I was doing a little research on billionaire profiles when it kind of dawned on me that they all have 3 major things in common. And no, it’s not the amount of zeroes their paychecks have, where they vacation for the summer months (yes, months at a time), or who tailors their clothes. They all got where they are because they . . .
- Materialized their plans,
- Maximized their tools, and
- Mobilized their efforts towards their resulting success.
J.K. Rowling
Anyone ever heard of J.K. Rowling? Well, for those of you who don’t keep up with what’s going on in the world, she is the mastermind of the Harry Potter empire.
She is a British author, best known as the creator of the Harry Potter fantasy series, the idea for which was conceived whilst on a train trip from Manchester to London in 1990. The Potter books have gained worldwide attention, won multiple awards, and sold more than 400 million copies.
Aside from writing the Potter novels, Rowling is equally famous for her “rags to riches” life story, in which she progressed from living on welfare to multi-millionaire status within five years. The 2008 Sunday Times Rich List estimated Rowling’s fortune at £560 million ($1.1 billion), ranking her as the twelfth richest woman in Britain. Forbes ranked Rowling as the forty eighth most powerful celebrities of 2007, and Time Magazine named her as a runner-up for its 2007 Person of the Year, noting the social, moral, and political inspiration she has given her fans.
According to dictionary.com, to materialize is to come into perceptible existence. She organized her ideas of the Harry Potter stories into a plan. That plan carried her into her destiny. Having a plan keeps you on the road to success. Do you think great novels get written out of the air? Authors create character biographies, generate scene descriptions, and develop PLANS for the structure of their books.
“The sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was released on 16 July 2005. It too broke all sales records, selling nine million copies in its first 24 hours of release. While writing, she told a fan online,
“Book six has been planned for years, but before I started writing seriously I spend two months re-visiting the plan and making absolutely sure I knew what I was doing.”
In J.K. Rowling’s amazing rags to riches story she finished her first Harry Potter manuscript on an old manual typewriter. She didn’t have a computer or the latest software to get her vision out of her head. She maximized the tools she already had in order to accomplish her goals. If you’re spending more money on advertising than you’re bringing in with new clientele then you have a serious problem on your hands. Maximize the clients you have already and have them right testimonials for you, ask for referrals, or offer discounts on future products and services. To maximize is to make the greatest or fullest use of something. If you’ve provided excellent customer service, don’t be ashamed to use your clients . . . you’ve earned it!
Once Rowling was done with her first manuscript, she mobilized her plans, her resources, and tools toward obtaining a literary agent and ultimately a publisher for her billion-dollar baby.
“Upon the enthusiastic response of Bryony Evans, a reader who had been asked to review the book’s first three chapters, the Fulham-based Christopher Little Literary Agents agreed to represent Rowling in her quest for a publisher. The book was submitted to twelve publishing houses, all of which rejected the manuscript. A year later she was finally given the green light (and a £1500 advance) by Editor Barry Cunningham from Bloomsbury, a small British publishing house in London, England.”
Just as an army mobilizes its infantry you have to bring everything to the table and prepare for battle. Then you have to run after your success like one chases after the front runner of a marathon.
So, you want to be a billionaire? It’s not impossible if you remember these three key principles;
- Materialization – Not having a plan is like stepping up to the plate, hitting a home run, and not knowing which way to go once the ball is in the air. Materialize those billion dollar ideas onto paper and secure your path to success!
- Maximization – Use every available tool to its fullest potential. Don’t spend money you don’t have to; upgrade that old computer, download free software to design your own brochures, and ask your current clients for referrals to get new business!
- Mobilization – Set your plans in motion and run after your success!
What plans do you have for the future? Can you visualize yourself as a millionaire or even a billionaire down the road? What can you do that you aren’t doing now to become the same kind of success story? Sound off in the comments below!
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About the Author
Rod
