Here Are The Principles You Need to Know to Help You Act and Think Like A Success (Part One)
If you grew up in the ‘90’s you likely associate Steve Harvey with his sitcom and his Kings of Comedy fame. However, today he’s evolved into more than we could have ever imagined. Now, the man we saw every week on our televisions walking the halls as Mr. Hightower has a presence on every media platform from the small screen to the big screen and then some.
He currently hosts a radio show, a talk show and a game show and in between writes books, and is involved in film. His first book, Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man became a best-seller and ultimately two movies. Now he’s moving away from just offering relationship advice, he’s offering advice on something more universal – how to become a success.
“You have to dream so big that not achieving it is unimaginable. Then you start going for it,” Steve Harvey told us.
You might be thinking, ‘sure, that sounds easy coming from someone who is a mega-success like Steve Harvey.’ But his story, like many other success stories, is not as straightforward as it appears.
For one, he lived in his car for a few years and was homeless during his effort to make it as a comedian. On top of that, even after his rise to fame, in 2005 he lost it all and had to essentially start over with no job in sight and just $1,700 in his bank account.
Reflections on that rocky journey took form in Harvey’s latest book released last September titled Act Like A Success, Think Like A Success. And he partnered with Strayer University to produce the Act Like A Success conference which took place over the weekend of March 6th.
The conference featured speakers including life coach Doreen Rainey, match maker and host Paul C. Brunson, money expert Patrice C. Washington, motivational speaker Lisa Nichols and several others. Some speakers took to the main stage for riveting speeches while others led intimate breakout sessions.
“Once you learn the principles to success nobody can take that from you,” Harvey told a roomful of journalists after he delivered an inspiring and funny keynote to a packed ballroom at the Hyatt in Reston Virginia.
One of those principles he spoke about is sharing the success. This is HerAgenda.com so you should know that the Act Like A Success conference is produced by a woman named Doreen Rainey, who he gives full credit to.
“I didn’t do none of this, I just got off the plane. I have a woman who is absolutely capable and brilliant who put this whole thing together. This my conference but guess what? Its got my name on it, but I have a person who I partner with,” Harvey explained when we asked him how he manages all of his projects, including this conference.
“You have to be willing to share in the rise. You have to have profit sharing programs so people know they apart of your business. You can’t just make the money and don’t share the money. You can’t get a house and get up on the hill and don’t show nobody else how to get on the hill.”
Her Agenda was there for it all, and lucky for you we took notes on everything. Here are the highlights from Steve Harvey’s Act Like A Success Conference presented by Strayer University [PART 1]:
Doreen Rainey was also the hostess of the conference. Before Steve Harvey partnered with Strayer University on this, she actually was the lead organizer of a conference called Radical Success that was aimed at empowering women. Many of her past conference elements remained in this year’s version but with a broader perspective — including both men and women speakers.
She opened by explaining a few success principles:
Lesson 1: Act. Think. Be. -Steve Harvey
- Get in the process of going where you want to go by acting like you’re already there.
- What do people act like who are financially free? Who are healthy?
- You can be selfless while engaging in self care.
- We have a habit of keeping our word to other people even at a detriment to ourselves.
Lesson 2: Being committed to your goals is only half the battle. Your responsibility is to make sure you stay fully committed.
- When you set a goal that seems impossible. You will do more than you ever thought possible.
- When setting goals, your stomach should flip. You should feel like you’re going to throw up.
- Go big but be very specific.
Lesson 3: Big goals are hard. And big goals will cost you something. What price are you willing to pay?
- Where you are right now is the direct result of the choices you have made. You cannot produce big dreams from a victim mentality. You produce big dreams from a position of power.
Lesson 4: You can’t do it alone
Enough said.
Lesson 5: It’s always worth it!
- You have to remind yourself of the rewards otherwise you get caught up in your daily circumstances. The finish line gives you energy!
Lesson 6: Don’t forget the first five lessons.
- You can accomplish a goal and get real lazy. Is there a goal you need to recommit to?
Read on for our notes from Paul C. Brunson’s Billionaire Mindset and Habits for Success talk.
Billionaire Mindset and Habits for Success, Paul C. Brunson
Paul C. Brunson opened by sharing a quote from the Dalai Lama that serves as part of the reason he loves to share so much. “Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.” He recognized that his billionaire bosses always practiced this principle.
One of Brunson’s goals, as he expressed several times is to join the “B Club”– the elite individuals able to call themselves billionaires. He’s actually worked for two billionaires in his lifetime (Oprah Winfrey and Enver Yucel). So naturally, he shared with us some billionaire habits he picked up.
Habit 1: You must become a master story teller.
- You need to aim to be the chief story teller. Telling stories about who you are and your company can help you attract and inspire the things you need to grow and move closer towards what you want to accomplish.
Habit 2: You must invest in yourself.
- The dividends you receive tomorrow is only based on the education you receive today.
- Know your industry. Know the top players in your industry and their skills.
- If you focus on what you do badly the best you will ever be at that is mediocre.
- Focus on what you’re good at. If you’re good at it now you can become great at it tomorrow.
Habit 3: Surround yourself with people better than you.
- It’s so easy for us to let mediocre people just exist in our lives. But we have to realize that the higher our standards, the higher quality of life we have.
- We often want the path of least resistance. But Brunson references research that says as human beings we can only have 150 friends. He also believes your opportunities don’t come from those you are closest to. They’re often from friend number 149 or 150.
Habit 4: Never eat alone
- Focus on your network.
- The news of yesterday can only be found on the blogs and newspapers of today. But the news of tomorrow can only be found in the minds of people. Billionaires stay ahead because they’re interacting with the newsmakers of tomorrow.
- Always make sure you are giving. Give give give and then ask.
Habit 5: Be great at one thing.
- And build on that. Start laser focused and small and grow. Brunson used Oprah as an example (she started out as a journalist/field reporter, then moved to the anchor chair, then became a talk show host).
