Traveling around the world, one of the most common retorts I encounter is, “Network Marketing is one of those, Pyramid Schemes right?  When I ask, “What exactly do you mean by that?” Almost always the reply goes something like this, “The one at the top of the pyramid makes all the money.”  Perception is reality and I get that.  However, nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to Network Marketing.  The person at the top does not make the most.  It is just perception but not reality.  Dig in a little deeper and understanding will come your way quickly that it is not the case.  In fact that ability for you to sign into a viable network company gives you the opportunity to be the number one income earner even if the company is 8, 10 or 20 years old.  Many such “realities” are the case.

However, I thought you might like to see that the Corporate Pyramid truly does in fact pay the most to the person at the top.  In this HIGHEST PAID slide show, produced by CNBC and published on their website for all the world to see shows that in the Corporate world, yes in fact the “guy” at the top make the most!  So, does that mean the Corporate world is a Pyramid Scheme?  Hmmmmmmm

Glade

This article and growth demonstrates, quantitatively, that Xango Japan is growing and expanding in the second largest market in the world for Network Business.  Congratulations again Xango Japan. 

Ryan Anderson interviews Tommy Johnson days after the elite summit in California.  During the interview, Tommy explains how winners win.  Winners win because they “expect to win” and losing is not an option.  Do winners have set backs and challenges?  Of course they do but they do not give up. They stay the course and  expect to win as they continue their course dealing with challenges, adversities, disappointments, and setbacks…. but ultimately win.  Listen in and feel the  passion and conviction that 2011 has in store for those who “expect to win”.

Yesterday I returned from Tokyo Japan from attending the 2011 Kick off event with my sponsor, friend, and mentor Tommy Johnson.  During some of the down time we enjoyed some talks about our dreams, experiences, vision of the future as well as goals and aspirations.  Bob Schmidt was mentioned and we reflected how fortunate Tommy was to be taught by, mentored by and coached by the late Bob Schmidt.  I never had the privilege of working with Bob but soon after I joined Xango in February of 2009, Tommy sent me a library of Bob’s recordings.  Oh how I treasure those CD’s.

On the 8 hour trip back from Japan I listened to a number of Bob’s CD and was so impressed, yet again, at the wisdom and depth of Bob’s understanding as well as his ability to articulate in a direct and straightforward way the concepts, rigors, and disciplines of the MLM business.

With that in mind I have taken an excerpt from one of his CD’s and posted it here on my Blog/Website for you to listen to and glean from his understandings.   Pay particular attention to the “managing expectations” and how doing the correct activities, over time, will pay big dividends.

Here you go;  the incredible Bob Schmidt

My wife Cindy and I are about to hold our first English Speaking XBA (Xango Business Academy) held tomorrow through Saturday in Lehi, Utah.  We have 30 attendees there on their own dime for travel and lodging.  It is a nuts an bolts on how to build a successful network marketing business.  We are holding the event at Corporate so we have had some liaising with corporate staff to arrange this.

Evidently some word got out to the founders about what we are doing and just a few minutes ago, on the eve of us leaving to Utah to host this event, I received the following email from Kent Wood, (far left in the picture above) one of the founders of Xango:

Glade and Cindy,

I am in Australia for our Australia Leadership Retreat this week, so I’ll miss being with your group when you are in the office tomorrow through Saturday.  I did want you and your team to know that I would have loved to be there to get to know them.  I hope you have a wonderful experience and that your team uses this experience as a springboard to higher ranks in the next couple of months.

Thanks for the consistent effort that you put into supporting your team.  You are the best!

Cheering for you,

Kent

Are you kidding me?  Kent is in Australia and he somehow found out about what little ole Glade and Cindy are doing;  he writes it in his diary and then takes the time, half a world away and some 17 different time zones ahead of us,  telling us good luck and wishing he were here to share in the experience!  Are you kidding me?  Where can you find this kind of authentic leadership and genuine interest in people?  In all my years of being in business, nearly 35 of them, ONLY XANGO!  Xango is different and this is just one of a number of examples I can share!

If you are not part of Xango, perhaps you might be compelled to take a look.  Dig a little deeper and see what this company and our opportunity is all about.

Blown Away….AGAIN,

Glade

If you want to lose weight, let’s assume you cut out just one of your 150 calorie snacks or beverages each day for a year. This simple discipline would result in a weight difference of 15 pounds after one year. (150 x 365 = 54,750 calories saved, divided by 3500 calories per pound = 15.64 pounds difference.) For me, I cut out my daily Pepsi and traded for Diet Pepsi 0 calories vs 150 X several a day).
Reaching your goals is achieved by the DAILY effort you put into what you do, not by some magic success formula, new miracle product, or undiscovered Internet business. Every big success is made up of little successes, each building on the previous and compounding over time.
Formula for Life
Darren created a life formula: “Your life comes down to this formula. You’re Choices (decisions) + Behavior (action) + Habit (repeated action) + Compound Effect (Time) = Goals.” .

• Choices

Darren said, “The difference between becoming fabulously rich, happy and healthy—or broke, depressed and unhealthy is the choices you make throughout your life.” For example, the decision to make a healthy food choice, versus something we know is not healthy. One of my all-time favorite quotes by Jim Rohn is “Success comes from making a series of good decisions over time while failure comes from making a series of poor decisions over time.”
If you want to improve your life, you must improve your decisions. I believe the most important element in making good decisions is making those conscious decisions. This is when you actually consider the pros and cons of your decisions before making them. I am convinced most people float through life making decisions on the fly, with little if any thought, only to find themselves wondering why they aren’t happy, healthy, or successful.

• Behavior

What stands between you and your goal is your behavior. Darren said, “If you say you are a dedicated professional, but yet you show up late and unprepared, your behavior rats you out every time.” Do you need to stop doing things so the compound effect doesn’t take you in a downward spiral? Similarly, what do you need to start doing to change your trajectory so you are headed in the right direction? As you consider your goals, what behaviors may be sabotaging your success?

• Habits

We must establish the right habits—those that repeated over time take us in the right direction. We must look at everything we do consistently and determine if it is a habit that moves us towards or against what we want to achieve. We must create routines or systems of action that become beneficial habits over time. ( My Vision Board) Darren said, “A routine is something you do every day without fail, so that eventually, like brushing your teeth or putting on your seat belt, you do it without conscious thought. Just as investments compound over time, so do our daily actions. If they are good they take us down one path. If they are bad or destructive, they take us down a completely different path.”

• The Compound Effect

Darren defines the Compound Effect this way: “It’s the principle of reaping huge rewards from a series of small, smart choices. Success is earned in the moment to moment decisions that in themselves make no visible difference whatsoever, but the accumulated compounding effect is profound.” If you want to save money so you can enjoy your retirement, consider the compounding effect of spending $4 a day on coffee. If you choose to invest $4 a day at 8% interest rather than spending it on a cup of coffee it would result in $51,833.79 in 20 years. The same result could also be reached by making your own lunches rather than eating out. Do both and you will have saved an extra $100,000.

Patience is the Answer
In order for the compound effect to work, you need to be patient. Most of these daily changes won’t provide immediate results. If you reduce your calories by 150 today, you won’t see a difference today or even this week. The same is true with working out. You can go bust your butt at the gym and you won’t see results today or this week. These daily disciplines must be given time to produce results. Darren said, “What’s most interesting about the process to me is that even though the results are massive, the steps, in the moment, don’t feel significant. Whether you are using this strategy for improving your health, relationships, finances or anything else, the changes are so subtle, they’re almost imperceptible.”

The Upward Path

If achieving your Xango Business goals and living the life you have always dreamed of is important to you, I have three challenges for you.
1. Invite people properly to take a look at this business by using the daily calls or the CD’s (Don’t talk to much…. be a curiosity creator and then let the CD or Call do the heavy lifting.
2. Connect with your support line. “You are never a prophet in your own land” and let the support team be your expert. It’s just the way it works. Soon you will be the expert and you will then be the one doing the heavy lifting for your team members.
3. Build Belief By building for events and personal get togethers. Do not wait until “EVENTS” to bring people to hear about Xango. “The only path to success is through the continuum of mundane, unsexy, unexciting, and sometimes difficult daily disciplines compounded over time.” (see above”)

Prospects have one of these 4 key issues about joining Network Marketing.

1. They don’t have confidence in the Industry
2. They don’t have confidence in the Company
3. They don’t have confidence in the Products
4. They don’t have confidence or see themselves being successful in
this business model. They don’t believe in themselves

At an event like Omaha Nebraska just experienced, all four of these categories were addressed.  Potential partners looked around the room and they saw individuals, successful individuals, professional individuals at the room and it was not so important what they heard but what they “felt”.    Their belief level in the industry went UP.   ( An answer to #1 above)  Then, in the case of an event like this in Omaha, a company executive was in attendance.  Potential prospects were able to see hear and mingle with Company founders and executives and they are amazed at the professionalism and personalities of the Executive side or the Company side and their Belief level goes UP. (Answer to #2 Above)  Then, potential prospects hear of the fantastic products, science behind the products, and anecdotal stories of those in attendance and their BELIEF level goes UP.  (Addressing #3 above)  Finally, they see someone at these events who looks just like them having success in the Network Marketing Business and their belief level goes UP.  They say to self, “Self, if they can do it you can do it!” and their belief level goes UP.

You can accomplish more in one event than you can in months of 3 Way telephone conversations, Coffee shop meetings or alike.  Events are the validation STAMP of approval of the due diligence process one goes through.  Even if someone has already signed up as a new distributor, they still have these four questions or at least 1 of them and after a strong event, their belief level goes UP.  That is why I call these such events  BELIEF BUILDING EVENTS.  And they are critical in having success in Network Marketing.

Build for Events, it is critical for your success.

Glade

PS  ”You can’t tell people about it if you haven’t been.”  Bob Schmidt

To Buy a franchise or not to buy? That is the question!

It is no secret that owning your own business is how wealth has been created. Let me share statistics that have long been swirling around. When I was a young entrepreneur in my early 20’s (in the early 70’s) these statistics were ubiquitous for those who were selling franchises or network marketing opportunities. But, amazingly, the numbers are still (almost exactly) the same numbers as 30+ years ago.

– 100 People At Age 65 (SOURCE: Social Security Admin)
16 Are Dead
66 Annual Income Under $30,000
13 Income Over $30,000
5 Income Over $60,000
1 Only One is Wealthy

– The Wealthy 1% (SOURCE: The New Interagency: Older Americans 2000)
10% Top Professionals
10% CEO’s – Stock
5% Super Sales Persons
1% Athletes / Entertainers
74% Business Owners

Now I don’t know about you but I certainly don’t want to be dead or dead broke at age 65 nor do I want the Government, family or relatives to be burdened with my expenses as I age. Moreover, I am 5’8” tall, can’t sing and I am not one of the very, very few atop the corporate pyramid with lucrative stock options. So, as an average person with average abilities and average education, what are my options to be wealthy? The best most probable answer is to be a Business Owner.

OK, now that I realize that my best odds, my best chance at creating wealth is to be a business owner, what kind of business do I “own” or start?

If you listen to the experts, starting a small business seems to be right up there with shark-diving and base-jumping as a dangerous activity that’s best avoided. Even so, most business experts conform to a theory of “thirds”: Of all the new business startups, 1/3 eventually turn a profit, 1/3 break even, and 1/3 never leave a negative earnings scenario. According to a study by the U.S. Small Business Association, only 2/3 of all small business startups survive the first two years and less than half make it to four years. With numbers like that, it’s no wonder so many would-be entrepreneurs think twice before taking the plunge. Especially when you are about to sink into your home equity, cash in your 401K, or spend your hard earned savings or alike.

Franchises are considered a sure-shot way to a successful business. They have an established structure and reputation and are recognized for their brand value. Figures for franchises show:

* Total franchise sales in 2000 were over $1 trillion
* Nearly 50% of all retail sales are through franchises
* Franchises are currently doing business in 70 industry verticals
* 8 million people are employed by franchises in the U.S., with 5 to 14 employed per franchise
* Franchised businesses create more than 170,000 new jobs each year
* 1 in 12 business establishments is a franchise
* A new franchise opens every 8 minutes of every business day
* There are approximately 3,300 franchisors and over 500,000 franchise units in the U.S.
* The U.S. Commerce Department says that fewer than 5% of franchises were terminated on an annual basis
* According to a study by Arthur Anderson & Company (a company now out of business) of 366 franchise companies, nearly 97% were still in business after 5 years. In contrast, a study by the U.S. Small Business Administration revealed that 62.2% of all new businesses failed within their first 6 years of business

I ran across this website that I found interesting. It is a “franchise broker’s” website.

At this website you can view a plethora of franchise opportunities. Costs range from a few thousand dollars to “pick a number”.

Network Marketing or MLM
What does Warren Buffet, Robert Kiyosaki, Bill Gates, David Bach, and other financial industry experts know about Network Marketing or MLM that most people don’t know? They love and in fact are pundits for the industry when by and large, the vast percentage of Americans, and actually most parts of the world, POO POO Network Marketing? Now wait…wait a moment, is there any correlation to the vastness of poo pooing and the percentage of those who are dead or dead broke with their current “success strategy?’ Let me see…..whose business acumen do I listen to? Warren Buffett or Aunt Mildred?

So let’s compare Network Marketing with Franchising!

Network Marketing

Franchising

Financial Freedom

There is no Financial Freedom for FREE. The question is do you want to exchange your home equity, 401 K, or hard earned savings for a Franchise that costs a ton and has a 62.2% chance of going out of business in the first 6 years or invest a small amount of money in Network Marketing along with sweat equity into a proven system, with a proven company, and a proven commodity with a proven success team? What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

Network Marketing is the best business decision I have made in 30 + years or being in business. I love the business model which is 100% predicated upon the success of your team. Zig Zigglar said, “If you help enough people get what they want, you will get what you want. That is what we do.

Please touch base with me if you are open to the possibilities.

Glade Poulsen

Dr. David McClelland of Harvard University concluded after 25 years of research that the choice of a negative “reference group” was in itself enough to condemn a person to failure and underachievement in life.

Your associations are some of the most powerful factors in determining who you become and what you accomplish in your life.

The great Jim Rohn said, “You will become the combined average of the five people you hang around the most. You will have their combined attitude, health and income.”

Recognizing this truth, how do we use it to our advantage? It’s simple. If we want to advance our lives personally and professionally, we must associate ourselves with people who will be a positive influence on our lives.  Your support line in the Network Marketing Business is critical to your success.  Do they have a system?  Do they have training and support?  Are their heads in the game?

When we associate with others who have a greater skill set or have achieved more, we are challenged. It brings out the best in us and inspires us to do better. Observing and modeling someone’s positive example will help us reach new heights. This applies to everything we do.  The mentoring of your support line will help you have better communication skills, better time management skills, better money management skills, better follow up skills, better vision and direction.

Surrounding ourselves with optimistic and uplifting people has a direct cause and effect on our demeanor, confidence level and performance. It’s should be all positive!

The legendary Zig Ziglar said it best, “If you want to fly with the eagles you can’t continue to scratch with the turkeys.”

Bob Schmidt says, “Standing in a garage does not make you a car”

“Show me your friends and I will tell you who you are.” – Author Unknown

“Success comes from a series of good decisions made over time while failure comes from a series of bad decisions made over time.” –Jim Rohn

OAll the great teachers of success from Napoleon Hill to Anthony Robbins have talked about the benefits of using a mastermind team to make better decisions.  Stephen R Covey in his best selling book, “7 Habits of Highly Effective people” goes into great detail of the power of a mastermind group.  One of your avenues for success in the Network Marketing Business should be your support line. Your upline leaders should have already achieved what you want to achieve.  Been where you want to go and thereby giving your clear and concise directions, instructions so as not to waste your time, your money, your energy and most importantly your relationships.  Use this valuable resource and the beauty of the MLM business is that there is a financial incentive for your support line to help you, guide you  and direct you along this path.

Benefits of a Mastermind Team

Napoleon Hill said, “No two minds ever come together without a third invisible force, which may be likened to a ‘third mind.’ When a group of individual minds are coordinated and function in harmony, the increased energy created through that alliance becomes available to every individual in the group.”

Choose your support team or your mastermind group wisely.  It will have a profound effect on your success in the Network Marketing business.  In my blog Network Marketing Revealed, I mentioned there are 5 key elements required for success in the Network Marketing Business.  This is Key element number 5.   All five of these key elements are required for success.  One is not more important than the other.  Just as all four tires are required for operating a vehicle safely down the road at 70 MPH, so are all 5 of these key elements very critical to your success.

Here again are the five blogs outlining my views and experiences and professional opinions on each of the five elements:

1.  Company

2.  Products

3.  Timing/Trends

4.  Compensation Plan

5.  Training and Support

I hope you have enjoyed the overviews on these 5 key elements.  A lot of thought, effort and especially experience have gone into these blogs.  I would greatly appreciate your comments and opinions.

Take the time to carefully evaluate your business decision.  Done properly with the right company, right products, right timing and trends in place, with the right compensation plan plus the proper training and support you will have one incredible journey and achieve the lifestyle, time freedom and personal growth of your dreams.

All the best,

Glade

Now, add to that puzzle the third component necessary in choosing the right opportunity in the Network Marketing business, Timing and Trends, the air begins to be very thin when it comes to the opportunity or company that you are going to spend your time, your resources and your hopes/dreams too.

Allow me to elaborate a bit on why Timing and Trends are important in your choosing the right opportunity  when added to the prior 2 components listing in my blogs 1. Network Marketing: How to choose a Company 2. Products in a Network Marketing Company are Critical.

In real estate the three most important aspects of real estate are always coined “1.  Location 2. Location 3. Location.”  In business it could be said that three key components of business are:  “1.  Timing 2. Timing 3. Timing.”  Whilst it is not the only thing, it is very important to be in front of timing and trends and not getting involved after the trend, product or service is popular.  When it is popular, it is already too late.   There are 6 primary trends in society today that are driving our industry, in my opinion.

1.  Lifestyle Revolution

2. Self-Employement Revolution

3. Direct Buying Revolution

4. Social Media Revolution

5.  Wellness Revolution  (Anti-Drugs)

6.  Going Global

Let’s look at these 6 quickly to explain why I believe Xango is positioned right in front of these 6 Powerful trends/timing aspects and why Xango is the right vehicle at the right time with the right trends pushing it ahead.  (like walking on a moving sidewalk…you can move quicker with less resistance ilo swimming upstream)

1.  Lifestyle Revolution:  Creating a better lifestyle is a new focus.  People are wanting to work when they want to work, where you want to work, with whom you want to work with and work as much as you would like.

2.  Self-Employment Revolution: Robert Kiyosaki in his book, “Rich Dad Poor Dad” really brought to light how building an asset for yourself vs building someone Else’s dream (working a JOB) to the masses.  The Job paradigm of going to school, get a good education, get a good job and your employer will take care of you is bologna.  The realities of; right sized, down sized, re-engineered has effected millions and left many with no income, no benefits and no further opportunities.

3.  Direct Buying Revolution:  We no longer have 3 major TV channels to advertise to us.  The advent of the Internet has given us instant information and access to “the world”. Wall Mart, Costco, Dell Computers, Ebay and others have changed our buying habits.  We now know we can go direct and cut out expensive middleman expenses and end up with a product that is higher quality for equal to or better than “retail” prices.  Madison Avenue is going nuts over this and the internet is winning.  Buyer Education and word of mouth advertising is winning.

4.  Social Media Revolution:  Look at Facebook, Twitter and alike.  People are connecting and person to person relationships are stronger than having a Sport Icon tell you to buy a particular golf club or anti-antiperspirant. We spend our time communicating via social media and less time in front of TV.  Or, when we do watch TV it has been recorded and we “fast forward” through the commercials.

5.  Wellness Revolution:  A trillion dollar industry was born nearly a decade ago.  We would rather do something all natural vs taking a drug.  More and more consumers are taking personal responsibility for their own wellness ilo trying to find a cure.  The best way to cure a disease it TO PREVENT IT!

6.  Going Global:  From the comfort of your own home, you can build an International business with the right Network Marketing Business.  What else you going to do?  Start a Toaster Manufacturing Business and outsource it in China?  You can make more money, with less people in less time with Xango than any other Network Marketing Company.

In summary it is imperative to be associated with a company who knows what they are doing, seasoned in the Network Marketing Business,  have a Network Marketing Business DNA, Have vision plus all those other items I discussed in my previous blogs on company.  They must have products that are unique, exclusive, consumable,  and something people want or are looking for appealing to the masses.  Moreover, you must be involved with a company and product that appeals to the 6 key components of the significant trends/timing that affect our society today.

In my opinion and experience, Xango offers the opportunity to make more money, with less people, with less effort than any other Network Marketing company in the world today; in my humble opinion.

"It's what I do"

Yesterday my wife and I were at the Las Vegas airport returning home from a wonderful 4 day convention.  At the convention we connected with friends from all over the US.  It was a time when we all received training on how to do our business, life skills, business skills and alike.  One of the highlights was a motivational talk by Dick and Rick Hoyt Team Hoyt .  What an inspiration to hear of this incredible team, father and son who, amidst trial of Cerebral Palsy, have competed in 29 Boston Marathons and numerous Iron Man competitions…together! Their mantra is “Yes you can”.  What an incredible story of overcoming incredible odds.  Then, right in the midst of us reveling in the past days of friendships, personal growth and development and instruction we saw a young man waiting to board the plane, our same plane, to Boise Idaho.  Dressed in his fatigues patiently waiting to board, Cindy noticed him then walked up to him and said, “Thank you for your service”.  Tyler Jones said, “Thank you, It’s what I do.”  “It’s what I do!” rang so loud inside my head and touched my heart.  Humble, confident, respectful and proud to serve his country, our country, and preserve the freedoms we all enjoy.  Thank you Tyler Jones from the bottom of our hearts for what you do and millions of others who stand in the line of fire, danger and harms way to preserve and protect our great country.  God bless you and know, Tyler Jones, that millions of people pray for you and your friends safe return daily in our hearts, our homes, and our place of worship.  We unite around the world in prayer for your safety.  We unite around the world in thanks and appreciation for “what you do”.

To Tyler Jones, Rick and Dick Hoyt and many others who inspire, compete, fight for freedom, and just serve others….thank you!  “It’s what you do” and for me and I know millions of others we thank you for your service.