Global methodology, local team.

Paul J. Meyer's life began in difficult circumstances — in a family of poor immigrants. He spent most of his childhood doing physical work in fields, orchards and vineyards alongside other seasonal workers. After one particularly exhausting day, young Meyer asked his mother: “Will I have to work with my hands all my life?”

His mother placed her hands on his head, looked him in the eye and said:

Years later Meyer said: “At that moment I knew the choice was mine. Everything depends on my attitude.”

Between the ages of 13 and 18 he set national records in newspaper sales and plum picking, earned the Eagle Scout rank — the highest in American Scouting — and broke fitness records in the military. At 19 he was setting insurance sales records, at 22 he became the youngest member of the prestigious Million Dollar Round Table, and at 27 — a millionaire.

In 1960, following his vision, he founded Success Motivation International. From a rented auto-repair workshop, the company became a world leader in its industry. In 1966 he extended the vision by founding Leadership Motivation Inc. — an organization that over time became Leadership Management International (LMI), with the mission: “To develop leaders and organizations to their full potential.”

Over the course of his life, Meyer founded or acquired more than 70 companies, many of which operate to this day. He became the most published author of development materials in history and revolutionized the personal development industry. His legacy lives on in the daily work of LMI partners around the world.