Growing up and going through grammar school, middle school, high school and even college for four years, there are certain things or 4 nuggets of success that I didn’t learn which are crucial to success in any industry. In all of my years of schooling, about 16 years worth, I had some great teachers who taught me many very valuable life lessons in addition to academics. However, there are key things that my teachers and coaches never taught me about success and achievement until I began being mentored by some very successful business men and women. I wanted to pass some of these hidden nuggets of success on to you! For those of you willing and open to learn, you can utilize these 4 success nuggets for your own use! Some of you may have already been taught these principles. If you have, then congratulations, I hope that they are working for you!

Nugget #1: Failure is positive

Failure is positive if you learn from it! In school, we are taught that a failing grade or getting something wrong is bad. The truth is, the only way to succeed in anything is to fail, learn, adjust and do it again. Any successful businessman, athlete, actor, etc will tell you that they failed more times than they succeeded. We only see the finished product and think that they never had any difficulties or hardships. We fail our way to success! Once you understand that concept, you should not have the fear of failing as long as you learn from it.

Nugget #2: People are key to your success

Have you ever heard of someone being “book smart” or “street smart?” Both can be and are important. However, what I have found is that as long as you know how and where to get the information, being book smart is a bit overrated. Today, with Google and other search engines, you can literally look up information on just about anything. Having people skills and getting along with others is crucial to you success. It isn’t so much what you know as it is who you know! There is no such thing as a “self-made” man or woman. We are the product of the people that we associate with and the books that we read. Yet, in school, it is all about the individual and their book smarts rather than truly learning how to work with others and encouraging them. I didn’t learn the “people skills” necessary to succeed by helping other people until I got connected with other successful business men and women who made their fortunes by helping and working with other people. Like the late Zig Ziglar said, “If you help enough people get what they want, you will get what you want.” Become good at dealing with people, it will be much more satisfying and easier for you to succeed. 

Nugget #3: There are other ways to make money

Now I understand that every single person reading this comes from a different background and upbringing. Some of you reading this may have been taught or raised by your parents, etc. to have an entrepreneurial thought process and own your own business. My father has owned business all of my life. In school, I was taught to get a job. Not one of my teachers/professors ever recommended to start my own business. If anything, they always pointed out the negatives and great risks that you have to take to make it on your own in business. They preached get a job or “career” only. After graduating college, I did what they told me to do and got a job. I quickly learned that a job or career was only going to take me so far and I that was at the mercy of the company business owner to decide how much I would be paid and whether or not I got to keep my job. I don’t know about you, but I do not want my future to be in decided by someone else! What I learned is that you can make money multiple ways; through a job/career, owning your own brick and mortar business, or through a business system. A business system is powerful because you can duplicate yourself. Why is McDonald’s so profitable? It is not because they make the best burgers in town, but because virtually very city and town has a McDonald’s. Each store makes money and when you add it all up, McDonald’s makes billions of dollars. Imagine being able to have 100 of you going to different jobs and you get to keep the profit! That is the power of duplication. I didn’t learn that in school!

Nugget #4: Your thoughts and words are powerful

Probably the biggest nugget that I did not learn in school was how powerful our words and thoughts are. I did not learn how to control my thoughts and think positive. This is also known as having a positive mental attitude. There was no teaching about having positive expectations in my abilities or outcomes of situations; that it was all up to chance. What we think and speak about ourselves can either have a positive or negative impact on us. If you always say, like I did, that, “I am bad at Math,” then how do you expect to be good at Math. Instead, the teacher should have stopped me right there and corrected me and made me say that, “I am good at Math!” I have since learned that what I think and what I say about myself and others has an impact on my success. It is very difficult to succeed in a negative frame of mind. Have you ever seen or heard of someone saying that they are no good at something and then go out and become successful at the very thing they said they were not good at? Watch your words and your thoughts.

As I wrap up, I would like to thank all of my teachers and coaches for the positive influences that they have had on my life. The fact that I did not learn the above success nuggets in school does not necessarily mean that they did not want to teach them to me and my fellow students, but they may simply not have known these principles. I was very fortunate to have found the business team that has mentored me and changed my thought process and life for the better!

If you would like to learn more about our business team and what we do and teach, visit my Join a Winning Team page. This will help us to understand what you are looking for in a mentor and a business opportunity. Please understand that what we do is not for everyone. In fact, we really only want to work with serious, ambitious people who are truly looking to learn how to become successful, and are not looking for handouts! This may sound harsh, but I want to make sure that you know what you will be getting from us! I look forward to connecting with you.

To Your Success!

Ken Cloutier

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