Almost everyone has heard of the legendary fast-food restaurant Kentucky Fried Chicken. The finger-licking crunchy chicken menu and the charming face of Colonel Sanders on each bucket of chicken are iconic. Not only is food great at KFC, since their customers are a priority to KFC, they even have a survey website, MyKFCexperience.com, that helps them make the chain better and better.
But the positives and the growth of the company are just one side of the medal. What most people haven’t heard of are the struggles and trials Harland Sanders had to go through to build this legacy.
Being the second-largest restaurant in the world, with locations in about 150 countries, the success of Harland Sanders is mind-blowing. After facing 1009 rejections, there’s a lot to learn from the sacrifices he made to achieve the greatness that we all know as KFC today.
Here are five important lessons that we can learn from the success of KFC.
1. Be Resilient, Always
There is a thin line between failure and success, and that is resilience coupled with a little bit of consistency. One important lesson to be learned from the success of this fast-food restaurant is – Tough times don’t last. Only tough people do.
After several rejections and having his previously successful restaurant stripped off of his customers at 66. He still kept on pushing, knowing he still had to pursue greatness no matter what. For many, giving up would’ve been the easiest option. But you may never reach your full potential if you do.
2. Age Is Just a Number
Selling the KFC wasn’t an easy task for Colonel Sanders. He didn’t successfully sell this restaurant until he was 73. When he eventually did sell it, he made a whopping sum of $2 million. Not impressive? Well, that was in 1964. Today, that amount of money is equivalent to about $16 million. Much better?
You don’t have to tie your achievements to your age. Putting yourself under so much pressure when working at your own pace is just the right thing to do. Age is just a number, and you don’t have to consider yourself a failure just because you aren’t where you thought you’d be at a certain age. It is never too late.
3. Past Failures Only Prepare You for Future Success
Sanders was no newbie to failure. He had failed so many times. Even before the creation of his now-famous brand, working for various industries between the age of 10 and 40. For all we know, his rough childhood was why he had to work at such a young age. But Sanders didn’t let that stop him. He turned every lemon to lemonade till he put his name on the map.
4. A Fresh Start Is Also a Good Start
Sometimes, all you need is to start over. Give yourself another chance to achieve your dreams. After treading various career paths, he decided to start over, chasing the one thing he was most passionate about – Cooking. Starting over at 70 might seem ridiculous and impossible, but he wasn’t afraid to take that risk.
5. Starting Small
You don’t need a large sum of money to chase your passion. Do not despise small beginnings. With time and hard work, you’ll build a legacy like never before. The famous Kentucky Fried Chicken started on the side of the road before it grew into the big brand that it is today.
Conclusion
Never give up! Not one person on earth succeeded by giving up. It is okay to take a break when you get tired but always come back better and stronger. Remember, it is not the end until you succeed and if you don’t succeed, then it is not the end.