This event is one of a kind!  Please visit the authors home page at the link below.  This event has allowed me the launch of my own corporate business, and the ability to have working freedon=m and be creative at what I do, creating, planning, and promoting events.  Thank you Mr. Bailey and I, most of all, wish you much success!!!

When becoming part of an organization, it is important to note that “birds of a feather flock together”, as the cliche goes.  Who you associate with in a nutshell represents you.  If you are having doubts about the integrity of your organization, then your prospects will too.  If you genuinely believe in something, you need to make it work for you.  But this is why it is important to not just follow the crowd.  You need to do your research and understand the organization you are becoming affiliated with.  If you have done all of your research, and it is not a match then move on to the next (Please note- opinions of friends and relatives is NOT RESEARCH… YOUR brain should work for you, and since you have the ability to make up your own mind, do it- This is one of the most common causes of failure).  Time is of the essence, and if you are not willing to put in the effort to follow the guidelines, then maybe it is not for you.  Or it just may not be the right time in your life.  However, if you know it is somehow meant to be, or your calling to do something great with your life, then be a leader.  Accept the principles of your new found friends and stick with it.  It’s all in the Power of You!

What you are willing, or not willing to do, will determine the success of your business.  Some people like to rely of the Law of Attraction and other meditation methods.  Personally, being a Christian, I believe that God gives everyone talents to use (story of the ten talents) and if you are not willing to go out there and give it your best effort, then what good is your talent.  It’s just being wasted.  So put your best foot forward and take action: making your lists, setting your goals, seminars, reading, follow-up calls, and cold/ warm market prospecting.  You have to be willing to put the effort into YOU!  Because only you know what you are capable of and where you want to go and accomplish.  Nothing in this world comes easy, but with the right tools, you can make it happen for yourself!

Methodologies are usually set in place for most MLM’s, and it usually begings with making a list.  The list will consist of people you know, some well, others may only be simple acquaintances.  But no one should ever be written off, until you have been give the outright rejection.  You may lose friends, and you may make some new ones, but the idea is to never give up on yourself.  Fear is easily detected by most prospects and can make it harder for you to close the sale.  So start by first opening your mind, then by eliminating the fear (usually with prayer, meditation, success coaching, self help reading, etc.), and then set your goals so they are attainable.  What you want to do is build your confidence, so with each small step and goal achievement, your confidence will build.  In my life I have often had mixed times of shyness.  It would come and go, and I could never understand why this was.  After so many years, I then realized that in certain circles I was at times intimidated because of the lack of connection or affiliation or knowledge of that cirlce.  For some reason I never let that lack stop me from socializing, but I was mostly an observer.  But once I realized it was a lack of self esteem, I began to work on the art of talking to strangers.  Now I have no problem just going over to someone on the street and offering them an opportunity of a lifetime.  It all began with me.  So once I conquered myself and my own inhibitions, I could take off in the direction I wanted to go with no problem or hinderances. 

This is the power of you- mastering yourself and your inhibitions to making and creating the life that you want for yourself.  When you conquer fear, doubt, regret, and all the negative challenges, nothing can get in the way of your making the best effort you can for success!  When most people look back they understand that the reason for the lack of success and progress in their lives was not so much knowlege, but the fear of success.  But once they were able to regroup, retain their focus, and feel positive, they were able to climb the mountain of fear, and ultimately come out on top.

Until next time- remember it’s all in the power of YOU!

A failing relationship, that took me eight years to realize it was doomed from the start, began to propel me into a world of the “get rich, or die trying path (NO CREDIT TO FIFTY CENTS)”  to find myself, as well as my hope and inner strength.  I needed to release all the mental baggage I was carrying.  When I first came to Jersey, I was pretty stable in the daily grind, but hiding so many things to keep up my appearance of professionalism.  I didn’t want anyone to know that I was a divorce` with two kids out-of-wedlock, and a college dropout.  But now it all seems relative, now that I’m older and wiser. I have begun to realize, that when you decide to clean the skeletons out of the closet, your freedom of mind, body, and spirit can begin.

Over the course of my professional life I have worked in various industries, but the one dream that I could never seem to catch up with is the dream of running a successful MLM.  I began in college when I tried to enlist with Mary Kay.  I really liked the idea that they put God first, but then I didn’t understand the concept of cosmetics, nor did I understand that to make money and become a true business, it requires a significant amount of investment in the spending of time, and MONEY.  Hence began my rollercoaster ride of MLM.  I dropped out of the Mary Kay syndicate a month after I began.  If only the recruiter was straight with me and told me that to be successful, you must reinvest money for the first year or so, and dig your heels in, I may not have gotten off the ride!

Then later on, I tried my hand at starting my cleaning business as a sole proprietorship.  Country Tyme Cleaners (as I had so aptly named it) actually took off, but before I knew it, love got in the way and I threw my business away and moved to New Jersey with the  conclusion that, if  having a business of my own, was truly meant for me,  then I would be successful in another state.  To my dismay, it never happened again.  Somehow the “stick to it-ness” or the “stick and stay” was just not with me, and I really knew nothing about being a true business owner. 

With my hopes thrown away, I then decided to try real estate.  But after passing the course and state exam, which was the easy part, I didn’t realize how hard it would be for buyers to commit to one realtor!  The state of New Jersey normally does not use buyers contracts to retain business in real estate, unless the realtor is a good enough salesperson to have a written committment.  So  I worked with many uncommitted customers (I often wondered if this was something normal for people in NJ).  But who knows, maybe it was just me!  Unfortunately, I did not have enough of the drive, nor the knowledge to negotiate contracts, so I let a lot of customers slip through the cracks.   I was unable to set boundaries of what I was willing and not willing to do for a sale.   These things they don’t teach you in Real Estate School, and if that was something you needed to learn you would  literally have to pay an additional fee, for a class they call ”Business Concepts”.   So another lesson learned.  I believe that the real estate market would have really propelled me into financial stability, if I had the proper mentorship.  Real estate really isn’t something that you can start with part-time (which is the mistake I made).  Either you are in or you are out all the way!  And it’s such a shame too, with the way the market is now, I could have made a bundle back then!…….Moving on…………………….

Then, I was approached by Maleuca- that never even got off the ground.  I often found that some ventures I joined were just to win friends, keep friends, or just to plainly “get rich quick”.  I  often wanted to be one of those persuasive types who were able to ” lead the horses to water”  and “make them drink”.  But once again another venture failed.  I often found that the products were superb.  But how could I transfer that belief to others?  It seems to me that without proper guidance and methods, failure is imminent. 

Then along came Avon.  I didn’t even really try my hand at selling it, but knew the products were great.  I had used Avon (and Mary Kay) for most of my young adult life.  Mom sold Avon when we were kids, but I never saw her make a profit, not one that I could remember anyway.  I was approached by someone who told me I could become a salesperson for the low starting fee of just $10.  Wow!  What’s not to love about that?  But buyer beware (or potential business owner beware)!  What you are not told is that you may have other significant start-up costs, such as booklets, other advertising tools (websites), and sample product line to buy so your customers can test the product.   This is definitely a great way for stay at home moms to make a little extra cash, and college students trying their hand at making some extra cash and learning the principles of Business 101.  I actually bought most when I was in college from a girl in the dormitory just down the hall- and it seemed to me that she had that corner of campus marked as her official (everyone seemed to know that Charisse sold Avon) territory!  Then when away at home on break I bought from the woman in my best friends neighborhood, that her mom bought from.  So that “its all who you know” and “word of mouth” thing really does have it’s advantages!

However, being displeased with  Avon’s cosmetics for women of color, and Mary Kay’s price points on small quantity amounts, I upgraded to Amway’s products of Artistry.  At first I only was a consumer.  However, a few years later, I began to invest time and dollars in trying my hand at becoming an associate.  The products being some of the most organic you can buy, have great appeal for someone like me, who is against synthetics and preservatives.  The vitamins being a key selling point for the company (they have certifiable organic farms).  The only real turnoff was the constant pressure to make “PV” every month, extra time taken away from my “Me Time”,  spending on self motivational tools, as well as the cult like atmosphere to hang out together almost 5-7 days a week and forsake family, friends, and hobbies, until you “MAKE IT BIG!”  I could understand the concept of being financially free, even the spending of time with like-minded people, but it should not come at the cost of giving up your time with your family and friends, and most importantly, YOURSELF!  You want people to have access to you, and be able to tell them the joys of your new found success!  You don’t want to always look busy and shun your family!  Any organization that tells you to steer clear of family and friends that don’t approve, and then ”write them off”, I would suggest leaving the group and running for the hills.  Not to say that Amway (formerly Quixtar) promotes this type of behavior, but some groups out there really brainwash people to believe that.  Yes, people who are not happy about your new found success may have a negative impact on your success, but you may want to consider them a “maybe prospect” for the future.  Once they see how well you are doing in your organization, they may even change their minds, but always leave the door open.  To keep it open you may want to just stop harping on your affiliation and just do your best to succeed, so they can see the benefits of your involvement.  Most people appreciate the “doers” more than the “talkers”.  Naysayers should be avoided when getting started but always make sure you are comfortable with YOU before getting into anything.  Some groups really know how to target people who are not “happy” and then reel them in (cults in general) with the promises of either financial or personal enrichment.

To be continued…….  Next THE POWER of YOU

Hello Everyone:

Would like to invite your comments and complaints.  This site will focus on business and the MLM industry.  I am not an accomplished writer as of yet, but hope to be soon.  I plan on writing a book in the near future and hope that you will be part of the journey.

Peace and Blessings

Dee Dee