Napoleon Hill Had the Right Idea — Now AI Can Actually Bring It to Life

In his landmark book Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill introduced a concept he called invisible counselors: the practice of mentally assembling a group of historical figures — great thinkers, leaders, builders — and consulting them in your imagination when facing important decisions. It sounds abstract. It kind of is. But the underlying idea is powerful: what if you could think through your decisions with the most brilliant minds you admire?

For years, Rob Coldwell and TJ Hock of Rentwell took a literal stab at it.

About a decade ago, the two sat down for an owners’ meeting and printed out pictures of figures like Henry Ford and Howard Schultz. They placed them around the conference table and asked, out loud, what each person might say about the problem at hand. Their best guess. Their interpretation of how Ford might approach an operational bottleneck, or how Schultz might think about building culture. It was earnest, a little unconventional, and — as they’ll be the first to tell you — limited entirely to what they themselves could imagine those people saying.

The concept was right. The technology just wasn’t there yet.

Now It Is

At the April 2026 DIG Philly meeting, TJ shared how that same idea has been transformed by AI. Using ChatGPT with specific persona profiles set up in advance, he’s built what he now calls his Council of Mentors — a virtual board of advisors he can consult before making decisions, evaluating deals, or preparing presentations.

The mechanics are straightforward: TJ profiles the mentors he admires, gives ChatGPT the context of what he’s working on, and asks the board to respond. Howard Schultz — whose communication style and approach to people TJ deeply respects — is one of the voices on that council. Rather than guessing what Schultz might say, the AI draws on everything publicly known about how Schultz thinks, leads, and communicates, and responds through that lens.

The difference between the picture-at-the-table version and the AI version isn’t just novelty. It’s depth. A decade ago, the answer was always limited by Rob and TJ’s own mental model of what their mentors would say. Now the response reflects the actual documented thinking, interviews, books, and leadership philosophy of those figures. It’s still a simulation — but it’s a substantially richer one.

Why This Matters for Real Estate Investors

Most real estate investors don’t have a board of advisors. Some have a mentor, maybe a peer group, maybe a spouse they bounce ideas off. But the kind of structured, multi-perspective thinking that a genuine advisory board provides? That’s rare, especially for smaller operators.

The Council of Mentors concept — now supercharged by AI — makes that kind of thinking accessible. You can stress-test a deal through the lens of a tough-minded value investor. You can evaluate a hiring decision through the lens of someone known for building great culture. You can pressure-check a communication strategy by asking how a leader you respect might approach the same conversation.

None of it replaces real mentors and real relationships. But for the moments between those conversations — when you’re looking at a term sheet at 10pm and need to think clearly — having a structured, AI-powered sounding board is a genuine edge.

Rob Coldwell and TJ Hock are the owners of Rentwell Property Management. They were the featured speakers at the April meeting of DIG Philly in King of Prussia. Hear their full presentation and many more on our podcast “Living Well with Rentwell”.

Subscribe today on Apple, Spotify, and Youtube!

For more information on property management in the Villanova area, schedule a free owners’ consultation at Rentwell.com