How does a person go from living in a one-bedroom apartment with five other family members, while working a minimum wage job, to attaining an eight-figure income, in addition to expanding his exposure as a speaker at wealth conferences across the country? It seems impossible, but there are specifically unique individuals who have shown that it is achievable, given the willingness to sustain incredibly hard work and to exercise perseverance.
Mike Ogbebor is one of these rare birds, transcending insurmountable odds. Those odds began when he was born in Africa. But by the age of seven, Mike’s future was about to change: Mike’s father put him on a plane and sent him to the United States. Naturally, this 7-year-old was ecstatic about getting a United States visa, as if the visa in itself would promise a better life. Obviously, that better life wasn’t that easy to secure. On the contrary, Mike’s family struggled to make ends meet. It was through enduring this personal struggle, however, that produced both character and hope; Hope to someday achieve financial success.
Mike exercised what most people in the United States believed was the primary way toward success, by getting an education. Mike excelled in school, to the extent that he was accepted into medical school. While he enjoyed his time in med school, he realized that his deeper passion was to venture into business. So he left medical school, and he began his business venture into the real estate industry. He cites his mentor as being a significant influence in directing him this way. With his real-estate business, he learned to communicate well with people, to have multiple streams of income, he learned about marketing, finances, and when to buy and sell. His communication skills are particularly impressive, especially given that speaking was one of Mike’s biggest insecurities early on. This personal insecurity was solely due to having a thick African accent. This was an unacceptable barrier for Mike, especially given his charismatic personality: He was born to express. And within business ventures, verbally expressing himself was paramount to further success.
Mike Ogbebor sees himself as a “strong man of faith.” His mindset can be encapsulated in one of his favorite sayings, “As one thinketh, so is he.” Over time, with strict discipline, while maintaining a “laser-like” focus, Mike started seeing the commission pouring in from his real-estate sales. Instead of spending this money, he invested, and reinvested, into several other ventures. Today, at 38 years of age, he now owns a venture capital firm called, Newline Investors, which advises aspiring entrepreneurs on which properties or land to buy and sell, and on how to find promising investments for the future.
Mike always wanted to share what he’s learned. He found he could do the best to express this with workshops and seminars. His talks started with small audiences, but as more and more people walked away motivated by his advice, he soon was selling-out seminars across the country.
Mike continues to juggle many balls – from real-estate ventures to running restaurants and dialysis clinics, to speaking at his workshops and seminars, and to maintaining his investment company. To see what he’ll get up to next, follow Mike Ogbebor on Instagram at @mikeinc__
