Self-made billionaires. They incite a polarizing range of emotions. They are often viewed as the cause and solution to all the world’s ills. They are the inspiration and the villain. The people we love to build up in admiration and the people we love to tear down in jealousy. A force for good – like Bill and Melinda Gates or the face of malice – like Mark Zuckerberg. And all these assumptions are wrong.
At the end of the day, these people are just people. There is not a one-size fits all billionaire. I know 14 of the world’s 2153 living billionaires some more personally than others. I’ve read biographies on many more, from John D Rockefeller to Phil Knight (one of my favorites). They’re all different. Most are brilliant, inspiring, charismatic, philanthropic, generous, and kind. Some are not.
What I have noticed is that they all started out as “regular people” and they created their success and wealth very little. Their stories are inspiring to me. Not because of the money they’ve managed to amass, but because of the way they have achieved their success and what they managed to create.
I’ve learned a lot about myself by analyzing the reasons behind their success. They all have necessary common elements at some critical time in their development. Good health. The right environment. Good timing. Ideal circumstances. Great luck. I’ve had all of these things in my life, but I’m still not a billionaire – or even close. It ain’t that easy.
I have noticed certain commonalities among them and they are good things to remind myself:
Billionaires don’t complain – they take responsibility. Nobody wants to be associated with someone who is a complainer. People are attracted to positive energy. And positive energy doesn’t mean they are happy all the time. It means they are focused on moving forward. They don’t think that everyone is out to get them. When faced with adversity, they make adjustments, solve the problem and move forward. I’ve definitely been through phases of my life where I have failed or been fired off an assignment and then spent an unnecessary amount of time complaining about it. I thought what happened to me was unfair or the market was to blame – whatever. This has never benefited me. Ever. It is wasted energy. And it takes you away from #2. They are driven by one goal, (and it isn’t about making money). They start with a vision or a passion to create something they believe in. They spend their time and energy focusing on making that vision happen. They don’t allow themselves to get sidetracked by naysayers or obstacles. I started CORE with one vision and many times, I have allowed myself to get sidetracked because of an external influence. I have wasted a significant amount of time and energy doing that. And it’s something I refuse to do anymore. They continue to evolve. They move fast and stay educated on trends that affect their industry and business. They are nimble. I’ve been inspired by the thirst most of them have to read, and act like a sponge for information. I’ve often held on to an idea too long, ignoring or being unaware of the changes around me. My commitment to reading has changed a lot of that. It makes me better at seeing the things coming my way and being smarter at responding it to them. Typically, they are in very good physical health. Yes, they have access to the best health care, trainers, nutritionists, etc. However, unless you make wellness a priority, all the medicine in the world won’t help you. I used to constantly work myself to exhaustion. I thought that was a sign of hard work and grit. In fact, it’s really dumb, and no billionaire I know does that. They make wellness a priority and good health allows them the focus to be successful. I have done this in fits and starts but never with any consistency. However, it has become a priority for me this year. As I really embraced my new “Freedom to Jam” philosophy, I knew that allowing myself the time to think would be useless if I wasn’t physically in a place to allow it. And that takes us to the most important thing- A positive mental outlook that is anchored in a good support team – at work and at home. They surround themselves with the right people who look to lift them up – not tear them down. I could write a novel about the mistakes I’ve made in this arena, but age and experience often bring some clarity. You see people for who they are and stop spending so much time trying to wish people into being something they are not. The billionaires I’ve known all, over time, found those people that make them better and eliminate toxic people who work to bring them down. You can master all these things and be missing the one thing all these billionaires have had – luck. They will all admit to luck catapulting them to success. I have certainly been lucky. There is little reason a kid from Johannesburg would grow up to own a successful real estate company in New York City. Luck played a big part in how I got to where I am. But there is always more we can do. Even billionaires. I have struggled, and continue to struggle, with all the other attributes to success. One thing I’ve realized from all these individuals is that money is not their destination. It’s about a larger journey and it requires a lot more than luck to get there. I have a lot of learning and work still left to do.