D. A. Benton - The $100,000 Club: How to Make a Six-Figure Income

SOLID GOLD PRAISE FOR
THE $100,000 CLUB

An irrepressible guide to one of lifes most significant career milestonesa six-figure income. She tells the real story behind the fascinating quest for success, complete with the most helpful hints on understanding what it takes to prevail in the high-stakes game of business.

Jeffrey M. Cunningham, publisher, Forbes

Debra Benton has put into print a value system that is practical and relevant in todays society.

Ron Rossi, president, Gillette North American Division

Its about making choices and establishing values, relationships, self-esteem, and discipline.

Pittsburgh Business Times

An excellent guide to a meaningful lifetime in the world of work. This is not only about earning, but also about productivity and self-esteem.

W. Howard Lester, chairman, Williams-Sonoma, Inc.

As the largest manager of money managers in the world weve learned you can be a good person and make good money, too. D. A. Benton shows readers how to earn a six-figure income and lead a happy, balanced life for both today and the future.

George Russell, chairman, The Frank Russell Company

D. A. Bentons insights have powerful paybacks.

Bill Amelio, president, AlliedSignal Corporation

Other books by D. A. Benton

Lions Dont Need to Roar

How to Think Like a CEO

A special loving thanks goes to my parents, Fred and Teresa Benton. They provided balance in my early life, which enabled me to have the confidence to strike out into my own business at a young age.

My husband, Rodney Sweeney, the original mountain man, taught me more about life from nature than I learned from many years in business. As Voltaire wrote, Man argues, nature acts.

To my associate Amy Williams, whose orientation to detail kept me striving for excellence in writing.

To my editor, Rick Wolff, whose guidance made this project easy to complete.

To my agent, Mike Cohn, whose wry sense of humor kept me entertained.

And to some very special friends: Nancy Albertini, Carol Ballock, Eunice Buhler, Mary Chung, Mindy Credi, Delores Doyle, Michelle Monfor Fitzhenry, Ernie Howell, Dr. Kelvin Kesler, and Pat Straley.

Debra Benton

Benton Management Resources

2221 West Lake Street

Fort Collins, CO 80521

Are you being paid enough? Despite the risk of sounding politically incorrect: You want to make the big bucks! Although 91,993,582 households in this country earn around $31,241 a year, thats not the life for you.

Only 4 percent of U.S. households, approximately 4,035,799, earn over $100,000. That sounds better, doesnt it? Seems like there must be room for a few more to make enough money to break that barrier and join the $100,000 Clubnamely, you!

According to Fortune magazine, The new rule of thumb for being well-paid is to earn four times your age. Hey, it wasnt that long ago that earning twice your age meant you were well-paid! Regardless of any rule of thumb, the key is: What is the magic number for you?

Most everyone says $100,000 is a special number. Hence, The $100,000 Club is to help the majority of my readers who desire and deserve to earn much more than they are currently earning.

To make $100,000, you have to decide to do some fairly simple things well and consistently. The $100,000 Club is about those specific things. But it isnt just about making big money; its about becoming a person who deserves big money and takes the responsibility for getting it.

The requirements? To begin with, you must be willing to add to your self-worth every day.

While adding to your self-worth typically means making money, in the financial sense it can also mean investing money, learning a timely job skill, developing a new personality trait, solving a time-consuming energy-draining problem, controlling time, managing an attitude, improving appearances, even building muscle.

Adding to your self-worth will make you more valuable monetarily, professionally, mentally, physically, emotionally. Thats successful living. Thats a $100,000 Club member.

Regardless of the exact dollar figure that lights up your eyessix figures, seven, even eight figuresa lot more will try than succeed. If you want to be one who succeeds, The $100,000 Club is for you.

Ive spent the last twenty years around people whose financial earnings reached $100,000 and far beyond. Ive studied, watched, interviewed, and consulted for them. What Ive learned, from those who have made it, is yours for the taking. An acquaintance of mine is a female business leader who says its her personal mission to add to her worth every day. Shes forty-one years old but looks thirty-two because she takes good care of herself so that her body will hold up for all the work she puts it through. She says, I have to win every day. That means Im either in a race or in a battle.

Thats how you have the energy to make significant money!

All $100,000 Club members add to their self-worth every day before they make the big money. The habit isnt formed once you reach some financial goal; its formed to get you to that financial goal and to keep you at and beyond that level.

Fortunately, there are myriad ways for you to add value to yourself on a daily basis so that you are worthy of earning six figures.

In the 1980s making money was the goal in itself: having more showpieces, cars, clothes, or someone on your arm. Not today.

Today, instead of having more things, do more things. Be the master of your own fate. Be the superhero you and your family look up to in your life.

An old study concluded that men view money as adding to their power and women view money as adding to their freedom. Today the thinking has to be: Combine power and freedom in the limited time available.

People who are successful do whats required seven days a week. Its not just work, its fulfilling their own dream.

You dont need to do it like anyone else. But if youre like most who have made it already, you want to know what others have experienced. Then you can pick your own route.

As the National Finals Rodeo bull-riding champion, and $100,000 Club member, Tuff Hedeman says, In order to ride bulls, you really have to focus and concentrate on what it takes to make a good ride.

Thats what we are going to concentrate on: making a good ride with the bulls in business. The good thing is that you dont have to contend with the physical pain or the eight-second time limit that Tuff Hedeman does in his work!

If youve been working toward this goal casually, then take this advice and go all-out for it.

When you have a tough day, which we all do, and its a bit depressing, discouraging, or disappointing, take one hour off and do one of the following:

Visit the hospital where you want to donate money for a wing named after your father.

Write out a check to your favorite charity (no, not to yourself) with a note that reads, More will follow.

Go to a car dealership and test-drive some racy new model.

Sit down at the computer with your son or daughter and use the Internet to review the pros and cons of selected schools he or she wants to attend.

Seek out the person on the front page of the business section who achieved some big goal and congratulate him by telephone or with a handwritten note.