CLEVELAND — We measure success in life in many ways. By the strength of our family. By the content of our character. By the friends we keep. And of course, by the amount of money we earn at our jobs.
That's why this post on Thursday evening caught our eye on Reddit:
The response to this question was overwhelming, with nearly 4,000 comments. Here were a few that stood out:
TacoBMMonster: "I got really bad grades in both. When I was in my early thirties, I had a big chip on my shoulder about it and started taking college classes at-large, one at a time. The motivation I had to do well in them was incredible. After a while of that, I was able to take my new transcripts and use them to get into grad school. No one cared that I had gotten poor grades ten years earlier."
Grooney2019: "I got kicked out of HS due to behavior and grades. Got sent to all-girls boarding school which was pretty much lock- down. I did better but my GPA sucked too bad to go to College. I started working in restaurants and made a notable career to GM to District Manager and ultimately Director of Operations where I had accountability for an 80 million dollar business unit and 1600 direct and indirect reports making close to 225K in 2007. Got too corporate so I left.
From there I started a couple of businesses and sold to them. Now my husband and I run our own Specialty Home Improvement business.
I hated authority. Bored in school. I guess I do better on my own or when I'm the boss."
NeonBird: "My parents never thought I would ever go to college. In fact, growing up, my brother always made honor roll and got really high test scores and got a full ride to college. My test scores were really low, my grades were very middle of the road and I was offered only one $500 scholarship. So, not much. After dropping out and working a bunch of dead end jobs in my 20s, I went back to school and tried again. No one thought I would finish. I ended up finishing two degrees in five years and now I work at a four year university on professional staff within academic affairs and I make quite a bit more than some of my peers. Everyone I work with assumes that I made stellar grades in high school."
There are dozens of examples of those who rose above a tough time in the classroom to become successful entrepreneurs, business leaders, politicians, and so on. Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg dropped out of Harvard, Steve Jobs couldn't make the grade at Reed College.
Business Insider came up with 15 people who struggled at school to become successes in their fields.
Ravin Gandhi, CEO and founder of GMM Nonstick Coatings, penned this piece on CNBC.com where he discloses that he was "an awful student in high school. I was routinely kicked out of class for insubordination, I never studied, and my academic performance scandalized my family," he wrote. Gandhi gives a list of 12 traits he used to help turn himself around.
So we asked you on social media: For those who didn't perform well in school, but are succesful in your career, what is your secret?
Here's what you had to say.
From Rob Ryan on Facebook: I didn’t pass high school until last day of school and I have had a very successful 25 year career in finance field
From Jody Cross McMahan on Facebook: "I was horrible with math. Hated it all the way through school. Last math class was 10th grade basic math. C,D student. I was in customer service with phone co and elect co for over 30 years. Mostly in billing. Used math EVERYDAY. Never had an issue."
From Jeremy Butcher on Facebook: I heard one thing from a few students in college. C’s get degrees. It’s mostly true, unless some classes have a grade gate, aka a minimum passing grade. I’ve had a few classes where you would need to get over a B to pass the class.
