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Mike Litman Success Interview

Josh Hinds: Hi Mike, I appreciate you taking the time to do this interview. Mike, you're the co-author of the wildly successful book "Conversations With Millionaires". I'm sure everyone wants to hear how the idea came about, but before we get into that could you tell everyone your background, that is some of the events in your life that led up to your doing Conversations With Millionaires.

MikeLitman: Before I begin, I'd like to take a moment and thank you -- Josh for all the amazing work and resources you so freely share. People can learn a ton from watching you and taking those same powerful principles and living them.

Here's my story. The Cliff Notes version.

Ever since I was 17 years old I've been reading books on personal development, business, pyschology, marketing. It's safe to say, I've read over 2,300 books in this area.

At this young age I began to 'dream' for the first time. After being heavily influenced by Tony Robbins and others my life's purpose came to me. I've always dreamed of creating a platform that could positively impact thousands and then millions of people.

In 1998, just a few years out of college (University of Rhode Island), I'd already had 3 different jobs and was fed up. I thought I knew enough to start a marketing consulting business. So I tried. It failed miserably, though what did happen, is I was asked by my parents accountant to appear on his local general interest radio show to talk on marketing.

I had never thought about doing radio once in my life before then. I enjoyed being a guest, then I inquired about getting my own show. I bought air time and for the next 9 months interviewed people I'd admired for years. I wanted to talk with these individuals and really find the pattern of success. How do the successful get there?

Names like Mark Victor Hansen, Les Brown, Wally 'Famous' Amos, Jack Canfield, Michael Gerber And more...

After 9 months I stopped because I couldn't make it work as a 'business'. In February 2001 I started my dream again and went for it. I left a $100,000 a year job shortly before and said "I'm going for my dreams, what I want."

Since February 2001, The Mike Litman Show has grown to be heard in 1240AM in Long Island, NY and in 36 countries worlwide. Names like Tony Robbins, Robert Allen, Jim Rohn, Rich Dad Poor Dad's co-author Sharon Lechter, Dan Millman, and tons more have appeared.

Josh Hinds: Can you share with us the story of "Conversations With Millionaires"? That is how the idea came about, what steps you and your partner Jason Oman took to promote it to the point that it reached such stellar success, including the number one sales ranking spot on Amazon.com. How important was having a team in place to help you all reach the level of success you're having with it.

Mike Litman: Great question. In February 2001, I received a phone call from 3000 miles away. I was in NY, the call came from California.

It was a friend I had met once before, 3 years ago. His name is Jason Oman. Jason called me and said "You know those radio show tapes from when you did your show 3 years ago, collecting dust in your parents basement."

I said "Yes."

Jason said "Let's get them transcribed and turn them into a book called, Conversations with Millionaires."

We then went on to get many rejections by publishers, so we self-published it instead, the book has been #1 on amazon.com 4 times and the rights have been sold in multiple languages.

Here's a secret to accelerated success. Do you want to know it?

Find a partner who is strong where you're weak and who is weak where you're strong. Have common trust, have a common purpose. Tap into what Napoleon Hill called the Mastermind Principle. The reason why my growth has been quickened is because 1+1 doesn't equal 2, it equals 11.

Josh Hinds: How important is networking in your opinion? And what steps can someone take to increase the value of their network.

Mike Litman: Holy smokes! I would need 5 pages to answer this question, though here's a brief answer to this great question. Very. How important is networking? The answer is Very.

The difference between myself and most others is I make a CONSCIOUS decision to build my network daily.

As my friend and author of Love is the Killer App, Tim Sanders says, the size of your network equals the size of your networth.

Do you want to get where you want to go faster?

Of course, and you and I have heard this "You get everything in life you want from other people." So is a powerful network important?

One more thing, to increase the value of your network is simple.

Build yourself and become more valuable. The commitment to building yourself daily is the most important thing you can do.

Josh Hinds: You use the term "Loverage" -- what is it and how can someone benefit from putting it into practice.

Mike Litman: Wow, Josh... you sure know my material -- thanks for asking some insightful questions today. Here's a brief answer and a way for the reader to get the whole enchilada.

Want to know the most powerful force in the world? You're about to get it.

You see love and leverage are the two most powerful forces in the universe. What if you combined them? What could that do for your business?

Loverage is a concept that myself and my partner Jason Oman created. It's also going to be featured in the upcoming book The One Minute Millionaire by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert Allen.

Loverage is using love and leverage to help others help you. It's a 4 step magical formula for tapping into people's hearts, minds, and wallets.

Josh Hinds: Mike, if you had to choose your three most successful habits what would they be?

Mike Litman: Habit 1. - Going the extra mile for others.

Habit 2 - Listening

Habit 3 - Exude energy and passion into all my work.

Josh Hinds: What are your favorite Three Books of all time? And what did you find most valuable about them?

Mike Litman: Great question.

1) Riches Within Your Reach - Robert Collier - The best chapters on desire and how to ignite it, you'll ever read.

2) The Law of Success - Napoleon Hill - Think and Grow Rich is the cliff notes. The most comprehensive study of success is found in this classic. 17 principles to self mastery are beautifully described

3) How to win friends and influence people - Dale Carnegie The world is self consumed and only cares about themselves. When you realize this, the world becomes your oyster. Get the skills here.

Here are a few other authors to check out - Frank Bettger, Stuart Wilde, Elmer Wheeler, Marianne Williamson, Albert Lewis Pelton, William Walker Atkinson and Brown Landone.

Josh Hinds: What Strategy or Method do you use to manage your time?

Mike Litman: In my book Conversations with Millionaires, Jim Rohn talks about planning your time in advance. Begin the day with it already 'finished'. It's a great strategy for managing and guarding your time.

Josh Hinds: What do you do to keep yourself motivated?

Mike Litman: It's important to know what you want. Here's a point For people to think about. We're told that we should always be in a state of contentment.

In Robert Collier's Riches Within Your Reach he talks about the 'Gospel of Discontentment'. Every advance in society is accomplished because the person wasn't satisfied in an area of their life. Think about this.

Josh Hinds: Can you touch on the importance of having mentors and how having them has directly impacted your life?

Mike Litman: Having a great mentor in so important. You should be reading, listening to tapes. Find a mentor for yourself, go the extra mile for them first.

The best way to find a great mentor is to first give. Give them a reason for them to want to exchange their time to help you learn something.

Josh Hinds: What are some of the necessary ingredients you believe people must acquire in order to become successful?

Mike Litman: If I write to much this point will get lost, so I'll just mention this one thing.

You must have a burning obsession. When you do, you'll ignite your will and begin to attract what you truly deserve. The universe desires to give you everything you want, you just have to get out of your own way. Send fear to the rear.

Josh Hinds: How successful do you feel at this point in your life? What other goals do you have in mind?

Mike Litman: I'm just starting. After I positively impact 50 million people, ask me this question again.

Taking our book Conversations with Millionaires to #1 on The New York Times Book List is a goal of mine that is actualizing as we speak.

Josh Hinds: Mike, I appreciate you taking the time to be with us. Is there anything else you'd like to share with our audience?

Mike Litman: Yes and it's this. Who you really are is so damn powerful that if you really knew your own power it would scare the living daylights out of you first.

Your living with 'invented' negative beliefs that you didn't ask for and you're telling yourself stories that are an absolute illusion.

Your birthright is abundance. Your birthright is riches. THAT'S who - you - really are. Your creator brought you here to shine. It's about time you turned your light on bright, isn't it?