Rags to Riches

His annual earnings were 480 million dollars.  And guess what?  That was over 100 years ago.  That means his annual check today would be $297 billion. That’s billion with a “b.”  Not bad for a year’s work.  And better than that, at the time of his death he left $350 million to charity.

How did this happen?  Was he born into wealth, royalty, a family of incredible influence?

No, this son of a weaver immigrated with his family to the US at the tender age of thirteen and took a job – earning a whopping $1.20 A WEEK.

What happened between here and there?

His Secret Ingredient

Let me share a quote from John Dealey in his article, Life Lessons from a Billionaire:

“(This amazing man)… believed that being a member of a Mastermind group was essential for success. A man named Charles M. Schwab worked for him and… was one of the smartest men he had ever known. They frequently brainstormed together to become even more successful. Each credited much of their success to the power of the Mastermind sessions they developed in the steel industry.

If it worked for one of the wealthiest people to ever live, it can work for you. Winning is not an individual sport, it is a team sport and the sooner you get the right people on your team, the sooner you will achieve the success you want and deserve.”

Who was this?  Andrew Carnegie.

Brilliant, successful, wealthy, philanthropic, Andrew Carnegie didn’t go it alone.  In fact, it is quite the opposite.  He consistently attributed most of his success to surrounding himself with a group of masterminds.

In our day and age, we would call these mentors, accountability partners, or coaches.

Accountability Works!

• 25% of all the people who set a goal achieve it.
• 50% of people who set a goal that includes a time frame and a plan achieve it.
• 95% of those who create a plan and commit to a specific accountability appointment with an outside advisor achieve their goal.

 

Accountability is the unsung hero in almost all success stories.  Very few people who stand at the top or appear behind a podium say, I did it all by myself.  In fact, I personally can’t think of one!

I Learned This the Hard Way

I didn’t always know this. When I first launched my coaching practice, I spent months pretty much “going it alone” and doing it my way.

You can probably guess how that worked for me. Working alone in my home office, with no business building experience, I was confused, overwhelmed, lonely, discouraged and had very few clients.

It wasn’t long before I realized that I needed help, and I was determined to get it, no matter what.

Since that time, I’ve spent $10,000-20,000 on classes, coaching, high-end programs, and products to get the help I needed. Some of these things were worth every penny, others – not so much. But I do know, that I wouldn’t be where I am today without it.

My point is that we were not created to go it alone.

Essential Business Practice #1

The first essential business practice for is “Get Support.”