Closing the 18-Inch Gap Podcast-EP066: Is this you? Find Out Today. Guts, Grits and Glory-True Stories of Extreme Success!

Welcome to another powerful episode of the closing the 18 inch gap podcast—where stories fuel action, inspiration becomes a reality, where together we break through barriers and build bold dreams.  Today, we're diving into 20 of the most remarkable true stories of people who faced crushing hardship, brutal rejection, and sometimes even laughed at dreams—but kept going until they changed their lives, and often, the world. The stories that I bring to you today did not happen overnight, and I will never be bringing anything of an overnight success, get rich quick kind of stuff. It’s just not me. So, I can’t wait to get into this with you on the other side.

 

Quote of the week: "Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome." - Theodore Roosevelt 

Points covered in greater detail in this podcast episode:

1. Sylvester Stallone – Sold His Dog for Survival Stallone was broke and desperate, so he sold his dog Butkus for $25. Weeks later, he wrote Rocky, refused to sell it unless he starred in it, and bought back his dog for $15,000. Rocky won 3 Oscars. From broke to icon.

2. Chicken Soup for the Soul – Over 140 Rejections Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen’s manuscript was turned down by over 140 publishers. One finally said yes. The book has now sold over 500 million copies worldwide.

3. Nick Vujicic – No Limbs, No Limits Born with no arms or legs, Nick overcame bullying and depression to become a world-renowned speaker and author, inspiring millions.

4. Howard Schultz – Rejected 242 Times Starbucks’ future CEO was turned down by 242 investors. He persisted, bought the company, and built a coffee empire with over 30,000 stores.

5. J.K. Rowling – Single Mom on Welfare Rejected by 12 publishers, Rowling finally found one who believed in Harry Potter. She became the first billionaire author, inspiring a generation.

6. Jim Carrey – Homeless and Hopeful He lived in a van and worked as a janitor. He wrote himself a check for $10 million. Ten years later, he was paid that exact amount for Dumb and Dumber.

7. Walt Disney – Fired for Lack of Imagination Disney was fired from a newspaper and had a failed animation studio. He kept going and eventually created a global entertainment empire.

8. Oprah Winfrey – Declared Unfit for TV Early on, Oprah was told she didn’t belong on television. She went on to become the most influential talk show host in history.

9. Colonel Sanders – 1,009 Rejections At 65, he drove around the country trying to sell his chicken recipe. He was rejected 1,009 times before someone said yes. That’s how KFC was born.

10. Steven Spielberg – Rejected 3 Times Rejected from film school multiple times, Spielberg didn’t stop. He became one of the most acclaimed directors in history.

11. Fred Smith – Gambled FedEx into Survival After being told his business idea was impractical, Fred gambled FedEx's last $5,000 in Vegas—and won. That win kept the company alive long enough to become a logistics legend.

12. Soichiro Honda – Rejected by Toyota After being turned down by Toyota, he built his own scooters. That garage project became Honda Motor Co.

13. Stephen King – Carrie Almost Trashed Carrie was rejected 30 times. King threw it in the trash—his wife rescued it. The book launched his epic writing career.

14. Vera Wang – Late Bloomer Turned Icon Passed over at Vogue and Olympic dreams crushed, Wang started her design career at 40. Now she’s a fashion legend.

15. Elon Musk – Slept in His Office Musk poured everything into Tesla and SpaceX, including sleeping in the factory. Both companies almost failed—but today, they’re world-changers.

16. Richard Branson – Dyslexic Dropout Branson dropped out at 16 and launched Virgin from a church basement. Now, his brand spans 400 companies.

17. Bethany Hamilton – Shark Attack Survivor After losing her arm in a shark attack, Bethany was back on her surfboard within a month—and later won international championships.

18. Milton Hershey – Multiple Bankruptcies Hershey failed multiple times, then found success with caramel—and later, chocolate. His name is now synonymous with sweet success.

19.   Aristotle Onassis – From 25 Cents to Tycoon Onassis arrived in the U.S. with just 25 cents. He learned business through eavesdropping while working as a phone operator when you’re young man. He saw opportunities and invested in tobacco and then shipping, among other things he later expanded to and became one of the richest men in the world.

20. Mike Micalowicz- from the top of the world to the bottom of the valley and backup- After selling his company for millions that had just earlier investigated the Enron scandal Mike lost all of his money in a matter of one year. He has since proceeded to not only recover, he has written 11 books and continues to write and has several extremely successful companies he now profitably leads.

 

If these stories prove anything, it’s that rejection isn’t the end—it’s the invitation. Hardship isn’t defeat—it’s the training ground. And when the world says no, you still get to say yes.

Thanks for joining me on this special episode of the Closing the 18-Incgh Gap.  Please share this with someone who needs a reminder that their story isn’t over—it’s just getting started.

 

Did anything resonate with you?  Do you want to explore deeper how I can help you with this topic?  If you want to take me up on my offer then, reach out to me for a complementary Next-Level Dream Chat.  It only takes about 30 minutes to go through.   Simply send me an email to [email protected] and let me know what your question is and how we can connect.

If this was your first time, I’m glad you’re listening, and I hope you can come back for more podcast episodes.  In the meantime, feel free to listen to all the previous ones I have.  You can find them in your favorite podcast directory. And don’t forget, go to my email sign up page at edwinsoler.com to sign up for my weekly emails to get all the latest and greatest from me! I can’t wait to be here with you next week but until then keep closing that 18- inch gap!