How to get rich from your ‘Big Idea’

Calling all dreamers

• A carpenter gets tired of almost losing a finger whenever he slices a bagel. Bam! Bagel Guillotine.
• A homemaker is frustrated that her pantry is full of stale food because the packages don’t stay closed. Bam! Quick Seals.
• A woman is annoyed that her bra strap keeps slipping. Bam! Strap Tamers.
• A nutrition-conscious couple wants frozen foods that aren’t junk. Bam! Amy’s Kitchen.
• A mother is worn out from chasing down runny-nosed kids. Bam! Boogie Wipes.
• A stylish lady is fed up with visible panty lines. Bam! Spanx.
• Big ideas are all around us. Every day I meet people who have come up with innovations that nobody ever thought of before. In each case, the idea grew out of a need, something that was missing, a frustration, the desire to make life a little easier, a little better. These are slap-yourself-on-the-side-of-the head, obvious ideas. But it took people with the desire and motivation to see them through.

  If you’re sitting on a big idea right now — an idea that could make you millions — it’s time to get moving. Don’t let anything stop you. Don’t let anyone dismiss your idea and tell you that your dream won’t work. When in doubt, do.

  The American dream is within your reach. I’ve literally seen it happen hundreds of times. The people who turn their big ideas into millions come from every conceivable background. They’re middle-class moms, factory workers, college kids, veterans, people with disabilities, office workers, retirees, everyone and anyone. Ordinary people — some faced with enormous obstacles — are stepping up and achieving extraordinary goals.

  They share one thing in common. They were passionate about their ideas — so passionate that when the naysayers piled on, they kept shrugging them off, believing they could achieve their desires ... and they did. They acted on their beliefs. And their achievements represent a revolution that’s sweeping across our nation, changing the way business is done.

• News flash: We no longer live in a top-down world. We live in an age of individual empowerment. The business culture has undergone the most radical transformation since the Industrial Revolution. Turning individual dreams into reality is much more possible than ever before. The smart ones are those who figure out how to get a piece of the action.

  Forget the old excuses. Drop the Us vs. Them mentality. You don’t need a corporation to make it. You don’t need your own factory to produce a product. You don’t even need an office. From your home, you can build your own Web site, do your own research, create an electronic sales force, join a community of like-minded people, and sell your product.

  Dreaming is the new reality, and The Big Idea is the ultimate reality show. My guests are the embodiment of everything that’s wonderful and hopeful about who we are as a culture in the twenty-first century. They didn’t make it because they were born into the lucky sperm club, or were the best-looking folks in the room, or even were especially talented. These are people who through human drive and passion — and yeah, sometimes a little luck — found their way to the mountaintop.

  There are many different roads to success. But I have to say, on a personal level, there’s nothing I enjoy more than coming across someone who was a screwup as a kid and is now making it.

  Love is the answer
  If I’ve asked two thousand people, “What’s the secret to your success?” almost every answer is identical: “Do what you love.” You have to be passionate about it. I’ll take it a step further: No matter what you do, if you’re not passionate about it, find something else.

  I have never met a truly successful person who was not fired up about their work. Take a look at the icons in business today — the Donald Trumps, the Rupert Murdochs — and you’ll see the gleam in their eyes. These guys have so much money, they don’t have to work another minute of their lives. They work because it turns them on. You want to know who’s doing well? Notice the people with the big shit-eating grins on their faces.

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  There are a lot of ways to measure success. Money is one way. But the key is love. Most of our waking hours are spent working, and if you don’t love what you’re doing, you’re not going to be happy day-to-day.

  Here’s a clue: When Sunday night feels as great as Friday night, you’re doing what you love. I still remember when I worked at Ogilvy & Mather, Friday night was the peak of my week. My real life, my happiness, my pleasure all happened on the weekend. By Sunday night I was winding down, feeling tense, gearing up for a five-day grind.