Blog + Diamonds
VIDEO SUMMARY
Explore the Proven Steps to Wealth and Happiness!
Ready to discover the secret sauce to success? 🤩
Ever wondered how retired millionaires went from ordinary to extraordinary? 💰💡
Get ready to unlock their tried-and-true wisdom in our latest video! 🎥
Did they buy a ticket to the Moon? 🌙
Or maybe they found treasure in a cereal box? 🥄
Hold onto your seats because their journeys will leave you intrigued and inspired! 🤯
Dive into their stories, learn about their silly purchases (think jeep adventures 🚙), and uncover the best investments for personal and family growth! 💪✨
Find out how they navigated treacherous waters, dropped the entitlement mindset, and rose to the top! 🌊
Plus, get ready for some marketing tips that are pure gold! 💰💼
👶 Advice for your 20s? 🎓 They’ve got it covered! From self-reliance to networking magic, they spill the beans! ☕
Remember, “A rising tide lifts all boats,” and it’s time to set sail on your journey to success! 🚤
Don’t miss out! Click the link to watch the video and embark on your path to greatness! 🌟
#SuccessStories #Inspiration #UnlockYourPotential
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Introduction
Description:
This step sets the stage for the video by introducing the central question: Are the sacrifices and hard work required to become rich worth it?
Implementation:
- Begin the video by addressing the audience with the central question.
- Mention that the video will feature interviews with retired millionaires to explore their journeys to wealth.
Specific Details:
- Keep the introduction concise and engaging to capture the viewers’ attention.
- Clearly state the video’s purpose and what viewers can expect.
Step 2: Interviewing Retired Millionaires
Description:
This step involves conducting interviews with retired millionaires to gather insights into how they accumulated wealth and whether they have any regrets.
Implementation:
- Prepare a list of questions to ask the retired millionaires about their career paths and financial success.
- Conduct interviews with the retired millionaires, asking them about their sources of income and any regrets they may have.
Specific Details:
- Ensure that the questions are clear and encourage the interviewees to provide detailed responses.
- Respect the privacy and preferences of the interviewees during the filming process.
Step 3: Sharing Career Backgrounds
Description:
In this step, the video features the career backgrounds of the interviewed millionaires, showcasing how they made their money.
Implementation:
- Include clips or segments from the interviews where each millionaire discusses their career and how they generated income.
- Provide brief profiles of each millionaire, highlighting their key achievements.
Specific Details:
- Use visuals, such as images or footage related to the industries or businesses the millionaires were involved in.
- Include relevant statistics or facts about their financial success.
Step 4: Reflecting on Childhood Aspirations
Description:
This step delves into the childhood aspirations of the millionaires and whether their career paths align with their childhood dreams.
Implementation:
- Include clips or segments where the millionaires discuss their childhood aspirations and whether they ever considered becoming astronauts or pilots.
- Highlight any significant differences between their childhood dreams and their actual careers.
Specific Details:
- Show genuine and candid moments from the interviews to make the content relatable to viewers.
- Emphasize the idea that career paths can change over time.
Step 5: Exploring Salary and Income
Description:
This step focuses on the millionaires’ initial salaries after graduating and how their income evolved over time.
Implementation:
- Share information about the millionaires’ early career salaries and any anecdotes related to their income.
- Discuss the transition from civil service to the private sector and how it affected their earnings.
Specific Details:
- Mention salary figures to give viewers a sense of the financial progression.
- Highlight the impact of switching to the private sector on income.
Step 6: Impact of Money on Life
Description:
This step explores the millionaires’ perspectives on how money impacted their lives and whether they believe it improved their quality of life.
Implementation:
- Include segments where the millionaires share their views on the role of money in their lives.
- Discuss the importance of relationships and personal connections.
Specific Details:
- Present contrasting opinions on whether money truly improved their lives.
- Emphasize the value of relationships and experiences alongside financial success.
Step 7: Value of Relationships and Community
Description:
This step emphasizes the importance of building relationships and being part of a community for a fulfilling life.
Implementation:
- Include the segment where the interviewees discuss the significance of relationships and community in their lives.
- Highlight moments when they mention how these aspects have contributed to their overall well-being.
Specific Details:
- Showcase anecdotes or stories that demonstrate the value of relationships.
- Encourage viewers to reflect on their own connections and community involvement.
Step 8: Impact of Money on Lifestyle
Description:
This step delves deeper into how money improved the lifestyle of the interviewees, including purchases and financial security.
Implementation:
- Share anecdotes from the interviewees about how they spent their money, such as buying a big house or luxury cars.
- Discuss how financial security and the ability to enjoy life contribute to happiness.
Specific Details:
- Mention specific purchases or experiences that the interviewees attribute to their wealth.
- Reflect on the idea that money can provide opportunities for enjoyment and comfort.
Step 9: Money as a Tool for Happiness
Description:
This step explores the idea that while money itself may not buy happiness, it can provide the means to acquire things that bring happiness.
Implementation:
- Include quotes from the interviewees who talk about money as a tool for acquiring things that create happiness.
- Discuss the balance between financial success and personal fulfillment.
Specific Details:
- Highlight the interviewees’ perspectives on the role of money in achieving personal happiness.
- Encourage viewers to consider their own values and goals in relation to wealth.
Step 10: Regrets and Lessons Learned
Description:
This step focuses on the interviewees’ reflections on their careers, any regrets they may have, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.
Implementation:
- Present the interviewees’ responses regarding regrets or things they would change in their careers if given the chance.
- Discuss the importance of learning from setbacks and experiences.
Specific Details:
- Include specific examples of regrets or lessons mentioned by the interviewees.
- Convey the idea that personal growth often comes from overcoming challenges.
Step 11: Pride in Career Achievements
Description:
In this step, the video highlights the interviewees’ proudest moments and achievements in their careers.
Implementation:
- Share quotes or clips where the interviewees express pride in specific milestones or accomplishments.
- Celebrate the diversity of achievements, whether in sales, coaching, or contributions to society.
Specific Details:
- Include visual elements, such as images or footage related to the interviewees’ career highlights.
- Showcase the significance of achieving personal and professional goals.
Step 12: Silliest Purchases
Description:
This step adds a touch of humor by featuring the silliest or regrettable purchases made by the interviewees.
Implementation:
- Share anecdotes about humorous or ill-advised purchases mentioned by the interviewees.
- Provide a lighthearted moment to entertain and engage viewers.
Specific Details:
- Keep the tone light and relatable when discussing silly purchases.
- Encourage viewers to share their own funny spending stories in the comments.
Step 13: Best Investments for Self-Development and Family
Description:
This step highlights the importance of investing in self-development and family, both financially and emotionally.
Implementation:
- Share quotes from the interviewees regarding their best investments, which include self-improvement and family well-being.
- Discuss the values associated with prioritizing education, weddings, and community contributions.
Specific Details:
- Emphasize the significance of self-growth and education as long-term investments.
- Showcase how financial support for family members creates a strong sense of responsibility.
Step 14: Community Involvement and Accountability
Description:
In this step, the video discusses the interviewees’ commitment to their communities and the importance of accountability.
Implementation:
- Include segments where the interviewees talk about their involvement in the community, such as funding trade schools and preschools.
- Stress the value of giving back to society and holding oneself accountable.
Specific Details:
- Highlight specific community initiatives or projects supported by the interviewees.
- Encourage viewers to consider their own potential contributions to their communities.
Step 15: Emotional Resonance and Investments
Description:
This step explores the emotional significance of certain investments, such as owning a home in a special location.
Implementation:
- Share quotes or stories from the interviewees about investments that hold deep emotional meaning.
- Convey the idea that financial decisions can also have personal and sentimental value.
Specific Details:
- Use visuals or images of the special locations or investments mentioned.
- Encourage viewers to reflect on the emotional aspects of their own financial decisions.
Step 16: Advice for Starting a Career
Description:
This step offers advice for individuals starting their careers, focusing on avoiding treacherous individuals and cultivating a strong work ethic.
Implementation:
- Present the interviewees’ advice about dealing with untrustworthy people and embracing hard work.
- Address the importance of resilience and determination in one’s career.
Specific Details:
- Include anecdotes or examples of challenges faced by the interviewees and how they overcame them.
- Encourage viewers to be cautious in their professional relationships.
Step 17: Marketing and Creating Need
Description:
This step provides advice for consultants and marketers, emphasizing the importance of creating need rather than solely focusing on credentials.
Implementation:
- Share quotes from the interviewees about effective marketing strategies, including addressing the “what’s in it for me” aspect.
- Discuss the shift from self-promotion to demonstrating the value of one’s offerings.
Specific Details:
- Emphasize the importance of showing the benefits of products or services to potential clients.
- Encourage individuals in marketing and consulting roles to focus on meeting customers’ needs.
Step 18: Advice to Those in Their 20s
Description:
This step offers guidance to individuals in their 20s, suggesting actions like writing things down, seeking mentors, and building a peer network.
Implementation:
- Share the interviewees’ advice to young adults about the importance of recording information, seeking mentorship, and networking.
- Highlight the benefits of these actions in career development.
Specific Details:
- Provide examples of successful individuals who have followed similar advice.
- Encourage viewers to proactively invest in their own growth and development.
Step 19: Inspirational Quotes
Description:
This step compiles inspirational quotes mentioned by the interviewees throughout the video.
Implementation:
- Present the inspirational quotes shared by the interviewees, such as “A rising tide lifts all boats” and “If it is to be, it is up to me.”
- Reflect on the relevance and wisdom of these quotes in the context of personal and professional growth.
Specific Details:
- Emphasize the power of self-reliance and taking initiative in one’s life.
- Encourage viewers to embrace the principles conveyed by these quotes.
Step 20: Video Conclusion and Call to Action
Description:
The final step concludes the video and encourages viewers to explore related content or subscribe to the channel.
Implementation:
- Summarize the key takeaways from the video, emphasizing the insights gained from the interviews.
- Invite viewers to watch related videos or subscribe to the channel for more valuable content.
Specific Details:
- End the video on a positive and motivating note, encouraging viewers to apply the lessons learned.
- Provide a clear call to action, such as subscribing to the channel for future content.
COMPREHENSIVE CONTENT
Introduction
Have you ever wondered if all the sacrifices and hard work that are needed to become rich are even worth it? In this video, I’m going to be asking that exact question to retired millionaires to find out how they got rich and if they have any regrets.
How did you make your money?
Interviewee 1: I’m in the furniture business. We sell mattresses, American-made furniture. I’ve been at it for 40 years, still at it.
Interviewee 2: I was a co-founder of Electronic Arts, the video game company. The thing I invented is called Ethernet. I invented it at Xerox Research in Palo Alto, California.
Interviewee 3: I’m the president of a behavioral consulting firm here in Providence. We had virtually no money in the bank. I had two kids in private school. We bought a big house. I had big plans, and I was fired 15 months later by a guy wearing a cape. My wife said, “What do you want to do?” And I said, “I’m going out on my own. I will never be fired again.” And she said, “Fine, just get serious.” And around 1990 or so, I had published three books, and they were on things that I was consulting on. And this year, 2022, the sixth edition of “Million Dollar Consulting” is on the shelves for 30 years, constantly worth a gazillion dollars.
Childhood Aspirations
Interviewer: When you were a kid, did you think you’d be an astronaut?
Interviewee 4: No, not at all. I never thought I’d be an astronaut. I never thought I would be a pilot. All I wanted to do was get out of school and go to work.
First Salary
Interviewer: Do you remember your first salary after you graduated?
Interviewee 2: I do remember my sophomore year. I had started work, and I was a programmer, and my dad saw my pay stub, and I was making more money than him.
Interviewer: How much does an astronaut make? What’s the range for these different levels?
Interviewee 4: 60 to 70,000 to maybe 110.
Interviewer: I thought astronauts made like half a million dollars.
Interviewee 4: Oh, heck no. This is all civil service. When you went to the private sector, you’re like, “Oh my God, wow, this money.”
Interviewee 5: It’s nice to have money.
Interviewee 6: Yeah, the big difference going to the private sector probably doubled or tripled the salary that you originally had as your business grew.
How Money Improved Life
Interviewer: How did money improve your life?
Interviewee 7: Money didn’t improve our life. I think relationships did. I think relationships are the currency of life, and the better relationships you have with people and with the community, then the better life you’ll lead.
Interviewee 1: So we bought a big house and bought a Corvette. The kids are now taken care of, and now our goal is to spend all of our money before we die.
Interviewee 8: Well, I say money can’t buy happiness, right? But money can buy things that create happiness. Got an American Express Black Card? You can buy a friggin’ Rolls Royce with a Black Card. Don’t kid yourself; we’re in a consumer society here. And I believe that we should be philanthropic. I believe that we should have safety nets. I believe that every person should have valuable health care and education and so forth. But I also believe that talent outs, and since talent outs, you get paid for your talent.
Interviewee 4: How did money improve your life? Oh, it reduces stress a lot. That was a big worry, and I remember actually on my third space flight orbiting the Earth one night…
Regrets and Career Reflection
Interviewer: Looking through the window, kind of taking it easy and thinking, “Whoa, one more year and I can pay off my college debts. Do you have any regrets or would you change anything about your career, and was it worth it?”
Interviewee 1: I regret I didn’t spend more time with my kids when they were growing up because I put a lot of my efforts into the business trying to grow it into something for them to hold on to and something to be good for the community. But my kids turned out to be great people, so their mother did a great job raising them.
Interviewee 2: I have no regrets. Just looking forward to the future. I have no regrets at all. You learn from defeats; you learn from setbacks. In fact, sometimes the learning is even greater. I think the one thing that, if I would do something differently, and I’m asked that question a lot, I didn’t collect enough names when I was younger. Now we didn’t have the technology we have today, you know, you couldn’t just create a spreadsheet or a FileMaker Pro or something, but I still could have written them down. If I had a regret, it’s hard to say it worked out so well for me.
Interviewee 3: My life is so good; I am reluctant to answer any questions about the past and changing it or regretting it because it’s just hard to imagine it working out better. But a partial answer to that question is I wish I had learned how to sell earlier. My regret in my 20s is I didn’t create enough historical artifacts. You know, write stuff down, write down your ideas, write down your plans. That becomes then data.
Interviewee 4: I don’t have any regrets. Money is not the metric that I use for success, and so consequently, I just enjoyed flying so much and contributing to the defense of the country and to NASA and scientific investigations. So, it was a good match for me.
Proud Moments
Interviewer: What are your most proud of moments of your career?
Interviewee 5: Going from zero to a million dollars a month as head of sales. During that time, I had to figure out how to sell. I had to recruit a sales team, and we did it. These kids that worked for me, a lot of them are barely out of high school, a lot of them have had criminal records, but we’re giving them a chance. We’re trying to help them turn their life around and turn generations around for the next five generations.
Interviewer: In your career, what have you been proudest of?
Interviewee 6: What I’m proud of is I can look around every day and see this global community of people I coach and I bring together, and how most of them, who can get out of their own way, are prospering. To me, that’s tremendously valuable because to play a small role in people’s success on a daily basis is hugely rewarding.
Silly Expenses
Interviewer: What is the silliest thing you’ve spent money on?
Interviewee 7: The silliest thing? I once bought a Jeep Grand Wagoneer, and I checked Consumer Reports; it was like two and a half stars out of five, and I thought, “Can’t be that bad.” Within a year, we came out to the house one morning, and it was gone. I called and reported it to the cops; they’d been stolen. And they called back a couple of hours later and said, “Good news, we found it.” I said, “Yeah, even the thieves who’ve just stolen this thing, they don’t want it. It wasn’t broken down; it hadn’t run out of gas. They just got one and went, ‘We hate this.'”
Interviewee 8: I bought a 1972 American Motors Hornet at one time, and that only lasted me a couple hundred thousand miles before it got washed out to sea in Houston during a hurricane. I almost killed myself with a fast boat. I bought a 50-knot boat, and if you hit a granite ledge at 50 knots, your boat virtually explodes. My current boat cruises at 12 knots, which is plenty.
Best Money Spent (Continued)
Interviewee 9: The best money I’ve ever spent has been twofold: on my own self-development. It was very important so I could learn things, and for my family, it was very important so we could enjoy things as a loving group. Money spent on family is very important because it also conveys certain values to people. My kids had no college loans because I paid for that college education. I felt it was my responsibility. I paid for my daughter’s wedding; that’s my responsibility. I’m big on accountability, which seems to be disappearing these days. I have a trade school here that I fund out of my pocket that teaches plumbing, electricity, construction skills for people for free, and I have a preschool for six months to five years old. We’ve got a lot of stuff going on to make us relevant in the community.
Interviewee 10: Well, our kids went to good schools; that was the best investment. I think maybe the best one is in Sun Valley. We got a house here when our kids were young, so we built a home with kind of a deep emotional resonance. So I think that deep emotional resonance is pretty important.
Interviewer: So, someone’s just starting out in their career, or if you could go back in time, like what would you want to tell that person or your children?
Interviewee 9: There are a lot of very treacherous people out there, and by that, I mean they are basically people out for themselves. Those are the sorts of people you want to avoid. Get rid of your sense of entitlement; life’s hard, get used to it. I did a sales course for Houston Community College, and one of the kids asked me a question, “Well, when you’re an entrepreneur and things don’t go your way, what do you do?” I said, “You get up in the morning, you put your big girl and big boy britches on, and you go back to work.”
That’s kind of like a prizefighter saying, “I want to be a prizefighter, but I don’t ever want to get hit in the face.” It ain’t going to happen. Stop calling yourself a coach, a consultant, a facilitator, or a trainer, whatever the hell you call yourself. There are a lot of excellent consultants and coaches and trainers and so forth who are broke because they can’t market.
Nobody wants to hear about your credentials, nobody wants to hear about your testimonials, nobody wants to hear about your methodology. What they want to hear is, “What’s in it for me?” So it’s not what you do; it’s what you create, and that’s the essence of marketing—creating need. So stop telling me about yourself and tell me why I’ll be better off after you walk away. My advice to people in their 20s is write stuff down, recruit a mentor, and build a peer network.
Quotes to Live By
Interviewee 11: What quotes do you live by?
Interviewee 12: “A rising tide rarely lifts all boats.” You still have to be good when the tide is rising. You can’t look at the wake of the boat; you have to look through the windshield.
Interviewee 9: “If it is to be, it is up to me.” That’s called the great American virtue of self-reliance. Get up, get off your [beep], and go to work.
Interviewer: If you like this video, you are going to love this video right up here where I knock on millionaires’ doors and ask them how to get rich. And make sure to subscribe to the channel if you haven’t already. Uncle Noah loves you, and I’ll see you out there. Pew pew.
