Christopher Roberts has had a remarkable journey as an entrepreneur ever since he decided to take the step into the world of business. Having been out of a home since the age of 14 and never finishing his education, Chris was at a major disadvantage to his peers when starting out his career – facing hardship for most of his youth. He also suffered from a long-term chronic anxiety disorder and was struggling with his internal battles to make it in life – but it all suddenly changed in one afternoon and today he’s the owner of a successful company that employs over 35 people and has made more than $5 million in sales.
Discover how Christopher turned his life around in this inspiring interview, where we take a look at how it all came about, his mindset and advice for up-and-coming entrepreneurs that have big ambitions.
In discussion with Christopher Roberts
How did it all start for you?
I have been an entrepreneur for about 4 years now. Before starting in business I was a construction worker, and never in my life at the age of 22 had I ever seen more than $5000 in the bank. I had serious financial hardship at the same time my car had broken down and I didn’t even have the money to fix it so I could get to work. As a result, I lost my job and was hugely disappointed with the company as I had put so much effort into being a great worker for the past 10 months, (the longest job I ever had.)
I had hit rock bottom. I had separated from my partner, lost my only job and got kicked out of my rental all within the space of 2 months. This led me to experience severe anxiety which pulled me even below rock bottom. My life looked horrible, past present and future.
What was the big moment that turned things around and what goals did you set for yourself?
All my hope was lost until one day when I watched a 40-minute life changing video by Tony Robbins on “how to beat anxiety” which was a pivotal moment in my life. I became obsessed with his self-help videos, and I started training to get into shape and I lost 25 kilos. 4 years later, I am still training 4-5 days a week. This video led me onto other people like Jim Rohn, Les Brown, Zig Ziglar and Napoleon Hill. This then got me involving myself in business. I set myself a goal following the principles in “Think and Grow Rich,” and I would have to say I set a goal of earning $100k in less than 12 months, and at the time of setting this goal I had no idea on how I would do it.
I trusted the words of Napoleon Hill and I committed to the process. It took me properly 4 weeks roughly to believe that I could earn $100k and I truly believed it with every bone in my body. The best way I can explain it was my thoughts went from scarcity around the goal to complete excitement and faith and it took me a further 4 months to actually net earn my first ever $100k. It didn’t even feel amazing when I arrived at my goal because it was almost like I knew it was coming. This financial goal came into my mind as an objective as my real goal was to deliver the same thing to the world as Anthony Robbins delivered to me. I got lost in business for a while and within 1.5 years, I had generated over $5 million in sales. I still have a successful business operation that requires very little time or effort from my part and also I have multiple streams of passive income (thanks to Robert Kiyosaki’s quadrant in Rich Dad Poor Dad)
But my main goal was never pushed aside, and for the past 12 months I have been building a platform, a platform that would have made my journey 1000 times easier. I am excited to announce it’s close to the launch date and it will provide the resources that I never had. So I am excited about that.
Also everything from anyone that I have ever learned that was powerful enough to change me, I have written a book about called “Breaking the Bonds of Mediocrity” which will be released late 2020.
What kind of mindset did you have when trying to grow your business?
My mindset was re-shaped. I went from following society’s way of living to discover that I in-fact had the gift of time and that I had choices to do whatever I wanted with my time. And I spent my time learning, I became obsessed with the fact that anyone in the world that had inspiring achievement only needed to learn what was necessary to achieve their goals.
What are some of the challenges you faced in reaching your goals?
The hardest challenge I found was dealing with the people around me that I loved and that loved me. My best friend had even told me that he thought that I had lost the plot and also the ability to stop looking at my future based on the experiences of my past. Looking at the future like it was generally an unwritten book and that I had the power to learn anything and be anyone that I wanted was a game-changer.
How has your mentoring of entrepreneurs impacted you?
I have mentored and coached a handful of people and I am extremely proud of the changes my students have made in their lives, and the feeling of seeing them directly impacted from the effort I have put in. It has been the most incredible experience of this whole journey. And I want to help as many willing people as I can to ultimately leave this place better than I had found it.
What would be your advice to upcoming entrepreneurs looking at starting a business?
My advice to young entrepreneurs would be to obtain a vision, place behind that vision as much belief that you possibly can. Once you have that undying faith, your thinking will be generated from a place in your mind of excitement. Not of scarcity and desperation. Don’t aspire to achieve your positive goal from a negative emotional standpoint.
Any insights into your new platform and how it will help entrepreneurs? What’s coming next?
I will soon be releasing more details about the new platform so stay tuned. But my book will go into great depths about how to break down all these controlling factors in the 99% of people, and how with little effort anyone who actually wants to achieve anything out of the ordinary can and will do. All we need is strategies in today’s age. We have way too much information but very little value, and I found that out firsthand investing into self-development.
I want to make a difference in as many lives as I can because for my own selfish reasons, that feeling is what keeps me motivated.