Who is Mel Robbins? The self-help guru who turned a five-second hack into global success

News24

24-05-2025

Self-help maven Mel Robbins overcame a financial crisis of $800 000 by creating the '5 Second Rule,' which she says helped her take control of her life and improve productivity.
She authored The 5 Second Rule, The High 5 Habit, and The Let Them Theory, with millions of copies sold worldwide despite mixed reviews for her latest book.
With 28 million followers, an award-winning podcast, and accolades like Forbes' '50 Over 50,' Robbins is a leading voice in mindset and behaviour change.
Mel Robbins is the woman behind some of the world's most highly successful self-help books and an award-winning podcast.
Her literary contributions include The 5 Second Rule (2017), The High 5 Habit (2021), and The Let Them Theory (2024). She also hosts The Mel Robbins Podcast, which earned her the prestigious 'People's Choice Award' at the 2022 Webbys.
The 56-year-old has amassed 28 million followers online and is widely regarded as one of the leading authorities in mindset, personal growth, and behaviour change.
While she currently rides the waves of her success, the New York Times best-selling author wasn't always at the top.
She candidly shared her struggles with debt 15 years ago, at age 41, revealing that she and her husband faced a daunting financial crisis of approximately $800 000 (roughly R14 million).
At the time, the pair tried but failed to launch a successful restaurant business. This financial burden brought significant stress and a feeling of powerlessness, she shared during a chat with CNN's Sara Sidner earlier this year.
'I found myself at a rock-bottom moment,' Robbins confessed.
During one of her TED talks, she also said, 'When that happens, you realise a couple of things about life. One of them is that no one is coming to save you, and as much as the situation that you're in is unfair, and you may not be responsible for where you are in your life at this moment, you will have something happen where you realise that it's your responsibility to stop bitching and to do something.'
And that's precisely what she did. Deciding that she had to take responsibility for her life, Robbins set to work, actively taking steps to reduce spending, increase her income, and create a budget to manage her finances.
And how did she do it? Using a five-second rule on herself. The turning point came one morning when she was paralysed with anxiety, knowing she needed to get out of bed to prepare her daughter for school. Robbins, who often hit the snooze button, decided in that moment to try a simple countdown: 'five, four, three, two, one' - and then she forced herself out of bed.
'I used it in my personal life for three years and didn't tell anybody. I didn't know why it worked. I was like, five, four, three, two, one. Get out of bed. Five, four, three, two, one. Go for a run. Five, four, three, two, one. Pick up the phone and network until you get a job. Five, four, three, two, one…' Robbins explained in countless TED talks and podcast shows.
Going forward, she religiously counted down five seconds before tackling her important tasks, an action that drastically improved her productivity and overall quality of life.
Soon afterwards, this became the foundation for her highly successful book, The 5 Second Rule, reinforcing the importance of taking immediate positive action when faced with a difficult decision or difficult task.
Since its first printing, the book has sold over 200 million copies and been translated into over 30 languages.
Following its success, she wrote another best-seller, The High 5 Habit, which preaches the importance of giving yourself a pat on the back and offering yourself the same level of love and encouragement you offer loved ones.
The book has been described as 'a simple yet profound tool that changes your attitude, your mindset and your behaviour.'
Her third book, The Let Them Theory, encourages people to stop trying to control other people's behaviours/decisions and focus on their own lives. It attracted significant backlash and criticism from critics who shared concerns that the book can lead to neglecting important relationships and ignoring hurtful behaviour from others.
Some claimed that it lacked originality and was oversimplified and impractical.
Despite this, in March this year, The Mel Robbins Podcast won Best Overall Host at the iHeartRadio podcast awards and in November 2024, Apple announced that the podcast was the 7th-most shared of Apple Podcasts' programmes in the US for the year.
In 2023, Forbes named her '50 Over 50' in the Lifestyle Category.