Secrets of the rich and radiant: billionaire businessman Warren Buffet shares some quiet advice with author Martin Maheux on a recent visit to Martin’s Calgary restaurant, the Laurier Lounge.Welcome to the new Rich and Radiant website, which is dedicated to the promotion of Martin Maheux's book of the same name.  Here you will find an excerpt from Rich & Radiant that will give you a sneak peek into how Martin found financial success and happiness as well as an e-commerce section where you can buy his self-published book and start building your own wealth.

So be sure to check back often because the site is going to be updated frequently over the next few days...

"If you read this book, you will one day be rich and radiant (why not?). But until that time, I can do nothing more for you than wish you good luck because, once you have finished reading this book, I leave you alone with your determination to realize your dreams."

--Martin, September 6, 1997

Start Reading for Free Here!

Chapter 1

Objectives

July 3, 1996

In June 1993, I was stopped by a policeman for dangerous driving. The policeman got out of his car and came towards me.  I opened my window and said hello, a bit sarcastically, because I knew that I had no insurance and that my license and plates had not been renewed. He asked for my papers and went back to sit in his car. Five minutes later he came back and told me that I was in deep trouble and that it was going to be very expensive. I told him that I had known that I was in deep trouble for a long time and that I had no papers associated with my car, as I could no longer cope with the costs.

He then asked me: “How are you going to get yourself out of this mess?”
To which I answered: “I have no idea.”
“Would you like to get out of this mess?”
“Of course! But I haven't got a clue how.”
“I know how you could get yourself out, but it will take sometime.” 
“How much time?”
“That's up to you to decide. You'll need to change your lifestyle. To help you, I'm not going to give you a ticket, but you'll have to promise me to go renew your papers.”
“Yes thank you! I'll go today.”
“Also, If you are really ready to get yourself out of this mess, I'm going to send you to meet someone who can help you. Let's say, tomorrow night, 9 o'clock, at the school parking lot at the end of 70th Street in Charlesbourg.”
“Perfect I'll be there. But how will I recognize him?” “Don't worry about it, he'll recognize you.”
“Perfect, thanks again!”

I left relieved to not have had to pay the fine, but a bit confused about having to go meet someone whom I didn't even know, who was “supposedly” able to help me out.

During the day I decided to renew my license and plates still wondering whether I would go to meet this person in the evening. I told myself that given the state I was in I had nothing to lose and decided to go. So I went to Charlesbourg, to the end of 70th Street.  I arrived at the parking lot of a small school. From the parking lot there was a superb view of the city of Quebec.

Just then I noticed a man in his forties getting out of a luxury car parked at the other end of the lot, and he was coming towards me.  I rolled down my window and he asked me: "Are you the guy who needs help?"
I answered him warily:  “Yeah”. 
He asked if he could get in and I again said, “Yes”.
Without saying a word he sat down in the passenger side and, for at least one minute, looked out at the city.  Still staring out at the city he began to talk:
"My name is Jean." 
"I'm Martin." 
"Ten years ago I was in about the same situation as you and I, like you, ended up here to get help. I was told that one day I would succeed and it would be my turn to help someone else. That is why I am here today."


July 4, 1996

There was a moment of silence, during which my mind was racing wondering what I was doing here.  Before I had time to wonder any further he started to speak again.
"What are you doing with your life?"
"Not much, I am a cook at the Cafe de Paris.  I have an old car that someone gave me. I live in an apartment with a girlfriend who I know doesn't love me, nor I her for that matter. We live together waiting for something to happen."
"Oh, that doesn't seem too fun, but it's a good starting place. Did you go to school? Have you taken any courses or have any experience in any particular area?"
"I quit school in Grade 10 and apart from the restaurant business and some experience in jobs like corner store cashier and store manager training, I have none. Anyway, I've had it with jobs like that."

Looking surprised but as though he expected these answers, he said: "If you really have the desire to do other things and you believe you can, I can help you."
Not so sure of myself, I answered, "I do".
He said: "Look at the city, how beautiful it is, all those lights, all those buildings, all those streets lit up. Human beings like you and me that thought up and created all these projects with one goal: a desire to make something and to achieve a set objective. There are also all those who wanted to become lawyers, accountants, doctors, politicians, policemen, ambulance drivers, postmen and even chefs; they had the desire and set goals for themselves.  But it is not only success in our careers that makes us happy; you need other desires and goals too, for example in love, family and everyday life.  OK, I am here tonight to tell you that everything you desire in your life is within your reach if you believe it possible; I am also telling you that you can have everything you want."

"Let's talk now about your desires or what it is that you want to achieve in your life and I will give you advice that will help you to reach these goals."
There was another period of silence that this time lasted at least two minutes.  He then added: "Tell me about your childhood dreams. What ambitions did you have that you have since lost? Tell me all!"
"I have always dreamt of having my own business, of making money, traveling, having a really beautiful wife and maybe a child, and even one day, to become so rich that I was never again in need of money."

Finally I asked him: "Ambitious enough for you?"
He responded: "That's perfect. You are really ready to start."
"To start what? I have nothing?"
"You have something, you have the desire to become rich and happy."
"Yes but how?" 
"You should start by finding a job or even a project in which you will really be happy.  In life, you need to have a job that you love in order to succeed."
"Yes, but during the time it takes for me to find a job that I really want, I still need to continue living.  I need money to pay for my rent, my food, and for going out, etc."


July 5, 1996

"Okay! Are you really happy with all that you have right now?"
"No."
"Well then, if you lose what you now have then it shouldn't bother you too much."
"No, not really!"
"So try to get yourself going in the right direction, even if it means starting again at zero: alone without a girlfriend in a rented room and maybe even without a car or a job for a little while."
"Oh…that's going to be hard."
"Of course it will be hard, but at least you will be doing what you really want to and, you will at last fulfill you dreams."
"I hope you're telling the truth."
"All that I have told you is the truth.  I am proof of it. I was in the same situation as you 10 years ago, when I was 32 years old.  Two years ago I achieved what I had set out to achieve."
"Was it easy to go through all that?"
"Of course it was difficult, but I am certain that it would have been just as difficult to have gone on with my life the way it was, in misery. And I would not have achieved anything."

There were another few minutes of silence. Then he told me: ”All that I can do for you I have already done. The rest is up to you.  I will leave you this sheet of paper that you can fill out to help you. Take all the time you need.”
"What's on the sheet?"
"For the first question, you will need to write all the goals you wish to achieve and the dates by which you will achieve them. For the second question you will have to write out the steps you will take in order to achieve these goals. For the third question, you have to write a bad habit that you have as well as a good habit that you would like to acquire. Slowly you need to replace your bad habit with the good one. And that's all. You fill out this sheet and you start your new life!"


July 6, 1996

"You can be sure that if I achieve my objectives I will help others."
"Good! Then there's nothing left to say except to wish you good luck."
"Thank you!"

He shook my hand and wished me a good evening, walked over to his car, and drove away.  I found myself alone in my car in the parking lot, looking out towards Quebec City.  It was very quiet.  I asked myself many questions such as:
"What am I doing here?"
"Why did I meet this man?"
"If I do what he said, will I succeed?"
"Where will all of this take me?"
I decided to go home and sleep on it.

The next day I woke up around noon and started work at five o'clock, so I didn't really have the time to think much about what had happened, nor did I have the time to fill out the sheet that the man had left me.  Almost three weeks went by and still I had not taken the time to think about that night.  Then one evening, while working at Cafe de Paris, I wondered what I was doing there and what I would really like to be doing in life.  When the evening ended, I arrived home and decided to fill out the sheet, just like that, for fun of it.  I told myself that I had nothing to lose.