Success Advice
5 Things I Learned Hanging Out With 12 Multi Millionaires
In 2015, I decided to reach out to wealthy people to understand how they got there. From having lunch with Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad to spending an hour with Kevin Green, the United Kingdom’s largest residential property owner, I managed to meet and interact with 12 multi-millionaires.
For the purposes of my study, I picked people who didn’t start up rich. All of them started as average people and none of them inherited their money.
Here are the five things they all had in common:
1. They didn’t want jobs
They were not lawyers or doctors. Most of them didn’t even have a University degree. None of them had a job and most importantly, none of them would have got rich with a job. There is a funny joke that I heard four times which is that having a job means being “just over broke.”
Bob Proctor once said: ”There are only two ways to make money. One is people at work and the other is money at work.”
When you have a job, you get paid for selling your time and therefore you are using option one, which is yourself at work. It’s long, it’s tiring and it’s hard, especially if you don’t like your job… And your boss. And since there are only so many hours in a day, your earning potential will always be capped to your hourly rate and the number of hours you can work in a day.
Part of working smarter is about understanding how to leverage your time and your money to do more with less. It is about shifting from a consumer mindset, to an investor mindset. Steve Forbes defined being rich as “making one million dollars of passive income every year.” And as you have guessed it by now, passive income is built outside of your job.
“You become financially free when your passive income exceeds your expenses.” – T. Harv Eker
2. They were entrepreneurs/investors
They didn’t need jobs because they had created systems that were working for them. In other words, they were entrepreneurs who created multiple businesses. They had all decided to become creators and provide something of value to the world. At the same time, they unleashed option number two which is money at work.
That is to say that they were investors having their money working for them and growing while they were sleeping. Being an entrepreneur and being an investor go hand in hand because an entrepreneur creates value while an investor knows how to recognize value. And while business is a tough game, sometimes an idea is all it takes.
Think about someone like J.K Rowling who was on welfare before she wrote Harry Potter. Your knowledge and your creativity can be the key to your wealth. And while everyone is not meant to be an entrepreneur, we can all come up with creative ways to earn more and learn how to become investors.
3. They constantly over delivered
Something that really stuck with me to this day is that I always expected getting to interact with these people would be interesting, but it has been far beyond my expectation every single time. Free unexpected gifts? Check. Personal contacts given post interview for further questions? Check.
An initial 10-minute interview turned into a 45-minute interview? Check, check, check. You expect them to be good and they are better. You expect them to give and they give even more. The extent to which they over deliver is mind-boggling. It’s a very different concept of business that I discovered. Very different than the general stereotype out there that you have to rip people off to succeed. Thinking about it, I came to believe that these people got there because of their philosophy.
4. They were self aware
Out of the twelve people I interviewed, very different industries were represented. However, what was striking was that every single one of them seemed to have created the most suited position for themselves. Interestingly, they didn’t mind admitting to their own shortcomings because they were deeply self-aware individuals.
When I naively asked Robert Kiyosaki what it took to be a great teacher, he replied with his infamous cut-throat-Kiyosaki-style of delivery that it was a stupid question. Then he went on to say that he would have loved to become a professional Rugby player but that he was too slow for it. He didn’t conclude anything but I guess it was his way of saying that you have to be self-aware.
Before Kevin Green became the first residential property owner in the U.K, he got a scholarship and traveled the world to interview overachievers like Bill Gates and the man who would later become his mentor, Richard Branson. His major finding was that self-awareness is the master key to success.
Likewise, when Tai Lopez asked me what I would do if I had $5 billion in my account today, he proceeded with asking me if I was any good at this. These people discovered what they were good at and went all in.
“Self-awareness allows people to recognize what things they do best so they can then go hard on those aspects of their life. It also helps you accept your weaknesses.” – Gary Vaynerchuk
5. They had a sense of purpose
They also got there because they had strong reasons. They’ve had pain in their lives, which made them decide that they wanted to be rich. It was interesting to note that none of the twelve people I met seemed to have gotten there as a result of luck.
They made a decision, which often came as a result of a traumatic life experience. This pain is what makes them driven and passionate individuals. Because of that, their wealth has a meaning. It’s transcending, almost spiritual. It’s about leaving their mark on the world.
Out of the four wealth building books, Kevin Green recommended me, two of them didn’t have anything to do with money but were rather philosophical books. Finally, Robert Kiyosaki told me: “You don’t belong to yourself, you belong to the universe. So stop being selfish and do something for the world.”
Anyone can learn the mechanics of business and investing but finding your true purpose is tougher a challenge. What problem do you want to solve? How do you want to contribute to the world? What makes your soul sing? These are the first questions you need to ask yourself. Once you find your purpose the doors of wealth and happiness will be opened to you.
What have you learned from successful people that you have spent some time with? Leave your thoughts below!
Image courtesy of Twenty20.com
Success Advice
How to Alter Your Business Approach With Technological Advancements
Keeping up with technological trends has become a challenge for almost every business owner.
Technology’s evolution has impacted everything, and business is no exception. Keeping up with technological trends has become a challenge for almost every business owner. Entrepreneurs unable to do so are being wiped out of the market.
There is no doubt that AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) have taken over the business world. These technological advancements are impacting decision-making, success percentages, and other entrepreneurial aspects.
Adapting to these developments is integral to business success. Let’s explore how you can accomplish these milestones.
Embed the strength of AI and ML.
AI has modified business operations in major ways. For instance, companies have employed bots for customer support. These bots go through an effective learning process via Machine Learning before being able to answer like humans.
Bots can also perform detailed data analytics and make business moves with high success percentages.
ML is used more for the analysis of data chunks and generating successful predictions. This simply means that business owners do not have to worry about large-scale financial losses.
In terms of deployment and usage, a reputed company like Netflix employs machine learning for decision-making.
Blockchain is increasing the count of business opportunities
Tampering of financial transactions is quite common and causes severe monetary damage to customers. With the rise of digital payments, this risk has increased.
Blockchain is used to elevate your experience for monetary transfers. It combats penetrating events to extract confidential customer information.
Most business sectors are using block chain but finance and supply chain management sections have a higher count. These two corporate sections have several monetary deposits and withdrawals taking place.
In terms of percentage, approximately 72% and 5% of finance and supply chain firms have implemented block chain successfully.
Dedicate Yourself to Continuous Learning and Individual Development
You invest in learning some of the very important skills, including digital marketing, financial management, and how to gain customers as an entrepreneur.
You need to set up your knowledge base about doing business on Coursera and Udemy with the basics that are necessary for the business, building further by networking with experts through webinars.
Besides, Agile methodology will introduce elasticity to your company: this review and feedback system with further correction regularly will allow for enhancing efficiency and promptly reacting to the market.
Developing key skills to achieve goals
Running a business successfully is not only about having niche/domain knowledge. Business owners need to have communication / soft skills as well in addition to niche information.
Here are some key technical/domain-related areas that business owners should have a strong grip on.
Data Storage on Cloud: These days, companies do not store their data on physical servers. Therefore business owners should know how data is stored/edited/removed/updated via AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and other platforms.
Data Analysis/Interpretation Qualities: These days, data is as precious as gold. Business owners with data analysis abilities make correct predictions. As a result, their ventures grow in volume.
Development/Coding Knowledge
Programming knowledge gives business owners an edge whether the application is developed in-house or outsourced. It assists in getting updates deployed and handling application underperformance without getting professional support every time.
Hacking proof framework
There is no benefit of having an advanced automated system if can be penetrated. Successful business owners have above-average knowledge of cyber security and hacking attempts. They are able to choose top-notch anti-hacking software without much of an ambiguity.
Communication Abilities/Soft Skills
Here are some key communication qualities that business owners should have:
Communication/Conversation: Business owners should use to-the-point sentences in both written and oral communication.
Issue Resolution Abilities: Business owners should be able to drill down to problems and solve them. This is done successfully only if an entrepreneur has in-depth business domain knowledge.
Agile Implementations
It is mandatory for business owners to have knowledge of iterative/agile models. With such a competitive environment, it is impossible for business owners to succeed without adopting an agile framework.
Create a productive well-crafted Business Strategy
A productive business venture starts with a clear vision. The first factor making a business successful is the idea behind it. It helps with endless growth and combating competition successfully. Katherine Philips once mentioned that business goals are inevitable if goals are set concretely.
- Goals should be based on smart achievements instead of complexity. Focus on the value that each one of them adds.
- Business objectives should not be vague. Key indicators should be constructed to measure the success/failure of each milestone.
- Be realistic when setting goals. Do not aim at impossible milestones since they can be demotivating.
- Milestones/goals need to be time-bound. Set a completion deadline for each one of them.
- Business goals should not be alien. Owners can think out of the box but not be obsolete / unrelated.
Create a productive well-crafted Business Strategy
Business owners cannot succeed without having a network. Some tips help in this case. Attend conferences and professional gatherings to connect with other entrepreneurs.
Here are some other related points business owners should pay attention to.
- Attend meetings and conferences to stay updated with trends and meet business owners who already have well-set ventures. This helps in enhancing the learning curve of new / growing entrepreneurs.
- Being a part of business communities/groups is very productive. When one shares opinions and discusses decision-making tactics, it helps in preventing errors and enhancing success rate.
- Even the most experienced business owners have mentors as learning never stops. Take part in mentorship programs so there is an assurance that you are following the correct roadmap.
Conclusion
There is absolutely no doubt that business dimensions have evolved with technological advancements. Successful entrepreneurs have grabbed these changes in due course of time and continue to evolve. On the other hand, people following old paths and conventional steps fade out of competition. In a nutshell, keep an eye on the processes and practices you follow as these factors decide success rate.
Success Advice
Understanding the Power of Yes and No: How to Create Boundaries For Success
These words have a significant impact on how our success unfolds
The two smallest yet most powerful words in life, “Yes” and “No,” have a big impact on our growth on both personal and professional levels. In addition to affecting the choices we make every day, these words have a significant impact on how our success unfolds. (more…)
Motivation
From Couch Potato to Go-Getter: A Step-by-Step Motivation Plan for Everyone
By understanding what motivates you, you can turn your dreams into reality
Are you tired of feeling like a couch potato? Do you want to transform your life and become a go-getter? You’re not alone! Many people struggle with motivation, but the good news is that change is possible. (more…)
Success Advice
10 Micro Financial Habits for More Wealth and Peace of Mind
The World Economic Forum still reports that half of U.S. adults lack financial literacy
You’ve heard about developing financial habits, but what about micro-financial habits? Micro habits are the tiny things you can do every day with minimal effort that, together, transform your future. (more…)
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