6 Entrepreneurial Lessons from Secret Millionaires | *Brand Marketing Tips*

A new ABC television production hit airwaves nationwide this month and is creating more than high ratings.  Secret Millionaire features a number of high profile people whose business model is helping others create financial stability, and even wealth, both online and off. What lessons might entrepreneurs emulate to create their own secret, or not so secret,millionaire success story?  Let’s look at four of the secret millionaires to identify replicable patterns.

Secret Millionaire stars share some common practices entrepreneurs can adopt to create their own success.

Dani Johnson was homeless at 21 and a millionaire at 23. She now speaks, writes and conducts virtual home study courses and live events designed to help people get out of debt. Her story is compelling and inspirational.  The tone of her communications is all about having experienced the fear and frustration of financial debt herself. By sharing her personal story, helping people identify with her, then modeling a success route, Dani acts as a mentor, cheerleader and coach to those who follow her program.

James Malinchak is a speaker, consultant and internet marketer who models hard work and reward.  He is everywhere, all the time, with boundless energy and a message that you can create the life you want if you just have the will.  He’s a mindset coach and people aspire to the life he has created for himself through relentless hard work and strategically brilliant marketing.  Among other things, he coaches people on becoming paid speakers, something he is very good at doing himself.  He understands creating ambient awareness and brand connections. His newest offering is called the Millionaire Apprentice Program, which piggy backs his programs SEO nicely with the buzz Secret Millionaire is garnering, and authentically ties in by teaching the techniques that helped him become a millionaire.

Gary and Diane Heavin are the founders of Curves, the fitness franchise for women. They have a different model.  They’re not internet marketers.  The majority of their work is hands on, with people who buy a Curves franchise. They model the in the trenches, “do it with you,” style of business. Even though they’ve created the largest women’s fitness franchise in history and have become very wealthy in the processes, they still operate like entrepreneurs. Gary’s philosophy is “Entrepreneurs don’t get paid on effort. They get paid on results.” He and Diane believe “success is not about who runs the fastest but rather who gets up the fastest after they fall.”  This year they’ve teamed up with Zumba to create a new Curves Circuit with Zumba Fitness class to add to club offerings and are in the process of adding a diet counselor certification program through the Cleveland Clinic so clubs can provide better diet counseling to their members.

Ali Brown is a high profile coach for women entrepreneurs.  She’s offers a tiered system of coaching programs that go from free webinars all the way through a very elite high priced personal coaching program and she has clients lined up to work with her.  Her personal story of leaving corporate America and struggling as she launched her own business helps entrepreneurs identify with her and her “my gamble paid off and yours can too” mantra is appealing.  She models success, glamour and adventure.  And, she works hard.  From that first business in her living room, Ali has expanded her brand into a magazine, an online style boutique, women’s retreats, info-products and more.

So what lessons can other entrepreneurs learn from these successful self-made millionaires?

1. Poverty is a strong motivator in each of their success stories.  A driving passion to improve your life can be a powerful influencer.
2. Creating a business from the ground up takes more hard work than anything you’ve ever done before.  Persistence is the key.
3. Continued success lies in continued reinvention. Successful people never stop innovating.
4. Financial freedom is a strong motivator and there are millions of people who want and need the information you may have on how to create financial security. A down economic climate may be the ideal time to launch a business that solves a problem.
5. Sharing your personal journey helps others envision themselves as potentially successful.  People want to do business with successful people and modeling success can produce powerful results.
6. A great career or business is less about making the next sale and more about building lasting relationships.

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