Self-published book sold ~700 copies
Howes self-published his first LinkedIn guide in 2009 and sold approximately 700 copies at $10–$15 each, opening his mind to leveraged, non-time-based income.
Snapshot · The School of Greatness
5 Wealth Secrets No One Ever Taught You | Lewis Howes
Explore episode
Jul 6, 2026
Where this was said
Secret #2 — The Wealthy Don't Trade Time for Money
At 26:10 · chapter starts 13:50
This chapter begins with Howes's origin story in granular detail. Stranded on his sister's couch in 2008, he became obsessed with LinkedIn — optimising his own profile, connecting with thought leaders, building a network over six months. Word spread, people started asking for help, and after doing it for free for 10–15 people, a client handed him a $100 check. That moment cracked something open: helping people with a learned skill could generate income. He scaled from $100 to $300 per session, then hit the natural ceiling of his own time. His solution was to productise — self-publishing a LinkedIn guide in 2009 that sold around 700 copies at $10–$15. [1] — Lewis Howes "After charging up to $300 for LinkedIn profile optimisations, Howes realised his time was the bottleneck. He self-published a LinkedIn guid…" 23:10 From there, Howes extrapolates to the broader principle: your hours are finite, but income doesn't have to be. He cautions that hustle can work, but at the cost of health, sleep, and relationships — he gained weight, slept until 3–4 AM for five years, and wishes he'd built smarter systems earlier. [2] — Lewis Howes "For five years, Howes stayed up until 3–4 AM driven by scarcity and fear of being broke. He got overweight, slept poorly, and damaged his h…" 27:30 The School of Greatness podcast — nearly 2,000 episodes over 13 years — is the system that now generates revenue every second of every day, funding staff, reinvestment, and lifestyle. The goal, he concludes, is to move from active income to leveraged income. He also adds an honest caveat: entrepreneurship is not for everyone, and most small businesses clear only 10–20% profit margins.
The LinkedIn Hustle That Launched a Career
After charging up to $300 for LinkedIn profile optimisations, Howes realised his time was the bottleneck. He self-published a LinkedIn guide in 2009 — selling around 700 copies at $10–$15 each — and discovered that productising knowledge could create income that didn't require his presence.
First LinkedIn client paid $100
Howes's first paid client for LinkedIn profile optimisation wrote him a $100 check, revealing to him that helping people with a learned skill could generate income.
The Danger of the 5-Year Hustle
For five years, Howes stayed up until 3–4 AM driven by scarcity and fear of being broke. He got overweight, slept poorly, and damaged his health. Hustle can generate money, but the real cost is paid in health, relationships, and sleep — and he wishes he'd built smarter systems earlier.
Secret #2: Stop Selling Time — Start Building Systems
Your hours are finite; your income shouldn't be. The wealthy don't just trade time for money — they build systems (podcasts, products, investments, businesses) that generate value 24/7. The School of Greatness podcast generates income every second of every day because of 13 years of consistent publishing.
School of Greatness: 2,000 episodes
The School of Greatness podcast will reach 2,000 episodes later in 2026, having published three episodes a week for the last 11 of its 13 years.
Typical business profit margin: 10–20%
Most small businesses, even those generating millions in revenue, retain only 10–20% in profit after expenses, taxes, employees, and legal fees.
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