Emanuel James Rohn (September 17, 1930 – December 5, 2009), professionally known as Jim Rohn, was an American

entrepreneur Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as change, generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business, which may include other values t ...

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

and motivational speaker.

Early life

Emanuel James "Jim" Rohn was born in

Yakima, Washington Yakima ( or ) is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, and the state's 11th-largest city by population. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The uninc ...

, to Emmanuel and Clara Rohn. The Rohns owned and worked a farm in Caldwell, Idaho, where Jim grew up as an

only child An only child is a person with no siblings, by birth or adoption. Children who have half-siblings, step-siblings, or have never met their siblings, either living at the same house or at a different house—especially those who were born consider ...

. He was born to a poor family, became a millionaire at age 30, and went broke when he was 33. He later became a millionaire again. Rohn left college after one year.

Career

He started his professional life as a human resource manager for

Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began a ...

. Around this time, a friend invited him to a lecture given by entrepreneur

John Earl Shoaff John Earl Shoaff (March 21, 1916 - September 6, 1965) was an American entrepreneur and motivational speaker. Shoaff was President and Board Chairman of the Nutri-Bio Corporation, a Multi-level marketing organization which sold vitamin, mineral, a ...

. In 1955, Rohn joined Shoaff's

direct selling Direct selling consists of single-level marketing (in which a direct seller makes money by buying products from a parent organization and selling them directly to customers) and multi-level marketing (in which the direct seller may earn money ...

business AbundaVita as a distributor. In 1957, Rohn resigned his distributorship with AbundaVita and joined Nutri-Bio, another direct selling company. The company's founders, including Shoaff, started to mentor him. After this

mentorship Mentorship is the influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the personal and p ...

, Rohn built one of the largest organizations in the company. In 1960, when Nutri-Bio expanded into

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, Shoaff and the other founders put Rohn in charge of the organization. After Nutri-Bio went out of business in the early 1960s, Rohn was invited to speak at his Rotary Club. He accepted, and soon, others began asking him to speak at various luncheons and other events. In 1963, at the Beverly Hills Hotel, he gave his first public seminar. He then began presenting seminars across the country, telling his story and teaching his personal development philosophy. Throughout the 1970s, Rohn conducted seminars for Standard Oil. At the same time, he participated in a personal development business called "Adventures in Achievement", which featured live seminars and personal development workshops. He presented seminars worldwide for more than 40 years. Rohn mentored

Mark R. Hughes Mark R. Hughes (January 1, 1956 – May 21, 2000) was an American entrepreneur who was the founder, chairman, and CEO of Herbalife International Ltd, a multi-level marketing company. Early life Hughes was born in La Mirada, California on J ...

(the founder of Herbalife International) and life strategist

Tony Robbins Anthony Jay Robbins (né Mahavoric, born February 29, 1960) is an American author, coach, speaker, and philanthropist. He is known for his infomercials, seminars, and self-help books including the books '' Unlimited Power'' and ''Awaken the G ...

in the late 1970s. Others who credit Rohn for influencing their careers include authors/lecturers

Mark Victor Hansen Mark Victor Hansen (born January 8, 1948) is an American inspirational and motivational speaker, trainer and author. He is best known as the founder and co-creator of the ''Chicken Soup for the Soul'' book series. Early life Hansen was born to D ...

and

Jack Canfield Jack Canfield (born August 19, 1944) is an American author, motivational speaker, corporate trainer, and entrepreneur. He is the co-author of the ''Chicken Soup for the Soul'' series, which has more than 250 titles and 500 million copies in prin ...

(

Chicken Soup Chicken soup is a soup made from chicken, simmered in water, usually with various other ingredients. The classic chicken soup consists of a clear chicken broth, often with pieces of chicken or vegetables; common additions are pasta, noodles, ...

book series), Everton Edwards (Hallmark Innovators Conglomerate),

Brian Tracy Brian Tracy is a Canadian-American motivational public speaker and self-development author. He is the author of over eighty books that have been translated into dozens of languages. His popular books are ''Earn What You're Really Worth'', ''Ea ...

, Todd Smith, and

T. Harv Eker T. Harv Eker (born June 10, 1954) is an author, businessman and motivational speaker known for his theories on wealth and motivation. He is the author of the book ''Secrets of the Millionaire Mind'' published by HarperCollins. Early life Eker wa ...

. Rohn coauthored the novel ''Twelve Pillars'' with

Chris Widener Christopher Widener (born August 22, 1963) was the President pro Tempore of the Ohio Senate, and represented the 10th Senate District, which includes Madison, Clark and Greene counties. Before the Senate, he served three terms non-consecutive ...

. Rohn was the recipient of the 1985

National Speakers Association The National Speakers Association (NSA) is a US based association that supports motivational and other public speakers. It is the oldest and largest of 13 international associations comprising the Global Speakers Federation. History NSA was f ...

CPAE Award for excellence in speaking. He is the author of 17 written, audio, and video media, including ''The Power of Ambition'', ''Take Charge of Your Life'', and ''The Day That Turns Your Life Around''. Many of his speeches are available for free on

social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...

platforms like

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

and Instagram.

Death

Jim Rohn died of

pulmonary fibrosis Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition in which the lungs become scarred over time. Symptoms include shortness of breath, a dry cough, feeling tired, weight loss, and nail clubbing. Complications may include pulmonary hypertension, respiratory failu ...

on December 5, 2009. He is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.

Works

* ''7 Strategies for Wealth & Happiness: Power Ideas from America's Foremost Business Philosopher'' * ''My Philosophy For Successful Living'' * ''The Power of Ambition'' * ''The Seasons of Life'' * ''12 Pillars of Success''

References

External links