Early Life and Education

Emanuel James “Jim” Rohn was born on September 17, 1930, in Yakima, Washington, to Emmanuel and Clara Rohn. The Rohns owned and worked a farm in Caldwell, Idaho, where Jim grew up as an only child. Despite being born into a poor family, Rohn became a millionaire at the age of 30, only to go broke when he was 33. He later regained his wealth. Rohn left college after just one year.

Career Beginnings

Rohn started his professional life as a human resource manager for Sears. Around this time, a friend invited him to a lecture given by entrepreneur John Earl Shoaff. In 1955, Rohn joined Shoaff’s direct selling 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.

Success and Influence

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

Legacy

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 (the founder of Herbalife International) and life strategist Tony Robbins in the late 1970s. Others who credit Rohn for influencing their careers include authors/lecturers Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup book series), Everton Edwards (Hallmark Innovators Conglomerate), Brian Tracy, Todd Smith, and T. Harv Eker.

Rohn coauthored the novel Twelve Pillars with Chris Widener. He was the recipient of the 1985 National Speakers Association CPAE Award for excellence in speaking. This award is given to honor professional speakers who have reached the top echelon of platform excellence.

Conclusion

Jim Rohn’s life and career are a testament to the power of personal development and hard work. His teachings have influenced countless individuals and continue to inspire people around the world. His legacy lives on through his seminars, books, and the many people he mentored throughout his life.