A lot of people have to me throughout the years and asked me, how they can be successful. One important thing to know about success, it isn't something that you're born with.  Think about it, Eminem became a famous rapper only after he hit a low-point in his life.  The same can be said about Jay-Z, Russell Simmons, even George Clooney, who struggled before he finally got a major part on television.

So what makes these people different from everyone else? It isn't the fact that they are celebrities. Rather, they have been determined their entire lives.  If you believe you will be successful and work hard at getting yourself there -- you will.  Now I'm not talking about putting in 100+ hours in a work week, working two dead-end jobs, and struggling. Instead, these individuals (any many others like them), put themselves in the right positions by first setting goals.

Jay-Z found his passion -- music.  Once he had his end goal, he networked and sought out others who were already successful. When he wasn't networking, he honed his craft, his music so that he could be the best that he could be at it.  In doing this, he began to gain credibility with others and has since not only made music and won awards, but created a clothing line, restaurants, clubs, and bought part of the Brooklyn Nets.

While these are just a few examples of people that have achieved personal success, it gets me to my main point. All you need is one idea to make it big. Once you have that one idea -- the sky's the limit.  In the case of Jay-Z, it was music. Once he reached the pinnacle of music, he branched out and created a second channel, a third channel and so-on.

He's had more Number One albums than Elvis Presley. He hangs with Barack Obama at the White House. And he's riding high after leaving his longtime label Def Jam to work a $150 million deal with Live Nation, delivering some of his best live performances ever. I had the pleasure of meeting Jay Z last Saturday over dinner on Utopia III. Jay-Z stayed cool, he is an observer, he seems like he is always trying to think ahead. As an entrepreneur, he is always envisioning new ideas, plotting his next move, he hears a beat and immediately bops his head, stays quiet but in his mind he already has a hit song. He is a force, he is the brand, like he says I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man! Which reminds me of every entrepreneur who is out hustling, plotting and programming their every move. So what drove Jay-Z to the top? Read the article below it might provide you with some personal and business success lessons.

About Jay Z: Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper and businessman. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America having had a net worth of over $350 million in 2009. He has sold approximately 40 million albums worldwide, while receiving ten Grammy Awards for his musical work, and numerous additional nominations.