“Have you added value to someone’s life today?” Sharon Lechter’s father asked her that question every night before bed. Twenty years after his death, she still asks herself. It’s also the question that helped her build a financial education empire that’s reached millions.
After a career in public accounting, in the late 80’s, Sharon partnered with the inventor of talking children’s books and did licensing deals with companies like Disney and Warner Brothers to excite children about reading again. In the late 90’s, she co-authored Rich Dad Poor Dad, 14 other Rich Dad books and was the founding CEO of the Rich Dad brand, and sparked a global movement in changing how people think about money. She’s advised Presidents Bush and Obama on financial literacy, and collaborated with the Napoleon Hill Foundation on multiple bestsellers.
Now she appears in the new film Pillars of Power: The Hidden Secret Behind Achieving Greatness alongside Jack Canfield, Dr. Joe Vitale, Ken Honda, Marie Diamond, Dr. John Demartini, John Assaraf, and Jerry Sargeant.
Stand in Your Own Power
“Greatness, to me, means impact,” Sharon says. “It means you’re impacting the world in a positive way, and it comes from within, from your intention and what you want to do for the world.”
That drive to add value started with her father’s nightly question and became the foundation for everything she’s built since. But Sharon learned something else along the way: greatness doesn’t come from waiting for other people to validate you.
“Too many of us judge ourselves through the eyes of others,” she says. “Am I a good mother? Am I a good wife? I say, stop it. You’re perfect just the way you are. Stand in your own power. When you stand in your own power, you attract other people to you.”
For Sharon, wealth and wisdom only matter when they lift others up. But first, you have to believe in yourself.
The CEO of Your Life
When Sharon talks about money, she’s direct. “You either control your money or it controls you, and that’s where power truly lies,” she says. “A lack of money affects relationships, health, and mental well-being. Money impacts everything.”
Right now, 87% of Americans are stressed about money. That stress destroys health, wrecks relationships, and crushes spirits. Sharon’s spent her entire career helping people flip that equation.
“When you take control of your thoughts, your words, and your actions, when you become the CEO of your own life, everything changes,” she explains. “It all begins with mindset. When your thoughts are negative, your words and your actions follow. When they’re positive, you create the results you want.”
Stop Praying for Problems
“When you talk about mindset, you can’t avoid talking about Napoleon Hill and the law of attraction,” Sharon says. “Think positive things, you get positive results. Think negative things, you get negative results.”
Her mother was the queen of worry. Sharon became one too, until she found a definition that changed everything: “To worry is to pray for what you do not want.”
“I still get my little worry storms,” she admits. “But now I catch myself and say, Okay Sharon, instead of thinking about what I don’t want, let’s focus on what outcome I do want. It’s a simple shift, but it transforms your energy and your results. It’s truly magic.”
How Can I Afford It?
“The vast majority of people grew up with a scarcity mindset,” Sharon explains. “They heard things like, ‘Money doesn’t grow on trees,’ or ‘Save for a rainy day.’ You grow up hearing money negative, money negative, money negative. Of course you end up afraid of never having enough.”
That fear doesn’t just affect your bank account. In Pillars of Power, Sharon explores how scarcity thinking impacts all five pillars of life. When you’re stressed about money, your health declines, your relationships suffer, your mental wellness takes a hit, and your spirit weakens. Everything connects.
Sharon’s upbringing was different. “I was blessed with parents who talked about money openly,” she says. “If you wanted something, you found a way to get it. I was taught that instead of chasing a good salary, focus on buying or building income-producing assets. When the income from your assets exceed your monthly expenses, you are financially free.”
Her advice to parents today? “Never say, ‘We can’t afford it.’ That shuts down curiosity. Instead, ask, ‘How can we afford it?’ It opens your mind. It triggers your subconscious to find solutions. And when you teach that to children, their confidence grows. They learn that anything is possible.”
From Tragedy to Mission
When Sharon lost her son in 2012, she spent years coasting. Going through the motions. Then she heard his voice: “Get over it, Mom. There’s more for you to do.”
That became her turning point. “I wanted to help people play bigger in life: to be number one in their field, to live their legacy, and to create maximum impact,” she says. She launched the Play Big Movement for anyone who’s been stopped in their tracks and needs to get back in the game.
“Your legacy is created every single day with every heart you touch,” she explains. “It’s not something you leave behind. It’s something you build right now.”
Her own legacy keeps evolving. From Rich Dad Poor Dad to advising Presidents Bush and Obama, to bestselling books with the Napoleon Hill Foundation like Three Feet from Gold and Outwitting the Devil. “I thought building the Rich Dadbrand was my legacy,” she admits. “But it was just a stepping stone. God had bigger plans for me.”
Living in Grace
“If there were a chapter in a book about my life that captured everything I stand for, it would be called Living in Grace,” Sharon says.
“Life has presented me with moments that could have made me bitter, but I chose to rise above. Losing my son was devastating, but I chose to be vulnerable and share my story so I could help others heal. I believe that things happen for a reason, not to punish us, but to teach us.”
That philosophy carried her through business transitions too. When she left a successful career in public accounting to pursue entrepreneurship, she sat down with a yellow legal pad to list pros and cons. “It didn’t help me a bit. I could argue both sides,” she laughs. “Then my hand just wrote across the top: Why not? That question changed my life. Why not take the road less traveled? Why not solve a problem or serve a need?”
“Ask yourself: Why not me? Why not now?” she says. “You’re here for a reason. You have everything you need to create success and impact.”
A Legacy of Creating Legacies
“If you truly want to have power in the world, if you truly want to be a leader, you have to be in alignment,” Sharon says. “Be authentically you. One of the greatest compliments I receive is when people say, ‘You’re the same offstage as you are onstage.’ That’s integrity. That’s authenticity.”
In Pillars of Power, she brings together everything she’s learned about wealth, purpose, and mindset to help others create their own path to greatness.
“My team once gave me a magazine cover with my photo and the headline, A Legacy of Creating Legacies,” she shares. “That’s exactly how I want to be remembered: as someone who helped others rise, find their purpose, and create impact.”
About Sharon Lechter: Sharon Lechter is a financial literacy expert, bestselling author, and entrepreneur who co-authored Rich Dad Poor Dad, and 14 other Rich Dad books, building the world’s leading personal finance brand. She’s advised Presidents Bush and Obama, and collaborated with the Napoleon Hill Foundation on multiple bestsellers including Three Feet from Gold and Outwitting the Devil. As founder of the Play Big Movement, and through her mentoring, Sharon empowers individuals worldwide to take control of their financial lives, stand in their power, and create lasting impact. She appears in the film Pillars of Power: The Hidden Secret Behind Achieving Greatness.
www.sharonlechter.com
Instagram: @sharonlechter
About Pillars of Power: Pillars of Power: The Hidden Secret Behind Achieving Greatness explores the five foundations of a powerful life: money, relationships, health, mental wellness, and spirituality. Featuring Sharon Lechter, Jack Canfield, Dr. Joe Vitale, Ken Honda, Marie Diamond, Dr. John Demartini, John Assaraf, and Jerry Sargeant, the film reveals how these pillars work together to create lasting success and impact.
Official Website: www.thepillarsofpower.com
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