Robert Jordan Interview: Six Success Tips for Aspiring Billionaires (How They Did It)
If you are like me, you too will wonder about what sets these seemingly ordinary people apart from the rest in terms of their capacity to recognize and identify a need, develop a service or a widget that addresses that need and then go on realize their goal of turning their ideas into millions of dollars.
I asked Robert Jordan who has compiled interviews with 45 billionaire entrepreneurs and published his book telling us how they did it. Below are six indispensable tips that helped them succeed. 
Click here to listen Robert Jordan Interview (unlinked)
Robert Jordan is an entrepreneur and author who has made it his mission to discover the “secret sauce” used by self made billionaires to launch themselves from growing an idea into $100 million dollar companies or if it suits, taking their pride and joy public to the tune of $300 million or more.
Robert’s entrée into their world is paved by his own success when he launched and grew his startup company, Online Access, the first Internet-coverage magazine that made it on the Inc. 500 list of fastest growing companies.
As is quintessential a characteristic of all serial entrepreneurs, he then sold his highly profitable Online Access and proceeded to start up a couple more companies, RedFlash, a project implementation team, and interimCEOinterimCFO, a worldwide network of interim, contract, and project executives.
Robert’s gift for getting consensus saw 21 of the eventual 45 founders agreeing to meet and freely share their insights, occasional pain and billion dollar experiences.
Their collective wisdom has been distilled into his latest book, How they did it: Billion Dollar Insights from the Heart of America. 
He freely admits this book was a labor of love, driven by an insatiable curiosity to know the minds and passions of this select group of diverse individuals.
All aspiring entrepreneurs who believe they are billionaires in the making will do well to heed the advice of the 45 who have gone before them. Here are just six tips to steer you to success:
1. Do not be afraid to fail; if and when you do, make sure you fail fast.
2. Do not be precious about your idea, be willing to tweak it
3. Leave your ego at the door; be astute enough to hire people smarter than you
4. However, make sure they are nice not just smart.
5. Honestly is still the best policy, so be on the level when communicating with the people who work for you because no one becomes a billionaire on their own.
6. Believe in the goodness of your angel investors but have Plans B, C and D just in case they decide to bail
Find Robert Jordan on http://www.HowTheyDidItBook.com
Female Friendly Investment Strategies: Stock Trading with Louise Bedford
Previously I explored investing from the female perspective. The idea of bricks and mortar i.e., residential or commercial property investing has great appeal to most women. It is tangible and can be tizzed up with an exterior paint job or reasonably priced landscaping to the front garden. In doing so, extra value (capital growth) can very quickly be added.
In this article I want you to consider the diametrically opposite. I invite you to get your head around the idea of investing or more specifically trading the stock market.
So I asked Louise Bedford the question: What makes a successful share trader?
Her definitive and emphatic response: “Mindset is God”.
Louise Bedford Interview You can download the mp3 recording and pdf transcript of this interview by going to http://yourmoneyandyourmindset.com/online-store/
Louise arrived at this conclusion after being struck by a serious illness that left her without the use of both arms. Unable to work, she looked to share trading as a means of making an income.
Thankfully Louise fully recovered the use of both limbs and has gone on to not only understand but also conquer the market. Her burning desire to share her knowledge resulted in Louise authoring not one but four best selling books on how to read and profit from stock market trends regardless of whether the index is up or down. Trading Secrets, Charting Secrets, The Secret of Candlestick Charting and The Secret of Writing Options, are without a doubt “must reads” for anyone wanting to successfully trade the share market.
Her invaluable insights into how not to lose your shirt trading include having a strategy and being disciplined enough to stick to it. She explains how we can be our own worse enemy, when unbridled emotions scupper our ability to trade analytically and sensibly. Besides understanding the charts, self awareness and personal development make up the equation of a winning trade.
Louise is a woman after my own heart as she believes that wealth and philanthropy are inseparable. As she rightly says, “Give a hand up and not a handout” as part of her commitment to international programs that disburse and administer micro loans to women entrepreneurs in developing countries.
Louise and business partner Chris Tate offer a mentoring program to guide the novice and even the experienced become successful traders. If you would like to know more about this remarkable lady, find her at http://www.tradingsecrets.com.au
Female Friendly Investment Strategies: Debbie Williams Property Diva
The age old debate as to whether the stock market or investing in property returns the better yield is better answered by asking the personal question: What is your individual appetite for risk?
Women are generally perceived to be more conservative in their investment strategies and there is an element of truth in this observation.
The emergence of a generation of single women in full time employment, and their new found financial freedom and independence means that investment decisions are now wholly and solely within their sphere of control.
Unlike their male counterparts they have only just become aware that they are now in the position to invest and with that plan for a very comfortable self funded retirement.
Faced with an often confusing number of choices, the only way to know if the property or the share market suits you is to be actively involved.
Do not let fear of making a mistake stop you from taking action, because that is the only way you will learn, grasshopper.
So, let me introduce you to Debbie Williams.
If her story does not inspire you to do something for yourself, then we are all doomed!
Click here Interview with Debbie Williams (unlinked)
Debbie Williams’ amazing trajectory to becoming a millionaire property investor began not as a person with a truckload of cash but as a 15 year old homeless youth.
From being a self-confessed dissatisfied person, Debbie found that her knack for property investing dramatically improved her self-esteem and lifestyle. The momentum from her first renovation that netted $30, 000 has seen her recently create a cool $1 million in equity in 12 months.
The experience of being disenfranchised and dispossessed became the impetus for Debbie to carve out a better future for herself. Today she helps local homeless people with their accommodation needs.
Her advice includes, “Be comfortable with being uncomfortable”. She talks about feeling the fear but taking action. “Attending property investment courses are only half of the equation, implementing the steps learned has made all the difference in my life”.
She is living proof that even in this current economic climate of gloom and doom, there are profits to be made. “It is all in how you look at it”, she states. “Your attitude is very important, and surround yourself with a good team of people”. “Finally, celebrate your wins, no matter how small they seem at the time”.
Find Debbie at
http://www.savvypropertypeople.com.au
MJ DeMarco Interview: How to retire young and rich
Ladies, this one is for the men in your lives.
I recently spoke with Michael J DeMarco who has just authored a book with a title that caught my eye.
The Millionaire Fastlane-Crack the code to wealth and live rich for a lifetime
Mr Millionaire Fastlane
MJ DeMarco Interview You can download the mp3 recording and pdf transcript of this interview by going to http://yourmoneyandyourmindset.com/online-store/
MJ’s views and opinions on wealth creation take on a high octane flavour. For one thing, he doesn’t accept that people have to scrimp and save and take 50 years to become financial independent.
He rejects the “get rich slow” plan which see people in the twilight of their years before they can enjoy their hard earned cash.
His ideas certainly challenge conventional financial wisdom that is offered by many other well known finance gurus on the scene.
In my interview with MJ now in his thirties, he tells of a chance meeting with a young man getting into his Lamborghini at an ice cream place, where he, as a spellbound 12 year old awoke to the possibility that one day he too be like this young millionaire.
From that fateful encounter he made it his mission to study the habits and characteristics of young millionaires and decided that in the simplest terms it would mean becoming an entrepreneur.
He pulls no punches and tells it like it is; that people can either do nothing (Sidewalk strollers), take the Slowlane and wait until they are in their 70’s before being able to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Then there are people like MJ who elect to take the Fastlane and retire YOUNG without sacrificing lifestyle.
And yes, he does drive a Lamborghini.
Yours in health, wealth and happiness
Matt and Amanda Clarkson Interview: eBay and Wealth Creation
Christmas is a wonderful time of coming together to share a special meal and re connect with other family members.
At one time or another we all have been at the receiving end of a Christmas present that has not rocked our world.
So hands up anybody who has had the idea of hocking off that gift on eBay.
I talked to an Australian couple Matt and Amanda Clarkson, who found eBay to be their ticket to financial freedom.
Matt and Amanda Clarkson eBay Magic
Matt and Amanda Clarkson Interview You can download the mp3 recording and pdf transcript of this interview by going to http://yourmoneyandyourmindset.com/online-store/
The story of their journey may just be what you need to take inspired action towards a new beginning for yourself.
Matt and Amanda both left school at 16, he to become a carpenter and she working through 33 jobs and 11 businesses over the last 20 years.
They knew that working for “the man” or being a sole operator was limiting their dream of becoming financially independent. In 2006, the internet was where they found the clue that became their golden key to freedom.
In this interview they speak frankly of their learning experiences during this process including Amanda’s honest and candid admission that she was not introduced to her first PC until she was a young forty year old.
Matt is a bestselling author and international expert in Internet Marketing and in particular eBay business development. Amanda’s eBay business, which she started with a credit card in Feb 2006 was a run away success and is still forging ahead to this day.
Now, they show everyday people how to become cash and time rich with eBay through their simple, and inspiring eBay education courses through their multi national company Bidding Buzz.
The passion and vision of these two heart centered entrepreneurs is to help as many people as possible live life on their own terms instead of someone else’s through The Magic Of Making Money On eBay.
What has leadership got to do with becoming wealthy: Part 1
Answer: Everything!
Leadership, or more importantly good leadership underpins your ability to succeed.
As a great leader, you are the inspiration, visionary and literally the soul of your business.
Click here to listen to the full recording Leadership and Wealth Part 1
It applies equally across the spectrum should you be the CEO of a multi national corporation or a solopreneur with a red hot idea.
The most reliable way to creating wealth is to build up a business that turns over significant dollars and selling it as a viable concern, or have a business model that can be replicated many times over, then licensing these as franchises.
The caveat here is that your business must provide exemplary value for a service and/or product that is second to none, and that the consumer is willing to pay top dollar for what you offer.
I use the example of your toothache and your smiling dentist, Dr Fang.
If you had a toothache you’d probably ignore it for as long as it is possible. Show me a person who enjoys sitting in the dentist’s chair with a high speed drill on their teeth and I will show you someone who is flat lining.
However, there will come a time when all the pain killer tablets in your bathroom cabinet will not stop the sharp shooting pain that makes you want to grab a hammer and hit your toes with it because that is the only thing that will take your attention away from your toothache. This usually occurs round about 9 PM on a Sunday evening.
At this stage you will not care if you have to take a second mortgage on your house to have your toothache dealt with.
Dr Fang is more than happy to oblige, fixes your toothache and makes the pain go away (for a fee).
Dr Fang knows that toothaches do not occur between the hours of 9-5 on weekdays only. In fact, he/she has noticed that if their dental surgery was open 24 hours a day 7 days a week, there would not be a shortage of patients in their waiting room.
Because Dr Fang cannot be at more than one place at a time, they hire other dentists and support staff to replicate their service across town or even the country.
Their secret weapon is that they are able to leverage their time. Another equally important component is that they aim for staff members to have the same passion and work ethic.
If you are a heart centered businessperson, not only will you be looking at a bottom line of increased profits or revenue, but as importantly, that increased productivity has not come at the expense of your employees’ well being.
Put yourself in Dr Fang’s shoes and ask yourself, how do I get my staff to share my big picture goals and visions for my business?
Here’s where effective, strong and good leadership becomes vital to a business not only surviving but thriving, GFC or no GFC.
Just reiterating, as a great leader, you are the inspiration, visionary and literally the soul of your business.
Essentially, leadership is firstly knowing yourself (and being wholly comfortable and accepting of who you are).
Secondly having a clear vision of what your (business) goals are.
Thirdly, it is being able to clearly communicate this vision to your staff and getting total buy in from them. They have to do this voluntarily or else it will not work (think Captain Bligh and the mutiny on the HMS Bounty).
This includes building trust, getting your workers to function as a cohesive unit and motivating them to perform at their highest level, and to do so on a consistent basis.
Impossible, you say?
Not if you are an emotionally intelligent leader.
People are not motivated by money as much as feeling that their contribution is worthwhile and publicly acknowledged.
More on this in my next post; until then
Yours in health, wealth and happiness
Women Executives: Leadership Role Models (Part 4)
So, you have arrived at a position within your organisation that has some degree of autonomy and responsibility. In fact, you now lead a team of individuals, with unique talents.
Your boss has handed you a brief that requires your team to deliver on an important project on time and on budget. You know that it is the make or break opportunity and you really want to prove that you have what it takes.
This is your springboard to making it at the executive management level, your holy grail.
However, you also notice that you are going boldly to where no other woman has been, in fact your company is devoid of women executives. So, nada and zip in terms of finding a role model or a mentor in a skirt and killer heels. Bummer!
You are a modern woman (read resourceful, and confident), and you take it upon yourself to hire a career or executive coach to fast track your ambitions.
Any coach worth their salt will start with working out what makes you tick.
I am fond of quoting this line from Sun Tzu, “If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle”–Art of War
In other words, if you want to achieve (and earn) more, you have to become more.
You cannot expect to operate on a higher level without first making the necessary changes in the way you think, behave and conduct yourself. If you are expecting circumstances to adapt to suit you (as you are now), you are going to be waiting a very long time to become successful.
Have you given some serious though about what it means to be a well respected and effective leader?
In your present role where you work for your immediate boss, ask yourself what is it that you admire about him/her. Conversely what do not like very much about the way they run their unit or department especially in their daily interaction with their team.
List what you consider as the traits of your ideal leader, a person that you’d happily become. What are the interpersonal skills that you would like that person to possess?
Remember, to be an effective leader means getting your team to carry out a piece of work to a standard and level above what they would normally deliver. More importantly, it is getting them to do this willingly without cajoling or the threat of unemployment!
Bottom line: It means being influential and having your people opt in to your vision and goals.
I shall leave you to ponder this for the time being.
Yours in health, wealth and happiness
Andrew and Daryl Grant Interview: How a simple mindset shift made this Australian couple millionaires
I had the pleasure of interviewing Andrew and Daryl Grant and hearing how by changing the way they thought, changed their future.
Andrew and Daryl Grant Interview You can download the mp3 recording and pdf transcript of this interview by going to http://yourmoneyandyourmindset.com/online-store/
Like so many of us, Andrew and Daryl had been trading their time for money.
As successful as they were in their financial planning business, they realized that their income was dependent on their active involvement in their jobs.
Time spent in their business meant time away from family, a situation they found unacceptable.
This “can do” duo then went about investigating various means of generating passive income and finally came upon the power of the internet.
Andrew and Daryl achieved their goal of becoming financially independent six months shy of their 5 year target.
All this from two people who cheerfully admit to knowing very little about building websites, writing code etc.
In this interview they speak honestly and candidly of how they overcame some of their limiting sub conscious beliefs that had stymied their efforts in the four years leading up to their goal deadline.
Andrew and Daryl have generously made available a free audio recording on overcoming subconscious blockages.
Click on the link below to get your free copy:
10 Tips to Staying Motivated: Especially When You Don’t Feel Like It
Motivation is like a shower, you need one everyday-Zig Zaglar
Firstly it would be unrealistic to feel pumped all the time, so don’t be hard on yourself if you have the odd day when you feel really flat. Here are 10 suggestions to get you to re focus. Go get ‘em!
An update to this post: I have included an mp3 recording
Click here to listen:Audio recording of 10 Tips to Staying Motivated
1. Remind yourself again what it is that you are striving to achieve.
• Is it a physical fitness goal of wanting to run a personal best in the Boston marathon or being financially independent in 5 years
• Either way, are your goals written down for you to review and read as often as it is necessary
2. Portion control
• You can eat an entire elephant by yourself if it is only one bite at a time. So chunk it down to manageable portions that are achievable in days and weeks rather than months and years!
3. Do a stock take of where you were 3, 6 and 12 months ago relative to where you are now
• Celebrate your wins, no matter how small. It’s a win, don’t get too precious about it
• Keep a journal and record your progress. You will be surprised at how far you have come
4. Practise mental rehearsal of having reached your goal
• Make it as real as possible by imagining what you are wearing, who is with you, whereabouts is this taking place, does it have a particular smell. Above all, tap into the feeling of having aced the goal and remind yourself of that winning feeling by clicking your finger 3 times in succession.
• Do this daily even when you don’t feel like it, especially when you don’t feel like it
5. What are you eating, when do you exercise
• Remember the old computer programming term GIGO (Garbage In Garbage Out). If you are fuelling your body with junk food, you will not have the energy and stamina to get to your goals. This is a non negotiable fact of getting where you want to go and what you want from life
• Yes, your body is a temple. Worship it with fresh food, vegetables, and lots of water. Ditch the refined carbs and trans fats, they clog your arteries and reduces blood and oxygen flow to your brain. Lord knows you need all your neurons to fire if you want to be able to think clearly.
• Physical fitness is not an option. Again it is one of those things you just do to stay alert and healthy to be able to enjoy your successes when they come. Being in an iron lung and a millionaire is kind of bittersweet
6. Oh brother where art thou; who do you hanging out with
• Are these people supportive or do they make it a sport of taking potshots at your dreams and goals; if they are in the latter category, say bye-bye and leave them to wallow in their own pity party
• Create a mastermind support group. These are people on the same wavelength who will not ridicule your goals, dreams and aspirations but instead cheer you on. You can learn from them and vice versa
• If this type of support is thin on the ground, consider hiring a business/life/fitness coach to keep you accountable. Yes, it costs money so think of it as an investment in yourself. “You’re worth it” as the Revlon ad goes.
7. What are you reading, watching on television
• I am a big fan of reading motivational books by Jim Rohn, T Harv Eker, Bob Proctor and the cool thing is that there are lots of free mp3 downloads you can listen to in your car or as I like to call it “your university on wheels”.
• Stop watching the news. If it is really important, somebody will tell you. Notice how television only reports bad news; that is because bad news sells.
8. When do you stay still-meditate daily
• This is about staying healthy on the inside
• Often the solutions to business problems or obstacles at work are found when we shut up and stay still long enough for our sub conscious to present us with an answer.
• Don’t be skeptical if you haven’t tried it for at least a month
9. When did you last do a budget and track your expenditure and earnings
• It is vital not to shy away from tracking your finances. How then will you know that you have made progress in putting aside money for investments and passive income building? Answer me that?
10. Get in sync with your internal clock
• If you are a night owl and your best ideas come to mind after 10pm, ask yourself why are you flogging your body to be up at 5am to be inspired and creative on your projects. It does not make sense, so stop it!
Yours in health, wealth and happiness
What Does It Mean To Be Wealthy
With respect to the above, I am reminded of a television advert some years ago aimed at selling a well loved Australian brand of chocolate biscuits. These were not just any choc biscuits, they were Tim Tams! They were made with a choc filling and each biscuits was then dipped and coated in more chocolate. You get the picture.
Anyway, the scene is set where a young man strolling on a beach on a hot summers day finds a bottle on the beach. When he unscrews the cap, a genie pops out and offers him his one wish. He says to the genie, “I want to be cool and I want to be rich”. So, the genie obliges by turning him into a packet of Tim Tams and sticks that in the fridge.
The advert finishes with a couple of attractive girls opening the fridge and are pleased to find the nice cool and rich Tim Tams as their afternoon snack. Win, win I think.
The point of this story is to draw your attention to the fact that if you cannot succinctly define what it means to be wealthy you may find it a bit of a struggle to become wealthy.
I have expanded on what I mean here: What does it mean to be wealthy Lorwai TAN recording
In essence there are two aspects to consider; firstly the tangible or material wealth. Secondly, and equally important is the intangible, and it encompasses qualities such as good health, happy and fulfilling relationships with most importantly being at peace with yourself.
The dictionary defines (material) wealth as “an abundance of valuable material possessions or resources”. These resources allow you to be financially free which means you are able to live a lifestyle of your desire without having to work or rely on someone else.
To determine if you have an abundance of valuable material possessions, follow this simple exercise. Take a piece of blank paper and draw a line down the middle. Heading one column, write “assets” and the other “liabilities”. This is the quickest way to determine your nett worth. It is basically what you own (free hold) minus what you owe ie how much of that is tied to loan repayments (debt). Hopefully you come out with a positive (in the black) rather than a negative (in the red) number.
So the name of the game is to increase your nett worth. And surprisingly one of the habits you want to cultivate is that of being able to receive with thanks and gratitude the good that comes your way. This may include the odd compliment! Learn to be an excellent receiver and do not deflect or downplay its value.
Remember the Universe is there to do your bidding so if you want material gain, don’t keep turning down the good things that come your way. The Universe will do as instructed!