The classic theme of “rags to riches” truly inspires us all to be more than what the status quo for our lives tries to dictate. Being an entrepreneur, one story that I am particularly fond of is that of Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks.

“I believe life is a series of near misses. A lot of what we ascribe to luck is not luck at all. It’s seizing the day and accepting responsibility for your future. It’s seeing what other people don’t see and pursuing that vision.” – Howard Schultz

The man that we now see, a powerhouse of innovation and influence, didn’t always have a life filled with opportunities. In fact, many probably looked at this man, during his youth, with little thought of what he might accomplish. Having grown up in a small two bedroom apartment in the projects of Brooklyn, he watched his father struggle, working multiple jobs just to get by. When he was seven years old, his father became unemployed because of an injury, and times got even tougher. As he experienced these things, a desire grew on the inside of him to create a company that would be fair to employees… a company that his dad would have liked to work for.

“Care more than others think wise. Dream more than others think practical. Risk more than others think safe. Expect more than others think possible.” – Howard Schultz

When he reached the end of high school, Schultz was offered an athletic scholarship to Northern Michigan University. He would take this and become the first person in his family to go to college. While many would have been happy to take their education and settle for an average job, his visions of change kept him reaching for more.

“Entrepreneurs must love what they do to such a degree that doing it is worth sacrifice and, at times, pain. But doing anything else, we think, would be unimaginable” – Howard Schultz

Now, the man that literally began his life in a Brooklyn project, sits in the penthouse of business, society, and entrepreneurship on a global scale. His hard work, belief in himself, and refusal to embrace the status quo, has paid off in more ways than most could imagine.

“In times of adversity and change, we really discover who we are and what we’re made of.” – Howard Schultz

[Image via sillygwailo/Flickr]