The unassuming and humble Irishman, John Boyle was sacked from his job doing bread deliveries, so he started his own business in the small Irish town of Markethall in 1982. Although economies were experiencing boom and bust by 1989 his sports betting business had grown to 5 stores. This expanded to 19 stores in 2002, 77 stores by 2004 and in 2006 he reached the milestone of 100 stores across Ireland and UK. Today there are over 300 stores and an enormous online presence.
The business growth has been one of taking opportunities as they arrive. When competitor’s businesses were in trouble, he bought them saving jobs within the industry with each business purchased. He also saw the opportunities of moving his business online and gaining access to the international markets and the clients he could attract through the internet and through developing his own apps.
As an investor myself, I was fascinated to know how John Boyle has grown his business and become a billionaire. On a cold, wintery evening in Dublin, in February 2020, I had dinner with him and a group of entrepreneurs at an event organised by my business coach, Pat Slattery, and I asked John Boyle “how did you become a billionaire?” I waited with bated breath for his words of wisdom, his answer surprised me, “I partied” he said. “When the business was at 250 million euros I had a party celebrating it being worth a billion euros. Just party as if you have already achieved what it is you want.”
Mr Boyle’s philosophy is common among many wealthy people I have spoken to and it is that of mindset. Whatever, you want to achieve assume you have already achieved it. Act as if you are already where you want to be and it will happen. It doesn’t mean that you just wish and wish for it and it will happen, you still need to take action and work towards your goal but by letting the universe know it is yours then your subconscious mind will work hard to make it a reality.
As we continued chatting John Boyle asked me what was my goal? I explained where my investments were at this stage, how they had stagnated and I was trying to break through a plateau and he said “great, set the next level and let’s have a party.”
John Boyle & Karen Newton Dublin February 2020
