Discovering The Power Of Transparency

A little over a week ago, one of the young up and comers in the world of online network marketing came out and revealed to the world that he was returning to the workforce.  Not only was he taking a job at a fitness center, but he was also taking a job as a driver for Domino’s pizza.   Now for many this came as a real shocker, because this young man had been celebrated for going from being a full time employee at McDonald’s to creating a 5 figure monthly income online with the creation of his own products and services.   His story had caught the attention of many top leaders in our industry and he had been featured on many training calls.  How could it be that someone so successful was now making these decisions?

What this young man ultimately revealed was that he was irresponsible with his success.   He had built his marketing empire on one strategy alone (search engine optimization), only to see that empire crumble with the Penguin and Panda algorithm changes introduced by Google in early 2012 (those same changes dropped my traffic by nearly half).   This change in the business landscape coupled with uncontrolled spending led to his economic undoing.

As you might expect, responses were varied.  Most people were very supportive, encouraging him to take the lessons of failure and use them for the building blocks of his comeback.   Of course there were a few that were ready to burn him at the stake, labeling him a “sell out” or a “phony.”  Either way, the audience was forced to form an opinion.

Being Transparent Is Never Easy

Let’s be honest, the reason most people are not transparent is because they think others will think less of them.   I understand that fear.  When I started in this business, I was losing everything.  In fact, I spent the majority of the first 2 years homeless with my family and I living in a friend’s spare bedroom (the picture at the top is me in my office/bedroom in 2010).  The last thing in the world I really wanted people to know was just how bad my circumstance really was.

What I soon learned was that these times in our life are really some of the powerful resources available to us.  As I began to study successful people, I learned that Robert Kiyosaki, T. Harv Eker, Donald Trump, Dani Johnson and numerous others had lost everything at one point.  In fact of those I just named, 3 of the 4 were homeless prior to reaching their greatest levels of success.

When I looked at this industry, guess what I found?  A large number of the leaders in this industry shared the same story.   Ray Higdon, David Wood, David Sharpe, Tracey Walker and Nicole Cooper….every single one of them had lost everything when they got started.   More importantly as I studied these people, I realized that none of them hid from those humble beginnings, they were in fact a core component of their story.   A component they told over and over again…reinforcing the truth that anyone can make this business work if they will set their mind to it and commit to taking massive, daily action.

Putting Your Story To Work For You

Once I learned the power of telling your own story, I began freely telling my story.  I quickly came to realize that most people enter our industry, because their backs are against the wall.  They are trying to create a better life for their families.  They are trying to escape a career they detest.  They are trying to pursue a God given dream.  They are trying to live out a call to serve others.

The reality is that most of the people I meet are not striving to become multi-millionaires right off the bat.  They are trying to make sure all of their bills get paid this month.  They are trying to become debt free.  They are trying to take care of aging parents and children at the same time.  What they really want to know is whether or not they can succeed in accomplishing those objectives.

To give you an idea of the power of telling your story, I want to share an actual result from my business this past week.   Last week, I purchased a one owner Infiniti Q45.  It is the first time I have had a vehicle of my own, since 2010.   It is my first luxury car and I was able to pay cash for it.    On my Facebook page I posted a picture of myself with the car and I told the story of why this car was so significant.    Here are the results:

55 people liked this post and 20 commented on it as well.

I also shared this story on my blog and sent that blog post out to my email list.  The end result was 5 new business relationships in 2 businesses….all because I shared my story.

This industry is full of top leaders who really are tremendous examples of the second chances that can come about in our lives if we will simply grab hold of the dream and quit until we have it in hand.

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