by Kathy Stemke

Created on: June 14, 2008   Last Updated: June 27, 2008

James Dyson and Dave Ramsey used their repeated failures to forcefully propel them into success. Both men saw a problem, helped people by solving the problem, and as a result built multimillion-dollar companies.

One of the most inspiring business stories of the 21st century, James Dyson reengineered the troublesome vacuum cleaner to produce and sell more than 20 million Dyson bag less vacuum cleaners. Using cyclone technology this machine filters out dirt and dust without clogging or losing suction.

It was not an easy path for this now 61-year-old, British, industrial design engineer. During the fifteen years it took to develop and market his innovative vacuum, he was forced to temporarily lower his standard of living. An inventor must pay substantial fees to renew his patents each year. This nearly bankrupted Dyson during the developmental stage. He was willing to risk everything, and it paid off.

Dyson allowed his developmental failures to fuel his ideas forward. During an interview with Fortune Magazine he said, "Failure is like a drug, actually. You go to work each day excited, because you know there are hundreds of problems there that you haven't solved. It's like living on the edge, because you might come up with the solution or you might not. The future of the company depends on it." 5,127 prototypes later the G Force Dual Cyclone arrived and revolutionized the vacuum cleaner market.

Instead of allowing the huge established companies to intimidate him, Dyson used their complacency as an opportunity. He was convinced that the public would be hungry for a vacuum cleaner that worked. He was right the DCO1 became the fastest selling vacuum cleaner in the UK. In 1999, when Hoover tried to imitate Dyson's technology, James was forced to defend his invention and won a victory for patent infringement.

His 2,000-person company continues to tackle new challenges as they work on developing a robotic vacuum that cleans properly and intelligently. James Dyson is sure that the key to success in design engineering is all about making mistakes. Each mistake brings you closer to a functioning design. Just don't quit.

Like James Dyson, Dave Ramsey fought his way through failure to success. The enormously popular personal finance expert and radio talk show host is also a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist and a three-time NY times best selling author. This Tennessee native, a little guy from middle class America, built a 4 million dollar real estate portfolio at age

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