Unfortunately, Walt’s childhood was not like a fairy tale, but that did not stop him from achieving great success. According to many sources, his father, Elias, was a harsh man with his own parenting style that did not involve any playtime, games, or toys for his children. Instead, he encouraged his kids to work at an early age. So, Walt and his brother Roy, who was his best ally and friend, worked at a railroad selling snacks, candy, and soda to passengers. Apart from that, the boys delivered newspapers before and after school. Since Walt’s father kept all of the money the boy earned, he had to do some odd jobs but kept it a secret. It was so exhausting that Walt would often fall asleep in class and receive poor grades. Despite the challenges he had to face as a young boy, he did not give up and always made time for art. In high school, Walt attended Saturday courses at the Kansas City Art Institute and took a correspondence course in drawing cartoons. When Walt was 16, his family moved to Chicago. While in Chicago, Walt took night classes at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts (today it is called the Art Institute of Chicago). His talent was soon discovered at school, and Walt became the cartoonist for the school newspaper. Tired of living under one roof with his stern father, he followed the example of his three older brother, who moved out of their parents’ house at their first opportunity. He dropped out of school to join the army, but he was rejected for being underage (Walt was 16 then). The would-be entrepreneur did not give up and tried again. He cheated a bit and forged his birth date. It all turned out well for him. He was sent to France as an ambulance driver for the Red Cross. At the age of 18, Walt returned to Kansas City with the goal of becoming a newspaper artist. His brother Roy helped him get a job at an art studio where he created ads for newspapers and magazines. There, he met his lifelong friend named Ub Iwerks. Unfortunately, the company’s business was not booming, and both artists were dismissed. However, everything was for the best. The two friends decided to start their own studio. They were both excited and determined to succeed, but their business was short-lived and doomed to fail. So, they soon had to seek work elsewhere.
I think it is essential to emphasize that each entrepreneur has their highs and lows at some point. Many business owners say that experiencing failure and rejection can be really useful. Strangely enough, the more rejections you have, the more experienced you become. Walt thought of his numerous failures as stepping stones to success and personal growth. This may come as a surprise to you, but Walt Disney was fired because his newspaper editor thought that he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” It sounds like a joke, right?
All the while, Walt struggled to make ends meet, had to live with his friends, and often went without food. Friedrich Nietzsche, the German philosopher, famously said: “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” And that is absolutely true. Walt turned all his failures into opportunities. He learned from his own mistakes, drew conclusions, and moved on.
In 1921, Walt Disney set up his first animation studio called Laugh-O-Gram, which produced short cartoons based on popular fairy tales and children’s stories. Though the shorts were popular with audiences, they did not provide enough income as the costs exceeded the returns. So, the company eventually went bankrupt in 1923, and Walt had to start from scratch again. He left Kansas City for Hollywood with 40 dollars in his pocket. His brother Roy had already moved to California. On October 16, 1923, Walt and his brother founded the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio (later known as the Walt Disney Company). Finally, fortune smiled upon him. Soon enough, Walt invited his friend Ub Iwerks to join them and offered him a job. The next life-changing event was meeting the ink artist Lillian Bounds. They married in 1925.
In 1927, Disney and Iwerks created an animated cartoon character named Oswald the Lucky Rabbit for Universal Studios. The project was a success, and Oswald captured the hearts of audiences around the world. But guess what? Walt Disney lost the rights to the character in a dispute with his business partner over a contract. However, there has been much speculation around that story. Some say that Oswald could not be stolen from Walt because he didn’t own the character. All rights belonged to Universal Pictures. All in all, Walt made a decision to create another character to replace Oswald. So, the world learned about Mickey Mouse. Surely, perseverance can pay off.
Walt Disney’s life was not easy. He was fired, went bankrupt, was rejected more than 300 times, but he always believed in his dream and kept on going. Walt Disney is an example of persistence and perseverance. He died on December 15, 1966, but he will always be remembered as a winner. And that is Walt Disney’s real-life story of success and overcoming great obstacles, to put it in a nutshell.
Vocabulary
pursue one’s goal [pərˈsuː wʌnz ɡəʊl] – стремиться к цели, преследовать цель
persistent [pərˈsɪstənt] – упорный, настойчивый
setback [ˈsetbæk] – неудача
tycoon [taɪˈkuːn] – магнат
be born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth [bi: bɔːrn wɪð ə ˈsɪlvər spuːn ɪn wʌnz maʊθ] – родиться с серебряной ложкой во рту, родиться в богатой семье
admirable [ˈædmərəbl] – замечательный, восхитительный, очаровательный
amusement park [əˈmjuːzmənt ˌpɑːrk] – парк развлечений
harsh [hɑːrʃ] – суровый, жесткий, строгий
underage [ˈʌndəreɪdʒ] – несовершеннолетний
dismiss [dɪˈsmɪs] – увольнять
short-lived [ˌʃɔːrt ˈlɪvd] – недолговечный, мимолетный
rejection [rɪˈdʒekʃn] – отказ, неприятие
stepping stone [ˈstepɪŋ stəʊn] – трамплин, ступенька на пути
draw a conclusion [drɔː ə kənˈkluːʒn] – сделать вывод
perseverance [ˌpɜːrsəˈvɪrəns] – настойчивость, упорство
in a nutshell [ɪn ə ˈnʌtʃel] – кратко, в двух словах
Exercises
1) Who was Walt Disney?
2) What associations do you have when you hear Walt Disney’s name?
3) What kind of relationship did Walt have with his father?
4) How would you characterize Walt Disney?
5) Who was Walt’s best friend and ally?
6) Why was Walt Disney fired from his first job as a newspaper artist?
7) How did Walt treat his failures?
8) Why did his first animation studio called Laugh-O-Gram go bankrupt?
9) When was the Walt Disney Company founded?
не бывает неразрешимых проблем; всегда можно найти решение; это обстоятельство сыграло важную роль в формировании будущего; все сложилось так, как и должно было сложиться; мальчик с богатым воображением; его не приняли, поскольку он был несовершеннолетним; он считал свои многочисленные неудачи ступенями на пути к успеху и личностному росту
his business wasn’t booming; his business was doomed to fail; highs and lows; the costs exceeded the returns; the company went bankrupt; to start from scratch; a life-changing event; to make ends meet; fortune smiled upon him; an example of persistence and perseverance; you are grossly mistaken
Creative task No. 3
In your opinion, what are the most important qualities of a successful entrepreneur?
Elon Musk
I think every schoolkid can tell who Elon Musk is, but not everyone knows what his path to success looked like. This chapter tells a fascinating story of a man whose great inventions are changing the world. Elon Musk is a world-renowned entrepreneur, investor, and innovator who has achieved tremendous success throughout his career. The iconic businessman is the mastermind behind Tesla Motors, PayPal, and SpaceX. He is also famous for monumental advancements in futuristic technology such as renewable energy and space travel. When I read his biography, I developed even greater respect for this remarkably charismatic man.
Elon Musk was born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, South Africa. His father, Errol Musk, is an engineer, and his mother, Maye Musk, is a Canadian-born model and nutritionist. Elon is the oldest child in the family. He has two siblings named Kimball and Tosca. There has always been much speculation around his family income. According to some sources, Elon’s father owned half of an emerald mine based in Zambia, and the family lived in luxury. Curiously, the head of SpaceX denies the rumors about the fabulous income of his family. According to him, he did not come from a highly affluent family, and his father’s emerald business collapsed. Here is what Elon Musk once tweeted:
He [father] didn’t own an emerald mine, and I worked my way through college, ending up with [around] 100 thousand dollars in student debt.
I suppose, in this manner, Elon Musk aims to prove his success without his father’s support. And that is absolutely true. First, he had a strained relationship with his father (which we are going to talk about next). Second, not all children of wealthy people who inherit their businesses succeed in their careers. On the contrary, things sometimes go south, and they lose everything their parents worked hard for. Third, it is obvious that Musk is a talented inventor and a tireless innovator who is committed to improving the future of humanity. After all, it is no wonder that many call this exceptional entrepreneur a modern-day genius and “Iron man” (Musk became the inspiration for Tony Stark in Marvel movies). I have no doubt that the future belongs to this brilliant person!