The Russell Brunson Show

Episode #62: What Orison Swett Marden and Success Magazine Can Teach About Perseverance | #Success
Host: Russell Brunson
Date: August 18, 2025
Duration (main content): (00:21–~18:16)

Overview

In this episode, Russell Brunson digs into the inspiring and little-known story of Orison Swett Marden, the founder of Success Magazine. He explores Marden’s incredible perseverance, the role Success Magazine played in spreading personal development in America, and draws powerful parallels between Marden’s journey and his own experiences as an entrepreneur, particularly with ClickFunnels. The episode’s core message centers on resilience in the face of setbacks, learning from the “hero’s journey,” and pushing forward with your mission even when the world seems eager for you to fail.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Origins and Impact of Success Magazine

• Russell reveals he owns two of the three known copies of the very first issue of Success Magazine (December 1897).
  • (00:21) “[Success Magazine] became the thing that blanketed the country and was the introduction to personal development principles across America. It literally changed the landscape, it changed our country.” — Russell
• The magazine was pivotal: before its publication, personal development wasn’t widely recognized in America.
• Early issues featured notable figures like Abraham Lincoln (on the cover of Issue #1) and contained lengthy, substantive articles—more akin to books than modern magazines.

The Story of Orison Swett Marden

• Success Magazine’s overlooked founder, Orison Swett Marden, is described as a hero of perseverance.
• Discovery of Personal Development: Marden, a business owner, discovered Self Help by Samuel Smiles (the first personal development book in Europe) in his attic—a book that changed his life.
  • (06:09) “[He] found this book in the attic. He read it and it changed his life… he got so excited… he wanted to write his own book.” — Russell
• Unimaginable Setback: After spending 15 years writing a 5,000-page manuscript in one of his hotels, a fire destroyed everything.
  • (07:13) “What he did that night is he walked over to the convenience store… bought a 25 cent notebook and… started rewriting his book from memory because he wanted to bring his dream book out to the world.” — Russell
• Triumphant Release: He eventually completed and published Pushing to the Front, which became the best-selling personal development book of the era, read and quoted by presidents, inventors, and business leaders.

The Rise, Fall, and Comeback of Success Magazine

• Initial Success: The magazine launched in 1897, quickly became highly influential, with millions of readers. Marden operated out of a 12-story New York City building at the magazine’s peak.
• The Fall: After investors pushed for a more business-oriented direction, the magazine failed in 1911 and ceased publication in 1912.
  • (10:15) “There’s a time when people love the hero story… but then people love watching a hero fail… the same people that were cheering you… want to laugh at you.” — Russell
  • Newspapers ran headlines like “Success Fails,” relishing the collapse.
• Undaunted Perseverance: Marden didn’t internalize the failure.
  • (11:26) “He said, ‘This failed, but I’m not a failure.’” — Russell
• Rebuilding: Wrote 30-40 additional books during the magazine’s downtime and kept staff together.
• Comeback: In 1918, near the end of World War I, Marden found an investor, bought Success Magazine out of bankruptcy, and relaunched it; by his death in 1924, subscriptions were higher than ever before.

Lessons on Perseverance and The Entrepreneur’s Journey

• Russell emphasizes that the pattern of resilience and comeback isn’t unique to Marden—it’s the path of entrepreneurial “winners.”
• Reflects on how, even when the world seems to cheer your downfall, you must not equate external defeat with personal failure.
  • (12:10) “Most people… would have walked away. But instead… he mounted a battle plan… figured out how to win because winners win, right?” — Russell
• Reinforces the power of vision: A dream bigger than yourself equips you to push through daunting obstacles.

Russell's Personal Journey: Parallels with Marden

The ClickFunnels Story

• Startup Heroics: ClickFunnels launched as a bootstrap newcomer, fighting against VC-funded giants. Early success brought praise and attention.
  • (13:30) “We were the underdogs… people love the hero’s journey, right? And they love cheering you on… it was the greatest ride of my life.” — Russell
• Turning Point: Turned down lucrative buyout offers to reinvest everything (~tens of millions) into building a new, better platform for customers.
• Facing the Backlash: On relaunch, technical issues arose, and former partners turned competitors took potshots, often contractually paid to badmouth ClickFunnels.
  • (14:40) “We created this gift… and what happened is all of a sudden everyone was so excited: ‘Oh, the new ClickFunnels sucks.’” — Russell
• Personal Struggles: Family and personal tragedies, loss of a business partner, and public criticism created a “dark period.”
• Almost Giving Up: At his lowest, Russell confessed he almost walked away, but inspiration from Marden drove him to persist and remount a comeback.

Rebranding, Comebacks, and Forward Motion

• ClickFunnels rebranded (as Marden did after his own comeback).
• Russell relates their current phase to Marden’s in 1918–1919—“the beginning of the second, greater rise.”
  • (16:47) “I feel like I’m in 1918, maybe 1919 right now… we’re coming back and we’re swinging and we’re getting market share back, and it’s fun.” — Russell
• He draws motivation from Marden’s example, seeing it as a blueprint for facing and overcoming seemingly insurmountable setbacks as an entrepreneur.

Memorable Quotes

• On Losing Everything but Continuing:
  • “He said, ‘This failed, but I’m not a failure.’” — Russell re: Orison Swett Marden (11:26)
• On Facing Adversity:
  • “Most people… would have walked away. But instead… he mounted a battle plan… because winners win, right?” — Russell (12:10)
• On Public Perception:
  • “People love the hero story… but then people love watching a hero fail… the same people that were cheering you… want to laugh at you.” — Russell (10:15)
• On the Importance of Modeling:
  • “For me, I’m a big fan of modeling, and if I can’t find someone to model in a situation or circumstance, it’s hard to persevere sometimes through the pain. But when you find someone, you’re like, okay, that person did it. I can do it.” — Russell (17:30)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:21 — Introduction to the first issue of Success Magazine, what made it unique and rare
• 03:18 — Collecting and valuing historical issues; personal anecdotes about acquiring copies
• 05:22 — Who was Orison Swett Marden? Discovery of personal development and his initial manuscript
• 07:13 — The devastating fire and Marden’s decision to start over
• 07:45 — Publication and influence of Pushing to the Front
• 08:55 — Launch, rise, and national impact of Success Magazine
• 09:50 — The fall: Investor changes, magazine’s end, and public ridicule
• 11:00 — Marden’s reaction, personal perseverance, and writing dozens of books
• 11:48 — The comeback: Repurchasing and relaunching the magazine, achieving new heights
• 13:30 — Parallels with Russell’s own entrepreneurial journey with ClickFunnels
• 14:40 — Public criticism, betrayal by former partners, and personal hardships
• 15:52 — The decision to persevere, current rebranding, and the comeback under way
• 17:30 — Final thoughts: Why modeling stories like Marden’s matter for entrepreneurs

Additional Notes & Resources

• Russell offers to share his personal notes from the first issue, including the full Abraham Lincoln article in the episode description.
• He encourages listeners at any stage—beginning, peaking, or struggling after setbacks—to take heart from Marden’s perseverance and apply it to their own journey.

Episode Tone

Russell’s tone throughout is passionate, candid, reflective, and encouraging. He shares personal vulnerabilities and lessons in a conversational, motivating manner, turning Marden’s historical journey into a deeply relevant modern blueprint for listeners.

Recommended for:
Anyone facing adversity in business or life, entrepreneurs seeking inspiration, history buffs, and fans of personal development.