These days personal improvement influencers are everywhere, from TikTok to Instagram to YouTube. They are hard to escape. Watch one small clip and you’ll be bombarded with advice.

Self-improvement gurus always tell us that failure means nothing. It’s just a start and a chance to try again. Or something to that effect. So in this article, I want to explore whether or not that is true. We’re going to look at four famous failures that became huge successes eventually. We’re going to talk about people, as well as companies, who were initially unsuccessful but hit it big after some time and dedication.

First and most obvious example of repeated failure turned into success is Colonel Sanders. The man was 62 when he came up with KFC. He struck it big by the time when a lot of people give up or retire. Before becoming a chicken magnate, Colonel Sanders worked as a lawyer and a salesman of odd products like lamps and tires. He was nearly unsuccessful at starting KFC, too. A lot of people turned him down before he got a partner who helped him turn KFC into what it is today. Colonel Sanders is also an example of keep trying in face of adversity. If you need investment, talk to as many people as possible.

Also, I imagine that his day to day job has significantly delayed his success. Creative people (visionary entrepreneurs among them) have to do a lot of mundane jobs to put food on the table. They don’t have a lot of time left over for creative endeavors, or for trying new things. So if you’re one of such people, make sure you get a job that leaves you with plenty of time for passion projects, and most importantly, for spending time with your loved ones.

Loneliness can mess with you a lot more than any other adversity. Don’t isolate yourself. Make sure to stay in touch with family. If you’re introvert like many other entrepreneurs, force yourself to go out and stay engaged. This will help you professionally, too – you will grow your network without putting too much effort into it. Networking is whole another thing that I want to write a blog post about. I feel like people mis represent networking. I look at it as a more natural process. Growing a network should never be your primary goal, but a byproduct of being yourself and having a good time with your social circle.

There are many stories like this one, but there are just as many of people who failed at first and kept failing. So I guess the conclusion is to keep trying regardless of failure. Have a safety net, and make sure your basic necessities will be met even if you fail. A lot of people don’t even have that. I would recommend that you take care of that first, and then venture out and try different things to see what sticks.