Hunger for success transforms dreams into reality through determination, sacrifice, and relentless pursuit of goals. Pat Falvey built his first business at 15 with nothing but ambition, achieving millionaire status within years despite being unable to read or write properly. This guide explores how to develop and sustain the hunger for success that drives extraordinary achievement in business and life.
The Origin of Hunger for Success
When I first started my own business at the age of 15, I possessed an intense hunger for success that consumed every waking moment. I was hungry, angry, ambitious, and I had a dream. My father, who had operated a company of his own and had worked relentlessly for over 15 years, had gone broke, and I was angry at the position it left our family. Dad lost direction for a while because a creditor who owed him substantial money had decided not to pay as the economy entered recession, and dad bore the brunt of this default.
Dad developed depression, and he saw no way to salvage his self-esteem and pride. He faced a terrible dilemma because he could not pay those he owed money. It was the worst period of his life. He had worked hard and done everything correctly and was an honourable man. I did not see the trauma my father experienced, and it caused a lack of respect. As a young person, I did not understand the pain and anguish that consumed this proud man.
This experience ignited my hunger for success. Watching my father’s business collapse taught me that success requires more than hard work alone. It demands preparation for setbacks, financial resilience, and the mental strength to recover from devastating failures. My hunger for success grew from anger and determination to ensure my family never faced such circumstances again.
What Hunger for Success Means
Hunger for success represents an all-consuming drive to achieve specific goals regardless of obstacles or setbacks. Pat Falvey Irish & Worldwide Adventures operates on this principle, guiding individuals to summit Kilimanjaro, Everest Base Camp, and other world peaks through disciplined preparation and unwavering determination.
True hunger for success manifests in daily actions rather than empty wishes. It shows in the person who trains at 5am before work, studies business principles during lunch breaks, and sacrifices leisure time to build skills. This hunger separates those who achieve extraordinary results from those who settle for ordinary outcomes.
The hunger for success I developed at 15 transformed me from a school leaver with reading difficulties into a millionaire within years. This same drive later enabled me to become the first person to complete the Seven Summits twice and guide over 2,000 climbers to Kilimanjaro’s summit across 65+ expeditions.
Building a Business on Ambition Alone
Leaving school to become a millionaire presented enormous challenges. Not being able to read or write properly created daily obstacles that would defeat most people. I began my trade as a bricklayer, but my every waking moment centred on one thought: “I’m going to be a millionaire.” I didn’t know how I would achieve it, but that uncertainty did not stop me from believing it and wanting it with every fibre of my being.
Being utterly consumed by this thought process meant sacrificing typical teenage experiences. While peers enjoyed social activities and leisure time, I worked longer hours, studied successful people, and planned business strategies. Within a few years, I achieved what I set out to do, proving that hunger for success outweighs formal education or perfect circumstances.
The guided Carrauntoohil hikes we offer today embody this same principle. Climbers tackle Ireland’s highest peak at 1,038 metres not because the route is easy, but because the challenge creates growth.
The Role of Family in Shaping Hunger for Success
Later, my mother gave me advice in the form of a verse that I have followed throughout my career. The poem was called “Want and Go for It.” I use the thought process in this verse in all I try to achieve. I have developed the thought process to follow the advice in this verse for my goals, and for the team of people I pick to work with me in making my dreams reality.
My mother recognised that hunger for success requires both inspiration and practical guidance. She understood that raw ambition without direction leads to burnout and failure. Her verse provided a framework that channelled my anger and determination into productive action. This maternal wisdom became the foundation for every expedition, business venture, and corporate speaking engagement I undertake.
Want and Go for It: The Verse That Defines Success
If you want a thing badly enough,
then you must go and fight for it,
give up your time, your peace and sleep for it.
If your life seems so lonely and pointless without it
and all that you do is dream and plan about it.
If gladly you fret and sweat for it, then you should go for it.
But you go for it with all of your capacity, your strength and tenacity.
If you simply go after the things in life you want, though tired, gaunt and lonely,
and if day after day you besiege and beset it, then you will get it.
Your dreams and goals will become reality.
This verse encapsulates the essence of hunger for success. It demands sacrifice without apology and commitment without reservation. The lines “give up your time, your peace and sleep for it” describe the reality of building anything worthwhile. Success requires trading comfort for achievement and security for possibility.
Applying Hunger for Success to Mountain Expeditions
When I have a goal that I wish to achieve in my own business and adventures, or with my team members, I insist that we all possess the qualities above to ensure success. This principle applies equally to summiting Kilimanjaro and building profitable enterprises.
Mountain expeditions reveal true hunger for success through physical and mental challenges that cannot be faked. Climbers who train for months, invest thousands of pounds, and endure altitude sickness demonstrate the same hunger that builds successful businesses. Those who quit at base camp lack the hunger required to reach the summit, just as entrepreneurs who abandon ventures at the first obstacle lack the hunger to achieve their dreams.
Pat Falvey Irish & Worldwide Adventures selects expedition members based on their demonstrated hunger for success. We assess fitness levels, mental resilience, and commitment to preparation. Climbers who show this hunger complete our Island Peak and EBC expeditions with success rates that exceed industry averages.
The Cost of Hunger for Success
Developing hunger for success demands sacrifices that most people refuse to make. The verse’s reference to being “tired, gaunt and lonely” describes the isolation that accompanies extraordinary ambition. Friends and family often fail to understand why someone would trade comfort for challenge or security for possibility.
I experienced this loneliness building my first business at 15. Peers enjoyed typical teenage activities while I worked evenings, weekends, and holidays. The hunger for success created a gulf between my priorities and theirs. This isolation continues today when preparing for expeditions or developing new business ventures.
However, this loneliness transforms into fulfilment when goals materialise. The millionaire status I achieved in my early twenties, the dual Everest summits, and the 65+ successful Kilimanjaro expeditions all justify the sacrifices made. Hunger for success creates temporary discomfort but permanent achievement.
Teaching Hunger for Success to Teams
Building teams that share hunger for success requires careful selection and cultivation. At Pat Falvey Irish & Worldwide Adventures, we train mountain leaders who demonstrate this hunger through years of preparation and commitment.
This hunger for success ensures client safety and expedition success. When storms hit Aconcagua or altitude sickness affects climbers on Kilimanjaro, guides with genuine hunger for success find solutions rather than excuses. They draw on deep reserves of determination, creativity, and resilience developed through years of training and experience.
Hunger for Success Versus Burnout
Sustainable hunger for success differs from destructive burnout through recovery periods and balanced priorities. While the “Want and Go for It” verse emphasises relentless pursuit, successful people also recognise when rest enables better performance. The Mountain Lodge in Beaufort, County Kerry, provides the recovery space where climbers and business professionals recharge between challenges.
I learned this balance through expedition failures and business setbacks. Early in my career, I confused exhaustion with dedication and pushed beyond sustainable limits. True hunger for success includes the wisdom to recover strategically, maintaining long-term capacity for achievement.
From Anger to Achievement
My initial hunger for success grew from anger at my father’s business failure. This anger fuelled determination but required transformation into sustainable motivation. Anger provides explosive energy but burns out quickly. Achievement requires converting this initial spark into steady commitment that survives setbacks, boredom, and discouragement.
The transformation occurred when I shifted focus from proving others wrong to pursuing meaningful goals. Instead of being driven by anger at creditors who destroyed my father’s business, I became driven by the challenge of building something excellent. This shift from negative to positive motivation sustained my hunger for success across decades rather than months.
Today, when selecting team members for expeditions or business ventures, I look for this transformed hunger. Climbers who want to prove something to others often quit when challenges arise. Those pursuing personal growth and meaningful achievement persist regardless of obstacles.