Over the course of my career as a writer and host of The Richer Way podcast, I’ve interviewed over 100 millionaires.
I started the podcast because I wanted to help people take more control of their finances. My goal is to share advice from highly successful people about how they dealt with setbacks and came out stronger on the other end.
Getting to know these entrepreneurs, executives and industry leaders, I’ve had a chance to learn about what sets them apart. These millionaires are charismatic and commanding, know how to delegate and have razor-like focus. They don’t sit around waiting for anything, certainly not luck, because they make their own.
Here are four habits they all share:
1. They embrace failure and uncertainty
Virgin Group founder Richard Branson told me that one of the biggest lessons he has learned over the course of his career is: “You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.”
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Real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran agreed. She said “you must learn not to second guess yourself.” She often uses a “fake it till you make it” mindset to work through her biggest fears.
Similarly, Kim Kiyosaki, an entrepreneur and the co-founder of the Rich Dad Company, recalled being fired from her first job at an ad agency. But rather than take it to heart, she realized she wasn’t meant to work for someone else, and devoted herself to building a career in real estate.
2. They’re highly disciplined
When I asked Jaspreet Singh, CEO of Briefs Media and founder of the Minority Mindset, about the secret to becoming a millionaire, he attributed his success to a sense of discipline.
“It takes a lot of discipline to get up when you don’t feel like it, get to work before everyone else, stay after everyone else, and keep working when people say you’re working too hard.” Singh said. “But if you want a life that most people dream of, you can’t keep doing what the majority of people do.”
Tax and legal expert Mark J. Kohler agreed. He told me that “a lack of experience or knowledge can be mitigated with hard work and passion for what you believe in.”
3. They don’t let their past dictate their future
Two self-made millionaires I interviewed, Derik Fay, the founder of 3F Management, and Lynette Khalfani-Cox, who is known as The Money Coach, spoke candidly about their experiences overcoming adversity in their youth.
“I grew up in Rhode Island, lived in Section 8 housing, and endured extreme poverty and abuse,” Fay said. “For the longest time, I thought my childhood was going to define me as a victim. Then I discovered that the exact things I thought had destroyed me, once I embraced them, had the power to redefine me.”
“My family was quite poor when I was growing up. My dad was a shoeshiner, and my mom was a cashier and secretary,” Khalfani-Cox recalled. “Together, my parents had five daughters and they were always struggling financially.”
Today, Fay runs a company that helps other entrepreneurs grow their businesses. And Khalfani-Cox is dedicated to helping others achieve their own financial success.
While their past shaped them, and in many ways informed the careers that they have chosen, they made sure that they never felt trapped or defined by it.
4. They confront challenges head on
Author, financial expert and self-made millionaire Suze Orman told me that learning to confront unexpected challenges can lead to even more growth and success, even if in the moment, it feels like an impossible task.
In 2020, Orman had a major health scare. She learned that she had a non-cancerous tumor that had been growing on her spine for the better part of 15 years. She was scared, but she knew that in order to feel better and heal, she had to adapt and act. She didn’t let fear paralyze her.
When I interviewed her during a difficult time in my own life, she shared one of her favorite phrases with me: “Fear, shame and anger are the three things that keep you from having more.”
She was right. I took that advice to heart and it helped me transform my life for the better.
NB: Jaime Catmull is a personal finance expert with over 16 years of experience. She has worked with Fortune 500 companies, interviewed top CEO’s, celebrities and entrepreneurs, finding out their top investing and personal finance advice.
