Income acceleration coach and public speaker, Pat Mesiti shares financial tips and a peak into his background.

Pat has addressed some of the world’s largest conferences, sharing the stage with the likes of Sir Richard Branson and Donald Trump. His books and materials have sold over 2 million copies, not including his  book ‘Pathway to Prosperity’ dealing out sound financial advice and raking in even more figures as you read this. Currently on a speaking tour though NZ - Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch (events found on link at bottom of the interview) and following a recent appearance on TV1’s ‘Good Morning’, Pat took the time to answer a few questions for Get Frank. 

'Pathway to prosperity’ (by the way, props on the book) is hitting the shelves, what do you think puts the individualised ‘Pat Mesiti’ stamp on your work to stand apart from other books in this genre?  

The fact that it’s not a ‘get rich quick’ book, it’s not giving direct financial advice on property or shares. It’s a book about you as an individual and how to get right directions, how to get a right mindset, how to create right associations in your life and really how to build your life for the long haul. Most people are looking for financial solutions, but what they really need is to get great directions in life, otherwise they’re going to end up in the same financial mess that they’re actually in right now. 

In ‘pathway to prosperity’, you mention the importance of friends and what those friendships mean. What social circle would you say that you were best associated with in high school? (eg. The jocks, the geeks, etc) and how has the affected who you are today?  

When I was a kid I hung around my friends who were basically of ethnic origin and hung around my friends who were in a football team. We weren’t so much jocks or geeks. We were more of an ethnic minority really, and with that came a lot of challenges as well as a lot of abuse being immigrants and immigrant’s sons, but I suppose what that did for me today was cause me to really have a sense of drive and a sense of achievement, a sense of ‘Hey, I’m the underdog...but I’m not the underdog anymore’. It kind of puts some steel into your character being brought up in challenging situations or maybe unfriendly environments. 

Some people might find it strange, intimidating and just downright awkward to get out there and network with influential people. It might be easier for you, you’re Pat Mesiti. But for somebody just starting out, are there any tips you could pass on?  

I think for someone starting out, what they’ve got to realise is that it’s awkward for anyone and everyone to ask for advice – But here’s what I’d suggest. Find someone that you admire. Take them out for lunch. Buy them a gift. Do something for them that they would enjoy and when you’re with them, have your questions pre-prepared. Now, it doesn’t have to be a Richard Branson or a Donald Trump, let’s be real. Find someone that’s going where you want to go, and you’ll find that a lot of successful people are only too willing to share their knowledge with you. If they’re not, that’s not the kind of person you want to follow anyway. Most truly successful people, rather than wannabes, are happy to give you their tips and their advice. Utilise their time. Let them feel like you’re fitting around their agenda. Don’t encroach them, don’t come across as needy – just come across as inquisitive and hungry. 

Many can attest to your confident and outspoken presence on stage. Were you always so ‘out there and on display’?  

I wasn’t always an ‘out there’ kind of person. I actually started off as a very shy kid. I found that being on stage and speaking was my gift and I feel very comfortable in it...although, I do struggle with nerves, like almost every speaker does, but I’ve never been an outspoken person. I’ve always been an opinionated person, but I learnt to keep my opinions to myself, especially when growing up if you didn’t have the ‘right’ opinion, you might get a smack in the mouth but I’ve had to learn to be a little bit ‘out there’ and to step out of my comfort zone for the people, not for myself. I want to educate and entertain. I find that if I can entertain them, then they’ll learn more, if I can get them to laugh, it’ll open them up to some more serious things we want to address. 

What advice would you give to the average Joe, working an average job that barely lives from pay cheque to the next to increase their income, or to improve their living standards? 

My advice to the average person, working the average job would be to pay yourself first. That’s the first thing. Set money aside that you don’t even see to invest. Not to save, to invest.
Number two, I would encourage them to simplify their lifestyle. I believe that many of us spend money on things we really can’t afford. If you can’t afford the beer, don’t drink it. If you can’t afford the wine, don’t drink it. If you can’t afford the cable TV, don’t have it. Learn to simplify your life.
...And thirdly, learn to be a giver, because whatever you give in life will always come back to you. 

When people get stuck in a rut, they resist change or fear failure (not so much being ridiculed, but the financial risks involved) how can they gain confidence to get moving in the right direction, if they don’t have you as a coach? 

Quite frankly, they don’t have to have me as a coach but they have to have someone to speak in their life. I think you need to ask yourself who cares about you enough to teach you? And, who do you respect enough for you to learn from? We’ve all been products of coaches whether it be our parents, our churches, our culture, our background. The key is to get the right information from someone. Go to a seminar, go to a group – a business group, a swap meet...just hang around people that’ll help you come up a level. Don’t have the excuse mentality of ‘Oh, I couldn’t get that guy so I’m not going to get any coaching or help at all’. All of us are products of other people’s voices in our heads and we’ve just got to get the right voices inside our heads. 

A lot of people think that the wealthy are born with a silver spoon in their mouths, that the advantage was there from the get-go and that a climb from poverty or even labouring middle class don't stand a shot at the high life. Can you debunk this theory? 

It’s totally untrue that all wealthy people were born with a silver spoon in their mouths. Most millionaires are self-made millionaires. If you read the book ‘The Millionaire Next Door’ – most American millionaires are self-made and first generation. The problem is with all of us in middle class and when we’re struggling financially, is we enjoy poking fault or finding fault in someone who’s wealthy. You’ll say ‘Yeah, he’s rich but he’s been divorced’. Well, I know someone who’s broke and been divorced. ‘Aw, he’s rich but he’s not happy’. Well, I know someone who’s broke and not happy. I think basically, we’ve got to stop making excuses and start putting some plans together. When people start thinking that the other guy’s born with a silver spoon, it’s in envy, and while you’re envying someone you’re not going to learn from them because you won’t learn from someone that you don’t respect, from someone that you’re not open to. It’s important for us to realise that everyone creates their wealth because they have great steps or great directions in their life. If they did happen to get a leg up in life, I’m sure life would have given them some other challenges as well. Sometimes there’s a curse of being picked on for having wealth or being born into wealth, so believe me, it’s not all what it’s made out to be. Each area of our lives has its own challenges. 

What’s next for you? Do you have any new projects lined up? 

More of the same, I love what I’m doing and I’m living the dream. I’d like to expand internationally but we still believe there is a lot to do in Australia and New Zealand and I want to continue working on and supporting our charities, I want to continue to educate people. My passion is to create millionaires from the inside out. That’s my passion, that’s my goal. 

Thanks for your time, Pat. Just a little more for the readers that are curious, where can we find out more information about you online? Upcoming events, materials, that sort of thing? 

www.mesiti.com as it has all our upcoming events plus they can become part of the Prosperity & Millionaire Creation Lab.