MLM & Social Networks - Why That Ish Irritates Me!

As a lot of readers already know, The FireMarshall and I have built a moderately successful MLM in the past. We spent 12 years at it. I will not rehash any of that here, so if you want to get some history then click in the topic cloud under Network Marketing and you will find our view point on this subject there.

What I want to vent about today is about how MLM & Social Networks (Facebook, Twitter, Blogs ect) have collided and how some of the status updates & tweets just get on my everlasting nerves with the rhetoric & invitations.

I completely understand how Social Networks can help in a tremendous (and very fast) way with sharing information on your business, promoting your business and prospecting (aka - contacting & inviting) for new "business partners" and customers. I get it.

What I don't get...what pisses me off are my alleged FB, LinkedIn, Plaxo, Twitter friends & associates that take that mess so damn far...it is outrageous and annoying as hell.

Consider This:

• The ONLY things you EVER post on your wall is about some MLM meeting you went to and how you met so & so and so & so and that if YOU really wanted to make a difference in someones life you would have been there and/or you would be checking out this opportunity. REALLY. The only way I can make a difference in the world is if I do your business? SERIOUSLY. Whatever.
• And do you have ANYTHING else going on in your life besides that MLM? Do you do ANYTHING else besides go to meetings and work this business of yours? Must not cause that is all you ever talk about. What kind of life is that. Perhaps that is why The FireMarshall and I often got the side eye from our upline because we would have the audacity to go on vacation to South Africa and miss Dream Weekend. BITE ME. We were busy living our dreams along the way of building them.
• I'm sick of reading the taunts that these alleged friends post, like "If you already have plenty of money & time, then don't check this opportunity out. If this is you, then please share how you are doing it. Enlighten us." DA HELL!!!! I’m so sick of that MLM psychobabble mumbo jumbo. If you don’t do, read, attend all their stuff, essentially you are a loser. You couldn't possibly be happy, content, well off, financially secure if you not doing their particular brand of MLM.
• Poke me in my fuggin eye & miss with with that bullshyt.
• I'm grown sick and tired of being friended by HS & college alumni under the pretense of staying in touch and at the first sign of me showing absolutely NO interest in joining your business, they ain't got ish to say to you anymore. EVER. Yet they continue to invite you to "opportunity meetings" and every once in a blue moon they IM you wanting to tell you about the latest sale and could you refer some people to them. STOP THE MADNESS.
• Those of you in the above category about to be on my list of de-friending. What is the point? We have nothing in common but a diploma.
• And while I'm on the subject of "Friends"...you wanna yank my chain for sure with that LIE about when you get into "business" with whoever, you will have friends/family for life. That is the biggest crock of tomfoolery ever! When we walked away after 12 years to pursue much more lucrative opportunities, all those so called friends - GONE. I'm still saddened over the loss of so many people I thought were friends. The only propaganda that I bought over the 12 years was the "friends for life" stuff. What was always left off and I never saw it coming was that what they really meant was "friends for life...ONLY if you are actively building the business." There were some people that I thought I got really close to...one was the daughter of my upline and she pretty much spat me out and said "screw you" (her husband seems to still be a decent person). The only people we are still on a speaking basis with is our immediate upline and a few of the people we personally sponsored. That part of the business...the relationships you "think" you've built...it's all a lie and I've still haven't gotten over it yet. As long as your productive...you've got "friends" after that, they have to move their attention onto the rest of the organization and since you are not a part of that anymore - you can't be friends or hang cause you are just getting in the way of building their empire. HUMPH!
• I'm gonna tazer the next person on FB who, offline, asks me "Don't you want to be free?" to my negative response to wanting to build a business with them. BULLSHYAT again. Free to do what? Nothing? You are never Free or Retired as MLM’rs are wont to tell you all the time. With the money comes more and more responsibility to your organization. You actually will have to spend MORE & MORE time with your team, developing and training them, attending each and every meeting known to man. My idea of freedom is the ability to do absolutely nothing whenever the heck I please. I would only consider it freedom if I could rise to the top level of that said business and then just walk away without so much as a by your leave. If I can’t (cause you always have to keep your group growing & motivated) then I’m not FREE. I will be forever working to keep that money and so called TIME. My time would not be my own as it would belong to the people I brought into the business and I ain’t into all that kind of obligation & babysitting anymore…EVER

MLM does work for some. It is a way for a lot of people who have no other means of starting their own business to do so. It is a great training ground for learning a certain business acumen. However, there are a lot of people in MLM that are straight up drinking the Koolaid. They are almost tantamount to a religious zealot. You can build a successful business/company or rise in ranks in Corporate America without losing yourself. You can have a life & friends...you can socialize outside of your MLM circle and still be a success. Everybody is not a failure cause they don't want to do "YOUR" thing. Seriously.

Jack out of the Matrix every once and a while...you just might see the forest for the trees.

Point of View: Network Marketing

I've been getting a lot of questions about my thoughts on and involvement in MultiLevel Marketing/Network Marketing - whatever you want to call it. I also get a lot of flack about it from people who don't know anything about it, never been involved, knew a friend of a friend, etc. and just want to "warn" me about the possibility of getting duped. I always find that mildly amusing, as I'm pretty dang smart. I know how to evaluate an opportunity and didn't get to this point of the journey getting snookered.

Instead on continually answering questions on an individual basis, I thought I'd interview someone who has not only built an MLM but has also built other traditional businesses and is pretty business savvy. Let me introduce you to my better half - Ronald Steptoe.

(This is going to be a long post)

Me: Hey Baby!

Ron: Morning. What ya got for me?

Me: Not what you think right now. How about some questions on the topic today - Network Marketing? You have over 15 yeas of experience in MLM. Tell me why you got involved.

Initially I got involved because I was looking for a way to start a business, while I was still in Corporate America. I was looking for a way to do this with a company/opportunity that has a system in place where I could learn about being an entrepreneur; learn about having my own business without risk associated with running my own business.

Why, in the economy we are in today, would someone want to consider getting involved in MLM?

I believe, based on this economy, that MLM is the lowest point of entry for the masses in terms of dollars invested when it comes to starting a business. For example, I started an International Commercial Real Estate Development business. In order to accomplish this, I had to put up millions of my own money/assets along with my partners in order to accomplish this. There is no guarantee that that money will come back; but in order to play in that game, to get the kind of yield we are looking at (generating millions/billions) - you have to put up millions. You know that old adage that it takes money to make money, well, it
certain instances that is in fact true. In MLM, it may cost a minimal amount to
get started. What you are leveraging is not your capital, but your relationships. You are still using an asset base, but it is not hard core dollars. The bottom line in this economy is you can hold onto your assets/cash and still build a business leveraging your other asset pool -your relationships, your intellect, your drive - to generate cash flow.

If someone is interested in network marketing, what should they be looking for; watching out for; how should they evaluate the opportunity?

That's a good question. Initially when I started, it wasn't that I was looking for MLM. I had a friend who knew I was looking for a business opportunity to generate some additional income, so, I kinda stumbled upon network marketing - I didn't go looking for it. I was fortunate to start with a large, international company with numerous product lines and was able to see the uptake on those items and different markets. It was almost like I did several MLM's due to the
diverse product line. Most companies only have one or a limited amount of products or services. I came back to network marketing (NM) with a little more of a jaundice or critical eye. So my question was not to get in NM just to get in it to have a business; my question was the industry right, compensation plan right, and was I getting paid for the efforts of what I did today not just about making future money.

I would think that today people would consider a company that is in a growth trend/industry. One that is going to improve peoples lives, bring economies of scale - saving time/money. Furthermore, I decided to get involved with this new opportunity no just for the innovative product(s) but because they also pay for helping them build the company, bringing to the table a leadership team of business leaders and training them to build effective networks. You not only get paid for the products/services that you market; but also for building and training an effective organization.

Talk about the Global Marketplace and how MLM can help a person be involved in a business that has a global presence.

If you want to start a business and participate in the global marketplace; the global economy - it is going to be complicated to start, especially if you don't have the capital and the contact to make that happen - along with the
difficulties of building a traditional business. With the right company/opportunity in NM, you can be involved in the global marketplace without have to worry about the politics, tariffs, taxes, capitalization and more. The company does that for you. All you have to do is bring your network to the table to be a player.

Now, in today's economy, if you are not making dollars, euros, sterling, pesos, rand, sheckles - I don't give a damn what you call it - you need to be making multiple currency streams - EXCUSE ME - I didn't say, multiple steams of income, I said multiple currency streams. That then, helps you deal with the issue of fluctuating currency. When one is going down, another is going up. You therefore insulate yourself, your family against a fluctuating economy.

Network Marketing can, and for many people is their entryway into the global marketplace without spending millions to play. Been there, did & am doing that.

What do you say to people who say they don't know anybody, they don't have a network, so why should I even get involved?

NM is about building teams and organizations. At the end of the day, its about bringing your network to the table to generate cash. Now, people sitting back saying they don't have a network, they don't know nobody - then why in the hell
were you talked to in the first place. That was a person who was not professional in talking to you. If you ain't got a network, then I don't talk to your azz...you can't help me, and I can't help you. Furthermore, if you don't have a network, then why da hell do you want to build a business? Who you going to sell products/services to? Who's gonna be your banker, accountant, lawyer? You don't know nobody. Stay home, stay at your job...cut the shyt.

Once a person has made their decision to go with a particular opportunity, what should be their next steps?

Deal with the corporate training, participate, become humble, stop acting like you know every damn thing. Sit back and see how the company is designed the system to work. You have to follow the system and humble yourself and learn how
to be successful in that opportunity. It is not a situation where you can be slack. It is going to become a lifestyle change, no different than if you are going to go back to school to get your masters or PhD. Changes are going to have to be made in order to study, go to class, etc. It is what it is. You can't think that you are going to build a MLM business or get your Masters and not have to make some lifestyle changes. Building a business takes work, effort and changes. Just like anything else you pursue - so, cut the crap.

What do you consider the major stumbling blocks, pitfalls that lead a person to not be "successful" (as defined by making a profit)?

Just because a person is in a business, doesn't mean that the business is in them or that they are a business person in general. Most people are in an opportunity and they wouldn't know what a profit is if you slapped them in the
azz with it. Look at the company compensation plan and figure out how you get paid. Do you get compensated for just moving product, for bringing people in and training them or some kind of combination of both. Once you determine how you get paid and where the money is made at, that is what you focus on. A lot of people run around just doing activities and they have no idea how they really get paid and they just spin their wheels.

Finally, people are running around thinking they are just going to do this one night or 2 hours a week. I'm telling you, if you want to knock your business off like you want it to, then you are going to have to get busy. I'm not even going to tell you how much time to put in; I don't know what that number is. All I can tell you is that I have talk to about 12-15 people a week and help train the rest of my organization and have already make 200-300% on my investment in less than 3 months. Well, if that kind of time is what it takes to make that kind of profit, then that's what it takes. If you don't want to do it, THEN DON'T...and shut up about your lack of success.

Speaking of making a profit, what are your thoughts on the adage that it takes most businesses 3-5 years to make a profit and how it relates to MLM?

It does take some business 3-5 years to make a profit. Period. I have millions of dollars/assets invested in my development company and I won't see a profit or return until we break ground and start selling units. So, that adage is true.

On the NM side, I didn't have to put a million dollars up...I didn't have to put 100K up...matter a fact, I put up less than $1K to get started. So, if you are really involved in a business and you put up less than $1000 to get started and you can't make $1001, then WHY are you doing a business? You need to stay home. This game ain't for everyone to get on the court. You're gonna hurt yourself. Some people shouldn't be on the court. If you invest $1000, and you can't make $1000....you could bake some damn cookies and sell them on the street corner and make $1000 damn dollars. So shut the eff up. Do the damn thing, treat your business as if you hocked your house and raided your 401K and you'll make a profit.

Why do you think people of color & other minority groups are tending to get more involved in MLM as a vehicle for starting a business.

Remember the adage that it takes money to make money? In certain traditional business that is correct, but you are risking that money. Many people of color have assets, but not the type of assets it takes to play at that higher level.
The question becomes, what can we bring to the table to allow us to participate and create a financial future that our kids can leverage and get us to the next level. To create the type of yield and financial stability we would like, MLM winds up being a great opportunity for people of color in that it doesn't require money - the type of capital that traditional businesses do. It requires a different type of asset - relationships.

Furthermore, people of color have a natural bridge to other ethnic communities that allow you to create a global business with minimal resources. You can create wealth, participate in the global economy without risking or having a lot of capital.

Do you find this to be more of the case with people of color who are immigrants to this country?

Now you gonna make me hurt somebodies feelings. Speaking of only African-Americans, I think we are generally lazy and then we want to cry about our lot in life and what is going on in the economy. People of color that come from other countries didn't come here to fail. They would have stayed home (in their country) if they wanted to fail. They didn't need to come all the way over here, be separated from their family for years at a time to fail. That kind of sacrifice is, for the most part, beyond our comprehension. I don't think most of us have that sort of drive. If it gets too bad, we start whining and complaining and looking for our government benefits. Or we just settle for the status quo, play with our 401K's, tinkle in investments, avoid risk and pray that they company we work for will still be there in 20 years.

People of color for other countries came here to make it happen. They don't know nothing about no welfare. If you didn't work, you didn't eat. Period. They come here with that kind of desire, that kind of understanding. Yeah, the get in these businesses and kick butt.

But you know what, I think the tide is turning a bit. I'm finding that a lot of African-Americans are starting to kick butt too. There are some who are willing to go out and do it to. They just want a chance. They find the MLM is a chance to make it happen for themselves. They are working it like no body's business and creating their own empires.

Let me wrap up by saying that if someone is saying to you that you are a failure because you have a job and that's all you do; you don't have your own business or are involved in MLM - THAT'S HORSESHYT. I don't care what you do as long as you are doing what you want to do, you are the best at, and you are taking care of your family. Different strokes for different folkes. Just remember, you are only going to make at your job what the person who owns it says you can make. If you need or want more than that, then you might need to get a side hustle/side business - whatever you want to call it - cause you gotta take care of momma, you gotta take care of RayRay, you gotta take care of a bunch of folks. Who is breaking out to break through to help bring others along? Or are you just gonna get yours (the house, the car, the stuff) and tell everybody "I hope you get yours too". Your a negro that I
need to kick in the azz. If your not reaching back, I don't care if it is monetarily - whatever - then God help you. I'm not saying it is right or it's wrong. Just don't go out there and give somebody who is trying to make it; build something a bunch of grief on something you know nothing about. MLM is this, its that - that's when I want to kick someone dead in their azz.

If you got a personal issue with it then call me, email me, whatever. Get your facts straight, play in your lane, worry about how you gonna make your money and stop counting everybody elses.

This interview was brought to you by....

All White Gala

I want to go on record with how proud I am of Ron. Let me tell you, this man is a hard working entrepreneur. No doubt about it. When he puts his mind to getting something done - it is. Along with that comes a no bullshyt policy when dealing with people he is business partners with. You are either gonna do what he tells you to do or you don't. But don't come crying later when you decided to go and do you own thing or do nothing, and you are not having much success. N E HOO....

A few months back, Ron and his business partner were looking for telecommunications options that they would be able to implement in the Caribbean at the resort project that would help reduce the cost of telephone and internet usage. It is horribly expensive to use cell phones, the internet and even make international calls. Any service that they could use in the resort to make it more enticing to clients was a must. They went to check out a VOIP company (5Linx) that also had video phones and wi-fi cellular among other things. Ron & Derek were obviously sold. In two months time, Ron is an Executive Director with 5Linx and will finish his qualification for National Director by the end of this month. Go Ron!

Last night we went to an All White Gala for 5Linx Enterprises - MD/DC Regional to celebrate recent achievements and the launch of the Wi-Fi Cellphone. It was awesome to see so many successful African-Americans in one room. The music was great (the drinks WAY overpriced) and the people were a blast.

Congratulations Ron and the entire J.E.L Marketing team. I am proud of you and look forward to helping you reap (& spend) the largess of your success.

Believe - The Movie: Available on DVD

I written twice about Believe - A Hilarious Movie about Network Marketing - when only the trailers for the movie were available....

http://salesdiva.blogspot.com/2007/03/believe-hilarious-movie-about-network.html

http://salesdiva.blogspot.com/2007/04/this-weeks-funny-mlm-story-contest.html

Well, the actual movie is out on DVD and Ron and I got our copy in on Friday. We watched the movie yesterday afternoon and it was absolutely HILARIOUS...just like they said it was going to be. I had goosebumps from how eerily similar it was to our days in Am.wa.y/Qui.xta.r. Ron and I sat there roaring at how the actors said the same things, how the meetings were the same and how we could put a name (someone for our organization) to every single person portrayed in that movie. Hilariously uncanny. I told Ron that I went through a little of what each and every wife in that movie experienced - except I'm a little disappointed that I didn't end up writing my own MLM - Wives Survival Tips Book like one of the wives did in the movie. That would have been classic.

If you get a chance, go check out the website at www.believethemovie.com and watch the trailers. An absolute scream!...and guess what? My Funny MLM story is still up on the website. The only reason it is so dang hilarious is cause there is a huge amount of truth behind this mocumentary. You have to see it to BELIEVE.

Amafights/Quixspats - Part 2

To know where I stand before I go on with another MLM rant read Amafights/Quixspats - Part 1.

I'm really pissed off now with all of the drama over Am.w.ay/Qu.ix.t.ar and the Books, Tapes Functions (Tools) business - Especially after I received the following email:

To Free URA Members,

Transition to the Top

Hi everyone,
The UR Association Board and Leadership have been considering the format of the various URA memberships and access to urassociation.com. After seven months of providing complimentary access to the community website, we have decided to discontinue this abbreviated version of access to the website. We want to offer only the best community website where business owners have full access to Events, Education, Videos, Resources, and Photos.

When will the complimentary websites be discontinued?
The website will be suspended on March 1st. We encourage you to upgrade to the basic, premium, or premium plus membership to gain the benefits of being a UR Association Member. Thanks for all you do and keep up the good work!

In other words, unless you pay a minimum of $25.00/month (basic package) and get a few tapes and other business support material automatically sent to each month whether you need it or not, you can't access the organizations website and find out about events or other resources available to you. Uh, huh. I thought (and according to the Business Support Material Agreement everyone has to sign) that the tools of the business were VOLUNTARY. Lies from the pits of Hell. There isn't anything voluntary in that letter.

Like I've said before, STOP lying! JUST STOP THE MADNESS. Everyone knows that there is a side business to this MLM and that is a Tools/Business Support Material Business. A lot of money is made off of new distributors and all of those who don't reach the Profit Sharing (or whatever they call it now...Q12 or something) Direct Distributor Level. All you hear about at business meetings, rally's, functions, night owls, team meetings..blah, blah, blah is about how "the only way to succeed in the business is to learn from the system - read the books, listen to the tapes, attend the functions." BULLSHYT.

I've been a REAL Business Owner/Entrepreneur for 8 years vs 12 years as an Independent Business Owner (MLM) and there ain't nothing independent about it. Basically, what they are telling you is that you MUST read what they tell you to read, listen to what they tell you to listen to, and attend the meetings they tell you to in order to succeed. If you don't, then they (your upline) won't help you. You can't think for yourself, you can develop your own business strategies, you can't pick the books you think would be best to help you succeed - basically you can't do anything without the consent & approval of your upline. Totally different story when you are REALLY in business for yourself - we make our own business decisions, we attend functions/conventions that we decide are relevant and make good business sense, we purchase business support materials when we NEED them, we purchase products & services at a REASONABLE price, we sell products & services at COMPETITIVE prices - that's what is INDEPENDENT. They need to change the name to Independent Business Owner (IBO) to Dependant Business Owner (DBO) cause that is what you really are.

While we still have an active IBO-ship (and we will keep it that way cause we ain't gonna throw away the little bit of change we get each month for building a network over 12 years), I am so glad we are NOT actively building this business. I don't think I could stomach listening to more Bull served up on a silver platter. I'm not gonna give UR Association $290/year to distribute amongst the upline or to whoever just to look at the calendar. At this point, I don't give a rats patootie what is going on in the organization.

And mark my words...I wouldn't be surprised if I get some nasty letter saying that because of my "negative" attitude that they are gonna terminate my IBO-ship. Wouldn't be surprised at all - it wouldn't have been the first time they've done it, no would it. And then I'm really gonna have something to say.

Amafights/Quixspats

My husband and I were Amway/Quixtar Distributors for over 12 years...can you even believe it...before we decided that we needed to move on and focus our energies on other ventures that were significantly more profitable. I've kept my peace about the business to myself for the most part, you can revisit two other posts where I've mentioned our experience in Amway/Quixtar...

http://salesdiva.blogspot.com/2007/03/believe-hilarious-movie-about-network.html

http://salesdiva.blogspot.com/2007/04/this-weeks-funny-mlm-story-contest.html

Although Ron and I are no longer actively "building the business" anymore, we still have an organization that generates a nice monthly residual income that pays for a couple of "toys/niceities" and keeps me in decandent shoes and clothes. I don't begrudge a dollar of it and gladly satisfy the "member/client" volume each month inorder to keep that check coming. HOWEVER, I have had just about enough of the drama and intrigue that has gone on over the past couple of months to put down a few rambling thoughts on it all.....

1. I'm just sick and tired of all the BULLDOOKIE about the "books, tapes, functions." It makes me sick to hear about the UK putting a halt on the business over there because of serious questions about the BTF's. Or the mess in India over the same nonsense. WHY DON'T YOU PEOPLE JUST FESS UP!!!!! A good majority of the money in the business is made by higher level pins through the sale of the books, tapes and functions. JUST ADMIT IT. I'm a freakin math major and the daggon numbers just don't add up. I'm not buying it, that a new Diamond Direct (based on what you show in the plan and all the other "bonuses") adds up in the first year to a $500K house & 2 new porches paid for in cash the first year. BULL! Ron and I combined made from our jobs (and now more) what they were claiming these Diamonds made and WE CAN'T PAY FOR OUR HOUSE OUTRIGHT.

JUST STOP THE MADDNESS. Tell everyone that if and when they get to a certain level they will make a whole heap a lot of money from the btf and that is why you have to shove them down everyone's throat. If Ron and I had known that from the beginning, perhaps we would have gone direct and stayed there and more so we could REAP the rewards of the big money.

2. Amway/Quixtar...WHOEVER...just fired/let go (did they resign - who knows) about 12 IBO's cause they didn't like their business practices. SO, what about the thousands of people that are beneath them. You sent out this fancy letter letting the rest of us IBO's know that you kicked thse people out of the door, but do you even give a damn about the thousands of IBO's who were under those Diamonds. Obviously not...this is from the Alticore (the parent company of Amway/Quixtar) blog...http://media.alticorblogs.com/2007/08/10/just-go-team/ . What kind of professional response is "Just Go TEAM Go"...away.

3. I'm sick of the infighting. I'm sick of hearing about a new change every 5 seconds...Changing the name from Quixtar back to Amway....teams breaking away or not from Bri.t.t...new "motivation" systems to get your "tools" from (of course, NO DISCLOSURE, on who is making all the money from the "tools"....the Communikate voicemail URGING you to change over IMMEDIATLY (what ya gonna do if I don't?)...blah blah blah.

4. I'm still saddend over the loss of so many people I thought were friends. The only propaganda that I bought over the 12 years was the "friends for life" stuff. What was always left off and I never saw it coming was that what they really meant was "friends for life...ONLY if you are actively building the business." There were some people that I thought I got really close to...one was the daughter of my upline and she pretty much spat me out and said "screw you" (her husband seems to still be a decent person). The only people we are still on a speaking basis with is our immediate upline and a few of the people we personally sponsored. That part of the business...the relationships you "think" you've built...it's all a lie and I've still haven't gotten over it yet.

5. Prices. Most of the products simply are not retailable anymore. No matter how you slice it/dice it or how concentrated you make it, we just can't compete on just about all of the products except the Nutrition Line...and that was the only line Ron and I focused on YEARS before it became popular. I think Ron snapped a head gasket when he went to hear G.re.g Du.nca.n speak about how the company focus was as a Health & Beauty company. He was waxing eloquently on everything Ron had been teaching our group for years and people in the audience we lapping it up like it was the freakin' gospel. Ron was usually treated with skeptisim. That was one of the breaking points for him...no longer would he expend his intellectual capital in an area where nobody will list nor will he get paid. Best to focus on the real estate deal. The returns were much higher.

6. Just keep doing what your doing!!!!!!! That was my breaking point, almost 2-3 years before Ron snapped. I just shut my mouth and ate a piece of humble pie cause I wasn't going to kill my man's dream. If I heard that priceless BULLSHYAT quote one more STOOOOOPIT time, I would scream. IF YOU KEEP DOING WHAT YOU ARE DOING, YOU GET THE SAME DAYMN RESULTS...STOOPIT. So when, we had lunch with our upline Diamond one day to go over our business and get some advise as to why were were not growing, what we could do to step up our pace, etc...YA KNOW WHAT THIS MAN SAID!!!...Just keep doing what you are doing! I WAS DONE WITH THE BUSINESS FROM THAT MOMENT ON. Ron could do what he wanted but, LISA LEE had had enough. I pushed away from the table and said...NO MORE JELLO FOR ME, MA. Took Ron 2 more years to see the light, but nobody can say that I wasn't the dutiful, supportive wife.

Whew. I'm tired. I'm glad we are done. I'm glad that my man found his "thing" and together again we are achieving our dreams of walking the "beaches of the world" NOW! Ron worked like a dog for 12 years for that little residual check we get, so we are going to now ignore all the drama and cash our checks for as long as possible.

This Weeks Funny MLM Story - Contest Winner

I won. I won! I can't believe it - this is just too damn funny. I recently did a post about Believe: The Movie - www.believethemovie.com - and while playing around the website, I stumbled upon the contest to send in a funny MLM story. Well, I went ahead and submitted one - AND I WON! - they cut the story off, but here is what you will see at the website under "Contest"....

Lisa Steptoe of Ellicott City, MD sent this amusing story about her 12 YEARS in the business and one of her more unique convention experiences:

My husband and I got in "The Business" back in 1991 and because my husband was really excited, I was a "supportive wife." We drove to our first function 4 days after signing up with our upline. My concern, of course, was where we were going to stay. No worries, we were told.

Everything is taken care of. We arrive at the hotel and, to my surprise, we were sharing a room (2 double beds) with 2 other couples and 2 babies under the age of 2. I immediately had a diva fit and sat in the corner until it was time to leave for the convention center.

At the convention center, it was complete pandemonium with everyone jumping up and down, spraying breath spray in the air and acting possessed.

They left off the rest of the TRUE story due to space. Here it is for your amusement (since I didn't save it as I originally typed it, I'm retelling it here)...

...I thought for sure that I was in an episode of Twilight Zone or something. We get back to the hotel room and sleep on the box spring since WE WERE SHARING A ROOM WITH SO MANY ADULTS and INFANTS. Definitely NOT a Diva Moment. We wake up the next morning and I "assume" we are going to get some breakfast before returning to the Matrix. I ask about where we are going to get some breakfast and my upline wife asks me if I would like a food bar since we are going to go directly to the convention center. BULLSH---! What I heard her say was, "Do you want a "FOOBAR?" I went OFF - like snapped. "What the FU-- is a FOOBAR? I ain't eatin' nothing I can't identify. What the FU-- is that SH--?" My upline wife is/was a nice, quite lady - unaccustomed to a wild card as myself. She responds with her usual two responses to a confrontational situation - "Well, Alright" OR "Yes, Indeedy". Since I was still an un-indoctrinated hussy, I responded with - "What the MF does that mean?" NUF SAID. I was hustled to the nearest "kiosk" where I could partake in a danish and coffee... FOOBAR my BUTT!.

Ron and survive the weekend and of course he is "FIRED UP." Twelve Years later - yep, I admit it. Twelve Years later and I finally get him to take the pill that jacks him out of the MATRIX. We did do okay in the business, but along the way we realized that you can make a helluva lot more money (and a lot faster) other ways. Thank GOD.

We never did anything too stupid (like invest in too many tools or functions) that would put us in debt - if it was going to be a financial burden - SCREW YOU! We didn't do it. Thus, the typical woes that you might hear about from other long time business builders about incurring a huge amount of debt and so forth - just didn't happen to us. Like I said before, we were always considered HERETICS. SO BE IT. Our residual checks are awesome and keep coming. Let's see how long that happens before someone gets wise and tries to figure out how we can get cut out from our line of sponsorship.

Anyway, I think this whole thing is just too funny for words. What makes it even more hilarious is that it is an true story. If you want to know more - email me. I've got not problem telling it like it is.

Believe - A Hilarious Movie About Network Marketing

Believe - A Hilarious Movie About Network Marketing -www.believethemovie.com

Coming from someone who spent 12 years building a relatively successful Network Marketing business, this satire is some hilarious stuff. I have been laughing my but off on how close to home some of the trailers from the movie were to my actual experiences. Now understand, I'm not going to sit here and bad mouth network marketing as a whole. We had a lot of fun along the way, met a lot of interesting people and parlayed some of those relationships and the network we developed over the years into a extremely successful real estate asset and development business. As a result of "keeping our minds open" to other possibilities (we were always considered heretics), we were able to become very successful and financially well off in a way other than "the business". NO WAY, you say. I know, I know. There is not supposed to be any other way to make money and become financially free besides network marketing and if you are not "building the business" then you are a LOSER! WHATEVER! You can make a lot of money in network marketing, it is possible and I've been close enough to people who have, but - sportsfans - don't let the hype fool ya - it ain't the only way.



Ron says that someone in our upline or organization is going to read this and try to burn me at the stake. Isn't it a shame that I should have to worry about what my alledged "friends" in the business would do or say to me because I found something satirical and funny (usually there is some truth in the joke when it is really funny) about network marketing. SO BE IT. It really doesn't matter anyway because almost all of our upline stopped calling, stopped inviting us to their social events, stopped talking to us - basically stopped being friends - because we were no longer "building the business". We found out who our real friends were then. Interesting. As far as I'm concerned, the truth of the matter is that it was probably just too negative to be around us if we were not out "showing the plan" every night. Oh well, their loss. We miss ya, but life goes on and the residual check keeps coming - JUST LIKE YOU SAID IT WOULD - if we built a stable, successful business. I thought we were supposed to be able to "retire" when we wanted to? Ha, rhetoric. You really are not supposed to EVER stop. Why would you want to?



Enough of my droning on. You've got to check this site out - www.believethemovie.com - read the movie synopsis and watch the trailers for a great laugh and inside looking into the network marketing industry. I'll keep a watch out for the witch burning crew....