How can you have enough strength to climb the highest mountain when every time previous, you have failed?
It’s hard to believe, but it happens.
Ruin. Bottom. Sink. It doesn’t matter what you call it, these super-successful entrepreneurs – members of The Oracles- have been there. All share the same story about how they lost everything to achieve greater success.
As a child, I lost a 25-cent coin in my hand while entering a shop. I couldn’t get it back. I was mad. My father had advised me to be cautious with money. But my grandfather said the following:
“The problem with losing 25 cents is not that they are your only 25cs,”
The same principle applies to many people today. Funny thing is, in my case I had more money at twelve than at twenty-five. I was broke, I was addicted to drugs and started a rehabilitation program. Today, I am a pentamillionaire. I make more every day than I did last year. It is because I obsess about success.
Once I realized that I was obsessive about my personal fantasies of indestructible wealth, fame, and the desire to leave a lasting legacy, the world became different for me. Obsession is the best tool to create the life you desire. Most people don’t know what their obsession is, because they were taught to ignore them.
Don’t be one of these people. Adopt an obsession.
Grant Cardone is a top sales specialist who built a $ 500,000,000 real estate empire and is the author of “Be Obsessed Or Be Average”, a NYT bestseller. Follow Grant on Facebook and Youtube.
In the midst of the crisis in 2007-2009, I was determined to help clients. I was able to adapt to changing market conditions. I was stronger in my business that helped clients transition their businesses. I assisted them with a variety of banking services, including registration and sale, as well as working with banks to sell homes and other assets. The business survived because it involved the sale of many homes during the crisis. Our clients were helped by our contacts who could facilitate their banking operations. We also directed them to the right agreements and certifications to ensure success on this new playing field.
Laura Morton is one of the most highly-respected and sought-after writers. She was willing to work with me on a book that would provide value for people in times of need, raise awareness, and reflect my point of view. My first conference, Success Summit, was even held and the cost was reduced to reach more people.
To contribute and adapt to difficult times, I put all of the meat on the grill. I developed more relationships and provided more value. I also became an early adopter of social media channels. This made a big difference in my business.
Tom Ferry, founder and CEO of Tom Ferry International, is ranked #1 in Swanepoel’s Power 200 Real Estate Preparers and the author of “Life!” By Design
There was a time in my life when $ 47 was all I had in my bank account. I didn’t have a college degree, a car, hardly any job prospects, and I didn’t even have if I could get remuneration. I was saved by the books and my mentors, Mike Stainback who taught me finance and gave me a job.
It was still stagnant even then. Although I was working harder, I didn’t see any benefits beyond regular pay. There is only one way to unlock your potential: work smarter and not more. This means that you must assign the correct amount of work to the right time. It is not important to work hard.
People stagnate for so many years, which is why I got stuck, because we believe that it takes a lot of effort to get to work. It’s not true. These were not the most hardworking people who are the 10 richest on the planet. They worked for the equivalent of 100 hours per hour.
Success stories like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates were saved a lot of time by their mentors. The goal is to work half as hard and achieve twice the performance.
Tai Lopez is an investor and consultant who built a huge online empire.
In a terrible way, I lost my parents in 2007. I didn’t know how to do it so I started MavenWire. Based on company promises, we took a big financial risk on our hosting infrastructure. The company declared bankruptcy in 2008 and I was left with a personal debt of hundreds of thousands of dollars that I couldn’t pay back.
Working for more than 100 hours a week, I witnessed how my relationships were deteriorating and how financial collapse started to take root. Clients extended their payment terms while new contracts were not entered. My company was the foundation of my ego and identity. It was a disaster and I felt like a failure. I was unable to see a way out. I rode my motorcycle recklessly, literally risking my own life. I felt empty and unfulfilled.
I was so shocked, a friend suggested to me that I join The Adventurists, a group of foolish people who drive to Mongolia. I was unable to shake the idea and found myself driving an ambulance 16,000km from the UK to Mongolia with two friends. It took us nearly two months to complete the journey. The journey was almost two months long. I came to terms with myself and discovered who I was, what I wanted, how I could stand out, and who I needed to care about me.
My company began to thrive when I allowed it to continue without me. This was the most rewarding and successful period in my life, which I have never forgotten. This is why I share it. It doesn’t matter in what circumstance we are currently in. We are not alone. It is possible to have a successful future.
Chris Plow is an author, speaker, consultant, and founding partner of ExponentialU. For the world of tomorrow, prepare epic entrepreneurs
It is not possible to run out of money. My father was a construction worker and was often fired when there wasn’t work. Although times were difficult, we were never hungry. It could have been worse.
In 2008, I was unable to sell one bag of compost. No one wanted to invest in landscaping. My house was taken away and the garbage collectors stole my car at night. My credit card balance was $80,000 and there were other amounts due to additional people. Numerous times, my phone and electricity were disconnected. But I didn’t give up. It didn’t matter what, I didn’t want to lose the home of my family. I didn’t give up, so I worked with smaller margins.
To buy food, he carried a bag full of change.
To make ends meet, I had to work for one year for another person. It was not something I enjoyed, but it was very fulfilling. He did everything to make it possible to return to me, and he worked for me.
It took me nearly seven years to get back on my feet, but things are better now and I was able pay all my debts. It is important to keep going and not give up.
Steve Griggs is the founder and CEO of Steve Griggs Design. He designs and builds residential landscaping for high-net-worth clients who require quick results.
2014 was a bad year for my business. I expanded it too fast to another location. He didn’t have the right systems and processes to grow and run a successful business. For weeks, I used thousands of dollars from my savings to pay overhead. I could not buy gifts for my girlfriend, I could not give bonuses to employees, and I could not even collect my salary. My team was informed that I would either shut down and fire people, or we would devise a plan to escape the mess.
It was the most frightening and sobering moment in my entire life. If I wanted to accomplish anything important, I had to trust and support other people.
I learned how to delegate, increase sales, raise prices, and produce a lot.
From a negative balance in my bank account to nearly $500,000 in 2015, I was able to make that change. I started a consulting firm in 2016 that helped people build their own businesses and get out of debt. The team was instrumental in helping us to reach our goal of earning more than $1.6 million within the first year. It is impossible to achieve anything without the team.
AJ Rivera is an entrepreneur, business consultant, and motivational speaker.
