The 9-Figure Journey: A 4 Year Leap into Multibillion-Dollar Success

You’ve probably heard the saying, "There are no shortcuts to any place worth going." Well, let me tell you about my friend Howard Makler, who didn’t just travel the long road; he built the highway. Howard's story is not your typical overnight success, although it did happen in record time. He took massive leaps, stared down risks that would make most entrepreneurs tremble, and today, he’s cropping the rewards of his relentless determination.

Howard's journey to building a multibillion-dollar company in just four years didn’t start with that company. Oh no, his success story is woven from the fabric of many companies, lessons learned the hard way, and people who shaped his path. Behind his 9-figure success lies a series of ventures, each one a stepping stone, each one a lesson. It’s easy to look at where he is now and think it was all smooth sailing, but trust me, it was anything but. As the legendary Winston Churchill said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”

Howard didn’t wait for success to knock on his door; he built the door, the walls, and the roof. He wasn’t on the waiting bench or sitting on the sidelines; he was in the game, grinding, and hustling. And when opportunity knocked, he was ready, because he knew that success isn’t a spectator sport. It’s sleepless, messy, obsessive, tireless, competitive, tenacious, egoless. Success requires the best of you, and it’s not guaranteed; it plays offensive and will show no mercy for the lazy.

Let me break it down with some cold, hard facts. In the United States, the odds of becoming a centimillionaire—someone with a net worth of $100 million or more—are slim. We’re talking about 1 in 5,000, or 0.02% of the population. These aren’t lottery odds, but they’re close. And the journey to that level of wealth? It’s not for the faint of heart. The road is paved with failures, long hours, and tough decisions. Statistically, only about 4% of businesses ever reach the $10 million revenue mark, let alone scale to hundreds of millions.

Now, let’s talk about financing. Finding a great financing partner in the lower middle market is like finding a needle in a haystack—if the needle were also on fire and the haystack were in a hurricane. It’s the hardest part of growing a company, but it’s also the most crucial. The lower middle market, which comprises companies with revenue between $10 million and $100 million, struggles the most to secure growth capital. Only about 3% of these companies receive the funding they need. The biggest obstacles? Knowledge, network, and boldness. You need to know where to look, who to talk to, and have the guts to ask for what you need.

Howard’s journey wasn’t just about having the right idea at the right time; it was about being prepared, taking massive risks, and never, ever giving up. It’s about what I like to call the “One more” motto: One more call, one more email, one more rep. It’s one person that can change your life forever. You never know which door will lead to your big break, but you’ve got to keep knocking.

So here’s the takeaway: Success is not fancy. It’s not the glossy photos you see on social media, and it’s certainly not a straight line. It’s messy, gritty, and it requires you to be in the game, not watching from the sidelines. As Howard’s story shows, you’ve got to be willing to take those massive leaps, embrace the risks, and be ready when opportunity knocks. Because when it does, you need to answer, and you need to be prepared to run through that door with everything you’ve got.

Success doesn’t wait, and neither should you.

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Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute business, legal, financial, or investment advice. While I am an attorney, I am not your attorney, and no attorney-client relationship is created by reading or interacting with this content. Always consult with your own professional advisors before making any decisions based on this information.