Christian Entrepreneur’s Journey

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When was the last time you thought you were solving a particular problem but you found out in the end your original problem got more complicated?

The first crucial step in solving a problem is identifying it correctly. Once we have identified our problem correctly, we are already half way in solving it.

Rich Schefren, the “guru’s business guru”, in his free ebook “The Entrepreneurial Emergency” claims that “99% of the time the problems you deal with and the obstacles that block your path are not your real constraints”. Correctly identifying, then focusing your time and energy on your real constraints is the only way to create the breakthrough you’re looking for.

Although the ebook is principally aimed for internet entrepreneurs, I believe struggling internet network marketers can also benefit from its insights.

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Am still far from achieving the kind of success I dream of but even at this stage I would like to know how it is to be up there at the top. I would like to know why some top earners, after many years of hard work, end up bankrupt. I have yet to hear stories which am sure I will benefit from.

But for the meantime, let me share with you what I learned from Todd Falcone in his article “Five Tips for Staying on Top”. He said “Imagine working for five years to get yourself to a $20,000 monthly income only to find it crumble, and have your life and your relationships come tumbling down. What happened? Why? Did it have to happen? Could I have prevented it? Could I have planned for it? There have been many top guns who have gotten drilled and ended up with nothing.”

He offers five tips for staying on top here.

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First let me tell you, you are not a failure. You can only say you failed when you finally quit. (But since you are reading this blog, you surely are a survivor. In fact, a winner.) Failure is part of success.

One thing I learned in business and life is to be totally responsible for your success. You cannot blame your family for your poverty. You cannot blame the government. You cannot blame the devil. You cannot blame God. And in your network marketing business situation, you cannot blame your upline either!

Not having a sponsor who was knowledgeable in entrepreneurship was a blessing in disguise for me. Because I didn’t have a coach, I learned to coach myself. It was difficult but that was the next best thing for me to do then. Because of what I went through, I vowed to myself to be a sponsor I never had to many Christians who are similarly situated when I was starting.

In an article of Aaron Rashkin in betternetworker.com entitled “Accountability 101- A Must Read Lesson in Leadership” he said: “With all the tools and systems available today, it hardly even matters who your sponsor is. If they want it badly enough, they will do what it takes to succeed. The evidence already points to this as many a Top Earner has horror stories of low grade sponsorship.”

In that article, Aaron shared his favorite story on leadership. It is a story about a butterfly coming out of its cocoon. The lesson is “Don’t rely on others to slice your cocoon open, because even if they do, you will not have the strength to fly on your own.”

You may want to read the full article to appreciate the story and the lessons here.

Photo by Randy Read

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Last night while I was looking for a book to read, I chanced upon my old file from the first network marketing company I joined more than two years ago. I could not help but smile when I read in their “Getting Started” brochure this one - “These simple, short, powerful steps are amazingly easy to follow and effortless to be duplicated again and again”. “Lies” like this one are so common in the network marketing industry that many people end up disillusioned. Am just glad I have never been disillusioned because I came into the industry with an inquiring mind. I knew there are many “lies” but I also knew that network marketing is “the most enlightened, ethical, egalitarian, efficacious and empowering business system in the world. But only when it’s run by people who are just as enlightened, ethical, egalitarian, efficacious and empowering” as John Counsel puts it.

Ann Sieg in her free ebook “The 7 Great Lies of Network Marketing” enumerated the following “lies”:

Lie # 1 - Everyone is your prospect!

Because of this “lie” being taught by many sponsors, many newbies suffer unnecessary rejection from friends, relatives and other people. Not everyone is your prospect. Christian author Todd Duncan teaches the Law of the Bull’s Eye in his best selling book High Trust Selling which says “If you don’t aim for the best prospects, you’re likely to do business with any prospect.” If you are aiming to “make more money in less time with less stress” as Todd Duncan teaches in his book, you should aim for the best prospects.

Lie # 2- This really isn’t selling. We just share products with prospects.

Perhaps this “lie” is peddled to attract people who do not like selling as I used to. But Todd Duncan and other trustworthy sales professionals opened my eyes that sales can be a noble vocation. And network marketing is sales, whether you accept it or not.

Lie # 3- Anyone can do this!

Network marketing is for everybody but not everybody is for network marketing.

Lie # 4 - We’ll build your business for you.

What kind of business is that?

Lie # 5 - We have the best product ever!

Almost everyone says that. You can only say a thing is “best” if you have personally evaluated all the rest and even then your “best” can be subjective based on your own personal criteria. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder as the saying goes.

Lie # 6 - You just don’t have enough belief!

Belief is necessary, no doubt about it. But it should be belief on the right thing. (And for Christians, it should be belief in Jesus Christ.) Many cult members were led astray because of their wrong belief.

Lie # 7 - The proven system.

Many teams actually do not have a system. Some may have a system but a system of trickery. But those who really succeed in the long term are those who have the right system.

Am dreaming of the day when network marketing will not only be widely accepted but admired. It surely is coming…

Photo by Robyn Gallagher

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When I was taking my PhD in Europe ten years ago, I felt discontent in my career. While I was advancing academically, my salary back home continued to be a pittance of $ 300/mo from my employer, the Philippine Government.

When I came home to the Philippines with that frame of mind, it was not surprising that I stumbled upon a book entitled “Earn What You’re Worth”. The book showcased success stories in network marketing. I immediately fell in love with network marketing as a people-helping-people business.

First impression lasts. That’s why even if I was seeing the rise and fall of many pseudo network marketing companies here in the Philippines over the years, I never doubted the potential of real network marketing to help ordinary people earn extraordinary income.

Although network marketing was always in my mind over the years, I didn’t actually start doing it until two and a half years ago when my career in government turned from bad to worse.

During my first eight months in traditional network marketing, none of my friends and relatives believed in what I was doing. Some were in fact ridiculing me. But God created a way for them to start believing on the ninth month. Some of them joined me and we got some customers. But in spite of our efforts for ten months, we were not growing. So, I went back to drawing board and searched for the right system.

After my long search and amidst increasing internal pressure to earn a living ASAP, God finally led me to a system which I believe will help me achieve the breakthrough I have been working and praying for these past many months. My desire to become an entrepreneur and help others help themselves become entrepreneurs too through the business of network marketing has been the only thing that kept me going through the most difficult moments in my journey. I thank God for faithfully guiding me in every step of the way.

To God be the glory!

Photo by josef.stuefer

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