The Man Who Turned A Lifelong Failure Into KFC

Summary

Colonel 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

00:00

😔 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.

05:00

👨‍🍳 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.

10:00

🍗 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.

15:01

🌟 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.

Keywords

💡Colonel Sanders

Colonel Sanders, born Harlan Sanders, is the founder of KFC. His story of perseverance after numerous business failures and personal hardships is central to the video. He went from a nearly suicidal 65-year-old to creating the world's largest fast food fried chicken franchise.

💡KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken)

KFC is the fast food chain founded by Colonel Sanders. It became famous for its secret fried chicken recipe and is a symbol of Sanders' eventual success after numerous setbacks. The video details its rise to become a global fast food giant.

💡Secret Recipe

The secret recipe refers to Colonel Sanders' unique blend of herbs and spices for fried chicken. It was the cornerstone of his business success and set KFC apart from other fried chicken restaurants. Sanders' determination to protect and franchise this recipe is a key theme in the video.

💡Franchise

Franchising was the method Colonel Sanders used to expand his business. He offered his secret recipe to restaurant owners for a share of the profits. The video explains how this business model helped KFC grow rapidly across the United States and internationally.

💡Perseverance

Perseverance is a major theme in Colonel Sanders' life story. Despite facing numerous rejections and business failures, he continued to pursue his dream of creating a successful restaurant. This resilience is highlighted throughout the video.

💡Great Depression

The Great Depression was a period of economic hardship in the 1930s. It affected many businesses, including Sanders' early ventures. The video shows how the Great Depression forced Sanders to start over multiple times before achieving success with KFC.

💡Pressure Fryer

A pressure fryer is a device Sanders used to cook his chicken quickly while retaining its flavor. This innovation was crucial to the efficiency and taste of KFC's chicken. The video mentions how Sanders' use of the pressure fryer contributed to his culinary success.

💡Honorary Title

The honorary title 'Kentucky Colonel' was bestowed upon Sanders by the governor of Kentucky. It recognized his contributions and became a part of his brand identity. The video discusses how this title helped Sanders in marketing his fried chicken.

💡Patent and Trademark

Sanders obtained a patent for his cooking method and trademarked the phrase 'It's Finger Licking Good' to protect his brand. This legal protection helped secure his business's intellectual property. The video highlights the importance of these steps in KFC's success.

💡Business Failures

Before founding KFC, Sanders experienced many business failures, including jobs as a lawyer, fireman, and multiple entrepreneurial ventures. The video illustrates how these failures were stepping stones that eventually led to his ultimate success with KFC.

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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