Introduction

Have you ever been asked, “How much money do you want?”

For most of my career, no one asked me that question. I simply accepted whatever money was offered. That changed on the night of December 31, 1979 at 9:00 p.m. I was 25 years old, married, and had one child. It was New Year’s Eve, and my husband and some friends went out to bring in the New Year, but I decided to stay home and begin reading a new book, Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill.

As I began to read the book, the book began to read me! By the time I reached page 28, he asked me, “Ann McNeill, how much money do you want?” Nobody has ever asked me that question. Then he asked me, “what kind of products or services do you sell to make the money? The third question he asked me “by what date do you want the money?” So he said, “create a detailed plan.” So I decided to go back to question number one and answer the question, and decide how much money I wanted, and that was $1,000 a year. So, how was I going to get the money? I decided to save the money. Later on, I realized that my answer above was not the right answer. Based on his question, my third step was to establish a definite date by when I intended to possess the money. I chose December 31, 1980, exactly one year from the night my life changed. The fourth step he gave me was to create a definite plan for carrying out my desire to get more money, and begin at once. Things weren’t perfect, but I had to put the plan into action.

First – Fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire. It is not sufficient merely to say, “ I want plenty of money.” Be definite as to the amount. (There is a psychological reason for definiteness which will be described in a subsequent chapter.)

Second – Determine exactly what you intend to give and return for the money you desire. (There is no such reality as “something for nothing.”)

Third – Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the money you desire.

Fourth – Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire, and begin at once, whether you are ready or not to put this plan into action.

Fifth – Write out a clear, concise statement of the amount of money you intend to acquire, name the time limit for its acquisition, state what you intend to give and return for the money, and describe clearly the plan through which you intend to accumulate it.

Sixth – Read your written statement aloud twice daily, once just before retiring at night and once after rising in the morning. As you read, see, and feel and believe yourself already in possession of the money.

As a result, I have successfully built three for-profit businesses from one page: MCO Construction, Inc., MCO Consulting, Inc., and Constructively Speaking Inc., and two Not-for-profit organizations: International Mastermind Association and the National Association of Black Women in Construction.

These statements placed my life on a new trajectory, and it is what I teach my clients to help them continue to scale their businesses.

I had a life-changing encounter on one page in a book that changed my entire life, my family, and the thousands of lives I have impacted. As a result, every step of my career is intentional. I continue to focus on mastering my craft, building systems, and maintaining good habits that produce results.

I used the systems I had built in my businesses as platforms to help others achieve their business goals. Talent alone is not enough. True success requires running every part of your business strategically.

Accountability and Goal-Setting through My Businesses
A core part of both Constructively Speaking, Inc. and the International Mastermind Association is teaching accountability and structured goal-setting. When I work with leaders, we focus on asking the right questions: How much money do you want? What will it take to achieve it?