Steve Harvey is in every single place. He hosts Household Feud (together with its superstar and African editions), he stars in his personal courtroom comedy present Decide Steve Harvey, and runs a four-hour weekday radio program. Add to {that a} clothes line, investments, a basis, and a sprawling resume of different venues, and it’s clear Harvey has constructed his personal private empire.
Nevertheless it wasn’t at all times glitz and success for the now 68-year-old. Lengthy earlier than turning into price some $200 million, Harvey spent practically three years homeless—sleeping in his Ford Tempo, protecting meals chilly in an Igloo cooler, and dwelling on bologna sandwiches from making simply $50 every week. The expertise, whereas grueling, proved eye-opening and formative, instructing Harvey the worth of by no means shedding sight of the longer term.
“As a result of as we speak is short-term; if all of it goes proper, as we speak shall be referred to as yesterday, and if all of it goes actually proper, tomorrow goes to be as we speak,” Harvey advised The Pivot Podcast in an interview launched final week.
“In the event you can perceive that it will probably change for you tomorrow, it’ll provide the fortitude to hold in there as we speak as a result of all you bought to do is get up.”
Even after turning into a family title throughout the globe, Harvey admits staying profitable is an on a regular basis wrestle.
“It’s exhausting to generate profits, man, and it’s exhausting to make some huge cash and it takes a very long time to make some huge cash,” Harvey mentioned. “However in the event you assume it’s exhausting to generate profits, it’s approach more durable to maintain it and so as to add to it.”
For Harvey, monetary success is sort of a bodily feat: Doing 100 push-ups would possibly take years of coaching, nevertheless it’s even more durable to remain in form to maintain doing it. “To remain profitable, guess what you bought to do? You bought to lock and maintain. And after 100, that locking and holding is tough since you’ve accomplished burned every part up getting there.”
From faculty dropout working odd jobs to multimillionaire
Harvey was born in West Virginia, together with his father working as a coal miner to assist his 5 kids. After taking courses at each Kent State College and West Virginia College, Harvey dropped out of school and labored a string of wierd jobs— mailman, insurance coverage salesman, and auto-plant employee—looking for his footing.
However safety was fleeting. One yr, he was laid off from Common Electrical proper earlier than Thanksgiving, pressured to return dwelling with a 20-pound turkey however no revenue for his household. Through the years, Harvey mentioned he cycled by 10 or 11 completely different jobs. His turning level got here at 27, when he gained $50 at a comedy membership and determined he had nothing left to lose. He stop his regular job promoting insurance coverage and took a leap into comedy—a big gamble that will change his life endlessly.
Harvey’s need to seek out stability is the rationale he now says he juggles so many ventures: Shedding one gig by no means leaves him with nothing.
“I’ve been working from poverty so lengthy as a result of I used to be in it for thus lengthy,” he advised The Pivot Podcast. “I assume I’m form of afraid of it going unhealthy.”
Harvey’s core recommendation for younger folks looking for their very own model of success is straightforward: it’s not in regards to the assets you might have, however reasonably uncovering your private present.
“You gotta get comfy with being uncomfortable in the event you ever wanna achieve success,” he mentioned in 2018. “Begin placing some strain on your self.”
You possibly can watch the total Steve Harvey episode of the Pivot Podcast under:
