ONE MAN BENEFITING FROM THE
BOOM, REALITY TV STAR AND AUTHOR
OF THE NEW BOOK, AMERICAN
ENTREPRENEUR, WILLY ROBERTSON.
HE JOINS ME NOW.
I DIDN’T KNOW THIS ABOUT YOU.
I THOUGHT YOU WERE JUST HANDED
THIS DUCK DYNASTY FRANCHISE AND
YOU RODE IT OUT.
BUT YOU WERE A HARD WORKING
YOUNG SCRAPPY ENTREPRENEUR, THE
YOUNG MAN MAKING SOME CHANGE ON
THE SIDE.
>> I MADE MORE THAN CHANGE.
I STARTED OUT IN WORM FARMING
AND HAD A BOOMING BUSINESS.
SO I HAD A GOOD WORM FARM.
BUT IT WAS JUST A LOT OF THE
LABOR INTENSIVE WORK.
CHECKOUT WAS A NIGHTMARE.
TRYING TO CALL 250 WORMS.
YOU CAN MAKE A ANYONE APIECE.
IT WAS TOUGH WORK.
BUT A GUY HANDED MY DAD A BOX OF
HUBBABUBBA BUBBLE GUM.
IT ENDED UP IN MY HANDS.
I DECIDED TO SELL IT FOR 50
CENTS A PIECE.
MADE MY FIRST LITTLE MONEY.
SELLING AND DEALING.
I WAS MAKING HUNDREDS OF
DOLLARS.
AND THE PRINCIPAL CALLED ME IN
AND SAID CONCESSION STAND SALES
WERE DOWN AN HAD TO SHUT ME
DOWN.
I SHOULD HAVE CUT HIM IN ON THE
DEAL.
IF I HAD HAD SOME REAL INSIGHT I
WOULD HAVE CUT HIM IN ON THE
DEAL.
BUT WE GREW UP WITH NOT A LOT OF
THE MONEY.
WE WERE -- HE WAS A COMMERCIAL
FISHERMAN.
WE DID FISH AND ATE A LOT OF
FISH.
I WAS ALWAYS TRYING TO MAKE
EXTRA MONEY.
THE BUSINESS.
THAT’S WHY I ENDED UP THE CEO OF
REMEMBER ALL THE CANDY STUFF I
DID.
HE AGREED, AND HERE WE ARE.
JESSE: HAVE YOU NOTICED THE
BUSINESS CLIMATE IN YOUR NECK OF
THE WOODS?
HAVE SMALL BUSINESSES TAKEN OFF
TO THE EXTENTS WE ARE HEARING
ABOUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY?
>> I THINK THE COUNTRY IN MY
OPINION HAS A GREAT SENSE OF THE
ECONOMY, THERE IS MONEY TO BE
MADE.
OUR BUSINESS CERTAINLY HAS BEEN
GREAT.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE
CONSUMER CONFIDENCE IS UP.
I THINK THE PRESIDENT IS ONLINE.
THAT’S ONE OF THE REASONS I
THOUGHT HE WOULD BE A GOOD
PRESIDENT WAS BECAUSE OF THE
BUSINESS BACKGROUND.
I THOUGHT WE NEED SOMEBODY WITH
BUSINESS BACKGROUND THE WHITE
HOUSE.
JESSE: THE PRESIDENT GIVES
HIMSELF SHY GRADES.
LISTEN TO HOW HE ASSESSED
HIMSELF.
>> I THINK WE ARE DOING A GREAT
JOB.
WE HAVE THE BEST ECONOMY WE HAVE
EVER HAD.
I HATE TO DO IT, BUT I WILL DO
IT.
I WILL GIVE MYSELF AN A PLUS.
IS THAT ENOUGH?
CAN I GO HIGHER THAN THAT?
JESSE: CAN HE?
>> I DON’T THINK SO.
THAT’S ME IN SCHOOL BUT IN THE
REVERSE.
THERE IS ANYTHING LOWER?
HE FEELS GOOD ABOUT THE JOB HE’S
DONE.
JESSE: VERY CONFIDENT.
I THINK IT HELPS WHEN YOU HAVE A
FORMER BUSINESSMAN IN THE WHITE
HOUSE BECAUSE HE’S CHEERLEADING
THIS ECONOMY.
YOU JAWBONE THIS AND YOU LOOK AT
THE STOCK MARKET AND JOB
CREATION.
EVEN WAGES ARE UP TO THE HIGHEST
CLIP THEY HAVE BEEN IN A DECADE. EVEN WAGES ARE UP TO THE HIGHEST
CLIP THEY HAVE BEEN IN A DECADE.
THAT MEGAPHONE FROM THE WHITE
HOUSE JUICES THE RAW SENTIMENT
OUT THERE.
>> WE GO THROUGH IN THE BOOK,
GOING BACK TO WHEN OUR COUNTRY
FIRST STARTED.
A LOT OF PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW
THIS.
OUR GOVERNMENT KEPT RUNNING OUT
OF MONEY.
THEY WOULD GO TO ENTREPRENEURS
TO HELP BAIL THEM OUT.
JESSE: MAYBE WE COULD HAVE BIG
PHILANTHROPISTS BUILD THE WALL?
>> THEY WENT TO ENTREPRENEURS.
SO AS LONG AS OUR ECONOMY IS
STRONG, THE OPPORTUNITY IN THIS
COUNTRY STILL IS AWESOME TO RUN
BUSINESSES, START BUSINESSES.
I THINK PEOPLE CAN START A
BUSINESS IN THIS COUNTRY AND
STILL MAKE MONEY.
JESSE: YOU TALK ABOUT
ROCKEFELLER.
RICHEST MAN IN U.S. HISTORY.
YOU WRITE IN TODAY’S DOLLARS HE
WOULD BE WORTH HOW MANY HUNDREDS
OF BILLIONS MUCH DOLLARS?
>> IT’S ASTRONOMICAL HOW MUCH
MONEY HE WAS ABLE TO WRAP HIS
HEAD AROUND -- HANDS AROUND.
AND HE HEARD THIS MOTTO WHEN HE
WAS LITTLE IN CHURCH.
THE PASTOR SAID YOU SHOULD MAKE
AS MUCH MONEY AS YOU CAN AND TRY
TO GIVE AWAY AS MUCH MONEY AS
YOU CAN.
THAT CHANGED HIS WHOLE LIFE.
HE SAID I’M GOING TO GO MAKE AS
MUCH MONEY AS I CAN.
HE DID.
EARLY IN HIS LIFE HIS GOAL WAS
TO MAKE $100,000 IN HIS LIFE AND
LIVE TO BE 100.
THEN HE TRIED TO GIVE AS MUCH AS
HE COULD AWAY.
AT THE END OF THIS LIFE HE TRIED
TO GIFT AWAY, AND HE SAID IT
ALMOST GAVE HIM A NERVOUS
BREAKDOWN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
WHICH CHARITIES TO GIVE MONEY.
JESSE: I WISH I HAD THAT PROBLEM
TRYING TO FIGURE WAYS TO GIVE MY JESSE: I WISH I HAD THAT PROBLEM
TRYING TO FIGURE WAYS TO GIVE MY
MONEY AWAY.