Tony Robbins, #1 Life and Business Strategist
Today, my guest is Tony Robbins, Entrepreneur, Best-Selling Author, Philanthropist and the nation's #1 Life and Business Strategist. The author of six internationally bestselling books, including the recent New York Times #1 best-seller Money: Master the Game and Unshakeable, Tony has empowered more than 50 million people from 100 countries through his audio, video and life training programs. He created the #1 personal and professional development program of all time, and more than 4 million people have attended his live seminars.
Tony is also the chairman of a holding company comprised of 40 privately held businesses with combined sales exceeding $5 billion a year. He has been honored by Accenture as one of the “Top 50 Business Intellectuals in the World”; by Harvard Business Press as one of the “Top 200 Business Gurus”; and by American Express as one of the “Top Six Business Leaders in the World” to coach its entrepreneurial clients. Fortune’s recent cover article named him the “CEO Whisperer,” and he has been named in the top 50 of Worth Magazine’s 100 most powerful people in global finance for two consecutive years. His work has touched the lives of top entertainers — from Aerosmith to Green Day, to Usher and Pitbull as well as athletes like Serena Williams, Andre Agassi, and the Golden State Warriors, as well as business leaders such as Salesforce.com founder Marc Benioff.
As a philanthropist, through his partnership with Feeding America, Tony has provided over 325 million meals in the last 3 years to those in need. Tony has recently partnered with Tom Zgainer to form America's Best 401(k), the next generation modern 401(k) plan provider which eliminates unnecessary middlemen.
In this candid conversation, Tony shared the real stories behind his rise as a global strategist and his philosophies on life, health, and business.
1. Discovering His Gift. Tony revealed that his career path began in high school when a strict teacher pulled him aside after noticing his unique ability to mesmerize his peers without notes. Instead of punishing him, the teacher challenged him to memorize and deliver a speech called "The Will to Win," which sparked his lifelong obsession with ending human suffering.
2. The Power of Patterns and Teams. While Tony handles the high-stakes personal interventions, he credits his success to recognizing deep behavioral patterns that allow him to advise anyone from Serena Williams to President Bill Clinton. To manage his 54 companies, he abandons traditional to-do lists for his "RPM" system and relies heavily on group intelligence, emphasizing that "there's no one smarter than the group".
3. Regenerative Healing & "Insane" Preparation. After severe injuries left him facing spinal stenosis and a torn rotator cuff, Tony avoided career-ending surgery by seeking out powerful cord stem cell treatments, which inspired his upcoming book on regenerative medicine. Despite having decades of experience and speaking to millions, he still "insanely" overprepares for every live event because audiences are completely unpredictable.
4. A Passion for People, Not Just Profits. Driven by the memory of a stranger providing food for his impoverished family when he was 11, Tony remains a dedicated philanthropist. Today, he donates 100% of the profits from his book Unshakeable to Feeding America, helping to feed 100 million people a year while pursuing a goal to reach one billion.
