Blog Post #17 - I Don't Have Time To Build A Network Marketing Business

Alright, today I feel like sharing some thoughts related to building your business. Enjoy!

If you're a network marketer, chances are you have heard someone tell you that they don't have time to build a network marketing business. Actually, you've probably heard about eleventy billion people tell you this. This is one of the most common excuses people give as to why they don't join or why they don't build a network marketing business. Here's my response to that: Give me a break!

Either that person is saying that just to get you to leave them alone or they don't understand the concept of prioritizing. If someone truly wants something in their life they make it a priority and they achieve it. Simple as that. Let me share some staggering statistics with you about people in the U.S. and their time usage. These are all averages:

People spend 40 hours a week working.

People spend 49 hours a week sleeping.

People spend 21 hours a week doing personal care related things. (eating, showering, etc.)

There are 168 hours in a week. If you add up the numbers above you are left with 58 hours every week to prioritize and do the things that are most important to you. Here are some more statistics that shed a little bit of light on some of the things to which a lot of Americans dedicate their spare time. These too are averages:

People spend almost 5 hours a day watching tv. 

People spend about 3 hours a day surfing the internet.

People check their social media profiles about 17 times a day.

People check their cell phone about 150 times a day.

In other words, we all waste a lot of time on unimportant things.

Now, I won't deny that some people have more obligations than other people that may take up additional time. But it doesn't matter. My point is that everyone is busy and everyone has the same number of hours in a day. Everyone. Successful network marketers (or any business owners) simply prioritize their time and they make their business one of their top priorities. I run into SO many people that are sincere in saying that they really would like to build a business but they don't have time, or money, or skills, or the personality, or etc etc etc. These are all just excuses that are hindering their progress in life! They are excuses that are not real and are just masking the real issue - they don't believe in themselves and they're not willing to make a change for the better. Anyone can be successful in this business. Anyone. Some may take longer than others and some may need to overcome more roadblocks than others....but the opportunity to succeed is available for everyone that is willing to put in the effort and skip the excuses. I can't tell you how frustrating it is to watch someone suffer with their health or ESPECIALLY their finances when I know this opportunity can help them. It's so frustrating watching people drown in debt and other problems when the answer is right in front of their face and they don't take advantage. I am not the greatest network marketer....as a matter of fact I downright suck at a lot of things related to the network marketing world....but I know this industry works. I've seen it and experienced it with my own two eyes. The most important thing to remember, however, (and I really struggle with this one sometimes) is that it only works when you help people that want to be helped. You can't help people that prefer to play the victim, make excuses, and aren't willing to put in the work. And sadly, there are a LOT of people that fit into this category.

Blog Post #1 - My Story

June 21, 2016

HERE WE GO!

Well hello everyone and thanks for checking out my blog! I created this blog as a way for me to document this network marketing journey on which I have decided to embark. However, before I get too far into things, let me first just introduce myself...

My name is Mike Mallory and I'm 32 years old. I grew up in Springville, Utah and I currently live in the town just South of Springville called Spanish Fork. I went to college and in 2010 I received my Bachelors degree in Speech Communications. Following college I got married to a smoking hot woman and we now have two beautiful little daughters. (For real, they're prettier than anyone else's kids.) Anyway, shortly after college I got my first "real" corporate job at a network marketing company called Young Living Essential Oils. For those of you that are unfamiliar with network marketing companies, think of companies like Amway, NuSkin, Shaklee, Herbalife, etc. These are all network marketing companies and all consist of two types of workers: the corporate employees that work 9-5 jobs and make hourly wages or salaries, and the independent distributors that share the products with other people, build networks/teams, and earn commissions off their team's volume each month. I was a corporate employee so I made a salary and my role at YL was to work with the distributors in the Eastern U.S. and help them grow their individual businesses. I often traveled to the Eastern U.S. and did trainings on the products, the compensation plan, etc. YL was my first taste of network marketing and I quickly grew to love the industry. I saw how average people with above average ambition were able to build large teams and many of them now make quite a bit more money than the CEO of the company! I loved that! I loved that there was no ceiling to what people could accomplish in network marketing. As a distributor you determine your own future. That said, in all my time at YL I never thought to myself "I should give up this steady job with a good, guaranteed salary and become a distributor." Not once. Not because the company isn't good (because I think it's a great company) but I just simply never had the urge. I guess I was just happy with where I was in life and I didn't feel the need to make a change. After 2 years at Young Living however, my wife became pregnant (crazy how that happens) and I got to a point where I felt like I needed to progress in my career. I started looking for a new job.

After a short time I landed a higher position and better pay at a company called ASEA. ASEA, like Young Living, is a network marketing company but their story is different. Their pitch was/is that they have a unique, patented biotechnology that they build their products with. This technology creates molecules that are known as cellular messengers and they help your cells protect, repair and replace themselves - which then allows your body to function more efficiently. It certainly isn't a cure-all but it does support your body's cellular functions so it can help every body in a variety of ways. I remember thinking that this company was so different from others I had seen because they were more biotechnology than network marketing and they were obsessed with scientific validation and research. This was all fine and dandy because all I really wanted was a good, corporate position and a steady paycheck. I will be totally honest, I joined this company for 2 reasons: 1. I liked the Executives that I interviewed with. They seemed like real people with real integrity. 2. I liked the money they were paying me. That's it. At the time, ASEA was small and only 3 years old, had only one product that tasted like pool water, and they weren't even sure when (or if) they would be adding additional products to the line-up. Frankly I felt like they were stable enough that I could plant my flag there for a bit but I was a little worried that they would struggle to grow. However, after spending the last 3.5 years at ASEA as a corporate employee, my opinion of the company completely changed...

As I traveled the country for my job I began to realize the power of the pool water drink. During my trainings people would share stories about themselves or loved ones that had been drinking the ASEA supplement and had seen amazing results. I heard stories like you wouldn't believe. In Albuquerque I saw a woman break down and cry because drinking this supplement had finally given her mobility in her hands after years and years of extreme joint issues. I heard a 16 year old kid in New York share about a time he shattered his elbow and forearm and despite wearing a cast that completely healed the broken bones, for years his pain didn't cease until he began drinking ASEA. I heard several MDs explain why they oftentimes give this supplement to their patients before prescribing harmful pharmaceutical drugs. I saw several people sob because they believe that without this supplement they wouldn't be here today. I heard countless stories about more energy, improved sleep quality, faster recoveries after workouts, improved breathing, improved eyesight, and the list goes on and on and on - and those are all just stories about the supplement! We also have a skincare line that gives results that are just as amazing - improvement in wrinkle depth, skin discolorations, skin elasticity, skin smoothness, etc. It even increases blood flow in the skin and dramatically reduces the appearance of cellulite. Maybe you're thinking to yourself that vanity is unimportant but in reality when people look better they FEEL better about themselves. It's a huge boost to people's self esteem which in turn leads to a better quality of life.

On top of the product stories, I heard countless stories about the financial opportunity and how that too has changed the lives of so many people. There was a single mom in Maryland that was working as a waitress and struggling to make ends meet when her friend introduced her to the ASEA business opportunity. A few years later and she's making a multiple six figure income and can finally spend time with her grandbabies. There was a woman in Colorado that hated her husbands job because it required him to travel up and down a dangerous mountain road every day. She became involved with the ASEA business opportunity and within a few years was able to "retire" her husband from his job and he now works from home with her. There was a woman in Washington that got involved in network marketing to help put her husband through the accounting program at BYU. This year she's on track to earn about $1.6 million dollars with ASEA. This list also goes on and on and on.

Fast forward to May of 2015. At this point I had been an ASEA employee for about 2.5 years. I was familiar with everyone, I knew the power of the products and business opportunity, and I knew the integrity of the Executive team and what their future plans were for this company. It was during this month that we held our International Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah. As a corporate sales guy, I was tasked with overseeing some of the classes being taught by some of ASEA's top earners. After introducing one of the speakers I stepped outside the room because I needed a little fresh air. As I sat on a bench, one of ASEA's top ranked distributors approached me. His name is Craig Lindner and he had flown all the way from Hawaii to attend the convention. I had only talked to Craig a few times prior but the conversation he had with me at this time was very impactful. It went something like this:

Craig: You ever think about quitting corporate and becoming a distributor?
Me: Yeah, I've thought about it a little bit.
Craig: Well then why don't you do it?
Me: Two reasons: 1. I'm not sure I'd be good at it. 2. I can't afford it. I make a good, guaranteed salary right now. We have a nice house, we get to go on vacations, etc. I can't give up guaranteed money for potential! I have a family to take care of. Plus, I don't want to be that guy that doesn't recognize how lucky he is and always assumes the grass is greener on the other side - and ends up regretting it.
Craig: That's bullshit. It IS greener on the other side. And you WOULD be good at it. People trust you. They'll believe you when you tell them about a good thing. This company is revolutionary and has a breakthrough, patent protected technology, you really want to sit back and watch that opportunity pass you by? Mike, I'm sure ASEA corporate is great because there are good people that run the company but the fact of the matter is that you are still working to build someone else's dreams. Why not become a distributor and build your own dream? You'll be able to spend more time with your kids, decide your own financial future, and be your own boss. The people that don't take risks are the ones that settle for mediocrity and never reach their full potential. You're better than that. Don't tell me that you're not.
Me: Ok. (At this point my mind is just racing about the possibilities and I just want to call my wife to discuss. No one had ever laid it out like that for me and it was inspiring and terrifying at the same time.)

Over the next year Craig and I spoke many times. He was never pushy but he did make it very clear that he wanted me to live up to my potential and he felt that I could do that by becoming a distributor. This guy was good! My wife and I also spoke many times. She was supportive since day 1. For some reason she thinks I'm great but I continued to doubt myself and my abilities. Honestly, the number one thing I worried about was getting on people's nerves. I live in Utah! The mecca for network marketing companies! There are already so many people that do network marketing here and they ALL say their company is unique and amazing! And everyone knows that certain network marketers can get really freaking annoying. Always posting on Facebook, always calling to sign you up, can never talk about anything but their stupid world-changing berry they found in the amazon, etc. Hell, I've been that person that gets annoyed with the crazy mlmers! So I was really worried about becoming that person who even when they are honestly just reaching out to someone to say hello, they would be avoided because that person would assume they were just trying to get them in their business. Bottom line, I was really worried about losing friends.

Long story short, I stopped worrying about losing friends. This company, this technology, and this financial opportunity was too good to pass up. Me and my family's future ultimately won out. I eventually realized that my real friends would support me either way. They may not sign up, but they would be totally cool with what I was doing. So in May of 2016, I finally made the jump. I gave up an almost 6 figure salary to work as a full time distributor and now I spend my days working from home, seeing my babies, and building my team. Is it fun? Definitely not all the time - especially in the beginning as I try to weed out the posers and find the people that not only want to improve their livers but are also willing to put in the effort to do so (most people complain they want something more in their life but aren't willing to work for it). I get a lot of "no"s and even more ignored calls, texts, Facebook messages, etc. Regardless, I know that these products do amazing things and the financial opportunity is real so I'm taking advantage of it best I can. It has become my mission to improve my health and achieve financial freedom and help as many people as I can do the same.

So that's my story. Stay tuned for the next blog post as I continue to share more about my life, my business, my successes, and my failures. Have a great day everyone! mikemallory.teamasea.com

Comments on my blog are always welcome. However, if you'd like to reach out to me privately my email address is kalfreedomgroup@gmail.com. Thanks for stopping by!


My story                                           ASEA Supplement                                  RenuAdvanced Skincare

Blog Post #16 - Our Month In Hawaii

Like I mentioned previously, our sponsor invited us out to Hawaii to spend some time with him and a few members of the team that also live there. It sounded like a great opportunity so on September 22 my wife and I along with our two little girls (1 and 3 years old) jumped on an airplane and headed to the Big Island of Hawaii.

On our way to Hawaii!

Craig and KT (another team member) were waiting to pick us up at the airport. We grabbed a late dinner and then hit the sack.

We awoke the next day and realized how lucky we were. The place Craig was letting us use was AMAZING! (Side note: In addition to doing network marketing, Craig is also a real estate developer. He recently purchased several acres of Hawaiian jungle, paid to have it cleared and leveled, and is now sub dividing the land and building upscale houses on it.) The house we were staying in was brand new, huge, had upscale appliances, and was in the prettiest location you can imagine. On top of loaning the house to us he also loaned us one of his Mercedes SUV's so that we could explore the island and have some fun with the kids while we were in town. In a nutshell, the amenities were absolutely amazing and made our stay there extremely comfortable.

Our amenities in Hawaii

Throughout the next 4 weeks, Craig and I did group meetings, met with people one on one, attended expos, visited inactive team members, etc etc etc.

Craig and Zack, fellow teammates!

We also had a lot of fun exploring the island and spending time with our ASEA teammates and with my wife and kids. Even when I was busy working with the team my family went to the beach or the zoo (there was a rainforest zoo a mile from our house) on an almost daily basis. You don't get sick of the beaches in Hawaii! The trip was such an amazing experience for my family and it was invaluable for me. Spending so much time with my sponsor really gave me a completely different perspective on the network marketing industry. Here are the two biggest things I learned from my sponsor that had the deepest impact on me:

1. Don't put up with crap. This is a serious business just like any other business. Even though it's more affordable to get involved, this is a real opportunity. If people can't see the giant opportunity in front of them then here's what you say: NEXT! Although I do treat my business very seriously I do sometimes get hung up on trying to defend the industry or the company to prospects that question it or insult it. Craig taught me that in 5 years those people will most likely be in the exact same place they are now because they don't want to change and/or they're not willing to work for an opportunity. They'd prefer to sit around and complain about their problems instead of look for solutions. Our job as Independent Associates is to just simply get the word out and let people decide if they want to take advantage. If they do, awesome! We help them, train them, and support them. If they don't....NEXT! Don't waste time trying to convince the negative/wrong people.

2. You have to see the bigger picture. I haven't heard Craig explicitly teach this concept but his overall attitude about everything illustrates this perfectly. I was constantly reminded of this throughout the month. I mentioned before that Craig is a real estate developer and is currently working on a project where he is sub-dividing acreage and building houses to sell. Let me just reiterate something about that: BEFORE HE TOUCHED IT THAT WHOLE AREA WAS HAWAIIAN JUNGLE! It's about 10 minutes outside of the town of Hilo and was literally a very dense rainforest. He went to this area where you can't see farther then a foot in front of you and saw a vision for what it could become. He envisioned flat land, mowed grass, beautiful houses, amazing landscaping, paved roads, etc. out of nothing....and then he went to work. He paid someone to clear the area and level the ground. Then he contracted builders to start digging the holes and building the houses. Then he hired a landscape company to pretty up the area. Finally he enlisted realtors to find buyers for the houses. When I was there we were staying in the first finished house, the second house had just been put on the market, and the 3rd house was underway with the foundation having already been poured. His vision was coming to fruition! As I listened to Craig talk about his real estate endeavors I realized that he treats his network marketing business the exact same way! When he got involved with ASEA he envisioned a small group of people becoming a global enterprise and sharing these products with people from all corners of the Earth. That's exactly what happened!
Every time I whine that my business isn't growing fast enough he calmly reminds me that a legacy isn't build in just a few months. That first while is spent planting seeds that will one day produce fruit. Right now we're still building that foundation but you can't forget the bigger vision. Create the vision, believe you can do it, and then go make it happen.

All in all, the Hawaii trip turned out to be a terrific experience for me and my family. I learned a ton, my wife and kids got the vacation of their life, and I believe the team as a whole grew because of it. I am continually amazed by the opportunities this industry offers and I can't wait to see what the future holds.

Celebrating Amie's birthday at Pond's Restaurant in Hilo!

Hapuna Beach!

Blog Post #15 - And The Frustration Kicks In...

Well, it's been a busy couple of months and as a result I haven't had the opportunity to post here on the blog for a while. Things have settled down a little bit for the most part though so I figured I'd give some updates to my journey in mlm.

About 2 months ago I felt like I had hit a wall with my network marketing business. It was still growing but it seemed as if momentum had slowed some and I was frustrated. Actually, I was beyond frustrated.

When I decided to become a full-time network marketer I figured I'd have this whole thing figured out and conquered within 6 -12 months (ridiculous I know)! 4 months in, however, and I felt like things were progressing at a snail's pace. Most people know that I am not a patient person and I couldn't understand why it was taking so long! I started to question myself. I started to wonder if I had made the right decision in quitting my good corporate job. I started worrying about how I was going to make this work for my wife and family. Ultimately, I started to shut down. That's when I asked my sponsor if we could set up a video call for the next day to discuss my progress and future plans. I also thought that he would help pull me out of my slump....I was right.

Me and my sponsor, Craig.

Some of you reading this blog might know my sponsor. As I have mentioned before, his name is Craig Lindner. He lives in Hawaii and is a Double Diamond Executive with ASEA. What most people don't know, however, is that Craig is the most motivating and inspiring person I have ever met. You'd never guess by his quiet demeanor but that guy is a hard-nosed but brilliant and caring businessman. He is blunt, honest, and he doesn't put up with crap. For those of you that are familiar with the "personality shapes," Craig is 100% a square. When we spoke via video call, however, he was surprisingly gentle and complimentary. Here are the main points and advice that he shared with me:

1. Remember that so much time in the beginning of building your business is spent planting seeds. Unless you have years of mlm experience and a rolodex of mlm contacts, it takes time to find good, motivated people for your business.
2. It's at this point during the business building process that most people give up and walk away - and that's the biggest and most common mistake people make in this industry. You might not think anything is happening in your business but you have no idea what may come from your efforts later. Timing is everything for a lot of people so even if some aren't ready right now, they may be ready next week, next month, or next year.
3. Focus on finding people of influence. I have some great builders on my team but I got lucky when I found them. I was talking to everybody and just happened to find a few folks that were motivated and wanted to build a business. Craig's advice was to narrow down the prospecting field. Specifically target and approach people that are not only driven but ones that also have influence. For example, people that own gyms, a pastor that has a large congregation, people with previous network marketing experience, etc. It is very possible to build this business one person at a time but if you can get a few teammates that have a large circle of influence and can bring several other people with them then you can really speed up the process. He wasn't saying this was a silver bullet (those don't exist) but it could definitely boost my team.

Now, let me just state that I am very aware that this is not groundbreaking information. People talk about this stuff all the time. But there's just something motivating about hearing it from someone else (especially Craig) and getting some encouragement and reassurance from another person. I felt about a million times better after finishing that call.

A day or so later Craig called me. He told me that he had been worrying about me after hearing my frustrations. I laughed because people get frustrated all the time and it was no big deal - I was already in a much better space. He didn't accept that answer and he told me that I needed a break. I needed to get away from Utah for a while and have a little fun. He insisted I fly out to Hawaii with my family and spend some time with him and the Hawaii team for a few weeks. Long story short, that's exactly what we did. I took my wife and two little girls to Hawaii from September 22nd to October 19th.

On our way to Hawaii!

It was an amazing trip and one that I will never forget. I learned A TON and it completely changed my entire mindset about building a network marketing business.

Details on our month in Hawaii will be included in the next blog post so check it out!

Blog Post #14 - The Ups & Downs

I'd like to continue discussing my personal journey so far in network marketing. Like I mentioned in my last post, I have been a full time network marketer for about 4 months. It has been an eye-opening 4 months and I have experienced a variety of ups and downs. I'll share what I love most about my journey so far as well as what I love the least with you now. (I realize I have already shared these somewhat over the course of this blog but I felt the desire to expand on them a little more.) Let's start with the negative...

WHAT I LOVE THE LEAST: 

People are quick to judge.
This isn't referring to one particular moment because this is something that happens rather frequently. I knew going into this that people have assumptions and preconceptions about the network marketing industry. I can live with that because I too had some of those same preconceptions. I also knew that most people would turn me down when I offered them this opportunity. That said, I have still been surprised. Not surprised with how many people have turned me down, but suprised with how many have turned me down without even LISTENING what it is I am offering. My opinion is this: if you listen to my business plan and understand how I plan on helping you succeed and you STILL don't want anything to do with it, then I respect that. I really do. As a matter of fact I appreciate you for being honest after you took a fair look. However, the vast majority of people (friends even) tell me no before having any idea what it is I'm offering. They say no almost immediately because they hear the words "network marketing." It doesn't matter how unique or amazing my offer could be....they'll never know because they turned off as soon as they heard those words. I could rant for days on this but it just seems so silly and reckless to me. I mean, I could be offering them the cure to cancer and they would still turn it down without even hearing me out because of the way it's distributed? Really? There are a lot of people that have had or possibly heard of one negative experience in the network marketing world so as a result they've sworn off everything that has to do with the industry forever. It's crazy. It would be the same as going out to dinner one night, being fed terrible food, and swearing off all restaurants for the rest of your life because that one restaurant wasn't very good. All opportunities are not created equal. I know that I have something unique and exciting so it has been extremely frustrating for me to hear some people  respond so negatively to my offer. But that also brings me to the ups...

WHAT I LOVE THE MOST:

I get to help the people that want help.
Just like so many people are quick to shoot the opportunity down, there are a bunch that recognize what a great opportunity it is and jump on board almost immediately. I love this feeling! Every time a new team member joins my team I get really excited. Not for my sake, but for their sake. I worked at this company for 3.5 years so I already know what a great company it is. Now I get to watch them experience a lot of the same great things that I have experienced. Amazing products, terrific financial compensation, and a corporate team that has integrity and wants people to succeed. It's funny that so many people feel negatively about network marketing because I've never been involved with anything that is more people-focused than the network marketing industry. Especially my current company. I've already sang their praises in previous blog posts so I won't do it again here....but sufficeth to say that this company cares about their independent distributors. This industry offers something that no other industry offers.

In conclusion, now that I have been an independent distributor for 4 months I have to say that I haven't regretted joining this business once. It's been extremely frustrating at times but it is also the most rewarding thing that I have ever done. Watching other people succeed has had a huge impact on me. It's fulfilling in a number of ways. I encourage anyone that may be reading this blog to put aside your skepticism and dip your toes in the mlm water. As long as you find a worthy company you'll be amazed at the impact the industry will have on you.

Blog Post #13 - My MLM Journey So Far

I figured I'd make today's post an update on my journey so far in mlm. If anyone else is considering embarking on a similar journey perhaps they will find this post helpful, or at the very least they'll find it entertaining. ;)

I've been a full time distributor now for just under 4 months. Every day I wake up with my kids, have breakfast with my family, and then go lock myself in my office  (AKA the guest bedroom in the basement that I have transformed into my office) for a few hours until lunch. Those first few hours of the day are spent making phone calls, sending social media messages, writing emails, and studying the industry. To be honest, I really enjoy doing this every morning. I feel that even though my business has not become this massive enterprise already, it is picking up speed every day and I have grown and learned A TON these first few months. Am I the most amazing network marketer of all time? Definitely not. As a matter of fact there are extremely frustrating days that make me want to wave my little white flag and give up - but I don't. I just keep learning and improving myself the best I can. As a result, I am becoming a little bit better every day at helping people see the potential of what this industry can do.

By the time lunch rolls around I am usually pretty antsy to get out of the house. Oftentimes I jump in my car and head to a restaurant or a Starbucks nearby where I can sit down and get some more work done. It's similar work to what I've done in the morning but for some reason getting out of the house gets my creative juices moving. I'll usually stay there for 3 or 4 hours and just crank out all kinds of work.  It's also usually during this time that I'll create a new blog post or try some other ways to market myself. I'm all about experimenting with different things to see what works.  Anyway, when I feel like I've fried my brain enough for the day I head home.

This is the rough outline of a typical day for me. I am spending more time working now then I ever did as a corporate employee. Is that a bad thing? Not if you consider why I'm doing it. It has been proven time and time again that people can earn financial freedom in the network marketing industry within 3-5 years if they really work hard for it. I figure it's worth it to bust my butt for a while so that I can provide for my family forever. In addition, even though I'm working more now, I'm doing it from home which still allows me to see my family more than when I was a corporate employee. Sure, I'm on my phone a lot engaged in social media, texting, webinars, phone calls, etc. but outside of my typical work hours I try and do these things once the kids are in bed and/or the wife is busy.  As a result my family is still getting more attention than ever before. Another thing to consider is that I no longer lose 2-3 hours a day driving to and from the office - and by driving I mean sitting in traffic for half that time.

Now, to sum it all up, let me share my honest opinion of being a network marketing distributor so far. I'll start with the negative: IT IS SO DAMN FRUSTRATING.

So many people shut you down before you can even tell them what you're offering. The second they figure out that you work for a network marketing company they turn off. This drives me crazy because although I am offering something from the familiar network marketing business model (which works by the way), I believe that what I'm offering is still completely unique. Yes, I think my company's products and compensation plan are the best (blah blah blah) but that's not what I'm referring to. I'm referring to the way that me and my team are building a business. I believe that our approach, our methods, our system, etc. will allow more people to succeed than most other opportunities. Am I re-creating the wheel here? No way. Having worked as a corporate sales guy for 2 network marketing companies I have "stolen" the best of the best methods (from the best of the best leaders) and combined them to create a clear path to success. It's not complicated and it's very achievable - as long as people are willing to apply themselves and jump in with both feet. In other words, I believe 100% that people can achieve success on my team - but helping people see the vision of what they can achieve is difficult because most people aren't willing to look.

Now for the positive which far outweighs the negative: IT IS SO REWARDING. It's rewarding in countless ways but I'll just summarize with the biggest ones: I get to be my own boss, I earn what I want to earn without any financial ceiling, I get to help other people (which is even more rewarding than helping yourself), I get to see my family more often, I have more time freedom to do the things that I want, I can work from wherever I want (we've been all over the place this summer including Alaska, our family cabin in Brianhead, and we have a possible month-long trip to Hawaii on the horizon), and I have had the 

opportunity to develop both personally and professionally. Even though this business is not a walk in the park, it's definitely worth it.

In conclusion, I just have to say that I would absolutely recommend network marketing to anyone that has the desire to do MORE with their life. Whether it's earn a little extra money or have more time with your family, don't think, JUST DO IT! It's such a tiny financial investment that it's not going to hurt you but will benefit you a million different ways. The other important thing to remember is that network marketing offers something for everyone - you don't have to quit your job and spend 40 hours a week to be successful. You can still make drastic positive changes in your life by just spending a couple hours a week in this amazing industry. Stop dragging your feet and just jump. You won't regret it.

Comments on my blog are always welcome. However, if you'd like to reach out to me privately my email address is kalfreedomgroup@gmail.com. Thanks for stopping by!

Blog Post #12 - Overcoming Objections (Part 4)

Because my blog posts don't follow any specific format and are basically about what I am feeling that particular day, I'd like to add another post about common objections I hear and how to overcome them.

Objection #5: I don't know very many people so I can't build a big team.

Like I've mentioned previously, network marketing is usually a misunderstood industry. Most people assume that in order to be successful you must have endless connections and a massive rolodex of people that you can convince to join your business. This is completely false! Success in network marketing has nothing to do with how may people you know. Does it help if you have eleventy billion friends that you are in constant contact with and are open to trying something you suggest? Of course! But the vast majority of people don't have that. Most people are leading average lives, working 9-5 jobs, and only have a small circle of friends and family that they have the time to keep contact with. So how in the world do so many people find success in network marketing with such a small pool of people to work with and talk to? Simple: they find a few ambitious people that are interested in what they're offering, they teach those people to also find a few ambitious people, and so on (see: duplication), and in doing so they LEVERAGE the efforts of their team members and don't have to build their businesses alone. Because everyone only has so many people in their circle of influence, it is important to leverage the efforts of other team members in order to always be tapping into new circles full of new people. In other words, if everyone just found a few ambitious people (ambitious = people that will also find a few ambitious people of their own) from their respective circles then the whole team would experience exponential growth and everyone would benefit. There would be a constant flow of new people joining the business!

I'll also say this: EVERYONE can find a few good people. EVERYONE. If they say they can't then they're just not interested in joining your team. Period. Anyway, let me share an example of how quickly a team would grow if someone were to sign up, enroll 2 people in their first 2 weeks in business, and then teach their team members to do the same...

Look at those numbers! By week 24 (less than 6 months in business) this person would have 8,090 people on their team and they personally only signed up 2 of them! Will this happen perfectly? Of course not. But even if 90% of people didn't get their 2 people you would still have over 800 people on your team (and growing) and you would most likely be making several thousand dollars a month. Again, network marketing success is not dependent on how many people you know. It is dependent on your ability to teach duplication and leverage the efforts of your team members.

Objection #6: I don't have time to build a network marketing business.

This will be short....

If someone says they don't have time to build a network marketing business then it's important to explain that anyone can build a network marketing business as fast or as slow as they want. If someone can only dedicate a few hours a week to building their business then that's fine! It may just take a little longer to build a big income. If someone still says they don't have time for it, even a few hours a week, then leave them alone! It's all about priorities and they don't want to make network marketing one of theirs. This person hasn't caught the vision and that's ok. Just move on and find people that do.

Comments on my blog are always welcome. However, if you'd like to reach out to me privately my email address is kalfreedomgroup@gmail.com. Thanks for stopping by!

Blog Post #11 - ASEA

Normally I try and make my blog posts as general as possible so that anyone in network marketing - not just the people involved in my company - can benefit. However, today I would like to talk about ASEA specifically because I’ve had many people ask how I decided which company to join. Obviously I feel like ASEA is the best opportunity out there and I would like to share how I came to that conclusion.

When I first started considering leaving corporate America to build a network marketing business about 15 months ago I talked to a lot of friends and family to get their opinions. I assumed that most would think I was crazy for even considering leaving a great job to pursue an mlm business. However, the reaction I received from close friends and family was almost exactly the opposite. Most encouraged me to definitely consider the jump but to make sure that I was choosing the RIGHT mlm to join. They told me not to join ASEA only because I was familiar with it but to first make sure that I felt like I had the best chance of success there. They pushed me to do a lot of research on things like the many different products in the industry, the diverse compensation plans, the founders of the companies, etc. before I made a final decision. As a result, I spent the next long while researching the industry.

In a nutshell, here are the reasons I chose ASEA and why I feel that it is the most unique network marketing opportunity available. I believe that individually these reasons are unique but put together they make ASEA unlike any other company in the industry:

Reason #1: The Story

ASEA was founded by a brilliant businessman named Verdis Norton. Verdis is well respected in the traditional business world and has a long history with Kraft Foods. Most recently he was the Vice President of Strategy for Kraft Foods before retiring in the mid 2000s. After retiring, he was asked by a friend of a friend to sit on the Board of Directors for a Biotechnology company. This company was struggling and they hoped Verdis could give them some strategic advice as to how to turn their fortunes around. Verdis agreed and almost immediately discovered that this biotechnology company was in real financial trouble. He knew they were past the point of recovery and would soon start selling off some of their assets to stop some of the bleeding. Verdis saw huge potential for one of their biotechnologies and decided that he would put a team of investors together to purchase this technology. Once they purchased the technology they quickly put a team of scientists together and perfected it – eventually the technology began creating stabilized Redox Signaling Molecules. Once perfected, the original idea was to flip the investment and sell it off to the highest bidder. However, once Verdis saw how much the products were helping people around the world, he felt the need to protect the technology and make it available to anyone that needed it. As a result, he decided to make the technology and the products available to all via network marketing.

Why this is important:

Over the years I have looked at a lot of network marketing companies. What I discovered was that many of them were started by people that were either eccentric, egotistical, or greedy….or all of the above. This sounds harsh but it is the truth. This resulted in a lot of network marketing companies eventually going out of business, merging with other companies, or being hit with all kinds of lawsuits. It seems that a lot of network marketing companies weren’t and aren’t driven by honest, business-savvy individuals. Many get into the industry just to make a quick buck and have no regard for the independent distributors that give their heart to the company. ASEA is the opposite. ASEA was founded by a strategic, business-savvy, and honest individual who has a long history of success in the industry and decided his biggest goal was to help as many people as possible. He then surrounded himself with individuals who were also full of integrity to help him run the business and keep his ethics and values in place.

Reason #2: The Products

In order to understand the ASEA products, you must first understand the importance of cellular health. Every system in the body depends on our cells. Our cells are foundational to our overall health. In other words, when our cells are healthy, we are healthy. As mentioned previously, Verdis Norton purchased a unique biotechnology that creates stabilized Redox Signaling Molecules. Redox Signaling Molecules are known as cellular messengers. They help our cells communicate with each other which helps our cells detect problems, repair themselves, and replace themselves when needed. Currently, ASEA has a health supplement and a skincare line that is created using this unique biotechnology. Inside a bottle of ASEA are trillions of stabilized Redox Signaling Molecules and by drinking only 4 oz of ASEA a day you can supplement your body’s supply of these vital cellular messengers. This will allow the cells in your body to perform at their optimal levels which could result in more energy, better sleep, improved endurance, better recovery when exercising, etc etc etc. The skincare line contains these same molecules but instead of targeting the cells on the inside of your body, these products target the cells on the outside of your body – your skin cells. This results in fewer wrinkles, improved appearance of scars, tighter skin, improved appearance of cellulite, faster recovery from burns/cuts, etc etc etc. In other words, the ASEA products provide cellular health from the inside out (supplement) and from the outside in (skincare).

Why this is important:

No one else has this biotechnology! It’s patented, protected, and most importantly IT WORKS! When you start seeing other companies making “me too” products based on the success your products have had, it oftentimes becomes difficult to explain to people why they should use your products instead of someone else’s. There is no “someone else” when it comes to Redox Signaling Molecules. ASEA is in a class of its own and there is no competition.

Reason #3: The Financial Opportunity 

ASEA offers a binary compensation plan to their independent distributors. A binary compensation plan simply means that everyone that joins the company only has to build two “legs.” If you sign up in ASEA then everyone you ever sign up, and everyone they ever sign up, and so on, will be put in either your right leg or your left leg. Your financial success with ASEA depends on how well you are able to build out and balance both legs.

Why this is important:

Without getting too detailed and confusing, ASEA’s binary compensation plan makes it simple (not easy but simple) to build a lucrative business. The compensation plan offers residual income (you will earn commissions week after week, month after month) and leveraged income (you can leverage the efforts of your team members as well as your own to earn commissions). The compensation plan creates a more team-friendly environment where everyone works together and succeeds together.

There’s a lot more to it but sufficeth to say that the compensation plan at ASEA is the most lucrative and generous I’ve seen in the industry. ASEA goes the extra mile to pay their independent distributors for the work they put in. By teaching simple concepts like “everyone gets two people in their first two weeks, and then their people get two in their first two weeks, and so on”, the average Joe can make a lucrative living with the ASEA financial opportunity.

Let me just conclude by saying that I love the network marketing industry and I know there are a lot of good, honest network marketing companies out there. I also believe that many of them have terrific products and good compensation plans. The one thing I don't believe, however, is that there is a better opportunity than ASEA. 

Comments on my blog are always welcome. However, if you'd like to reach out to me privately my email address is kalfreedomgroup@gmail.com. Thanks for stopping by!

Blog Post #10 - Dave

This post is less of an educational post but will instead be about a personal experience I had recently in my network marketing business. The reason I share this story with you is because there is oftentimes a negative connotation with regards to network marketing and that has bothered me since I began working as a corporate employee at a network marketing company 6 years ago. This industry changes lives in a number of ways and this experience was a nice reminder as to why I love the industry as much as I do.

I served an LDS mission from 2004 - 2006 in Concepcion, Chile. If you're not familiar with the LDS church that means that at the age of 19 I moved to and lived in Chile for 2 years with the sole purpose of sharing my religious beliefs with the people there.
I learned Spanish and had a ton of great experiences. Most importantly, I met a lot of wonderful people during those 2 years but since I have been home (over 10 years) it has been difficult to maintain contact with most of them. Recently I discovered that a Chilean missionary that had served alongside me in Chile had moved to Utah not long ago with his wife and 2 kids (let's call him Dave for privacy reasons). When I realized that they were living only 45 minutes from me I found Dave on Facebook and invited him to lunch. It was so great seeing my old friend! His English had gotten quite good and he seemed like he was in good spirits. I was eager to hear what his story was and what his plan was for the future. What he shared with me over lunch that day was a pretty powerful reminder that this life is freaking tough and I often forget how blessed we really are.

Dave shared with me that he had worked and lived in his home country of Chile since finishing the mission but always felt like he and his family would be better off if he could somehow bring them to the United States. Chile is actually more advanced than most people realize but it still has its fair share of problems. According to Dave the government there is a mess, jobs are scarce, and any other opportunities are limited. He explained to me that his biggest motivation for wanting to come to the United States was because he wanted better opportunities for his kids. Better schools, better programs, more possibilities. So, long story short, after he was let go from a job that he had held for 8 years, he looked at his wife and said that if they were ever going to take that leap of faith and come to the U.S. then there wouldn't be a better time. So they pooled their savings and the severance he received from his company and they moved to Utah. No family in Utah, no job lined up, nothing. Just him, his wife, and their 2 little boys ages 1 and 4. Sounds terrifying, right??

At this point they have been living in Utah for 6 months. Since arriving, he's struggled to find decent work due to the strict laws regarding Visas. He also grossly underestimated the amount of money it would take to get here and get settled. He worked for Carl's Jr for a while and now works 2 jobs where he cleans office buildings at night and does business to business sales for that same cleaning company during the day. He works his tail off and makes roughly $2,000 a month and works 65 hours a week. Surprisingly, he's not miserable - he's an optimist. He's certainly not ecstatic about the way things have shaped up so far but he figured going in to this that it would be tough for a while before he really gained some traction here. In his mind the sacrifice is worth it because it will provide a better life for his family in the long run. His wife on the other had is miserable. She is struggling to adapt because she doesn't speak any English (that makes it way harder), she's bored and can't work because daycare would cost more than what she could earn, they are struggling to make ends meet, and her husband is never home. She is already looking for a way to return to Chile and get back to their previous way of life. Like Dave she sees way more opportunity here but she's just too unhappy. Dave is hoping things start looking up soon so that she feels the desire to stay.

As I listened to Dave tell me this story my heart hurt! To make that sort of sacrifice with your family and then be faced with such a tough situation is my worst nightmare. But here's the happy part of my story: I have a solution. I shared with Dave that I work with a network marketing company that is completely unique and offers a terrific financial opportunity to anyone that's serious about extra income. I wasn't trying to "sell" him on anything, I was offering him a solution! As we spoke more about the company and the ways you can make money he became more and more interested and excited. He said that he needed two things for his wife to be happy here:
1. More money.
2. Something for her to do.
This network marketing thing fit the bill! He could partner with his wife to create more income and it would give her with something to work on during the day! I got him signed up on the spot and he left our lunch feeling rejuvenated.

To sum it all up, I have no idea if Dave will build a big network marketing business. That all depends on him. I will of course be here to help, he can plug into our awesome system, and he'll be given the tools to succeed, but it is still up to him to run with it. That said, his story is just the most recent that reminds me of why I love network marketing. This industry sometimes gets criticized yet I don't know many other industries that change lives the way network marketing does. I seriously can't think of a single one. Whether you just want to get healthier, look better, or make money, network marketing offers a solution. Instead of just settling for a crappy situation and assuming it was just the card you were dealt, do something about it. Network marketing exists for people like you! Only you can change your life for the better so give network marketing a FAIR look. You won't be disappointed.

Comments on my blog are always welcome. However, if you'd like to reach out to me privately my email address is kalfreedomgroup@gmail.com. Thanks for stopping by!

Blog Post #9 - Overcoming Objections (Part 3)

Objection #4: I don't have the money to start a network marketing business.

Let's assume that if someone says this then they are saying it in all sincerity and not just using it as a way to get you to leave them alone. If they are truly interested in what you're sharing with them but are honestly concerned about the financial commitment then this objection boils down to one thing: THIS PERSON DOESN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE OFFERING.

If someone truly wants another stream of income then they need to understand is that this is a real business they're starting. Businesses require money. The beauty of a network marketing business is that it (usually) requires a very small amount of money. For example, at my company it costs a whopping $40 to join. Forty freaking dollars and you're a business owner! That $40 reserves a position in the organization, allows you to purchase product at wholesale price, gives you a website where you can do business and keep track of your team, and gives you access to all the infrastructure that the company has put in place. That includes a customer service department, structured shipping and manufacturing, a legal department, etc etc. In other words, the company takes care of all of the overhead and allows you to participate and benefit for a measly $40. To put that in perspective, to open a McDonalds restaurant you are required to have $750,000 in liquid assets, you must pay a $45,000 franchise fee, you have to pay over 10% of your profits back in royalty fees, etc. In addition, statistics show that 70% of home-based businesses succeed within 3 years while only about 30% of traditional businesses succeed in that time frame. So what's the riskier option?

Sidenote: I mentioned something similar in a previous post but I refuse to believe someone can't afford the $40 enrollment fee. If you were to tell someone that you'd give them a house for $40 you can bet they'd scrounge up that $40. It all just depends on how well you can help that person understand the value of that $40 investment.

Let me further explain, using my company as an example, why I feel that the "I don't have the money" objection is silly. It costs $40 to enroll as an independent business owner in my company and that is a one time fee. After that, if you want to qualify for commissions, the company expects you to have at least 100 points on your personal account each month. 100 points is equivalent to 1 case of product and costs around $120. They require this for 2 reasons: #1. You should have some skin in the game since it's your business. #2. You should be using the products so you can honestly talk about them with people. (This is pretty standard for the industry.) This $120 a month is another area where people become concerned because they think they can't afford it. Now, this may sound harsh but that is only a legitimate concern if you're not serious about being a business owner. Some people get so stuck in the "well $120 is a lot" mindset that they don't open their eyes to see what that small investment can get them in return. To own your own business and to have the ability to make anywhere from $100 - $100,000 a month for only a small fee of $120 a month is amazing! Here's the other amazing part: my company offers a way for you to NOT have to spend that $120 a month anyway! All you need to do is get a couple of customers buying from you each month and the points from their purchases would make you eligible for commissions! In other words it is entirely possible for you to spend $0 every month and still be eligible to make an unlimited income. Frankly, network marketing is an incredibly low-risk way to invest a small amount of money with a high potential payoff. If you're looking for another stream of income I've yet to find a better way than through network marketing.


Comments on my blog are always welcome. However, if you'd like to reach out to me privately my email address is kalfreedomgroup@gmail.com. Thanks for stopping by!

Blog Post #8 - Overcoming Objections (Part 2)

Objection #2: You can't make money in network marketing.

This objection is actually my personal favorite. I love it because it makes me smile every time I hear it. Not in an arrogant way but because I too used to believe that same thing. However, after working as a corporate employee for 2 different network marketing companies over the past 6 years, I realized that I couldn't have been more wrong.

Let me illustrate how silly this objection is by sharing some industry statistics. Some of the latest statistics show that the network marketing industry is worth around $180 billion dollars. Yes, you read that right, $180 billion dollars. That's about the same as the music and movie industry combined...and then doubled. Now, remember that network marketing companies, on average, take about 40% of their revenues and use that to pay commissions to their distributors. So lets do the math: 40% of $180 billion = $72 billion dollars. $72 BILLION DOLLARS is being paid out to independent distributors on a yearly basis. That's approximately $6 billion dollars a month, $1.4 billion dollars a week, and $200 million dollars a day. If you can't make money in network marketing then I would like to know where that $72 billion dollars a year is going...

Bottom line is this: People make money in network marketing....if they are willing to make an effort. Some people make part time money, some people make full-time money, and some people make big time money. I've seen the checks with my own eyes. Sure, there are a number of factors that play into how much money a person makes (timing, compensation plan, building strategy, etc.) but do you know which factor makes by far the biggest difference? How hard a person works. Nothing trumps working hard. Ever. As mentioned in previous posts, however, most people want a get rich quick scenario and for some reason think that network marketing shouldn't have to be treated like a business yet it should pay like a business. Makes no sense....I'll leave it at that before I go off on a tangent...

Objection #3: I'm not a salesman/saleswoman

I HATE when people say this to me. I understand why they say it but it just reminds me how little people understand about network marketing. (I remember I was the same way). Most people think they understand it but then when you explain it to them (if they let you get that far) a little light bulb turns on in their head and they become much more open to it.

Network marketing is not sales. Network marketing is education. Education on products/services and business opportunities. If you educate people and as a result they become interested in the company, then you encourage them to sign up as a wholesale member in order to get the products at a cheaper price. If they do this then the company is grateful to you for bringing them more business. They then pay you a commission for that. Now, keep in mind that everyone already does this type of thing ALL THE TIME but isn't paid for it. For example, lets say you try out a new Mexican restaurant and you love it. It's the best food you've ever tasted! What do you do? You tell your friends about it. You post it on Facebook. You go back a few days later and take some people with you so they can try it out too. And now your friends start telling their friends, and those friends start telling their friends, and so on. You just got that Mexican restaurant a whole bunch of business and made them a ton of money! They'll pay you for that, right? I mean, you did a whole bunch of advertising for them so you'll be compensated, correct? Nope! I'm sure that restaurant is grateful for the new business but you can bet that you won't get a dime from them. Well that kind of sucks, doesn't it? That's the beauty of network marketing. Good network marketing companies innovate and create unique, valuable products that make a difference in people's lives. So if you try their products, have a good experience, and then tell your friends about them, they'll compensate you! That's not sales! There's no quota you're trying to hit! That's educating people on something that you like and because you care about them you're telling them about it! Let me emphasize this point by pointing out that studies have shown that the people that are the most successful in network marketing were not salesmen in their previous careers. They were teachers. Teachers educate. That's not a coincidence. You're already educating people all the time about things that you like so why not get paid to do it?

Side Note: I won't spend too much time on this but a common misconception is that network marketing is the same thing as direct sales. (You know direct sales people, they're the ones that are always saying things like "I just need to sell 4 more of X in order to get my next promotion!") It's not the same. There are some similarities but usually, direct sales is much more focused on the act of selling products and collecting the retail profits as opposed to the network marketing model where you focus on signing up people as wholesale members on your team and building an organization. Network marketing is preferred in my opinion for a few reasons:
1. It's usually cheaper to invest in ($40 at my company).
2. Doesn't require monthly quotas of sold products.
3. Its much easier to do part time.
4. It allows you to leverage the efforts of other people, not just yourself.
Direct selling people are recognized for the amount of product they personally sell and is great for short term money, but network marketing is where people turn when they are looking to build a residual, long term income. 

Comments on my blog are always welcome. However, if you'd like to reach out to me privately my email address is kalfreedomgroup@gmail.com. Thanks for stopping by!