Everyone loves a rags-to-riches story. Bill Bartmann lived one such story. He was living alone on the streets at age fourteen, and he was a member of a gang. Meeting his wife, Kathy is what turned his life around for good. Through their 30+ years of marriage, she stayed by his side through every up, down, and loop of the roller coaster ride.

Bill was never really much of a student. Classes were difficult for him, and sometimes he even had to take them twice, but Kathy convinced him to get his GED, undergraduate degree, and law degree. With degrees in hand, Bill followed his passion to help people in situations like his used to be. He opened a practice for people who needed help but couldn’t afford a lawyer.

Bill Bartmann’s financial roller coaster ride began when he left the law practice after about five years. It was the 1970’s, and he made a fortune in real estate (which at the time, was fairly easy to do). He was a millionaire by the time he was 30 years old. He then went into the oil business, but when the price of oil dropped from $40 per barrel to only $14, his fortune disappeared.

To add insult to injury, debt collectors started hassling Bill and Kathy over the phone. It was appalling how rude these people could be! Even if he had the money, he wouldn’t have wanted to pay those awful people. That’s when it hit him. Why not start a “nice” debt collection business? This idea was so successful that Bill was once again a millionaire.

How could such a business NOT succeed? Most people are generally good-hearted and really want to pay their debts, but when something happens like a job loss or an illness, people are simply unable to pay. Bill knew that yelling wouldn’t solve the problem, so his company showed respect and asked people to send whatever they could.

In everything Bill Bartmann has done, whether it brought him rags or riches, he did it with passion. He didn’t listen to teachers who told him to get the job that pays the best. What good is a great-paying job if you’re too miserable or too busy to enjoy the rest of your life? He knew that in order to find success, he would have to be happy.

Through it all, Bill has gone bankrupt twice, but he has also been a millionaire three times, and now he’s a billionaire. He uses the real-life knowledge he’s acquired to help others through his Billionaire Mentor Program. In Bill’s program, you’ll see things you won’t see in other programs, and you won’t see things you do see in other programs. Why? Respect.

Bill respects the entrepreneurs in his business school as much as he respected the families who couldn’t pay their debts. He doesn’t toss out magic ponies and regurgitated information that you’ve heard a million times. He doesn’t even sell products. He teaches you what you need to know starting from whatever level you’re ready for, and everything he does is included in the price of membership. Now that’s respect!