An Interview With Edward Sylvan
I have been very successful myself in different areas of life, have earned many millions as an entrepreneur and investor, founded a successful company, and wrote books that are read all over the world. I would like to pass on my knowledge, my experience and the results of my scientific research. I want to help other people hone their personalities and thus find their path to wealth, happiness and prosperity. I receive many e-mails from people who tell me how much my books have changed their lives. That is the real reward of being an author.
As part of my series about “authors who are making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Rainer Zitelmann.
Rainer Zitelmann is a historian and sociologist. He is also a world-renowned author (25 books) successful entrepreneur and real estate investor. His latest book How People Become Famous Geniuses of Self -Marketing From Albert Einstein To Kim Kardashian will be released Nov. 24, 2021.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
Zitelmann: I’d love to. My father was a vicar and is a well-known author in Germany. Although he is 92 years old, he still writes books. My mother’s father, that is, my grandfather, was a professor of physical chemistry and wrote a major textbook. My mother said that her life has been full of men who write — her father, her husband, and now her son. I became interested in politics at a very early age. When I was 8 years old, I sent a letter to Willy Brandt, who would go on to become Chancellor of Germany, along with a small booklet of political cartoons I had drawn. Then, when I was 10, I published a school newspaper. I was very left-wing when I was young and, at 13, I was a staunch Maoist and published a newspaper called The Red Banner. At school, I founded a Maoist group called the Red Cell. But that was a long time ago. Today I am an enthusiastic advocate of capitalism and an opponent of any form of socialism.
When you were younger, was there a book that you read that inspired you to take action or changed your life? Can you share a story about that?
Zitelmann: I’ve always been an avid reader, but there hasn’t been just one book that changed my life. Books have always shaped me, though, in every phase of my life. I am a firm believer in the saying, “You are what you read.”
Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or take away did you learn from that?
Zitelmann: Oh, I’ve made lots of mistakes, but I can’t think of one that was very “funny.” I drank alcohol in my 20s. Way too much alcohol. I was the best student taking history in college at the time and graduated with the best degree, but I drank a lot in the evenings. When I realized I couldn’t control my drinking, I quit. Alcoholics Anonymous helped me to stop. Now I haven’t had a single drop in 35 years. I think that was the best decision I ever made.
Can you describe how you aim to make a significant social impact with your book?
Zitelmann: I have been very successful myself in different areas of life, have earned many millions as an entrepreneur and investor, founded a successful company, and wrote books that are read all over the world. I would like to pass on my knowledge, my experience and the results of my scientific research. I want to help other people hone their personalities and thus find their path to wealth, happiness and prosperity. I receive many e-mails from people who tell me how much my books have changed their lives. That is the real reward of being an author.
Can you share with us the most interesting story that you shared in your book?
Zitelmann: Oh no, there’s no way I’m going to do that. The book is full of inspiring stories that have delighted readers. How People Become Famous has already been a success in Germany, Taiwan and Russia, and I hope it will be just as much of a success in the United States. You’ll find surprising stories about people such as Andy Warhol, Kim Kardashian, Karl Lagerfeld, Muhammad Ali, Steve Jobs, Steven Hawking, Albert Einstein and many more. As individuals, they are all totally different, but they are all geniuses of self-marketing. It’s fascinating to see that they didn’t become famous by chance, but through very specific strategies, which I won’t reveal here in this interview.
What was the “aha moment” or series of events that made you decide to bring your message to the greater world? Can you share a story about that?
Zitelmann: It’s the emails I get from my readers. Many readers have written to me to tell me how reading my books has changed their lives. One reader, for example, was seriously ill — in hospital and desperate. They found inspiration in my book Dare to Be Different. One woman wrote about how frustrated she had been in her white-collar job. She wasn’t enjoying her work anymore, was even struggling to motivate herself to go to work. Today she is an enthusiastic entrepreneur and says that my book inspired her. People often approach me on the street here in Germany and tell me stories like this. So, one day, I said to myself, “I want people in other countries to read my books, too.” My books are particularly successful in India, China, South Korea, and Vietnam, because people there are really incredibly curious and hungry for success. I’m looking forward to traveling again after the pandemic, because I have many invitations, from Vietnam, China, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Brazil, Poland, and other countries. And, of course, I’m looking forward to traveling to the U.S. again to give interviews and lectures.
Without sharing specific names, can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
Zitelmann: I don’t have any spectacular stories, just the same kind of stories that happen over and over again. The other day, someone who had spent years working successfully in the banking sector wrote to me: “Your books finally gave me the courage to become an entrepreneur.” Many readers have written to me to let me know that they have become rich because they applied the ideas I share in my books (e.g. The Wealth Elite) in their own lives. This may not sound spectacular, but it has been tremendously important for these people, and I am proud to have made such a contribution with my books.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
Zitelmann: To be honest, I don’t expect all that much from politicians, although I am very interested and involved in politics. But the decisive changes in most people’s lives don’t come about as a result of politics, they happen because of their own decisions. The most important decision a person can make is to set bigger goals. Think about it: What a painful feeling it must be to grow old and look back on your life only to have to ask yourself if you couldn’t have achieved much more in your life if only you had dared to set bigger goals? The reason most people are not more successful is that they don’t set bigger goals. Imagine setting an ambitious goal and achieving it. Not only does that feel great, it also confirms that setting bigger goals works. But then ask yourself, “Could I have achieved an even bigger goal. Wouldn’t that have worked as well?” When in doubt, set a goal that seems too big rather than settling for a goal that is easy and you are sure to achieve. Why don’t we actually set more ambitious goals? Out of fear that we won’t achieve them? Anyone who refuses to set bigger goals for fear of failing has, in truth, already failed. After all, we will rarely achieve more than we set out to achieve and believe we will achieve. “Nobody knows the extent of his strength until he has tried,” said Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
Zitelmann: In my book, I write about a great leader: Steve Jobs. Now Jobs was not an easy boss. On the contrary. He was often quick-tempered and fierce. He demanded a lot from his employees. But they enjoyed working for him because his passion inspired them. Only leaders who are enthusiastic themselves can inspire others. That is the core of leadership: Be enthusiastic like Steve Jobs, then you can also inspire other people!
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
- Don’t take drugs and avoid alcohol if you think you cannot drink in moderation. Alcohol and drugs are the reason many people who would otherwise succeed end up as failures. And I’m not the only one to offer this advice, it’s also something you’ll hear from Charly Munger, Warren Buffett’s partner. I always pay close attention to Munger’s advice!
- Never waste your time on things you do not enjoy. I have almost always only done things in my life that brought me joy. Many people pursue jobs or are in relationships that do not excite them. Another tip: Get other people to do the things for you that don’t bring you joy — learn to delegate!
- Always be open to new things. I have to keep reminding myself of this, too. Psychological studies have shown that successful people have this personality trait, among others: They are open to new things. If someone comes to you with a new idea and you instinctively want to tell them why it doesn’t make sense or won’t work: Suppress this reflex!
- Learn to sell! No matter what you do in life, if you can’t sell it, there’s no point. You need to realize that sayings like “modesty is a virtue,” “don’t be a show-off,” and “quality prevails on its own” are sayings for losers. In How People Become Famous, you will see that a successful person never thinks like that.
- Have the courage to swim against the stream! That’s something I have done all my life. I became rich as an investor by doing the opposite of what others were doing. I bought apartment buildings in Berlin when everyone told me it was a crazy idea. I sold most of them when everyone said NOW was the time to invest in Berlin. And in March 2020, when the stock markets crashed because of Corona, I bought stocks (unfortunately I wasn’t brave enough, I should have bought a lot more).
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Zitelmann: I have several favorite quotes. “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark,” said Michelangelo, the Italian painter and sculptor. Another is, “What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow. Our life is the creation of our mind.” So said Siddartha Gautama, better known as Buddha (the Enlightened One) and founder of Buddhism. I have seen the truth of this quote thanks to my involvement with successful people with disabilities. I spoke with Eric Weihenmayer, a blind American mountaineer who has conquered Mount Everest and the other Seven Summits. His life demonstrates that it is not external circumstances that are decisive, but our mental attitude.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
Zitelmann: Absolutely: I’ve been a great admirer of Warren Buffett and Arnold Schwarzenegger for decades. They’re both incredible people and I’ve read all the biographies about them. I would love to meet them in person. And then I would love to meet Chloë Grace Moretz for dinner because she is the most beautiful woman in the world. ☺
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Zitelmann: I am very active on social media in Germany, Vietnam, and China, but I’m just getting started in the U.S. So, the best thing to do is buy my books. They contain everything I want to say to the world. However, here is my website where you can find out more about my books: https://www.rainer-zitelmann.com/
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
Social Impact Authors: How & Why Rainer Zitelmann Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.