Dean Philpott is the Yukon’s No.1 international bestselling author.
That’s according to him, at least.
Philpott, who is well-known in Whitehorse as the realtor who markets himself as “The Bald Guy,” has written a self-help book.
It’s called Stop Wishing, Start Winning.
It’s listed on Amazon under three categories: self-help, motivation and real estate. It became the top best-seller in two of those categories for four days on Amazon.ca, and in all three categories for two days on Amazon.com, said Philpott.
“It’s kind of an awesome feeling when you see Donald Trump at No. 11, and yourself at No. 1.”
Philpott, 44, looks like he’s on top the world these days. He’s wearing a dapper, pin-stripe suit when we meet. He flashes a big smile. He’s preparing to sail from San Diego to Hawaii over the next month.
And, as usual, he’s selling something. Today it’s a fruit drink. The tiny bottle’s label says it contains “wildcrafted whole fruit mangosteen.”
“It’s an anti-oxident,” said Philpott. “It’s going to be a hit. No one in the Yukon is selling it.”
Philpott wasn’t always happy. Several years ago, after acquiring more than $1 million, he was “burned out, divorced and depressed.”
He credits a few self-help books for pulling himself out of his funk: You Were Born Rich by Bob Proctor, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill and As a Man Thinketh by James Alan.
Philpott says these books turned him into a new man.
“It’s not about me any more. It’s about how I serve the world. The universe.”
So he decided to write a book of his own. Parts of it describe Philpott’s own life, which is undeniably an interesting story.
Philpott has always liked money. Growing up in a small Newfoundland village, his family never had much. But Philpott knew he would be different.
At age 12, he decided to cut his family’s rhubarb patch to bag and sell. He nearly sliced his finger off and spent most of his proceeds getting patched up.
In high school, he sold cigarettes, buying a carton on credit from the local store. On weekends he worked as a janitor at the school, mopping floors and cleaning toilets for $4 per hour.
He took a summer job as a public works project manager. When he realized the guys digging holes earned more than him, he became a contractor.
He also tried his hand as a photographer and private detective before becoming a hard-driving realtor. Today, if you see a for-sale sign on a lawn in Whitehorse, there’s a good chance it will bear Philpott’s face.
It’s too bad he didn’t delve deeper into describing his own demons in his book. We learn nothing about what prompted his two divorces, although we do know he fought to control a nasty temper.
We receive hints that Philpott’s realtor colleagues once took a dim view of his penchant for avid self-promotion, but we receive little privileged information about conflicts within the high-stakes game of selling real-estate, either.
Philpott describes his ideas as “outside the box,” but his advice on business success seems to boil down to plastering your face around town. He started by showering neighbourhoods with notepads that plugged his business.
Then came free calendars, and eventually, an enclosed trailer, with “The Bald Guy” painted across it,” which he lent to customers.
On the self-help front, Philpott recommends making lots of lists. He uses them to set goals and ensure he’s following all the steps to meet them.
Each morning, Philpott follows a three-hour routine. He meditates, prays, listens to a self-help program and stands on his head.
“You can’t do anything but focus on balancing, and that is enough to quiet my mind,” he writes.
Philpott’s motivational ideas are well-worn. Each day is a new beginning. Create your own luck. Listen to your gut. Be true to yourself.
Some advice is peculiar. Philpott recommends that you forgive, bless and pray for every person you know.
Philpott describes doing this to one coworker. “He didn’t think there was a problem between us or that he had done anything wrong, but I knew I had a problem with some things that had happened, so I went into his office and asked him to listen. I forgave him.
“He wasn’t exactly happy about it, but it lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. That’s what forgiveness does.”
Philpott doesn’t always sound charitable. When he started his realty career, the colleagues who criticized him had “modest to crappy results,” he writes.
Nor is Philpott above referring to himself in the third person. (“I had to look at the true Dean…”)
He even quotes himself. (“A winner is someone who never sees conflict in his or her world; he or she sees harmony in every situation. That winner, my friend, is in you! - Dean Philpott.”)
The book cover says that Philpott’s company, Navaco Success, is based in Whitehorse and “operates globally.” For now, the company’s sole operation is a website that sells Philpott’s book, along with other self-help products.
Many belong to Bob Proctor, author of The Secret. Proctor wrote the foreword to Philpott’s book.
And Proctor kicked off Philpott’s book launch during a seminar in Florida. He handed Philpott the first copy of his book. It was Philpott’s idea.
Philpott insists he is now driven by peace, rather than money. But he appears to occasionally muddle the two together.
He found peace during an Alaskan fishing trip, then concluded he needed to buy a new vessel at least as fancy as his friend’s. It ended up costing $150,000.
“I want happiness and peace,” said Philpott. “And to sell real estate.”
Contact John Thompson at
johnt@yukon-news.com.