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Now you may be asking yourself  how you learn anything about Network Marketing from training for a 5k.

Well, let me share a bit of my past experiences in both running and Network Marketing and then I think you will see the correlation.

Everytime I have ever started exercising, specifically trying to become a runner, I would get all excited, go out and just take off with no plan of execution, no education about running, and just push as hard as I could with no game plan. I would do pretty good for a week or two and then I would get injured. And eventually I would take myself out of the game because it was too painful. I would quit.

Everytime I came across a great Network Marketing company, I would get in, get all excited, go out and just take off with no plan of execution, no real education about the company or Network Marketing in general, and just push as hard as I could with no game plan. I would do pretty good following advice from my upline until I would get just one too many no`s or someone telling me it was a scam, I would get my pride and ego injured. And eventually I would take myself out of the game because it was too painful. I would quit.

See how that works?

Well, recently I made some decisions about my life in the areas of health and finances. I have decided I am sick and tired of being sick and tired of being fat and broke. And I now have found the winning formula for fitness and finances! And there is no stopping me now!

I GOT EDUCATED!

I came across this plan online called the Couch to 5k Training plan.

It is a plan that says you can go from the Couch to running a 5k in 9 weeks! I looked at it, and it seemed for the first time I had come across a training plan I could do, that would allow me to go at my pace yet still see success early which in turn would prompt me to keep going.

When I started the training, it was a little intimidating at first, heck every new week is a little intimidating because I am pushing my body just a little bit more. But when I accomplish each new hurdle, I have this increased sense of accomplishment and pride! I know this is really working and I can actually see myself running and finishing my first 5k in November! And I promise you, On the facebook page of the C25k program you will see that the majority of the people who commit to the plan even go on to running Marathons!

But  even though a bunch of people make it and the plan works, some people still get discouraged and quit.

I read how Josh Clark the Founder of C25k created the plan. And when I got done reading the article it hit me… if you applied the exact same steps to a Network Marketing company more and more people would be successful!

Well I found a Network Marketing company that fits the bill just like the C25k program did for my fitness. Cool thing is… the company is helping with both areas of fitness and finances!

Here are the lessons I learned about what makes the C25k program so successful for the people who decide to join it…

1. Eliminate pain.
   If it hurts to do it, people will give up.
2. Welcome newcomers.
   Friendly language and reasonable expectations are crucial in early experiences with a program.
3. Deliver early victories.
   If you feel like you’re kicking ass from the start, you’ll be eager to continue. Otherwise, you’ll decide that you suck, the program sucks, or both. See #1 above.
4. Make it easy and rewarding.
   We are creatures of inertia; we need carrots to get moving.
5. Not everyone wants to be a power user.
   Some people will be content to master the basics and stop there; others will want to continue to develop and explore. The program should accommodate both paths.

Thanks to Josh Clark, creator of the C25k program for those 5 steps.

So, if you take the exact same principles and apply them to Network Marketing you will have a winning formula!

1. Eliminate pain.
   If it hurts to do it, people will give up. People need to be able to come at the program from something that is easy to share and not some difficult process.
2. Welcome newcomers.
   Friendly language and reasonable expectations are crucial in early experiences with a program. The Leaders in the company have to be accessible and have to take time out to make the newbies feel included and welcomed. An atta boy from a top leader will do wonders! And if you make the company story one that is very easy to understand with an easy to understand comp plan, you will have a lot of happy distributors!
3. Deliver early victories.
   If you feel like you’re kicking ass from the start, you’ll be eager to continue. Otherwise, you’ll decide that you suck, the program sucks, or both. See #1 above. It is crucial for the upline sponsors to qualify their new people and their goals and then to help them achieve them fast.
4. Make it easy and rewarding.
   We are creatures of inertia; we need carrots to get moving. The comp plan has to get people making money in their first week!
5. Not everyone wants to be a power user.
   Some people will be content to master the basics and stop there; others will want to continue to develop and explore. The program should accommodate both paths. Actually, some people are content with a car payment, a house payment or a part time income, but some will want to max out the comp plan. You have to be okay with both types people of in your organization.

So there you have it!

That is what I learned about Network Marketing by training for the Couch to 5k program!

If you are interested in learning more about either subject just shoot me a message!

PS. My first 5k will be on Nov 6th in The FCA River Valley Run in Fort Smith Arkansas!

Live Full Out with Passion & Purpose,

So…. I have two questions for you that could literally change your life.

They are rather simple questions really, but for some people they can be as hard to answer as climbing Mount Everest.

So here they are….

This post was totally inspired by watching a video that a friend of mine posted on her facebook. I have seen this video before but for whatever reason, it really resonated with me that day.

So many things in my life are starting to take shape and the epiphanies I have been having are truly remarkable. I have asked myself these two questions and I am in the process of really getting clear on what the answers are to them.

I love this journey of self exploration.

I hope that you will really take a look at your life, your business, your health, whatever game you are up to playing and ask yourself those two questions.

I don’t know about you, but I want to be like The Nametag Guy…. so I am going deep… diggin in to see what I am made of…. anyone else want to come play?

I would love to hear what it is in  your life you are willing to have that kind of commitment to. Please share your passion with us!

Live Full Out with Passion & Purpose,

Come on in and listen close….. you just may be able to learn the #1 secret to success in MLM or anything in life you want to win at.

For years, I have been sucked up in the search for that one thing, that secret, that magic bullet that would finally give me the success I was seeking for so desperately. I am sure you can relate if you have not yet reached that level of success you know you are worthy of.

I would read every article, buy into every new opportunity under the sun, go from sponsor to sponsor thinking that the program, or the sponsor or the product was the reason for my lack of success. Hence…. I would never find that success so I would give up.

I would decide that MLM, or direct sales was not all it was cracked up to be. But I always kept coming back. Thinking this new product or this awesome sponsor would be the ONE!

Are you hearing anything in what I have been saying that you can relate to? You may have even been saying to yourself while reading this, ” I can so relate to that!” Or you may be wanting to share a similar story or experience you have had…

Well if you are…. you really aren`t listening to me.

So are you ready to listen? I mean really listen? Because I am about to share the secret with you.

If you really want to know the #1 secret to being a success in MLM or anything else in life, you have to learn to master ……

Listening

Yes, you heard me right …. listening.

I really am just now getting this concept thanks to the incredibly wonderful teaching of a master communicator and mentor John Fogg.

In fact, before we go any further in this conversation, hop over and take this listening quiz that John has to see if your listening skills could use some improvement.

Johns listening Quiz

I took it and it says that I am a pretty good listener but I could use some improvement. Boy do I know that now!

I was in a conversation the other day with my friend Edward Elliot. It wasn’t until the end of the conversation that I realized he was an excellent communicator. He is very skilled at it. So skilled in fact that he drew things out of me that I would have never shared with others. But he asked me questions, in such a manner that I instantly felt safe with him and felt like he understood me. I was like putty in his hands really. And I didn`t know why.

He shared with me after we were basically done speaking, that he had been practicing listening. And I finally got it! I for once in my life, felt the power of listening to someone., and being heard. I felt he knew exactly what I needed, and he did, only because he took the time to really listen.

One man who I really admire and love his teachings, as I mentioned before is John Fogg. He has an awesome set of videos that explain to you the importance of listening; to your life and your success in whatever it is you are doing. You can watch them free here.

John`s Six Videos

Most of us, if we were to tell the truth, should walk around with this warning…

Because for the most part, we really don’t listen to people. You may think you are, like I used to think I was. But we are too busy trying to think of what we are going to say next, or when we relate to what they are saying, we cut people off. The conversation is really all about us. We weren’t really listening.

I had learned a few skills and realized how bad of a listener I am and decided that I was going to try to listen better. While in a conversation chat on skype, someone said something that didn’t make sense to me, I was missing some information to have a clear understanding of what they said, so I asked a question. The next thing I know we are talking about some pretty deep stuff that I could have veered away from, but I kept asking questions and the more I asked the deeper we got. Needless to say, that person and I are now accountability partners, and on the way to a really amazing friendship I believe. We have so much in common it is uncanny. And I would have never known that had I not taken the time to ask questions to learn more about her and her situation.

John says, “We will listen more people into our business than we will ever talk into our business”. So all you spammy MLMers, and reps who are out there vomiting your spiel on everyone who breaths……. SHUT UP ALREADY!!!!!

If you want to be successful…. the secret is to just listen. Because then and only then can you determine if you have something of value that you can share with them that could make a difference, whether it is your opportunity, a mentoring program, a book, whatever. But until someone feels heard by you, feels safe with you, they will never do business with you.

So tell me….. what did you hear? Please share your comments… I am ready to listen…. REALLY.

How well do you listen to your customers?

Today in business you better be listening to your customers and have a pulse on what they want from you, or they will be moving on.

Case in point.

Mashable shared this article about The Loft, a clothing store who has a page on facebook. They had posted a new pair of capri pants using an Industry standard model and the “real women” protested. Read some of the remarks they made about the use of this super model.

Thanks to Mashable for this photo

Now The Loft could have ignored the rantings of the 80 or so women who reacted negatively to their ad. After all they had 55,639 fans at the time of this post. But what they did in response to these 80 women is what separates the successful business from the rest.

According to Mashable, the next day, the fashion retailer posted pictures of its own staff posing in the cargo pants. The women — drawn from different departments of LOFT’s design, styling and marketing staff — ranged from size 2 to 12, and from 5′3″ to 5′10″. Each styled the pants for a specific occasion, and explained why they liked the pants or why the pants worked well on their individual bodies.

Thanks to Mashable for this photo

BRAVO!!!!

That is what the fans on the page had to say.  This small gesture garnered overwhelming approval from the fans even though most of them agreed the pants were a huge fail.

The whole point of this post is to show businesses no matter what size the company or what you are selling, if you will interact with your customers and listen to what they have to say, you can really serve the customers what they want.

God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason! Businesses need to start using their ears more and their mouths less. Listen to what your customers are saying and deliver what they want, and you will have loyal customers for life.

This is a smashing example of how of a big company used social media to drive customer loyalty and satisfaction. Bravo to Ann Taylor and The Loft for listening to their customers and responding appropriately!

There is a man, who walks all over our town. Literally ALL OVER our town. He has no transportation. Now that in itself might not be a big deal… But… did I mention he is about half his normal height because he is hunched over due to a disability in his back and his legs are are all crippled up also.

I have watched him…. Read the rest of this entry »

What the #$%^@* is Wal Mart thinking?

I put in 7 years with this company before leaving back in 1987. I started in the Candy dept right before Halloween and worked my way up into Support Management. I met Sam Walton 3 times and he was just a good ol boy from Arkansas with a HUGE vision.

I have been having some issues with Wally world of late and thought I would pose these observations and see if anyone can shed some light onto these subjects or tell me if I am just making a mountain out of a mole hill.

So here we go….. Read the rest of this entry »

MY FIRST CONCERT

Was on Sept 8th, 1972 when I was about to turn

10 years old!

The ONLY THING IN LIFE I wanted for my birthday was to go see

Donny Osmond!!!

(I could care less about the Brothers!!!)

They were appearing at the Anaheim Stadium which was only about 15 minutes from my house in Norwalk, California.

Donny Osmond was my heart throb… There was no other man in the world for me… even though I was actually only 9 at the time!

I had him pinned up on walls, on my notebooks, I had all the teen magazines that had stories about him….. but I would only buy the ones with him on the COVER or in the centerfold!

When we got to the stadium I was so overwhelmed! I had never been to Anaheim stadium. It was huge!

There were so many grown ups. I was a little put off by all the other little girls there,

I wanted Donny all to myself !

I was there with my Mom, our next door neighbor and her son, Dale.

(I secretly had a crush on him too, but he was my back up in case Donny and I didn’t work out!)

I can`t really remember all the details of the entire experience but I do remember Dale making fun of me when I started crying when Donny sang “Go Away Little Girl”.

I remember the thunderous waves of 30,000 screaming fans… even some of the moms in the crowd! Every time Donny would sing solo, the girls would lose control! I remember crying to my mom, it wasn’t fair… I wanted to be closer to him… I didn’t want the night to end. I cried more that night than I had ever cried in my life! I cried because I was happy I was there, I cried because of the songs, I cried because I wanted to see him up close…. we were in the nosebleed section of Anaheim Stadium, but I could see him on the big screens!

For weeks after that concert I was on top of the world!

I wore out every 8 track and album I owned, and I owned them all….

I hung up even more pictures in my bedroom.

I was love sick!

UNTIL…..

Bobby Sherman came along!

That fling didn’t last very long….. I moved on to Keith Partridge, had a brief thing for Tom Jones… yes he was a much older man!

Then as I grew older, my tastes changed drastically.

I went to the California Jam 2 concert at the Ontario Motor Speedway when I was in High School. Boy was that an experience!

There were close to 300,000 people in attendance to see the likes of such awesome performers as,  Ted Nugent, Aerosmith, Santana, Dave Mason, Foreigner, Heart, Bob Welch (with special guests Stevie Nicks and Mick Fleetwood), Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush and Rubicon.

People were having sex right out in the open, smoking pot and taking acid and LSD right in public view. I remember having the most terrifying moment in my life when I had to go to the bathroom. I had to wade through this massive sea of people and at one point, I was totally sandwiched on all sides by people who seemed to be suffocating me. I couldn’t find my bearings, I couldn’t get out, it was like I was drowning in a sea of people. I was absolutely terrified… and just when I thought I was going to pass out, I popped out in a little break in the crowd that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Like a parting of the Red Sea!!!

I went through most of my teenage and adult years loving Rock & Roll, living the lifestyle. I listened to bands like Journey, Blue Oyster Cult, 38 Special, Kansas, Led Zepplin, Van Halen, Styx, Phil Collins, Rush, Aerosmith, Black Sabbath…

YES… I listened to Black Sabbath.

Please forgive me!

In 1991 I was introduced to Christian Contemporary music at… guess where…. Anaheim Stadium!

I was working at an In N Out Burger and was invited by my boss at the time to attend a thing called the Harvest Crusade. I knew it had something to do with God but I wanted to go just to be on the good side of my boss. I listened to some really good “church” music! I never knew they had that kind of music! I heard Pastor Greg Laurie speak about Jesus and how He died on the cross for me. This Pastor wasn’t like any other Pastor I had heard. He looked and sounded like a surfer! He spoke my language! I could relate. I ended up walking the aisle onto the field that night and accepting Jesus as my Savior!

In 2002 I started working for a Christian Radio Station in Fort Smith www.kzkzfm.com and I have had the privilege of driving around (being a runner) and supporting back stage, artists like Casting Crowns, Mercy Me, Third Day, Toby Mack, Chonda Pierce, Sandy Patty, Michael W Smith, Jeremy Camp, SuperChick and more. I will post some of the pictures I have taken with some of these bands in another post…. so stayed tuned!

But just to set the record straight…. I still think Donny Osmond is “one” of the hottest men around!!!!

So what was your first concert?

I want to know!!

I had an interesting conversation with a Realtor friend once about how success equals work and lots of it, especially in todays market!

We were having lunch and she was scratching her head about another agent who is thinking about coming over to her office from another. She had told my friend that she wasn’t happy making $35,ooo a year working part time. (I don’t know about you, but I would be happy with that!)

She is 56 years old and says that she doesn’t want to have to work 32 or more hours a week to earn more money… Say what???? I`m confused…..

I don’t know anywhere other than Network Marketing where a woman can go to work at 56 years of age and make 35k part time. If you try to go to a Corporate JOB you would have to be in Management or sales to earn that kind of money and you can bet it wouldn’t be part time hours either!

And then take into consideration, how many jobs are going to be OPEN for a woman of her age. I am 47 and I know the job market is slim pickings right now.

She just kept saying how she wanted to earn more money but didn’t want to work harder for it.

The only place you will ever find success before Work is in the dictionary!

I for one believe that nothing comes easy and anything worth having is worth working for! If I had everything handed to me, I would be spoiled, extremely overweight due to not having to ever exert myself, and bored to death.

I really related this whole instance to something I heard in Randy Pauschs Last Lecture. He made reference to the reason we hit Brick Walls.

He said that brick walls are there for a reason: They let us prove how badly we want things.

They will stop all of those that really don’t want it so bad, but for those of us that want whatever is on the other side, they become a strength builder.

I am excited about the fact that I have a blank canvas in front of me that I can create the job of my dreams if I want it bad enough. If I want to change my life and my future I will have to step out of my comfort zone. It will challenge me and cause me to strive to be the best I can be.

So I ask you… what do you want to do with your life? Are you willing to work for it or…..

Hit the Brick Wall…..????

or breakthough to the other side!!

See you on the other side!!!!

To your success!

Why not take the 30 Day Free Trial Approach to Goal Setting?

Have you ever set out to accomplish some goal but then you fail to take the steps necessary to make it happen? I know I  have.

If you`re like me you may have even taken the time to write your goals out but then they just got set to the side and forgotten.

I have heard that it only takes 21 days to create a habit. I have to believe that it is true. Take at look at one of the most wide spread uses of that in todays society….

The 30 Day Free Trial.

The hopes behind the advertisers logic is that you will use the product for 30 days and you will develop a habit of using it therefore keeping the product and paying full price for it.

One of the biggest challenges to following through with our goals is that we tend to look at the “BIG PICTURE” and then tell ourselves that it will be too hard or too time consuming to reach our goals, it will require long term effort.

We come from a microwavable society in that we all want it RIGHT NOW. But what we fail to realize when we keep putting off our goals is that time is going to pass anyway. So, one of two things is going to happen over time. You will have taken steps to get closer to your goals, or time will have passed and all you have is…. time passed.

If we will just take small steps each day to achieve our goals, we will eventually reach them.

I remember when I quit drinking. The thought of going the rest of my life without drinking was overwhelming. Then I realized, I only have to make it one moment at a time. So I just started staying focused on right now. Thats all we ever have anyway. THIS MOMENT.

And here I am 10 years clean and sober! One day, one moment at a time.

So, why not start your Goal Setting out by committing to set some small goals and committing to work them for 30 days.

One thing I did was to Join John Fogg`s 9- Day Challenge. I am on my 2nd 30 day cycle and have a brand new goal for this 30 days.

Here are some ideas that you could start with:

• Write a new blog entry every day.
• Give up TV for 30 days. Record your favorite shows and watch them at the end of the “trial”.
• Spend 30 minutes cleaning up and organizing your home or office every day.
• Call a  family member, friend, or business contact every day.
• Send a heartfelt note to one person every day. This could be to Thank Them, let them know you are thinking about them, invite them for coffee. ( I have a great system for this….  www.JoinTheCardCrusade.com ( I am a Proud Independent Distributor for them!) Ask me how you can send a free card on me!
• Call 3 prospects  a day.
• Give up coffee or soda.
• Learn one new word a day…… I actually did this one myself….. I will share a post on this one sometime next week. It was a lot of fun.

OK… so we have some idea of what goals we may want to set. NOW WHAT?

1. Write down your goal. There is magic in the written word when it applies to you. I recommend stating your goal in positive terms, like you already have them, such as “I am lean and physically fit”  instead of  ”I’ve got to lose weight.” And be as specific as you can be.
2. List your reasons for setting your goal. Writing it down will force you to think out in specific terms what this goal represents in your life and the meaning you believe your life will hold for you upon achieving it. This will also help with your commitment toward taking positive action.
3. If your goal is to STOP doing a particular activity, identify when the urge is the greatest and then develop a different activity to put in its place.
4. Talk to yourself. Tell yourself you’re making progress. Remind yourself that you are moving closer to your goal.. Talk to yourself throughout the day about how you are going to avoid triggers that can get you off track and make healthy substitutes.
5. Ask others for support. Explain to them why you are making this change. Only choose people you know will encourage you!
6. Be prepared for the “Dream Stealers”. These are the people who will tell you cant do it. They don’t want you to change, or achieve. Thank them for sharing and move on.
7. Get an accountability partner. In the 90 Day Challenge we have a Call Partner we talk to Monday – Friday for each 30 day cycle. It really helps to open your eyes to what steps you need to take to get your goals!

So, now that we have something to get us started, I would love to hear what goals you are willing to commit to for 30 days.

HOW DO WE STAY MOTIVATED?

1. Create mental pictures of yourself as having already succeeded with your habit change. Or you can even take a picture of you achieveing your goal. (see one of my goals below)
2. Review your list of goals and the reasons for why you want to achieve them daily.
3. Track your goals
4. Make affirmations, positive self-statements about your habit change. For example, “I am so organized that I keep my desk clean and in order at all times”.
5. Reward yourself. Know what you are going to give yourself for reaching your goal.
6. Stay accountable to someone.
7. My personal source of Motivation comes from reading the Bible and talking with God.

This is one of my long term goals…..

photo credit: Captain DJ

Swimming with Dolphins….. and a great looking guy wouldn`t be too bad either!  :)

To YOUR Success!

I came across this amazing exert from “Change is Good… You Go First”. All of us are in the people business…. We are service providers. This article brings to our attention the value of listening, doing our homework, and putting the customer or potential customer first. I hope you find value in this and I challenge you to look at your interactions with those you come in contact with and see where you might rate in the department of customer service!

(An excerpt from Change is Good…You Go First)

A few years ago, British Rail had a real fall-off in business. Looking for marketing answers, they went searching for a new ad agency – one that could deliver an ad campaign that would bring their customers back.

When the British Rail executives went to the offices of a prominent London ad agency to discuss their needs, they were met by a very rude receptionist, who insisted that they wait.

Finally, an unkempt person led them to a conference room – a dirty, scruffy room cluttered with plates of stale food. The executives were again, left to wait. A few agency people drifted in and out of the room, basically ignoring the executives who grew impatient by the minute. When the execs tried to ask what was going on, the agency people brushed them off and went about their work.

Eventually, the execs had enough. As they angrily started to get up, completely disgusted with the way they’d been treated, one of the agency people finally showed up.

“Gentlemen,” he said, “your treatment here at our Agency is not typical of how we treat our clients – in fact, we’ve gone out of our way to stage this meeting for you. We’ve behaved this way to point out to you what it’s like to be a customer of British Rail. Your real problem at British Rail isn’t your advertising, it’s your people.

We suggest you let us address your employee attitude problem before we attempt to change your advertising.”

The British Rail executives were shocked – but the agency got the account! The agency had the remarkable conviction to point out the problem because it knew exactly what needed to change.

As Yogi Berra once said…

“Before we build a better mousetrap, we need to find out if there are any mice out there.”
photo credit: didbygraham

To your success,

Ps… I do include links from time to time that if clicked on or purchased from may result in an affiliate commission to me. If that bothers you I understand, but if your going to buy the item I would really appreciate the support!