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"Romanus' brilliance is seeing a complex
task, then showing it to us with simplicity and clarity. He hits the success nail right on the head."
Jay Conrad Levinson Author, Guerrilla Marketing |
Full Dream Ahead
Two motivational authors reveal the three secrets to making your entrepreneurial dreams a reality.
February 2004 (Entrepreneur Magazine)
By Romanus WolterFor more than a quarter century, Mark Victor Hansen, co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul (Health Communications), and Robert G. Allen, author of Nothing Down for the 90s (Simon and Schuster), have delivered powerful messages of possibility and action that have helped create startling change for thousands of entrepreneurs. Their books and associated series have been published in 39 languages and have sold more than 85 million copies. Their new collaborative work, The One Minute Millionaire: The Enlightened Way to Wealth (Harmony Books), is already a bestseller. To help even more business owners achieve their dreams, Romanus Wolter, "The Kick Start Guy," recently had a conversation with Hansen and Allen about their three secrets to success. Your first secret is, "One must have a great, big dream, big enough to include a lot of other people." What does it mean to include other people in your "big dream"? Mark Victor Hansen: Your dream is a big, audacious goal where no one is worse off because of it.How does a dreamer gain confidence? Allen: It starts by defining, What is my mission in life? When I'm wealthy, what will I give to? You set that as your goal.How can a person discover his or her big dream? Hansen: Have someone ask you the same question 50 times: "What is God's destiny for you?" For the first time in a person's life, they get clear.Some emerging entrepreneurs are scared to talk about their big dreams. Should we tell others about our intent? Hansen: Absolutely! Your intent is your guidance system to get you from here to there.Do I start out small or go for my big dream right away? Hansen: Little shots or big shots-start at the level you are at.What if I don't have experience? Should I go for it anyway? Hansen: Yes! Other people with expertise can help you. You need to orchestrate the vision. Brian Epstein couldn't play any instruments, but he made the Beatles the biggest band in the world. Any suggestions on how to stay motivated to achieve a big dream?Your second secret is, "Build a superlative dream team with superstars in four categories: Creatives, Advancers, Refiners and Executers." Do I need all four people to start? Hansen: You need two to start. People have one dominant and one recessive style—you can test yourself here. You need to complement your weaknesses. Allen: A Creative and [an] Advancer usually get together to start. Don't let a Refiner in at the beginning. They will punch a hole in your balloon, and you may not be able to say, "Good, go away, we will discover a way to make it happen and get back to you." You need to build confidence first. Who must be on the team in the beginning to ensure success?How do I get a superstar on my team? Hansen: You can easily create a virtual team full of superstars. Thirty years ago, when I was bankrupt, I had Walt Disney; Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich [Ballantine Publishing Group]; and John F. Kennedy on my team, because I read their books and interviews. And when you take action and prove you can build your dream, others will be inspired to help.What are some unique ways to contact superstars? Allen: Help them achieve their top three goals, and they will be willing to help you. Do something unique-find out what your mentor's favorite charities are, and get involved in raising money for them. It goes back to benefiting others. How do I thank superstars who help me?Your third secret is: "You've got to create multiple streams of income so you have an everlasting flow of revenue." What are multiple streams of income? Hansen: Culture teaches us to get jobs, keeping us one step from being rich. I want people to get their MBAs: massive bank accounts. There are four areas where most people make their money: real estate, infopreneuring, the Web and their own businesses. Discover ways to create residual income in each one of these areas.If my business only produces one stream of income, what is the first step I should take to create multiple streams of income? Hansen: Write down what is going on in your fantasy world. What is the goal you want to achieve? Define the business areas you want to start and how you can make them a reality. Then use your dream team and other experts to poke holes in your ideas to discover what will work.How do I figure out which idea will produce the best results, especially if I do not have the money to hire experts or develop new products? Allen: I don't believe in spending lots of money to launch a new idea. You don't need money-you just need a great idea.How long should I expect an income stream to last? Allen: Good question. If it's free and clear, real estate lasts the rest of your life and beyond. If it's generic information, you can market it for 20 years or more. If it's a product, three to five years.How do I motivate customers to keep purchasing my products or services? Hansen: This is the entrepreneur's greatest challenge-continually finding new customers while keeping the old ones. Create ways to constantly improve the deal by discovering what people want and how you can deliver it to them.One last question: Can we create "everlasting flows of income"? Allen: Absolutely! Money in a bank, a savings account or a Treasury bill can generate endless cash flow. Speaker and consultant Romanus Wolter, aka "The Kick Start Guy," is the author of Kick Start Your Success and Kick Start Your Dream Business.
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