Learning the Key to Success at Age 14

Dr. Nicolas Porter
Founder Risas Dental and Braces

By Dr. Nicolas Porter

I was 14 years old when I first heard the voice of the famous motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar.  

Driving up the Mogollon Rim with my older brother, Tim, and his newlywed wife, Stephanie, I listened with amusement to the man with the unique southern accent and high energy in his voice that could mesmerize even the harshest of public speaker critic.  

I loved how Tim and Stephanie always listened to tapes and CDs of people that could make them better. It was then that I, too, gained a love and appreciation for communicators that could sum up the meaning of life or the keys to success in just one or two well-spoken phrases.  

When I’m asked, “What is the key to your success, Dr. Nicolas? How have you been able to do what you’ve done in the short time you’ve done it?” The answer is simple and it rolls off my tongue just as easily now as when it penetrated my ears that summer day in the car driving from Phoenix to Heber to visit family.  

“You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want,” Zig said and then repeated, “You can have anything you want if you’ll just help others get what they want!”  

Boom! It was like music to my ears!  You see, in my mind, what Zig said to me was, “Nic, your success is within YOUR control!  If you just focus on others, you can have everything you want!”  

I’m an observer of people.  I love to watch people interact with others. I’m a student of human interaction/human behavior.  I’m blown away when I see people who are trying to climb the ladder of success by trying to lift themselves over and on top of other people.  

Fighting, backstabbing, manipulating, hurting, lying and cheating! Unfortunately, this method works for some, but it is neither long lasting nor is it fulfilling. In the end, cheating your way to success is like winning the lottery – without healthy personal development and growth, the reward will leave you hollow.  In his book, “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” Dale Carnegie teaches that in order for us to climb the ladder of success, we must be “lifted by others.” We must be adding value to people around us – giving and giving and making other people better. Then, as we give to others; as we assist others in getting what THEY want, they, as Dale teaches, will lift us to levels we cannot imagine.  

In Risas, every aspect of our business and our company culture is about making someone else happy first.  This is the key to our success. For patients, we go above and beyond; for our staff, we love them unconditionally and believe in them to be the best; for our doctors we spoil them with respect and care that no one else can match.