LIZ MURRAY: THE DAY SHE TURNED HOMELESS INTO HARVARD.
She came home from school to find her mom sitting on the couch, staring blankly out of the window. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, she blurted out the news.
GABRIELLE BONHEAUR: PASSION AND PURPOSE NEVER GO OUT OF STYLE.
Gabrielle was born into a poor family in the town of Saumur in western France. She helped her father trade in the market. It was a living that allowed them all to survive. But not much more.
JESSICA COX: NO LIMBS. NO LIMITS.
She was 4 years old and wanted to climb the slide on the school playground. She was jealous of the other kids her own age having so much fun on the slide.
LI KA-SHING: DEATH IN HIS VEINS. FIGHT IN HIS SOUL.
Li Ka-Shing gasped. His finger traced the outline of the sentence he had just read in the heavy medical book in front of him.
GARDELL MARTIN: THE MIRACLES THAT HAPPEN WHEN YOU BELIEVE.
Gardell Martin was being raised in a rural Pennsylvania town. He had fields to run in and creeks to play in. He had a mom who got to stay home and take care of the kids.
JOAN MURRAY: FLYING HIGH AGAIN AFTER A SPECTACULAR CRASH.
Joan Murray was 47 years old. She had a successful marriage, raised two beautiful twin girls and had finally started to enjoy life. She had a career at the bank that she loved even though sometimes it took too much of her time.
HUANG GUOFU: THE MAGIC OF MAKING ART FROM THE ASHES OF DISASTER.
Huang Guofu was playing outside with his friends when he was four. It was rural China. 1975. He grabbed onto a wire that was dangling nearby — and had the shock of his life.
GEORGE STEINBRENNER: CHICKEN EGGS, BASEBALL, AND THE QUEST FOR BEING THE BEST.
Although he came from a family with significant money, George Steinbrenner’s strict German father, Henry, refused to just hand everything to George on a silver platter.
MAGNUS WALKER: DRIVEN TO GO FAST WHERE HIS DREAM FOR LIFE TAKES HIM.
As he sat down in his Porsche 911 and wrapped his hands around the wheel, Magnus Walker felt the thrill he feels every time he sits in one.
INGVAR KAMPRAD: HOW MOMENTUM TURNED ORDINARY INTO A $60 BILLION FORTUNE.
At five years old, Ingvar Kamprad looked up at his aunt with his big blue eyes and told her his business plan.
LEONARDO DEL VECCHIO: AFRAID NOT TO SUCCEED.
Leonardo looked up at his mother as she firmly held his hand. He then looked at the large building in front of him that would become his home.
DO WON CHANG: A STORY ABOUT 3 JOBS, 19 HOUR DAYS, AND A $5 BILLION EMPIRE.
Do Won Chang sat in a crowded airport in Korea waiting on a plane to take him, his parents, and his new bride to America.
FANNY BLANKERS-KOEN: DRIVEN FROM WITHIN.
Fanny pushed her heels back into the starting blocks. The wind blew.
GUY LALIBERTE: ACCIDENTAL BILLIONAIRE. INTENTIONALLY AWESOME.
Guy always knew that he wasn’t going to take the traditional approach to life.
URSULA BURNS: MILLIONS OF SMALL CHOICES MADE MAGNIFICENTLY.
Ursula had been told from a young age that she had three strikes against her.
WAYNE HUIZENGA: HARD WORK, WEALTH, AND WANTING MORE FROM LIFE.
Wayne grew up an average child with average parents. His dad was a businessman who told his son over and over again “you can’t make any real money working for someone else.”
MILTON HERSHEY: A SWEET DETERMINATION TO LIVE LIFE ON HIS OWN TERMS.
Milton Hershey didn’t set out to leave a legacy.
PETER DINKLAGE: HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR A BIG LIFE.
It’s easy to get discouraged when you have a bad day and things aren’t quite going your way.
SYLVESTER STALLONE: MAKING IT THROUGH THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER.
It doesn’t matter whether you are an entrepreneur, an actor, business leader, or just trying to get ahead — you’re going to have to make it through the dog days of disappointment and setback.
TONY HSIEH: ONLY SETTLING DOWN FOR AWESOMENESS.
Let’s be honest, you can spend years of your life wondering why you aren’t in a job that makes you happy. Why you wake up every day in business relationships that are negative — draining you of your ambition and joy.