Erwin Wils is a mindset and business strategist and founder of Millionaire Life Strategy.
He empowers female and tech entrepreneurs to boost their businesses and themselves so that they can confidently deliver their added value without feeling like an imposter.
As a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering by education and certified professional hypnotherapist, master Soulkey therapist, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and IEMT (Integral Eye Movement Therapy) practitioner by training, Wils brings 25+ years of experience to show his clients how they can use their expertise to make a positive impact in the world and make a good living doing it.
His “Profitable Passion Program™” transforms his clients into their true authentic selves, without any limitations they’ve put on themselves.
In April 2022 Wils also launched the podcast “Follow your Passion” in which he interviews clients and fellow entrepreneurs that followed their passion and make a good living doing so.
For more details, visit their website here.
Here we sit down with Erwin, to know more about his journey as an entrepreneur.
Q. Tell us a little more about your journey as an entrepreneur – how did you get started?
Erwin: I never intended to start my entrepreneurial journey. I thought my path was in the corporate world with a common thread of process optimization. Every step I took in my career was towards full-time process optimization.
Until 2014 I got this thought that I could definitely optimize a process and have all the graphs and figures to support it, but if the people using the process don’t change, the process itself won’t change. So how do I get those people to change as well? I thought about doing NLP training (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), I didn’t know at the time what it actually was, did some research, came across hypnotherapy, and thought that this hypnotherapy stuff could be used to help our 2 adopted boys, my wife thought the same and we ended up applying for a hypnotherapy training.
After the first training weekend, I was sold. Everything I loved, came together and I knew I wanted to do this for a living someday (being in 5 to 10 years). We’re talking 2015. It was actually something my trainer said that speeded things up.
He advised that when I was serious about applying hypnotherapy, I had to start working with people. I put up a Facebook post requesting volunteers to help me practice and within 2 days, I had 32 volunteers. I started practicing and completed my training in August, got certified, and started to ask for money for my sessions on September 1st.
We (my wife and I) also registered our company with the Chamber of Commerce, because I wanted everything to be in order. And 2 years later I left the corporate world and became a full-time entrepreneur.
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Q. What entrepreneurial tricks have you discovered to keep you focused and productive in your day-to-day busy schedule?
Erwin: Well, I wouldn’t call them tricks, but the following things definitely helped me (and still do):
- Know your why. Simon Sinek said it a long time ago, and I cannot emphasize it enough. When you know why you do the things you’re doing from within, it’s rather easy to persevere. Your intrinsic motivation is one of your biggest assets. Personally, I want to make a positive impact in this world and I truly believe it’s the entrepreneurs who change the world, so when I empower them to deliver their added value, I’m making that positive impact.
- Include some quality time into your schedule. You can use that for exercising, spending time with the family, meditation, whatever helps you to release stress and charge up again. The last thing you want is to get burned out, so take care of yourself, both mentally and physically.
- Take a power nap when needed. Most people recognize those after-lunch dips. I’ve trained myself to take a 15 minutes power nap to completely charge up again. It may sound strange, but it feels like you had a good night’s rest in 10-15 minutes’ time. My mentor who did some research on it, found out that 30 minutes is great, 20 minutes even better and 10 minutes is the best. I’m using 15 minutes because I never fall asleep instantly, so I get at least those 10 minutes of sleep. Sometimes I wake up feeling like I missed the alarm, only to find out I still had 1 or 2 minutes left.
Q. How do you stay organized with such a busy schedule? What are some time management strategies, SOPS (standard operating procedures), hires, or hacks that have helped you dramatically in business?
Erwin: Optimize your energy. Be wise about where you spend your energy. You cannot manage time, but you can manage the usage of your time.
I’m advising using a weekly action planner, meaning to divide your week into time slots, in which you perform a certain type of activity. Like working at your business, working in your business, quality time, and answering time (voicemail, email, social media). That way you can better focus on certain tasks and don’t have to spend time on distracting tasks that will be carried out in another time slot.
Focus on energy-gaining tasks and apply ADE to energy-draining tasks, meaning Automate / Delegate / Eliminate. Do an inventory and don’t be surprised that those energy-draining tasks take up most of your time. Organize your work so that you can spend time on tasks you enjoy and stop doing the other tasks by automating, delegating, or simply eliminating them.
Train your stakeholders. Let me explain. Let’s say you’re just starting out and you have your first 2 clients. Suddenly, one of them calls you in the evening around 9 PM. Since you want to do your very best for your clients, and it’s not like you have anything else to do, you’re answering the phone. What are you teaching him at that moment? You’re teaching your client that it is okay to call you in the middle of the evening.
If that’s part of your business, go ahead. But if that’s not what you want, don’t answer that call. Instead, use your voicemail to tell them that you can’t answer the phone, but they can leave a message and you’ll get back to them the next business day between x and y hours. And be consistent in that.
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Q. If you had a magic stick, which are the three things you would change in the world?
Erwin: I would love to see a world in which everybody can be the person they’re meant to be. I truly believe that every single person here on earth has a purpose and should use that to make a positive impact.
Unfortunately, we’re put into mental prisons without realizing it. I always say that people are limiting themselves without realizing it and I have a simple test to prove that. All change starts with awareness and I give it my best to empower my client to break free from those mental prisons.
Closely related to that, I see a fear-based society we live in. Certain powers are using fear to manipulate us, to gain control and power over us for their benefit. I would love to see a world where we live in abundance, where we truly want to help each other without expecting anything in return because I know that somehow it will get back to me.
I guess for those two I already need a big magic stick, but since everything starts with yourself, I’m doing my best to be that change.
A third thing I would love to change and this one might be more concrete, is to change the educational system. Our current educational system is hopelessly outdated. The focus is not on your strengths, but on the things, you’re not good at.
They’re trying to put you into a straitjacket, instead of focusing on the individual and growing their talents. When a kid is very creative, stimulate that. When a kid has an entrepreneurial mindset, support that. Don’t give them labels, let them be their true authentic selves.
Q. If you were to write a book about yourself, what would you name it?
Erwin: The journey within, how I unleashed my full potential.
I’ve always been searching for achieving my full potential, for ways to deliver my added value. I’ve done so many training programs, and workshops, and learned from several coaches, I almost lost count. And it is the journey within that has made the biggest impact in my opinion.
Let’s consider an onion and all the layers it has until you get to the very core. That’s a great metaphor for the journey I’m on and I’m getting closer and closer to the finish line.
Q. What motivates you?
Erwin: First of all, my family. A lot of things I do, I do for my wife and my two boys. I want them to live the best life possible, in which they do what they love to do, use their talents and enjoy every minute.
Secondly, my clients. You might say I want the same for them as I want for my family. I feel privileged that I am a part of their journey and feel blessed I am able to help them uncover their true authentic self. I want every new client to become my next success story.
And last, but certainly not least, it is my purpose that motivates me. It is the very reason for my being, it energizes me, and executing my purpose is the best intrinsic motivation of all.
Q. What is one of the best or most worthwhile investments you’ve ever made?
Erwin: The best investment I’ve ever made is in myself. It made me the person I am today and I’m very proud of that. I call myself the eternal student, so I will keep investing in myself because I’m worth it.
The second best investment I’ve made is in my relationship. I truly consider my wife as my soulmate and we support each other in good times and bad times.
Q. What key activities would you recommend entrepreneurs invest their time in?
Erwin: Not surprisingly, but first of all I recommend personal development. Can be reading, training, listening to podcasts, education, coaching, mentoring, or whatever helps you grow and develop yourself. It will last a lifetime.
I would also advise you to surround yourself with people that will elevate you. We tend to surround ourselves with people we associate with, like the saying “birds of a feather flock together.”
When you grow as an entrepreneur, you will expand your comfort zone and change as a person. The people that used to surround you, will notice that and might try to pull you back. Just because you’re leaving their comfort zone and they feel uncomfortable with that.
When you’re ambitious, find other ambitious entrepreneurs, get a coach, get a mentor, and join a business network, or a mastermind, so that you become part of their surroundings. One of my coaches once said, “people that try to pull you down, are below you.”
Finally, I would recommend investing time in building relationships. When you want to go fast, go alone. When you want to go far, go together. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, feedback, support, whatever. I always say, “There are no stupid questions. The only stupid questions that exist, is the one you didn’t ask.”
Q. What is your ‘one-sentence’ piece of advice you’d like to give to someone who wants to become an entrepreneur, coach, or business owner?
Erwin: That would be one of my favorite quotes from Napoleon Hill: “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” Stay true to your dreams and yourself, and you will surprise yourself.
To keep up to date with Erwin, connect with him on his Facebook and LinkedIn.
