Dennis Yu

The Myth of Overnight Success

It’s 1:26 am and I’ve just gotten through my email and messages– over 600 per day.

Now, to re-film a presentation I gave at CEO Lawyer Summit. Believe it or not, someone ran off with the camera equipment that had the recordings.

So, I won’t be done until about 3 am– but there are deadlines to hit, and the buck stops with me.

It may look like I live the “4-hour workweek” life– if you see only the highlights on social media.

People want overnight success.

The reality is that I’ve been at this for over 30 years. When I started, I ate off the dollar menu at Mcdonald’s to save money. 

I stayed in fleabag motels because I couldn’t afford a nice conference hotel. I stuffed food in my pockets to eat later.

I borrowed money from friends to help me make payroll.

And I still don’t believe I’m “successful” as an internet, digital, or social media marketer.

Entrepreneurship looks easy until you factor in the unexpected problems that always come up.

Overnight Success
Hidden Secrets Behind Overnight Success

Secrets Behind Overnight Success

Yesterday, I interviewed someone who made $87 million as an “overnight success”. 

And by overnight success, we mean 8 years of credit card debt up to his eyeballs, which he paid off just last month.

Don’t be discouraged if you haven’t “made it” with overnight success as quickly as some of the people you see on the internet.

They either aren’t telling you the whole story, or you might not realize it’s taken them 10 years to get to that point.

We are all so unique that it’s important to take notes on what we need and want.

It’s also important to remember some of those people who “made it” bought their following, PR, verifications, etc. 

Never compare yourself to others getting overnight success, especially on social media, where so much of it is artificial.

So many people get discouraged and quit so early. Get good at one thing and stop it with shiny object syndrome.

You might be thinking, at what point do you consider someone “made it”? 1M per year, 10M, 100M? Being fulfilled with what they do?

It depends on the person but rarely is it monetary.

This year one of my friends marks his 16th year working. I couldn’t tell you how many years were 80-hour workweeks to get to the 5 or 6-Figure workweeks. 

If you’re not willing or able to work for what you want, then entrepreneurship isn’t for you.

The vision is larger and much more desirable than the work it takes to get there.

Also, one of my friends used to stay up 24hrs every Sunday to blast 20,000 email addresses because they couldn’t afford the few hundred dollars for a legit mailing system.

Persistence is key. Read the success stories but let them inspire you rather than define you

Keep going. Keep trying. Remember you are doing this so you can serve the people you need to serve. You might consider closing your doors many times over the years.

The best tip for struggling entrepreneurs is to think about the consequences of stopping.

People want overnight success, but what would life look like if you shut down the business and got a job?

Would you be ok?

Could you rebuild the business on the side of the job?

It’s about understanding opportunity cost. Not everybody is meant to be an entrepreneur, and that’s ok.

But many hold themselves back unnecessarily. Sometimes you lose money and lose sleep to handle that emergency, even if out of scope.

The best tip is to understand that this is your journey. Stop comparing with others, just like Tony Robbins says 

“Energy flows where attention goes”

People will remember you for your character, generosity, and integrity in the long run on this long journey of entrepreneurship, as you exemplify.

So, even if someone is struggling as an entrepreneur, I’d say just trust that the goodwill and relationships you have planted and nurtured by doing the “right” thing will come to fruition one day, and you will receive many times over what you’ve given.

This too shall pass, but the relationships will last.

Here is some wise advice;

Doing the right thing always pays off eventually– call it “karma”, the law of reciprocity, or whatever.

The good guys win in the end.

The best tip I have – only two things will keep you from achieving success

  • If you quit trying to be successful and give up on your dream
  • You die before you become successful

The first one you control, and if you quit, you’ll never know how close you were to being successful.

The second one won’t matter because you won’t know you failed.

You need to focus. Sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug.

Most days, I’m doing what I choose…even though it might feel like hell at that moment. You’ve got to be able to play the long game. It’s not for everybody, but it is for anyone that wants it.

Overnight successes average 10-20 years.

My advice is to know what you want. Aspiring to achieve that. Others shouldn’t have to be your driver. If you have a strong vision of what you want and the why behind it, you will have the motivation and perseverance to overcome challenges. One of my old time partners Slotogate is a perfect example of this, as it is a site for those who love playing diverse games as there are different themes, top providers, and the best payment methods like https://slotogate.com/deposits-method/paypal/ and all of this for you to have the most exciting experience while playing!

If you’re reading this, perhaps this message was meant for you — to give you that little bit of encouragement you need.

I’d love to hear your best tip for struggling entrepreneurs on the journey upward to overnight success.


Dennis Yu

Dennis Yu is co-author of the #1 best selling book on Amazon in social media, The Definitive Guide to TikTok Ads. He has spent a billion dollars on Facebook ads across his agencies and agencies he advises. Mr. Yu is the "million jobs" guy-- on a mission to create one million jobs via hands-on social media training, partnering with universities and professional organizations. You can find him quoted in major publications and on television such as CNN, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, NPR, and LA Times. Clients have included Nike, Red Bull, the Golden State Warriors, Ashley Furniture, Quiznos-- down to local service businesses like real estate agents and dentists. He's spoken at over 750 conferences in 20 countries, having flown over 6 million miles in the last 30 years to train up young adults and business owners. He speaks for free as long as the organization believes in the job-creation mission and covers business class travel. You can find him hiking tall mountains, eating chicken wings, and taking Kaqun oxygen baths-- likely in a city near you.
I'm a member of Blitzmetrics Academy and a friend of Dennis to boot. Not only is Dennis highly intelligent and full of great and creative ideas, he's also incredibly generous with both his knowledge and his time. Success couldn't come to a better guy. Thank you for all that you do for the world, Dennis! 🙏

Michael Pacheco

Marketer

Thanks 🙏 for being shining light in this industry. Love what your building for works overseas too network for jobs so innovative. Dennis helped me navigate having bad experiences with marketing agencies and doing dollar a day marketing which has helped my personal brand tremendously. Highly recommend.

Eric Skeldon

Founder at Kingdom Broker

Working with Dennis has been a delightful experience. After meeting him in 2015 I got to collaborate with him on countless occasions. His understanding for state-of-the-art marketing, his implementation, and his leadership put him into the top 0.01% of marketers and mentors.

Jan Koch

Ihr kompetenter Partner für innovative KI-Strategien.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Dennis for my podcast in 2021 and since then we have maintained a friendship that grows with each interaction. I have seen Dennis' devotion to his friends and clients firsthand, and our conversations often result in us talking about how we can provide more value to the people around us. He is someone whom I can ask questions on a technical level, and look to on a personal level. If you have any hesitancy about hiring him, get over yourself and do it!

Isaac Mashman

Help scaling personal brands.

Geez, where do I start recommending Dennis? First, he is an absolutely brilliant marketer who understands where marketing is today and where it's going tomorrow. He also has an incredible passion for the International Worker community. The lessons he has taught me from his almost 20 years of experience hiring International Workers have been immense. Most importantly though. Dennis Yu is someone who wants the absolute best for you and is willing to tell you the truth. Dennis sat with me at a point in my business where I was floundering but did not want to admit it. He asked some very straight forward questions to get me to admit my issues, highlighted the issues, and then helped me create a roadmap to success.

Atiba de Souza

International Keynote Speaker | Video Content Superman | Superconnector |

Dennis, which I had the pleasure of working with is one of the most giving, honest and tell you as it is person I ever know. The knowledge this man has is remarkable and he just gives it out freely. He is not pretentious and always entertain anyone big or small in the industry always willing to help. If you ever get a golden opportunity to work with him or mentored by him say YES!. You will notr regret Dennis, which I had the pleasure of working with is one of the most giving, honest and tell you as it is person I ever know. The knowledge this man has is remarkable and he just gives it out freely. He is not pretentious and always entertain anyone big or small in the industry always willing to help. If you ever get a golden opportunity to work with him or mentored by him say YES!. You will not regret

Nixon Lee

The PR Whisperer

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