“Paul Hartunian figured out how to make a fortune from selling pieces of the bridge. This is a true story. Hartunian was working as paramedic, looking for his lucky break. One day he was watching a newscast of some work crews repairing parts of the Brooklyn Bridge – taking down old wooden beams and carting them away. And this idea popped into his head. He immediately called down to the construction site and asked the project manager if he could buy the old wood. Of course, the manager thought the wood was worthless so he was happy to get rid of it.
Hartunian took the old beams of lumber and had them sliced into one-inch-square and 1/8-inch-thick pieces of wood and glued them onto an official certificate saying that the holder of the certificate had purchased the Brooklyn Bridge, or a piece thereof. Then he did something quite remarkable. He sent a press release to hundreds of media outlets that said, “New Jersey Man Sells the Brooklyn Bridge for $14.95!” His phone rang off the hook! Literally hundreds of media outlets called him on the phone and wanted to learn more. He ended up selling thousands of these pieces for $14.95, plus a couple bucks for shipping and handling. He turned those old, worthless beams into SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS.”
“Cindy Cashman took an old idea and added a twist to it and made a fortune in the information business. Cindy was able to purchase a huge mansion on a lake in Texas, having made over a million dollars from marketing her specialty book, which she published with a partner. You might have seen her book, Everything Men Know About Women, by Dr. Alan Francis (her pseudonym). But here’s the real amazing part: Cindy’s book is totally blank! There isn’t a single word printed on any of the 128 pages of this paperback! And yet women bought this book by the caseload. A hundred books at a time to give to their friends! Cindy made enough to retire.”
The One Minute Millionaire by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G. Allen
What great idea lurking in your head? Follow it through. You never know unless you try it! 
Tags: Cindy Cashman, Everything Men Know About Women, inspiring story, interesting ways how to make millions, Mark Victor Hansen, Paul Hartunian, Robert G. Allen, selling Brooklyn Bridge, successful stories, The One Minute Millionaire
In 1974 Sylvester Stallone was a broke, discouraged actor and screenwriter. While attending a boxing match he became inspired by a “nobody” boxer who “went the distance” with the great Mohammed Ali.
He rushed home and in a three-day burst of creative output produced the first draft of the screenplay entitled Rocky.
Down to his last $106, Stallone submitted his screenplay to his agent. A studio offered $20,000 with either Ryan O’Neal or Burt Reynolds playing the lead character. Stallone was excited by the offer but wanted to play the lead himself. He offered to act for free. He was told, “That’s not the way it works in Hollywood.” Stallone turned down the offer though he desperately needed the money.
Then they offered him $80,000 on the condition that he wouldn’t play the lead. He turned them down again.
They told him that Robert Redford was interested, in which case they’d pay him $200,000. He turned them down once more.
They upped their offer to $300,000 for his script. He told them that he didn’t want to go through his whole life wondering “what if?”
They offered him $330,000. He told them that he’d rather not see the movie made if he couldn’t play the lead.
They finally agreed to let him play the lead. He was paid $20,000 for the script plus $340 per week minimum actor’s scale. After expenses, agen fees, and taxes, he netted about $6,000 instead of $330,000.
In 1976 Stallone was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actor. The movie Rocky won three Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Film Editing. The Rocky series has since grossed almost $1 billion, making Sylvester Stallone an international movie star!
Follow your gut. Stick to your guns. – from book “The One Minute Millionaire” by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G. Allen.
Tags: Academy Award, actor, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Picture, book, Mark Victor Hansen, Robert G. Allen, Rocky movie, screenwriter, Sylvester Stallone, The One Minute Millionaire
