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The Transparent Podcast
The Transparent Podcast
Art Williams - Just Do it Speech - Mental Toughness and Entrepreneurship
Art Williams, a high school football coach turned insurance mogul, joins us to unveil the secret to his billion-dollar success story. At the 1987 National Religious Broadcaster Convention, Art captivated audiences with his compelling tale of toppling industry giants like Prudential and New York Life. His journey underscores the power of mental toughness and the importance of carving out a unique niche in a competitive market. Art's insights offer more than just a blueprint for business success—they serve as a testament to the resilience and innovation required to stand out in the world of entrepreneurship.
Challenge the status quo with us as we question the traditional paths to corporate triumph. From Art's perspective and our own experiences, we explore how intangible qualities such as integrity, enthusiasm, and character often outweigh academic credentials and privileged backgrounds. This conversation celebrates the dreamers who dare to stand for something meaningful, even at the risk of controversy. We advocate for a return to core values and self-belief, emphasizing that the true markers of success lie within a positive attitude and unwavering confidence in one's potential.
Our exploration doesn't stop at professional achievements; it extends to the delicate balance between personal satisfaction and career accomplishments. Through relatable stories, we highlight the nuances of personal and professional life, where relationships and commitment play pivotal roles. Whether it's a quirk like leaving toothpaste caps off or the relentless pursuit of goals, the little things matter as much as the grand victories. Embrace the lesson that success is attainable not only for the inherently gifted but for those steadfast enough to persevere, pay the price of hard work, and ultimately become someone they'll be proud of.
Art Williams has spoken to many business groups throughout the years. The following speech was delivered to the 1987 National Religious Broadcaster Convention and has become a classic example of Art's philosophy on winning in business. It is simply entitled Do it. Dr Jerry Falwell, chancellor of Liberty University, introduces Art Williams.
Speaker 2:Fifteen years ago he was a high school football coach. His wife, angela, was teaching English in high school. He got an idea, just an idea, and ten years and 10 years ago he turned that idea into a company. A concept, a practical concept. 10 years have passed. 150,000 people work for him now. Last year he sold $77 billion worth of insurance. This year $100 billion. That is more than Prudential and New York Life number one and two combined in 10 years. He's from Monroe, georgia. He has the dialect to prove it. He this year will sell $100 billion worth of insurance and revenues $2.5 billion. And he's just now beginning to dream, to plan to go.
Speaker 2:Art and Angela Williams have two precious children, art III and April, their daughter. He is chairman of the inner council, the inner circle of our ministries, and a personal and dear friend. He is a born-again Christian, as each of his family members, but he's an entrepreneur and Dr Armstrong has asked him to come tonight and talk to you about what he knows most and best about and, having been in one of his sales meetings last Friday, last Thursday in Palm Springs you know I usually go out preaching and I try to wake up religious morgues and most of the places, a lot of the places I go, don't need a revival, they need a resurrection. But he asked me to speak to his group of national sales directors and I had to work hard at getting up where they were and not appearing as a backslidden preacher. This man, I repeat, is the leading entrepreneur in America and a friend of NRB, and I introduce you to you, mr Art Williams.
Speaker 3:Thank you. Thank you, jerry, and I tell you I don't know if I've been this nervous in a long time. This is the most intimidating thing that I think's ever happened to me. An old, dumb South Georgia football coach speaking to a bunch of TV personalities, like many of you, many great evangelists in the audience, and who put me between Falwell and Swaggart on the same night. It just totally blows me away. But I'll try to give it my best shot.
Speaker 3:I was asked to talk to you about how to win in business. I think it's a good subject for you to think about, because I believe business in America is in a crisis situation today. All you have to do is read the paper and every month, see our trade deficit and it's just a very depressing situation. And to speak to you about how to win in business, there's a lot of obvious things I could talk about. You first have to find a need. You've got to feel a need for a consumer out there. You've got to have a market. You've got to have somebody to sell your product or your service to. You've got to, if you really want to get big and win big, you've got to have a uniqueness. There's got to be something a little bit different from you than all the competition out there. But by far the most important thing you've got to have to win in business in these United States today is a very unique kind of mental toughness. I believe the difference in winning and losing in the free enterprise system is so small it's almost too scary to talk about. You can do 99% of the things right in business and yet if you don't possess what I call that winning edge, that mental toughness, folks, it's impossible to win.
Speaker 3:I believe the thinking in corporate America has been screwed up over these last 20 to 25 years and I believe this screwed up kind of thinking started in our big liberal universities today. I believe a college degree in business for most universities today is not worth the papers written on. I just had a son graduate from the University of Georgia a few months ago. The reason I think that is because most of these professors in most of these universities today hadn't got enough common sense to get in out of the rain. They don't have any idea of what it takes to win out there in the real world. They deal in a bunch of theory. These people have tried to fill up corporate America with this kind of thinking.
Speaker 3:These are the special people. If you're born rich, if you're born on the right side of the track, they rule you the privilege class in America. If you're born poor, from an average ordinary background, like I came from, they say you're supposed to give up all your big dreams and all your big ambitions and all your big hope. If you have a high IQ, they rule you brilliant. If you have an average IQ, like me, they say you ought to drive a truck or be a janitor. Well bull, that ain't the way it is and that ain't the way it ever was. They ain't nobody ever designed a test, nor will they design a test that can measure the heart of a man or a woman. The things that are unique to winning in business in America today are not outside, artificial things like IQs, college board scores, college degrees and stuff like that. The key to winning in these United States is what's inside a person. It's your integrity, it's your people abilities, it's your character.
Speaker 3:I believe in developing this winning edge. I've got 10 or 12 points that I won't be able to go over with you tonight, but let me just give you a flavor of what I think you've got to do to succeed in these United States. Number one you've got to get excited. Folks, I don't believe anybody will ever tell you anything more important than this in winning these United States 90 plus percent of winning in anything you try to do in America today. You've 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 two or three months. A few people can stay excited for two or three years, but a winner will stay excited for 30 years or however long it takes to win.
Speaker 3: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've got to 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 going to get along good, because he knows what he's talking about. See, folks, I believe in order to win, you've got to feel good about yourself.
Speaker 3:I was coaching football for seven years back in Georgia and I had a paddle in my coaching office and 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 three 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 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 he had busted three times and, folks, it didn't't take long. You couldn't create a word game to get one of my, my kids to say I can't bring it home a little bit more personal when april and little art were were just this little and could understand words. Every time they said I can't, I made them do three push-ups.
Speaker 3:Folks, there ain't nothing you can't do in america if you want too bad enough. Another key in building this winning edge is folks. You 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 the word. They think these companies will sell anything, say anything, just to make a sale, just to make a profit.
Speaker 3:Well, you know what, folks? If you want to win in the free enterprise system in America today, you've got to stand for something. And another point thank you is yes, you're going to be controversial. Folks, if you want to win in these United States today, just get ready. You're going to be controversial the only way not to be controversial is to be average and ordinary. Just call me anything but average and ordinary. Now I know some of you might say well, you know, I don't think I like Art Williams. You know he sounds like an old, tough butt to me. Well, folks, I'm telling you you can be good and tough at the same time. I bet nobody's ever talked to a religious broadcaster like this. I know Another key to developing this winning attitude that will give you a chance to do something great in American business is, folks, you've got to make a total commitment to what you're about.
Speaker 3:Do you know? Almost the American people have lost their toughness. They've lost their ability to make a commitment. See, folks, in trying to win in business, you're just going to have so many false starts. You think you get it going time after time and you just get knocked back to ground zero. And it's your ability to compete, to pick yourself up off the bat one more time, to go for it one more time, that's going to determine success or failure. You know we've got a divorce rate in America some 50% right now. You know, it just seems like that. People that go in business today, they have an attitude where I'm going to stick my toe in it. If I start making all this money, get all these promotions, then I'll see this thing through. Well, folks, that's not the way it works. The first step to winning in business in America today is you've got to make a total commitment. Total commitment gives you that little extra ounce of courage you need to fight back through the tough times. Winning in business demands the same kind of commitment that winning in marriage demands.
Speaker 3:You know I fell in love with my wife in the second grade, only girlfriend I ever had. We ran off and got married our freshman year had both of our children before we left college. We're true business partners in marriage. We go everywhere together. I spend more time with her, been married to her 26 years now. I got two grandbabies. Love her more today than I ever have, but I don't like her all the time. There's a bunch of times every day that I don't like her.
Speaker 3:You know I'm a nut about brushing my teeth. You know if I can get a toothbrush I'll brush my teeth three or four, five, six times a day. And Angela's always forgetting everything, you know. And she always leaves the cap off the toothpaste, you know. And when I go in there to brush my teeth. The cap's always got that hard little crust around the edge, you know. It just burns me more than I can tell, you know. And I get on Angela's nerves about a lot of things. You know, we were having dinner last week and every time we get through, angela kicks me under the table, you know, and gets me back in my room and says, art, you ain't got no class. You know, I wish, I wish, I wish, art, you could learn to eat with your mouth closed. You know. But see, folks, if you want to win in business, everything's not going to work out like you want it to, but you've got to be committed. I want to have great kids. I want to have a wonderful relationship. I want to have tremendous grandbabies.
Speaker 3:Another key in building this winning edge in business is you've got to learn to treat people good. Another thing that these universities pollute America corporations with is this attitude you better not get to know your employees. You better not become friends or get to know the spouse or the children of your employees, because you might have to fire them, you might have to reassign them and if you're close friends, you can't manage people in a tough-minded way. Bull Folks. The only way to manage people and get the most out of people is treat them good, learn to love them and care about them. Yes, it hurts from time to time, but it's the only way you know everybody you work with in business. You've got to look at them and pretend there's a flashing sign on their chest and everybody's asking you make me feel special, make me feel important, say something good to me. I want to be somebody. Another key of winning in business in America today is folks. You've got to establish the right kind of priorities.
Speaker 3:First company I went with 15 years ago was ITT. When I was out there struggling, dying every day, wanting to quit and go back in coaching a thousand times, my first heroes in this business were vice presidents at ITT, making $40,000 or $50,000 a year and I said, man, if I could ever get to be that kind of person, it'd be a dream come true. I couldn't want any more out of life. A few years later I earned the right to get promotions to that level and found so many of my heroes in business. Their personal lives were a disaster. They were alcoholics and divorced three and four and five times. I just read an article by the author of In Search of Excellence and I saw where he says I can't find evidence of any successful business person in America. That's not tunnel vision. That just doesn't give everything to business Folks. I said back then, 15 years ago, that if that's the price you've got to pay to win in business, it's not worth it.
Speaker 3:15 years later, a multimillionaire Folks, I can stand and preach to you that you can't separate your personal life from your business life. God's got to come first, your family's got to come second and business has got to come third. And I believe if you have a lousy spiritual life and allows the personal life long range, it's gonna be devastating to your business. Another thing in building this this winning attitude. Another thing in building this winning attitude. Another thing in building this winning attitude in business. You know, I see tall people make it big in business and short people, dumb people and smart people, fat people and skinny people. But if you cut open the winners in business, I see a heart of a champion and all these people are competitors and they don't quit, quit. 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.
Speaker 3:There's always something say art, dad gummits, you're supposed to go for it. All right, dad gummits, you're supposed to be somebody. You're supposed to make a difference with your life. What does the five hundred thousand dollar your person do50,000 a year person doesn't do you look at outside and study those two individuals. Everything seems to be the same. They both have the same sex, they both have 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. In a little bit more he works hard. In a little bit more he's loyal to the company. In a little bit more he believes. In a little bit more he makes money. In a little bit more. He saves money in a little bit more.
Speaker 3:If you want, 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've 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.
Speaker 3:See, I thought at one time in my life you had to be smart to win. I used to have these smart people that dressed so pretty and talked so pretty and used 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 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're 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.
Speaker 3: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 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.
Speaker 3:I go all over this country with AL 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 All right.
Speaker 3:If I could just have one good month and get the ball going, I know I could make it big. Super, just do it All right. If I could just pay off this debt, I could really go Great. Just do it All right 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 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.
Speaker 3: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 do I do you? Just do it, art. My manager don't give me no help. What I do you? Just do it, art. You don't understand. I was Mr Everything at my former company. You don't mean I have to start off down at the bottom and do it, do you? Yep, you really got to do it, 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, thank you. And how wonderful it is to finally be somebody they're proud of and make a difference with their life, thank you.