Living Well--For A Lifetime

Pay IT Forward

2010-06-19T06:52:00.019-04:00

The Need:

Doctors Without Borders has documented the extent of the need.
Mannatech has stepped up with a solution to that need.

Note: Mannatech will co-labor with you to provide a month's supply of the highest quality nutritional supplementation available to one child for every qualifying auto order from it's associate base in North America.

What does this mean in real terms?
Currently over 50,000 orphans are being provided for and that number will quickly double as this program goes beyond North America and into Mannatech worldwide in the fall. That is just the beginning and the Give 4 REAL plan that is highlighted below, will be the mechanism to eventually care for an unlimited number of children. A staggering goal from one company and yet it can be reached by people who simply catch the vision and pass it on to 2 others. This is an incredible win/win/win for those who choose to participate.

A Sustainable Plan - Give 4 REAL

Once a person understands the incredible need that malnutrition and undernourishment represents in the lives of at least 200 million children with one child dying every 6 seconds, that person then faces three obvious choices:

1) give from funds that you have already have

2) create sustainable giving by receiving first and giving to two others

3) do nothing

The Key Understanding to the Give 4 Real plan is that each Giver must receive first. What does this mean? Several years ago I heard Robert Kiyosaki, in a video presentation, give some interesting statistics on how people tend to use the money they have available. My paraphrase of what he said is the following:

If we gave 100 people $10,000 each today, and told them to use it as they wish, and that we would come back one year later to find out what each had done. Upon doing so, statistically, we would find the following.

· 80 people would have $0 left.

· 16 would have about $10,300 to $10,500.

· 4 would have between $20,000 and $1,000,000.

Why? The results directly correlate with the arithmetic function given priority in the lives of the people of each group. The 80% focus on subtraction. The 16% focus on addition. Only the 4% focus on multiplication as a priority. How do the 4% multiply? They have a totally different strategy about their use of money than the other 96%.

Most people in all three groups know that the following are good and legitimate uses of the money they have available:

· Spending,

· Giving,

· Investing, and

· Saving

However, statistically, the strategy employed by 96% of the people is the following: People of the 80% and 16% groups spend first as a priority, and then plan to give, invest and save. With this strategy, how much is left to give, invest and save? Usually $0, or something very close to $0.

The 4% employ a very simple, but totally different strategy. People of the 4% group designate a certain percentage of their available income to give first as a priority. They next have a certain percentage that they have designated for investing and saving. They then only spend what’s left. They place “firewalls” around their giving and investing categories and don’t allow circumstances to change or invade their giving first. Why do they do this? I think that it is for the following two reasons:

1. Because they are on a mission, and deeply care about the projects, people, programs, and charities they give to.

2. Because they actually believe in the principle of sowing and reaping. These people understand and believe that money given in the present always returns into their future in multiplied form.

Having said this, you can now see why I am looking to engage people in the Give 4 Real plan who understand and are willing to commit to this principle of receiving, investing and then donating. We are asking each giver to take responsibility for maintaining in each business period his/her own automatic order and the automatic orders of the team of 2 others. The goal is that each new person will be donating themselves and that all you will do is maintain your own automatic order.

Each person needs to be willing to receive, then commit to investing in two others and then giving. Why this order? It's like when you are on an airplane and some malfunction takes place, the oxygen masks drop down and you are told to put yours on first even before your own child. Why? You can't help anyone if you are not breathing. You need to become sustainable so that the child you are caring for isn't at risk to circumstances beyond your control (loss of job, accident, etc.) and you are no longer able to help them.

This guarantees that three children will be nutritionally supported each business period. What each participant must clearly understand is that for any or each automatic order (out of the 3) that is not completed in any business period, the nutritional support for one child is not supplied that month!

You can even have your monthly auto order go to a charity of your choice or Mannarelief. In that case an additional five children would be helped through just your order.

I believe that we as givers, must understand and convey the vision to every new Giver that we are engaging in a social movement of private citizens, who feel a sense of mission and responsibility to truly make a difference in the lives of hundreds of millions of children that are at risk from undernourishment and malnutrition around the world.

Caution: Don't get overwhelmed by the numbers. Your commitment is from yourself and two others. The principle of multiplication will take care of the rest.

The Law of Multiplication

The law of multiplication is the same principle that all farmers are aware of, "SOWING AND REAPING." Exponential growth can happen in weeks, months or years. The law of multiplication is staggering when it is applied. Here is a simple example based on the Give 4 Real plan of just involving 2 others.

2 X 2 X 2 X 2 X 2 X 2 = 128

Doubling every month for six months = 128 orphans.

Doubling every month for 20 months = 2,000,000 orphans.

How many people did you personally invest in?

Is it really this simple?

YES!!!!

Give 4 Real means that you take responsibility to ensure that 3 automatic orders in each business period (yours and your 2 front line Givers) happens each month. Give 4 Fake means that you just sign up without the commitment to invest first.

If you don't have the money to invest in others, cut out coffee or some other luxury that you won't miss. Children are worth the sacrifice.

So let’s Give 4 Real, and engage others who want to Give 4 Real.

OK, I’m in. I want to Give 4 Real. So, what do I do?

Do the following 5 steps:

1. Receive your $109 in the US or $99 in Canada registration pack.

2. Invest in 2 other people giving them a Preferred Customer Product Pack and place a minimum $100 automatic monthly order the following month.
(this isn't required but the reality is when people don't commit to something, nothing happens.)

4. You take responsibility for always retaining in every BP your minimum $100 automatic order and the minimum $100 automatic orders of your team of 2 other givers. (If one drops out, you are responsible to replace that order!) In the compensation plan, when there are 6 people under you, 2 people who got 2 people (6) you will will earn a $100 commission. (The commissions grow significantly as well. That's all spelled out in the comp plan but this is about vision and not the money.)

5. Help your 2 givers identify, envision, and give to 2 other givers who each do the same above 4 steps. That is sustainability. We don't want to start what we will not finish.

This is a sustainable plan that is simple and reproducible. A farmer plants a seed knowing there will be a huge harvest. Allow me the privilege of planting a seed in your life. Thank you.

You are What You Think About

2010-06-09T18:05:00.000-04:00

The Parable of Talents

by Brian Tracy

The Parable of the Talents is the primary reason for wealth or poverty throughout history.

Reasons for Rich or Poor
Why do some people retire rich and most people retire poor? This subject has fascinated philosophers, thinkers, mystics and teachers throughout the ages. There have been many cases of hundreds or thousands, and even millions, of men and women starting with nothing and going on to become financially independent. So, naturally, people are curious to know how their successes happened and what the common rules or principles are so that they, too, can apply them and become wealthy.

Why People Become Rich
One illustration of this key principle is called the Parable of the Talents. In the Bible, it says, "To him that hath, shall more be given, and he shall have abundance. But from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken away."

Accumulation Leads to More Accumulation
What does that mean? In the modern world, we say the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The fact is, though, people who accumulate money tend to accumulate more and more. People who don't accumulate money seem to lose even that little bit of money they have. Why should this happen? The great success principle, the single idea that explains human destiny is simple. It says that you become what you think about most of the time.

Control Your Thoughts
And whatever you dwell upon grows in your reality. You create your entire world based on the things you choose to think about and how you choose to think about them.

It just so happens that wealthy, successful people fill their minds with thoughts, words, pictures and images of wealth, affluence, success, productivity and solutions to problems in the marketplace most of the time. These thoughts trigger the reticular activating cortex, the part of the brain that makes you more alert and sensitive to things that you have decided are important to you.

Activate Your Reticular Cortex
For example, if you decide to invest in a mutual fund, you will start to see news and information about mutual funds everywhere. Mentions in newspapers and magazines will jump out at you. These notices have always been there, but now you have sensitized your brain to pick them up and draw them to your attention with far greater frequency and vividness. This is the function and power of your reticular cortex.

Avoid Poverty Thinking
On the other hand, what do poor people think about most of the time? Unfortunately, poor people fill their minds with thoughts of scarcity, lack, poverty and being unable to afford things. They are always thinking and talking about how little money they have, how much things cost and how they wish things could be better financially. What they think about most of the time is how little money they have.

Think Like Wealthy People Think
Wealthy people from an early age think about how much they have, how much they want and all the different things they can do to acquire and earn the money and things they desire.

Find Out How Rich People Think
Here's a rule for you. If you want to become successful, find out what failures do and don't do it. If you want to be wealthy, find out what poor people think about, and avoid thinking in those ways. Instead, find out how wealthy people think. Find out what they read. Find out how they spend their time. Study their lives, read their stories and autobiographies, and listen to their words when they are interviewed and on tape. The more you find out what financially successful people think and talk about most of the time, and then do the same things, the more rapidly you will enjoy the same rewards.

Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do to put this parable of the talents into action:

First, make a decision today that from now on you will think and talk only about the financial success that you desire. At the same time, you will refuse to talk about or dwell upon your financial problems.

Second, instead of saying, "I can't afford it," instead, ask the question, "How can I afford it?" When you think of something that you want or need but don't have the money for at the time, the only question you ask is, "How?" How can you get it? What can you do to achieve it? What are your options? How can you get from where you are to where you want to go? This type of attitude will change your life.

A Vision for Health and Helping Others

2009-11-01T10:43:00.008-05:00

Years ago, people died of malnutrition simply because they didn’t know that fruits and vegetables contained the vital vitamins and minerals that our bodies need for good health. And even though we now understand that we need them, not everyone gets the full range of vitamins and minerals that are the building blocks for our minds and our bodies. Even those who can afford and have available the 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables that we need each day, rarely eat those quantities to ensure good health.

But this isn’t about supplying vital nutrients to those who have them available. There are literally millions of people (including widows, orphans, homeless, innercity kids, etc.) that do not have access or can afford to buy that much nutrition in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables. Is there a simple solution to this lack of equality in our world?

YES! It comes in the same way that we would supply a spaceship, concentrated supplements with all of the goodness of shopping carts filled with fruits and vegetables, packed into a bottle that fits in the palm of our hands.

Remarkably, this approach to nutrition is more cost effective than growing gardens in urban jungles nor do we have to deal with the daunting issues of freshness, quality, delivery and storage.

Caring for others and ensuring that everyone is given equal opportunity for healthy minds and bodies is a mandate that we can all take seriously. By simply learning to work together we can see this lived out on a global basis. I have no idea why the powers that be are not doing this today, but I also know that it doesn’t have to be left in the hands of anyone but us. We can make a difference!!!

HOW?

We simply need to do 2 things to make this a reality. Use the most advanced forms of food sourced supplementation available today and combine them with a sustainable means of delivering them to those in need.

WHY SUSTAINABLE?

Good intentions does not make something sustainable. How do we tell a mother with 4 young children that what we started in bringing them health is no longer available because someone has lost their job and can no longer supply the needed supplements? To bring hope and education and then not follow through seems a rather shortsighted gesture.

We need a sustainable plan. Sustainable means creating the necessary funds to ensure ongoing support without the threat of being interfered with by job losses and other priorities replacing the hope that is being provided.

This kind of guarantee of ongoing support needs to be funded through a business model and not a donation model. And this, for many, will be a significant paradigm shift. The time to learn and implement this model will take much less time than it takes to prepare, let alone, plant, weed and harvest a single garden. It simply takes a willingness to try a new approach.

There are 2 requirements that are necessary for this plan to work.

#1 – The desire to see people helped through providing good nutrition.

#2 – The understanding that this is something that needs to be sustainable.

Sustainability

There a 2 kinds of people that should be involved in the process of sustainability.

95% of these people should simply be good customers and 5% should be business people.

Good Customers: These are people that believe good nutrition is important and understand that it is as important to finish something they have started as it is to start to do a good thing. The simplest way for this to happen is by making enough money from giving this help, to ensure they never have to stop.

Business People: These are people who take this matter of caring to a more developed level. They do this as their main source of income. They look after the good customers, the distribution of the supplements, have decent computer skills and the drive to ensure the ongoing fulfillment of this vision.

Which kind of person are you?

Do you see the vision of caring for others by providing nutrition in the form of supplements?

For those that say yes to this vision, I would suggest that you start as a customer. Begin providing help today by registering as an associate in my business of Mannatech and letting me take care of the details of getting those vital supplements to those in need.

Down the road you may want to learn and do more within the business model but the secret of success in this vision is by simply starting.

My goal will be to help you become sustainable in the giving of this care. Simply help me by sharing this simple means of caring for others once and awhile with some friends that you think would want to do the same thing. I will look after the details and you can rest assured that through this simple form of teamwork that we will bring nutritional equality to those who have no one but us to help.

To our own health and the health of others.

David
Write me at mannagrant@gmail.com to get started today.

I can immediately work with anyone that can legally work in any of these countries, United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Denmark, Germany, South Africa, Austria, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.

To understand the business model and the impact that we can have go on to my next blog titled, A New Paradigm for Helping Orphans.

A New Paradigm for Helping Orphans

2009-10-31T10:17:00.000-04:00

In the book, The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell, says this, “The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behaviour crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.

That’s what I’ve been dreaming about for the past year and a half. I’m in a network marketing company that sells some really good nutritional supplements. I’ve been in the company for 2 years but didn’t understand network marketing at all when I got in.

Then one day it hit me. This thing I’m in could make a significant difference in the lives of children who simply do not get basic nutrition.

Iron deficiency, the most common form of malnutrition, affects 180 million children under age four.
684,000 child deaths worldwide could be prevented by increasing access to vitamin A and Zinc.

My company makes a great multi-vitamin/mineral that could help these children.

Based on a simple business model of exponential growth, 10 million children could receive these multivitamin/minerals in 20 weeks.

How is this done? There are only 3 steps.

STEP 1 Spend $100 a month to purchase 5 bottles of these vitamins and send them wherever they desire. (or ask me where to send them)

STEP 2 Get 2 more people to do the same thing this week.

STEP 3 Help them get their 2 people in the following week.

To keep things going each person simply needs to get 2 more people involved. Doubling the number of new people from the previous week.

This model is now reproducible through others and is like a perpetual motion machine.

You continue to spend $100 a month but don’t need to recruit anymore people. (unless you want to) You have started the ball rolling and from then are in a business leveraging other people’s time for your financial benefit. You also have the satisfaction of knowing that more children are being helped than you could have personally helped in a lifetime.

If this happened steadily for 20 weeks, 10 million children would receive their vitamins.

This model is sustainable because it is based on business rather than donations. Why is it sustainable? As soon as a person gets 2 people who get 2 people. 6 in total. The commission for the first person is $100. From then on the commissions grow exponentially.

Everyone wins, even the person just starting because they have helped 5 kids immediately.

As it sits right now, the business plan is legit, the need is real, the products work, the answer is simple. I’m simply anticipating the tipping point when people catch this idea on mass.

Is there a lot of money to be made through this model? Yes. And the more you make, the more children are helped.

Maybe you’ll take some of the profits and drill water wells or some other humanitarian endeavour. That’s completely up to you.

I'm looking forward to you joining me and being part of this dynamic tipping point.

How Do You Make Money?

2009-10-31T10:16:00.000-04:00

Do you remember being asked this question when you were a kid, "How will you make money when you grow up?" Of course not. We were generally asked, "What will you be when you grow up?" My son wanted to be a fire engine. The options were virtually unlimited. We could dream of being anything but then we grew up and realized that dreams were for kids. We needed to get practical and settle on something that would get us through life.

We learned the lesson that money really does make the world go round. And while we certainly didn't want to end up serving the next dollar, no one doubts that it is better to have it that not have it.

Somehow, I missed the lesson that there were only 4 categories for making money. I certainly never considered looking at the pros and cons of each model. And yet HOW we make money will determine many things in our lives: how we spend our time, where we live, who we hang out with, who we will help, the number of children we will have and how much education we will need. These are just a few examples that show that determining how we make money will affect our lives.

So how do people make money? Let's look at 3 different categories: employed, self-employed and business. (I won't look at investments since this model tends to come after doing ok in the other categories.) Then, let's explore what I consider to be a unique opportunity that utilizes the strengths of the above 3 categories.

1

The first and most common category is simply working for someone else. What most people don't realize is that this model requires that you give up your time and abilities in order to make someone else money. Employees are often thankful to their employers for giving them their job, while in fact it is the owner who should thank them for making him/her a profit. This model usually requires a person to be tied to a specific location and income stream. Or in the case of management positions like banking, retail or the military, to be to told where to go and how long they will live in a particular location.

The cost of education is often a significant factor when one is determining how much they will eventually make when they go to work for someone else. There is often the expectation from employers that new employees will have already invested a significant amount of time and money in their education prior to being hired. When going for a job interview there are 2 questions that will inevitably be asked, "What is your educational background and how much experience do you have?" Employers love finding people that they don't have to invest in. Never mind that it often takes 3-7 years to be able to pay off educational debt and this is only if they get a well paying job.

Equality is a big idea for workers in this model and that's why unions are often found within it. Employers tend to not like this idea at all. They would rather employees be subject to whatever they want, whenever they want it. Whether it be pouring coffee, managing a large group of people, being a minister in a church or even being a professor with a PhD at a university, everyone is simply an employee and are not free to come and go as they please.

They are also very vulnerable to changes in the economy or in the specific business that they are employed in. When I got into being a toolmaker 30 years ago, it was considered one of the best paying and secure of all the skilled trades. Today, I know a number of highly skilled tool and die makers that are now driving trucks due to advancements in technology and globalization.

The one thing that this model does not produce is the potential for financial equality between the workers and the owners or the educated and uneducated.

2

Category number 2 is the self-employed business model. Historically this was the most common model but as we moved away from an agrarian society, more people ended up working for someone else. This model makes you the master of your own destiny and you don't have to bow down to a boss. Not quite true, they often end up having to appease many bosses, their customers. This model includes jobs as diverse as a mechanic to a salesman to a farmer to a doctor and each one has this one thing in common: they are are always vulnerable to a catastrophic event such as sickness or an accident. And if a loved one needs more of their personal time, the self-employed person doesn't always have the freedom to respond to the need. Even a farmer is at the mercy of the weather while other occupations can be drastically effected by economic downturns in their particular area of expertise.

The challenge in this model is that the individual has to be more than just good at his particular skill but has to understand all aspects of making a business work. There is often a significant investment in hardware or education. The constant need to keep up with developing technologies, market trends and ongoing educational upgrades can be overwhelming at times. A mechanic friend says it this way, "I'm not sure if I own this business or if this business owns me."

3

The third category is owning a business. Essentially, all businesses are based on the simple principle of using other people's time and skill to profit the owner. This model has the potential of producing significant profits for the owner.

However, the vast majority of people never even consider this possibility. The complexities of starting a business and seeing it through to success is a mountain few people are willing to climb and even fewer climb it successfully. 4 out 5 new businesses fail within less than 5 years. There are so many facets that have to be mastered: Research and Development, understanding market share and demographics, having a great product, hiring and firing, training and development of workers, warehousing, customer service, deliveries, accounting, sales, etc. The biggest hurdle of course is the initial start up capital and ongoing capital investment.

This is why many have opted to own franchises where much of the expertise necessary has been supplied through the franchise. It's why people are willing to invest $500,000 in a Tim Horton's. The rewards can be significant but the financial risk, emotional investment and the huge amount of personal time are still significant to anyone who dares to see the view from the top of this particular mountain.

The idea of teamwork is very popular in this model because the owner knows more can be accomplished by getting his employees working together. Naturally this improves his/her profit margin. Owners have all the power and even though this isn't always the best for the business or the employees, it is the reality. He/she took the monetary risk, so therefore deserves all the benefits. The fact that their employees took a lot of risk when committing themselves to the company is never even considered when it comes to critical decision making. This model never considers the idea of equality for all.

4

But there is a fourth category that is often misunderstood because it literally takes the best of each of the above categories without being cluttered with their inherent weaknesses. I never cease to be amazed by this, the most revolutionary of all business models, network marketing.

In its simplest form it requires little (no) financial risk like that of owning a traditional business but has the potential for anyone and everyone to enjoy financial freedom. It thrives by benefiting from the work of others without making a slave of anyone. It is a little like being self-employed in that one gets to use their skills and talents for their own advancement but without taking the risk of relying solely on oneself. It also gets to optimize the tax advantages only granted to business owners, something that hourly/salary workers never have the chance of doing. If personal circumstances demand more time, this business can continue to grow without direct involvement. Equality for all is the heartbeat of this business.

The one thing it doesn't bypass is that you must be willing to do some work and have some perseverance to get the job done. But unlike other jobs it doesn't take 30 years or a significant investment to achieve financial stability and freedom. The biggest challenge is that no one can ever force you to do the work since personal autonomy is one of the pillars in this model.

All businesses require the selling of something, whether it be a product or a service. And yet one of the most misunderstood aspects of this business is that it does not require everyone to be great at sales. Virtually anyone who is willing to help 2 or 3 others pass this model on to just 2 or 3 people, can enjoy the dream of becoming financially free.

Is it really this simple?

Yes!!

Why doesn't everyone do it? Why aren't more people successful in it?

The immediate concern for most people is that this business is involved in sales. Usually there is an initial response of a tightening of facial muscles, a knot in your stomach, breaking out in a cold sweat or in my case a combination of all 3. But when you consider that we all sell stuff everyday this response should be a little surprising.

All of us, spend most of our days selling something. Some have sold their skills and services to the highest bidder. That might mean being willing to stand at a drive thru pouring coffee while taking the next customer's order. Or another person may spend an exorbitant amount of money and time to become a forensic scientist and then have to sell their skills within a very limited, niche market. You may enjoy encouraging your friends to go to a great movie that you just saw. How many of us have been involved in advertising by wearing designer clothes with the logo prominently displayed? Do you know any Mac owners who seem to always be selling the idea of owning a Mac or the "need" we all have for an Iphone? You'd think they had stocks in the company. No matter what we do, there is rarely a day that goes by that we have not sold something, either products, services or ideas. What you didn't learn in kindergarten was that it is ok to get paid once in awhile for selling something.

Generally, we have been taught since kindergarten that our role in life will be to work for someone else. Since about 95% of what we learned programmed us to do just that, is it little wonder that this is how 95% of us make money? We were taught over and over that financial security is the dream and that happens only after many years of keeping our nose to the grindstone. We simply can't imagine that doing well financially can be relatively simple, quick, and easily shared with others. We definitely were never taught to measure personal financial success by how financially free we helped others to be.

That is far different than the single owner model where success is measured by how well one person manages to control a group of people. The employee model measures success with terms like reliability, teamwork, hard work and doing what you're told. Some may even get satisfaction that they made Sam Walton and his kids billionaires but I can't say that I really understand that kind of satisfaction. Becoming financially free while helping others become financially free is never a consideration within the self-employed model since others are not even part of the equation.

The Dream of Financial Freedom

Financial freedom is not the language, let alone a goal for most people. They have only thought in terms of letting their circumstances determine the limits of their dreams. Most people have never contemplated this simple question, "What would you do with your life, if money was not a consideration?"

Safety and security is the language that is used by owners to control their many workers. And while loyalty is often talked about, as soon as things get tough for a company, the first ones to pay the price are the loyal employees.

I believe there are many people who believe we should be working together and looking out for the good of each other. They just didn't see it through the eyes of making others financially better off. The days of a community working together to build one person's barn is a thing of the past. Well, almost a thing of the past. Working with others to build a successful network marketing business is the modern day equivalent of this kind of teamwork. And just as the farmer remained fully independent after the barn was built, he always knows that working with and serving others is a very rewarding experience.

Does Network Marketing Work for the Average Person?

I know of a couple that had almost gone bankrupt at the age of 63 from a business they had owned for 30 years. Within a year in my company they were making a wonderful living and after 5 years were millionaires.

In just three weeks, a 21 year old man, with no experience in this business made $4,000, won a trip to Costa Rica and a laptop computer by understanding and applying this simple foundational principle for success: just get 2 more people involved and help them get their 2. Not only did he do well in his first month but his 2 best friends also made $3,200 and will be joining him in Costa Rica.

Freedom Really is an Attainable Goal

This cooperative business model allows you to go where you want, decide how much you want to make and choose who you work with. No longer does anyone have to be tied to a job that doesn't allow them the freedom to live where they want. And no one has to be at risk because of decisions that are out of their control. Nor do they have to fear economic uncertainty since this model works well in good times and even better in difficult times.

The secret to success in this business is very simple: have great, proprietary products that people use regularly and a great compensation plan that can be easily explained to those who have little or no training in either sales or business.

Does this mean their isn't any work involved? Of course not. The business is not complicated but it isn't magic either. No successful business owner has ever accomplished anything without a good plan, good training and the willingness to follow through with their vision.

Most people shrink their dreams to match their income, few expand their incomes to match their dreams. Since we know that many hands make the work easier, why not choose to join a team of like minded business owners that have chosen to work cooperatively together for the purpose of making each other successful?

A Simple Solution to Scurvy

2009-08-25T16:20:00.001-04:00

This is a remarkable story in that the answer is so well accepted today and yet was so disregarded throughout history.

Scurvy is an ancient disease; its principal cause is now known to be an ascorbic acid (vitamin C) deficiency, but when scurvy devastated civilizations such as Egypt, Greece, and Rome, no one suspected that the deadly "plague" was caused by a diet of inadequate nutrients.

Scurvy influenced the course of history, especially the destiny of nations who depended upon military might. Because rations during military campaigns and long ocean voyages seldom contained adequate amounts of vitamin C, armies and navies were devastated by as much as 50 percent. Between 1556 and 1857, for example, more than 100 scurvy epidemics spread through Europe.

The first clue to the treatment of the disease occurred during Jacques Cartier's arrival in Newfoundland in 1536. The French explorer was advised by the native Indians to give his men, who were dying from an epidemic, a potion made from spruce tree needles. The foliage, rich in vitamin C, cured most members of Cartier's crew.

Although numerous indications began to appear that linked scurvy with diet, this knowledge had to be rediscovered many times until the nineteenth century.

In 1742, the British naval commander James Lind begged the British Navy to institute a program for making citrus foods available on all voyages. In a book he wrote after an especially long journey with many fatalities, he described miracle cures encountered with the use of lemon juice. Lind was practically ignored for his advice. But 62 years later, the British Navy did adopt the procedure when Captain Cook succeeded in avoiding scurvy altogether by giving his sailors lime juice on three successive voyages (between 1768 and 1779). No one knew why citrus juice had so miraculous an effect.

The history of scurvy research leading to the discovery of vitamin C actually began in 1907, when two German scientists realized that the guinea pig was also susceptible to the disease.

In 1497, Vasco de Gama, seeking to find a passage to the East Indies through the Cape of Good Hope, lost 100 of his 160-man crew to scurvy. A few years later, in 1519, Magellan started out to circumnavigate the globe. His fleet consisted of five ships. When he returned three years later, only one ship, with 18 sailors of the original crew, returned to Spain.

Historical evidence in the naval logs of the eighteenth-century voyages recounts the horrors of scurvy. By then, the disease was no mystery for many ship masters. Others, under the influence of the bureaucracy of their time, gave no attention to the value of stocking fresh vegetables, fruit, or sauerkraut for long journeys. Others stopped at various islands for restocking of supplies. Captain Cook, of the British Navy (1772-1775), was especially diligent in providing supplies of known foods that could prevent scurvy. He was eventually presented with the Copley Medal of the Royal Society for his success in bringing back as many sailors as departed.

Armies didn't fare any better. During the late sixteenth-century and into the the eighteenth-century, epidemics of scurvy broke out among Prussian armies, Russians at war between the Russians and the Turks, the English troops at Quebec in 1959, and French soldiers attempting to cross the Alps in 1795.

How has vitamin C changed history? There are many challenging probabilities. The lemons-oranges-sauerkraut regimen instituted by James Lind before he retired in 1748 may have proved to be the "secret weapon" against Napoleon. It might have assisted Lord Nelson to break the power of Napoleon because the English Navy was able to blockade the coast of France without the necessity of constant refueling for fresh food to maintain the health of its crews.

The history of scurvy is not unlike the tragedy of our time in which many in the medical profession and administrators in public institutions ridicule the idea that nutritious food and vitamin-mineral supplements can save million of lives.

More Than Enough

2009-06-19T06:47:00.004-04:00

MORE THAN ENOUGH

(helping those that cannot help themselves)

I had a nice chat with a friend yesterday. We ended up talking about a vision I have of bringing nutritional supplements to ALL of the neglected children of the world.

Did you know that iron deficiency, the most common form of malnutrition, affects 180 million children under age four and that 684,000 child deaths worldwide could be prevented by increasing access to vitamin A and Zinc?

Through a little bottle of children’s multivitamins/minerals, we can supply the missing nutritional building blocks for children. As it stands right now, the need is outpacing the supply and children needlessly die. The plan I showed him not only supplied the vitamins but because it comes through a business model, everyone involved can help at literally no financial cost to themselves.

The goal is sustainability and that's why a business model is the best way to ensure that no child misses out.

THE NEED NO LONGER OVERWHELMS THOSE WHO CATCH THIS VISION.

This plan is simple and doable. Money is not a factor. The VISION to join with a few others is all that it will take to bring some of the missing nutrients to children who cannot help themselves.

Together we CAN make a difference!

What Kind of Winner are You?

2009-05-03T00:41:00.001-04:00

For most of us, the word “winning”, is a very simple concept. You create a goal, and when you achieve it, you’ve won.

Well, there’s actually much more to it then that, because your subconscious mind has it’s own definition for “winning”, and whether you like it or not, you and your entire life are run by this little bugger.

If your subconscious doesn’t want you to “win” when it comes to wealth and money, you’re not going to. Period.

By definition, your subconscious thoughts and its agenda for your life are hidden from you, unless you’ve trained yourself to communicate with it.

If you don’t know what its definition of “winning” is for you right now, how can you ever move forward? And that’s the point on this article… We’re going to find out what “winning” means to your subconscious right now…

There are 5 ways for you to win...

1: You win when you’re comfortable.

This person’s primary goal is to just go through life as comfortably as possible. They don’t want stress. They don’t want to be pushed or challenged. They don’t like conflict. The just want to go through life on cruise control, hanging out with their friends, and having a good time.

Everything they do is designed to support their pursuit of comfort.

This is your average, life-long employee who’s more than happy to have a safe, stable, comfortable job.

If you push this person away from that goal, and challenge them or their routine lifestyle, watch out.

2: You win by being liked.

This person’s primary goal in life is to be liked by others. They want acceptance from everyone, and will do just about anything to reach that goal. They’d rather be liked, than be right or wrong.

When you put someone like this in a leadership role, the business will usually fail because they won’t be willing to make hard decisions that would anger someone. They would try to please everyone all the time because their ultimate motivation is to be liked by others.

3: You win by being right.

This person is usually an expert in a specific field like a professor, lawyer, or a wife. (Just kidding ladies! ?). People who win by being right, don’t accept criticism and aren’t open to new ideas.

They tend to reach a glass ceiling when it comes to money, their career, and relationships, because they can’t accept their short-comings in order to move past them and achieve personal growth. Arguing with this person never works because they’ll always find a way to prove you wrong, even if it means sabotaging their relationship with you in the process.

In order to win, this person must be right.

4: You win by winning.

This person is an achiever. Their primary motivation is to win. They are very competitive, and will do whatever it takes to win. They won’t quit, and they’ll constantly push themselves to gain the edge they need.

This category describes all successful entrepreneurs and athletes. Winning is their reward, and on the dark side, some of them will go too far and compromise their integrity in order to do so. Key Lay of Enron is a great example.

This type of person doesn’t care if others don’t like them, and they welcome discomfort because it provides them with new opportunities to win.

5: You win by losing.

This person wins by being a victim. They want sympathy from others or their spouse. Just when things start to get better, they will sabotage themselves, and say, “I knew it wouldn’t work”, giving them their victory once again.

There lives are always filled with problems because they don’t win unless they lose, so they create circumstances and excuses that help them fulfill that destiny like, “Your book won’t teach me anything new. I don’t have the money. This is just another scam. I’ll give it a try…”

So, where do you see yourself?

Now if you’re like me when I was exposed to this, you’re taking a long hard look at your life right now.

There are people who are not wealthy because they want to be comfortable. There are people who are not healthy because they want to be comfortable. There are people who are stuck in the same job without a promotion for 10 years because they want to be liked. There are people who are addicted to struggle because they win by losing.

And most likely, you see a little of yourself in each of these categories.
I know I do, but what’s important to remember, is that winning is a continuous process that is brought to an end once you’ve won, which is an event.

As soon as you’ve “won”, the process starts all over again. This is why you tend to feel lost or unfulfilled after you achieve a goal.

So what kind of goals are you putting in front of you? What kind of winner are you?

(adapted from an article by Mike Dillard)

Osolean - Lose Fat Build Muscle

2009-04-04T09:19:00.012-04:00

Are you looking for a revolutionary way to lose fat and keep lean muscle? OsoLean is the new and advanced protein powder that will help you do it! OsoLean (company site) powder isn’t like all the other weight loss powder blends you’ve tried.

OsoLean™ Powder Is Much More than Whey Protein

Containing an advanced protein technology, OsoLean powder uses a patented process in which specific parts of whey protein, called peptides, are separated and concentrated to help ensure optimal fat loss. These peptides are blended with calcium-rich minerals from whey.

OsoLean powder contains a specially formulated whey protein blend and calcium from milk—both of which have been shown in a clinical study to promote fat loss while sparing lean muscle.

This is exactly what you want to do to get that toned, lean look. Sometimes muscle is lost during a weight loss program - that’s not attractive and it’s not healthy. You want to keep all of the muscle and lose the fat. That’s what OsoLean does. It’s not about how many pounds you lose - it’s about how much fat you lose and how much lean muscle you keep.

You mix the powder with a drink - juice, milk, coffee, meal replacement drinks or water, or food twice a day. If you drink it, you should use it 20 minutes before your morning and evening meals. (20 minutes before is simply to help you control portion size at your meal. If this isn't a problem, you can take it anytime.) If you prefer, you can sprinkle the OsoLean powder directly onto your food. Its flavor is very mild and won’t conflict with your food.

Probably the most outstanding thing about OsoLean is that it truly targets fat and leaves the lean muscle intact. This is because the peptides, which are separated from the whey, are free to work in the way they work best, and they are also concentrated in a high level for optimal efficiency.

As you lose the fat, but keep the muscle, your metabolism will increase. This is an obvious benefit because as your metabolism increases, your body will burn fat and calories more efficiently and quickly.

OsoLean also is instrumental in telling your brain that your body is satisfied with less food. When you take OsoLean before your meal, or even with it, you will have a feeling of being full faster - leading you to eat less. So, besides attacking fat, it’s also helping to curb your appetite.

Over a short amount of time, you’ll notice that you’re shedding fat and your clothes are getting loose - a sure sign that OsoLean is working. With moderate exercise, you will be ensuring better health, and delivering another blow to fat while building muscle. The result is going to be a leaner healthier body that is more resistant to many types of disease including heart disease, diabetes and some cancers, and looks great.

Another unexpected, but welcome effect that OsoLean has is that it can give you added energy, help you sleep better and generally feel better. And these effects spill over into the rest of your life. Research has shown that people who get good nights sleep are generally healthier and leaner with increased energy.

OsoLean is truly revolutionary and it can help anyone lose fat and become not only leaner, but also more energetic and healthier. When you consider the health threats that accompany having too much fat on the body, OsoLean makes sense. When you consider how nice it is to fit into clothes that are a couple of sizes smaller, OsoLean is the only smart choice.

Now there is a revolutionary product that targets fat loss and preserves lean muscle putting an end to the yoyo dieting cycle!

This is also a very effective, no nonsense product through which to build a business. Many people are interested in losing fat or maintaining muscle. With the company's six month money back guarantee, they get to try a revolutionary, natural product, risk free. It's also easy to get a few others to join them and voila you are building a business by simply getting a few friends who are willing to give it a try.

Let's see: lose fat, help my friends, make money. What have you got to lose? (Business Opportunity)

Glyconutrients

2009-04-04T07:54:00.003-04:00

A new science worth looking into.

Network Marketing--It's an Asset, Not a Job

2009-03-28T05:21:00.003-04:00

An excerpt from the book, The Business School for People Who Like Helping People, by Robert T. Kiyosaki, with Sharon Lechter, CPA, authors of Rich Dad, Poor Dad."

I am sometimes asked, "Why do so few people make it to the top of their network marketing system?"

The truth is, the top of the network marketing system is open to everyone-unlike traditional corporate systems, which allow only one person to reach the top of the company. The reason most people do not reach the top is simply because they quit too soon. So why would someone quit short of the top?

Most people join only to make money. If they don't make money in the first few months or years, they become discouraged and quit (and then often bad-mouth the industry!). Others quit and go looking for a company with a better compensation plan. But joining to make a few quick dollars is not the reason to get into the business.

The Two Essential Reasons to Join a Network Marketing Business

Reason number one is to help yourself. Reason number two is to help others. If you join for only one of these two reasons, then the system will not work for you.

Reason number one, means that you come to the business primarily to change quadrants-to change from the E (Employee) or the S (Self-employed) quadrant to the B (Business owner) or I (Investor) quadrant.

This change is normally very difficult for most people-because of money. The true E or S quadrant person will not work unless it is for money. This is also what causes people to not reach the top of the network marketing system: they want money more than they want to change quadrants.

A B quadrant or I quadrant person will also work for money, but in a different way. The B quadrant person works to build or create an asset-in this case, a business system. The I quadrant person invests in the asset or the system.

The beauty of most network marketing systems is that you do not really make much money unless you help others leave the E and S quadrants and succeed in the B and I quadrants. If you focus on helping others make this shift, then you will be successful in the business.

As a B or an I, sometimes you don't get paid for years; this, a true E quadrant or S quadrant person will not do. It's not part of their core values. Risk and delayed gratification disturb them emotionally.

Delayed Gratification and Emotional Intelligence

One of the beauties of network marketing is that it focuses on developing your emotional intelligence as well as your business skills.

Emotional intelligence is an entirely different matter from academic intelligence. In general, someone with high emotional intelligence will often do better than someone with high academic intelligence but low emotional intelligence. That explains, in part, why some people do well in school but not so well in the real world.

The ability to delay gratification is a sign of higher emotional intelligence. In a recent study of emotional intelligence, it was found that people who could delay gratification often led more successful lives than those who could not.

This is why the educational system inherent in a good network marketing opportunity is so important. It's the emotional education or emotional intelligence aspect of their programs that I find so valuable for people.

Many people write me and tell me they loved my book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad, but I fear that many of them don't get the most important point of the book: Lesson #1, "The rich don't work for money."

Once I have built or bought an asset, that asset works hard to make money for me. But I will not work for money-I will work only to build or buy assets. Those assets make me richer and richer, while I work less and less. That is what the rich do. The poor and middle class work hard for money, and then buy liabilities instead of investing in assets.

What Kind of Asset is a Network Marketing Business?

Remember, there are two reasons required to be successful in network marketing: to help yourself, and to help others. Reason number one means helping yourself get to the B side of the quadrant. What about reason number two

The beauty of most network marketing systems is that you don't really make much money unless you help others leave the E and S
quadrants and succeed in the B and I quadrants. If you focus on helping others make this shift, then you will be successful in the business

If you only want to teach yourself to be a B quadrant and I quadrant person, then a true network marketing system won't work for you. You may as well go to a traditional business school, which focuses only on your becoming a B quadrant person.

The beauty of a network marketing business is that your goal is to create assets, which are other B's working under you-and their job is to create other B's working under them. In traditional business, the focus is for the B to have only E's and S's working for them.

The type of business I was taught to build is a business with me at the top and E's and S's at the base. I really don't have room at the top for many other B's, which is why in my businesses, I strongly recommend that all my employees look into network marketing as their own part-time businesses.

The traditional corporate system really is a pyramid, because there are a few B's and I's near the top, and more E's and S's at the base. A network marketing system is a reverse pyramid: its primary focus is to bring up more and more B's to the top.

One type of pyramid, the traditional type, has its base on the ground; the other type has its base in the air. It's a pyramid that pulls you up instead of pushing you down. A network marketing business gives everyone access to what used to be the domain only of the rich.

Rich Dad-Poor Dad Cashflow Quadrant

2009-03-25T10:40:00.005-04:00

Why would you want to be in business?

Robert explains the cashflow quadrants. Many people struggling with finances have a difficult time moving to the right side of the quadrant. The biggest roadblock isn't technical skills or opportunity. The biggest battle is with ourselves and making the emotional shift from desiring security to living financially free.

How Do You Make Money?

2009-03-15T07:55:00.016-04:00

The first and most common category is simply working for someone else. What most people don't realize is that this model requires that you give up your time and abilities in order to make someone else money. Employees are often thankful to their employers for giving them their job, while in fact it is the owner who should thank them for making him/her a profit. This model usually requires a person to be tied to a specific location and income stream. Or in the case of management positions like banking, retail or the military, to be to told where to go and how long they will live in a particular location.

The cost of education is often a significant factor when one is determining how much they will eventually make when they go to work for someone else. There is often the expectation from employers that new employees will have already invested a significant amount of time and money in their education prior to being hired. When going for a job interview there are 2 questions that will inevitably be asked, "What is your educational background and how much experience do you have?" Employers love finding people that they don't have to invest in. Never mind that it often takes 3-7 years to be able to pay off educational debt and this is only if they get a well paying job.

Equality is a big idea for workers in this model and that's why unions are often found within it. Employers tend to not like this idea at all. They would rather employees be subject to whatever they want, whenever they want it. Whether it be pouring coffee, managing a large group of people, being a minister in a church or even being a professor with a PhD at a university, everyone is simply an employee and are not free to come and go as they please.

They are also very vulnerable to changes in the economy or in the specific business that they are employed in. When I got into being a toolmaker 30 years ago, it was considered one of the best paying and secure of all the skilled trades. Today, I know a number of highly skilled tool and die makers that are now driving trucks due to advancements in technology and globalization.

The one thing that this model does not produce is the potential for financial equality between the workers and the owners or the educated and uneducated.

Category number 2 is the self-employed business model. Historically this was the most common model but as we moved away from an agrarian society, more people ended up working for someone else. This model makes you the master of your own destiny and you don't have to bow down to a boss. Not quite true, they often end up having to appease many bosses, their customers. This model includes jobs as diverse as a mechanic to a salesman to a farmer to a doctor and each one has this one thing in common: they are are always vulnerable to a catastrophic event such as sickness or an accident. And if a loved one needs more of their personal time, the self-employed person doesn't always have the freedom to respond to the need. Even a farmer is at the mercy of the weather while other occupations can be drastically effected by economic downturns in their particular area of expertise.

The challenge in this model is that the individual has to be more than just good at his particular skill but has to understand all aspects of making a business work. There is often a significant investment in hardware or education. The constant need to keep up with developing technologies, market trends and ongoing educational upgrades can be overwhelming at times. A mechanic friend says it this way, "I'm not sure if I own this business or if this business owns me."

The third category is owning a business. Essentially, all businesses are based on the simple principle of using other people's time and skill to profit the owner. This model has the potential of producing significant profits for the owner.

However, the vast majority of people never even consider this possibility. The complexities of starting a business and seeing it through to success is a mountain few people are willing to climb and even fewer climb it successfully. 4 out 5 new businesses fail within less than 5 years. There are so many facets that have to be mastered: Research and Development, understanding market share and demographics, having a great product, hiring and firing, training and development of workers, warehousing, customer service, deliveries, accounting, sales, etc. The biggest hurdle of course is the initial start up capital and ongoing capital investment.

This is why many have opted to own franchises where much of the expertise necessary has been supplied through the franchise. It's why people are willing to invest $500,000 in a Tim Horton's. The rewards can be significant but the financial risk, emotional investment and the huge amount of personal time are still significant to anyone who dares to see the view from the top of this particular mountain.

The idea of teamwork is very popular in this model because the owner knows more can be accomplished by getting his employees working together. Naturally this improves his/her profit margin. Owners have all the power and even though this isn't always the best for the business or the employees, it is the reality. He/she took the monetary risk, so therefore deserves all the benefits. The fact that their employees took a lot of risk when committing themselves to the company is never even considered when it comes to critical decision making. This model never considers the idea of equality for all.

But there is a fourth category that is often misunderstood because it literally takes the best of each of the above categories without being cluttered with their inherent weaknesses. I never cease to be amazed by this, the most revolutionary of all business models, network marketing.

In its simplest form it requires little (no) financial risk like that of owning a traditional business but has the potential for anyone and everyone to enjoy financial freedom. It thrives by benefiting from the work of others without making a slave of anyone. It is a little like being self-employed in that one gets to use their skills and talents for their own advancement but without taking the risk of relying solely on oneself. It also gets to optimize the tax advantages only granted to business owners, something that hourly/salary workers never have the chance of doing. If personal circumstances demand more time, this business can continue to grow without direct involvement. Equality for all is the heartbeat of this business.

The one thing it doesn't bypass is that you must be willing to do some work and have some perseverance to get the job done. But unlike other jobs it doesn't take 30 years or a significant investment to achieve financial stability and freedom. The biggest challenge is that no one can ever force you to do the work since personal autonomy is one of the pillars in this model.

All businesses require the selling of something, whether it be a product or a service. And yet one of the most misunderstood aspects of this business is that it does not require everyone to be great at sales. Virtually anyone who is willing to help 2 or 3 others pass this model on to just 2 or 3 people, can enjoy the dream of becoming financially free.

Is it really this simple?

Yes!!

Why doesn't everyone do it? Why aren't more people successful in it?

The immediate concern for most people is that this business is involved in sales. Usually there is an initial response of a tightening of facial muscles, a knot in your stomach, breaking out in a cold sweat or in my case a combination of all 3. But when you consider that we all sell stuff everyday this response should be a little surprising.

All of us, spend most of our days selling something. Some have sold their skills and services to the highest bidder. That might mean being willing to stand at a drive thru pouring coffee while taking the next customer's order. Or another person may spend an exorbitant amount of money and time to become a forensic scientist and then have to sell their skills within a very limited, niche market. You may enjoy encouraging your friends to go to a great movie that you just saw. How many of us have been involved in advertising by wearing designer clothes with the logo prominently displayed? Do you know any Mac owners who seem to always be selling the idea of owning a Mac or the "need" we all have for an Iphone? You'd think they had stocks in the company. No matter what we do, there is rarely a day that goes by that we have not sold something, either products, services or ideas. What you didn't learn in kindergarten was that it is ok to get paid once in awhile for selling something.

Generally, we have been taught since kindergarten that our role in life will be to work for someone else. Since about 95% of what we learned programmed us to do just that, is it little wonder that this is how 95% of us make money? We were taught over and over that financial security is the dream and that happens only after many years of keeping our nose to the grindstone. We simply can't imagine that doing well financially can be relatively simple, quick, and easily shared with others. We definitely were never taught to measure personal financial success by how financially free we helped others to be.

That is far different than the single owner model where success is measured by how well one person manages to control a group of people. The employee model measures success with terms like reliability, teamwork, hard work and doing what you're told. Some may even get satisfaction that they made Sam Walton and his kids billionaires but I can't say that I really understand that kind of satisfaction. Becoming financially free while helping others become financially free is never a consideration within the self-employed model since others are not even part of the equation.

The Dream of Financial Freedom

Financial freedom is not the language, let alone a goal for most people. They have only thought in terms of letting their circumstances determine the limits of their dreams. Most people have never contemplated this simple question, "What would you do with your life, if money was not a consideration?"

Safety and security is the language that is used by owners to control their many workers. And while loyalty is often talked about, as soon as things get tough for a company, the first ones to pay the price are the loyal employees.

I believe there are many people who believe we should be working together and looking out for the good of each other. They just didn't see it through the eyes of making others financially better off. The days of a community working together to build one person's barn is a thing of the past. Well, almost a thing of the past. Working with others to build a successful network marketing business is the modern day equivalent of this kind of teamwork. And just as the farmer remained fully independent after the barn was built, he always knows that working with and serving others is a very rewarding experience.

Does Network Marketing Work for the Average Person?

I know of a couple that had almost gone bankrupt at the age of 63 from a business they had owned for 30 years. Within a year in my company they were making a wonderful living and after 5 years were millionaires.

In just three weeks, a 21 year old man, with no experience in this business made $4,000, won a trip to Costa Rica and a laptop computer by understanding and applying this simple foundational principle for success: just get 2 more people involved and help them get their 2. Not only did he do well in his first month but his 2 best friends also made $3,200 and will be joining him in Costa Rica.

Freedom Really is an Attainable Goal

This cooperative business model allows you to go where you want, decide how much you want to make and choose who you work with. No longer does anyone have to be tied to a job that doesn't allow them the freedom to live where they want. And no one has to be at risk because of decisions that are out of their control. Nor do they have to fear economic uncertainty since this model works well in good times and even better in difficult times.

The secret to success in this business is very simple: have great, proprietary products that people use regularly and a great compensation plan that can be easily explained to those who have little or no training in either sales or business.

Does this mean their isn't any work involved? Of course not. The business is not complicated but it isn't magic either. No successful business owner has ever accomplished anything without a good plan, good training and the willingness to follow through with their vision.

Most people shrink their dreams to match their income, few expand their incomes to match their dreams. Since we know that many hands make the work easier, why not choose to join a team of like minded business owners that have chosen to work cooperatively together for the purpose of making each other successful?

Teach Someone To Fish

2009-01-11T14:05:00.003-05:00

This is an old saying that is so well known that most people know the beginning, “If you give someone a fish, you will need to give them a fish tomorrow…

Teaching someone to fish is an incredibly wise saying. Our role in life shouldn’t be to get others to become dependent on us. If I give $5 to a beggar, he/she will still be a beggar tomorrow. That may appease my conscience but it only confirms to the beggar what they already think about themselves.

But have you ever taught someone to fish? Have you ever personally put someone in a plan that actually changed their circumstances? I’m not talking about quoting a saying or telling them to look for a job or telling them to go back to school. If so, I’d love to hear what you did.

I know of one couple that lives on about $30,000 a year, has 7 children and is putting a student through university in another country. They have no desire to make someone a beggar but they are providing real possibilities for a future for that one person.

My guess is that most people are not personally making someone else’s financial future better. They may provide short term relief but teaching someone to fish still eludes most people, no matter how big a heart they have.

So, is a well-known saying, filled with wisdom, a valuable saying if it's not practiced? Or is it just nice sounding words that make us feel good because we can quote them.

With the economic situation being what it is, what answers do you have for people who are losing jobs in the housing industry, retail sales, automotive industry, investment industry, and all of the negative spin offs that will come from these major job sources losing ground?

What do you say to those people who have lost much of their investment savings that they were counting on for retirement? They might not even be able to get a job at a fast food joint slinging fries as more people will be competing for these types of jobs.

What do you say to the large number of people who are now competing for the same decreasing number of jobs? “I’ll teach you to fish. Oh, by the way, there are no fish to be caught.” Will you tell them to go back to school, creating a debt in excess of $50,000, for a job that 100’s of other people are trying to get by going back to school, as well?

Do I have an answer on how to teach someone to fish?

YES!!!

One of the few bright spots in this economy is in the area of direct sales, specifically network marketing. This is a virtually recession proof business model. Does everyone have to be great at sales to enjoy the benefits of being part of a great business plan? NO!

That’s the genius and the possibility that is available to everyone. They just have to be part of the team.

In my company the requirement to make money is to simply spend about $100 per month on nutritional supplements. NOTE: My company also makes the initial $100 per month in nutritional supplements risk free because they have a 6 month money back guarantee.

How many people need to join you in order for you to break even? 6

How long would it take for someone to make their first $100+ dollars? If they register 2 people and they register 2 people (6 in total) in the same month, the first person would make $100 + $40 ($20 per registration). Their 2 people would have also made $40 each.

If they simply committed to this business plan for 6 months, their maximum financial exposure would be about $600. To put that in perspective, a 4 month term at a community college costs about $1,500 and until the program is completed, 2-3 years later, these students don’t even have a chance to compete with the thousands of other graduates looking for the same jobs.

In 5 months, by simply registering two others, who register 2 others, who register 2 others, who register 2 others, who register 2 others, what is your potential monthly income? Approximately $400 - $500 per month.

1st month = 2 new people
2nd month = 4 new people + 2
3rd month = 8 new people + 6
4th month = 16 new people + 14
5th month = 32 new people + 30
(60 people spending $100 per month)

At the same time 10 other people would be making in excess of $100 per month. How many people did you personally get involved to accomplish this?

The SIMPLICITY of this plan is why it is so filled with possibilities and why virtually anyone can succeed at it.

When this pattern is repeated into the 6th month, you could be making between $800 - $1,000 per month. The 2 people that you personally signed up could be making between $400-$500 month.

You have taught them to fish.

There’s significantly more dollars to be made in this business model but getting people to the point of covering their rent is not a bad beginning.

Can this process go faster? Of course, no one is limited to registering just 2 people.

Do you have to know everything to get your 2 people registered? NO!

That’s the strength of joining a team. Your team will even help you to explain this plan to the 2 people that you want to help.

Everyone who registers simply needs to commit to this business model, spending $100 on high quality nutritional supplements per month for the first six months. You won’t get people to join you, if you aren’t willing to commit to something as simple as this. This is not a do as I say business.

It is a do as I’m DOING business.

DON’T FORGET: that minor commitment is risk free because of the 6 month money back guarantee.

Learning to fish would probably take longer than this.

Teaching someone to fish has never been simpler.

To learn more about this incredible business opportunity check out these 2 websites.

http://davidgrant.mtexpro.com

http://www.youtube.com/user/LiveWellNaturally

Top Ten Reasons For Network Marketing

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1. Full business in a box.
My company, Mannatech, provides all of the items listed below:

Warehouse & shipping
Customer Service Department & Training Programs
Research & Development
Accounting, Accounts Payable & Receivable.
On-line Computer technology for orders, information, and business support
Affordable start-up costs.

2. No hiring or firing

In business this is a really big deal. Some companies literally spend over $100,000 to hire one new employee not knowing whether this employee will be around next year.
Firing someone is very stressful and creates nothing but negative energy.
Takeovers, layoffs, downsizing, passed over … are a thing of the past.

3. Get paid for the work you do.

No one steals your effort and takes the credit for what you do.
The down side is that you can’t blame someone else for holding you back.

4. Not a traditional pyramid.

All companies have a pyramid model. Corporations are stuck with the pyramid of a CEO at the top, all theway down to the guy cutting the grass.
There is a lot of competition while climbing the ladder, sometimes at the expense of friendships.
Gossip and backbiting can be the main meals for those who want to advance.
The ones at the bottom of the corporate pyramid can never make more than the ones above them.
Network marketing really differs from the traditional corporate pyramid.
Success is encouraged.
There are no secret ideas to protect.
Creativity and initiative receive immediate reward. Sharing ideas is “smart business” & helps everyone.
Jealousy and tearing down another member is ridiculous – we want each other to succeed.
You can make more money than the one who is ahead of you.
Someone else’s success is your success … and your success is shared with others.
Win/Win is how you keep score.
People will believe in you and you will believe for the best in others.
You go at your speed and define success by your own desires.
You can prosper beyond your wildest dreams. There is no glass ceiling.

5. Flexibility

Choose WHEN, WHERE and WHO you work with.
Continue going to school or advancing in another career while building your company.
Want a week off? Look in the mirror and give yourself permission.

6. Tax write offs

If you are an employee (have a job) the tax system gives you little to write off. Those making $50,000+/year are likely paying 25 - 35% in government in taxes.
In Network Marketing your basic monthly product purchase is a tax write off … as is the full cost of your business start up pack. This lowers your annual taxable income and translates into an immediate 30% discount on these product costs. (Try writing off purchases from Wal-Mart!)

But that’s not all …

Part of your housing, internet, computer, car, insurances, etc. all become potential write offs against your entire income.
Do you have an office in your house or hold meetings in your living room? A portion of all housing costs (mortgage, heat, hydro, taxes, insurance, etc.) can be considered a business expense.
Restaurant meals for business meetings, vehicle expenses to get there … write them off!
Travel – include some legitimate business and it’s a sizeable write off.

7. Discrimination – NONE

70 years old? Why not! (It’s better than slinging fries.)
2 years old? No problem (with a parent’s consent). Children are no longer a financial liability, they can save for their own college fund and pay for their own designer clothes.
Poor? … Not for long!
Just out of prison? … A new beginning!
Education? … No resume required. Start immediately and learn as you build your business.
Disabilities? … We all have disabilities.
You are a valuable member of the team and fully independent at the same time.

8. Mobility

New career opportunities everywhere you go … even in another country.
If you need or want to move, your business goes with you.
Operating your business from a sailboat or an island paradise is a real option.
As long as you have the internet, you’re in business.

9. Residual income

Even when you’re not working, your pay cheque can continue to grow based on the investment that you made in the people that are in business with you.
Making money while on vacation is just way too cool.
If you get sick or in an accident your income continues.
If a loved one needs you, you can be there without sacrificing income.

10. Retire on your own terms.

You may never retire because you are having too much fun!
It is nice to know that you can gain financial freedom based not just on your own effort but by joining hands with those you have invested your time in.
Your business can be passed on to your children as an inheritance.

11. Bonus Reason -- Fun

It is just plain fun to be around people that are cheering you on.
It’s even more fun helping others succeed.
Not only will you get lots of encouragement for your business but you will make some lifetime friends.

Mannatech Videos

2008-12-12T23:04:00.000-05:00

Living Well--For A Lifetime

2008-12-11T03:26:00.000-05:00

So what's it mean to live well?

I'm going to speak about three issues.
Finances, health, passion.

Finances
Financial freedom is not a myth and it's not difficult. We just have to think differently.

Health.
Genetics is likely the key factor. But we can get the most from whatever mom and dad gave us. Proper nutrition, through diet and supplements, exercise and staying out of oncoming traffic.

Passion
This is where you get your energy. Your focus. Your reason to get out of bed. People are on the treadmill of life and never attempt anything. They call this safe. The familiar destroys dreaming. We were made for more.

Dare to dream. Even better, LIVE YOUR DREAM.