I read an interesting piece about the things Paul C. Brunson learnt as a
result of working directly for two billionaires. He had the opportunity to work with
both Oprah and Enver for 6 years collectively and his experiences is worth
reading - "the best professional experiences of my life". Please read the wonderful piece below and
feel free to share. Remember this quote
by Francis of Assisi: "Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's
possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible"
Enver and
Oprah are two extraordinary people. And on top of that, they’re both
billionaires. On the surface, they appear to be totally different people. They
are in different industries, have different family structures, practice
different religions, and speak different languages. However, once you get past
their written biographies and dig deeper, you will notice they possess many of
the same successful habits.
I had the
opportunity to work with both Oprah and Enver for 6 years collectively and
those were, hands down, the best professional experiences of my life. I worked
my ass off for them and in doing so absorbed everything I could.
It’s my
honor to share with you what I learned from them. Here is Part 1 of the 20
successful habits I learned working for two billionaires:
1)
Invest in Yourself
This is a
very simple concept, but something you would think someone who has “made it”
would stop doing. Not at all for these two. I saw them both spend a significant
amount of time dedicating their resources to self-development (whether
it be a new language, exercise, social media classes, etc). The moment you
stop investing in yourself is the moment you have written off future dividends
in life.
2) Be
Curious…About Everything
What the
average person sees as mundane or overly complicated is not viewed the same way
with a billionaire mindset. I once had a 30 minute conversation with Enver
about the height of the curbs in Washington DC versus Istanbul ,
Turkey .
Billionaires are incredibly curious; what the rest of the world thinks is a
problem and complains about — that’s what these people go and work on.
3)
Surround Yourself With “Better” People
I hope this
is why they kept me around :-). Seriously, I never knew my bosses to keep
anyone less-than-stellar in their inner circle. There were many times I
thought to myself, “Damn, they have dream-teams built around them.” Jim Rohn
had it right, “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time
with.”
4) Never
Eat Alone
The last time I had
dinner with Enver, as well as the last time I ate dinner with Oprah, there
were easily 15 people at our tables, respectively. Coincidence? While most of
us derive our key information from blogs or the newspaper, power players get
their information from the source (other power players), directly. However,
just because you can’t call up the Obamas and break bread with them doesn’t
mean eating with others in your circle doesn’t carry value. In one of my
favorite reads of the last few years called Never
Eat Alone
author Keith Ferrazzi breaks down how you can identify “information brokers” to dine with you. I’ve seen first hand how enormous the benefits are of this strategy.
author Keith Ferrazzi breaks down how you can identify “information brokers” to dine with you. I’ve seen first hand how enormous the benefits are of this strategy.
5) Take
Responsibility For Your Losses
I was
working for Oprah during the time she was taking heat from the media about poor
network ratings. I was also working for Enver during the closing of one of his
prized divisions. What I witnessed them both do in response was powerful.
Opposed to covering the losses up with fancy PR tactics, both stepped to the
stage and said in essence “I own it and I’m going to fix it” and dropped the
mic. Guess what? They sure did fix things (It’s widely noted Oprah’s
network is realizing ratings gold and Enver’s assets have probably doubled
since the division closing).
6)
Understand The Power Of “Leverage”
This is
something that was quite a shock to me. From afar, a billionaire appears to be
someone who is a master at everything. But, in truth, they’re specialists in
one or a few areas and average or subpar at everything else. So, how do they
get so much done? Leverage! They do what they do best and get others to do the
rest . Here’s a great article on leverage. Keep in mind I see this
done with wealthy people and their money all of the time – they use OPM (other
people’s money) for most or all of their projects.
7) Take
No Days Off (Completely)
I recall
going on vacation with Enver several times, yachting up and down the
southwestern coast of Turkey
(also known as the blue voyage). Sounds ballerific, right? No doubt we had a
great time, but mixed in with all that swimming and backgammon was discussion
of business, discussion of strategy, planning and plotting. The best way I
can describe this habit is thinking about your business or your idea like your
literal baby. No matter your distance, you don’t stop thinking of him/her
(and after just having a second son, I can attest to this).
8) Focus
On Experiences vs. Material Possessions
When you
have money, your toys are big. However, the vast majority of money I saw spent
on their “leisure” was on actual experiences versus the typical car, jewelry,
and clothes we’re familiar with seeing in music videos and gossip blogs. I
recall one time at dinner with Oprah, I spotted a table of about 20 girls off
to the side. I later found out Ms. Winfrey was treating some of her graduating
girls from her school in South
Africa to dinner in NYC. Experiences create memories, and memories are priceless.
9) Take
Enormous Risks
This is
another one of those successful habits every entrepreneur can attest
to. A matter of fact, Entreprenuer.com created a great
infographic outlining commonalities of the world’s billionaires and
one of the most prominent was this characteristic: billionaires are not adverse
to risk. What intrigues me even more about Enver and Oprah was that even
at their high financial status and success level, they still possessed a
willingness to risk their most precious asset (their name and legacy) on new
and bolder projects. If you’re not taking risks, you’re not making moves!
10)
Don’t Go At It Alone
Nothing
great in life is achieved alone. Especially in business, success isn’t a solo
act. This character trait is akin to “surrounding yourself with better people.” It
takes teamwork to make the dream work.
What I
witnessed from working for Enver and Oprah were characteristics and successful
habits that not only apply to business “wins,” but also translate to general
life success. I sincerely hope the tips I’ve shared here will inspire
you to create (or maintain) great habits for your success. Please click here for Part 2.
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