MORE ABOUT ME

     Even on my first day of school, I went without my parents and without the traditional school cone that German children usually receive. Years later, I faced an even greater emotional challenge when I discovered that the woman I had always known as my mother was not my biological mother.

Still, from a very young age, I had an unusual belief in my future. I would ask people to write my name down on a piece of paper and tell them:

“Remember this name. One day, I will be very successful and famous.”

At the age of 19, I borrowed a luxury car and was involved in a serious traffic accident. The car was not insured, and I was suddenly left with debts of 70,000 Deutsche Mark.

    After finishing school, I began an apprenticeship in a textile factory with around 800 employees. I worked shifts and spent eight monotonous hours a day inside the factory, often without seeing daylight. Now I had an even stronger reason to   work hard: I had to repay my debts.

But I could not accept the idea of spending 40 years working just to reach retirement and perhaps have only a few healthy years left to enjoy my life. I began thinking deeply about my goals, my dreams and the kind of future I wanted to create.

One day, a colleague at the factory introduced me to Network Marketing. He told me that I could build a business by selling cosmetic products and potentially create significant wealth. I was skeptical, but I was also curious.

To get started, I needed 2,000 Deutsche Mark. The problem was that I already had 70,000 Deutsche Mark in debt. So before I could even begin, I had to convince my banker to believe in me one more time.

    I took the risk and registered with the Network Marketing company. My friends laughed at me. As I began changing the way I dressed, wearing suits and taking the business seriously, some of the people around me distanced themselves from me. But I continued. Day and night, I gave product presentations and business presentations.

My determination sometimes went to extremes. On one occasion, I deliberately injured my hand at work so that I would be signed off sick and could attend an evening seminar to learn more about Network Marketing and continue developing myself. Then the textile company I worked for went bankrupt. Hundreds of employees suddenly lost their jobs.

For me, however, the situation was different. I had already built a second source of income alongside my factory job. While many people around me suddenly faced uncertainty and fear about their future, I had created another possibility for myself.

    My organization continued to grow every day. Over time, I personally built more than 2,000 first-line partners, while my total downline grew to approximately one million partners. Throughout my career, I helped more than 100 people achieve millionaire-level incomes, and I founded the Dogan Academy. My presentations grew together with my success. In the beginning, I presented my business in living rooms. Then I moved into restaurants and small venues. Later, I spoke in large event halls. Eventually, I stood in stadiums in front of audiences of more than 30,000 people.

    People became so eager to learn from me and understand the way I worked that some were even willing to sleep on the floor simply to spend more time with me and learn from my experience. My ambition and my journey also attracted the attention of well-known personalities, including celebrities such as Boris Becker and Ralf Möller. I went on to write numerous books and became increasingly recognized for my experience, knowledge and leadership.

    My results became so significant that my first company had to create a new highest career level for me twice, because I had already surpassed the existing top rank. I received numerous honors, including recognition as a Senior and Five-Star President.

I appeared on many television programs, was featured in countless newspapers and magazines, and became involved in a variety of social causes. I was also honored with the Heinrich Heine Award for civil courage. And then, just when everything seemed to be moving upward, unexpected problems began.

    I founded my own company, which became one of the most successful start-ups of its time. Within a remarkably short period, more than 30,000 partners registered with the company, and we generated approximately €19 million in revenue through a multichannel business system. But that chapter of my life also taught me something that success alone never could. I learned what it means to experience setbacks, make mistakes and face failure. Those experiences did not stop me. They made me more experienced, more strategic and more resilient. Eventually, I sold my successful product portfolio to an American company. Today, I am in a new chapter of my life. I enjoy having more time for myself, while continuing to work internationally as a coach, consultant and advisor.

    My life story was even turned into a film called “Regardness.” The film premiered in Cannes, where it attracted considerable attention, and it is being distributed in around 70 countries. Today, my mission goes far beyond business success. My goal is to become a global ambassador who gives people strength, confidence and belief in themselves, regardless of the difficulties, setbacks or circumstances they may be facing. If there is one message I want people to take from my story, it is this:

Your starting point does not have to determine your destination.