I admit, the headline of this article may be a bit of a stretch, as the subject is actually a reformed crackhead. OK, the whole “crackhead” part may be a bit much. I actually wanted to use “whore-monger,” but figured that was pushing it. But the truth is, he does admit to having spent more than his fair share on a lifestyle of “narcotics, high-class whores, drink and consolatory debauchery” (aka – a Wednesday night in Jersey).
Like any good headline, a book’s title alone should make you hungry to learn more. I read a lot of “how-to” and self-help titles for entrepreneurs. Over the weekend, someone recommended a title that came out last year which I hadn’t heard of before: How to Get Rich: One of the World’s Greatest Entrepreneurs Shares His Secrets by Felix Dennis.
If it had just been “How to Get Rich,” I wouldn’t have given it a second look. Please, enough of the get-rich-quick crap already. See, it’s the subtitle that really caught my attention: “One of the World’s Greatest Entrepreneurs Shares His Secrets.” In my mind, this legitimized the title’s claim, and gave it enough credibility for me to want to discover more about the book and author.
"If you will not believe in yourself, then why should anyone else?" - Felix Dennis
Felix Dennis is a self-made serial media entrepreneur and founder of popular magazine titles such as Maxim and The Week. He also co-founded MicroWarehouse, a $2 billion computer mail order company. Felix is the real deal, and claims his own wealth in the $400-$900 million range. Others estimate it to be closer to $1.5 billion. Oh, what the heck… figure a billion, give or take a few hundred million. And just imagine, his worth would be even higher were it not for the $100 million or so he claims to have blown on drink, coke and whores during a decade of decadence. Ahhh, the 90’s…
But now that he’s cleaned up his act, Felix is sharing some of his success secrets that have helped him get to where he is today. According to a recent BusinessWeek article, he says he wants to help his readers at least reach the realm of the “lesser rich” – by his definition, those with a net worth of $30-$80 million. (What – sounds too far-fetched? C’mon… Think big! I’ll let you know how it all works out for me in a few years.)
I read the reviews and decided to buy the book. (I don’t buy anything without first reading the reviews.) Fortunately, Amazon had an ebook version available. So, thanks to my Kindle, within 30 seconds, I was curled up on the couch with a sixty-year old reformed crackhead on a cold winter’s night (oh, that just sounds so, sooo wrong). While I haven’t quite finished the book yet, I can tell you there are some gems in there that are worth many times the criminally low $2.38 I paid for it.
For example, here are a few morsels of entrepreneurial wisdom I jotted down:
- I am convinced that fear of failing in the eyes of the world is the single biggest impediment to amassing wealth.
- All around us, every day, opportunities to get rich are popping up. The more alert you are, the more chance you have of spotting them.
- If it flies, floats, or fornicates, rent it. It’s cheaper.
- Ownership isn’t the important thing. It’s the only thing.
- It is how ideas are implemented that counts in the long run.
- Wishing for or desiring something is futile without an inner compulsion to achieve it.
- Persistence is not quite as important as self-belief. Persistence merely offers a second or third bite at the cherry. Your belief in yourself brought you to the cherry bowl in the first place.
- Listening is the most powerful weapon after self-belief and persistence you can bring into play as an entrepreneur.
- All error springs from flawed assumptions. If there are no assumptions, there can be no error. (He goes on to quote a Vietnam War marine commander: “Assumption is the mother of all f*ck-ups.”)
I’m having that last one turned into sign so I can hang it on my wall.
If you’re an entrepreneur or aspire to be one, get the book. You’ll have a hard time finding a better investment for under ten bucks. At the very least, be sure to at least check out his 10 Commandments for Getting Rich. I admit, I have broken quite a few of them. Yes, I have sinned. But hopefully… it’s not too late for me to repent.
PS – Thanks, Felix! Hope you and your army of lawyers have a sense of humor about that whole “crackhead” thing. 
[Photo Credit: dewaltbob]
