T. Harv Eker argues that money ultimately comes from other people and that to earn money you must solve problems for them. He emphasizes two primary human motivators—seeking pleasure and avoiding pain—and claims avoiding or relieving pain is the stronger driver; therefore, businesses and jobs earn money by solving people's pains. The speaker frames an entrepreneur (or employee) as a problem-solver who provides solutions for pay.
Chapters
You know, people ask me all the time, harv, how do I make money? How do I make money? And there's a problem in their question because guess what? The only people actually make money. Well, they work at the mint. The rest of us have to what? We have to earn money. What's the word? Earn money. Okay, so how do you earn money? Well, the next thing to understand is, well, where do you get all your money from? There's only one. How many? One. One element on this entire earth that uses the currency called money. And what's that element? People. People. You therefore have to get all of your money from what? Other people? Yes or yes? All right, so here's a good question. Why would anyone give you their money? Before we answer, let's backtrack just a little bit. Okay? Whether you realize this or not, there are two. How many? Two primary motivators. Do you know what they are? One is to gain pleasure. The other is to what? Avoid pain. And here's a question. Which of these would you guess is the stronger motivator? The gaining pleasure or the avoiding pain? Let me give you a clue. One is a luxury, the other is a necessity. One is a nice to have, the other is a what a have to have. So in my experience, avoiding or relieving pain is definitely much stronger as a motivator. Which means the bottom line reason for people to give you the their money is because they want you to do what? Solve a pain for them, basically. To solve a problem for them. Yes or yes? Please listen extra closely to this because understanding this is going to make or break your financial life. The definition of an entrepreneur or a person in business or even a person in a job is a person who solves problems for people at a profit or for pay. What are you. Say this with me, please. I am a problem solver. Again, I am a problem solver. And how do you earn money? You understand this now, right? You earn money by what? Solving problems for people. Not because you're good looking, not because you're smart, not because you're skilled, not because you have a good job or business. Those might all be tools, but they're not how you earn money. You get paid by solving what? Problems. What's the word? Problems. What's the word problems for who? People.
