These successful women started from the bottom and have managed to reach peaks of success that most of us only dream of. It’s one thing to want to climb the ladder and find financial support and stability, but another to make a huge leap from being near poverty to becoming a renowned multi-millionaire.

So, what’s the recipe? This is a question that has been asked for the longest of time and it’s safe to assume nobody has been able to find a universal answer. If that were the case, we would all be on the highway to success right now, lead by the tips extracted from this Success 101 guide.

But whether you’re an aspiring writer, businessperson, salesperson, or athlete, all roads converge somewhere to a consensus for a formula. You can expect what kind of salary a career path induces, but surprises always come from the strangest directions. Some of the most inspiring and influential women of our time have shared their stories and dropped words of wisdom to inspire us all to follow in their shadows.

How These Once-Poor Women Rose To Success

1. Oprah Winfrey’s Story

Celebrity host and business mogul, Oprah is a one-named phenomenon who managed to find success after a brutal childhood. As a child, she was so poor that she would wear clothes from potato sacks sewed by her grandmother. This all goes without mentioning the horrible abuses and unspeakable torments she had to face.

Years later, she’s remembered as the host of history’s most successful talk show and the queen of a $3 billion worth empire. She never put her success in the hands of fate and spoke about things she considers fundamental when climbing the ladder.

Not aiming for success is one of the keys, according to Winfrey. She says that we should all focus on bettering ourselves and aiming for excellence. Put all your effort into a task and seek to build a life for yourself that could make you significant. Success will come naturally.

2. J.K. Rowling’s Dark Past

The British author is well-known for her charitable movements, which include yearly donations of millions of dollars. Part of the reason why she is so deeply involved in charity stems from the fact that her own pre Harry Potter past was filled with poverty, too.

Rowling began writing The Sorcerer’s Stone in a café, with her young daughter asleep next to her. She recalls times when she had barely any money and had to pass on meals so she could feed her daughter.

The Rise to Success

The success of the franchise came, more or less, overnight. It took years for Rowling to adapt to the new living conditions. She was constantly afraid of “accidentally pressing the reset button” and having it all disappear.

She gave some interesting tips to all young writers, including that we should let go of the impression that authors fill their whole schedule with writing. In a lot of instances, you have no choice but to write in-between full-time jobs and other responsibilities. She also stressed the importance of planning and outlining the direction of the book and rewriting something a dozen times is perfectly normal.

[RELATED: The Top 4 Things That Motivate Successful Female Entrepreneurs]

3. Sarah Jessica Parker’s Troubled Childhood

It’s not just authors and business moguls who were able to make such significant transitions, but famous actresses as well. Even though Sarah Jessica Parker is a fashion entrepreneur and Hollywood star, life hasn’t always been kind to her.

Growing up with seven siblings, the costs of her family exceeded what they could afford. Sometimes their electricity or phone would often cut off. The worst of all, she remarked, was that they were old enough to understand their parents’ struggle.

Today, Parker says she hasn’t been able to shrug off her old habits of picking up coins in the street. She’s grateful for her success, which she mostly attributes to open-mindedness. Learning is an important factor for growth. Parker emphasizes the importance of listening to those around you with more experience.

And the one thing that all three of our inspirational starlets have said that is the core of their stories? Don’t let failure be the death of your ambitions.