From Boxing to Business: How Foreman Won the Final Rounds

George may be fine, but his success has been nothing short of tremendous. From in the boxing ring to outside, Foreman has become a dominating force. How did this once petty criminal turn his life around to become the world renowned athlete, celebrity and entrepreneur he is today?

Marketing: "I went back to boxing trying to sell the old George Foreman heavyweight champion of the world," he says. "Nobody wanted to buy it, though." Foreman had to learn how to give his reputation a 180 degree change. From an unfriendly bully who gave the public a cold shoulder, to a salesman with a cheeky grin and a warm familial appeal, Foreman transformed himself in the public eye. He understood how to get people to love him, so they might love his products too.

Salesmanship: Foreman was not a natural salesman. He shunned the media wherever he could in his early days as a fighter, refusing to give them, or the public, the time of day. Soon, however, Foreman was out on the streets of Texas preaching his evangelical messages. He spent countless nights on the street, learning the craft. Soon, he was using those same skills in the boardrooms of America's business world.

Integrity: "The bottom line is, you make a decision you'll be able to sleep with, wake up the next day, look in the mirror and feel good about yourself," he says. Foreman's Lean, Mean, Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine was just one of the products he chose to endorse that lined up with his personal standards of belief. With this grill, Foreman could help people improve their lives by improving their health. "One of the biggest things is to fight," he says. "Just don't go absolutely for the buck."

Diversification: Foreman's face might be on everything from shoes, to cleaning products, to cooking appliances, to clothes and more, but all of it is part of his carefully crafted strategy to try and hit as many winning products as possible. He knows that he won't be successful one hundred percent of the time, but at least he will have tried.

Fight: "That's my gift," says Foreman. "I let that negativity roll off me like water off a duck's back. If it's not positive, I didn't hear it. If you can overcome that, fights are easy." Foreman came from modest beginnings and being a high school dropout to become one of the world's most well known champions. He did it by fighting to overcome and refusing to give in to the struggle.

"You want to leave something, you really do," says Foreman. "I mean, in the end, statues and all those things, that doesn't mean anything. Leave something that we're all going to benefit from. I think that's what I'd like to do."