The Formula To Freedom
When I started out in network marketing my ultimate goal was to create freedom for myself and my family. Time Freedom and Financial Freedom. For most newbie network marketers, that is their ultimate goal as well. I was clear on my vision, but what I wasn’t clear about was the Formula to Achieve that Freedom.
Over time it became very apparent to me exactly how I was going to win in network marketing, by Paying it Forward. I started out with a mindset of selfishness. Everyone I talked to was a prospect. I sought people out just to pitch them my opportunity and my products. As you can imagine, I did NOT get very far. As for those that did join my business, they left just as quick when they foud out that I was not offering any training or value for them.
Once I learned the principle of ‘Paying-it Forward’, my entire business changed.
The always inspiring Kellie Hosaka discussed this topic in her recent post ‘Do You Know That Paying it Forward is Your Formula to Freedom?‘ She really broke the freedom formula down and what it takes to create a Network Marketing Team that builds themselves, so you do not have to work forever.
The idea is plain and simple. We have all heard the saying “If you give a man a fish, he will eat for a day. If you teach a man to fish, he will eat for a lifetime.” When you build your team, you can’t do all the work! Every bit of your effort has to be focused on teaching your team to fish or sponsor new team mates on their own. Then their people will teach this to their people and so on… This is the process of duplication and the magic of compounding. This magic is what allows your business to grow and flourish consistently.
If you can not ‘Pay it Forward’ to your people by teaching them the steps to do exactly what you did, then you are wasting your time. It makes no sense at all to be selfish in this business. Selfishness gets you kicked out. When we learn to give by teaching others everything we know, they will flourish and we will flourish in turn. Potential prospects will be drawn to you because of the positive light and energy to give to the world.
A True Leader is first and foremost, a teacher.
To view Kellie’s full post and watch a trailer from the inspiring movie ‘Pay it Forward’, click HERE.
Make sure to remember that your Formula to Freedom is always ‘Paying It Forward’, however you are able.
Believing in Your Success,
The Big “A” In Business…..Accountability
If you are building a business without accountability, chances are your business is not growing as rapidly as you would like. When people set out to build businesses, accountability is not something they think about as a ‘must have’ item. They think about leadership, marketing, sales and tools. Accountability never usually crosses one’s mind. It is however, one of the most CRUCIAL things to apply to your business.
Why? Because accountability is what Gets Things Done. Without it, things just don’t happen. Or at least not as quickly as they need to happen. Remember when you were a kid? Why did you make your bed in the morning? Why did you do your homework? Your chores? Someone was checking up on you and making sure that you did everything you were supposed to.
From a young age we were taught to do things because if we didn’t, we would get in some kind of trouble. We were subconsciously taught to care more about doing for others, than doing for ourselves. Which is a great lesson when applied to selfless acts of kindness, but not our daily important tasks. Now that you’re an entrepreneur and building a business, Who is checking up on you?
Here are Two Ways you MUST us Accountability as an Entrepreneur…
First, establish accountability partners for all of your work. These people can be business partners, family members,friends, prospects or who ever can or will be there to ask you if you are getting done everything you have set out to do. One word of warning however, DO NOT ask a person to hold you accountable that is either a pushover and will accept any excuses that you feed them, or a person that really doesn’t care about your work. Neither one of these people will actually help you. Instead they will be enablers. Find yourself some tough ‘NO B.S.’ individuals that care about you and will keep you on track.
This takes care of our ‘learned’ accountability habits where we need someone checking up on us to fully complete our tasks. Without a doubt, if we know someone is going to ask if our project is completed yet, we are going to work even harder to do it before they ask. No one wants to look lazy or un-dedicated.
Secondly, you MUST be accountable to yourself. Period. There is not a Single Successful entrepreneur that does not employ self accountability. There is not always going to be someone standing at the finish line making sure that you crossed and then praises you when you get there. We have to care enough about our wants, desires and goals that we Do Not allow ourselves to slack off, make excuses or be lazy.
Secondly, To be Truly Successful, we Have to Want it More than Anything Else. So much more so, that having someone else hold us accountable wouldn’t even make a difference because we are too driven and focused. This is where we have to learn how to get rid of the old thought process of doing more for others than for ourselves. This is Where we Want and Need to be Selfish. This is where we put ourselves first and simply work and work until we have achieved our goals.
The biggest piece of the puzzle here is following our passion. If you are following your passion and doing work that is aligned with your purpose and highest calling, how could you Not hold yourself accountable? You would be crazy Not to. If you are having a lot of difficulty holding yourself accountable and completing your work, maybe you need to ask yourself if you are in the right line of business. Because when you are working at your passion, there is no ‘Have to’ at all. It is a simple and natural ‘Just Do It’.
What ways are you using accountbility in your business? What ways can you incorporate accountability into your business?
Take this message to heart and apply it. This is what makes all the difference in your business when it come to day to day results.
Believing in Your Success,
Where is Your Social Media Playbook?
Everyone is talking about social media and social media marketing. For those that are just getting started and those that have been at it for awhile, one thing that many marketers are lacking is a Social Media Playbook. Do you really have a plan for your social media activity? Or are you out there implementing a few things here and there based on what you have learned?
There are a lot of people having fun and getting some results by playing around with social media marketing. But if you want to start seeing some significant results in your business, you need a solid understanding of all social media aspects and how you can use them to your advantage.
Scott Monty, the head of social media for Ford, recently shared two great tools for setting up a Social Media Strategy. First, is a Content Grid. The Content Grid is a picture plot of how one should be spreading themselves and their content across different social media and content sharing sites, in order to maximize exposure and results.
The Second Tool is a Social Media Playbook. This book will bring any social media newbie up to speed with social media game. It also offers great tips and strategies for the seasoned social media marketer. The playbook covers the popular sites like facebook and twitter, as well as how to use the less popular sites like delicious and google buzz. I have spent A LOT of time on this subject and I still picked up quite a few nuggets from the book.
Go HERE see the full post and download the FREE Social Media Playbook.
I can’t wait to see some Real Social Media Rock Stars out there!
Believing in Your Success,
How To Be A TRUE Network Marketing Leader….
When it comes to Network Marketing, one of the biggest reasons people fail in the business is because of lack of leadership. Either they don’t receive it, or they don’t know how to give it. I know that lack of support played a big part in my initial struggle in the business. I have been fortunate to come across an example of True Network Marketing Leaders. The power behind what they are doing is apparent in their results. I want to share with you what they are doing to create success…..
It is all about RELATIONSHIPS! And Not just when you are prospecting! So many people play buddy buddy while they’ve got a hot prospect on the line. As soon as they sign them up, it’s almost as if they don’t exist. It’s not about shoving your team into a system and letting the training teach them everything. It’s about creating strong, true, family relationships that last a lifetime.
If you want your people to not only stick with you, but also stay strong and motivated, then you must put the time in to support, guide and train them. It’s about showing that you care just as much about every aspect of their success, as you do your own. THAT is what builds strong teams. THAT is what creates lasting success. THAT is what TRUE LEADERS Do.
Invest All of the time you can into Your Team. The more you invest in the beginning, the bigger the pay out down the road.
Believing in Your Success,
Are You a Habitual Being?
Watching my two year old daughter, I am amazed at how much she grows each day. She’s constantly saying and doing new things. Things that I never even taught her! She pick up so quickly on every little thing I, my husband, or my older daughter does. She’s a sponge!
However, even with all of the exploration and new things, she hangs on to certain die hard elements of her routine that she definitely won’t give up for anything. She has become very comfortable and very happy with these things, it’s only logical to her that she keeps them(this is probably why we’re having such a difficult time potty training….).
This is not uncommon for a two year old or ANY human being. We are all just like her(minus the potty training issue…I hope 
). Growing up, we spent all of our time watching the people and things around us so that we could learn how to behave and interact in our world. We took all of the things that worked well and made us comfortable, and those are the things that stick with us today.
Why is it so hard to teach an old dog new tricks? Because he’s happy with the tricks he has now, why would he want to disrupt anything?
So….Are you a Habitual Being? We all are without a doubt. Whether you like to exercise every morning, always eat out at the same restaurants or procrastinate every time you have a project you feel unsure about, you are being habitual. Our habits dictate our daily life. They can easily make or break us.
What are some positive habits that you have? How do they help you in building your business? Are you using all of your positive habits toward building your business?
What are some negative habits that you have? How will they hurt you and the success of your business?
Once you can identify your strong points and your weak points you can begin to move forward and control you daily habits, instead of letting them control you. Make it a point to do things that will encourage all positive habits and find a way to re-direct your negative habits into positive ones.
Taking control of your actions and holding yourself accountable are the only things that will allow you to grow and develop into a successful person and a successful entrepreneur. Without it, you are fighting a battle with yourself that you will never win.
Be proud of the strong qualities and assets that you hold within. However, you must recognize that if you plan on getting someplace that’s different from where you are at now, you are going to have to do something different from what you are doing now.
They say that actions speak louder than words. We can say whatever we want about where we want to be, but unless we are taking action to get there, we might as well be talking nonsense. Don’t just give into learned habits, take control and use that wasted energy towards your goals and your success.
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Believing in Your Success,
Do You Want to Win the Race?
Do you ever hear someone say something that makes you stop in your tracks and think for a moment? That is exactly what happened to me yesterday.
My daughter was watching this silly cartoon on the Discovery Kids Channel called ‘Kenny the Shark’, while I was washing the kitchen floor. I wasn’t even paying attention to the TV but I could overhear some of the storyline. Kenny is a shark that wanted to leave the water and now he’s a little girl’s land walking pet shark that does everything that people do.
In this silly story Kenny wanted to enter a Dog Race with other Normal Pets. A friend of his was helping him train. While Kenny was complaining his friend said, “Do you want to win this race?” Of course Kenny replied, “Yes”. Then his friend said something that struck me, I had to stop mopping for a minute while it hit me. He said, “Then You are Going to Have to Want Nothing Else Until You Win this Race.”
That statement hit me because That is What True Success is All About. It is about focusing ONLY on the ONE THING that we want to achieve. It is easy for us to get distracted, spread out our focus and make up excuses about why we haven’t achieved what we want. But, if we continue to let ourselves get distracted and focus on more than one thing at a time, we will never see True Success. We’ll Never Win the Race.
It’s not about sprinting through The Marathon and achieving all of our desires at once. It’s about focusing on Winning one Goal and One Race at a Time. If we focus all of our energy into wanting nothing else except our one goal, There is No Stopping Us!
Look at all of the things you Want to Accomplish and are Trying to Accomplish right now. Are you spreading yourself out instead of focusing on one thing? Create a ‘List of Races’ for yourself and Commit to Winning One Race at a Time. Write them down in order so you know which race you need to win first, then next, and so forth….
This list will be great for you to see the big picture, but to also break it down so that you can ‘Want’ one thing at a time and not get yourself distracted. When it comes down to it, we have to Want it More than Anything Else before we can achieve it.
I know that I heard this message yesterday for a reason. Life is funny how it puts us in the right place at the right time to receive all of the things that we need. Be open to everything that is happening around you and the messages that life and he universe and sending you. The value in these messages is unmatched.
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Believing in Your Success,
Top 3 Ways to Boost Your Brand in Social Media
So…you’re out there making friends, establishing relationships and sharing value in social media. Now you need to establish a real presence and ‘expert’ status for your brand. Kind of an overwhelming task if you don’t know where to start. Not to worry! Here are three ways you can really take your brand to the next level.
- Partner With Bloggers: This works great whether you’re a blogger or not. Bloggers are awesome people to connect with because they have a targeted audience in their niche. Find some bloggers in your niche that have a good following and well trafficed site. If their content connects with you and your brand then get in touch with them about working together. Offer to write a guest post for their blog(this will benefit them by offering their readers something new and peaking interest) or trade blog posts if you also have a blog. You can also offer them your product for free in return for a review on their blog. And lastly, you can arrange a contest to give away your free product(give the blogger one to try/review and one to the lucky winner. This will not only give you exposure, it will create hype and traffic for the blogger.
- Follower Generated Content Contests: A follower generated content contest is when your followers win something based on contributing their own content. You could do anything from winning a prize to being featured somewhere based on article, review or video submissions. A partner/teacher of mine, Kary Rogney recently put on a Follower Generated Content Contest for a new page on his blog. He is a network marketer and asked all of his networker friends to submit 50 words or less about their company/opportunity. The best entry per opportuntiy was featured on his new page. Kary’s idea was brilliant, he created a buzz around his blog and brand through his contest and he will continue to benefit from the traffic that will come to see the list of network marketing opportunties. Be Creative with what you offer!
- Podcasting, Talk Shows and Webinars: People Love It whenever anyone gives free valuable training and advice. Furthur more, when You can be the one giving the training, You Become The Expert! You will bring your brand to a whole new level when you put on a podcast, raido talk show or webinar. There are many different ways you can present information. You can put on a classroom training, an interview with a valuable expert, current news and updates in your niche, and special exclusives. Whichever way you go, you can create a nice buzz around your presentation and show yourself as an authority in your niche.
Start planning now! How can you step out and step up? I used to wonder what I could possibly have to offer. I wondered if anyone even cared to listen. Everyone has something to share. Everyone has knowledge and their own perspective to share. Until you take that step to push yourself and get your brand out there, you will stay right where you’re at. The more creative and unique you are, the more people will love it!
What experiences do you have with stepping out to Boost Your Brand in Social Media? Any lessons learned? Please share your comments and feedback with us! If you enjoyed the post here today, share it with your friends and followers by clicking the share buttons. Give them a boost to get their brand out there too!
Believing in Your Success,
Do You Have the Freedom it Takes to Succeed?
We are all free to create the Success we Dream of, Right? That is why we are entrepreneurs and spending so much time building our businesses. But my question to you is, are you REALLY Free to Succeed? Are you open to all of the things that Success is bringing or will bring your way? Or do you feel like there is a disconnect? Something blocking you from getting to where you want to be?
I, like most others, struggled with this disconnect for a long time. It took me awhile to realize that one of the hugest differences between Successful and Unsuccessful people is the Open-ness and Freedom to accept the success that comes your way. For most, there is this fear that lies inside our subconscious mind. A fear of how Success will change our life, will we be happy with the changes? A fear that once we have the Success we desire, we will loose it because we won’t be able to sustain it? On the surface we all say,”Heck Yeah! Bring on the Success!” But is that what you are really saying inside?
The reason that our subconscious fear exists, is because of a belief system that has been ingrained in us from the time we were children. We live in a society that views true success as reserved for an elite few that were ether born into luck or struck by luck. Other than the few Cinderella Stories we hear, a dream is just a fairytale that is unattainable by the average ‘Joe’ or ‘Jane’. We are taught not to get our hopes up and be happy with the status quo(sometimes we are made to feel guilty if we want something more than that). Anyone who does step up to work hard and create their dreams, is faced with opposition and Negative Nancys looking to crush their dreams before they even get off the ground. All of this negativity causes us to feel inadequate, that we don’t have what it takes. We are unhappy with ourselves and we start to fear loosing the success before it even comes.
What every successful person has that sets them apart is their Love of Self. Not in a stuck up egotistical way, but in a self-fulfillment way. Take my daughters for example, if you ask them if they love themselves they will say,”Of Course!” That is the beauty of a child! They are happy to be themselves, doing exactly what they are doing. They know they are infinite and are capable of anything. That is what the ‘Successful Elite’ have. A true belief in themselves. Something we are all capable of as long as we make that choice.
We can choose to live in lack and fear that we will either loose everything or never achieve it. Or, we can live in abundance by believing in ourselves and knowing that our limitations are set only by our mind. We have the power to create our Freedom For Success. Our greatest ally is our self, we just have to make sure we are on our side at all times. We must change our mindset and weed out the negative talk we are constantly being fed.
It has been quite a journey for me to be able to do this, and I continue that journey each day. The way to change your mindset is through personal development. If you are beginning your personal development journey, a great place to start is by reading the book ‘Think and Grow Rich’ by Napoleon Hill and anything by Tony Robbins or Zig Ziglar(if you search any of these gentlemen’s names on YouTube you’ll also find some Awesome Videos). The personal development journey is not an easy one, you have to be open and honest about looking at what is deep within you. You might not like all that you see at first, but the purpose is to learn to love yourself a little more each day. If you are on the personal development path already, Keep on Going!
When we change our mindset to a higher more loving one, it is amazing the people and opportunities that you will attract to yourself. Learn to love yourself, and the rest falls into place. 
Please comment and share with us about your journey and anything you have found beneficial to your growth. If you enjoyed the post, be sure to re-tweet and share with others.
Believing in Your Success,
How to Get the Most Out of Your Social Media Relationships
Whether you are new to the social media game or have had a bit of experience, it’s imperative to know how to use your social media relationships to the fullest. I want to share with you my personal journey using social media online and the most valuable lesson I have learned.
Like most people, I started out thinking of social media as a way to promote my business and find new prospects. When I connected with people I did so with the mindset of, “I just want to talk to people that want my opportunity/offer.” As a result, I felt very alone. Spending hours by myself in front of the computer tired and frustrated because the ’special tactics’ I learned weren’t helping me to find people that were jumping at my offer.
When others would try to connect with me, I would react in different ways… If they were trying to sell me, I wasn’t interested because I figured they obviously didn’t want what I was offering. If they were happy in another company/opportunity I didn’t see the point in connecting or how I could benefit if we weren’t in the same business. If they were looking for a business opportunity, I was all over it. I promoted, sent tons of information, scheduled coaching calls and invited them to company calls.
This never once worked…..Close…..but it never worked. Obviously I started to get frustrated, wondering why I wasn’t finding the right people. That’s what social media is for right? Finding those that are looking for what we have to offer???…..WRONG. I totally missed the point of social media relationships. I was writing off so many incredible connections and over-stepping on those connections that I actually made.
You see, I discovered that social media marketing is different than social media relationships. We can use social media to find a targeted audience and drive them to our sites, that’s marketing. But we shouldn’t be seeking out business prospects on social sites. We might as well be a peddling salesman.
Once I realized this, my mindset totally changed and I began seeing my social media friends as, just that, friends. People that I can learn from and develop a relationship with. When I make a new connection I don’t look over their profile to see if they might want my opportunity. I now look over their profile to see what they do, what they are about and if we have some things in common. I’ll send them a message, not to promote my business, but to see how we can help each other.
By taking this approach, I have met the most amazing people who have helped me and my business in ways I never imagined. I have created friendships and business partnerships. I don’t feel alone anymore! I talk everyday with people that support me, teach me new skills and tricks, and want to partner with me on special projects. This all is regardless of what businesses we are involved in. Will every connection result in a great relationship? No, but most will. And if anyone wants to join me in business, they’ll find my sites and/or approach me after we’ve established a connection.
It doesn’t get any better than that! To really get the most out of social media relationships, you have to seek out friends just as you would in the physical world…..by being open, honest and giving value. We always hear people say “Don’t Spam in Social Media!” and “Business is all about the relationships”. I heard it all the time, but it wasn’t until my mindset shift that I really understood the value I had sitting in front of me.
Reach out to your social media friends Today. Find some individuals that you resonate with and contact them. You can start with a message, skype chat or phone call. It doesn’t matter how you reach out, as long as you reach out. See if you can do something for them and see how they might be able to help you. You will be amazed at the doors that will open…..
I’d love to hear your comments and any social media relationship advice/suggestions that you have. If you enjoyed the post please re-tweet it and share it with your following. The more people building real social media relationships, the better off we all are.
Believing in Your Success,
P.S. If you would like more training about how to use Social Media to Build Your Business,
sign up at http://socialmediamastery.internetincomecoaches.com
Eva’s Scuba Diving Expedition
My daughter Eva(6) absolutely LOVES telling stories. For some time now, she’s wanted me to share one of her stories on my blog. She loves animals too, as you will be able to tell by the story. I hope you enjoy it as much as Eva enjoyed imagining it up!
I think it’s a great reminder of how we must make sure we don’t stop imagining and dreaming. It is our dreams that keep us motivated and moving forward.
Once upon a time, on a boat by the Great Barrier Reef, Eva the scuba diver was going on an adventure. Eva began to search very far out in the Ocean. She went here and there and past lots of boats. Then came up to a huge ginormous shark. The shark made a BIG splash and it swam away. Eva kept swimming on her bravest expedition.
Next, she came up to this very friendly dolphin. The dolphin kept following her because it was searching for food. Eva said,”OK. I will find you food.” Eva got a squiggly floppy fish and give it to the dolphin. Then the dolphin swam away at last. Eva said,”FINALLY! I can go on my expedition.”
She kept swimming along. She swam and she swam and suddenly she came upon a big orca. The orca wanted to swim with Eva. She said,” Ok. Do you know the east coast of Australia?” The orca nodded his head. Then, Eva got on the orca’s back.
Eva swam with the orca and they stopped on the end of the east coast of Australia. The orca dropped her off there. Eva dove underwater and swam to a big boat. She went inside. In the boat, she saw the biggest treasure chest! It glowed in the sunlight in the water. She grabbed her biggest bag and put the treasure chest inside the bag. Then the orca picked her up and brought her back to her boat in the Great Barrier Reef. Eva sailed back home.
The End
Thanks for reading! What fun adventures would you like to go on?
