[quote style=”boxed”]Refocus! We have to continually check in on our goals and make sure they are lining up with where we want to go.[/quote]
Every since she was little, Jaime Tardy wanted to be a millionaire. After finding herself $70,000 in debt and hating her job, she knew something had to change. Within 16 months, she paid off that $70,000 and quit her job. Now, as a business coach, she has been on CNN, MSN, Kiplingers Personal Finance, and even Yahoo’s homepage, twice.
She interviews business owners with one million dollar net worths or higher, every single week, to learn about their action tips, advice, and stories to help you build your income to seven figures. She has interviewed best-selling authors like Guy Kawasaki and Michael Port, and millionaires you have never heard of, like Craig Wolfe, owner of Celebriducks (a company that makes rubber duckies that look like celebrities!).
An Eventual Millionaire is a person who knows they will be a millionaire, eventually. But they are dedicated to becoming a millionaire on their own terms, and want an enjoyable business and an enjoyable life now.
What are you working on right now?
Right now I’m speaking often, and am planning to publish a book in early 2013.
Where did the idea for Eventual Millionaire come from?
When I was in massive debt and wasn’t sure how to get rid of it, I used to read personal financial blogs. None of them had the mindset I had. I knew I was in debt, but I had big goals–and paying off that debt was just the first step. I created the site Eventual Millionaire when I was going through the process of paying everything off.
I didn’t pick it back up, though, until two years ago, when I decided that being a local business coach wasn’t enough. I wanted to go online and EventualMillionaire.com provided a great platform for that.
What does your typical day look like?
My husband always lets me sleep in, so he gets the kids up and ready (they are 5 and 3 years of age). I take them to preschool and then work for a few hours, either at Starbucks or at my home office. Sometimes my work day includes interviewing a millionaire or coaching clients, and other times it involves prepping for my next speaking gig or working on the book. Then I pick up the kids, and I’m mommy for the rest of the day. Occasionally I catch up on things after they go to bed.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I love new ideas. I keep notebooks and Evernote next to me at all times. When you don’t work full time, you need to have immense focus, so the new idea has to pass “the test.” Once I decide it’s the right way to go, I usually go at it full force and try to take a lot of action so it grows some legs.
What’s one trend that really excites you?
The speed of technology. I’m a big fan of tech and have been a big geek all my life. There are a few great books on the future of technology: Abundance by Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler and The Singularity is Near by Ray Kurweil. There is so much potential in technology. I love mobile, but I also know there is a lot more that we can’t even imagine that will be reality soon enough.
What was the worst job you ever had and what did you learn from it?
I was a pizza and sandwich girl when I was younger. I remember I got in trouble with the boss because she didn’t think I was busy enough. (I was, in fact, cleaning up, but apparently she didn’t notice.) I hated that feeling of someone scolding me, especially when I was doing a good job. It made me start to realize that I needed a boss who actually respected me, which then led me to realize I didn’t want a boss at all!
If you were to start again, what would you do differently?
I would have started on my own business earlier. I assumed I had to go to college and get a good job. I did those things. I made six figures when I was 22 years old. I was not happy at all. I didn’t start my business until I had a baby, and that was a busy time already. It was hard to balance, and I now wish I had jumped in way sooner!
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Refocus! We have to continually check in on our goals and make sure they are lining up with where we want to go. We are constantly changing and learning new things. Make sure you are focused on only a few things, and then go after them. Otherwise you water things down if you try to do too much.
What is one problem you encountered as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
Confidence. I was at a speaking gig, and a friend of my mother was there. She said she never, in a million years, would have thought I would be speaking on stage. I was a geek and an artist, usually stuck behind a computer, book or sketch pad.
I overcame it because I had to. My husband was a performer and was on stage in front of people multiple times per week. He gave me great advice, and I knew that in order to get my message out, I would have to be in the public eye. Now I’ve been on TV, speaking, and I love it.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Biotechnology is where our future is, I think. I would love to coach a bio tech firm. There is so much potential!
If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be and how would you go about it?
As the Dalai Lama said, “My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.” If I could change one thing, it would be that everyone would feel the same way.
Tell us a secret.
My husband thinks I’m addicted to sunflower seeds.
What are your three favorite online tools or resources and what do you love about them?
I’m a big fan of Twitter to keep in touch with my online friends. I use Skype constantly for millionaire interviews and chatting with my business friends. I love my iPhone app, To Do, to manage my to do list.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
I’m going to give you more than one. The top three recommended books from millionaires are:
- Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
- E-Myth by Michael Gerber
- Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
I love all of these books too.
Three people we should follow on Twitter and why?
- @CatherineCaine is a positive force in creating joy in your business.
- @PatFlynn offers great resources for building your online presence and community.
- @DerekHalpern for converting traffic to your list.
When was the last time you laughed out loud? What caused it?
I laugh a lot. I just came back from Blogworld Expo and laughed more times than I can count.
Who is your hero?
I admire so many people. Most of the millionaires I interview have overcome such big obstacles that I can’t help but admire them. But I’m also inspired by my clients and audience, who are pushing boundaries every day. You must be the hero of your own journey, so in a way, we are all heroes.
What inspires you in business?
The same stuff that inspires you. I do the millionaire interviews because hearing their stories helps me too. And getting to know them as people helps me understand them. I am so lucky to be able to stay inspired, because my business requires it.
What do you do for fun?
I love talking about my hobbies. I’m a brown belt in karate, and I love geeky movies like The Avengers. Plus I do yoga and paint realism paintings. There are so many fun things to do in this world, and I see our personal interests as a great way to connect with people.
Connect:
Eventual Millionaire on Facebook: facebook.com/eventualmillionaire
Eventual Millionaire on Twitter: @eventualmillion
Eventual Millionaire on YouTube: Youtube.com/eventualmillion
Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.