With social media and the power to only let others see what we want to see, it's very easy to forget that it takes hard work to get to the top. Success also means having to endure failures and rejections.
According to Aja Frost, a writer for The Muse, failures are not permanent. They may seem as if they won't pass but these low points in your life do not mean that you don't have talent or potential.
Frost collated a list of 7 successful people who began their careers with their failures. These leaders came from different industries such as entertainment, fashion, social media as well as publication.
1. Steven Spielberg
The critically-acclaimed director has made massive hits such as "Jaws," "Jurassic Park" and "E.T." He has had his share of rejections, though. CNN reported that he was rejected by the University of Southern California (USC) School of Cinema Arts not once but twice. Spielberg now ranks as 453rd in Forbes' 2016 Billionaires list.
2. Anna Wintour
Vogue's formidable editor-in-chief appeared to have little to contribute to the fashion industry early on in her career. She was fired after nine months as a fashion editor for Harper's Bazaar for allegedly not understanding the American market. Now, she is at the 28th spot of Forbes' Power Women of 2016 list.
3. Evan Spiegel
The Snapchat co-founder is deemed as one of the world's youngest billionaires. He has accomplished so much in the past years that it's hard to imagine how just five years ago things weren't going his way at all.
4. Arianna Huffington
The success of The Huffington Post is a testament to how far Arianna Huffington has come. Prior to that, though, she also experienced a fair amount of rejection. Her second book was declined by 36 publishers and, when she ran for public office in 2003, she only received 0.55 percent of the votes.
5. Craig Newmark
According to AmericanExpress.com, the Craigslist founder was said to be a poor team player and had a short-temper. He was also told that he was not a good manager. He solved this problem by demoting himself from CEO to a customer service rep.
6. Conan O'Brien
The late night show host decided not to let his failure overcome his life. After just a few months on "The Tonight Show," he lost the job to Jay Leno. Instead of caving in to helplessness, he went ahead on a nationwide comedy tour which led to his own show.
7. Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia
Airbnb, which has a current value of $25.5 billion, is the result of its founders' perseverance. They were racking up to tens of thousands of credit card debt when they were accepted into startup incubator Y Combinator which helped their business.
