Successful People

1. Successful People • Many successful people were not academic. What qualities did they have in order to be the success they are today?

2. Levi Strauss • He began making denim pants to sell to miners in the 1949 Gold rush in California. These were the first “jeans” made. He had no success finding gold so he tried something else. He was born in Germany and immigrated to the USA.

3. Richard Branson • Richard Branson started a national magazine entitled Student at the age of sixteen. He was dyslexic but good with people. • At twenty years old, he founded Virgin as a mail order record retailer and a short while later, he opened a record shop in Oxford Street, London. • In 1992, the Virgin Music Group -- record labels, music publishing and recording studios -- was sold to Thorn EMI in a $1 billion US deal. • He then went on to establish VIRGIN Airlines

4. Tom Cruise • Tom was dyslexic at school and found reading difficult. He moved schools constantly because of his father’s job. • He then decided to specialise in sports until a knee injury forced him into another area. • He ended up in a school drama production and from then on decided to dedicate his life to acting. • He worked hard to overcome his learning disability.

5. JK Rowling • The author of Harry Potter started off as a secretary but was too disorganised. • She then taught English in Portugal and taught classes at night so she could write in the mornings. • She wrote her first Harry Potter Book and was rejected by publishing Companies a few times. She finally sold her book to a company for $1200. • She still worked teaching French whilst trying to write the next novel. By this time she was divorced and had to support her child. • It was not until she sold the film writes to Harry Potter that she did not have to work as a teacher.

6. Thomas Edison • Considered a geek at school and had what is known today as ADHD. • Partially deaf and always looking to invent things • Almost starved trying to make a living working on the telegraph • Invented hundreds of patents, his most famous being the electric light

7. Bill Gates • As chairman of Microsoft , he started fiddling with software when he was 13. • He attended University but left after a year and he and a friend set up Microsoft in 1975. • He thought that computers may become a tool in every home and followed his vision. • He developed software that is now in everyone’s home • He now devotes much of his time donating to charities and has set up a fund worth 27 billion dollars!

8. Abraham Lincoln • As the 16th President of the United States, Lincoln took a long time to be elected. • He had various lowly paid jobs until he decided to enter politics. • He worked on farms and eventually learned how to read and write. • He became a Lawyer but was driven to represent people in politics • It took him 30 years to become President

9. Dick Smith • Dick left school early as he had an interest in the bush and in radio. • Early on, he worked for an electronics company but left to start his own business. • He started with a small shop in the suburbs • He sold his electronics business in 1982, retiring a millionaire • In 1986 he started the Australian Geographic Magazine • He recently started putting Dick Smith’s products on supermarket shelves.

10. Kylie Minogue • Kylie started her career in television at 11. • She was on a number of shows but her most famous role was that of Charlene in Neighbours. • After leaving Neighbours, she released her first single, “The Locomotion”. This became a huge hit in England and Australia. • From then on she permanently moved to London and has released many albums, changing her style as she has grown. • She is Australia’s most successful woman singer.

11. Evonne Goolagong • One of Australia’s most successful tennis players • Won Wimbledon twice and French Open 4 times. • Came from a poor aboriginal family with 8 children in the family. • Her relatives lived tin shacks with dirt floors. • She loved playing sports and always beat the boys. She left home at 14. • She entered Wimbledon at 18 but often when playing was the victim of racism.

12. WHAT IS SUCCESS? The achievement of something desired, planned or attempted.

13. What makes people successful? Why can some succeed but others can’t?

14. Hard Work COMMITMENT Sacrifice Patience Taking a risk Get out of comfort zone

15. What are the keys to success? ORGANISATION CONFIDENCE Persistence GETTING ALONG

16. How will you strive for success this year? • Don’t be afraid to have a go • Get organised • Prepare study timetable • Set up study area at home • Set up planner and fill in important dates • How will you use study days? • Don’t give up- persist • Success=confidence • Confidence=success