Professionals vs. workers

If you need something done, who would you rather hire: a professional, an amateur, or a worker?

Seth Godin has a very clear answer.

Persistence & Passion

One of my friends is about to get his novel published. Actually, another friend announced just last night that a publisher bought his book - I guess I have talented friends - but this post is about the first guy.

He's been writing this one book for seven years. Seven years! I can't even comprehend it. I've been a writer for 20 years, but I've never attempted a project that big. I get antsy working on the same project after seven days.

In the past seven years, my friend has gone through just about every emotion a writer can go through: delight at the initial idea; pleasure in putting it down on paper; frustration when the words won't find their way from your brain to your keyboard; doubt about the quality of the work, blending into absolute certainty that it is complete and utter crap; exhilaration at finding a new way to present the material; drive to get the job done; exhaustion and, again, exhilaration at typing the final words.

But he did it - he persisted through all of that. Through the highs and the lows and the negative self-talk. He kept going. For seven years.

How many people are willing to pursue a passion with intensity and drive for seven years? Some can't even do it for seven minutes.

But my friend did, and he received a very sweet reward: In addition to the satisfaction of his accomplishment as an artist, he has a contract with a big-time, major publishing house.

As I thought about my friend's accomplishment, I realized it has many parallels with what we do in the marketing world. The best marketers are passionate about their products - and that passion fuels the fire that keeps them going even in the cold, lonely Valley of "No" and the swamp of "Go Away, We Don't Want Any."

What sweet reward drives you to pursue your marketing business through the difficult times and the negative self-talk we all encounter?

Taking a "Snow Day"

I love being an entrepreneur - especially on days like yesterday, when I compensated myself for two very hectic weeks by taking a "snow day."

No, it didn't snow. But I pretended that it had, a blizzard so bad that it knocked out all of my communication equipment - no computer, no internet, no cell phone. Just me, my needlepoint, and some entertainingly mind-numbing TV shows all day.

When I work too hard and too long, I sometimes find myself getting resentful about it. So I make time just for me, to stop and relax.

Believe me, it wasn't easy. I kept thinking, "Oh, I could just do this one thing," or "I should really check my email." But I didn't. I reminded myself that those "one things" would always be with me - but that imaginary snow only lasts a day.

Snow days remind me why I love the work I do, and I always come back the next day happier and more productive.

More success tips for entrepreneurs in this article from Entrepreneur magazine.

Belief

A couple of posts ago, I invited the Universe to bring on the questioners.

I've only been writing for 20 years, you'd think I'd know by now not to say silly things like that.

Since writing that post, I have been hit by a tsunami of questions - some of them downright hostile - from people who don't understand my business and/or my products. And what's worst: They don't seem particularly interested in hearing the answers.

So today I'm writing about Belief. And Universe, if you're listening (and we both know you are), I'm not talking about people who believe in what they think they know and aren't interested in hearing anything else. I'm talking about people who have a positive belief in themselves and their ability to learn and grow. People who believe in the products that have helped me so much over the last three years. And people who believe in the powerful business model that has brought me - and many others - some very welcome extra income in these wacky economic times. People who believe that, working together, we can change the world. And people who can't wait to get started doing just that.

Let's rock the world together.

Message from a Reformed "But"-Head

What's the most dangerous word in the English language?

"But."

As in...
"My life is wonderful, but..."
"Things would be great, but..."
"I'd love to, but..."

Trust me, I know. I used to be the biggest "But"-Head on the planet. Nothing was as good as it could be, therefore everything was bad.

What a waste of a life!

I've been thinking about this today because I'm going to be coaching a team member later, and I think she may be a bit of a "But"-Head as well. And as I was thinking about what I might say to her, I realized that, in fact, I've been wandering down "But" Lane myself this morning. You see, I have a ton of writing work to do, "but" then there's all this coaching claiming my time, too. Life would be just perfect if only I could do whatever I want, whenever I want. "But" I can't.

So excuse me for a moment while I reframe things. My life is pretty darn fabulous. I love writing and I'm blessed to be able to do it as one of my careers. I love my other career, too - helping people to grow into their power through the magic of marketing, and helping people to improve their health through the science of nutrition. It's day 2 of a messy snowstorm outside and I get to sit in my cozy, warm house and "commute" from bedroom to office in a minute or less, no foul-weather gear required. Ooh, I'm smiling now. Turns out life is perfect already. AND it's going to be a great day.

Questions? Fabulous!

Some network marketers don't like people who ask questions. They'd prefer the kind of prospect who will say "yes" instantly - or "no" semi-instantly - to the kind who wants to know Why this? and Why that?

Now, I'm not saying I'll humor you if you decide to channel your inner three-year-old and respond "Why?" every time I finish a sentence. But if you're approaching your decision thoughtfully - if you've done your homework and there are things you honestly want to know more about - fabulous!

Undoubtedly some of the reason I love questions so much is that the more you know about our company, the more you'll like us. So I don't have anything to fear from people who do their due diligence. Bring it on!

But I think the biggest reason I love people who ask thoughtful questions is that I can tell they're taking our interaction - and the business opportunity - seriously. And if you care enough about it to spend all that time digging up research before you join my business, you're going to set the world on fire once you become my partner and start telling other people about this stuff.

And that's a wonderful thing, isn't it?

My Life as "Groundhog Day"

Remember the movie Groundhog Day? Very funny movie - Bill Murray keeps living the same day over and over again. That's the definition of insanity, right? When you keep doing the same things over and over, expecting to have different results.

For those of you who haven't seen the movie, consider this a spoiler alert. (But honestly, it was released in 1993 - you've had 17 years to get around to it.) As the day keeps repeating itself, first Bill Murray's character tries to use his knowledge of what's going to happen for his personal gain. But then he realizes that instead he can use it to help people. Helping people. It makes him a better person, it makes the world around him a better place, and it finally helps him break the cycle that has him repeating the same day over and over.

In the past few years as I've taken the journey described intermittently in this blog, I've learned the same lesson. It's not about the ingredients in our nutritional cleansing product. It's not about how much weight I've managed to keep off, or how much extra income I've brought in. It's about how many people can I help today? And how can I keep helping them tomorrow?

I'm building a strong business, yes. But most important to me is that I'm building it with people who share my values. People who also want to help others. If you're one of them, check out the video on the left there, tell me who you are and we can talk - or email - and let me see how I can help you.

Long time, no write

A lot has happened since I last wrote. I now have over 300 people in my group - actually close to 350. Every day I find new people who want to learn how to feel better/lose weight/have more energy/make more money (any or all of the above).

And after losing my weight - and keeping it off for 2 1/2 years - with virtually no exercise in my life, I've also started walking (lots of walking, with my iPod keeping a steady beat) and twice-weekly Pilates. And, reader, I am beginning to see the faintest outlines of...abdominal muscles. Very exciting for me. I mean, I always knew I had them - my guts would have fallen out otherwise - but I've never in my life seen 'em.

Helping others, helping myself. It's a great life. Wishing you the same.

Great day

I had a great day today. If you were to look at my day from afar - say, from Google Earth - you might think that not much of my energy went into my business here. But you would be wrong.

First stop this morning was the local elementary school, where the 2nd grader I tutor every week - the same young man who looked at me a few months ago and stated, "I'm the dumbest kid in my class" - that young man looked at me today and said, "I got 100 on my spelling test on Monday!" That's an accomplishment that can't be measured in dollars and cents. So what did it have to do with my business? The energy from his sense of accomplishment gave me a sense of accomplishment and I left there walking on air.

I took that sense of accomplishment down to the train station and all the way into New York City, where I auditioned for an acting role. These things are always subjective - and it may well be that they'll think I'm too young for the part (always preferable to "too old") - but the only measure that counts is the measure of how I felt about it. And I left there knowing that whatever the outcome, I did the best job I could possibly do. "Sense of accomplishment" growing exponentially.

Came home and enjoyed a coaching session with my new coach. Time well spent - lots of insights per square mile. Sense of accomplishment by now is barely containable.

And THEN I got on the phone. Not surprisingly, my sense of accomplishment and I made some really good connections - and we have several follow-up appointments scheduled.

Two morals to this story: 1) It's ALL about the work. 2) The work is the last thing it's about.

The way I live my life has a direct effect on how well I'm able to connect with people, so everything filters into that. But it's the living of the life that's the primary concern - not the do-do-doingness I usually mistake for productivity.

Maybe writing all of this down will help me remember - and act on - it. Maybe it'll also help you. Let me know.

"Allowing"

I was going to write "2009 is going to be a breakthrough year for me." But it already is.

So here's today's breakthrough, courtesy of Jerry Myers, a gentleman I've been fortunate enough to have a few coaching sessions with. He asked me what I was planning to do when we got off the phone and I muttered something like, "I've got to make some phone calls." And he rephrased that for me:

I am allowing myself permission to connect with fabulous people I will be collaborating with to create health, wealth, and well-being for us all.

I don't know about you, but I can't wait to start dialing!

Wow!

What a journey I've been on this year. Scroll down this blog and you can see some of my progress in the last nine months. It's really remarkable to reflect on where I've been - and astounding to think about how much more I can accomplish in 2009.

This evening, I will be sitting down with my notebook, a favorite pen, and a beautiful candle. After listing my top 25 accomplishments of 2008, I plan to read each one aloud three times. When the sound of the last one has faded, I'll blow out the candle, grab a red pen, and immediately write down 10 goals for 2009.

Everywhere you turn these days, people are promising to help you make 2009 "the best year ever." I'm not aiming for that. For me - and for my team - 2009 will be the best year YET.

Happy holidays everyone.

Yes, I'm positive.

I've been working on gratitude. Every day, as soon as I'm awake enough to know I'm not asleep, I start thinking about things I'm grateful for. When I take a walk or have a moment between tasks, I'll fill the time by saying what I'm grateful for. Mostly I'm grateful that I've learned to be grateful - especially in these wacky times we're living in, it helps me to stay centered in my life, reminds me that here, in Elaine-Land, everything is just fine. Perfect, even. Awesome.

I guess it's been working pretty well, because yesterday I was rendered momentarily speechless when an interviewer asked me, "What do you hate about [the subject we were discussing]?"

What do I hate? It was like I'd forgotten what the word meant. And that was a pretty amazing thing to realize. Still, I had to answer the question...but it took me a good minute to come up with something. And in the end, it wasn't really something I hate, more like something that I allow to annoy me from time to time.

Still, it was a good experience for me. I learned that I really have internalized this gratitude thing. Yes, I'm positive.

Law & Order

So I've been studying Law. Well, one law in particular - the Law of Attraction. And a couple of days ago, one of my team members said that she decided to test it by attracting a bouquet of flowers to herself. So I thought, "Okay, I can do something like that."

I didn't want to risk flowers - too many of them make me sneeze - but there was something I wanted...and didn't see how I could get. I wanted highlights in my hair, but I didn't have the budget for them. Haircut, check; regular color, check. And in fact I was on my way to the hairdresser to get those things done. But in this wacky economy, the highlights would just have to wait another month or so. Unless I could attract them.

So I placed my Order. And went to the hairdresser...who messed up my color big-time. Way too bright. He threw some goop on it that toned down the neon and I went home semi-satisfied. But the next morning I realized, no I couldn't live with it. I called him and he said, no problem - he would fix it.

He squeezed me in past his regular closing time tonight, put more of the goop on my hair and...no, still too red. "Highlights, you need," he said. (He's German, so he speaks like a character from NYPD Blue - always the verb on the end of the sentence he puts.)

Highlights I needed. Highlights I got. And when he was done, he hugged me and helped me on with my coat. And they were free. Free. Free! Thanks to the Order I placed with the Law.

Can't wait to see what I get next!

"If you want to change your life..."

It was a weekend of learning for me, and perhaps even a few breakthroughs; time will tell. All-day seminars on Saturday (two of my favorite marketing gurus) and Sunday (the inspiring people who lead the company I work with) left me equally exhausted and exhilarated.

And when I woke up Monday morning, I realized that out of all the things I heard in all those hours of sitting in hotel catering chairs, perhaps the most profound was one very simple sentence:

"If you want to change your life, you have to change your life."

Leverage

"Give me a place to stand and a lever and I will move the whole world."

The philosopher Archimedes said that, about 2300 years ago. Actually, Archimedes said, "Πα βω και χαριστιωνι ταν γαν κινησω πασαν" -- but that's Greek to me.

What I do understand is that I can do more when I'm working with someone (or several someones) than I can ever hope to do alone.

So if our friend Archimedes were a network marketer, I think what he'd be saying is, "Give me a great product and a team to leverage and we will all make a world of money."

No gym membership required

I know I shouldn't feel this way, but I'm not really crazy about gyms. I'm not proud of it, but it's a fact.

But yesterday I learned a way to give my body a great workout without going near a gym. No running shoes or sweatpants required. All you have to do is one thing, one little tiny thing:
Leave your comfort zone.

Okay, I lied. Not such a little thing after all, is it? At least not the first time you leave your comfort zone. But keep taking regular trips out of the comfort zone and an amazing thing happens: you get used to life on the outside. And your comfort zone expands.

So what does that have to do with the gym? When you exercise, one of the things your body does is produce adrenaline. It widens your blood vessels, makes your heart beat a little faster. Just like aerobic exercise. So you can give yourself a workout without going to the gym. At first, this burst of adrenaline feels uncomfortable - you get that "fight or flight" urge. But the more you do the thing that scares you, the more used your body will get to this adrenaline rush. And pretty soon, your body will get so used to that level of adrenaline that it won't make you feel uncomfortable anymore. Cool or cool? Oh yeah.

Guru M.J.

I met one of my network marketing heroes this week, sales guru M.J. Durkin. Soon after I started doing this business, my mentor lent me "M.J. Live!" - a bundle of prospecting wisdom packed into two CDs. I've been a fan ever since.

When I slid the first disc into my car's CD player, I had been expecting (read: wanting) someone to give me scripts - say this, don't say that. But M.J. gave me much more: Power. The power to let go of people - because I had the power to find more. (My mother's "plenty of fish in the sea" theory applied to sales.) My favorite moment from the CDs? M.J. and the attendees at the live seminar shouting "Flush 'em!" in reference to a balky or uncooperative prospect.

You can also find M.J.'s wisdom in printed form - his book "Double Your Contacts" is a great, and quick, read. And apparently he's due out with another book soon - I can't wait!

You are what you eat

You know that old saying "you are what you eat"? Well you are also what you drink. And breathe. And that's not good news.

See this slideshow on MSN - it focuses on toxins that may be related to breast cancer. Pretty much everything from your car exhaust to your hair dye, to the oils in which those potatoes we all love so much were just French fried.

Pretty scary stuff.

I mean, you can avoid French fries (I've at least cut way back on the fast food kind) and hair dye, but it's kind hard to avoid breathing. So no matter what kind of an eco-friendly life you live, you're going to take in some toxins.

Fortunately, you can take them right out again. Nutritional cleansing is the key to removing impurities from our systems. And if you're interested in knowing more, let me know.

Soliciting

I was in NYC yesterday, left one meeting and heading to another about a mile away. It was a beautiful day, so I decided to walk. You can keep the forest glades; I love walking in the city.

About halfway to my destination, I was stopped by a young man working for a children's charity. He was very personable - and obviously liked talking to people - so I asked him if he was making enough money doing what he was doing. "They don't pay me nearly enough," he said. Next question: "Would you be interested in learning about a way you could make money from home, on your own schedule?" And, what do you know? He was. I gave him my card and a web site to look at, invited him to the meeting I was heading to, and headed off down the street. I felt pretty happy -- good at what I do and proud of sharing it.

Little did I know that my mentor was halfway down the block with a very nice woman who was thinking of joining our team. They'd been watching me the whole time!

The new woman complimented me on being so good at "solicitation." I just laughed. Of course, that's one of the terms for illegal actions taken by prostitutes. I said, "If I were really soliciting, I'd be making more money...I hope." But seriously, as my mentor said, six months ago I would never have been having that conversation. Even four months ago. So it's great to take note of how I've grown.

This really is an amazing business.

"Go Hard or Go Home"

I had the privilege of going to a gym yesterday. Not a "health club" - a gym, a real, honest-go-God boxers' gym. No carpeting, no air conditioning, no cappuccinos. Just a bunch of dedicated men (and a few women) building their self-esteem and their muscles, and practicing their art. It was a humbling - and inspiring - experience.

One of the walls of the gym is painted with a great quotation from Virgil about strength and spirit, but the words I found most inspiring were on the back of a trainer's T-shirt: "Go hard or go home."

If you're not going to give something your all, why in the world would you bother to do it halfway? I'm taking that message back to my team. We have too much work to do - too many people need our help to improve their health and their financial situations. I don't have any time for people looking for a new hobby.

Go hard or go home. And let's change the world.