It just make sense to look to experts to help guide you toward better success in any part of your life.
You listen to hair stylists whose work you admire for your own hair care tips, you (hopefully) listen to your reputable realtor when he or she gives you advice on buying or selling property, and you should listen to millionaires when it comes to financial or business advice. Having a financial advisor is great, but if they’re not wealthy themselves, is that really a good move on your part?
Here’s some of the best advice doled out, free of charge, from millionaires and billionaires. Granted, their advice won’t work every time, for every person, or for every situation. However, find a means that makes it work for you and you’ll only benefit. Who said nothing worth having is free?
1. Michael Wolfe, CEO of Pipwise Inc.
“Assume this is the last big money you will ever make. Big stock options hits (I’ll assume this is the source) usually happen zero times in a career, and in rare cases, they will happen once. If you had one, then assume this is it. Very low chance you’ll do it again, and if you do, it may take years. This is not a predictable way to make money. You know the expression, ‘The first 20 million is always the hardest?’ That is total crap: It should be ‘The first 20 million is usually the only.’”
2. Chris Gardner, Stockbroker Inspiration for Pursuit of Happyness
This homeless man turned millionaire is a stockbroker, speaker, researcher, lecturer, writer—and the inspiration for the Will Smith film Pursuit of Happyness. He says, “Here’s the secret to success: Find something you love to do so much, you can’t wait for the sun to rise to do it all over again.”
That way, even if you don’t make millions, at least you’ll never have to “work.”
3. Gary Heavin, CEO of Curves International
According to Heavin, “You have to be willing to put security at risk in order to have the potential for wealth.” No pain no gain, and no risk no gain either. When he dropped out of college at 20, became a millionaire by 25, then was bankrupt at 30, he learned some hard lessons based on big risks.
“One big thing I’ve learned is that when you’re wealthy at a young age, like I was, it has a lot to do with luck. When you’re older, it has a lot to do with experience.”
4. Maria Maccecchini, President of QR Pharma
She says, “If you don’t adjust well to rapid change, then entrepreneurship may not be for you.”
Not everyone is cut out for entrepreneurship, although it’s the most straightforward path to becoming a millionaire (after inheriting your fortune, of course). However, she presses that things don’t happen right away, and they take a lot more work and dedication than inspirational movies have you think.
5. Wally Amos, Famous Amos Founder
Those bite-sized cookies are addictive, but Amos didn’t stumble into his success. He says, “The biggest mistake an entrepreneur can make is to let their ego get overblown by a little taste of success.” He didn’t open his first bakery until he was 40 after years of working in a mailroom. However, in just a couple of years he was raking in over $12 million per year—and this was in the ’70s.
“Realize that the only thing you can do by yourself is fail. If you’re going to succeed, you’ll need help and should be prepared to share the credit. Keep your ego in your pocket.”
When successful people dish out advice, gobble it up. You never know—it could be the catalyst for your own success story.
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