Lydia Sweatt

Is the American Dream attainable if you’re from a small country town? The immediate answer seems to be no, and yet, Kountry Wayne—comedian, author and entrepreneur—did not grow up in a place where dreams come true. Instead, he was raised in Millen, Georgia. It’s a town where poverty, limited resources and the “country boy” stigma can make or break you. But on the road to success, being from the country was just one of many obstacles. At age 11, Kountry Wayne (then Wayne Colley) lost his mother.

Jim Elliott found his passion after helping his blind daughter learn to ski. Be one of the 5 lucky winners to take home Simple Sugars’ Variety Sampler package by participating in SUCCESS’ Instagram contest. The package contains three (3) 5oz jars of body scrub,... SUCCESS is reader-supported. When you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. We’ve reaped phenomenal results in... The quality is crucial to success.

When I was 8 years old, I took piano lessons, singing lessons and played violin in the school’s symphony, all at the same time. Except for the symphony, I didn’t care for any of those extracurricular activities, but I especially hated learning piano. Twice a week, always on a school night, my mom would drive me to the piano school hoping my music teacher would unlock some untapped potential deep inside of me. Or at least, expose me to something that might become a true passion.