The Man Who Turned A Lifelong Failure Into KFC
Summary
TLDRColonel Harland Sanders, the founder of KFC, faced numerous setbacks before finding success in franchising his secret fried chicken recipe. From his humble beginnings on a farm to a series of failed career attempts, Sanders persevered until, at 65, he began franchising his recipe, which eventually led to the world's largest fast-food fried chicken franchise. Despite personal and professional challenges, including near-suicidal moments and legal battles, Sanders' determination and iconic recipe transformed him into a symbol of the fried chicken industry, with KFC expanding globally to over 25,000 outlets.
Takeaways
- 😔 Harland Sanders faced numerous challenges and failures throughout his life, including a near-suicidal moment in 1955.
- 👶 Born in 1890, Sanders had to assume the responsibility of caring for his family at the age of five after his father's death.
- 👨🍳 At the age of seven, Sanders learned to cook, a skill that would become crucial to his later success.
- 🔄 Sanders experienced a variety of jobs and careers, including a brief stint in the military and working as a streetcar conductor.
- 📚 He also attempted to study law and practice it for a few years before being involved in a courtroom incident that led to his departure from the profession.
- 🚂 After several failed ventures, Sanders worked at a service station in North Corbin, Kentucky, which led to the opening of his own restaurant.
- 🍗 Sanders' secret recipe for fried chicken became popular, and he began franchising his recipe in 1952, leading to the growth of KFC.
- 🛣️ In 1956, a new interstate highway bypassed Sanders' service station, causing a significant drop in business and forcing him to retire.
- 💡 Despite being turned down 1009 times, Sanders persisted in trying to franchise his chicken recipe, which eventually led to success.
- 🏆 At 73, Sanders sold KFC for $2 million, retaining the Canadian franchises and certain U.S. rights, and continued as a brand ambassador.
- 🌐 Today, KFC is a global fast-food chain with over 25,000 outlets in more than 145 countries, known for its 'Finger Licking Good' fried chicken.
Q & A
What significant event occurred in Colonel Sanders' life in 1955 that marked a turning point for his business?
-In 1955, Colonel Sanders moved to Shelbyville, Kentucky, hoping to succeed after numerous failed attempts to build a successful chicken restaurant. He approached restaurants with his secret recipe, only to be turned down 1,000 times before finally finding success with his franchise model.
What was Colonel Harlan Sanders' birthplace and date?
-Colonel Harlan Sanders was born on a small farm in Henryville, Indiana, on the 9th of September, 1890.
What tragic event in Colonel Sanders' early life forced him to assume responsibility for his family at the age of five?
-The tragic death of his father, Wilbur David, from a deadly hay fever in 1895 forced the young Sanders to assume the responsibility of caring for his family.
How did Colonel Sanders' mother, Margaret, support the family after the death of her husband?
-After Wilbur's death, Margaret worked at a local tomato canning factory and sometimes as a seamstress for nearby families to support the family.
At what age did Colonel Sanders start working and what was his first job?
-Colonel Sanders started working at the age of 10 as a farm hand at a local farm.
What was the reason Colonel Sanders left his mother's new home after she remarried?
-Colonel Sanders left his mother's new home due to a strained relationship with his stepfather, who was not kind to him or his siblings.
What career path did Colonel Sanders pursue after dropping out of school and why did he leave the job?
-After dropping out of school, Sanders worked as a streetcar conductor. He left the job to join the U.S. Army, where he served for some months before being honorably discharged.
What significant event led to Colonel Sanders being commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel?
-The popularity of Sanders' Cafe, gas station, and the shootout incident that eliminated his main local competitor led to Kentucky Governor Ruby Laffoon commissioning Sanders as a Kentucky Colonel.
How did Colonel Sanders' idea of franchising his secret recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken impact his business?
-Franchising his secret recipe led to the rapid expansion of his business, with the first franchise deal signed with Pete Harmon in South Salt Lake, Utah, which saw sales triple in just the first year.
What unfortunate event led to Colonel Sanders selling his business and retiring at the age of 65?
-The commissioning of a new interstate highway that bypassed his service station reduced customer traffic, forcing Sanders to sell his business and retire.
After selling KFC, what role did Colonel Sanders continue to play within the company?
-After selling KFC, Colonel Sanders was employed as a brand ambassador with an annual payment of $250,000, and he also retained the Canadian franchises and the franchising rights in the UK, Florida, Utah, and Montana.
Outlines
😔 Struggles and Early Life of Colonel Sanders
The first paragraph introduces Colonel Harland Sanders, a man who faced numerous challenges and failures in his quest to establish a successful chicken restaurant. Born in 1890 on a farm in Indiana, Sanders' early life was marked by hardship, including his father's death and his mother's struggle to support the family. At a young age, Sanders had to take on the responsibility of caring for his siblings and worked various jobs, including as a farm hand and butcher. His life was filled with many changes, including a move to Indiana with his mother's new husband, who was unkind to him and his siblings, leading to Sanders leaving home at a young age. His journey was one of perseverance through various jobs and a series of failures, setting the stage for his later success.
👨🍳 Diverse Careers and the Beginning of Sanders' Culinary Pursuits
This paragraph delves into Sanders' various careers, from working as a streetcar conductor to serving in the U.S. Army, and his eventual foray into the culinary world. After a series of job changes and failures, including a stint as a lawyer and a ferry boat operator, Sanders found himself drawn to the restaurant business. His first foray into the industry was running a service station with a small cafe in North Corbin, Kentucky, where he began to develop his signature fried chicken recipe. Despite facing setbacks such as a shootout incident and the closure of his Asheville motel during World War II, Sanders continued to refine his cooking skills and his business ideas, leading to the establishment of Sanders Court and Cafe, which became a popular stop for travelers.
🍗 The Rise of KFC and Colonel Sanders' Persistence
In this paragraph, we learn about the pivotal moment when Sanders decided to franchise his secret fried chicken recipe, leading to the birth of KFC. After signing his first franchise deal, Sanders faced a significant setback when a new highway bypassed his service station, causing a decline in business. At the age of 65, Sanders found himself broke and considered suicide. However, he regained his will to live and decided to give his cooking one more chance. His persistence paid off as he began to secure franchises for his fried chicken, which eventually spread across the United States and internationally. Sanders' determination and the success of KFC are highlighted, showcasing his journey from failure to becoming an icon in the fast-food industry.
🌟 Legacy and Continuing Impact of Colonel Sanders
The final paragraph wraps up the story of Colonel Sanders, detailing his later life and the lasting impact of KFC. After selling the Kentucky Fried Chicken Corporation for two million dollars, Sanders continued to act as a brand ambassador and retained certain franchising rights. He also faced legal battles over the use of his image and recipe. Sanders' legacy is evident in the global success of KFC, which has over 25,000 outlets in more than 145 countries. The paragraph concludes with a reflection on the enduring popularity of KFC and the inspirational story of Colonel Sanders, who overcame numerous obstacles to achieve his dream.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Colonel Sanders
💡KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken)
💡Secret Recipe
💡Franchise
💡Perseverance
💡Great Depression
💡Pressure Fryer
💡Honorary Title
💡Patent and Trademark
💡Business Failures
Highlights
In 1955, a nearly suicidal 65-year-old Colonel Sanders moved to Shelbyville, Kentucky, hoping to succeed after numerous failed attempts to build a successful chicken restaurant.
Colonel Sanders was turned down 1,009 times while trying to sell his secret recipe for four cents in profits.
Colonel Sanders eventually founded the world's largest fast food fried chicken franchise, known for the tastiest chicken recipe.
Colonel Sanders was born on September 9, 1890, on a small farm in Henryville, Indiana.
At age five, Sanders assumed responsibility for his family after his father died and his mother worked long hours.
By age 10, Sanders got his first job as a farm hand to assist his mother.
Sanders dropped out of school at age 16, struggling with algebra, and started working various jobs, including as a streetcar conductor and a blacksmith's helper.
He falsified his age to join the U.S. Army and served in Cuba before being honorably discharged in 1907.
Sanders held numerous jobs, including working for the Southern Railroad, Norfolk and Western Railway, and as a fireman, often losing jobs due to insubordination or health issues.
In 1930, Sanders opened Sanders Court and Cafe in North Corbin, Kentucky, which gained popularity due to his cooking skills.
The Kentucky Governor commissioned Sanders as a Kentucky Colonel in 1935 due to his culinary skills and popularity.
Sanders mastered his secret chicken recipe using a pressure fryer in 1940.
In 1952, Sanders franchised his secret recipe, signing his first deal with Pete Harmon, which led to tripling sales in the first year.
By 1963, KFC had more than 600 franchises in several locations worldwide.
In 1964, Sanders sold Kentucky Fried Chicken Corporation for two million dollars, retaining some franchises and working as a brand ambassador.
KFC remains one of the largest fast food restaurant chains in the world, with more than 25,000 outlets in over 145 countries.
Transcripts
in 1955 a nearly suicidal 65 year old
Colonel Sanders moved to Shelbyville
Kentucky hoping to succeed after
numerous failed attempts to build a
successful chicken restaurant he was
left with no other option but to
approach restaurants pleading to sell
his secret recipe for four cents in
profits but instead he was turned down
one thousand nine times as luck fell on
his side on his next attempt Colonel
Sanders would treat the world's largest
fast food Fried Chicken Franchise and
the tastiest chicken recipe the world
has ever tasted this is the story of how
a retired Colonel became the icon of the
Fried Chicken industry Colonel Harlan
Sanders was born on a small farm in
Henryville Indiana to Wilbur David and
of Margaret Ann on the 9th of September
1890. his parents were farmers owned a
large eager of Farmland but could barely
make enough money to care for their
children as though life couldn't get any
harder will broke his leg in a fall
causing him to stop his farming
activities and to sustain the family he
decided to become a butcher
unfortunately Wilbur developed a fever
and could barely work anymore it was
later discovered that his fever wasn't
just any normal fever but deadly hay
fever in 1895 Wilbur died causing
Sanders to assume the responsibility of
a caregiver of the family at such an
early age of five after the death of
Wilbur Sanders mother Margaret was left
penniless and in abject poverty and to
take care of her three children she went
far and near looking for a job as luck
would have it she got a job at a local
tomato canning Factory and sometimes
worked as a seamstress for nearby
families but she was mostly away from
home due to the nature of her job
Sanders the eldest child of his parents
was forced to take care of his two
younger siblings and to help her Pursuit
his mother taught him how to cook at age
seven Sanders was a natural with bread
and the vegetables as he was responsible
for cooking for his siblings when his
mother was away at her local tomato
canning Factory or seamstress job
Sanders decided to look for a job to
assist his mother and at age 10 he got
his first job as a farm hand at a local
Farm in 1900. Margaret decided
remarrying was the best idea for the
family as she could no longer bear the
burden of caring for the children alone
in 1902 Margaret's remarried causing
them to move to her new husband's home
in the suburbs outside of Indianapolis
unfortunately her new husband wasn't
keen on having stepchildren hence he
wasn't kind to Sanders or his siblings
causing a strained relationship between
him and Sanders eventually Sanders left
home for Clark County where the family
first lived to escape from his
stepfather and search for greener
pastors however his journey for greener
pastors would turn out to be a long
thriving one filled with many uncertain
certainties In 1902 Sanders worked at a
farm in Greenwood Indiana after he had
left home he was paid a monthly salary
of 10 to 15 and offered a room to stay
in Sanders had to shuffle between work
and school as he needed to feed the
animals early in the morning before
going to school and after completing the
sixth grade Sanders dropped out of
school at 16. Sanders however claimed in
his autobiography that it was due to the
difficulty of algebra that he dropped
out he said algebras what drove me off
after quitting school in 1906 Sanders
asked his mother for permission to live
with his uncle in New Albany Indiana to
which she agreed at the time his uncle
worked at A Streetcar company and aided
in securing a conductor job for Sanders
Sanders worked as a streetcar conductor
for some months before he decided to
join the U.S army however it was too
young for the age requirement so he
falsified his age and enlisted in the
Army he was positioned in Cuba where he
served for some months until he was
honorably discharged after completing
the mission in February 1907. after his
discharge he would go on to experience
several career paths in search of
success Sanders moved to Sheffield
Alabama to live with an uncle who worked
for the Southern Railroad his uncle
secured him a job at his company as a
blacksmith's helper in the workshops
Sanders worked his job for two months
effortlessly but the pay wasn't good
enough so he moved to Jasper Alabama to
work as a trained Ash pan cleaner for
the northern Alabama railroad he would
also go on to work as a steam engine
fireman where he stoked the fire and
managed his team for almost three years
however he was fired for insubordination
after falling ill in 1908 Sanders
started working as a laborer with the
Norfolk and Western Railway during this
period he met Josephine King in Jasper
Alabama Josephine was a homegirl whose
father was a merchant in town she was
Daddy's precious little girl who was
neither attending school nor teaching
nor did she have any cooking knowledge
her first cooking lessons came from
Sanders who criticized everything she
did in the kitchen Sanders said her
family had always hired Cooks she used
to say she'd never marry another man who
knew how to cook she meant I criticized
everything she did Sanders fell in love
with Josephine and they married shortly
afterward Sanders and that Josephine
would go on to have three children after
his wedding to Josephine Sanders left
his job and worked as a fireman on the
Illinois Central Railroad after moving
to Jackson Tennessee with his wife while
working as a fireman in the daytime
Sanders studied law at the LaSalle
extension University at night
unfortunately Sanders lost his job as a
fireman after fighting with a colleague
his wife Josephine wasn't happy about
his inability to keep a job as they
could barely take care of the children
so she left with the kids and went back
to her parents house after some some
years Sanders began practicing law in
Little Rock he had hoped being a lawyer
would be his Pathway to success Sanders
was good at the profession and
surprisingly had kept his job for three
years at the time the law profession
could have been his Pathway to success
as he had gained a good reputation and
made enough money to bring his wife back
home unluckily for him he would once
again experience failure in his pathway
as he was involved in a courtroom brawl
with his client causing him to lose his
job and tarnish his reputation after the
incident Sanders had no choice but to
leave Tennessee and move back to
Henryville to live with his mother
moving back to Henryville was a hit on
Sanders who thought he would have
achieved a better life at that age
unfortunately his temper was not in
agreement with his goals however Sanders
would go on to start all over again
determined like never before to succeed
he decided to work as a laborer on the
Pennsylvania Railroad in 1916 Sanders
and his family moved to Jeffersonville
where Sanders took a job as an insurance
salesman for the Prudential life
insurance company and which he was fired
for insubordination he then moved to
Louisville where he got another
insurance salesman job with mutual
benefit life of New Jersey at a time
when the ferry boat's business was
booming and those who operated this
industry became the wealthiest people in
the city Sanders then opened his ferry
boat company in 1920 which operated on
the Ohio River between Jeffersonville
and Louisville he however needed funding
so he sold the majority of the shares of
the company leaving just a minority
holding to himself and was later
appointed the secretary of the company
his Ferry business became successful
overnight and Sanders took a job as a
secretary of the Chambers of Commerce in
Columbus Indiana to make more money
however he was not good at the job so he
resigned after some months moving on to
a different pathway Sanders decided to
sell his ferry boat company shares for
twenty two thousand dollars and used the
money to start up and acetylene lamps
Manufacturing Company a venture he
thought would lead him to his peak of
success regrettably it was an epic
failure after Delco introduced its
electric lamp which it sold on credit so
Sanders moved to Winchester Kentucky to
work as a Salesman with the Michelin
tire company however he lost his job in
1924 after the company closed its
manufacturing plant in the same year he
was lucky to meet the general manager of
Standard Oil of Kentucky who offered him
a job to want a service station in
Nicholasville Sanders ran the service
station for six years successfully
before the Great Depression affected the
station causing it to close down and
leaving him jobless yet again another
unfortunate turn of event Sanders court
and Cafe in 1930 at 40 a jobless Sanders
was frustrated and in dire need of a job
luck Shone on him as he was offered a
service station in North Corbin Kentucky
by Shell Oil Company in return for
percentage of sales as payment to the
company while working the job he took up
his longtime hobby of cooking as he
started cooking from his living quarters
where he served customers at the back of
the service station in 1937 he decided
it was time to open his restaurant
Sanders court and Cafe which seated
about 142 people during this period he
was involved in a shootout incident
which Aldo could have led to his abrupt
death or jail conviction worked out in
his favor as it eliminated his main
local competitor Matt Stewart Stewart
had shot and killed a shell employee who
worked with Sanders and was later
convicted of murder in 1935 due to the
popularity of Sanders Cafe gas station
and the motel the Kentucky Governor Ruby
lafoon commissioned Sanders as a
Kentucky Colonel and as his local
popularity and culinary skills grew more
and more a food critic Duncan Hines
visited Sandra's court and Cafe
restaurant in 1939. he was amazed by the
food and wrote about it in his journal
adventures and good eating his guide to
restaurants throughout the US he wrote a
very good place to stop in route to
Cumberland Falls in the Great Smokies
continuous 24-hour service sizzling
steaks Fried Chicken country ham hot
biscuits that same year in July Sanders
bought a motel in Asheville North
Carolina and in November he experienced
another unfortunate setback as Sanders
court and Cafe burnt down on the 4th of
July 1940 Sanders reopened his newly
built Sanders Court ant Cafe with an
addition of a motel complex adjacent to
the restaurant where he persuaded
customers to spend the night at the
motel his motel and the restaurant
business continued to Boom as it was
located along the main north south route
through Central Kentucky Sanders had
also mastered his secret recipe for
cooking chicken in a pressure fryer
which cooked the meat more quickly than
pan frying in 1941 gas became scarce as
the United States entered World War II
and as tourism dwindled Sanders was
compelled to shut down his Asheville
Motel unable to find fulfillment as he
could not establish his restaurant chain
Sanders left his mistress Claudia
Ludington price to manage the Sanders
court and Cafe in North Corbin in 1942
while he worked as a supervisor in
Seattle ran cafeterias for the
government at an Ordinance Works in
Tennessee and worked as an assistant
cafeteria manager in Oak Ridge Tennessee
respectively in 1947 Sanders sold his
Asheville hotel as it was no longer
operational and eventually in 1949 he
divorced his estranged wife Josephine as
her marriage was unhappy and Rocky that
same year he got his long desired wish
of marrying his mistress Claudia the
following year he was recommissioned as
a Kentucky Colonel by Governor Lawrence
Weatherby to live up to his honorary
title he looked and acted the part by
imitating the southern Animals by
growing beards and wearing a white or
black frog suit and string tie but yet
at age 60 Sanders still felt like a
failure as the only thing he had
successfully achieved was his honorary
title as he was yet to establish a
successful restaurant chain little did
he know what was coming next in 1952
while looking for ways to grow his
restaurant Sanders had an idea to
franchise his secret recipe Kentucky
Fried Chicken things took a better turn
for Sanders as he signed his first
franchise deal with Pete Harmon of South
Salt Lake Utah which operated one of the
city's largest restaurants pizza
restaurant sales tripled in just a first
year of selling Fried Chicken using
Sanders secret recipe in 1956 Sanders
experienced another unfortunate event as
a new interstate highway was
commissioned which bypassed the service
station and reduced customer traffic
causing Sanders to sell up and retire at
65 years old he was again broke with
only his savings and 105 US dollars a
month from Social Security at this point
Sanders felt frustrated and he was ready
to give up on his pursuit of success in
the life he decided to kill himself
while attempting to commit suicide
Sanders sat down by a tree to write his
will when he had a counter thought
fueled with sadness Sanders wrote down
the things he could have achieved with
his life instead of his will and that
was when it hit him that the thing he
was good at was cooking with this
Sanders regained his will to live and
decided to give cooking one more chance
in 1959 he moved to Shelbyville Kentucky
with his wife Claudia and it took a loan
of 87 to add to his monthly pension to
cook fried chicken using his secret
recipe he then went door to door
pleading with people to franchise with
him for four cents in profit but instead
he was turned down repeatedly after the
1000 ninth attempt Fortune smiled at him
as he started getting potential
franchises his franchise became so
successful in the United States that an
open outlets in Canada the UK Australia
Mexico and Jamaica by the mid-1960s to
protect his secret recipe Sanders
obtained a patent and trademarked the
phrase its Finger Licking Good in 1963.
in 1964 KFC was so successful that it
had opened more than 600 franchises in
several locations Sanders 73 years old
at the time could no longer oversee the
company due to his age he then sold the
Kentucky Fried Chicken Corporation for
two million dollars to a group of
businessmen from Kentucky led by John y
Brown Jr and Jack C Macy after
successfully achieving his goal Sanders
felt fulfilled KFC employed him as a
brand ambassador with an annual payment
of 250 thousand dollars he also retained
the Canadian franchises and the
franchising rights in the UK Florida
Utah and Montana
in 1965 Sanders moved on to start a new
beginning in Mississauga Ontario a
suburb of Toronto in his new location he
oversaw the Canadian franchises he
occasionally appeared in the United
States as Sanders remained the company's
symbol even after selling it he also
appeared in many TV commercials and
appearances on the company's behalf in
1968 Sanders and his wife Claudia opened
a Claudia Sanders restaurant in
Shelbyville Kentucky which was renamed
the kernels lady the kernels lady
restaurant served fried chicken using
his original secret recipe and because
of this High blend the parents company
of KFC sued Sanders after settling out
of Courts with hyblim Sanders sold the
Colonel's lady restaurant however it
operates as a Claudia Sanders Dinner
House and is the only non-kfc restaurant
serving the original authorized fried
chicken recipe likewise in 1973 Sanders
sued highblin for using his image to
promote food items he played no role in
its production in June 1980 Sanders was
diagnosed with acute leukemia in
December he died of pneumonia
nevertheless PFC remains one of the
tastiest fried chicken restaurants and
the world's biggest fast food restaurant
chain with more than 25 000 outlets and
more than 145 countries worldwide so
this is the story of KFC for more
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