The iconic figure behind KFC is more than just a face on a fast-food bucket—he's a true example of finding success in life when most would have given up.
With 24,000 locations in more than 145 countries, Kentucky Fried Chicken represents a quintessential American business success story. And KFC’s founder, Colonel Harland Sanders–known to millions as Colonel Sanders or simply The Colonel–offers a personal success story for all of us who wonder if we’ve missed the boat in life. At 65, Sanders didn’t have much to his name other than a failed roadside restaurant. At 73, he was a fried chicken millionaire. His story offers a friendly reminder that we just don’t know what tomorrow will bring, no matter how old we are.
Born on September 9, 1890, in Henryville, Indiana, Sanders’ father died when he was just six years old. His mother was forced to work, leaving Harland to care for his siblings. This early responsibility led him to develop cooking skills, particularly a knack for Southern-style comfort food.
Sanders didn’t have a smooth or focused career path. Over the years, he held a dizzying array of jobs: farmhand, streetcar conductor, railroad fireman, insurance salesman, and even a lawyer for a brief stint—until a courtroom brawl with his own client ended that career. By his mid-30s, he was operating a service station in Corbin, Kentucky, where he cooked meals for travelers in the back room. His fried chicken, made with a secret blend of herbs and spices, quickly became a local favorite.
It was during this time that Sanders developed what would later become the foundation of KFC: pressure-fried chicken that was crisp, flavorful, and cooked quickly. By 1936, the Governor of Kentucky gave him the honorary title of "Colonel" in recognition of his contributions to the state's cuisine. Business picked up, and he expanded into a proper restaurant.
But Sanders’ path took a major detour in the 1950s. At age 65, with the advent of a new interstate highway that bypassed his restaurant, his once-thriving business collapsed. He was forced to sell the property at a loss.
Most people would have accepted defeat at that point, but not Sanders. With just $105 in his pocket and a Social Security check to his name, Sanders set out in his old car to franchise his chicken recipe. He drove across the country, sleeping in his car, going door to door to restaurants, cooking his chicken for owners and staff in hopes of making a deal. He offered a simple arrangement: they could use his recipe and name in exchange for a small royalty on every piece of chicken sold. He was rejected over a thousand times before finally convincing one restaurant in Salt Lake City to take him up on the offer. That restaurant’s sales soared, and word began to spread. Soon, more offers followed, and the KFC brand began to flourish.
By 1964, at the age of 73, Sanders had franchised over 600 outlets and sold the rights to his company to a group of investors for $2 million (roughly $20 million today), while retaining control over the quality and staying on as the brand's ambassador. He remained the face of KFC for the rest of his life, traveling the world in his signature white suit, black string tie, and goatee, promoting the chicken he loved.
Colonel Sanders passed away in 1980 at the age of 90. By then, KFC had grown into one of the largest fast-food chains in the world.
Today, the Colonel is still the face of the global brand. Colonel Sanders’ didn’t hit his stride until most people his age were retired, when he decided to hit the road rather than accept the fate dealt to his original restaurant. “The easy way rests hazardously upon shifting sands,” he’s quoted as saying on KFC’s website, “whereas the hard way builds solidly a foundation.” Sanders didn’t just sell chicken—he served up hope that no matter how late it seems, your best days might still be ahead of you.
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