Truthful Advertising: Napoleon Hill’s Secret Strategies That Still Work 100 Years Later | #Marketing - Ep 51

The Russell Brunson Show

Russell Brunson

Business, Marketing, Entrepreneurship

4.8 • 836 Ratings

🗓️ 9 July 2025

⏱️ 14 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode of The Russell Brunson Show, I share something I still can’t believe I own… The only known copy of a 1917 advertising course written and taught by Napoleon Hill himself, 20 years before he wrote Think and Grow Rich! This is more than just a cool collectible. It’s the missing link that explains how Napoleon Hill became one of the most influential personal development authors of all time. Before he shaped millions of minds, he was teaching people how to advertise. And not just the tactics, but how to become the kind of person who can persuade, influence, and move people to action. What he taught over 100 years ago still applies today, and in this episode, I break it down. What Hill got right, what today’s marketers are missing, and why timeless strategy beats trendy tactics every single time. Key Highlights: The real reason Think and Grow Rich has sold over 100 million copies, and it’s not what you think How Hill’s forgotten ad course focused on developing the advertiser before teaching any copy techniques The biggest mindset shift every marketer needs before they write a word of copy or launch a funnel Why so many entrepreneurs fail when platforms shift, and how to become “bulletproof” instead The powerful advertising principle Hill taught: help your customers visualize the outcome, not the process Why the best salespeople don’t sell products, they sell visions I’ve gone through every page of Hill’s original manuscript and taken notes on everything. If you want to understand the strategy that makes any tactic work and become the kind of person who can market, sell, and scale anything, this is where to start. This episode isn’t about chasing the next trend… It’s about learning what never changes! Get Russell's book notes here: ⁠⁠http://russellbrunson.com/notes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sellingonline.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://clickfunnels.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Special thanks to our sponsors: NordVPN: EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://nordvpn.com/secrets⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Northwest Registered Agent: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠northwestregisteredagent.com/russell⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to start your business with Northwest Registered Agent. LinkedIn Marketing Solutions: Get a $100 credit on your next campaign at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn.com/CLICKS⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Rocket Money: Cancel unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RocketMoney.com/RUSSELL⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Indeed: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to boost your job’s visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Indeed.com/clicks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is the Russell Brunson Show.
0:04.0	If I went to the black market, I could probably sell this, I think, pretty easily for, you know, a couple hundred thousand dollars.
0:11.0	This is something that is insane that even exists, and this is the only copy on the planet that exists.
0:15.0	A lot of you guys know Napoleon Hill, who is probably my favorite author.
0:19.0	I've got the most Napoleon Hill stuff.
0:20.0	I'm in my Napoleon Hill room with all his collectibles.
0:22.9	But what's crazy most people don't know is 20 years before Napoleon Hill wrote Think
0:27.3	and Grow Rich, he actually taught an entire advertising course at a college.
0:31.7	And this is the manuscripts from his advertising course.
0:35.1	These were like the lesson manuals that he would hand it out during school back then.
0:38.3	The George Washington Institute,
0:39.9	founded by Napoleon Hill in Chicago, copyright 1917.
0:42.4	So literally 20 years before Napoleon Hill
0:44.5	wrote the book, Think and Grow Rich,
0:46.2	he was teaching and studying and doing advertising.
0:49.6	In fact, a lot of people know
0:50.6	Napoleon Hill is actually a copywriter first.
0:52.7	He was writing sales letters.
0:53.7	He was writing marketing campaigns.
0:55.2	In fact, a crazy fun fact.
0:56.5	My first mentor, Dan Kennedy and Napoleon Hill both worked for the same company, writing copy
1:00.5	way different generations, but the same industry.
	...

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