From Drop out to Powerhouse

Okay…so nobody wants to be considered a failure right? Everybody wants to be living on top of the world… in control of their time, money, and destiny. When we talk about success….leadership…..or business….education is usually viewed as an indicator of how fruitful someone’s life will be. A conversation may start with questions like…”Where did you go to school…how many degrees do you have on your wall…and so on…and so on…?” There’s nothing wrong with that…

U.S. News reported that 94% of top-level U.S. leaders…including CEO’s, judges, politicians…and even billionaires went to college somewhere…(2)

…this is not a bad thing…in fact it’s actually commendable. But what if you were one of those individuals who never seemed too comfortable with the idea of traditional education? 1.3 million students in the United States drop out of high-school every year (1). Guess what…doesn’t matter you can still become a powerhouse. As a powerhouse you can become a source of influence or inspiration for others (3).

It really depends on you and what you want to do. Looking for facts?

Richard Branson dropped out of high-school and went on to become worth about a cool 4.9 billion according to Forbes (1). Now that doesn’t mean he doesn’t work hard because 50 years after dropping out he now oversees around 500 companies (1).
Aretha Franklin dropped out of high-school at 15 to care for her first child but went on to become a Global icon and recipient of numerous honorary degrees from Universities including Yale, Harvard, and Princeton (1). Oh and it gets better… Ms. Franklin has also been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, singing at the inauguration of three U.S. Presidents, and winning 18 Grammy’s (1).

The bottom line is that you can definitely crush it. However, it won’t be easy…it will require proper mentorship and coaching, in order to move towards your goals. You also need to have a plan, a system, and be willing to persist towards that vision even when no one else seems to believe in it.

Your past doesn’t have to dictate your future unless you decide that you are comfortable with the labels that others put on you. If not then push past those labels and define your future based on what you believe is possible…

Be willing to endure a TON of rejection as well…because that’s the nature of being in business. Write your stories down on paper…the stories will be vital lessons that you can build on…documented memories that will serve as a blueprint moving forward.

Remember that education comes in many forms and traditional education is simply one form. Ambition, drive, perseverance, and being willing to outwork everybody else…that’s ultimately how you become a powerhouse!

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