RENEGADE MILLIONAIRE IDEA OF THE MONTH:

Manufacturing Momentum

One of the handful of things I internalized from listening a zillion times to Earl Nightingale’s work, and have had verified by my own experience, and feel I did a much better job capitalizing on thanks to having heard Earl talk about it is --- momentum. That when success comes, it comes as flood, not trickle, and you better hurry up and fill as many buckets as you can at that moment. Earl talked about a person achieving more in 5 years than in prior 50, in 5 months than in prior 5 years.

In December, at Jeff Kaller’s event, where I spoke, Donald Trump spoke immediately before me. And he talked about the same thing, about getting “hot” – and capitalizing on it when it occurs. Combining what Donald Trump talked about that day, and my close observation and study of him not just recently but for a decade, I can translate and transfer these lessons:

First, momentum occurs as a cumulative effect. You do a lot of right things over time, you work at establishing a reputation and expertise and contacts, you get a foundation in place, and at some point, you add massive action and, at some point, the marketplace’s response to you “catches fire”. There may be a particular ignition, as in Trump’s case with ‘The Apprentice’. There may not. More often than not, there is. But don’t for a second think that point of ignition occurs at random or by pure luck or “out of the blue.” It occurs as natural and just reward for precursors. It is earned, not accident. It is the logical pay-off for a collection of investments and sacrifices. Harvest NEVER precedes planting.

Second, you should be hunting for, and open to the ‘ignition.’ I’ve always been prowling around for ignition points. I’ve had a lot of mis-fires, some so brief no one noticed. Some I persisted with, wound up wasting money on. My daily radio broadcast that was, at peak, heard on over 150 stations nationwide comes to mind. But the same attitude and behavior that led me down those blind alleys, also led me to my best opportunities. My ten years on the SUCCESS tour, for example, came about as

by-product of consulting with Peter Lowe on other matters. It was not my intent to get on that tour as a speaker when I met and went to consult with him. Trump saying yes to ‘The Apprentice’ was not anything he strategized or originated, Mark Burnett came to him with the idea. Trump says – and I believe him – he had serious doubts about the show and, even if it were successful, could not have predicted its power. He said yes because it was interesting and because he was so impressed by Burnett. There are lots of reasons to say yes to things, and one Trump and I share – and have done repeatedly – is solely because of the apparent quality of the other person involved.

Third, when the momentum, the surge shows itself, pour it on. Look at Trump: he’s doing everything humanly possible to leverage and harvest his visibility and popularity ignited and fueled by ‘The Apprentice.’ Two books rushed to market, other products, endorsement deals, more speaking (contrary to his assertions), clothing line, a fragrance, even – gulp! – hair care products. Appearing on every TV show – from ‘The View’ to ‘Saturday Night Live’ (dressed in a chicken suit). On QVC. In his speech, he talked about finishing every full work day with dinner at home when possible, but then dressed up and out the door to a party, reception, movie opening, charity benefit, etc. to be seen, to network, to be photographed, to be talked about. To further fuel the momentum.

You have to capitalize at the time. During my peak years on the SUCCESS tour, I also did more marketing of myself, created seminars and targeted products to professional speakers. My appearing on those events was known and envied by thousands of speakers. In that world, it was the equivalent of having a show like ‘The Apprentice’. Of course it would have been more convenient, less stress on me, wife, staff, to take these opportunities sequentially. Do the tour for five years, stop, milk the market of other speakers for the next five. But that’s not the way it works. Right now, as near as I can tell from his speech, Trump is routinely working 18 hour days. Like all great entrepreneurs, as I discuss in NO B.S. BUSINESS SUCCESS, the line between work and play is blurred for him. But still, he’s burning the candle at all three ends because: now is his time.

Trump also is VERY cognizant of the monetary value of time. In his speech, he told of just purchasing a Florida beachfront mansion owned by a bankrupt, former billionaire. Trump bought the house from the bank, pre-foreclosure, for $41-million. Unfortunately, the busted billionaire’s still squatting in the house. It could take months to a year to get him evicted. Instead, after spending 41-mill to buy the place, Trump paid the squatter a million to pack up and leave immediately. I think that’s brilliant. Many entrepreneurs are very dumb and cheap about ‘buying time.’ I’m guilty too, of my own eccentricities in this area, but I think a lot less guilty than most I work with and observe. When it is your time, and you must capitalize, you must be willing to spend money, even throw money at people and things, to facilitate your ability to harvest to the max. Trump can rehab and flip this property while ‘The Apprentice’ is still on the air and he is a mega-celebrity for 10, 20, maybe even 30-million more than he will be able to if he waits until a year or two after ‘The Apprentice’ ends and he’s no longer in the spotlight. He knows this. There is recognition of reality demonstrated here well worth emulating.