My Story

My name is Brian Hanson. I’m 36 years old and reside in sunny Florida with my chihuahua, Joey. I know that my story is going to sound like your  typical rags to riches poor me story, but every word of it is true. I’m not fabricating my story to impress you or make you buy into believing in me…I hate that crap. I just want to tell you how it really happened and I hope I can inspire others to take a leap of faith, just as I did.

To clear things up, I didn’t go to college (well maybe a couple weeks), in fact, I barely made it through high school. It wasn’t because I wasn’t capable, I just didn’t apply myself (if I had a nickel for every time I heard that one). I never really cared much about anything they were teaching in school. I guess I was waiting for the class where they actually teach you how to make money.  So instead, I was what you’d consider a class clown.

I wasn’t born into riches. My family has always been there for me and they are some of the greatest parents I could ask for, but I didn’t lean on them for financial support during my journey, or have things passed down to me on a silver platter. In fact, I moved out on my own before I even graduated high school.

Needless to say, things were less than tight for my budget. I worked at a car wash earning minimum wage and I lived with some friends and we split the bills to make things easier. But even with friends helping, I survived by eating Ramen noodles, scraping the change jar, and even pawning off my possessions from time to time. At this point in my life, I basically lived in a 24/7 party, and I had absolutely no hope of becoming wealthy and living the dream.

Everything really changed for me when I applied for my job as a telemarketer. The company was called Advanced Data Comm. and was located in Dubuque, Ia (my hometown). I can’t remember what I started at but it wasn’t much more than minimum wage, and it was a hell of a lot easier flapping my gums all day than washing cars that would be piled out into the street waiting to get in from open to close. After my first day on the phone I realized that I LOVED MARKETING!

I spent 4 years at A.D.C. I started as a sales rep, got promoted to lead, then assistant supervisor, and finally offered a position in Fond Du Lac Wisconsin as a Manager making a whopping $21,000 a year. And yes, at the time, I thought $21k was balling out of control. I finally made it!

My boss, Heather Johl, at the Fond Du Lac office ended up moving to Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl to run another call center. What I didn’t know at the time was Heather was going to be the person who changed my life. You see, I had dreams, like living in Florida, having my own business, having fancy cars, and the list goes on…but, I didn’t understand that I was capable of actually making them come true, especially with no money, college, or previous niche experience. Heather changed everything the day she called me and asked how I’d feel about moving to Florida to work for her.

I always wanted to live in Florida, and it was finally happening! On top of that, I went from $21,000 to $40,000 income!

I sold everything in my apartment including the bed I slept on to raise enough money for the the trip and first months rent in Florida. With $2,000 to my name and an old rusted out Topaz that back fired like Uncle Bucks car, I headed out on the open road. What I didn’t know at that time, was that I was going to go from dead broke to running my very own multi million dollar company.

My job in Florida was selling products on the phone for companies like USA Today. At the time I was loving it. Early twenties, $40k+ income, living in one of the nicest beaches in North East Florida…but saying the same thing on the phone like a robot all day gets old pretty fast, so I started looking for my “out”. At the time I thought it was moving up to a manager position, but then Heather surprised me again and opened new doors for me!

Heather started managing at a company called Success Development Inc, a company owned and operated by Ron LeGrand. Ron is known as Americas Leading Expert on Quick Turn Real Estate and commonly referred to as the Millionaire Maker.

Ron was a great mentor when it came to changing peoples way of thinking. I didn’t realize how “inside the box” I thought until Ron started getting in my ears. He taught me a few things that have really stuck with me over the years…

1.) “If you can’t make money without money, you can’t make money with money”

This kind of debunked the saying, “It takes money to make money”, which is something that’s implanted in our heads by society from an early age. Ron went on to teach me to leverage my brain, not my wallet. The point is, if you have a good idea or business plan, the money will appear, if the money doesn’t appear, it probably means your idea sucks or you shouldn’t be in business.

2.) “If you spend the next 5 years doing what other people won’t, you can spend the rest of your life doing what other people can’t.”

And, that’s exactly what I did! I worked my ass off and beat my way through every roadblock in my way with bricks on my hands. Then it happened, I met the person who would be the second turning point in my life, Danielle Duce.

Danielle was the co-founder and president of Global Publishing Inc, LeGrand’s new real estate and internet marketing company. Danielle saw something in me, maybe it was my drive, or maybe it had to do with that midwest folk attitude we grow up with, whatever it was, it was the second turning point to my success.

Danielle gave me an executive position taking over their third party company Rocket Sales and Service Inc. I managed the sales floor and continued driving in more leads using my copywriting skills in combination with direct response mail and online marketing strategies. I brought in revenues of around 3 million in annual sales consistantly during my time at the company.

Without Danielle having faith in me and giving me that shot, things would have moved A LOT slower. She literally catapulted me into my success. By giving me that opportunity, she taught me what it was like to run my own business.

If I’ve helped change your life in any way and you’d like to show your appreciation to someone who has made all of this possible, please contact Danielle’s by visting www.seizuresupport.com and make a donation of your choice to the Epilepsy Foundation. Her son Joshua has been having seizures since the age of two and she now spends her time educating, helping, and creating awareness for epilepsy.

Danielle also gave me the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest marketing legends on the planet. I remember sitting down in Dan Kennedy’s basement (his underground marketing layer), and masterminding new ideas with one of americas most well known direct response marketers. People pay this guy $50k just for one sales letter, and he’s advising me in a one on one session at his house. If you haven’t heard of Dan, check out his books, THEY WILL change your life and the way you think!

After watching myself go from struggling in Iowa trying to make ends meet, to making roughly $200k a year managing a company for one of the biggest names in the info marketing circuit, I decided it was time to take “my shot”. And, that’s exactly what I did. I opened up my very first REAL online business (I’m not counting side projects, we all know entrepreneurs are blessed with shiney object syndrome)…

…Every since, I’ve never looked back.

I haven’t worked for someone for many years. And I owe it all to the three important women in my life that saw something in me that I didn’t even see at the time. THANK YOU Heather Johl and Danielle Duce.

I will never forget what you have all done for me! And I can’t forget Ron for giving us all the opportunity in the first place by starting his business and sharing his wealth of knowledge. It’s funny how Ron drills “The Less I Do, The More I Make” in people’s heads…it truly came full circle, and Ron, I couldn’t agree more!

I went from dead broke to selling over 2.5 million my very first year online. I used to work 50 to 60+ hours a week, now I just do what makes me happy. I used to decide what I was going to eat by looking at the prices on menus, now I eat whatever sounds good. I used to dream of traveling the world, now I just do it. I used to dream of seeing the ocean for the first time, now I live right by the beach.

What have I learned from this major transition? I learned that it was never really about the money after all, it was about the freedom.  I couldn’t care less about how much money I make at this point, just as long as all my bills are paid and I don’t have to work for anyone ever again. I know that may seem crazy to some people, but what are you saving up for anyway?

So what if someone makes a billion dollars a year, if they don’t enjoy life, what’s the point? As far as I can tell, most people want to make money so they can retire and not work anymore…well, I’m already retired, and I don’t work anymore…what else could I ask for?

I have a picture above with Tim Ferris. He’s the author of the “4 Hour Work Week“, if you haven’t read it, READ IT NOW! It’s a life changing book and will help you understand the “Life Style Business”, which is the only kind of business I’m interested in. Literally every friend I’ve given the book to has had a paradigm shift in their thinking. The only problem with Tim is, I think he works too much, lol…I’m coming out with the Zero Hour Work Week…sorry Tim!

In three short years I took my company from an idea and pocket change to one of the largest distributors in my niche with revenues exceeding $5.5 million annually, all using the power of the internet.  In fact my company dominates numerous ‘broad term’ first page listings in all major search engines, something considered almost impossible in today’s competitive marketplace.

As a serial entrepreneur, I turn ideas… into action… into profit at lightning speeds.  As an expert in sales, marketing, and coaching with over 15 years experience I use these proprietary skill sets as a key factor to helping companies make the most of their existing resources and transform them to phenomenal success.

I now spend time traveling the world, teaching others how they too can run a “Lifestyle Business”, a business that gives you the freedom to enjoy the most important thing on the planet, TIME. Most people work so hard that their kids are growing up without them. I’m on a mission to help people get their life back!

Make sure to join my Facebook Fanpage, and keep in touch with what’s going on in Brian’s world. I’ve got some insane projects I’m working on that I’ll be releasing this year to help people work less, make more, and enjoy their lives.

Cheers,

Brian Hanson