Billionaire Shares His Success Secret

Bill Bartmann is well qualified to talk about what it takes"Until you're aware of what you're doing you have no
to be successful. He is a billionaire, about the 25thchoice but to continue doing it."
richest man in the world and has earned the accoladeHowever, at age 17, Bartmann was not aware that he
of "Entrepreneur of the Year". However, life for Billcontinually put himself down until one night he was
Bartmann started out very differently.driving with Kathy, just 14 at the time, at his side when
Bartmann was one of eight children. His parents wereshe suddenly slapped the dashboard and said,
uneducated and so could not command well-paying"Pull over! Stop the car! Let me out!"
jobs. He describes having to move frequently andShocked, he obliged. She told him that she never
even being turned out of dwellings because they werewanted to see him again. She told him that she loved
deemed not fit for human habitation.him but that he was always putting himself down. She
He has been homeless and was once part of ahad had enough.
travelling carnival. He's a former high school dropout.He was stunned. He had no idea. He loved this young
He was a teenage alcoholic and a member of agirl and he did not want to lose her. He pleaded with
teenage gang called known as the Manor Boys. Heher explaining that it was a habit he did unconsciously.
was also the smallest member weighing in at justHe said he would change. She relented and agreed to
98lbs. This didn't stop him from picking fights with thestay. While change wasn't easy the alternative didn't
'big' boys. In some ways it's a trait that has stuck withbear contemplating. He steadily built his self-esteem. He
him - not so much picking fights - but there'stook the GED exam and put himself through college
audaciousness to many of his business ventures thatand law school.
leave many wide-eyed with wonder.Kathy has been by his side ever since, eventually
He truly understands the concept of risk and reward.becoming Bartmann's wife; they've been married now
A big risk can result in a huge pay-off, but if itfor 33 years. And, as further testament to her how
backfires it can leave a large dent in your pocket andsavvy she is, she is his business partner, has been on
bank balance. Bill Bartmann has experienced boththe cover of Forbes and has been individually listed in
extremes. He has been a pauper, a millionaire, bankruptthe Forbes 400 wealthiest people in America. As you
and a billionaire.can tell Mrs Bartmann deserves a story of her own
It just shows that it's not your circumstances thatbut back to Mr Bartmann.
make an individual wealthy. It's your mindset. He couldIt takes a diamond-hard resolve, an iron-clad
lose everything today and tomorrow he would simplyself-esteem to endure the ups and downs that he has
start to rebuild his fortune.experienced and earn the respect that he has
In a recent interview for Virtual Seminar Week, Alexgarnered from individuals as diverse as Mother
Mandosian asked Bill Bartmann what was in his viewTheresa, Mohammed Ali and Clarence Thomas (U.S.
the key to success. Bartmann replied that he couldSupreme Court Justice).
sum up the key to success to just one thing,Sure he's been tested. He's had his self-doubts, even
something which he had identified at a young age. Ibouts of depression - he wouldn't be human otherwise.
held my breath. This is what he said,However, when your self esteem is strong and when
"All the successful people I knew in life had highyou are clear about your core values - the things you
self-esteem and all the losers had low self-esteem."stand for and what you are unwilling to compromise
Why was I expecting this billionaire to say somethingon - then you bounce back from these lows. And
different, more profound maybe? We ofteneach time you bounce back just a little bit higher.
complicate things unnecessarily. The truth is often veryAgain, reinforcing the role that self-esteem or
simple and staring us in the face as is beautifully andself-image plays in our ability to grow, one just needs
humorously illustrated in Russell Conwell's Acres ofto take a look at the content of Bartmann's seminars.
Diamonds.He doesn't teach people about the stock market, real
Also to quote Harv Ecker,estate or any other way to generate income. His
"You can have the greatest business strategies in theseminars take a different approach, a more
world but if you don't have the mindset to go alongfundamental approach. He knows and appreciates the
with them you won't use them."importance of self-esteem and the powerful tools he
Our self-image drives everything that we do and ourteaches are equable applicable to life as they are to
self-image is inexorably linked to our self-esteem andbusiness.
self-confidence. Improve your self-esteem andHe promises "no tear-jerking or any tugging at your
improvements in your life will naturally follow. Having aemotions". Yet, how can you not be emotionally
high self-esteem is indeed the key to success.moved by his story and is it not by allowing ourselves
When Bartmann was growing up his self-esteem wasto be swept away by the emotional charge of this
low. He gives credit to his childhood sweetheart, Kathy,"rags to riches" tale that gives us hope that we too
for opening his eyes to this fact. It is as Barbaracan achieve great success in our lives?
D'Angelis says,