Think Big, Act Small: Felix Dennis' Advice On Getting Rich
Insights from a master.
I’m reading How To Get Rich by Felix Dennis.
In case you’re wondering, Felix Dennis was the founder of Dennis Publishing, which managed multiple media publications such as Maxim, Men’s Health, PC Pro, Blender, and more.
The book is phenomenal. He’s a brilliant writer, and he brings his quintessential British sarcasm and pessimism to the page. I’m loving it.
Today, I will share one of the lessons I’ve learned so far from reading it.
LFG. 🔥
Thinking Big
Dennis shares stories of how thinking big was a major contributor to his success, which ended up being disproportionately larger than what would have been expected from someone in his industry.
At the time, in Britain, print magazines were fractured and highly competitive. But Dennis didn’t limit his thinking to competing where everyone else was.
He gives many examples of this, one of which was the founding of Kung-Fu Magazine. In short, Dennis convinced himself there would be an American market for it, so he flew to New York City and hit the pavement pitching publishers to print and distribute his magazine. Eventually, he got a yes.
Dennis bypassed all the competition for a niche magazine simply by thinking bigger than everyone else.
It wasn’t a profound realization or a moment of genius that propelled Kung-Fu Magazine to success. It was just acting on a bigger idea.
More often than not, it really is that simple.
Acting Small
The only thing harder than making money is keeping it. There are two reasons for this. One of which is pragmatic and the other which is more nuanced and uniquely human.
The first reason is lifestyle creep. In almost every case, people start spending more as they make more. But it’s not like income rises, and then spending catches up. They grow together, gradually.
So the more you make, the more you spend, and you end up continuing to live paycheck to paycheck. In fact, most “upper class” people are technically poorer than poor people, because their debts far exceed their assets.
The second reason is harder to fix. It has to do with how we are genetically wired. For most of human history, pleasurable moments like sugar, warmth, comfort, and security were rare. So when we get the chance to experience those things, our brains trick us into overindulging.
This is why you can’t eat just one cookie. Your brain screams, SUGARRRRR!!! EAT IT NOW YOU’LL NEVER HAVE THIS MOMENT AGAIN. NOM NOM NOM NOM.
Money triggers the same response.
When you get it, you can’t spend it fast enough, because your brain still thinks you’re living in the stone age and this is your only shot.
This is what causes impulsive spending, partying, drinking, sex, and drugs. And it’s the main culprit behind most destroyed fortunes.
So how do you combat it?
Dennis argues that you have to act small.
Never be too important to do grunt work. Always show up for your employees and your family. Stay in the mindset of a beginner. Never believe you’ve made it, because life can easily remind you that all of this is a gift.
Some Personal Insights
It got me thinking a lot about myself. I’m going to finish today’s issue by listing some personal examples.
1. Leaving Stodzy: It’s complicated, but one of the main reasons I left Stodzy was because it was playing small. I wanted to invest in behavioral healthcare centers and build my personal holdings company. The second I made the decision to leave and expand my life, the world started opening up to me.
We are almost always what’s standing in our way.
2. Buying Copyblogger: I spent all my money buying that company. It was reckless and dumb and absolutely the right choice. If for no other reason, when I bought that company, people started taking me more seriously. Almost like I bought my way into the cool club.
Even if the company made no money (it makes plenty of money), that purchase would still have been worth it because it forced me into big-time thinking.
3. Respecting my roots: Sometimes, I feel weird writing about business and money. I do not come from money. Far from it. I don’t ever want my family thinking I’m too good or too important to kick it with them in the hood.
My parents keep me acting small, in the best way possible.
My dad reminds me to be humble. My mom reminds me to be gracious and see the world through other people’s eyes. My sister reminds me I’m still her big brother. I feel so lucky that I was brought up in the way that I was. It wasn’t easy, but it laid the foundation for who I am, and I am grateful.
4. My sobriety: Nothing keeps me grounded like sobriety. I’ve lost so many friends to drug overdoses. I’ve seen so many people get sober, get their lives together, and then lose everything because they forgot the world does not revolve around them.
I don’t overthink this aspect of my life. I go one day at a time. The only thing I worry about as far as my sobriety is concerned, is not getting high today. I’ll worry about tomorrow when it gets here.
Make it till midnight. One day at a time.
5. My family: Nothing keeps you acting small like family.
My son, daughter, and wife do not care at all about my LinkedIn following or how much status I have in my industry.
My kids only want me to play daddy monster, ride bikes to school, and flex my muscles at dinner to show them how eating protein gives them big muscles like dad. (I don’t have big muscles btw, but they don’t know that.)
Jules only wants me to be happy and fulfilled.
Honestly, I don’t know how anyone can get too big for their britches if they have a family. It’s the most grounding part of life I’ve discovered so far.
Anyway, I hope today’s issue serves as a reminder. Think big. Act small. You are capable of more than you think, and you are not as important as you feel.
Love you guys. Talk to you tomorrow.
Tim
Jules And I Are In A Serious Pullup Competition
Jules thinks she can do more pullups than me, so her and I are in a very serious pullup competition to see who can get to 20 in a row first.
Not surprisingly, Jules is neck and neck with me, because she is good at everything she does.
10000% change I come out of this on top.
P.S. - Follow Juliana here.
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