Community Highlights: Meet John Hill of Achiever Holdings

Today we’d like to introduce you to John Hill.

Hi John, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself. 

I was born in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1984, from amazing parents, Robert and Velma Hill. I have 3 siblings Jay, Joy, and Jerel Hill. I grew up in a strict environment, but my parents provided for all of our necessities, and offered plenty of support. One of the defining moments of my childhood is when tragedy struck. My cousin Derrick lost his life by the hands of a shooter. This hit my family hard. My dad made the decision to move us to Texas to take us out of our neighborhood in a city that was quickly declining. He wanted us to have access to more opportunities, so we moved to a small town called Sachse, TX. This was a chess move. It shaped who I became, and ultimately changed my life! I quickly made friends and finished school here.

I was a born hustler and naturally could sell. I sold pagers, gold chains, my brother’s Michael Jordan, and Scottie Pippen basketball cards (Sorry, Jay!). You name it! Whatever had value, I would flip.

While I was in high school, and for a few years after, I worked for my friend Cody’s dad’s company, J and K Tile. I learned how to install flooring, what it looked like to run a business, and what real work ethic was! Working for Jeff Slusher was hard, but very rewarding! Although I worked 90-hour weeks and didn’t get to hang out with friends often, I knew the work was good for me! None of my friends that worked for him lasted; they all got fired. They couldn’t handle the heat. Me, I was a different breed– I was hungry! After some time, I grew tired of manual labor and had to make a choice to move on.

Shortly after that, I was about to get evicted from an apartment, and had to find a way to make money fast. By nature, I am quiet and laid back, so a people-facing sales job was a bit intimidating, until I saw an ad for hiring car sales, and the earning potential! I quickly mustered up some courage and went to the dealership for an interview. I was smiling, outgoing, and talking to everyone—things I normally didn’t do! I was very enthusiastic in the interview and showcased my intelligence to impress the interviewer. I immediately got hired. I didn’t know anything about cars but managed to sell two vehicles worth over $40,000 on a slow Sunday. I was making the other guys look bad! One guy walked in, and everyone kept looking at him. I was confused. He had his wife and son with him and was looking for a Tahoe for $28K. Once we got to the lot, I told him, “Sir there isn’t a Tahoe for that price here, they put that to get people here.” Well, being honest paid off! He looked at one of the Tahoes for over $40K! I asked him what range he wanted his car payments at, and he said he was writing a check for the whole thing! I was shocked! I later found out his name was Pete Sessions, a congressman! I was blown away, and everyone thought I was a big shot at the dealership. It was a great experience, but ultimately car sales didn’t offer the level of income, freedom, and passive income that I sought.

I was introduced to network marketing when I was 18 years old. The passive income, free enterprise style of business was exactly what I was looking for. Like most good things, it didn’t come easy. I failed many times. Then I started an energy drink company with one of my best friends Dakota Rea. I was able to scale the company revenue multiple six figures and was even recognized on stage for it. I also had shares of that company. Since then, I’ve helped grow multiple companies, bringing millions of dollars in volume. Even companies where I had little to no experience in their industry. I single-handedly helped a real estate equity fund raise millions of dollars! When I got there, they had 8 employees. The business was failing so badly that everyone quit or was fired, even the manager! My highest month in commission there was over $20K.

I told my family and friends my whole life that I was going to travel the world for business. I honestly had no idea how I was going to do that. I was able to make that dream a reality because I am persistent, I continue (to this day) to build and grow my skill set, and I create mutually valuable connections. I started a consulting business to help companies scale in revenue with a go-to-market strategy. This took me to Seoul, South Korea, Gurugram, India, London, Dubai, Italy, and Vancouver BC. I most recently started a company in Accra Ghana. This is an awesome accomplishment, considering where I started. Many negative bank accounts, evictions—I even lived at Dallas Life homeless shelter for a week. It was a test for me to see what it would be like having nowhere to go. That experience taught me gratitude, and how to hustle hard without making excuses.

Somewhere around this time, I met the love of my life, Emily. We didn’t know it at the time because we were both seeing other people, but things eventually changed, as they often do. Many years later she reached out to me to get my advice on a business she was looking at. I was in Silicon Valley assisting a startup company at the time, but I told her that I would take her to dinner when I came back to Dallas. A few months later, we met for dinner at Corrientes 348 in downtown Dallas. Our connection grew strong pretty quickly. Knowing each other for so long beforehand had established a level of trust.  We later moved in together in uptown Dallas where I secured a split-level loft in a highly sought after neighborhood in Dallas. When I was in high school, I told my friend Charles that one day I would live in this exact building. Emily and I married in 2020 and blended our families with 6 incredible children (we have one together, Jordan Jay). She is the best thing that ever happened to me. She changed my life. I would even say she saved it. She is a super intelligent woman. Her knowledge in nutrition and health is incredible. She is a naturopath, yoga instructor, massage therapist, health coach, nutritionist, personal trainer, mom, wife, sister, daughter– she does it all. We live in McKinney, TX with 3 of our 6 kids. John Jr. is a freshman at Texas Tech, and my middle son Joshua is a senior at Early High School. My hobbies are business, travel, boxing, KRAV MAGA and Muay Thai. I put God first, and I’m very grateful for how my life is progressing.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, not at all. I’ve had many failures, setbacks, negative bank accounts and even evictions. I slept in the Dallas Life homeless shelter to teach myself a powerful lesson. I made some bad decisions which led to a few mugshots. Nothing too crazy, but apparently not paying tickets can turn into warrants. I have slept on many couches. My brother Jay let me live at his house for a while to get back on my feet. I slept outside at a pool and at a 24-hour gym. One time I lost my key during a freeze here in Dallas and had to sleep at a desk in front of a Walgreens. Luckily, they let me in, or I would have frozen to death!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
I’m a serial entrepreneur, mainly in business development and consulting. I specialize in helping companies scale, fundraising, and private investments. I’m very connected globally, so I help create new partnerships and business by connecting individuals to the right sources. My skill set and connections set me apart. I’ve been able to dominate most industries that I’ve participated in. If you’re looking to grow your business, or get connected to the right people, I’m the guy. If you’re looking for a passive income business, I’m also your guy!

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Never quit! Focus on what you’re passionate about. Don’t listen to the noise around you. Keep a positive mental attitude at all costs. Read personal development books and attend seminars where you can hear people’s stories. Acquire as much knowledge as you can. I wish I had learned that one much earlier on. You will progress quicker, have less issues, and you won’t have to be a burden to others on your come up. Become a networker. It’s your network that will open doors 99% of the time!