Source: Fortune
Summary
Real estate mogul Fernando De Leon was told he wasn’t the best fit for Goldman Sachs, but that setback led him to create a billion-dollar empire. De Leon recalled being told by a boss, “You should find something else to do,” but he credits that criticism with changing his life for the better. He founded Leon Capital Group in 2006, which has since expanded into financial services and healthcare, and he is now estimated to be worth $3.1 billion. Other leaders, such as Julia Stewart and Sara Blakely, have also turned rejection into billion-dollar comebacks.
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The strategy enters a familiar phase.
De Leon’s story is a classic tale of turning lemons into lemonade. Told he wasn’t good enough for Goldman Sachs, he went on to build a real estate empire. Julia Stewart was snubbed for CEO at Applebee’s, but she ended up buying the company years later. Sara Blakely faced rejection from manufacturers, but she persisted and built Spanx into a $1.2 billion success. Frederick W. Smith’s idea for FedEx was met with skepticism, but he proved his professor wrong and built a $98.4 billion company.
The numbers tell one story, but the real story is about turning rejection into opportunity.
Author: Evan Null
