One often hears about seasoned business leaders who took over a decade-old franchise and turned it into something new. But there are some entrepreneurs that began their careers with no money, no funding, and often no degree or expertise, but overcame all odds to achieve their goals.
Here is a list of such entrepreneurs who haven’t let anything come in the way of their success. These are individualsone can look up to and their journeys are undoubtedly inspiring!
John Paul DeJoria
John Paul Jones DeJoria is a self-made businessman and philanthropist. Before partnering with Paul Mitchell in 1980 and turning $700 into John Paul Mitchell Systems, he slept in his car and sold shampoo door-to-door!
DeJoria co-founded the Patrón Spirits Company in 1989, is a founding partner of the House of Blues nightclub chain, and owns stakes in Madagascar Oil Ltd., Pyrat Rum, Smokey Mountain Bison Farm, LLC, Touchstone Natural Gas, Three Star Energy, Diamond Audio, and a Harley-Davidson dealership, a diamond company (DeJoria), the John Paul Pet Company, which provides hair and personal grooming for animals. DeJoria joined The Beauty Channel’s advisory board in 2008, a streaming beauty and fashion television program. He has also worked as an executive producer and actor in the film industry.
Fritz Colcol
Fritz Colcol is a Chicago-based serial entrepreneur. He began as a fitness professional, gaining millions of followers on social media, and now owns multiple businesses, including restaurants such as the famous Simply Thalia, Thalia Spice, and Tomi Sushi Chicago, apparel stores such as Iridium Clothing Co., and Iridium77Lab, a digital marketing firm, and various e-commerce stores.
Fritz is motivated to assist other entrepreneurs in establishing and maximizing their social media presence in order to identify their target audience and utilize the value of a strong PR presence. He also runs online coaching called Fritz lifestyle and competes in the IPE league as a professional Men’s Physique athlete for which he was crowned Mr. Illinois 2016.
Tony Tan Caktiong
Tony Tan Caktiong, a Chinese immigrant, is the brains behind Jollibee Foods, a prominent fast-food franchise. After graduating from college, in 1975, he purchased an ice cream business, but due to low sales, he decided to expand his menu to include fried chicken, fries, and burgers. Customers came to his business to buy his goods once word got around in his neighborhood.
After adopting the fast-food business model, Caktiong was able to spread across the country, turning his small restaurant into one of the Philippines’ most successful enterprises. He has also been able to penetrate the international market by developing a franchise. There are nearly 2,500 outlets in the Philippines, as well as sites in other countries including the US, China, Vietnam, Saudia Arabia, Singapore, Brunei, and the United Kingdom.
These entrepreneurs have worked immensely hard,dedicated themselves to their ideas, and taken numerous risks tofulfill their dreams. They didn’t let anything deter them from accomplishing their goals, making them some of the best entrepreneurs to look up to when starting out on one’s entrepreneurial journey!