Any modern businessperson knows that carving out a successful career is essential. This not only means you will make the most of your potential but also feel a sense of satisfaction in your day-to-day working life. Making the effort to succeed in business also means you can progress onto more senior positions over time and work in roles that offer a decent salary.
While this is common knowledge, achieving business success might not seem so simple. However, a look around the commercial sector shows it can be done and that it is possible to enjoy a stellar career in the business world. While this can include working for other people, it can also mean flexing your entrepreneurial skills by forming your own company.
What is the secret to being successful in business and how did some of the top businesspeople in America get to where they are now?
Education helps
Although not all top American businesspeople will have high-level qualifications to fall back on, there is no doubt that the right education can help. This is because studying an academic course in the field you plan to move into arms you with the latest knowledge and skills to succeed.
If you plan to step into the data analytics sector, for example, the online MSBA program at St Bonaventure University, can give you a real head start and help you get on. This course is not only very convenient due to its online delivery mode but also teaches you key concepts around data mining, problem-solving and statistical analysis.
As the above shows, there is no doubt how much education can help when trying to succeed in business. Even top US businesspeople who did not make it to college will have at least finished high school to arm them with the basics needed to thrive.
What else do you need to succeed in business?
As well as education, there are some other key things to know when striving for success in the commercial world. These are applicable whether you are looking at moving into data analysis, starting up your own FinTech company or needing to know the best tips for a career in business management.
But what might these extra nuggets of advice be? For most people, the other two major ingredients you need to make it to the top are hard work and determination. Hard work is certainly very important — whether you set up your own business or work for someone else. You will not get on in business without putting in the required effort and graft.
By the same token, determination is also key. It is important to never give up (even if some setbacks come your way) and always keep working to hit your career goals. If you go for a promotion but do not get it, for example, this should not prevent you from trying again. If you are a business owner, you should not let one failed product launch stop you from carrying on or developing new products in future.
Another valuable idea you can use to be successful in the business world is taking inspiration from others who have already made it. This can help you pick up guidance on how they did it and apply it to your own journey. If you look at someone who came from a similar background to your own, this can give you the motivation to see it is really possible.
With this in mind, it is worthwhile looking at some of the top American businesspeople to see what we can take from their own stories. But who are the best examples, and how did they climb the corporate ladder?
Michael Saylor
American-born entrepreneur Michael Saylor is an MIT graduate and a real titan of data analytics/big data in the business world. His ongoing success not only shows his talents as a creative leader but also the ever more central role data plays for all companies. With more and more data being collected by organizations now, it has seen people like Saylor benefit from their early entry into the sector.
But what is his story exactly? After securing a place at MIT in 1983 on an Air Force ROTC scholarship, Saylor met fellow student Sanju Bansal. This was to be a fateful meeting for both, as they would go on to form data analytics firm MicroStrategy in future years. For now, though, Saylor graduated from MIT in 1987, with a double major in aeronautics/astronautics and science, technology, and society.
After this, he gained employment with consulting business The Federal Group. This saw him concentrate on modeling computer simulations for a business based in software integration. Following this, he secured an internal consultant position at the DuPont company. The computer models Saylor developed for DuPont aimed to predict key market changes and did so successfully across the company’s main markets in 1990.
Around the time he was working for DuPont, Saylor used his salary to launch MicroStrategy with old MIT buddy Sanju Bansal. The company initially began creating data mining software, before moving onto business intelligence packages. An early success was the $10m contract the firm won from McDonald’s to create apps which would measure how well their promotions worked.
MicroStrategy went public in 1998 to stimulate further growth in the company, and Saylor himself was said to be worth around $7 billion by the early 2000’s. After resigning as MicroStrategy CEO in 2022, he remains in place as executive chairman and retains his position as a top American business leader.
Diane Hendricks
One of the top self-made businesspeople in America who also has a stellar reputation is Diane Hendricks. She is a name who stands out for her long-term success in business and her entrepreneurial skills. She also regularly features on most lists that highlight the richest businesspeople around every year. Hendricks is currently chairwoman/co-founder of Hendricks Holding Co and ABC Supply in Wisconsin.
But how did she climb the ladder to such an illustrious position? The daughter of dairy farmers from Wisconsin, Hendricks had a normal start in life when graduating from her local high school in 1965. After this, she carved out a career selling custom built homes — until she met future husband and then roofing contractor Ken Hendricks in 1975.
After finding love as a couple and marrying, the pair decided to go into business together during 1982. Their first venture was setting up ABC Supply, which is a company dedicated to selling gutters, sidings, windows and roofing supplies.
In addition to ABC Supply, the couple set up Hendricks Holding Company together and this organization now includes subsidiaries across many sectors — for example American Westbrook Insurance Services and GEM Pharmaceuticals.
When Ken Hendricks sadly died in 2007, Diane used all her business knowledge and leadership skills to take both the Hendricks Holding Company and ABC Supply forward. This has not only seen both businesses flourish in recent years but also seen Diane Hendricks confirm her status in the commercial world. With a 2018 award from Forbes as America’s richest self-made woman and a reported fortune of around $11.1 billion in 2021, the evidence clearly shows the flair for business she has.
Bill Gates
Born in Seattle, Bill Gates is a businessman who most people have heard of and who has built up an enviable career over time. A highly successful entrepreneur, author, investor and philanthropist, Gates is a shining example of what can be achieved in business through hard work.
His role at the top of the corporate ladder started early — it is reported that he wrote his first piece of computer software at the Lakeside Prep School, when only 13. Further to this, he enrolled at Harvard in 1973 on mathematics and graduate-level computer science courses. Although a keen student, the entrepreneur in Gates soon came to the fore. This saw him head to work at the Honeywell company in North Carolina in 1974, before dropping out altogether to form the Microsoft Foundation in 1975 with Paul Allen.
It is common knowledge that Microsoft has enjoyed huge success as a company since its inception and has certainly enjoyed significant gains in the last few decades. This is down to the innovative products the company offers to users all over the world — from the MS Windows operating system to the MS Office suite of tools. Recent years have also seen forays into digital products, such as Microsoft 365 and MS Azure Cloud Computing Services.
While Gates might have left being involved with Microsoft on a day-to-day basis in 2008, he is still active in business and known as one of the top American businessmen out there. This sees him worth an estimated $100 billion and a regular inclusion on the list of world’s richest people.
Oprah Winfrey
Another huge name that many people will know is Mississippi-born Oprah Winfrey. Although this might be from her iconic TV chat show which ended in 2011, Winfrey is known for also being a strong, intelligent businesswoman. Her media empire includes Oxygen Media (which she co-founded) and the Oprah Winfrey Network (which she serves at as CEO).
After purchasing shares in Weight Watchers International in 2015, Winfrey also has this global brand within her business portfolio. Known as the ‘Queen of Media’, she is said to be worth around $2.6 billion and was once the only black billionaire in existence.
As with the other businesspeople on our list, her road to the top makes for interesting reading. Winfrey was born into a very poor family, and this left opportunities to make it in the business world slight. She did not let this deter her though and landed a job in local radio while still in high school — after moving to Tennessee to live with family.
Her personality and charisma soon saw her co-anchoring a local news channel by the age of 19. Further to this, Winfrey moved to a daytime talk show on TV in Chicago and was responsible for a rise in viewing figures.
This success led to Winfrey setting up her own production company, signing a syndication deal with King World and creating the ‘Oprah Winfrey Show’. This new show first aired nationwide during September 1986 and soon became a major hit. In addition to a high level of national recognition, the success of the show allowed Winfrey to build her business empire.
As well as investing in or founding the companies we have already mentioned, Winfrey has also authored several books, established the Oprah.com website (which is said to get 70 million page views per month) and launched a radio channel on XM Satellite Radio. She is still as active as ever and regarded as one of the most influential figures in the business world.
Jeff Bezos
Along with people such as Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is one US-born entrepreneur everyone can take inspiration from. As the founder of the world’s biggest online marketplace, he certainly knows what it takes to build a company from the ground up. With an estimated personal fortune of $280 billion, he is also an example of what can be achieved in business with the right approach.
Bezos was born in New Mexico during 1964 and moved around somewhat as a child. He eventually landed in Miami and worked as a short-order line cook in McDonald’s, while still at high school. Around the same time, Bezos also enrolled at the University of Florida on a student science training program.
The Amazon creator continued his educational journey after high school and gained a place at Princeton University. This saw him graduate in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science Engineering degree in electrical engineering and computer science. Following his graduation from Princeton, Bezos first worked for a fintech communications company called Fitel. He then moved over to the world of banking, when he became a product manager at Bankers Trust. After moving to hedge fund investment firm D.E. Shaw & Co in 1990, he decided to set up Amazon in 1994 after reading an article on how fast the internet was growing.
Although it may be hard to imagine now, Amazon started off by selling only books online around the world. As Bezos realized the scope of e-commerce in general, he diversified, and the company now sells anything you can think of — from CDs to tech, toys and clothes.
The third quarter of 2021 saw Bezos step down as Amazon CEO to become executive chairman of the Amazon board. As well as this, he currently stays active in the business world and is involved in projects like the Bezos Earth Fund.
Tory Burch
American fashion designer Tory Burch is not only a well-known philanthropist but also one of the leading current names in US business. Listed as the 88th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes in 2020, she has gone onto cement her reputation since. This sees her currently holding the position of executive chairwoman and chief creative officer of her own Tory Burch LLC brand.
Burch was born in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania and was raised near the Valley Forge National Historical Park. Many believe she picked up her head for business from her father, who was a very successful investor. After finishing high school, she attended the University of Pennsylvania to major in history. After graduating in 1988, Burch moved to New York City and worked for Yugoslavian designer Zoran. After a spell there, she moved to work at Harper’s Bazaar magazine and PR roles for high-end firms like Polo Ralph Lauren.
By the early 2000’s, Burch had taken a real interest in launching her own fashion label and this saw her open a retail store in Manhattan during 2004 to showcase the ‘TRB by Tory Burch’ brand. By 2020, the brand had enjoyed huge success and seen more than 300 stores open globally. In addition, the Tory Burch label can also be found in thousands of department stores worldwide. To further help the company grow, Burch launched a performance activewear range in 2015 called ‘Tory Sport’.
It is estimated that her brands generate around $1.5 billion in revenue per year and this has left her with a vast personal fortune. In addition to her business exploits, Burch also set up the Tory Burch Foundation to help female businesspeople succeed. This shows that she is not only a top US businesswoman but also someone who really cares about others.
Top American businesspeople show it can be done
If you are a modern businessperson looking for fresh inspiration to succeed, the people listed above, and their individual stories make for interesting reading. Their rise to the top of the commercial world shows that anything is possible with the right knowledge, attitude and dedication. This should provide you with plenty of motivation to embark on your own route to the top and enjoy a satisfying, rewarding career.
