Rags to Riches - Inspirational Examples

"Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most won't, 

so you can spend the rest of your life living the way that most can't." 

Author Unknown

A friend sent this quote to me the other day. It really caught my attention and gave me a great sense of pride in being an entrepreneur. 

Think of all the great business builders who have experienced that "Mac and cheese for dinner again on that ratty old couch wondering if you have enough gas in the car to make it to the next 3 appointments which just might result in a sale" stage. 

Oprah Winfrey - From living in absolute poverty as a child, taking an opportunity on a radio show as a teen and building into the empire she has today.

Robert Hejavek - Arrived in Canada with his parents as a child with barely enough to live on. Worked 2 jobs at a time in order to learn his craft and now is a multi-millionaire with a spot on the Dragon's Den.

Arlene Dickinson - Also a Dragon, Arlene went from struggling single mom of 4 to a marketing mogul and self made multi-millionaire.

Richard Branson - Starting off as a poor student not doing well in school, he started a small magazine with the help of his friends. Growing this into the Virgin group of companies, he is now flying people into space and lending a helping hand anywhere he can in the world.

Chris Gardner - A bad turn of circumstances saw him sleeping in a subway station with his young son. This motivated him to break free of poverty and eventually have his own stock brokerage and a movie inspired by his life. 

Andrew Carnegie - From working in a cotton mill to a titan that changed the steel industry.

Examples like these have always inspired me when the road of building a business gets rough. All of these people took a tough situation, accepted that as their beginning and worked hard to change their circumstances. So, the next time you are feeling like your life is in a bind due to trying to build what your passion has got you building; follow the links above, read their stories and find the inspiration you need. 

These are the examples I look to for my inspiration, who else could we add to the list? Share the example you use for inspiration in the comments section!