“Walk amongst the natives by day, but in your heart be Superman.” ― Gene Simmons
In 2017, Gene Simmons wrote a book called, On Power: My Journey Through the Corridors of Power and How You Can Get More Power.
This book was nothing like I expected.
It was MORE.
Like the title says, it’s about getting more power. Become more powerful than you ever thought you could be. It all starts with your actions.
Let’s get right into it.
WHO IS GENE SIMMONS?
Image: Forbes.com
The short version is that he is a co-founder and front-man of the band KISS, that he helped start in the 1970’s. They are America’s #1 gold record-award-winning group of all time.
Image: New York Post
Gene grew up dirt poor. He practiced guitar for hours after watching The Beatles on an appearance of the Ed Sullivan show, he knew then that he wanted to be a rock star.
According to Harper Collins, the book was inspired by Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince, Simmons offers his unique take on the dynamics of power in every realm of life, from the bedroom to the boardroom, to the world of rock, celebrity, and social media, to politics. With one-of-a-kind anecdotes from his life and career, as well as stories from historical and contemporary masters of power, including Winston Churchill, Napoleon Bonaparte, Warren Buffett, Michael Jordan, Oprah, and Elon Musk, Simmons crafts a persuasive and provocative theory on how the pursuit of power drives civilization and defines our lives.
Gene Simmons has an estimated net worth of over $50 million dollars. So, I decided to give the book a quick read. Glad I did.
POWER IS WHAT EVERYONE WANTS
People want power.
- Power over their lives
- Power over their time
- Power over their professional lives and career
- Power over their money
So, how do you get this so-called power.
It’s a power grab for sure.
Gene takes a no-holds-barred approach to his life and on power. It’s dog eat dog out there. You have to be one of the big dogs.
Gene believed that everyone deserves power and that it is yours for the taking.
In his book, he gives you the key to unlock the doors to the temple of power.
GENE ON EDUCATION
“It’s up to you to educate yourself.”
“It’s up to you to learn speaking skills and people skills.”
“It’s up to you to try (and usually fail, but to try again) all sorts of ventures.”
“Believe me, the library is the temple of God. Education is the most sacred religion of all.”
He graduated from Richmond College in New York City getting a bachelor’s degree in education. At one point, he was a school teacher in the Upper West Side.
Gene also speaks multiple languages such as German and Hebrew.
I noticed this was also a theme of Scrooge McDuck. Get a good education, become a linguist, and get to work.
I read everything I can get my little hands on. I go to the library every month. I regularly check out 4-5 books at a time. Sometimes more. I do believe in being well-read.
GENE ON SUCCESS
The rest is a combination of hard work, being at the right place …at the right time…with the right thing…oh yes…and more (never ending) hard work.”
You want success? Well, you have to work for it.
Gene puts his money where his mouth is.
He worked for a butcher hauling up huge slabs of meat and cleaning the blood off the butcher block. Gene has worked as a typist and sold fruit on the side of the road when he was 8 years old.
Make no mistake. Gene is a hard worker and a hustler. He was working multiple jobs to get ahead. Similar to Jay Leno.
As for myself, at one point, I was working as a waitress, cashier, or in sales. In addition, to going to college and studying at times up to 5-7 hours a day! Going to bed at 1 am and getting up at 6 am. Rinse and repeat! I did that for years.
GENE ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND CAPITALISM
“Before I ever knew what the word Entrepreneur was, I realized in America and in the Western part of the world in general, you are given the opportunity to be whatever you want to be. And that is all anyone should ever expect from the Capitalist system. The rest is up to you.”
Yep. America is the land of YOYO (You’re on your own).
You learn real quick that no one is coming to save you. You have to create your own safety net. You can’t depend on the government. The only person to depend and rely on is self. Get it? Got it? Good.
GENE ON MONEY
“So much of our popular mythology focuses on the negative aspects of power that we forget that gaining power is, perhaps, the only way to enable ourselves to make a difference in our lives and in the lives of others.”
Gene says you must first get your financial house in order before you can espouse love.
This is similar to what I once heard Tyra Banks mother say, “you have to get yourself together first, before you can help anybody else.”
You should always be looking for ways to earn and expand those earnings. KISS started out with nothing. They slowly built a following. IT. TOOK. YEARS. They were riding around in an old van going from gig to gig and living off hot dogs.
But KISS got smart. They started licensing their name. Everything from lunchboxes to t-shirts. Their moniker is big. Multi-million dollar deals got them to the top of the heap. Monetize everything is Gene’s motto. And he has. And it’s been lucrative to say the least.
So, there you have it. Gene Simmons on power. If you want it bad enough, you just have to work and rock-n-roll all night, like KISS, to get it.
