The “Secret” Nobody Knows

Spend 5 minutes on X, Instagram, or Facebook, and you’ll see a post with this headline, “Here’s a Secret Nobody Knows”. Most of the time, it’s pure clickbait looking to sell you the next get-rich-quick scheme or course.

I hate this headline, mainly because it works, and that means gullible men will lose money. Not just money, but sometimes the worst thing you take from a guy, hope. There are men out there who are so desperate to succeed that they will believe anything and send their last few bucks or max out a credit card to pay for “the secret”.

I’ve talked to over 100 successful men from all walks of life. Army generals, Grammy award-winning musicians, professional athletes, and millionaire entrepreneurs. In one way or another, I asked them all to reveal the secret of how they became so successful.

The more modest ones said it was luck, but I knew that wasn’t true unless you use my definition of luck: when preparation meets opportunity. 

Others said they were in the right place at the right time—sort of a cosmic coincidence.

But one common answer would be “the secret” if there was one: hard work. Lots and lots of hours of laser-focused practice, repetitions, and getting told “no” while a door was being slammed in your face.

It’s not a sexy answer, and it won’t sell products, but it works every time—every single time.

People should be buying courses to improve their skills: how to write, play an instrument, fix things, build a deck, or fix a car. These skills are easy to turn into cash for anyone willing to work.

Here are two modern proverbs on work to keep in mind if you’re tempted to send somebody $500 for the secret to success:

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work" - Thomas Edison.

"Eventually, you have to leave the cave, kill something, and drag it home" - Dave Ramsey.