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The Success Story Built from Thousands of Failures by the Father of KFC Continues to Inspire Generations.
Everyone knows the name KFC - the world's leading fast-food chain specializing in famous fried chicken. The founder of the KFC fried chicken empire is Colonel Harland Sanders (1890 - 1980). Not only famous for his delicious fried chicken recipe that conquered the world, but Harland Sanders' journey to success has also inspired countless individuals.
The dedication and forward-thinking attitude of KFC's founder always earn admiration.
The Life and Career Ups and Downs of the Father of KFC
Harland David Sanders, born in 1890 into a poor family in Indiana, USA, faced hardships early in life. Losing his father at the age of 5, Sanders' mother worked tirelessly to support her young children. As the eldest sibling, Sanders took on the responsibility of caring for his younger siblings from a young age, becoming proficient in cooking and household chores.
At the age of 16, Sanders left home and started working. He forged personal documents to enlist in the military but was discharged a year later. Later, he worked as a railroad worker but was soon fired for fighting with a colleague. During his time at the railroad company, Harland Sanders studied law hoping to find a desk job in the future. However, his legal career didn't go far due to another altercation.
Young Harland Sanders
Returning to his hometown, Harland Sanders sold insurance. This next job lasted only a few years due to his refusal to comply with his boss's orders. Despite facing consecutive failures in life, young Harland Sanders remained stubborn and never gave up.
In 1920, he ventured into entrepreneurship for the first time by opening a boat company. The company operated inefficiently, so Sanders switched to selling lamps but couldn't compete with market competitors.
Living a turbulent life with an unsuccessful career, Harland Sanders decided to abandon everything at the age of 40, went to a train station, and opened a food stall. Despite the high quality of the food, which received high praise, he was fired for causing loud arguments and disorderly conduct with competitors. Four years later, Harland Sanders invested all his money in opening a motel, thinking his middle age would be more stable.
Harland Sanders invented the fried chicken recipe that conquers the world today.
Experiencing 1,009 failures with KFC fried chicken.
In 1950, amidst World War II and the downturn of the US economy, Sanders' motel faced difficulties and eventually went bankrupt. At the age of 60, he found himself in debt. Eventually, the man was left with only one asset: a $105 social security check.
Facing a financial crisis at 60, instead of giving up, Harland Sanders retained the enthusiasm of his youth and started over. He had his own fried chicken recipe called 'Kentucky Fried Chicken'. Dreaming of supplying fried chicken to fast-food chains, he persistently knocked on the doors of potential partner families, restaurants, and showcased his new chicken recipe in front of them to invite collaboration.
In total, Harland Sanders was rejected 1,009 times. It wasn't until the 1,010th attempt that he finally received his first nod. With perseverance, he gradually succeeded in securing more partnership contracts. By 1964, at the age of 75, KFC's founder had over 600 franchised fried chicken outlets across the United States.
Harland Sanders succeeded in entrepreneurship, becoming a millionaire in his 70s.
As we all know, even though Harland Sanders has long passed away, KFC remains the leading fast-food fried chicken brand worldwide with branches across five continents. Even after selling his brand, Harland Sanders continues to be recognized as the founder, the father of this immensely popular American-style fried chicken.
Source: Business Insider
