You know, I recently revisited the story of Colonel Sanders, and it never fails to amaze me. Here’s a man who went through everything imaginable — lost his father at age 6, spent his entire life bouncing from one job to another, constantly facing rejection. Farmer, conductor, fireman, soldier, insurance agent — he tried almost everything, but he was always pushed out.

What’s interesting is that even when he managed to find something decent — running a gas station, cooking for travelers, his fried chicken was loved by all — that didn’t save him either. At 65, a new highway cut off access to his restaurant, and his business collapsed. All he had left was a $105 Social Security check. Most people at that age would have just given up and retired.

But Colonel Sanders was different. He loaded up his car, took his fried chicken recipe, and started driving from restaurant to restaurant, offering it for free in exchange for a percentage of sales. He slept in his car, knocked on doors, and never gave up. And you know what? He was rejected 1,009 times. Over a thousand rejections. But on the 1,010th attempt, someone finally said yes. One small “yes” — and everything changed.

That was the beginning of Kentucky Fried Chicken. By the age of 70, the chain had spread across the United States. In 1964, Colonel Sanders sold the company for $2 million, but his face remained the symbol of the brand. Today, KFC has 25,000 outlets in 145 countries — a global empire built by a man who started almost from scratch at retirement age.

I think the main lesson in this story isn’t just about success. It’s that failure isn’t the end, but feedback. Every rejection brought Colonel Sanders closer to that one “yes” that changed everything. If a man who had only $105 and faced endless rejection at 65 could build such an empire, what excuses do we really have?