American · 1930–2009
Jim Rohn (born Emanuel James Rohn) was an American entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker who became one of the most influential figures in the personal-development industry. Raised on a farm near Yakima, Washington, he made and lost a fortune in direct sales before his mentor, the entrepreneur Earl Shoaff, reshaped his thinking about wealth and self-discipline. In 1963 he delivered his first public seminar at the Beverly Hills Hotel, launching a decades-long career of live talks and recorded programs built around ideas like "work harder on yourself than you do on your job." His best-known book, The Art of Exceptional Living, distilled his seminar material into a five-part philosophy of personal growth. Rohn mentored a generation of later speakers, including Tony Robbins and Mark Victor Hansen, and received the National Speakers Association's Cavett Award in 1985. He died of pulmonary fibrosis in 2009 at age 79.