Mike Wolfe Credits American Pickers' Success To His 'Alternative Energy' At 2AM
As one of the hosts of History's reality series "American Pickers," Mike Wolfe is both an accomplished TV star and an antique-buying professional. In this capacity, he regularly purchases big-ticket antiques, like in one "American Pickers" episode where Wolfe pays $3,600 for a gas station sign. Of course, even with these sorts of purchases becoming a part of his day job, he still sometimes aspires for more. Notably, Wolfe dreams of getting his hands on some of Jimi Hendrix's clothing, and given his notability in the world of antiques, it's entirely possible that he will one day do just that.
In an interview with marketing consultant Robin Robins, Wolfe shared what he credits for his significant degree of success. "Prior to the show, I understood the importance of making it happen every day — waking up every day, and thinking in what I call my 'alternative energy,' meaning thinking in angles, looking at things in its simplest form, and grabbing onto those thoughts," he said.
Wolfe had already been his own boss for more than 25 years at the time of this interview, so his business sense is something he developed over the course of more than two decades. Now, the success of "American Pickers" is testament to the strength of his entrepreneurial spirit.
Mike Wolfe finds that he has some of his best ideas when he's trying to sleep
Amid the discussion of his business sense in his interview with Robin Robins, "American Pickers" host Mike Wolfe shared that he thinks many of his best ideas come to him in the middle of the night. Therefore, he keeps a notepad or voice recorder at his bedside in order to save them for later. "A lot of times if I fell back asleep I wouldn't remember what it was," he said. "I've actually written treatments to shows at two or three o'clock in the morning, just laying there on my iPhone, taking notes."
Ultimately, Wolfe described himself as someone who cares about details. His "alternative energy" as well as his receptiveness to recording thoughts that come to him in the middle of the night, then, are functions of this broader characteristic of his, which he credited as a big part of why he remains so successful to this day.