This past week, the world lost more than just a boxing legend. We lost a man who turned failure into faith, power into purpose, and hardship into hope. George Foreman wasn't just a two-time heavyweight champion of the world. He was a preacher, a wildly successful entrepreneur and a man who came from absolutely nothing and built a life defined by grit, growth and grace.
Back in 2021, I had the incredible opportunity to sit down and interview George. And I'll tell you, he wasn't there to brag about his title belts or grill sales. He came to share three of the most profound, hard-won lessons of his life. These weren't abstract ideas. They were born in blood, sweat, fear and faith. If you're running a business, leading a team or just trying to be a better version of yourself, you need to hear this.
1. Principle - What You Stand For When You Have Nothing
George came from the kind of background most people don't survive, let alone rise from. Raised in Houston, Texas, one of seven kids, he was headed down a dark road—fighting, stealing, running from the police. But one moment under a filthy house, hiding from the law and covered in sewer water, changed everything.
He remembered his mother's words: "Papa never had a thief in the family." That stuck. In that moment, he decided to stop being the person who caused pain. That was the start of his principles. He crawled out from under that house with nothing—no money, no prospects—but he had one thing most people with money still don't have: honor.
Your business may be small. You may be fighting for every lead, every sale. But if you're grounded in principle—if you know who you are and what you will and won't do—then you've already got something priceless. You can build a whole empire from there.
2. Fight - When Skill Isn't Enough, You Swing Anyway
George was raw, unrefined and didn't even know how to throw a jab when he started boxing. His first sparring session was a disaster. He got laughed out of the gym. Most people would have quit right then. But he came back.
Then came another match—he got rocked so hard he literally saw multiple versions of the same woman in the audience. That would've ended it for most people. Not George. He decided to stop boxing and just fight. Swing with everything he had, eyes closed if he had to.
And he won.
Here's the truth, especially for business owners: Sometimes your scripts, your perfect marketing plan, your pitch deck—it won't save you. Sometimes you're up against it. Sometimes the only thing you've got left is sheer will and determination. That's when you fight. That's when you swing.
You won't always win with finesse. But you can win with fight.
3. Conviction - You've Got To Believe In Something Bigger
This is where George gets real. After winning the heavyweight title, he had it all—fame, fortune, endorsements. He was untouchable. Until he wasn't. He lost his title. He lost his direction. And in a hot dressing room after a grueling fight, he had what he describes as the fight of his life—a spiritual encounter that took him to the edge of death and back.
In that moment, he realized something: money couldn't save him. Fame couldn't save him. The only thing that could pull him out of the darkness was his belief in God. He didn't just have a religious moment—he had a conviction so powerful it took him out of the ring for ten years. He became a preacher, started a youth center and didn't even make a fist during that time.
Conviction isn't about religion alone. It's about knowing what you stand for when everything else falls away. In business, in life, if you don't have conviction, you will fold under pressure. You'll sell out, water down, quit. But if you have conviction—real belief in your mission—you can take the hits and still get back up.
A Champion's Legacy
George Foreman didn't just knock people out in the ring. He knocked out poverty, knocked out his past and punched through every label and limitation put on him. He's a man who named all his sons George not out of ego, but out of a desire to pass down something deeper than a name—principle, fight and conviction.
So what do we take from George's life? That you don't have to be born into success to make something extraordinary out of yourself. That no matter how rough your beginning is, your ending can be legendary. That character will take you further than talent ever will.
Whether you're fighting for your first few clients or trying to break the $10 million mark, let George's story be your fuel. When doors slam in your face, when people laugh, when you lose a round—remember: you're not out until you quit.
Rest in peace, Champ. And thank you for the lessons.
