Newly Released book, "10 Things I Learned from the Billionaire," Offers Intimate Portrait of Mentorship That Changed Everything

Real mentorship doesn't happen in neat packages. It unfolds through questions, false starts, and gradual comprehension. The Billionaire provided the map. We navigate his path to success.”
— Calvin Barry Schwartz

ROBERTSVILLE, NJ, UNITED STATES, December 12, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In a world saturated with business advice that promises overnight success and magic formulas, Calvin Barry Schwartz offers something radically different: the messy, authentic, deeply human story of how fundamental transformation happens. His new book, "10 Things I Learned from the Billionaire," releases today as both a business fable and a memoir of profound personal change.

The book chronicles Schwartz's unlikely twenty-five-year mentorship under a self-made billionaire who built one of the world's largest eyewear empires while deliberately avoiding the spotlight. Unlike typical business books that reduce success to bullet points and frameworks, Schwartz's narrative captures the texture of actual learning, the confusion, resistance, breakthrough moments, and gradual rewiring of beliefs that happen when someone truly teaches you to see differently.

"This isn't a book about business tactics," Schwartz explains. "It's about what happens when someone who sees your potential refuses to let you stay comfortable. The Billionaire didn't hand me a playbook. He showed me, conversation by conversation, how I was sabotaging myself with beliefs I didn't even know I held."

A Career Built on Shaky Ground

When Schwartz joined the company in 1981, he arrived carrying wounds from a career he'd never wanted. An overbearing mother had pushed him toward healthcare despite his struggles with math, leaving him feeling perpetually inadequate. His early sales success, finishing first in the country his debut year, should have built confidence. Instead, it amplified his impostor syndrome.

"I kept waiting to be exposed as someone who didn't belong," he recalls. "I was performing well but felt like I was faking my way through every interaction. I had no idea that the beliefs driving my behavior were completely undermining what I was trying to build."

The turning point came during Saturday morning sessions at the company warehouse, where the Billionaire invited select employees for informal conversations. What began as casual discussions evolved into a 1:1 systematic mentorship that would reshape Schwartz's understanding of influence, learning, relationships, and ultimately, himself.

Ten Lessons That Changed Everything

The book's structure follows ten core lessons that transform Schwartz's understanding of how influence, learning, and success actually work. Through intimate teaching moments spread across years, the Billionaire dismantles conventional wisdom about communication, revealing that most people fail not from lack of skill but from speaking the wrong psychological language. He shows how real mastery requires patient repetition that most people abandon right before breakthrough, how strategic preparation transforms transactions into relationships, and why treating failure as expensive education rather than catastrophe separates leaders who build empires from those who play it safe.

But the more profound lessons go beyond tactics. Schwartz learns to recognize the universal transaction underlying every human interaction, to build relationship capital that compounds across decades, and to read the subtle tribal signals that determine whether people trust you before a word is spoken.

The Billionaire teaches him that productive tension accelerates decisions. At the same time, comfort breeds paralysis, that speed and quality aren't enemies but allies when execution is disciplined, and ultimately, that success means nothing if you're not known for something specific that outlasts your lifetime. Together, these principles form a complete reimagining of what it means to build influence, wealth, and legacy, not through dominance or manipulation, but through genuine understanding of how humans actually think, decide, and connect.

More Than Business Lessons

What distinguishes "10 Things I Learned from the Billionaire" from conventional business literature is its unflinching honesty about the messy reality of change. Schwartz doesn't present himself as someone who smoothly absorbed wisdom and immediately transformed. He shows the resistance, skepticism, failed attempts, and gradual integration that characterize actual learning.

The book alternates between the Billionaire's systematic teaching and Schwartz's stream-of-consciousness reflections—the latter written in the distinctive voice that earned his previous novel, There's a Tortoise in My Hair: A Journey to Spirit, the prestigious Kirkus Star for literary excellence.

"The contrast is intentional," Schwartz notes. "The Billionaire's wisdom is measured and strategic. My internal experience of receiving that wisdom is messy and immediate. That's how real mentorship actually feels, not like downloading a program, but like gradually rebuilding how you see everything."

A Billionaire Who Chose Anonymity

The book deliberately withholds the Billionaire's identity, honoring his lifelong preference for privacy even as he builds a global enterprise. For over twenty-five years, he refused all media requests, operating on the principle that "the work should speak, not the worker."

"He demanded absolute discretion from everyone who worked with him," Schwartz explains. "That code of silence was both respected and rewarded. Even now, after everything he taught me, I won't violate the trust that made this mentorship possible."

What emerges through Schwartz's portrayal is a complex figure: demanding yet caring, strategic yet genuine, wealthy yet modest. The Billionaire drove understated cars, worked hands-on in his factories, and spent Saturday mornings in the warehouse with employees rather than in executive suites.
"He taught me that real power doesn't need to announce itself," Schwartz reflects. "He was building something that would outlast any personal recognition."

Early Praise from Readers

Advance readers have responded powerfully to the book's emotional authenticity and practical wisdom:
"A masterclass in success, influence, and personal growth," writes Jack F. W. in his five-star review. "From the gripping story of how the author met a billionaire mentor to the ten unforgettable lessons that follow, every chapter delivers practical insights you can apply immediately. The blend of psychology, strategic thinking, and personal accountability makes it both inspiring and actionable."

Helen R. notes the book's emotional resonance: "You feel every moment of doubt, breakthrough, and growth. This isn't abstract advice—it's the lived experience of someone being rebuilt from the inside out. A stunning journey that reminds you that transformation is always possible."

Samuel D. highlights its core message: "A heartfelt reminder that wisdom comes from being teachable, not perfect. Schwartz shows his insecurities, mistakes, and gradual evolution. That vulnerability makes the lessons land with unusual force."

A Second Act in the Eighth Decade

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Schwartz's story is its timing. Now in his eighth decade, he's experiencing a creative renaissance that seems to validate everything the Billionaire taught him about long-term thinking and compound growth.

After retiring from a distinguished career in sales management, Schwartz reinvented himself as a journalist, broadcaster, producer, co-host of a cable TV talk show, and professor at Rutgers University—his alma mater. At seventy-four, when many people are settling into retirement, he was just beginning new careers.

"The Billionaire taught me that success isn't about early achievement. It's about sustained development," Schwartz notes. "He emphasized crystallized intelligence: the accumulated knowledge, skill, and experience that grows more valuable over time. Now I understand what he meant. I'm more capable at eighty than I was at forty because I've had four more decades to integrate these lessons."

This perspective on aging and capability runs counter to cultural narratives about peak performance and youth. Schwartz champions the concept of crystallized intelligence as an equalizer: while Gen Z has access to AI and instant information, experienced professionals have decades of integrated wisdom that makes them faster at pattern recognition, context evaluation, and strategic thinking.

"My intelligence isn't trapped in a dusty library," he explains. "It's easily retrievable because I've maintained the lifestyle, physical exercise, mental engagement, and relationship investment that keep neural pathways clear. A sharp, weathered octogenarian can compete with brilliant youth because wisdom shortcuts the learning curve."

The Book's Unique Structure

"10 Things I Learned from the Billionaire" operates on two distinct narrative levels, each serving a specific pedagogical purpose:

The Billionaire's Lessons (the first half of each chapter) contain systematic, proven principles delivered through authentic dialogue and memorable teaching moments. These sections provide the frameworks, strategies, and insights that created extraordinary business results.

Calvin's Reflections (the second half of each chapter) offer stream-of-consciousness processing—the unfiltered thoughts, personal insights, and messy integration work that characterizes real learning. These sections capture breakthrough moments alongside confusion, resistance, and gradual understanding.

"Real mentorship doesn't happen in neat packages," Schwartz explains in the book's introduction. "It unfolds through questions, doubts, false starts, and gradual comprehension. The Billionaire provided the map. My job is showing readers how to navigate the terrain."

This dual structure creates an unusual reading experience: businesspeople gain actionable frameworks while simultaneously witnessing the psychological work required to internalize and apply them. The result feels less like reading a business book and more like being granted access to a transformative relationship.

"These aren't afterthoughts, they're concepts I actually use," Schwartz notes. "I wanted readers to have the same frameworks that transformed my career, not simplified versions that look good in PowerPoint."

Who This Book Serves

While categorized as business literature, "10 Things I Learned from the Billionaire" speaks to anyone standing at the intersection of ambition and doubt:
• Mid-career professionals wondering why their talent isn't translating to advancement
• Sales leaders struggling to influence different personality types consistently
• Entrepreneurs who need to master rapid execution without sacrificing quality
• Managers creating cultures where people can take intelligent risks without fear
• Anyone who suspects their hidden beliefs are sabotaging their visible efforts

The book also offers unexpected value for people interested in mentorship itself: how it works, why it matters, and how to create conditions for transformative teaching.

"I wrote this for my younger self," Schwartz reflects. "The person who was performing well externally while struggling internally. The person who needed permission to unlearn before he could truly learn. The person who didn't yet know that his greatest competitive advantage would be teachability."

Continuing the Conversation

Readers wanting to deepen their engagement with these principles can connect with Schwartz through his podcast. "Conversations with Calvin: We the SpecIEs," features weekly discussions exploring each lesson in greater depth, interviews with professionals embodying these principles, and answers to reader questions about application challenges.

Schwartz also welcomes readers who've applied these lessons with interesting results to become podcast guests, creating a community of practitioners sharing real-world implementation insights.

The Bold Authors Network Connection

The book emerged from Schwartz's collaboration with Kae Wagner and the Bold Authors Network, a community where experienced professionals transform accumulated wisdom into books that matter.

"Kae saw the book hidden within my stories and insisted it be born," Schwartz acknowledges. "After writing my novel, I was content to wind down and move the prune juice from the garage to the kitchen refrigerator. Then Kae pulled me back in with the recognition that very few people get to work closely with a billionaire. That story needed to be told."

Wagner's Bold Authors Book Agency program provided structure, encouragement, and expertise that transformed scattered memories and insights into a coherent framework for success. The experience validates the book's central message: the right mentor at the right time can change everything.

A Message About Teachability

If "10 Things I Learned from the Billionaire" has a thesis, it's this: success doesn't require genius, pedigree, or luck. It requires teachability; the willingness to question your old map and rebuild your understanding from the foundation up.

"The Billionaire chose me not because I was the most talented person in the company," Schwartz writes in the book's conclusion. "He chose me because he saw someone who could still learn, who hadn't calcified into certainty about how things work. That openness mattered more than any skill I possessed."

This insight offers hope to anyone who feels behind, inadequate, or stuck. If transformation is possible for a salesman in his forties carrying decades of limiting beliefs, it's possible for anyone willing to do the uncomfortable work of unlearning.

"Your past doesn't determine your future," Schwartz insists. "Your willingness to examine and evolve your beliefs does. That's the real lesson. Not the tactics or frameworks, though those matter, but the fundamental truth that you can always become someone new."

Availability and Additional Information

"10 Things I Learned from the Billionaire" is available in Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and paperback formats through Amazon.

About the author, Calvin Barry Schwartz

Calvin Barry Schwartz brings a distinctive perspective to business wisdom literature, combining decades of hands-on experience in sales and management with the rare opportunity to learn directly from one of the most successful entrepreneurs of our time.

A member of the Bold Authors Network, Schwartz is committed to helping experienced professionals transform their accumulated wisdom into books that matter. He lives by the conviction that knowledge gains value when shared, not hoarded, and that the most successful people are those who help others succeed.

When not writing or speaking about the principles in this book, Schwartz enjoys interviewing people around the world on his podcast "Conversations with Calvin, We the SpecIEs," and exploring connections between practical business wisdom and spiritual insight, and mentoring others discovering their own paths to meaningful success.

About the Billionaire

For over twenty-five years, Calvin Schwartz worked for a billionaire who preferred to remain in the shadows of success rather than bask in its spotlight. This man demanded absolute discretion from those who worked for and with him. A code of silence that was both respected and rewarded. Despite persistent requests from prestigious media outlets, he never granted a single interview.

It is out of deep respect for his unwavering desire for privacy that this business fable deliberately does not identify the Billionaire by name, company, or industry. The lessons shared within these pages are real, the conversations authentic in spirit, and the business wisdom genuine. But the man behind them remains, as he always preferred, comfortably anonymous.

Calvin Barry Schwartz
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