"The Axios Show": Mel Robbins Inc.
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Mel Robbins talks to Jim VandeHei in Manhattan. Photo: Chris Gill for Axios
Axios CEO Jim VandeHei previews his interview with Mel Robbins for "The Axios Show." Watch the episode.
Mel Robbins has sold more books to more people in less time than almost any human in history.
- The result: a booming Mel Robbins Inc.
Why it matters: Robbins, with books in 64 languages, is a modern content creation machine on steroids — pumping out books, podcasts, viral clips, public speeches, and soon consumer goods. Her lessons apply to big companies and individual social media talents.
But don't call her talent.
- "I, first and foremost, consider myself a businesswoman," the bestselling author of "The Let Them Theory" says on a new episode of "The Axios Show." "I don't consider myself talent or this or that."
Robbins, 57, is building a media empire around a single asset — herself. Her staff of 50-plus employees and contractors manages her book tour, her 40 million social media followers and her production company, 143 Studios.
- The various formats of "The Let Them Theory" sold 7 million units in nine months. It's been on the New York Times bestseller list for 40 weeks. Her earlier books — "The 5 Second Rule" and "The High 5 Habit" — sold millions.
- Her team told us "The Mel Robbins Podcast" has over half a billion downloads. People have spent 38 million hours watching it on YouTube — equivalent to 4,335 years.
- "We are an advertising-supported media company," she said. Robbins has expanded to creating content for corporate partners, leveraging the same core asset — her. Next up: consumer products.
Robbins has what companies and aspiring influencers crave: attention. And she has a few rules for getting it and maximizing it:
- Vital, not viral. "You can't think about virality," she says. "Make content absurdly useful to a specific group of people. Only then will it stick and spread. "Stop obsessing over views and start obsessing over" making it indispensable.
- Bet on you. "Don't ever make a deal that you are going to regret in success," she says. It's easy to take easy money or easy shortcuts for short-term wins. Don't. "You have to bet on yourself," she told us. "And you only do that by asking: If this actually works, am I going to be pissed off I signed this deal?"
- You bring the weather. "Your energy is currency," she says. "I want you to understand that you bring the weather. That means you can be the sun or you can be the storm." Obsess about how you want people to see and feel about you after you leave the room: "Because people don't invest in businesses. They invest in people."
