This Simple 9-Word Sentence Made Him A Billionaire | Art Williams

90+ percent of winning in anything you try to do in America today, you gotta be excited. See, if you wanna win, folks, you gotta stand up and you gotta say, "I'm so sick and tired of being average and ordinary." I never forgave them for what they did to my mama and what they did to me and Angela, and I was out to punish them. The first few plays are critical. You gotta hit him hard and show him who's boss. If you understand this one sentence, You're guaranteed to be wealthy.

He's the founder of A.L. Williams and Associates, known as Primerica since 1991. He built A.L. Williams and Associates to be the largest seller of life insurance in the United States. In 2008, Forbes estimated his net worth to be $1.4 billion. He's Art Williams, and here's my take on his top 10 rules for success. Rule number 4 is my personal favorite, and make sure to stick around all the way to the end for some special bonus clips. Also, as Art is talking, if he says something that really resonates with you, make sure to leave it in the comments below and put quotes around it so others can be inspired as well.

90-plus percent of winning in anything you try to do in America today, you got to be excited. People in America won't follow or believe in a negative, dull, disillusioned, frustrated dadgum crybaby. People want people that are positive and excited and enthusiastic and tough. The greatest— listen— the greatest definition I ever heard. I thought about this 10 million times when I wanted to quit along the way of a winner. This guy said almost everybody in America can stay excited for 2 or 3 months. A few people can stay excited for 2 or 3 years, but a winner will stay excited for 30 years or ever how long it takes to win. See, if you want to win, folks, you gotta, you gotta stand up and you gotta say, I'm so sick and tired of being average and ordinary. I'm so sick and tired of telling myself and telling my wife and telling my mama and telling everybody, I'm going to win, I found it this time, watch my smoke. See folks, if you going to win, you going to change. The only way you can change your life, the only way the future can be better than the past, is you got to change. Nobody can change for you, okay? Nobody's going to give you something for nothing. It's going to be up to you. You're controlling your future. And if you don't change, just look in the dadgum mirror, look at the last 5 to 10 years of your life, and the next 5 or 10 years going to be just Just like that. Now ain't that depressing? This theme that I adopted, nobody wants a boss, but everybody wants a coach. You know, if you're going to be a great leader and you're going to lead your people to great success, you've got to have a coach's heart. And a coach is trained to look for the good things in people. You know, everybody, every piece of flesh that's ever been born at one time in their life were dreamers. They felt good about themselves. But do you realize that 90% of the people that you recruit in business today, on the outside they might look confident, you know, but inside, folks, they've been crushed. You know, they've lost their confidence. People have treated them bad. They've almost given up on themselves. And it's your ability as a coach to look inside those people and see something good and help them to believe in themselves again, to feel good about themselves again, that's going to determine, you know, how far you take your team. I believe desire and will to win is everything. I don't know why I'm like I am, but my butt's always burning. There's always something. Say, Art, dadgummit, you're supposed to go for it. Art, dadgummit, you're supposed to be somebody. You're supposed to make a difference with your life. What does the $500,000 a year person do the $50,000 a year person doesn't do? You look at the outside and study those two individuals, everything seems to be the same. They both are the same sex, they both are the same age, they have the same training, the same positions, the same contract, the same fringe benefits. They both are successful, they work hard, they're good family people, make tough commitments, but what's the difference? What does the $500,000 a year person do the $50,000 a year person doesn't do? He pays the price and a little bit more. He works hard and a little bit more. He's loyal to the company and a little bit more. He believes and a little bit more. He makes money and a little bit more. He saves money and a little bit more. If you want to win in these United States, you got to be tough and you can't quit. The last thing I'll talk to you about today in building this winning edge is, folks, if you want to win in business, you got to be a leader. Leadership is everything. You show me anything in these United States that win, I'll show you a leader at work. You show me a successful church, Boy Scout troop, club, football team, business, I'll show you something run by a leader. See, I thought at one time in my life you had to be smart to win. I used to have these smart people that dress so pretty and talk so pretty and use these big words. They just intimidated me and I said, "Arch, you can't ever be that good. Why don't you just throw in the towel and go on back and coach football for a living?" and I found two things out about smart people. I think it's almost impossible for a smart person to win in business in America today because I find smart people spend their whole lifetime figuring things out. They always trying to figure out an easier way and a quicker way. And another thing I found out about smart people is they just don't get around to doing nothing. And see, somebody like Art Williams, everybody said, "Well, he can't do it, and somebody like that can't do it," but he does it. See, folks, I want you to know almost everybody in America almost does enough to win. They almost get there. They almost are over the hump. They almost have it going. They almost in everything they do. Almost is a way of life to almost everybody in America. But the winners do it. What do they do? They do whatever it takes to get the job done. They do it and do it and do it and do it and do it until the job gets done, and then they talk about how great it is to be somebody they're proud of. We need leaders in America who can do it. If you want to become somebody, do it. If you want to go in business for yourself, do it. If you want to become financially independent, do it. I hear too much talk in these United States. Everybody can talk a good game. We need people in America who can do it. I go all over this country with A.O. Williams, and I have people say, "Art, you can count on me." Wonderful. Just do it. "Art, I guarantee you this is my last stop. I'm going to win now." Super duper. Just do it. "Art, if I could just have one good month and get the ball going, I know I could make it big." Super. Just do it. "Art, if I could just pay off this debt, I could really go." Great. Just do it. "Art, if I could just sell my house." Do it. "But houses ain't selling." Do it anyway. "Art, I'm not making any money. What can I do?" You just do it. "Do what, Art?" You do it and do it and do it. "Art, I guarantee I'm going to win this contest." Super duper. Just do it. "Art, I'm over the hump now. Watch my smoke." Great. Just do it. "Art, I want to make it so bad I can taste it. What do I do?" You just do it. "Art, I'm a vice president now. Can I quit doing it?" "No." "Art, I don't know if I can keep on keeping on. I'm really hurting what I do." "You just do it." "Do what, Art?" "You do it, and do it, and do it." "Art, all my life I've wanted to be somebody important." "Well, do it then." "Art, I'm going to save money so I don't have to go through this again." "Great! Just do it." "Art, I don't feel like I've had enough training what I do." You just do it. "Art, my manager don't give me no help. What do I do?" You just do it. "Art, you don't understand. I was Mr. Everything in my former company. You don't mean I have to start off down here at the bottom and do it, do you?" Yep, you really got to do it. "Art, Art, what's the primary difference between winners and losers?" The winners do it. They do it and do it and do it and do it until the job gets done. And then they talk about how great it is to finally have achieved something unique and how glad they are that they didn't quit like everybody else and how wonderful it is to finally be somebody they're proud of and make a difference with their life. The key to winning is not talent, it's not looks, it's not degrees. I believe the key to winning is being the best you can possibly be. I believe if you're proud of your abilities and your opportunity, if you look in the mirror and you say, that guy's supposed to win, you know, he's supposed to be somebody, you know, and you go out there and you go fight and you be the best you can be, you're going to have a lot of defeats along the way. You're going to be in so many situations that look so hopeless, but if you just keep being the best you can be, it's going to look impossible at times. Just keep being the best you can be. All you can do is all you do, but all you can do is enough. When we found out that, you know, cash value life insurance was a ripoff and bi-term investment difference was the way to go, and they had screwed our family, I'm telling you what, I never forgave them for what they did to my mama and what they did to me and Angela. And I was out to punish them. I wanted to hurt them. And that's the way the A.L. Williams people were. And the more they tried to destroy us with just millions of wars that we went through. You know, when you're a Crusader, Crusaders die hard. And so it just made us more determined to show them, you know, we weren't going to let those, the enemy, you know, defeat us, you know. Another key to building this winning edge and this mental toughness is you've got to become a dreamer again. You know, I'm a Methodist and we just changed ministers a few weeks ago and our new minister came in and the Church was just packed, and the first thing he said, he said, "Well, it looks like everybody came out to see the monkey perform." And the second thing out of his mouth, he said, "For a church to be a great church, you gotta have a dream. If you don't have a dream, you're dead." And boy, I sat up and I said, "Man, me and this guy are gonna get along good 'cause he knows what he's talking about." See, folks, I believe in order to win, you gotta feel good about yourself. I was coaching football for 7 years back in Georgia, and I had a paddle in my coaching office. It was about this thick and this long, and in the fat end I had little holes bored in it so you could really get some speed and blister their little butt, you know, when they misbehaved. And I had a rule on my football team that if any kid said, "I can't," if any football player heard one of my football players said, "I can't," he got to bring him in the coach's office and give him 3 licks. And it took me about a month to get all that thinking out of my players every year, you know, and I'd have I had football players knock on my door at recess and at lunch and after school and he said, "Coach, he said it! Coach, he said it!" And I'd make that kid bend over and I'd give that other kid the board and he'd bust him 3 times and folks, it didn't take long, you couldn't create a word game to get one of my kids to say, "I can't." Bring it home a little bit more personal. When April and little Art were just this little and could understand words, every time they said, "I can't," I made them do 3 push-ups. Folks, there ain't nothing you can't do in America if you want to bad enough. A.O. Williams didn't invent buy term and invest the difference, but we were the first group of people that took that crusade to the American consumer out there, you know. And yes, that's why we're number one. I believe the first step to winning in business is you've got to do what's right for the consumer out there. I believe your reputation is everything. If you don't do what's right 100% of time. You might get by for one day, one week, one month, one year, but sooner or later they're gonna smell you out. Well folks, buy term and invest the difference is right, and we've stood the heat like you couldn't believe, and that's why we're number one. I tell our kids, I say, now fellas, you know football is not a team game. It is and it ain't. See, football is really a game against you and that guy in the wrong color jersey lined up across from you. Somebody's gonna win, you or him. And the person that wins is gonna want it the most. This business is nothing but an attitude business. See, you gotta prepare to win. The first few plays are critical. You gotta hit him hard and show him who's boss. See, somebody's gonna quit, you or him. And you gotta look for every weakness. See, when he starts sweating hard, you know you got him on the run. Hit him hard, knock him out, and we chalk him up. If he starts breathing hard, you know he's sucking eggs. Hit him hard, knock him out, and we chalk him up. If he starts bleeding, you know you about got him. Hit him hard, knock him out, and we chalk him up. I said, "Don't you ever show weakness out there." I never let one of my teams get down on their knee. I said, "At timeout, you turn and look him in the eye. You watch him on his knee." When he takes his hat off, you see how much he's sweating. You watch and see how much water he drinks. You know you got him hurt and hit him and knock him out, and we chalk him up. I'm gonna give you my entire management philosophy, folks, that I've developed over 19 years in one sentence. I'm gonna boil everything down in one sentence. If you understand this one sentence, you're guaranteed to be wealthy. I was in Philadelphia 3 weeks ago during this super seminar with 10,000 termites just like's in this arena here. Yeah, in Philadelphia, this is the 200-year celebration of signing our Constitution. Everybody's flooding into Philadelphia. It's a fun place to go right now. And on every corner in Philadelphia, you know, they got statues of George Washington and Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, and they got all these famous sayings of all these great American heroes. But you know what? There's probably never been a human being on the face of this earth that's ever said anything as smart as I'm fixing to tell you. Hey, hey, hey, listen. Listen, folks, this is the answer, the total answer to being successful in business. This is the management philosophy that will make you a superstar in business. Can you believe that an old football coach with a P.E. degree and an average IQ could think of something so brilliant. Now, now listen, think about this, folks. Think about this. How many pieces of flesh have lived on this earth? Nobody knows, right? But do you know, do you know, as much as I can determine, I am the single human being that's lived on this earth that said this first. Hey, let's listen. Hey, listen, listen. There's probably never been a more brilliant statement uttered from the lips of a human being than what I'm fixing to tell you. Hey, now listen, listen, listen, listen. Now listen. Probably one day You're going to see a monument to Art Williams, and it's going to have this dadgum statement on it. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, folks, do you understand what I'm telling you? I'm telling you a management philosophy in one sentence that guarantees you to be a superstar in business. Hey, listen, listen. Do you know Benjamin Franklin ain't ever said nothing compared to what I'm fixing to tell you today in Chicago? All right, all right, listen, listen, you going to miss it. This is pure genius. Folks, this is all there is wrapped up in one sentence. 9 words guaranteed to make you wealthy. You ready? Gonna save you thousands and thousands of hours of agony and frustration. Are you ready? All right, here it is. Here it is. My entire management philosophy. Listen, the whole ball game guarantee to make you a superstar? Here it is. All you can do is all you can do. Hey, hey, is that brilliant? Listen, now listen, is that brilliant? Okay, listen, Is that unbelievable? Okay, listen, listen, listen. Now listen. All right, listen now. Listen, listen. Now listen. All right, hold up. Listen now. Listen, listen. All right, listen. All right, hold up, hold up, hold up. Now listen, listen. Hold up now. Hold on. Hold on. All right, hold on. All right, listen, listen. All right, listen. Listen. All right, listen now, folks. I'm fixing to give it to you now. Listen. Most important thing you'll ever hear in business in America today now. All you can do is all you can do. There ain't nothing more than all you can do. That is the absolute maximum. You can't do no more than all you can do. You understand that? All you can do is all you can do. All you can do is everything. That's the absolute ultimate, right? But the second part of that All I'm saying is all you can do is all you can do, but all you can do is enough.

Thank you guys so much for watching. I made this video because Juwan Peel asked me to. So if there's a famous entrepreneur that you want me to profile next, leave it down in the comments below and I'll see what I can do. I also love to know which of Art's top 10 rules had the biggest impact on you and why. How is it going to change your life or your business? Leave it in the comments and I will join in the discussion. Thank you so much for watching. Continue to believe, or whatever your one word is, and I'll see you soon.

The system must be simple. You know, when I was coaching football, I thought I was a quarterback in high school, a quarterback in college, and I was assistant coach for 2 years down in Thomasville, Georgia. When I got my first head coaching job, I had a playbook that was about, you know, this thick. Man, I had everything figured out. I was an offensive whiz, you know? And when I went to my first coaching job, I had this, you know, complicated playbook, you know, and all that kind of stuff. I was a head coach for 5 years in Georgia. In my last year, when we won the championship, my playbook was 7 pages thick. The system's gotta be simple. You know, it's got to be simple. You know, I use this example about the Prudential rate book when we kicked their butt in 1984. Look at their rate book. It was 1 inch thick. They had dozens and dozens of different kind of products. This is A.L. Williams' rate book, 1 page. We had 1 product. We had 1 product. We sold the consumer term insurance. We sold term insurance 100% of the dadgum time. We sold everybody the same dadgum product we own on our own dadgum life. Ain't that the— what kind of— Ain't that the kind of company you want to be part of? You know, you might not like us. You might not come to work with us. You might not buy our dadgum product, but you never have to back in the door when you belong to A.O. Williams. We do what's right for the consumer every time. We sell you what we own in our own life every time. It's got to be simple, and the bigger you get, the more complicated your job gets. You've got to have the ability to keep it simple and to spend, you know, I use this little formula, 90% of your time on the important things. And the important things in our business are always the people things. And that's what you do when you're starting out. You're dealing with the people, you're recruiting people, you're motivating people, you're building friends with your people. And then all of a sudden you get into compliance and you get into administration and your job becomes more meetings and planning and all this kind of crap, you know, and And before you know it, you're spending 10% of your time on the important stuff, people, and 90% of your time on administrative paperwork, all this kind of crap that doesn't make any money. You've got to constantly strive to keep your business simple and to focus and spend your time on the important things. Another key in building this winning edge is, folks, you've got to stand for something. People in America, the good people in America, are fed up with here. With these dadgum fence-sitters and mealy-mouths. Corporate America has an especially black eye in business today. Most people in America think you can't find a company, they think you can't find a salesperson that'll tell you like it is and stand behind their word. They think these companies will sell anything, say anything, just to make a sale, just to make a profit. Well, you know what, folks? If you want to win in a free enterprise system in America today, you've got to stand for something. Folks, the difference in the great coaches and the average and ordinary coaches is the ability to get momentum and to keep momentum. Think about this, folks. A.L. Williams for 20 consecutive years grew. Now during those 20 consecutive years, we changed companies 5 times. I had to terminate the number 1 producer in our company on 2 different occasions, and it was almost impossible impossible to get terminated, you know, from A.O. Williams. We had wars with the regulators. We were kicked out of Mississippi for 2 weeks. Canada passed a rule where there was no part-time recruits. Texas limited the number of recruits we could— 350 a year. And with all of that, A.O. Williams grew for 20 straight years. Now, how do you grow? This is the difference in a pro, a real pro, and an average and ordinary coach. There are 3 things you do now to guarantee you keep momentum when you get it going. Number 1, you grow by multiplication. You grow by multiplication. You've got to always be promoting people to district leader, to division leader, to RVP, okay? Because once you get things growing by multiplication, then what you have— or you have hundreds, then hundreds are thousands of people that are doing what you are trying to do, okay? Building friends, praising, recognizing people, recruiting best friends. Does that make sense? And see, once you have— once you're growing by multiplication, that's the greatest opportunity for you to keep that momentum that you've kept, okay? That make sense? All right, number 2, the second thing in keeping this momentum once you have it is you've got to have an enemy. You've got to have some kind of injustice out there you're trying to create. You know, you've got to have an edge. I don't care if you're in the real estate business, right? If somebody's charging, charging —let's say a 10% commission on just raw land that you sell out there, then you do it for 8.5% or something, right? You've got to have an edge over the enemy. You've got to have an enemy you're trying to beat out there, right? Now, we were fortunate to have the worst enemy in the whole history of the world, right? The trash value guys, right? But you're selling a crusade. There's nothing that energizes people and keeps that momentum going like a crusade, right? You're out there trying to save the world. You're trying to make a difference with your life, right? And then the third thing is you have competition, competition inside the company. I was a master at promoting competition inside the company, right? Like Lawrence Walker, I'd get him taking on Dick Walker, you know, down in Tampa, Florida. You know, I mean, I was, I had a gift of always egging people along a little bit. Okay, so if you want to, if you want to keep momentum once you get it, there are 3 keys. You grow by multiplication. You keep recruiting. Listen to this, folks. For 20 years as president of A.O. Williams, The first thing I look for every day on my desk, Kathy Herring, my secretary, the first thing I did when I went in the office before I talked to Bo or anybody and got in my million things I needed to do, okay? The first thing I did every morning was look at recruiting numbers. First thing I did every morning. The second thing I did was sign 200 Go-Go letters. That's the first thing I did and got that out of the way. First thing every morning, right? And so you've got to have a way— I'm going to talk to you about that in the morning— to monitoring this kind of stuff so when you know, you can anticipate when you are slowing down, right? When you're fixed to hit a brick wall down the road, correct? So if you, if you're growing by multiplication, if you've got people out there recruiting best friends, picking up policies of best friends, you know, making presentations to best friends, building friends with their recruits, praising, recognizing people, promoting district managers, promoting division managers, promoting RVPs, and you've got people— you're teaching people how to do all these same kind of things to build these powerful relationships, right? Then you're guaranteed that you're going to keep that momentum going. If you have an enemy— you've got to have an enemy, you've got to have something you can get people riled up about And then the third thing is you create competition inside your own organization or inside the company, right?