily slid it on his boss’ table. The latter, after reading it and realizing its potential, decided to represent Miss Rowling through his company Christopher Little Literary Agents.

Harry Potter was rejected about 12 times until in 1996, Barry Cunningham made an offer to publish the book under Bloomsbury Publishing to Rowling’s delight! His 8-year-old daughter played a big part in the story. Cunningham gave her the first chapter of the book for review and immediately asked for the next chapter. Nonetheless, Barry Cunningham advised Joanne to get a job for she won’t make money making children’s books.

In June 1997 Bloomsbury published 1,000 copies of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Store, have of which was sent to libraries. She used the pen name J. K. Rowling because her publisher realized that young boys won’t particularly read a book by a female writer. The J was from Joanne and K was from her paternal grandmother’s name Kathleen. She doesn’t have a middle name.

Within just a few months, the book received several awards already. In 1998 it eventually went to US bookshelves under the title Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The book launched several sequels and was turned into movies, prompting J. K. Rowling into the limelight of success.

"When people are very damaged, they can often meet the world with a kind of defiance."

                                                                                                                     - J. K. Rowling

Success Story: Colonel Sanders

Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) may be considered as one of the best fast food restaurants in the world. But founder Colonel Sanders' recipe for success has a pinch of a rough past.

Harland Sanders was born on September 9, 1890 in Henryville, Indiana. Mr. Sanders had to step up and be the man of the house when his father went sick and eventually died. Being the eldest of the three, he was in charge of his siblings while her mother worked tediously to make ends meet. This is how he developed his skill in cooking, making this a significant part of his life.

When Harland turned 15, he decided to leave the house because of his abusive stepfather. He was able to enter the US Army by falsifying his birth certificate.

After finishing his term in the Army, he worked on several jobs but didn’t last long, for what he only knows best is to cook. So when he worked permanently at a refilling station in 1930, he began serving meals that he learned from his mother. People loved the food, especially his fried chicken which people dubbed as Kentucky’s national dish. It was such a huge success that in 1935 he was awarded the title Kentucky Colonel by Governor Ruby Laffoon for excellent food and service.

Harland saw a great opportunity to turn his small business into a fast food restaurant, catering a bigger amount of customers. He started introducing new dishes and improving their services. In 1940, Colonel Sanders began to develop a fried chicken recipe that will soon become KFC’s best recipe to success.

With his fried chicken, Sanders decided to sell his secret recipe to possible investors. It took some time before he made a deal. It was Pete Harman who realized the potential of Colonel’s food. They launched a new restaurant in 1952 and called it Kentucky Fried Chicken.

The restaurant had over 600 franchises already when Colonel Sanders decided to sell the business operations in 1964, on the condition that he gets $2million in cash and will remain as the face of the business for which he will receive $250,000 annually. Colonel continued as the restaurant’s spokesman until he died in December 1980 at the age of 90 due to leukemia.

Colonel Harland Sander remains as the face of KFC.

KFC may have undergone several franchise transfers, but Colonel Harland Sanders' brainchild recipe remains as one of the most loved in the world of fried chicken.

Success Story: Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey is recognized as one the most successful media personalities in the world. The Oprah Winfrey Show became the most-viewed daytime program, making the Mississippi-born lady a TV icon. But luck didn’t just land on her lap. She struggled, a lot.

Her then-teenage parents separated before Oprah learned to walk. Hence, she was left in her strict grandmother’s care who helped her learn to read at the age of two. When she turned six, the young Winfrey lived with her mother and two half-brothers in a ghetto and dangerous community; got sexually abused from the age of 9 by some relatives and family friends. Then at twelve, she was sent to her father in Nashville where she felt safe and at peace. This is when she began making speeches at social gatherings.

Oprah thought that her life is finally having a great direction until she was sent back to her mother, where the abuse continued. At 14, she gave birth to a boy who eventually died.

Shortly after, Oprah was back to her father’s home. He supported Winfrey, making the young lass focus on her studies, and eventually helped her get a full scholarship at the University of Tennessee where she majored in communications.

After graduating, she was hired by WJZ-TV in Baltimore, Maryland to do news. But she was fired after some time because a producer said that Oprah was “unfit for television”, criticizing how she was so involved with the stories they feature. WLS-TV eventually hired her to host the morning talk show People are Talking.

In 1984, Oprah moved to Chicago, Illinois and hosted A. M. Chicago, a morning talk show that’s been dismal in ratings. The ratings eventually rose, even beating then number one talk show Donahue. And in 1985, because of the great response, the program was renamed the Oprah Winfrey Show.

After 25 successful seasons, The Oprah Winfrey Show held it's farewell episode on May 25, 2011. She eventually launched her own network, OWN, The Oprah Winfrey Network. To this date, Oprah remains an influential media figure.