As King Solomon reflected on his life, he came to the conclusion that everything in life had a time and a season.  In the end it was only God and His work, that remain timeless and enduring.

5 years ago, my family and I had just moved in with friends, wiped out from the start of a new ministry.  It was during that time that I started building network marketing businesses online.  It was through those businesses that we were able to move from their spare bedroom into an apartment the following year…a huge victory to say the least.

For me networking marketing had been a life boat.  It got me from point A to point B and more importantly it equipped me with the technical and marketing know how that have become so valuable to me now.

Over the last 2 years, I found myself in an internal tug of war at times with my business.   I love the concept and model of network marketing; however, I watched people and companies come and go.  So many I encountered were looking for an easy button, simply hoping they could spend a few dollars and poof, they would have instant fame.

On the other hand I saw a lot of companies come and go as well.  When I look back on companies I’ve reviewed on this blog, nearly 2/3 of them don’t even exist anymore.   Don’t get me wrong, there are still some great companies in this industry.  Companies with successful track records that continue to deliver great products and services, while providing solid businesses for their representatives.

Ultimately though my inner struggle came down to this…

I was building someone else’s dream in an equation where I did not control all of the variables.  If someone else’s decision was not a strong decision, my business was going to be affected, even though I had no say in the matter (kind of reminds you of government doesn’t it?).

The realization began to set in that I had a valuable set of skills, but I was deploying them in a very volatile and unstable environment.  It was time to reassess if this was still the primary arena that I needed to play in.

Changing Direction in Life – Look For the Destiny Pointers

I find that God speaks to us in many different ways.  In early 2013 I read a book that began to make me uncomfortable with my business as it currently was.  In The Millionaire Fastlane, by MJ DeMarco, the author reiterated over and over again the need to control the process of your business.  The more I evaluated my own business, the more vulnerable I realized I was.

This vulnerability was exposed numerous times in 2013 as I went through the upheaval of my primary business team from a poorly executed product launch and the upheaval of another business from a leader who creating fictitious accounts so he could win a sales contest.  Whether I liked it or not, too much of my outcome was tied to people and variables that I could not always influence.

That fall I met Marshall Sylver, a man who has gone on to become a great friend and mentor. Marshall quickly picked up on my real passions…public speaking, teaching and coaching.  He encouraged me repeatedly that it was time to come out from behind my computer and that I should start operating in my true passions and strengths.  Through Marshall I began to meet other top level entrepreneurs who challenged me in my thinking and expanded my horizons.

In the fall of 2013, I also found myself changing the church I attended.  At the beginning of the year I had traveled to Africa with a young local pastor who had a heart to do ministry in Uganda.  For 2 weeks, we lead conferences together in Kenya and Uganda, during which time we spent a great deal of time talking about my journey and the future direction of my life and ministry.

That fall he and I met for coffee.  During that conversation, he asked me to consider coming under his ministry, as he had begun building on top of the foundations I had previously laid in East Africa.  Every time we would talk about my business, he would always ask me some thought provoking questions.  I often found myself trying to justify why I was staying put during those conversations.

Changing Direction in Life – Sometimes You Have to Bottom Out

I once came across a sermon illustration about a father who had purchased a brand new bicycle for his son.  One day the father approached his son and asked him if he could have his old, worn out bicycle.  The young boy didn’t want to be without a bicycle so he resisted, not realizing that his father had a brand new bike waiting for him.  After a period of weeks, continually saying “no” to his father’s request, the young boy finally relented.  What he thought was a sad experience quickly turned to joy as he was presented with the new bicycle.

Through the end of 2013 and into the beginning of 2014 I watched my business begin to erode.  I tried a number of different things to breathe new life into it, but the trends continued.  Although the monthly checks were still coming in, they were nothing near what they had been.

I was at a place where not only did I know I needed to adjust my business, but it was becoming painful not to do so.

Changing Direction in Life – Building Your Future With Experiences of the Past

Fortunately the answer presented itself quickly, when I was approached by a local attorney to begin consulting with her in regards to the internet marketing strategy for her law firm.  I quickly realized that there were plenty of small business owners who would gladly pay for my knowledge and expertise.  These were not people who were going to quit and give up in a matter of weeks and the profitability per client per month far exceeded the monthly profitability of my average network marketing customer.

Over the next few months that client pool began to grow and with that growth I was also presented with opportunities to speak before audiences…my sweet spot.  Those speaking engagements have now led to individualized coaching, my other sweet spot.  I am now operating fully in the places that I am most passionate about.

The internet marketing expertise I have gained through the last 5 years of building network marketing businesses online has been the key that has unlocked the door to the business I now have.  The key difference is that my business is now built around me, all of the components of that business operating according to my own decisions and direction.

I still continue to operate those network marketing businesses that I believe in and continue to operate profitably for me; however, I have put the main focus of my time and efforts into the pieces of the business that I can control.

If you find yourself in a time of re-evaluating your future direction and needing some objective insights, give me a call.  I’d love to help you find your sweet spot as you begin changing direction in life.