When you think about the most successful entrepreneurs and how high they have risen, it is hard to imagine yourself ever in that position. However, the inspiring story of David Neeleman’s makes success and reaching those heights tangible. Neeleman was born in Brazil, but moved to Salt Lake City. He did not do well in school because he suffered from A.D.D. When he was 19 years old he went on a missions trip to Brazil where he was born. When he got back from Brazil, he went to college and soon started his first entrepreneurial venture.

His first business idea was to rent out condos in Hawaii for people going on vacation. His business took off and he began to make a profit. At this point he began to develop his business. He decided that he would package the condos with plane tickets. He partnered with Pacific East Airlines, but later switched to Hawaiian Airlines. Unfortunately, Hawaiian Airlines ran out of money before Christmas and all the flight tickets Neeleman had bought were unrefundable. This put Neeleman out of business and all the money that he had earned was gone.

Nelleman’s road to success was littered with hardships. Although he lost everything he did not throw in the towel. He was determined to start an airline that would have discounted flights and would fly where nobody else did. When he finally founded JetBlue in 1998 there was still complications. He was required to wait 5 years to start the airline because of the Non-Compete Clause that was put into affect when he was fired from his previous job at Southwest Airlines. Furthermore, on Valentine’s day in 2008 there was a crisis, and JetBlue passengers where stuck on the runway in an ice storm for roughly 10 hours. After this incident Neeleman was asked to step down from the company he started from the ground.

Even after this crisis, Neeleman did not quit. He currently owns Azul Airlines in Brazil where he is extremely successful. Looking back on his road to success he offers some valuable information. He says that if you want a constant customer then your ambassadors must buy into the brand. Next, there must be flawless execution in procedures. Finally, if there are any issues you must make it right withe customer. These are high standards to live by, but it has lead to his success. At the end of the interview he leaves the listener with an important question: How many lives have you touched? Although he has gone through many hardships as well as successes, he always keeps the customer and his employees in mind. I believe that David Neeleman is an inspiring entrepreneur because he came from humble beginnings and fought through adversity to achieve his success with a servant-like attitude.

https://www.npr.org/2019/02/01/690686584/jetblue-airways-david-neeleman