When people think of sales careers, they think of quotas, cold calls, and commission checks. What they don't think about is how many famous people got their start selling something.

Long before they became CEOs, television hosts, billionaires, authors, and movie stars, many of them were learning how to handle rejection, build relationships, and persuade strangers. In other words, they were doing sales.

Here are 14 famous people who started their careers selling:

1. Johnny Carson

Before becoming the king of late-night television, Johnny Carson sold encyclopedia subscriptions door-to-door.

It wasn't glamorous work. Carson spent his days knocking on doors and dealing with rejection. But the experience helped him develop the confidence and people skills that would later make him one of the most successful entertainers in American history.

2. David Ogilvy

Before founding the advertising giant Ogilvy, David Ogilvy sold AGA cooking stoves door-to-door in Scotland.

He became so good at it that he wrote a sales manual explaining his techniques. Years later, his bosses reportedly called it the best sales guide they had ever seen. Many of the principles he learned selling stoves would later influence modern advertising.

3. Warren Buffett

Long before he became one of the richest men in the world, Warren Buffett was selling anything he could get his hands on.

As a kid, he sold Coca-Cola, chewing gum, magazines, and newspaper subscriptions. Buffett's entrepreneurial instincts showed up early. By the time most children were riding bikes around the neighborhood, he was already thinking about margins and repeat customers.

4. Ray Kroc

Before turning McDonald's into a global empire, Ray Kroc spent decades as a salesman.

He sold paper cups, then later sold Multimixer milkshake machines to restaurants. It was while making those sales calls that he stumbled upon a small hamburger stand operated by the McDonald brothers. Kroc was already in his 50s when he saw the opportunity that changed his life.

5. Mary Kay Ash

Mary Kay Ash spent years working in direct sales before launching her own cosmetics company.

Repeatedly passed over for promotions, she eventually decided to build a business herself. That company became Mary Kay, one of the largest direct-selling organizations in the world and a business built almost entirely on the power of personal selling.

6. Dale Carnegie

Before writing How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie worked as a salesman selling correspondence courses.

The lessons that made him famous—building rapport, showing genuine interest in others, and making people feel important—were heavily influenced by his experiences trying to persuade customers.

7. Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger's greatest talent may not have been bodybuilding.

After arriving in America, Schwarzenegger sold fitness products, exercise programs, and training advice while building his personal brand. Long before social media influencers existed, Arnold understood how to market himself and turn attention into opportunity.

8. Thomas J. Watson

The legendary leader of IBM started his career selling pianos and sewing machines.

Watson later joined NCR, where he became one of the most successful sales managers of his era. The sales discipline he learned there would eventually help transform IBM into one of the most important companies of the twentieth century.

9. Mark Cuban

Before becoming a billionaire entrepreneur and television personality, Mark Cuban sold garbage bags door-to-door as a kid.

Later, he worked in software sales and discovered he had a knack for technology and persuasion. Cuban often credits those early sales experiences for teaching him resilience and hustle.

10. Sam Walton

Before founding Walmart, Sam Walton spent years working directly with customers in retail.

Walton was obsessed with understanding what shoppers wanted and what motivated them to buy. Those lessons helped him build a retail empire that eventually became the world's largest company by revenue.

11. Joe Girard

No list of famous salespeople would be complete without Joe Girard.

A Chevrolet salesman in Detroit, Girard sold more than 13,000 cars during his career and earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. His secret wasn't high-pressure tactics. It was relentless follow-up and relationship-building.

12. Zig Ziglar

Before becoming one of America's most famous motivational speakers, Zig Ziglar sold cookware and kitchen products.

The stories, lessons, and sales philosophy that later filled his books and seminars were largely drawn from his years selling directly to consumers.

13. Tom Selleck

Before becoming a television star, Tom Selleck sold for Robert Hall Clothes, a retail clothing chain that was once one of the largest apparel retailers in America.

Selleck later joked that sales taught him how to approach strangers, carry on conversations, and handle rejection. Like many actors, he discovered that auditioning isn't all that different from selling—you're constantly trying to convince someone to choose you over everyone else in the room.

14. Howard Schultz

Before turning Starbucks into a global brand, Howard Schultz worked in sales for Xerox.

The copier giant was famous for its sales training programs, and Schultz often credited those years with teaching him how to communicate, build relationships, and think like a business leader.

The Common Thread

The products were different. Some sold encyclopedias. Others sold stoves, software, cookware, or coffee. But they all learned the same lesson.In many cases, the most important thing these famous people ever sold wasn't a product at all.

It was themselves.