Everybody has to start somewhere. For most they are what we call people who rose from rags to riches. Generally that start means working from the bottom up. Many inspiring women have realized the importance of a strong work ethic early in their career, helping them climb the ladder to stellar success.
But the journey from bottom rung to top of the ladder isn’t something that happens instantly. To succeed, hard work is necessary. The hard work that the following women have undergone to reach of the pinnacle of success is something that the rest of us still currently working our way to the top can admire — and learn from. Amazing stories of going from rags to riches.
Ursula Burns – Rags to riches
Ursula Burns was listed as 22 on the Forbes list of most powerful women. This form of recognition is a badge of honour, reflecting the journey she experienced. She grew up in the Lower East side in Manhattan; “when it was really bad, when the gangs were there and the drug addicts were there,” she has said. Poverty-stricken in New York, Ursula knew the necessity of having determination and ambition. Burns’ mother was insistent that all her children should receive a college education, and that insistence definitely paid off. Ursula grew up to become the chairman and CEO of Xerox as well as the first African-American woman to run a Fortune 500 company.
“My mother raised us to think that if we worked hard, and if we put our end of the bargain in, it would work out OK for us.” – Ursula Burns
Oprah Winfrey – Rags to riches
The successful entertainer and entrepreneur built her walls of success from the ground up, having a childhood in her Mississippi rural home town that was so impoverished her grandmother made her clothing from potato sacks,. After years of emotional and physical abuse and struggle, Oprah fought hard — staying true to the power of belief. “Everyone is looking for that validation. I know what it feels like to not be wanted… you can use it as a stepping stone to build great empathy for people,” she shares. “Anybody who has been verbally abused or physically abused will spend a great deal of their life rebuilding their esteem.” At 17, she found her silver lining after winning Miss Black Tennessee, which catapulted her into a job in journalism. Forbes states that she has annual earnings of around $82 million and a net worth of $2.9 billion.
“Turn your wounds into wisdom.” – Oprah Winfrey
Liz Murray
Liz Murray is a best-selling author with publications including ‘Breaking Night’. She is a motivational speaker and a strong voice for women working towards a goal in their life despite dealing with struggles and hardships. Liz was born into a family with parents who were substance addicts and also both HIV positive.”We ate ice cubes because it felt like eating. We split a tube of toothpaste between us for dinner,” she said. At 15, she decided to move to the streets of New York and dedicate her life towards an ambition. She became focused on gaining a degree and achieving success. After receiving a New York Times scholarship to Harvard University, she went on to achieve her goals, become a published author and now speaks at events alongside high-profile people such as the Dalai Lama. Going from homelessness to Harvard, she is the inspiring embodiment of determination in the face of challenges.
“I need to take advantage of life right now. If I don’t, it will pass me by. It’s just that easy.” – Liz Murray
Sarah Jessica Parker
Despite the glamorous life Sarah Jessica Parker leads; echoing her role as Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City, reality wasn’t always so sweet and stylish. Born to a low-income family in Nelsonville, Ohio, Sarah began pursuing her talents in acting and singing, as a way to help support her family. “We didn’t have electricity sometimes,” she says, “The phone company would call and say, ‘We’re shutting your phone off.’ And we were all old enough to either get the calls, or watch my mother’s reactions or watch my parents shuffling the money around.” Despite her success, she finds it hard to break old habits, finding the need to seek the value in every little thing she comes across.
Sometimes difficulty can further determination. Instead of being a hurdle that stops you, it can push you higher and make you fight that much harder for the success you desperately want to achieve. Your hardships may not be as drastic as some of these women’s, but their stories can still be an empowering inspiration for your own career path.
