5 Unusual Personal Success and Startup Stories
We all crave personal success stories for one simple reason – if it happened to them, it could happen to
us. But in our anticipation of that day when it will happen, we forget one important thing. Those
successful people didn’t wait for it to happen. Instead, they went out and made it happen. Of course,
some got lucky, while others had a ton of help from either family or friends. But most of them owe their
success to hard work, skill, knowledge, and above all, perseverance. Even some of the successful
gamblers on our list didn’t rely solely on luck, but studied the game and spent a lot of time trying to
come up with a winning strategy. In the end, that is what separates them from ordinary people working
9 to 5 jobs.
John Paul DeJoria
John Paul DeJoria was born to immigrant parents who got divorced when he was just three years old. He
was homeless twice in his life. The first time was when he got out of the Navy. He was just 22 and he
had a two-year-old baby boy to care for. He took on various jobs to survive, including being a janitor,
door-to-door encyclopedia salesman, and insurance salesman. Deck was stacked hard against John, yet
he didn’t surrender. The event that helped him turn his life around was when he got a job at Redken
Laboratories, entering the world of hair care. After spending years learning the ropes, he founded his
own company in 1980, called John Paul Mitchell Systems. He had to borrow $700 for the startup capital,
as he was living in his car at the moment. His company is clearing one billion annually in revenue and
John Paul DeJoria's personal wealth is estimated at $3.1 billion. Not bad for a homeless guy.
Bill Benter
If you try to tell Bill Benter that his success in blackjack is due to luck, he will laugh in your face. It is
anything but. Benter was quoted multiple times saying that he is good at the game solely because he
understands the math behind it and only bets according to math principles. That is why he is usually at
the top of the list of famous professional gamblers and their wealth is truly staggering, especially when
you consider its source. Benter got his degree in Physics in 1977. Instead of finding a job in a lab or at
school, he immediately went to Las Vegas and started playing at blackjack tables. He was so successful
that, seven years later, he was banned from all Vegas casinos. That forced him to turn to horse racing.
Even with that, he was successful. Benter’s personal wealth is estimated at more than a billion dollars,
all of it from gambling.
Arlete Turturro
Life is often hard for immigrants, especially women, as Arlete Turturro discovered when she moved to
New York from her native Brazil in 1960. She grasped the American Dream with both hands, working
hard at her education. She first graduated in merchandising and at the same time was studying at
Fashion Institute of Technology. Her first job was as a Bridal Department buyer. She later worked as a
real estate agent, after obtaining her license from Queens College. Despite all her work experience, she
was still looking for her break and she found it in 1980, in the cleaning industry of all places. Arlete
founded Night Owl Cleaning Services and immediately became a success. Her company specializes in
emergency cleaning, although they also offer regular cleaning services. Arlete was awarded the Woman
of the Year Award in 2004 as a recognition for her hard work and charity.
Peter X. Kelly
If you are looking for proof that formal education in your specific field isn’t everything, look no further
than Peter X. Kelly. Born in Yonkers, New York, as the tenth child out of twelve in an Irish immigrant
family, Peter worked every day in life since he was twelve. As a child, he shoveled snow, moved lawns,
delivered newspapers, and did many other jobs. His first contact with the food industry was when he got
a job as a dishwasher at a small German restaurant while he was studying business at Marist College in
Poughkeepsie. After that, he worked in some of the best restaurants in New York for two years and then
went to France to further explore his calling. He was only 23 when he opened his first restaurant, Xaviars
at Garrison. Today, Kelly is a world-renowned chef and a successful business owner, and all that without
a single day spent in a culinary school.
Tony Bloom
Tony Bloom is mostly known for his success with Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Having bought the club in
2009, he managed to get them into the Premier League in 2017, where they played against such legends
of international football like Manchester United and Liverpool. That alone is a story worth telling, but
that is not the reason why Mr. Bloom is on our list. Tony Bloom is one of the most successful
professional gamblers in history. In fact, he made the money for buying Brighton by playing poker. He
never finished first or won a title in any poker competitions he participated in but has almost always
managed to get a money finish. That means he always went home with more money than he came in
with. And that is a lesson in itself. You don’t have to always be the best to be successful. Oftentimes, just
being constantly good will suffice.