Hi Ray - I'll give you a few, mostly politicians -
John Edwards, Democratic VP Candidate Born poor, worked his way up as a trial lawyer.
Charles Rangel, Democratic Representative from New York.
Jack Gifford, Maxim Semiconductor
Larry Ellison, Oracle
There aren't many. Most successful people either have connections and help, or learn to cultivate them to get help.
Lots of people do both, and work every legitimate oportunity that comes their way, or even gets close by.
Wheather you view cultivating connections as being friendly, networking, or 'sucking up' depends on your industry and your personal orientation.
Some people have likeable personalites, and make friends very easily - Bill Clinton being the most recent example. Ronald Reagan evidently had that, as he was elected president of the screen actors guild.
Of course with Clinton, much of the credit goes to Hillary, so he won't be on the 'self-made' list, no matter how many other people he has made.... |
