People Who Became Successful Later in Life

It can feel defeating to be at a certain age and not know what path you'd like your career to take. It can feel like we are surrounded by people with dreams: future doctors, future lawyers, future scientists, etc. Dreams can change, and careers may not always be what we imagined. When doubting career decisions or panicking about a lack of passion, it can be difficult to keep finding the motivation to search for a way to keep advancing career-wise.

It is never too late to start fresh, and for many, it can take years of hard work to get to a stable and successful career situation. This can be hard to believe, which is why finding others who have had evidence of great success can be a helpful motivator. Here is a list of successful people who found their success in midlife.

1. Vera Wang - Fashion Designer

She started a line of bridal gowns at 40 and her brand has been growing exponentially ever since.

2. Stan Lee - Comic Book Writer

The Fantastic Four was Stan Lee's big break in the comic book world, and he was nearly 40 when that was published. Now, Marvel is one of the biggest movie franchises.

3. Martha Stewart - Businesswoman and Writer

At 41, she published her first book and became very well-known in the media because of it.

4. Kathy Bates - Actress

She became famous at 42 for a role in Misery, which is a role that she won an Academy Award for.

5. Samuel L. Jackson - Actor

With a few minor acting roles here and there at a younger age, he wasn't very well known in Hollywood. After being in Pulp Fiction at the age of 45, he became a star.

6. Charles Darwin - Philosopher

Known for his theories on evolution, he became a cornerstone of understanding the history of the human race. He was 50 when his book, On the Origin of Species, was published.

7. Jane Lynch - Actress

Her big break was her role in Glee, which she first began portraying at the age of 51.

8. Laurel Richie - Former President of the WNBA

At 52 years old, she became the president of the WNBA and the first African American to head a national sports league.

9. Ray Kroc - McDonald's Founder

At 52, he founded the McDonald’s System, Inc., which was a predecessor of the McDonald’s Corporation. Six years later, he bought the exclusive rights to the McDonald’s name and operating system.

10. Harland (Colonel) Sanders - KFC Businessman

He became famous for his chicken and iconic white suit at the age of 65.

With these people's stories in mind, whether or not we like them, there is no doubt that they found the success that we long for. Their stories, and many others like them, could happen to anyone.

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References

https://www.themuse.com/advice/14-successful-people-who-didnt-make-it-until-much-later-in-life

https://vantageaging.org/blog/success-later-in-life/

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Thank you for reading! I have always had a personal issue with discovering my passion and dream career, so when I read the stories of all of these successful people finding their job satisfaction at a much later age, it gave me some comfort to know I have lots of time. Growing up, schools often would push the idea that we needed to know what we wanted to do as soon as possible. In high school, we were picking tracks that would lead us to success in specific careers. I've graduated college and have a degree, and still have no clue what job I'd like to pursue. And that is okay.

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