Network to Freedom

Network to Freedom http://bodybydesign.wordpress.com

bodybydesign — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 00:30:51 +0000

Life On Your Terms

Table of Contents:

Dog Days of Summer

Best Practices:

Building Structure:

MLM Startup:

Govt Issues:

Industry:

Stop It!

bodybydesign — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00:42 +0000

You are a Champion!

Have you ever been to a meeting and you wondered why you were invited? Perhaps you are told it’s an input session (you were invited to give some input) and you are never asked for your input. In fact, you find that one or two people monopolize the evening with nonstop talk. Not conversation because conversation is a two way street. Finally, the evening is over and you leave feeling like you’ve spent the evening with some alcoholic without control of thought or mouth.

Or, you have what we call in Network Marketing a Business Mixer to expose more people to the products or opportunity (on the theory that more sales can be made in a group than in a one-on-one or two-on-one meeting) and one person leads the mixer with nonstop talk. You have some really good prospects in the room but they are never asked any questions and never get to express themselves. At the end of a long evening the event leader says, “If you have any questions we will be happy to stay and answer any questions.” What was the meeting about? It’s like that old saying I’ve heard in Arkansas, “We’ll treat you so many different ways you are bound to like some of them.” Some people bring a shotgun to make a sale. Surely we can hit something if we tell them all we know. People with ego or other issues like to tell you their life story (perhaps several times) and make sure you get the picture of where they’ve been in life.

We’ve all heard that old saying, “Time is Money” and we all know that it’s true.

At this point in your life it may be time to take out pencil and paper and make a list of things “not” to do. This is so much easier than a to do list. Why am I doing this now, and why am I doing it this way. Is this even necessary? Don’t worry, your list will be long.

People do certain things because “that’s the way it’s done.” Some people go to work one morning to find out that their job has been automated because a machine can do it cheaper, faster, and without breaks. Why? Because some engineer woke up one morning and asked the simple question: “Why are we doing this and why are we doing it this way?”

After spending mega hours on a career, never seeing the kids grow up, and losing the marriage people wake up one morning and say, “Why did I do this?” “Why did I trade my life working for this ingrate that could care less about me?” Leave the building now and never look back.

Now is the time to make a list of things you need to stop doing and people you need to stop doing it for! Look for things you would rather be doing.

“Don’t find a fault; find a remedy.” Henry Ford

Positional Leaders

bodybydesign — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:20 +0000

You are a Champion!

“Think influence, not position“

The Influence Challenge, by John Maxwell, The 360 ° Leader:

“It’s a fallacy to believe that people would automatically follow you if you were the positional leader. Leaders who have actually been on top know that it doesn’t work that way. Do people follow you now? If they follow you today, then they will follow you tomorrow when you have a better position. But if people don’t follow you where you are currently, then they won’t follow you where you’re going either.

The only solution to the Influence Challenge is to become the kind of leader other people want to follow. And what kind of leader would that be?

PEOPLE FOLLOW LEADERS THEY KNOW–Leaders Who Care

Many people try to move others by criticizing them or trying to ‘power up’ on them. People generally respond by becoming defensive, behaving combatively, or isolating themselves. Protestant reformer John Knox said, ‘You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time.’

On the other hand, if leaders care about each individual as a person, then people respond well to them. The greater the depth of their concern, the broader and longer lasting their influence. Bo Schembechler, former head coach of the University of Michigan football team, remarked, ‘Deep down, your players must know you care about them. This is the most important thing. I could never get away with what I do if the players felt I didn’t care. They know, in the long run, I’m in their corner.’

People can sense how you feel about them. They can tell the difference between leaders who are using them for their own gain and those who want to help them succeed. People warm up to warm people. They get to know the heart of someone who cares, and they respond well to them. I think of it this way: second-mile leaders produce second-mile followers. If you go out of your way to care about others and help them, then they will go out of their way to help you when you ask them to.”

“…Several years ago, I coauthored a book called Becoming a Person of Influence with Jim Dornan. Many people tell me that of all my books, it is their favorite. Why is that? I believe it’s because it’s a book on leadership for people without leadership positions. It’s especially popular among people involved in network marketing, because their business is entirely influenced based.”

If we observe nature (how things work) we will find that the Bee Keeper is not afraid of his bees. He’s not their boss (the smallest bee will sting the largest human disregarding life and limb) but they will share their honey with those getting too close to the hive. The Bee keeper is not “threatening” to those busy little bees that are going about their work. He belongs in their daily activities and lives.

Most of God’s creatures (including humans) will act in a predictable manner if we will just observe and learn.

“Become a person that people will want to follow.”

Vision Sabotage

bodybydesign — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:21 +0000

You are a Champion!

Attack It–Criticize and Sabotage The Vision, by John Maxwell, The 360 ° Leader:

“Not everyone is going to buy into the vision of an organization, even if it is compelling, and even if the leader does a fantastic job of communicating it. That’s just a fact, and it isn’t always because the people are bad followers. Take a look at the most common reasons people fail to adopt a worthy vision:

THEY DIDN’T HELP CREATE IT. Let’s face it. Most people don’t like change, and whenever someone begins casting a new vision, change is inevitable. I used to think that leaders liked change and followers didn’t. But as I’ve gained maturity, I’ve come to realize that leaders don’t like change any more than followers do–unless, of course, it’s their idea!

People’s attitudes toward change are different when they help create it. Participation increases ownership. When you’re an owner, you see things differently. You step up. You take better care of whatever it is. If you doubt that, answer this question. When was the last time you waxed a rental car? It just doesn’t happen. People are up on things that they’re in on.

THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND IT. People don’t buy into a vision that they don’t understand. It just doesn’t happen. And just because leaders have cast a vision in a clear and compelling manner, doesn’t mean that their people really understand it. Different kinds and styles of communication don’t connect equally for everybody.

Ken Blanchard once asked Max DePree, author of Leadership Is an Art, what he thought the leader’s role was in an organization. DePree said, ‘You have to act like a third-grade teacher. You have to repeat the vision over and over and over again until the people get it.’ And if a leader is really wise, she communicates it in many ways, in many settings, using many methods.

THEY DON’T AGREE WITH IT. Some people react negatively to a vision because they think it’s impossible to achieve. Others–though it happens much less often–because they think it’s too small. Still others balk because the vision has changed since the time they originally signed on. But more often than not, the real issue has more to do with the leader. If people disagree with the vision, it’s often because they have a problem with the person who cast it. The Law of Buy-In found in the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership says that people buy into the header, then the vision.

If they believe in the leaders, then they embrace what those leaders believe in. Even when their leaders promote a vision that isn’t compelling, the people who have already bought into them continue to support them. However, this variation on the Law of Buy-In is also true: No matter how good the vision is, if people don’t believe in the leader, they will have problems buying in to the vision.“

“You are the message–Every message that people receive is filtered through the messenger who delivers it. If you consider the messenger to be credible, then you believe the message has value” John Maxwell

Now Mentality

bodybydesign — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:11 +0000

You are a Champion!

Don’t confuse mentoring (working with people) with a Now Mentality when it comes to doing the business. A now mentality knows that time is of the essence and we need to do it now. Who can we go see NOW! (WON spelled backwards).

Need an example? My health insurance carrier decided to take another large annual increase (based on zip code or something) even though we never have claims. And so, I went online to eHealthInsurance to get some quotes. Almost immediately we started getting calls from agents to give us quotes. I had a problem and needed a solution. Are you bashful about solving problems for people–NOW?

Some agents got in touch with me immediately but said they would email me a variety of alternatives and quotes from various carriers (one even mailed the information). One agent (not the first to call) called me and immediately began asking questions (the information he needed to get us approved). He feed the information into his computer while we were talking and then said, “Here’s the best solution I have for you.” He gave me a great price and told me how long it would take and then said, “I have the information I need and we can submit your information right now to get you approved. Would you like me to sign you up right now?“ In about (5) minutes of asking the right questions and closing the sale this agent was done. How many policies do you imagine he writes in a day compared to other agents researching and sending emails? Are you in the business or not?

Just another observation. Voice mail systems may work fine for some companies but I spent almost as much time canceling my old policy through their voice mail system and I am still hoping it’s not messed up or got canceled properly. Do you really want to deal with your customers in this impersonal fashion?

Getting this NOW concept across to new recruits in Network Marketing (and even some that have been around awhile) is difficult. While they are busy losing one sale in a day (they may say something like - why don’t you go home and think about it or sign up when you get home instead of we can sign you up right now and here is the best solution for you) someone else has made twenty sales in the same time period.

Do you have solutions or not? If so, “now” is the time!

Set The Pace

bodybydesign — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:40 +0000

You are a Champion!

Leaders Can Set The Pace, by John Maxwell, The 360 ° Leader:

“♥ Leaders love progress. It’s one of their primary motivations. That’s why explorer David Livingston said, ‘I will go anywhere provided it is forward.’ As a leader, you probably love moving forward, and the faster the better. But that also can work against you. If you are running so far ahead that your people can’t follow, then your organization won’t succeed. Achievers often cross the finish line first, but leaders rarely do. A leader’s success comes from bringing others across the finish line with them.

In Winning with People, the Patience Principle states that the journey with others is slower than the journey alone. That’s true in every area of life where you are trying to lead. A trip to the grocery store is much faster alone than it is if you have to take your children. A business trip with a group of colleagues is never as fast as one by yourself. (Doesn’t it take thirty minutes just to get everyone to agree on a place to eat?) A single golfer can play a course in nearly half the time it takes a foursome.

As a leader, you may be able to model the behavior you desire in others, but you will not be able to go as quickly as you want. Too many people seem to share the attitude of humorous poet Ogden Nash, who wrote, ‘Progress might have been all right once, but it’s going on entirely too long.’ The only people who will fight for progress the way you do, and move as quickly, will probably be other leaders.”

Self-Promotion	Selfless Promotion
Me first	Others first
Move up	Build up
Guard information	Share information
Take credit	Give credit
Hog the ball (star)	Pass the ball
Dodge the ball (blame)	Share the ball
Manipulate others	Motivate others

♥ Self-promotion says, ‘If you don’t toot your own horn, no one will toot it for you.’ Selfless promotion says, ‘I just want to help the team make beautiful music.’

“You must be interested in finding the best way, not in having your own way.” John Wooden

Top People

bodybydesign — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:00:25 +0000

You are a Champion!

The Influence Myth, by John Maxwell, The 360 ° Leader:

“If I were on top, then people would follow me.”

“I once read that President Woodrow Wilson had a housekeeper who constantly lamented that she and her husband didn’t possess more prestigious positions in life. One day the lady approached the president after she heard that the secretary of labor had resigned from the administration.

‘President Wilson,’ she said, ‘my husband is perfect for his vacant position. He is a laboring man, knows what labor is, and understands laboring people. Please consider him when you appoint the new secretary of labor.’

‘I appreciate your recommendation,’ answered Wilson, ‘but you must remember, the secretary of labor is an important position. It requires an influential person.’

‘But,’ the housekeeper said, ‘if you made my husband the secretary of labor, he would be an influential person!’

People who have no leadership experience have a tendency to overestimate the importance of a leadership title. That was the case for President Wilson’s housekeeper. She thought that leadership was a reward that someone of importance could grant. But influence doesn’t work that way. You may be able to grant someone a position, but you cannot grant him real leadership. Influence must be earned.

A position gives you a chance. It gives you the opportunity to try out your leadership. It asks people to give you the benefit of the doubt for a while. But given some time, you will earn your level of influence–for better or worse. Good leaders will gain in influence beyond their stated position. Bad leaders will shrink their influence down so that it is actually less than what originally came with the position. Remember, a position doesn’t make a leader, but a leader can make the position.”

“The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg–not smashing it.” Arnold Glasow

Shock and Awe

bodybydesign — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:00:19 +0000

You are a Champion!

The Freedom Myth, by John Maxwell, The 360 ° Leader:

“Sometimes I think people get the wrong idea about leadership. Many people hope that it’s a ticket to freedom. It will provide a solution to their professional and career problems. But being at the top is not a cure-all.

Have you entertained the idea that being in charge will change your life? Have thoughts such as these come to mind from time to time?

When I get to the top, I’ll have it made.
When I finally finish climbing the corporate ladder. I’ll have time to rest.
When I own the company, I’ll be able to do whatever I want.
When I’m in charge, the sky will be the limit.

Anybody who has owned a company or been the top leader in an organization knows that those ideas are little more than fantasies. Being the top leader doesn’t mean you have no limits. It doesn’t remove the lid from your potential. It doesn’t matter what job you do or what position you obtain; you will have limits. That’s just the way life is.

When you move up in an organization, the weight of your responsibility increases. In many organizations, as you move up the ladder, you may even find that the amount of responsibility you take on increases faster than the amount of authority you receive. When you go higher, more is expected of you, the pressure is greater, and the impact of your decisions weights more heavily. You must take these things into account.”

I always find it interesting when others envy the positions of leaders and wish they were as “lucky.”

If we will follow our heart to success we can avoid a lot of “shock and awe” when the generic ideas we may have had don’t materialize as we thought they would.

Travel your own path to freedom!

” Influencing others is a matter of disposition, not position.” John Maxwell

A lot of people may be shocked but not awed by our actions.

Choose Happiness

bodybydesign — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:00:18 +0000

You are a Champion!

The Traveler’s Gift, Andy Andrews, 2002:

“Today I will choose to be happy. Our lives are fashioned by choice,Mr. Ponder.

First we make choices. Then our choices make us.

My life—my personality, my habits, even my speech—is a combination of the books I choose to read, the people I choose to listen to, and the thoughts I choose to tolerate in my mind. Life itself is a privilege, but to live life to its fullest—well, that is a choice.

Happiness is a choice. Laughter is an outward expression of enthusiasm, and I know that enthusiasm is the fuel that moves the world. People are drawn to me because I have laughter in my heart. The world belongs to the enthusiastic, for people will follow them anywhere!

I do not sing because I am happy; I am happy because I sing! My smile is the key to my emotional makeup. In the past, I have found discouragement in particular situations until I compared the condition of my life to others less fortunate. Just as a fresh breeze cleans smoke from the air, so a grateful spirit removes the cloud of despair.

It is impossible for the seeds of depression to take root in a thankful heart.”

Structuring Big Money in The U.S.

bodybydesign — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:54 +0000

You are a Champion!

Ross Perot has a website called Perot Charts because he’s big on Charts and he’s big on facts. I notice he has a quote from David Walker, CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.

If you read the background of people like Peter Peterson you will find that he’s an Investment Banker, billionaire, and Secretary of Commerce under Richard Nixon. I’ve read some of his books and he has a significant handle on the facts and his facts are very very troubling. I’ve read his solutions to the facts so I will just assume (I didn’t study his site) that Perot got his facts and solutions from people like Pete (very connected and intelligent people).

However, their solutions trouble me because their solutions come from the viewpoint of the Banking Industry and the rich. His solutions to entitlements will be privatization. What concerns me, for the general population, regarding his solutions relates really to one issue. That issue is the shifting of risk.

SHIFTING OF RISK:

Here’s a story to put this into perspective. You live in San Diego, CA in a million dollar home and have $10,000 in the bank. Frankly, in San Diego your million dollar home isn’t too big and your savings are poor. However, you need to shift your social security payment to investments and you need to self insure your health. These are natural solutions made by the rich every day.

Rich people self insure a portion of their risk, because it’s cheaper than insurance, and they would love to invest instead of put money into social security. While you may go broke or create debt by self insurance that’s not true of the rich. Let’s look at a different fact situation. They may live in a $60 million dollar home and have millions in investments. YOU ARE NOT REMOTELY IN THEIR RISK SITUATION. The market may go bust, and they will still drive their luxury car to the grocery store. You will be in the soup line.

Let’s consider some real solutions to their factual information and charts:

You pay into the social security trust fund and the government (similar to University practices) invests your money in the market. They separate this fund from the general fund. The government assumes the market risk and you have no downside risk but you get to benefit from the investment growth. The problem with social security has always been the structure. Think of the Billions earned if there had been a true fund invested in the market like they now want you to do on an individual basis.
You do exactly the same thing with Health Care. Premiums go to a fund invested in the market (just like the private insurance carriers do now). The first argument against this will be, “The Government can’t run health care!” You’re right they can’t. However, they can assume the risk and take the profit out of health care.

OTHER ISSUES:

Let’s move on to the National Debt. What creates money? What creates the supply of money is debt or loans by the banking system. In fact, DEBT = MONEY. Car, boat, house, and other loans (through the banking system) makes up the major portion of the money supply even though our government prints money. Too much debt equals devaluation of the dollar, and less purchasing power, just like printing too much money causes inflation.

Now, ask yourself this question about our money structure: “Instead of printing money, and paying no interest, why does our government (federal, state, and local) borrow money and pay interest?” After all, they do have the power to pay their bills with the money they print. Why does our government pay interest on debt? What am I saying? Just one simple example, Oklahoma builds a toll road and the federal government says, “Here’s the cash to pay for it (I printed the cash you need last night) just pay me back out of your small tolls–no interest please.” Where’s the turnpike bonds, investment banks, etc. in this equation? Not quite like aid to a foreign country (because Oklahoma would pay the principal back out of fees collected).
Defense Spending is huge and drives our economy. For example, we can use this spending to get out of a recession (creating sales and jobs for defense contractors) or control resources around the world. As a people we need to make sure the direction (goals) of defense spending is kept in check.
Let’s consider Big Oil next. Remember the simple accounting equation: Sales - expenses = profit? Oil company profits have tripled and that leads us to believe that forces are driving price other than simple supply and demand or cost to produce. Elasticity of demand is a big issue in the cost of fuel. Financial speculators (those who never take possession of the commodity) but are in the middle between suppliers and consumers need more control. Supply risks (war premiums) are a significant factor too. Also, as the price goes up more reserves (supply) become available due to various reserves becoming more economical to produce. In other words, the supply is large in places like our own country and could be harvested.
Next, let’s look at taxes. I appreciate how much Mike Huckabee knows about taxes and tried to educated the Republicans in the primary election (particularly about the FairTax). His understanding on taxes would solve a lot of issues (perhaps the time is not right but I am convinced it will come). It will come because of issues raised by people like Ross Perot, Pete Peterson, and the weight of reality. Everyday I am amazed at people talking about “progressive taxation” because they don’t understand the game. Let’s say you have been paid $100 dollars and $50 dollars will go to taxes and living expenses. Do you really care how the $50 dollars is divided if you could get the same living expenses and taxes paid? The “progressive” part of taxes are charged back to you in the name of “Living Expenses.” If you don’t understand this then you need to spend some time on this issue. I think I’ve already amply pointed out that you are not in the same game the rich are playing. CORPS. DO NOT PAY TAXES PEOPLE PAY TAXES!
Finally, Gold is just “one” medium of exchange just like silver and oil. There’s not enough gold on this planet to back up our IOUs!

Don’t get caught in a rich mans game!

“The inability of the Colonists to get power to issue their own money permanently out of the hands of George III and the international bankers was the PRIME reason for the revolutionary war.” Benjamin Franklin