Healthy Wealthy & Smart 529: John Lee Dumas: The Common Path to Uncommon Success
In this episode, Founder and Host of Entrepreneurs on Fire, John Lee Dumas, talks about the 71000-word, 17-step, 273-page success roadmap that is his first traditionally published book.
Today, JLD talks about the launch of his book, The Common Path to Uncommon Success, and we get to hear a few of the 17 foundational steps to success, and we hear about identifying what we want to achieve, all on today’s episode of The Healthy, Wealthy & Smart Podcast.
Key Takeaways
- “The online experts in this world... will lead you to believe that the path to uncommon success is “secrets”, “hidden”, maybe it’s “complicated.” It’s none of those things. All of them [successful entrepreneurs] have taken what has turned out to be a very common path to uncommon success.”
- “Freedom is one simple word, but it’s so hard to attain.”
- A few of the 17 steps to uncommon success:
- Identify your big idea. “So many people are living and acting in a weak, pale imitation of somebody else’s big idea.”
- Discover your niche. “Identify, within your big idea, an unserved opportunity.”
- Create your content production plan.
Suggested Keywords
Uncommon Success, Roadmap, Process, Entrepreneurship, Wealth, Prosperity, Freedom, JLD, Entrepreneurs on Fire,
More about John Lee Dumas
John Lee Dumas is the Founder and Host of Entrepreneurs on Fire, an internationally-acclaimed award-winning podcast with over 1 million monthly listens and 7-figures of annual revenue. To date, he has interviewed over 3000 of the world’s leading entrepreneurs, including Gary Vaynerchuck, Barbara Corcoran, and Tony Robbins.
His first traditionally published book, The Common Path to Uncommon Success, is an amalgamation of the lessons learnt from the over 3000 interviews he’s done.
Get the book: https://uncommonsuccessbook.com
To learn more, follow JLD at:
Facebook: John Lee Dumas
Instagram: @johnleedumas
Twitter: @johnleedumas
YouTube: John Lee Dumas
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Read the Full Transcript Here:
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey, JLD welcome to the podcast. I am so excited to have you on
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Fired up to be here. Thank you for having me and listen. You've got a beautiful cat. I've got a beautiful dog. They might make a Paris's in this interview who knows
Speaker 1 (00:15):
It is possible. And I have to say, this is like a full circle moment for me, because I have always as a podcast or looked up to you for your podcasting, for your show entrepreneur on fire 3000 interviews. I mean, that is, that is amazing. And, and for all the listeners out there that is not easy to do. And now you've got a new book coming out. Your first traditionally published book. How exciting is that?
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Listen, I'm fired up. This is a combination of the 3000 plus interviews I've done over the last decade. I've interviewed some of the world's most successful entrepreneurs over the years, and I've learned from every single one of them. I mean, every one has been my mentor and I've been able to distill their genius down into what has turned out to be 71,000 words of my blood, sweat, and tears. Cause it took me 480 writing hours to write the 71,000 words, the 273 pages that comprise this book. But I couldn't take a single word out. This is a definitive 17 step roadmap to financial freedom and fulfillment. So if that's interesting to you, this book is your guy,
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Which is amazing. So it's the common path to uncommon success, the road to financial freedom and fulfillment. And you know, you, as we know, have been very successful online entrepreneur, but let me ask you a question. Sticking in that online entrepreneur have people been lied to by the quote unquote experts in the online business world.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Listen, the online experts in this world. There's a lot of fantastic ones that are doing amazing things out there. And there's some not so fantastic individuals out there who will lead you to believe that the path to uncommon success is secrets. It's hidden. Maybe it's complicated. Listen, it's none of those things I've seen over 3000 successful entrepreneurs and I've interviewed over 3006 successful entrepreneurs. And I've seen that all of them have taken what has turned out to be a very common path, a very common path to one comma success. Now, by the way, it's hard work. It is absolutely hard work, but it's a common path. It's not secret. It's not hidden. It's not complicated. It is a very, very clear, very common path. And it's not something that, again, these so-called gurus that will try to, you know, sell you some key for $1,997 and 97 cents. Like, listen, that's the answer. The answer is clear. The content is out there. I've done over 3000 interviews. You have individuals like Karen and others who have done interviews. There's great content out there to be had. And I could tell you right now, just go listen to all 3000 of my episodes, but that's tens of thousands of hours or is distilled down into one book, 17 steps, 273 pages. And it's there for you. That's the common path to uncommon success.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
And when you look at success and we look at financial freedom and fulfillment, what, what do we really want to achieve here? What does that mean?
Speaker 2 (03:38):
So this is what I've really identified. That individuals really desire in life. Freedom. Freedom's one simple word, but it's so hard to attain, but think about it when you're free every single day to wake up and to do these three things, do what you want, where you want with whom you want. What else is there in life? Like when you can literally say, I get to do what I want to do, where I want to do it with whom I want to do it. I have that freedom. That's happiness, that's success. That's what people want. And this is what so many people have been able to achieve. You know, unfortunately, a lot of people don't think that's possible and they will never be able to achieve as a result. But those type of people don't listen to podcasts like this. So I know I'm talking to the right individuals right now. It's there. It's possible. It's, it's, it's a, it's a common path to your version of uncommon success.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Now, you know, you say in the book, it's a 17 step roadmap. Most people will give you five steps or maybe eight steps, right? So what, what is the 17 step roadmap? If you can give us a couple of little snippets or details.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
So here's the process it's like when I interviewed these 3000 plus now individuals, and I've been able to really boil down and distill down the core foundational elements that all successful, aren't new or share in common. There were 17 of them. Like I wish there were 18 or 16. I like even numbers, but listen, it was 17. I couldn't take one away. I couldn't add one. It was just simply 17 foundational steps. And I was able to put them in a chronological order. And before me, I had the 17 chapters of the book and a step-by-step format, 17 steps to financial freedom and fulfillment. And let's go over a couple right now. Number one, this is where most people get it wrong, by the way, identify your big idea. Keywords, your big idea. So many people, Karen, they are right now living and acting in a week pale imitation of somebody.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Else's big idea. They're like, Oh, look what Karen did or John. And they're having success doing these things. Let me just do that. And then they wonder why they're not successful most because they're a week pale imitation of those people that are trying to copy. They're copying somebody. Else's big idea. That person, it's their big idea. It's their zone of fire. That's why they're successful because they're living in their zone, a fire. You need to sit down maybe for the first time in your life, by the way, and really give yourself the time, the space, the open bandwidth to really come up with and identify your big idea. And your big idea is out there. Your zone of fires out there and chapter one, listen, it's not just words on a page. There are exercises. I teach you how exactly you get to your big idea.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
And that is a super critical part. That by the way, most people will die. Never even knowing what their big idea is because they never took the time to sit down and identify it. And it doesn't even take much time, which is the sad and scary part. But here's the thing here. If it was just that simple to identify your big idea, it would be one chapter in my book. And there were just be one chapter in my book. There's 17 steps. So there's a lot more to it than I than identifying your big idea. Let's just jump to step two. And then we'll skip a little ways ahead to, to show you any part of the book as well. But once you have your big idea, people are like, Oh my God, I'm so excited. Like I have my big idea. Let me go all in on this.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
That's a huge mistake because guess what? Your big idea is a great idea. And other people have had it too. And there's competition. That's out there crushing your big idea, which is a good thing because that's proof of concepts. That means that your big idea really is proof of concepts, but you can't right now launch against entrenched competition that's out there. So instead you go to step two, which is discover your niche. That means you're going to identify within your big idea, an un-served opportunity, a void that needs to be filled, that you can be the best solution to that real problem within your big idea. That's how you win. Like Karen, when I launched a podcast, that was just this broad idea, but then I was like, well, I'll launch a business podcast. That's a little more niche. Okay. It's still kind of broad.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
There's a lot of people there. Well what about an interview business podcast? Okay. There's like seven or eight other interview business podcasts. What about a daily interview? Podcasts of the world's most successful entrepreneurs, zero other competition. The day I launched entrepreneurs on fire, it was the best daily podcast interviewing entrepreneurs. It was the worst daily podcast interviewing entrepreneurs. It was the only daily podcast interviewing entrepreneurs. Like can't you see, like, that's why I won at such a high level. How can you be the best? Sometimes it means being the only, or it means niching down till you look around your competition is terrible. So you can kill them immediately. You can beat them up. That's how you discover your niche. Then of course, there's step three, four, and I take you all the way through and beyond. Let's skip forward right now to step seven.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
So every chapter in this books, an average of a three to 5,000 words, this chapter I wrote and I wrote and I wrote, and I wrote 13,500 words. By the time I finished this chapter, step seven, chapter seven, creating your content production plan. That is why we've won financially at such a high level because our content production plan is amazing. And I say that because it took us 10 years to get here. It's stunk at first, but now it's amazing. And I poured it all into this chapter and it is phenomenal and it's listen, it's not easy to emulate, but it's all there for you. And you will see after reading this chapter, why we're winning at such a high level and frankly, you know why you might not be because likely your content production plan is nothing in the same realm of what we have just like ours.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Wasn't in this realm, obviously when we launched back into, you know, almost 10 years ago now, so that's just a glimpse of three of the 17 steps. And we have actually a bonus chapter called the well of knowledge. And it's a really cool chapter is chapter 18, a bonus chapter. And that's just the best pieces of advice, mentorship, inspiration, motivation that I picked up over the years. I just dropped it into this chapter. And this meant for you to really just take your ladle, dip it into the well of knowledge every now and then when you need it, when you need a little bump, a little boost. And man, that chapter is really cool because it's not meant to just read all at once. Like go there, consume it. One passage to passage, get the kind of inspiration you need, then get back to work. That's the process
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Amazing. Well, I mean, I don't know about anyone else listening, but I am so excited to get my copy, which it releases on March 23rd. So tell us, tell all the listeners here a little bit more of the details of the book launch so they know where they can get their copy.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
So listen, all the magic is going to be happening over at uncommon success. Book.Com, uncommon success book.com. You can head over there. You'll see the personal endorsements from Seth Godin, Gary Vaynerchuk, Neil Patel, Erica Mandy, Dorie Clark. You'll see a video of me describing more details about the book. You'll see. The first chapter is there for free just to read, to consume it, to see kind of like, well, how my writing process is plus the five bonuses that come with the pre-orders. So do not wait until March 23rd. You want to pre-order this book because it is amazing what we've done for these five bonuses. Just one of them, by the way, I'm to your door. All three of my journals, the freedom mastery and podcast journal. I'm literally shipping to your door at my expense. Well, drop them all. If you live in the United States of America, outside of the U S I'm going to give you the digital pack of all three immediately they're beautiful fillable versions. They're awesome. And there's four other insane bonuses. You can learn more about those other bonuses@uncommonsuccessbook.com.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
And I, I ha I will say congratulations are in order already. Cause an Amazon I checked today is already a number one bestseller on Amazon and it's not even out yet. And for the listeners, I am going to be giving away five copies of the book and you'll find all the details on my Instagram page. So check that out. Cause I will be giving away to five lucky winners, five copies of this book, because if you just go on to the website and read even the first chapter, you're like, man, I get it. You know, and I, and I also love the fact that you're vulnerable, that you're saying, Hey, this didn't happen overnight. And that's what a lot of people think. And that's what a lot of people sell. And it's so refreshing to see people out there experts like yourself saying it's hard work, it's work, but you can do it. So you're welcome. So I want to thank you so much for coming on the podcast. And one more time, where can people find all the info,
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Uncommon success, book.com, check it out a lot of great stuff there. And once again, much appreciated.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
Thank you so much. And everyone thank you so much for listening. Have a great couple of days and stay healthy, wealthy and smart.