Welcome back to my third and final post from my time with Mr. Randy Gage just a few days ago.  In case you missed my last two (2) blog posts with words of wisdom from Mr. Gage then I encourage you to quickly go back and take 5 minutes and read them.  They will fill in the background for this blog post.

To recap, I summarized Mr. Gage’s thoughts on “Duplication” and on “Culture”

Well, let’s get to today’s lesson…. “Tap Root”

“Tap Root” is a strategy or a necessity for the success of your organization and of course, your personal successes.

The Tap Root is the longest, deepest root that gathers all of the nutrition and moisture for a tree.  The lifeline of the tree in other words.

So, how does this apply to Network Marketing?

It goes back to the idea of creating “Culture”.  If you have a new person come into your organization, and whether a personal enrollee or otherwise, you need to help them.  You need to go deep into your organization…. Basically the bottom and help grow.  Doing this is called “tap rooting”.

Think of the ripple effects…. You are now working with someone who is deep in your organization…. Which means there are hundreds or perhaps thousand above them that notice new growth.  Psychologically, what do you think this will do for those about the individual you are personally helping?

It is obvious it will bring about some excitement especially in those who might otherwise be idle….

So, it does two (2) things. It gets business moving more or moving again and secondly it creates that “culture” I spoke of in the last blog post.  If you do this as a leader, you will have others do the same…

I think that there is a word for this…… hmmmm let me think…. Oh yeah!  It is called “Duplication”

I will leave you with two things :

First and foremost, start working with those individuals who are deep in your organization, those the truly need your help and get them going and secondly if you enjoyed this read, then comment would be appreciated as well as some syndication love….

Cheers  – Steve

In my last blog post I made mention that I had the pleasure of being in a workshop with Mr. Randy Gage and 25 other professionals.  He shared with us his personal story and then jumped right in and encouraged us to think about the concept of “Duplication”.

I don’t want to tell the whole story again but basically, “Duplication” for some appears to be nothing more than a myth.  However, coming from someone who has 31 years experience in the marketing industry, Mr. Gage would argue otherwise.

So, today I want to move onto Culture.  Culture and Duplication go hand in hand.  Culture deals with setting the tone or setting the pace if you will.  You, as a Leader, need to take charge and create the “Culture” that will benefit your organization, your business so to speak.

How do we do this?  How do we create the culture that we want?  Well, you need to be consistent.  You need to do daily or at least 5 days per week of consistent, results producing activities.

Spending time on social sites like Twitter and Facebook do have their place but in most cases do not produce the results that you want.  It can be very effective as a platform to build relationships but until you get people on the phone or meet them in person then hiding behind the computer will not get you what you want.

Creating culture is all about finding those who are serious and locking arms with them and helping them get what they want…. Helping them get the success that they desire.  Bottom line as Mr. Gage explains, in the network marketing industry, ”we get paid on the successes of those we help”.

It needs to be about “US” for Duplication, that is, work on our skill-set or our Personal and Professional Development.  This will allow us to be better equipped to create a “culture” and to help keep others on track to reach their goals for success.

You don’t want to have to convince people to work.  They either get it or they don’t.  Mr. Gage had another great comment and that was, “Don’t convince minds, capture hearts”.  Easy to accomplish if you create culture from the very beginning with your organization.

If you do not have a culture or a system in place for you personally let alone as part of the business itself then you will simple be going in circles chasing your tail.

My next blog post will further discuss culture and the concept of “Tap Root”

Two things I ask that you do:

One, would be to sit down and take 30 minutes and think about the culture that you are currently creating in your business and does it need to be re-visited?

Secondly, if this resonated with you then comments, feedback and sharing with your network would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers – Steve

One Of The Best In The Industry…..

If you are presently involved with, were at one time, or are looking to get involved with Network Marketing, then this blog post should resonate with you.

You see, I was fortunate, VERY fortunate to be in a conference room with 25 others for 3 hours with Mr. Randy Gage. Yes, you read that correctly…. 25 other individuals. If you don’t know who he is, google his name or visit his website at http://randygage.com

He could easily fill a room in a big center with hundreds of Professionals and charge handsomely for his knowledge but he did it for FREE. Now I am not here to tell you about my opportunity, I am here to share with you “generic” information that I learned from Mr. Gage recently and he did it for FREE.

Why is this a big deal?

Well, he used to train Professional Network Marketers, for hundreds and thousands of dollars for weekend leadership training seminars. He did that for a number of years before getting into his latest and last MLM company. Of which he has been building and training other for the past 5 years.

Does he need to train people? NO. Does he need the money? NO. Could he charge his team and all those in this company thousands of dollars for his Expertise? YES. However, he does it for Free

So, I want to share with you some of his ideas and insights into this industry of which he has been a part of for 31 years! This will take more than one blog post so here goes….

One of the very first things he did was talk about “Duplication”.

Is it real or simply a myth?

The underlying message is that Duplication begins with us. That is right, duplication starts first and foremost with us.

Network Marketing, no matter what the company or compensation plan is 99% of the time explained with “circles” and be it a matrix, unilevel, binary, quadra plan, etc…. it is all about circles and guess who is always at the top of your organization and in the very first circle? It is YOU.

So, Duplication which is real by the way, starts with YOU. How do we work on YOU? Very easily… It all starts with Personal Development…

I know this is no secret to many of you reading this but how easy is it to work on YOU? You NEED to start your day with PD. It could be exercise, reading, meditation, etc. but the most important part the we need to understand is that you need to control your attitude and your mindset and if you do this, your day will flow so much better than if you rush out of bed and rush to work, etc, etc, etc.

So here are my challenges for you today…. Begin to work on yourself. Begin to work on YOU. Go buy a book or go to your Public Library and sign out books on Personal Development, begin exercising, get your head right and do this in the early hours of the morning… get up 30 minutes earlier each day and you will begin to see results almost immediately.

Secondly, if you enjoyed this post, share it with your network and leave comments. I would love to hear your feedback. Stay tuned for more great Education to come as a result of my time with Mr Randy Gage. I will be discussing topics such as Culture, Getting Uncomfortable and Your Productivity….

Cheers – Steve

So my last blog post talked about taking action and gaining traction.  Well today I want to talk about taking that action.

Many times I find myself guilty of wanting things to be too perfect.  Plan, plan, plan but fail to take action.  I get all of these great ideas and say once this is ready and I have this all figured out then I will begin.  Well, too many times it gets me nowhere.  I don’t end up taking action.

I am confident that there are some of you reading this that know exactly what I am talking about.

So, why the analogy of ‘Ready, Fire, Aim’?  Well, that is simple…..

Think about the space shuttle, it is never truly on course but it will find its way to the moon or the destination of the mission in question.  It is “Ready” it is “Firing” and it is constantly readjusting or “Aiming”

So, why can’t we do the exact same thing?  Is it the fear of failing, is it due to lack of confidence, is it not having someone to push you along?  It could any number of reasons but it is personal for each and every one of us.

Having said all of this, I challenge you to get ready, start making mistakes, learn from them, adjust and keep on moving forward!.

Let me know how you make out…. I want to hear from you

Cheers – Steve

One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school.   His name was Kyle.

It looked like he was carrying all of his books.  I thought to myself,  Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday?  He must really be a nerd.

I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.

As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him.  They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him…

He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes.  My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye.

As I handed him his glasses, I said, ‘Those guys are jerks.’  They really should get lives.  He looked at me and said, ‘Hey thanks!’ There was a big smile on his face..

It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.

I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.  As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before..

He said he had gone to private school before now.  I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.

We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books.  He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.  I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends and he said yes.  We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.

Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.  I stopped him and said, Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday

He just laughed and handed me half the books. Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends..

When we were seniors we began to think about college.  Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke.

I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never  be a problem. He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a football scholarship..

Kyle was valedictorian of our class.  I teased him all the time about being a nerd.

He had to prepare a speech for graduation.  I was so glad it wasn’t me having to get up there and speak

Graduation day, I saw Kyle.  He looked great.  He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school… He filled out and actually looked good in glasses.

He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.  Boy, sometimes I was jealous!   Today was one of those days.  I could see that he was nervous about his speech.  So, I smacked him on the back and said, ‘Hey, big guy, you’ll be great!’

He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled.

Thanks, he said.   

As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began…

Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years.  Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach…but mostly your friends…..

I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them.  I am going to tell you a story.

I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the first day we met.

He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.

He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn’t have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home.  He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.  Thankfully, I was saved.

My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable…

I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.

I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.

Not until that moment did I realize it’s depth.

Never underestimate the power of your actions..

With one small gesture you can change a person’s life.

For better or for worse……

God puts us all in each others lives to impact one another in some way.

Look for God in others.

You now a choice, you can :

1) Pass this on to your friends by retweeting it, social bookmarking it, posting it on Facebook

or

2) Say that was a nice story and act like it didn’t touch your heart….

It’s your call…..

As you can see, I took choice number 1…

Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.   There is no beginning or end… Yesterday is history…..Tomorrow is a mystery.  Today is a gift…. That is why they call it the present.

Know That You Are Appreciated……..

If you have been paying attention to Twitter on Tuesday evenings then you may have noticed the #tribetuesday catch phrase appear.  If you haven’t, believe me…. it is only a matter of time.

So what exactly is all the fuss?  Have you read the book entitled “Tribes” by Seth Godin?  If you answered no, then you better put that on your immediate “To Do List”, not the one that your wife and you make for ‘around the house’ but the one that you try to fulfill each and every week!

I took it to the next level and purchase the CD/Audio set because I do spend some time traveling and also because I can listen to it while sitting at my computer.

Let’s get you up to speed quickly here with a definition of a tribe.  According to “Oxford Canadian Dictionary” 2^nd Edition it is “A Group Or Community Of People United By A Shared Profession Or Hobby” I think that fits nicely with what the group of names listed below have set out to accomplish.

I have been very fortunate to meet up with the likes of:

Kary Rogney

Michael Feil

Nick Logan

Jon Alfredsson

Ken Pickard

Eric Goldstein

I learn something new about these gentlemen each and every day either through reading about their content or by means of speaking with them.  They have definitely seen a need for leadership in Education, Home Based Business / Social Media and the MLM Arena.   Not only have they seen the need, they have taken it to a whole new level and set the bar very high in doing so.

You will notice that each of their names are hyperlinked…. which simply means that once you click on it your will be taken directly to their blog.  I have done so because they all have tremendous amounts of value to offer anyone wishing to grow and stretch themselves.

So, what is the purpose of the “Tribe” as we know it?  Well, it serves many purposes but I am going to outline only 3 that I believe are of most importance:

1)      Accountability and Support

2)      Education – Ongoing and Reinforcement

3)      Syndication – Sharing Of Others Content

Let me briefly explain these three important criteria…..

Accountability and Support is more or less self-explanatory.  In life what is easy to do is also easy not to do.  That is why having a support group or shall I say “tribe” so important to your success.  Knowing that I have to complete at least one blog post per week, get on a weekly call, and really stay on top of things is the true power of our tribe.

Secondly is Education. These gentlemen and those who they have as mentors, men and women alike, are staying abreast of the most currently and relevant Education that will only further our continued success.  If you are not Educating yourself then you are not growing.  Leaders are Readers!

Lastly is the power of Syndication.  Without Syndication, I would not have nearly as much traffic to my Blog,Ttwitter or Facebook account.  It is solely because of the Syndication that takes place that all tribe members are being rewarded with traffic and more importantly the creation of relationships.

So, I encourage you to do two things:  (1) Visit the blogs of the individuals whose names are listed above and (2) check out Seth Godin’s Book on Tribes.

As some of you may know, I work part time as an Educator.  I am in my 11^th year of Teaching, 10 of which were full time.  However, this year both my wife and I have decided to work only part-time.  She actually only worked part-time last year as well and I was able to witness the benefits of doing so.  The main reason is that it allows us more time with our children.  My oldest is 4 ½ and youngest being 2 ½

So, what lesson have I learned that I think is worth sharing?

It has to be the lesson where we never give up.  Have you ever watched a child attempt to do something without ever thinking to themselves that giving up would be an option?  Sure the child may get upset, cry a little or have a melt-down but they still want resolve.

The same has to be true of us.  We are going to face difficult times.  I believe that will knowledge comes responsibility.  If we have learned something that the masses have yet to understand, it is our responsibility to share and give, give, give.

The situation that drove home this point of not quitting occurred when we were outside playing in the snow.  We were out playing in what I call our winter wonderland.  You see, we live in Eastern Canada and yes, we get a measurable amount of snow each winter.

I say winter wonderland because we have taken it upon ourselves to build 2 sizeable “forts”, carve into the snow seating around our outdoor fire pit to roast marshmellows and make “smorse” (for those who don’t know what they are….you are missing out big time!) and we have constructed 2 sliding runs that converge at the bottom and run into a huge wall.  The boys love it and are old enough to not only slide by themselves but also carry their sled up the hill (big bonus)

So, back to the lesson….sorry got carried away with the description.

We were outside playing and it was snowing at the time and all of our paths (mazes) were not yet shovelled.  My 2 ½ year old has a great memory and decided he wanted to pull his sled around the house and do the usual laps that he frequently does.

The problem arose when he realized that it would be much more difficult to accomplish because daddy still hadn’t shovelled the 10 inches of snow.  So I think you can begin to see the dilemma?  He is 2 ½ years old, dressed for comfort and warmth, not so much speed and he wants to walk his path…..

It was here that I was able to stand back and take a break from the shoveling and watch.  I was able to watch my youngest attempt to walk through snow that if things were to scale would be like us as adults trying to walk in snow half way up our thigh!  It would be difficult to do at best and we would likely give up.  That was not an option for Denver.  He walked the entire path that was not yet shoveled until he reached the clear path.

So, why is this such a valuable lesson?  It serves two purposes for me.  One, I was able to witness it because I am only working part-time.  It is moments like these that reassure me that taking a leave from my JOB and putting more time into my children and wife was a wise decision.  And two, it helped me realize that at times when I feel like giving up, I need only press on a little further and I will reach my finish line.

With 2010 being only 5 days old, now is the time to map out our goals for the year, the next 6 months, the next 3 months, the next month and every week as they come up.  We need to realize that if we want to succeed, quitting is not an option.  I could see it in the eyes of my 2 ½ year old, Denver, that giving up just wasn’t an option.

Now think about that…

2 Years ago I sat and thought about this, and said to myself,

‘You know something has got to be wrong here. Everyone is
preaching on what to do to become successful and live the
american dream, but everyone is on the same boat.”

And The chart above showed you the exact separation from those
on the boats(95%), and those on the yachts(1-4%).

The Entrepreneurial Philosophy…

Due to being connected and aligned with successful and the most

entrepreneurial minded people in the world, I was driven down a
whole different road.

I locked myself solely in on Plan A to the point where it is
either achieving Plan A or Die!

The difference with this philosophy is you put a laser focus on
what you ultimately want to accomplish, leaving you flat out no
choice but to accomplish it.

Oppose to having multiple focuses, which takes away your
emphasis on your major goal.

There is such great opportunity out there. It is just the matter
of the fact of doing what it takes to seize it.

Since very young, many of us had these aspirations on how we
were going to be something big.

Many of us have went on and accomplished those feats as well as
many let that vision slide away and became comfortable on living
the average life. But hey, “If you want the average, do what
average people do.”

Need I say More?

I wish you all continued success,

Aaron Seligson

P.S. “Life is What you Make of It”

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up, She was tired of fighting and struggling.

It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.  Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil.

In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, ‘ Tell me what you see. ‘ ‘Carrots, eggs, and coffee, ‘ she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

The daughter then asked, ‘What does it mean, mother? ‘ Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water…….. Each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

‘Which are you? ‘ she asked her daughter. ‘ When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain.When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.

When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity?

Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy. The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can ‘ t go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you’re the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

You might want to send this message to those people who mean something to you (I JUST DID); to those who have touched your life in one way or another; to those who make you smile when you really need it; to those who make you see the brighter side of things when you are really down; to those whose friendship you appreciate; to those who are so meaningful in your life.

If you don’t send it, you will just miss out on the opportunity to brighten someone’s day with this message!

May we’ll all be COFFEE!!!!!!

Cheers – Steve

ps My mom sent this to me via email today and I have no idea the author….just felt it was important to share

If you don’t have goals, then you need to set some. You need something to work towards. Put your own goals to the test. When you sit down and start recognizing goals, you will maybe end up with a long list. Choose what is most important to you in your personal lives. All goals do not have equal value. Some will be more meaningful to you. These are the goals to start on. Keep your list of the remaining goals to get back to later. Trying to do over at the same time can be self-defeating.

Write your goals down, as this increases obligation. Make your deadline for each goal reachable and realistic. There is no such right or wrong on how long you determine it will take to reach a goal. It will be different for each person and each goal. Whatever is comfortable for you is what counts.

If all this seems overwhelming or not easy, start with just one goal. Make it easy and short term. Once you have accomplished this, go on to another goal. Remember that life is a journey to be enjoyed. Be kind to yourself. You will find by setting goals and classifying what you need to do to get there, will cut down on a lot of stress in your life. At the same time, you will be making those visions a reality.

Take a bit of time to reflect on your life and decide which sections of your life need goals. With our fast paced, information overloaded society we certainly don’t spend enough time reflecting on our life.

Discovering and living by your core value brings us purpose and true meaning. By not holding yourself responsible to your own goals, you are not taking yourself seriously. Take pride in your future. Commit and follow through. It’s really not that hard.