Have you ever thought about how much happier you would be if you just had money?
More than that, have you ever fallen into the trap of believing all your problems would simply go away if you attained fame and success?
If the answer is yes, you’re absolutely not alone. Almost everyone is guilty of getting wrapped up in the idea that money and fame will make all of your hardships disappear — my younger self included. And while it takes some self-searching and life experience to break out of this idea, it’s not entirely our fault.
Our society is obsessed with being rich and famous. We are constantly bombarded with social media or television telling us that the secret to happiness is fame and fortune. It’s no surprise that the goal of many people is to achieve success and wealth, but it’s so important to understand that there is much more to finding fulfillment in your life.
Today’s guest is a perfect example of this fact. Not only did he achieve incredible wealth and success at the young age of 25, but he’s done the hard work necessary to soul-search and discover what truly leads to fulfillment in life.
Please welcome to The School of Greatness the one-and-only Steven Bartlett!
Who is Steven Bartlett?
Steven Bartlett is the 29-year-old founder of the social media marketing agency Social Chain. From a bedroom in Manchester, this university drop-out built what would become one of the world’s most influential social media companies when he was just 21 years old, before taking his company public at 27 years old. Now, Social Chain has a market valuation of over $600M!
Steven is a speaker, investor, author, and content creator, hosting Europe’s biggest podcast, “The Diary of a CEO,” and recently released his debut book, ironically titled Happy Sexy Millionaire, which is a Sunday Times bestseller. Steven also joined BBC’s Dragon’s Den (UK’s version of Shark Tank) for Series 19 this January 2022, as the youngest ever Dragon in the show’s history.
The Steven Bartlett Story
Steven’s journey is an incredible story, and I’m not sure there is anyone better suited to describe just how unfulfilled you can still feel after achieving wealth and success.
At the young age of 25, Steven was approached by a big company asking to buy his marketing firm. This was no small purchase, and the money he would receive from this deal would propel him to a level of wealth he had never known. Immediately, Steven went home and calculated just how much money would go into his pocket upon this deal’s completion. That was the moment he gained a new perspective on the idea of wealth and success.
“I sat there and I remember exactly which room in my house I was in. I remember what I was wearing, [and] that it was pitch black outside. As I sat there on the floor, for some reason, looking into the screen, I was looking at a future life of emptiness. I could see it. And it was this weird paradox, this contradiction of knowing that if I bought these things, I would be poorer — but not financially. ” – Steven Bartlett
Steven said this made him realize what his true purpose was. His company was his friendships, his connections, his meaning. Part of him reinforced the idea that buying a big house with plenty of space was the goal, right? If that wasn’t the goal, then what was?
As it turns out, a few months after living in a big empty mansion alone Steven realized he was not only miserable, but he was confused. If this wasn’t what it was all about, then what was it all about? This experience ultimately taught him that his business wasn’t about marketing, it was about community purpose. How could he trade that for a big house? This was part one of the catalyst that led him to understand where to find true fulfillment.
About six months after achieving incredible wealth and living in his own mansion, Steven met someone who he had looked up to for quite some time. This person had everything that Steven had ever wanted from an entire Louis Vuitton room to a guest room with walls lined with every sneaker he could think of. Even with all this, Steven could see this person was miserable.
“As I began to walk through his house, I could see that he’s the only one there. No one else was there — not a girlfriend, not a friend, only the security guard who had been paid to be there. He ultimately asked me to sleep in bed with him that night. A 40-year-old man asked me to sleep in bed with him. No way, I didn’t flinch at all. I said, yeah, of course, because I knew what it meant — he was lonely. That was me. I was looking at my future if I didn’t change course and reassess my priorities.” – Steven Bartlett
Wow. That just goes to show that the people who you look up to the most — who seem to have everything you could ever want — may be some of the most lonely, miserable people you can find. Money can buy you a big house with lots of things, but it can’t make you feel loved or happy. It can’t provide the warmth of human connection.
