J. Earl Shoaff was an American entrepreneur and business philosopher, best known as the mentor of Jim Rohn. His advice, “Work harder on yourself than you do on your job”, turned a broke 25-year-old into a millionaire by 31, and through Rohn it went on to shape a whole generation of personal development teachers. [1] [2]
Who is Earl Shoaff?
John Earl Shoaff was an American entrepreneur and an early pioneer of direct selling. In 1955 a young Jim Rohn, then working for Sears, was invited by a friend to one of Shoaff’s lectures. That year Rohn joined Shoaff’s direct selling business, AbundaVita, as a distributor. [3]
In 1957 Rohn moved to Nutri-Bio, another direct selling company whose founders, including Shoaff, began to mentor him. Rohn built one of the largest organisations in the company, and in 1960, when Nutri-Bio expanded into Canada, Shoaff and the other founders put him in charge there. [3]
Rohn later described that first meeting as an ordinary Tuesday that changed everything. [4] “Mr. Shoaff gave me a philosophy that changed my life,” he said. “He taught me that success is something you attract by the person you become.” By 31, Rohn was a millionaire. [1]
Shoaff’s influence lives on through Rohn, who shared his mentor’s lessons for decades and in turn influenced many of the best-known personal development teachers of today. [5] Several recordings of Shoaff’s own talks survive, including a 1962 address at the Essex House, and are collected today as the Earl Shoaff Master Collection. [6]
His philosophy in brief
- Work on yourself. Personal growth is the real engine of success.
- Look at the seed. If you do not like the harvest, change what you plant.
- Think profits, not wages. Build value, not just hours worked.
- Become someone. Set big goals for who they will make you.
At a glance
Work: entrepreneur and business philosopher
Best known as: Jim Rohn’s mentor
Businesses: AbundaVita, Nutri-Bio
Famous talk: Essex House, 1962
Legacy: shared worldwide through Jim Rohn’s teachings
Good fit if
You love Jim Rohn and want to understand where his philosophy came from, or you want timeless, practical ideas about personal growth, wealth and responsibility.
Our take
Short, sharp and timeless. Read his lessons as Rohn told them, then listen to one of the surviving recordings of his talks.
The teachings of Earl Shoaff
Most of what we know of Shoaff’s teaching comes through Jim Rohn, who retold his mentor’s lessons for decades. Tap a card to read more.
Work harder on yourself
Of everything Shoaff taught, one sentence mattered most. As Rohn told it, Shoaff said: “Jim, if you want to be wealthy and happy, learn to work harder on yourself than you do on your job.” [7]
The fuller version, as Rohn retold it: “If you work hard on your job, you can make a living, which is noble. If you work hard on yourself, you could make a fortune, which is exciting.” [8]
Shoaff started the conversation with simple questions. How long had Rohn been working? Six years. How much did he have in the bank? Nothing. “Well,” Shoaff said, “I suggest the problem isn’t the economy.” [2] Try it yourself: set aside 30 minutes a day for reading, learning or building a skill, and treat it as seriously as your job. Our self-confidence guide is a good companion.
The seed and the harvest
When the young Rohn complained about his circumstances, Shoaff told him, as Rohn recalled: “Jim, if you want things to change, you’ve got to change. If you want things to get better, you’ve got to get better.” [9]
When Rohn protested that Shoaff did not understand his situation, his mentor replied that he understood it perfectly: the situation was the harvest, and if he did not like the harvest, there was only one thing to look at, the seed. [9]
The lesson is one of empowering responsibility. Rather than arguing with the results, look at what you are planting each day: your habits, words, skills and choices. Our procrastination guide can help you start planting today.
Profits are better than wages
Another of Shoaff’s lessons transformed Rohn’s financial life. As Rohn told it, Shoaff said simply: “Profits are better than wages.” [10]
Rohn later expanded the idea: “Wages make you a living; profits make you a fortune.” Shoaff explained that you can get by, even get comfortable, trading hours for money, but real wealth comes from creating something of value that people will pay for. [11]
A simple way to apply it: alongside your job, ask what skill, product or service you could build that creates value beyond the hours you put in.
Become a millionaire for who it makes you
In his seminars, Rohn often shared Shoaff’s advice to set a goal to become a millionaire, not for the money itself, but for what it would make of you to achieve it. The real prize, Shoaff taught, is the person you become in the process. As Rohn put it, the money mattered less to him than the person he had become. [1]
To apply it, write down one big goal and then a second list: the qualities, skills and habits you would need to develop to reach it. Work on the second list every day. Our motivation guide has more on setting inspiring goals.
Read, learn and act
Shoaff was a great believer in self-education. When Rohn asked how he could become wealthy, Shoaff asked whether he had read Think and Grow Rich. When Rohn said no, Shoaff suggested he get it. [12]
He also taught that knowing is not enough. As Rohn recalled, Shoaff told him: “Jim, don’t wish it were easier. Wish you were better.” [13] Start with what you have, and act now.
Not everyone has a mentor like Shoaff nearby, but books, biographies and recordings let anyone learn from great teachers at a distance, just as millions have learned from Shoaff through Rohn. [5]
Videos with Earl Shoaff
Hand-picked and checked one by one: surviving recordings of Shoaff’s talks, and Jim Rohn on his mentor.
Start here
Shoaff’s lessons
Jim Rohn on his mentor
Articles about Earl Shoaff
Earl Shoaff’s books
Shoaff did not leave books of his own, but his lessons live on in Jim Rohn’s books and in the book Shoaff first recommended to Rohn. [12]
Buy The Five Major Pieces to the Life Puzzle in your country: US · UK · Canada · Australia · India.
Recordings and learning resources
Everything above is online, so it works from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Europe and India alike.
What the Research Shows
Shoaff’s lessons come from business experience, and related research supports two of the ideas at their heart.
- Big, specific goals. A review of decades of research found that specific, challenging goals led to higher performance than vague goals such as “do your best”. [14] This fits his advice to set big goals.
- The power of a mentor. A meta-analysis comparing mentored and non-mentored people linked mentoring with better outcomes in work, education and personal life. [15] Rohn’s own story shows what one mentor can do.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Earl Shoaff?
J. Earl Shoaff was an American entrepreneur, direct selling pioneer and business philosopher, best known as the mentor of Jim Rohn.
How did Jim Rohn meet Earl Shoaff?
In 1955, at 25, Rohn was invited by a friend to one of Shoaff’s lectures. He joined Shoaff’s business that year and later became one of his protégés.
What did Earl Shoaff teach Jim Rohn?
Most famously, to work harder on himself than on his job. He also taught that profits are better than wages and that success comes from the person you become.
What is the seed and the harvest lesson?
Shoaff told Rohn that his situation was the harvest, and if he did not like the harvest, he should look at the seed: his own habits and choices.
Did Earl Shoaff write any books?
He is not known for books of his own. His teachings survive through recordings of his talks and through Jim Rohn’s books and seminars.
What book did Earl Shoaff recommend?
When Rohn asked how to become wealthy, Shoaff recommended Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich.
Are there recordings of Earl Shoaff?
Yes. Several recordings survive, including a 1962 talk at the Essex House, often shared as How to Become a Millionaire.
Sources
- JimRohn.com: About Jim Rohn (official site)
- JimRohn.com: Ten Words That Changed Everything
- Wikipedia: Jim Rohn
- JimRohn.com: An Ordinary Tuesday That Changed Everything
- JimRohn.com: How to Find Mentors
- EarlShoaff.com: Earl Shoaff Master Collection
- JimRohn.com: The Quiet Art of Becoming
- JimRohn.com: How to Set Goals That Stick
- JimRohn.com: The Law of Sowing and Reaping
- JimRohn.com: Profits Are Better Than Wages
- JimRohn.com: Philosophy of Wealth
- JimRohn.com: Self-Education
- JimRohn.com: The Gap Between Knowing and Doing
- Locke and Latham, Building a Practically Useful Theory of Goal Setting and Task Motivation, American Psychologist 2002
- Eby et al., Does Mentoring Matter? A Multidisciplinary Meta-Analysis Comparing Mentored and Non-Mentored Individuals, Journal of Vocational Behavior 2008
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