Pivot Like a Pro

If you are feeling stuck in your current job or wondering if it is too late to try something completely new, you are in excellent company. Throughout history, some of the world's most famous names started out doing things that had absolutely nothing to do with the legacies they left behind. These individuals did not just tweak their resumes; they completely tossed out their old career paths to follow entirely new passions, often much later in life.

Norman Rockwell on Wikimedia

1. Julia Child

Before she became the ultimate champion of French cuisine on American television, this culinary icon spent her younger years working for the United States government during World War II. She handled top-secret documents and helped develop shark repellent for the Office of Strategic Services. It was not until she moved to Paris that she enrolled in cooking school and discovered her true calling.

Lynn Gilbert on Wikimedia

2. Vincent van Gogh

Did you know that one of the most prolific painters in history didn’t pick up a paintbrush until his late twenties? Before becoming an artist, Vincent van Gogh was a missionary and sold art at a gallery. He failed miserably at both, leading him to painting.

Redd Francisco on Unsplash

3. Grandma Moses

Anna Mary Robertson Moses worked as a farmer, housekeeper, and mother for nearly seventy years.

She didn’t start painting pictures until her arthritis made it difficult to handle an embroidery needle. Her pastoral illustrations became famous overnight.

New York World-Telegram and the Sun staff photographer: Roger Higgins. on Wikimedia

4. Harland Sanders

Colonel Sanders didn’t find his true calling in cooking until he was already in his sixties. Before Kentucky Fried Chicken, Sanders worked as a farm boy, railroad worker, blacksmith, and more. It wasn’t until late in life that he began selling chickens in a roadside shack.

Edgy01/Dan Lindsay on Wikimedia

5. Charles Darwin

Many don’t know that Darwin first entered college as a theology major. When he was young, his father pushed him toward a career as a clergyman. He later joined a prestigious scientific expedition aboard the HMS Beagle, which changed his life forever.

Melosasiempre on Wikimedia

6. Pope Francis

Before Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope of the Catholic Church, he lived a much rowdier life. As a university student, he worked as a bar bouncer and chemical laboratory technician. His conflict-resolution skill set definitely came in handy at the Vatican.

Aibdescalzo on Wikimedia

7. Vera Wang

You probably know her as the reigning queen of luxury bridal wear. But her early life revolved around ice rinks and magazine offices. She finally decided to design her first wedding dress at the age of forty, launching a massive global fashion empire.

David Shankbone on Wikimedia

8. Michael Jordan

In the middle of his absolute prime with the Chicago Bulls, the greatest basketball player on Earth shocked sports fans by retiring to play minor league baseball.

Motivated by his late father's dream, he signed a contract with the Chicago White Sox organization. He eventually returned to the NBA, but that brief detour remains a fascinating chapter in sports history.

Joshua Massel. Cropped by en:User:Quadzilla99 on Wikimedia

9. Danny DeVito

The beloved Hollywood actor and director did not head straight for the stage when he finished high school. Instead, he enrolled in beauty school. He fell completely in love with performing during classes, and the world gained a comedic legend.

ColliderVideo on Wikimedia

10. Andrea Bocelli

The heavenly voice that has filled stadiums across the globe was once confined to the quiet, stuffy rooms of a private law firm. He spent a full year working as a court-appointed defense attorney. He finally walked away from the legal profession entirely when a famous Italian rock star discovered his incredible demo tape.

Jakub Janecki on Wikimedia

11. Giorgio Armani

The mastermind behind sleek, structured Italian fashion originally intended to spend his life in a white doctor's coat. He completed three years of medical school. Then, an entry-level retail job sparked a deep visual passion that completely reshaped luxury clothing.

Jan Schroeder on Wikimedia

12. Gene Hackman

This Academy Award-winning actor had a long list of unglamorous jobs before anyone ever handed him a movie script. He joined the United States Marine Corps at sixteen. He was actually voted "Least Likely to Succeed" by his peers at the Pasadena Playhouse, which makes his brilliant acting career the ultimate comeback story.

Trish Overton at https://www.flickr.com/photos/11437102@N00/ on Wikimedia

13. Harrison Ford

Even though he had landed a few minor acting roles in his youth, this Hollywood heavyweight could not make enough money to support his growing family.

Instead of giving up, he taught himself carpentry from library books. He was actually installing a door for George Lucas when the director asked him to read lines.

Georges Biard on Wikimedia

14. Ronald Reagan

Long before he took the oath of office as the 40th President of the United States, he was a famous voice on Midwestern radio stations. He spent his early twenties calling baseball and football games. You can definitely see how his time in the spotlight prepared him for the ultimate world stage.

Michael Evans on Wikimedia

15. Arnold Schwarzenegger

He started out as a heavily muscled Austrian who won the Mr. Olympia title seven times. He then utilized that massive physical presence to become one of the highest-paid action movie stars. Just when people thought he was done, he successfully ran for public office and served two full terms as the Governor of California.

Gage Skidmore on Wikimedia

16. Ken Jeong

The hilarious actor known for his wild roles in comedy films spent years treating actual patients in a hospital setting. He completed his medical degree and worked as an internal medicine physician in California while doing comedy on the side. He still keeps his medical license active just in case.

Gage Skidmore on Wikimedia

17. John Glenn

After making history as the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962, this military pilot decided that space was not his final frontier.

He retired from NASA and the military to try his hand at corporate business. All before entering the chaotic world of American politics.

U.S. Senate Historical Office on Wikimedia

18. Terry Crews

Before he was making audiences laugh on television comedies, he was a bruising linebacker in the National Football League. When his football career ended, he moved to Los Angeles with zero acting experience and worked as a security guard. His incredible comedic timing moved him from behind the security line to the front of the camera.

Gage Skidmore on Wikimedia

19. Ina Garten

The beloved host of the Barefoot Contessa cooking show used to deal with much heavier topics than perfect roast chicken. During the 1970s, she worked in the White House Office of Management and Budget. Then a risky retail purchase allowed her to escape the political grind and build a massive culinary brand.

Therealbs2002 on Wikimedia

20. Brian May

As the legendary lead guitarist for the rock band Queen, he spent decades playing sold-out stadiums and creating iconic musical anthems. What many fans do not realize is that he was actually studying space dust and finishing a physics degree when the band hit it big. The rest is history.

Thomas Steffan by using Olympus Camedia C700 on Wikimedia