Nike is a wonderful company. It now employs over 79,000 people globally.
In 2024 alone, it did US$51.36 billion worth of business, earned US$6.472 billion in profits, and provided the finest quality of shoes and accessories to runners across the world.
Those runners might have run millions of miles and have shaped their lives and environment in a very meaningful way.
But Nike has a wonderful past, which all of us must know and admire.
The story of Nike is the story of persistence, patience, loving what you do, and never accepting defeat. All of us who want to succeed in our lives must learn from Nike, from its founder Mr. Knight, and from all the people who have made Nike directly or indirectly.
A wonderful idea shaped Nike. Sixty-one years ago, it was only an idea to sell Japanese shoes in the American market.
With an initial investment of only $50 borrowed from his father, Mr. Phil Knight tried his idea. He, along with his coach, formed Blue Ribbon Sports and started selling the shoes from Phil’s old car trunk.
They didn’t have any factory, no fancy offices, and even no people to assist them. They were getting shoes from Onitsuka Tiger, a reputed Japanese brand, and selling them in the U.S.A. There was no VC at that time, and running the business on such a scale was tough.
It was even tough to keep the company afloat. Banks were not as friendly as they are today. They were not so hurried in providing credit, no matter how good an idea you had for your business.
Phil Knight tried hard to overcome all these challenges. But he never stopped trying, or you could say he never quit.
And the result is that we have such a successful company around us, which not only makes quality shoes but helps people get jobs, feed their families, clean the environment, motivate the crowd, and help them live well.
These are the benefits of persistence, never accepting defeat, and never quitting. We can change not only our own lives but also the lives of others.
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