Zig Ziglar

Zig Ziglar, born Hilary Hinton Ziglar on November 6, 1926, in Coffee County, Alabama, grew up in a large family as the 10th of 12 children. His early life was marked by hardship, including the death of his father when Zig was young, prompting the family to relocate to Yazoo City, Mississippi. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as a hospital corpsman and later pursued sales careers, starting with pots and pans for the WearEver company and advancing to automotive sales before finding his calling in motivational speaking. In the early 1970s, Ziglar founded Ziglar, Inc., transitioning from direct sales to training and seminars. His breakthrough came with the 1974 book 'See You at the Top', which encapsulated his philosophy of success through positive thinking, goal setting, and integrity—principles drawn from his sales experience. Over decades, he authored over 30 books, delivered thousands of speeches to audiences including Fortune 500 companies, and built a global brand focused on ethical leadership and personal development. His seven-step sales framework and emphasis on 'you can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want' became hallmarks of his teachings. Ziglar's influence extended into community building and social impact, mentoring leaders in business and education. In his later years, he faced health challenges, including a fall-induced brain injury in 2010, but remained active until his death on November 28, 2012, at age 86 from complications of pneumonia.