You Aren't Alone: Five Successful People You'd Never Guess Were Once Fired

John Krautzel
Posted by in Career Advice


Anybody who has ever been fired from a job knows how discouraging and disappointing the experience is. Whether you were handed a pink slip because of organizational cutbacks or as a result of your own wrongdoing, the feelings of dread and devastation are just as evident. It is important, however, to remember that this single instance does not define you. Millions of people have been fired at some point in their lives, and many have gone on to do amazing things. When you need inspiration, think about these five people who were fired before achieving immense success.

1. Walt Disney

Imagine a world without Disney World theme parks, Mickey Mouse cartoons and animated Disney films. Everyone would be living in such a world right now if Walt Disney had let a few career failures get him down.

In his early 20s, Walt Disney worked as a newspaper artist for the Kansas City Star. While Disney’s job was to draw comic strips and political cartoons, his editor felt the artist lacked good ideas and imagination. Disney was fired from the newspaper in 1919. He moved on to his own venture, Laugh-O-Gram Studio, which fell into bankruptcy within two years. Undaunted by past failures, Disney, together with his brother, founded The Disney Brothers Studios, and it was there that the animation artist created Mickey Mouse. Animated cartoons, full-length films and theme parks soon followed, creating an empire that is worth more than $48 billion today.

2. Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey is a household name. She has her own television channel, book club and media company; hosted a successful talk show for 25 years; and is a producer and actress. However, she was not always successful in the television industry. Oprah once worked as a news reporter for Baltimore’s WJZ-TV, but her producer was unhappy with how emotionally invested she became in her stories and fired her, saying Oprah was “unfit for television news.”

Oprah moved to Chicago and became the host of “AM Chicago,” which was later renamed “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” Aside from being successful in television, Oprah was also named the “greatest Black philanthropist in American history” by Biography.com, thanks in part to her worth through Oprah’s Angel Network.

3. Steve Jobs

The firing of Steve Jobs may be one of the most well-known success stories in business, as it has prompted many books and movies.

Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started Apple Computer in Jobs’ garage in 1976. The business quickly grew and was a billion-dollar business by 1980. When the Macintosh was introduced in 1984, Wozniak and Jobs differed on their visions for the future of the company, and the board of directors fired Jobs.

Despite his setback, Jobs founded Pixar Animation Studios and NeXT, a computer company that would later be bought by Apple. He returned to Apple as the CEO in 1997 and helped develop the iMac, iPhone, iPad and iPod.

4. J.K. Rowling

As of 2015, J.K. Rowling is the richest woman in the United Kingdom, but she was once a poor single mom fired by an unsatisfied employer.

J.K. Rowling worked as a secretary for London’s Amnesty International, but she spent much of her time daydreaming about story lines and even writing books on her work computer during company time. She was soon fired for her lack of attention to her duties.

Rowling survived on her severance check and welfare for several years while she focused on writing her “Harry Potter” series. She sold her first book, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” for $4,000 in 1997. Within three years, her first three books had earned $480 million.

5. Lee Iacocca

Lee Iacocca’s name is well-known in the auto industry and among business leaders as being synonymous with success, but the famed businessman once faced rejection from an auto giant.

Iacocca began his career with Ford Motor Company in the 1940s and was president of the company by the late 1970s. Henry Ford Jr., CEO and chairman of Ford, who was not pleased with Iacocca’s ideas, fired the president.

Iacocca joined Chrysler, a company on the verge of bankruptcy, and applied for government loans to save the company. Iacocca revived the company, even bringing in record profits with models such as the Plymouth Voyager and Dodge Caravan, ideas that Ford had ignored.

Being fired is uncomfortable and unsettling, but it can also be a moment of great transition in your life. Rather than beating yourself up, take comfort in knowing that many successful people before you have been in your shoes at one point in their lives. Dust yourself off and make plans for your future, knowing that this is only a minor obstacle on your path to success.

Photo Courtesy of naeemcallaway at Flickr.com

 

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  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Edward thanks for your comment. In an interview, simply answer the questions and do not volunteer additional information. If they ask you, point blank, if you have ever been fired, you are going to need to answer but don't embellish on it. If you have been fired, tell them what you learned from being fired and then move on.

  • Edward A.
    Edward A.

    I'm same way got 2 interviews ,but they never. Ask Im I had ever been fired ,so should you tell them ,?

  • Marcus A.
    Marcus A.

    Wow motivating

  • Fatemeh Y.
    Fatemeh Y.

    great article to help us keep going

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Katherine thanks for your comment. We hear many stories from those who thought that they would never find a job but they do. We have also heard from those who have been unable to find positions - such as @Bruce. Thanks for the recommendation to Worksource for those who have that service in their areas. One of the biggest issues that I have seen are that those unemployed don't want to do the work necessary to get hired. They want it to be the way it was 10 years ago - where you could drop off a general resume at a company and be called in a day or two for an interview. Those days are LONG gone. Job seekers today have to work to get work. Simple as that. They have to research these jobs, do their due diligence, modify their resumes and then do follow ups. They don't want to do this. They want someone else to do it for them and then to just call them and say - hey we have a job for you. Even though some of the examples used in the article are old, the concepts still remain. It is work to find a job but, once you do, it's all worth it.

  • Katherine M.
    Katherine M.

    Great article! I would like to read more about success stories who have survived after a firing post 2008, however. I imagine there are many sucess stories that would inspire people. The examples used were all fat least 30 years old and hiring practices have changed. in the dusting off process, I recommend going to Worksource. It is free, you can walk in on week days, and the people there will help you with identifying your interview strengths, dissecting your resume, education opportunities, job fairs, and even changing careers. If you have money saved up, perhaps paying an employment specialist as well.

  • Bruce Bentley
    Bruce Bentley

    It may be darkest before the dawn, but I could surely use some !! sunlight! My night hasn't passed, yet. [I got laid off 4+ years ago, so lost my health insurance, so lost my wife to health issues.] I could sure use some dawn! A job would help.

  • Katherine M.
    Katherine M.

    There are some industries where being fired or even not having a contract renewed spell the end of a career. Perhaps that is a good thing. In a time when most employers can fire a person for no reason, ( or can just say somthing nebulous such as it was not quite the perfect fit,) it can leave a worker with very few options. Dusting one's self off in those increasing number of cases will mean a major overhaul.

  • Katherine Lowden
    Katherine Lowden

    Thank you, what a great article!

  • yolanda c.
    yolanda c.

    I thank you so much for the great" uplift"

  • Adelino C.
    Adelino C.

    I am surprised, so never give up

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Bernard thanks for the clarification.

  • Bernard S.
    Bernard S.

    Steve Jobs was (effectively) fired from Apple by John Scully (former CEO of Pepsico), not Steve Wozniak. See Jobs">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SteveJobs. "In May 1985, Sculley (encouraged by Arthur Rock) decided to reorganize Apple, and proposed a plan to the board that would remove Jobs from the Macintosh group and put him in charge of "New Product Development." This move would effectively render Jobs powerless within Apple.[13] In response, then Jobs developed a plan to get rid of Sculley and take over Apple. However, after the plan was leaked and Jobs confronted, he said that he would leave Apple. The Board declined his resignation and asked him to reconsider. Sculley also told Jobs that he had all of the votes needed to go ahead with the reorganization. A few months later, on September 17, 1985, Jobs turned in a letter of resignation to the Apple Board. Five additional senior Apple employees also resigned and joined Jobs in his new venture, NeXT."

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Amanda thank you for that and we wish you all the best. Absolutely - hard work and never stopping until you get to where you want to go.

  • Amanda S.
    Amanda S.

    this came to me right at the right time! i really needed to see this b/c it can be very discouraging when it seems like all the "doors" around me are closing and there isn't any "windows" opening up , this gives me the motivation to keep pressing on b/c one day all my hard work will pay off!!

  • Clifford B.
    Clifford B.

    I'm inspired by those who in spite of the adversities can hold their heads up and say "I'm still here and I'm still standing"!

  • Stephen O.
    Stephen O.

    up lifting advice

  • Sol D.
    Sol D.

    This is an eye opener. Excellent at putting your priorities in line the right way.

  • nilsa R.
    nilsa R.

    Wow,Read it to Belive it....

  • SHURON ABDULLAH
    SHURON ABDULLAH

    Very inspiring article!

  • rozlyn guillory
    rozlyn guillory

    It has changed my life,but doors closings can open windows. I intend to jump, brak& move all obstacles in my way,

  • Frances G.
    Frances G.

    Dust yourself off and keep moving forward!

  • Mary Beth  N.
    Mary Beth N.

    My separation from my employer of 35 years was a blessing in disguise. I am now working in the best environment and job. Thanking prayers.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    Thanks for the comments. It is true that sometimes being fired can be a blessing in disguise. Many of us take a position and then just settle down, keep a low profile and do our job - just hoping that we will be able to stay in it long enough to actually retire. But what about your quality of life when you do that? What about staying in a job that you hate just because of fear? What is Oprah had been to afraid to move on? Hard to imagine growing up with the Oprah Winfrey show! @Reta when you get fired from a position, take a few days and just vent - get out all of the hurt and anger. Then, pick yourself up and start your job search. Get your resume up to date and start getting it out there. Honestly what are the options? Remember, firing is not always about performance. People use the term "fired" very loosely. Could be that you were downsized through no fault of your own. If you were fired for cause, then you need to make some corrections so that doesn't happen again. Life is too short to hold on to those feelings for long. You have to move on and no one can help you do that but yourself. If you find that you are still paralyzed after a week or so, maybe you need to seek out some counseling.

  • reta blevans
    reta blevans

    After you've been fired, how do you keep from carrying those low depressing emotional feelings of inadequacy to a new job?

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