He was an overweight kid with a bad stutter.
He didn’t do well in school. In fact, he says he “flagged” more than one assignment (a nicer way of saying got an “F”.)
He tried out for sports—something he loved and thought he was good at—and didn’t make the team.
In high school, when he showed his family what he wanted to do, they laughed at him.
When he told his friends what he wanted to do, they said there was no way he would succeed and told him he’d fail in six months or less.
His dad, who was a great salesman, tried to teach him how to sell. But he was a terrible salesman. In fact, he was so bad, his dad tried to set up a sure fire sale by calling a business owner ahead of time and telling him he would cover the cost of the product if he would just give his son a little bit of a hard time but then say ‘yes’ and buy the product. Even with the set-up, he still didn’t make the sale.
He struggled and failed his whole life.
And yet he went on to become one of the greatest American success stories, motivating millions and driving well over a billion dollars in sales.
His name? Celebrity entrepreneur and fitness guru, Jake Steinfeld.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Jake Steinfeld appeared on stage at MGM Hollywood Theater in Las Vegas and on national TV.
If you’ve never seen him, he’s hilarious. He had the audience in stitches as he told one funny story after another about growing up as “a fat Jewish kid who stuttered.”
He told some of his “most embarrassing moment” stories like the time he got hired by Casa Blanca Records to pose on stage as the “Macho Man” for a Village People concert.
He talked about his failures, how he got his first client and a few of the breaks he caught along the way such as when he was hired to train Harrison Ford for an Indiana Jones movie.
If you don’t know his story, Jake started out as a personal trainer and soon experienced worldwide stardom. He’d train people on TV using nothing but a broomstick, chair, towel and borrowed fitness equipment. He grew his business primarily through direct-marketing.
During his live show in Las Vegas, he shared some great wisdom on success:
Life is about moments. Jake talked about when he discovered weightlifting and how that moment changed his confidence, his body and his life. That moment was the first spark of discovering what he was passionate about. If you’re not careful, you can miss the most important moments—the ones that can change your life.
Hang around positive people who will support your dreams. Jake said that when he told his friends he wanted to move to California and become a bodybuilder, they laughed at him and told him he’d never succeed. He decided to take a look at who he was hanging out with and choose to find positive people that would encourage him, instead of knocking him down. Finding people like that led him to hanging around successful people and put him in the position to be in the “right place at the right time.”
Do what you are passionate about. Jake says when his dad tried to teach him to be a salesman, he was terrible because he wasn’t passionate about what his dad was selling. Jake’s passion is body building and fitness. He said that when he would hear in his mind his friends saying there was no way he would succeed, it just fueled him even more to do whatever it took to succeed. He says if you don’t love what you are doing it’s hard to motivate yourself and do what is necessary to keep going.
Never quit. Jake has met a lot of uber successful people. He says, “You know what, they are just like you and me.” The only difference he says is that they never quit on their dream and never let no be the answer.
Great reminders about how to be successful. But one of the best things he said was what happens too often when you get an idea. He said, you go to bed excited about your idea and the next morning before you’ve had a cup of coffee or read the morning paper, you’ve found 18 reasons to give up and not do it. He said that you stop yourself.
You really can have a business you’re passionate about. You really can succeed beyond your wildest dreams doing something you love. You don’t have to be the brightest or have the best education or the most money. There are real opportunities out there if you are just willing to grab your chance, put yourself in a position to be around successful, positive people, follow your passion and never quit.
NOTE: Life is about moments. The ones you take advantage of and the ones you let pass by. Right now you are being presented with a once-in-a-lifetime moment… your chance to meet and hear from the man who combined his street smarts, believing in himself and direct marketing through media to create millions and millions of customers, loyal fans attributing life transformations to his influence, billions of dollars in sales, and serious mega wealth for himself.
He’ll show you how to promote yourself, your brand, your message, and your business…and how to inspire, motivate, influence and persuade. Plus he invites you to bring your ideas and get together with the successful entrepreneurial minds that will be in the room to make it happen for yourself.
Don’t let this moment pass you by.
Find out how you can transform your business and your life…go to www.dankennedy.com/infosummit
