20 career lessons from celebrities

#8: Susan Boyle

Lesson: It’s never too late to fulfill your dreams.

Susan Boyle had a difficult start to life. She was born oxygen deprived, was later diagnosed with learning disabilities and suffered incessant name calling as a child. She lived in her family’s Council Estate (the UK’s version of social housing) for the bulk of her life and was chronically unemployed.

She almost didn’t audition for Britain’s Got Talent, fearing she was “too old and that it was a young person’s game.” It’s a good thing she did. Her audition stunned the judges and audiences alike. Although she did not win the competition (she came in second), Boyle has seen a rapid rise to global fame and is now recording her first album.

Sometimes, just when you think you’ve missed the boat, you get a second chance to turn your life — and career — around. Don’t ever let your age or past experiences stop you from trying. There are second-career nurses everywhere you look, including this brilliant stand-up comedian who traded in the mike for scrubs.

#9: Joe Biden →