It wasn’t long ago that very few people knew the name Conor McGregor. He was working as a plumber in Ireland and on welfare prior to becoming the highest paid MMA fighter of all time and the entrepreneur he is today. He didn’t even have his first UFC fight until 2013.
With the recent success of his Proper No. 12 Irish Whiskey, the 30-year-old Dublin native spoke with Entrepreneur magazine about how he’s been able to achieve so much so fast and what advice he would give to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to achieve their dreams. Here’s what McGregor had to say:
“You’ve got to be passionate about what you’re doing. Find your passion and chase your dreams, fearlessly. I’ve had a lot of crazy dreams in my life, and they’ve all come to fruition because of my passion, hard work and will to succeed. You’ve got to put in the effort day in and day out to perfect your craft, and never give up. Never settle, never be complacent, stay hungry to learn and always try to be better than you were yesterday. If someone tells you no or doubts your ability, fuck ’em. I don’t care what they think. I believe in myself and never waiver from that mentality. That’s how I got to where I am today. Surrounding yourself with the right people is important too. Loyalty is everything. You’ve got to have a strong support system, people who genuinely believe in you and want you to succeed. My team — who have become my brothers and sisters — my family and close friends have gotten me to where I am today.”
McGregor’s boxing match with Floyd Mayweather earned him around $85 million according to reports. His most recent UFC title fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov earned him around $50 million. And now with the astounding success of his Proper No. 12 Irish Whiskey, McGregor said he expects to be a billionaire within the next five years.