From Rejection to Global Success: The Story of Colonel Sanders

Harland Sanders was born in 1890 in a small town in Indiana, USA. Life was far from easy for him. At the age of six, his father passed away, leaving his mother to care for the family. To support her, young Harland learned to cook and take care of his siblings while she worked.

Sanders faced a series of struggles throughout his life. He dropped out of school in the seventh grade and did a variety of jobs, from farming to selling insurance, and even working as a steamboat operator. But none of these jobs gave him the stability or satisfaction he sought.

At the age of 40, Sanders began running a small service station in Kentucky, where he also served meals to travelers. His fried chicken, made with a unique blend of 11 herbs and spices, became incredibly popular. Encouraged by the positive feedback, he opened a restaurant. However, fate struck hard his restaurant had to close down when a new highway rerouted traffic away from his location.

At the age of 65, with no job, no income, and only $105 from his first Social Security check, many people would have given up. But not Sanders. He believed in his fried chicken recipe and decided to franchise his idea.

He traveled door to door, restaurant to restaurant, offering his recipe in exchange for a small portion of the profits. The response? Rejection. Over 1,000 restaurants turned him down. But Sanders didn’t quit. He kept knocking on doors, determined to find someone who would believe in his vision.

Finally, a restaurant owner agreed to his proposal. This marked the beginning of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). His recipe became a hit, and by the time he sold the KFC franchise in 1964, it had over 600 outlets. Today, KFC is one of the largest fast-food chains in the world, serving millions of customers in more than 150 countries.

The Lesson

Colonel Sanders’ story teaches us that age is just a number, and perseverance can overcome even the harshest rejections. His belief in his recipe and his refusal to give up, despite numerous failures, turned a small idea into a global phenomenon.

No matter how tough life gets or how many times you face rejection, keep working towards your dream. Like Colonel Sanders, your breakthrough might be just one step away.

“Success isn’t final, failure isn’t fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill