When Start Late, Finish Rich was released, David Bach was in the news. People still talk about that book and one of his newer books, The Automatic Millionaire. Maybe you’re tired of hearing about David. After all, what’s he got that you don’t?
He’s become an international celebrity of money management in the last 10 years. At 37 years old, he’s written a string of bestsellers, has appeared on Oprah twice, and has a standing appointment with CNN every Thursday morning as their resident expert on personal finances. How did this happen? Is it because he knows so much more about financial planning than anyone else?
David’s the first one to admit that it’s not that he knows more than other financial professionals. He’s built much of his success on one simple idea: pay yourself first. Ever heard that before? Probably a hundred times. So if David’s not reinventing the wheel, why are people flocking to him for advice?
It’s because of the way he shows up in the marketplace: “This is so cool! You can be a millionaire! People make it so complicated, and it doesn’t have to be. Simple: Pay yourself first.”
And Oprah leans forward to say, “That’s incredible, David, tell me more.”
“You know how you automatically pay your mortgage, your insurance premiums, your cable bill? You just write those checks without thinking about it or have the amounts automatically deducted from your account. You can set it up so the first one to get paid is you. Isn’t that great? Wouldn’t you like to get paid before anyone else?”
And the audience cheers, offering a collective, “Whoaaa! That would be incredible!”
David assures them, “That’s how simple this is!”
The bottom line is: What do you believe? I’ll tell you this: David fervently believes that if people will pay themselves first—that’s all they have to do over time—they can become millionaires. His goal is to help 10 million people become millionaires by 2030. He knows that even though a million dollars in 2030 will not be worth what it is today, most people will be better off if they have a million than if they don’t. So he’s showing up and letting people know that’s what he’s passionate about.
You’ve gotta figure out what you’re passionate about and then let people know it. Now, I don’t mean that you have to jump around and wave your arms. If you’ve ever seen David on CNN, you see that he has an understated enthusiasm. He shows that you can have your own personality, and if you also have conviction, you can produce incredible results.
You don’t have to share David’s goals to realize that this will work for you, too. Strive to be a celebrity in your own marketplace. Simply having even greater belief in what you are doing for people will inspire them to be more interested in you and what they need to do.
