A recent article about Tyler Perry (House of Payne, Medea) sums up a fundamental concept that all successful entrepreneurs believe – the key to building wealth is ownership. Though the purpose of the article is primarily biographical with some race issues thrown in, the most important point for potential business owners is that Mr. Perry encompasses the critical traits of successful entrepreneurs. He knew what he wanted to do and took control of his own professional life. Yes, he faced some failures and rough patches, but he persevered. He refused to take no for an answer, and when he couldn’t find traditional backing for his ideas, he looked for ways to get it done on his own. Read the full article on CNN here.

A second interesting article about successful entrepreneurs is the story of the Roberts brothers in St. Louis. Another rags to riches tale, these two guys also never quit. They put in the time and sweat equity…and didn’t let the fact that they had no money stop them from finding entrepreneurial success. The Roberts brothers now have a net worth of over 1 billion – anyone thinking about taking control of their future should be inspired by their story. You can read the full article on CNN here.

Most Americans have dreams of building personal wealth, and these two stories verify what many of us already know – the only way to get rich is to take control of your work life. The only required tools are the determination to stick with your goals, the willingness to do whatever needs to be done to get there, and the ability to brush yourself off after setbacks or failures. Having a lot of cash on hand to start a business is nice, but is not necessary. If you are serious about asserting your independence, you can find a way to get there. Like Mr. Perry and the Roberts brothers, you can learn what you need to know and find a way to get the job done. Stay focused and quash your fear of failure…maybe you’ll be the inspiration for new entrepreneurs one day.

Start here. Go far. LaunchX.com.