467: Billion-Dollar CEO Reveals: How He Built an Empire From Teaching (7 Steps)

Jun 12, 2025

Mark Pentecost, the self-made billionaire and founder of It Works! and Impact Professionals, shares his journey from high school teacher to billionaire entrepreneur. He reveals the seven essential steps for building a successful business without debt or outside funding. Mark emphasizes the importance of a supportive environment, financial discipline, and dreaming big. He discusses how his cancer diagnosis shaped his purpose and why legacy drives his success. Tune in to hear about instilling financial values in children and creating opportunities for all.

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ADVICE

Get in the Game Early

The number one step to move from survival to thriving is to get in the game and start.<br>- Persistence and staying in the game long term enables growth and new opportunities.

INSIGHT

Motivation Evolves to Legacy

Motivation often shifts from personal gain to impact and legacy.<br>- Facing mortality can inspire bigger dreams beyond money to change lives.

ANECDOTE

Dreaming Changed a Family

A single mom working three jobs realized she wasn’t dreaming, causing her kids not to dream either.<br>- Once she started dreaming big, her whole family’s mindset changed toward possibility.

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What does it really take to build a billion-dollar business - without debt, without outside funding, and without losing your family in the process? In this episode, Natalie sits down with Mark Pentecost, founder of It Works!, Impact Professionals, and author of Life of Your Dreams, to talk about what it means to dream big, take risks, and build a life-changing legacy from nothing.

From starting out as a high school teacher to becoming a self-made billionaire, Mark shares the 7 steps he followed to go from stuck and surviving, to building a company that’s generated over $750M a year and impacted lives across 20+ countries.

Whether you're just getting started or scaling to your next level, this episode will remind you what's actually possible and why it’s never too late to get in the game.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Meet the man who went from teacher to billionaire entrepreneur

03:00 - How to go from day-to-day survival to building the life of your dreams

06:00 - The power of getting in the game, even before you feel ready

07:40 - Why your environment matters more than your ideas

10:10 - “When is enough, enough?” + how legacy became Mark’s #1 driver

12:00 - Lessons from his cancer diagnosis + how it shaped his purpose

14:30 - What separates those who succeed from those who quit

18:00 - Why saying your dream out loud is a powerful step

20:30 - Building a business with your spouse and raising motivated kids

24:00 - Mark’s philosophy on money, debt, and financial freedom

28:00 - Why “debt-free is the new sexy”

35:00 - You don’t need a big idea, just the courage to take the first step

RESOURCES + LINKS

Get Mark’s book: Life of Your Dreams Here.

Watch Natalie’s Free 90-Minute Training To Learn Her 5-Step Playbook To Start Or Scale A Freedom-Based Business. Sign Up Here.

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