Business Success Blog

Becoming a leader in via the network marketing platform is an awesome experience because it’s all about PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION. It’s not about how big a team we can have - how many people we can personally recruit - nor is it about being the greatest salesperson out in the market. It's so much more than that! It’s a journey of personal transformation - going from caterpillar to butterfly. 

Let me expand on the caterpillar-to-butterfly illustration. You see, if a caterpillar thinks it could never fly and thinks that going into a cocoon (aka chrysalis)  to transform would be waaaay too lonely and hard, then he will never in a million years become a butterfly and soar the skies. However, if this caterpillar just follows the natural course of his life, creates a cocoon and allows the transformation to take place, it will emerge as a beautiful butterfly, as long as nobody decides to cut open the cocoon to help it out, in which case it will never, ever fly even though it has wings. The struggle to get out of the cocoon is what gives its wings the strength! In the same way, at some point in our life, we need to surrender to the “cocoon” into which God wants us to be so that He can transform us and give us wings to soar. If we allow the process to happen, God will make us stronger people as He develops us in every area of our life. 

A true inspirational leader is one who has taken the time to allow the complete transformation to take place. I know in my heart, because God has revealed this to me, that “He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it” (Phil 1:6). During the time of transformation, we simply need to allow Him to transform our mindset so our lives can then be completely transformed and we can soar the skies, inspiring other “caterpillars” that don’t think this could ever be possible, as well as those who are getting ready to go into their chrysalis and those already in it. It’s not about the team, per se, but rather about each person on the team being TRANSFORMED into an inspirational person that people no matter what team they have decided to join. You see, God will give us people to personally mentor along the way, but we don’t get to decide who these people are going to be. God is in charge of who will join us personally, and who won’t. We just have to focus on our personal transformation. Period. Nothing more, nothing less. As God transforms our mindset, we start emerging into amazing inspirational leaders that this world needs, and which God can use in the most powerful ways. He truly can do “abundantly more than we could ever ask or imagine”, as it says in Eph 3:30-21. 

Focus on your PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION - going from a caterpillar to a butterfly. Allow God to do all the transforming work in you and you will emerge as the most beautiful butterfly you can imagine. Only then will you be the best leader you could possibly be in this profession; only then can God use you in ways you can’t possibly even begin to imagine! 

Good news! You no longer have to choose between being at home with your kids as they grow up AND being an entrepreneur making a good income. Many moms have proven that over that years. The solution: a career in the network marketing profession.

1. Represent a company that you absolutely love. Don't sign up for the money - sign up because you believe that the products will make a real difference in your life and in the life of your family. 

2. Make sure the company you represent has integrity. It does not to be the latest thing out there! Make sure you research the company and know that they deliver quality products that will give you peace of mind. You don't want to be reading labels every single time you purchase something from that company, do you?

3. Sign up with their auto-ship program immediately. You will want to try out their lines of products right away to see if you are going to be with them for the long run, and if you will be able to share about them with others. What better way to do this than to sign up with their autoship program? Make sure it's one you can change every single month because, face it, our needs and desires change every single month. Am I right?

4. Get a Facebook and Instagram account and focus your posts on helping others. Don't make it about the products - it's not about selling the products but about filling a need that others have. Don't make it all about yourself either. How can a product fill someone else's need - be it physical, mental, emotional, spiritual or financial?

5. Always make it pretty, as successful mompreneur Lindsay Teague Moreno says in her book "Getting Noticed". She suggests always posting a picture with your post - no exception. Instagram makes it a "must", but Facebook makes it optional. Make sure you learn how to create great picture posts that encourage, inspire or help someone - the WordSwag app has been incredibly helpful for me, so I recommend you get that app if you don't yet have it.

This is not an all-inclusive list, but it's a great start. Remember, every journey is different. Don't worry about when you will make it to the top, just make sure you don't give yourself the option to quit - ever! God will help you stay committed, but you need to be prepared to learn daily and love to help others in a few beautified daily posts on social media. 

We tend to complicate our lives way too much. And some just think the plan is just "too simple" so they don't want to even try it. We have been raised with the industrial age mentality of going to work, working hard, and trading our time for money. How many are tired of this way of getting money, though? Most are, whether they admit it or not. Why is the catch phrase "TGIF", Thank God It's Friday, so popular? Because the work week is over. Why is "Happy Hour" so popular?/ Because it is the end of the work day and they can relax from a hard day's work. Why is everyone always excited about weekends and most of all a week or two of vacation? Because they are overstressed, overworked and just feel they need that deserved break.

 What if... with a simple business plan we can still make a good amount of money, but without trading time for money? What if we actually were passionate about what we did and took a few minutes a day to post a little video or a pictogram to social media to help people in some way? It's not being lazy... It's being wise with our time, blessing people while enjoying life, family and friends at the same time, not needing weekends or vacation time so badly.

 Network marketing uses a simple concept that has been used for hundreds of years; a concept that works. Basically it goes on the idea that we recruit and train others to do what we do. Jesus used this concept and so did Mother Theresa, which is why so many people were helped. Alone they could not have done it, but they recruited a few people and trained them, and these people did the same thing. Along came a wise business person and took that concept and realized that the best way to get the message across to thousands of people was not ad campaigns, which cost companies millions of dollars a year, but rather word of mouth promotion. So he started promoting the idea of offering the products directly to customers who love the products and rewarding them in different ways for doing so, including monthly, weekly or biweekly commission checks. 

 The idea kept improving over the years. Now, we basically realize that it's like franchising a business, but doing so virtually and in not so costly a manner. Anyone who desires to run a business and will invest a little time and money each day in building this business, without treating it with a lottery mentality, can go far.

 The financial risk is very minimal since entry cost is just on a starter kit with products that they themselves will use; the monhtlly cost is mostly on continuing to purchase these products and use them on a regular basis, including them in their lifestyle. This is why the first step on the plan is to LIVE THE LIFESTYLE. If we don't love the products, if they are not enhancing our life in some way, this company is not the one with which we should be franchising.

The second step in this plan is to RECRUIT. This doesn't mean simply getting a bunch of people on our team, but rather offer the opportunity to everyone, yet carefully selecting those who we will train to do the same thing as we are doing.... Living the lifestyle and then sharing with others, recruiting them on our team. We could also simply wait for someone to show interest and ask us what we do to see if they want to do that as well. Always finish with the question, "so, would this be something you would be interested in doing as well?" If say answer "yes" or they say "maybe", but seem very interested yet a bit fearful that they may not be able to make it work, always remind them that you will be with them every step of the way - and then keep that promise.   Always remember, though, that some may love the products but not want to do anymore than that.... just use them here and there, so respect that desire.... But those who we see are passionate about them may be people we want to move on to the final step which is to TRAIN them to do what we do. Through it all, we must do our best to  build a strong relationship with them, not just create a business patnership. 

The last step in this simple business plan is to train. Training means we help them understand the concept of network marketing... the simple business plan.... and either work with them one on one or put them in a group where we will work many of them at once. The best thing is to train people one on one to get them started (so for about a month), but then put them in a group where they can continue to learn and continue to be encouraged and supported. Afterall, we all sign up to be independent leaders, not leaders codependent on our sponsors. As long as we have an open mind, a great desire to keep learning and a realization that challenges are only stepping stones to a new level in our life, not an option to quit, then it's all good. We need to stay attentive, though, and see if someone is struggling. If they reach out to us, we must be there for them. Some prefer not to be bothered by the leader, others want to just touch base when they need extra support, others want to continue a relationship with us throughout their journey. We must be attentive to each individual style and honor their wishes, without being offended if a few of them don't want our support. We need to simply continue living the lifestyle, recruiting new people on a regular basis and forming relationships with them, and training those who are interested in sharing about the company products and opportunity with others. 

I hope this blog post has helped you understand the simple business plan that the network marketing profession offers us. The company with which we virtually franchise will take care of all paperwork (including online enrollments, though we need to assist themour new recruits/customers/team members in the process as needed) and will make sure orders are filled and shipped out. If you LOVE the products of a certain network marketing company, won't you follow the simple business plan and create a business along whatever you do on a daily basis? You can grow as slow or as quick as you wish; there is no rush to the finish line ever. This business model is intertwined with our lifestyle, which is why the three steps are: 1) Live the Lifestyle, 2) Recruit and form relationships if possible and desired by the other person, and 3) Train them to do what you do.