Soomin-Kim

Network Marketing Royalty? Absolutley. Collette Larsen is the #1 Income Earner of her primary opportunity: USANA Health Sciences; the 18-year science-based cellular nutrional company. Folks, this is no start-up, but rather a stable, powerhouse of company in this industry and considered by many industry experts as the most balanced company with their compensation, products and third-party credibility.

Although being the top dawg of a company like USANA does earn her the right to be considered MLM Royalty, more than that, Larsen embodies all the elements of what network marketing can offer someone whom is in desperate times, single parent of five, no business experience, and just a high school diploma; that is the biography of Larsen’s situation prior to USANA.

I had a chance to catch up with her at a recent live event to ask some questions and have her share some thoughts for those of you currently struggling in this industry. She has a tremendous amount of value to offer, so do pay close attention.

Thank You Collette,

P.S. To learn more about the primary opportunity of Collette Larsen, please place your information below.

When it comes to modern classic films that have cult-like followings, titles such as Karate Kid, Top Gun and Rocky IV come to my mind. It may differ with you, however the one constant in all of these films are: memorable quotes. A specific quote, whether serious or humorous can immortalize a movie for someone. The following films listed above have done that for me.

However there is one such film that has epitomized a very memorable quote for me and my life more than any other. Before I give you the quote, Point Break was a film that was released in 1991 starring Keanu Reeves, Gary Busey and the late Patrick Swayze. The synopsis was Reeves whom play Johnny Utah, an ex-college football player turned FBI whom goes undercover to stop a gang of adrenaline misfits whom have a series of bank robberies. Within this plot comes a relationship between Reeves character and “Bohdi” played by Swayze. As the relationship escalates, Utah experiences many new and exciting adventures, mainly surfing, it’s through this relationship that some of the greatest quotes are formulated that have stuck with me in every aspect of my life.

...a classic.

Before I share the ultimate, here are some snippets:

Bodhi: It’s basic dog psychology, if you scare them and get them peeing down their leg, they submit. But if you project weakness, that promotes violence, and that’s how people get hurt.

Bodhi: If you want the ultimate, you’ve got to be willing to pay the ultimate price. It’s not tragic to die doing what you love.

Johnny Utah: Vaya con Dios, Brah.

Bodhi: They only live to get radical.

Bodhi: [during a skydiving game of chicken with Johnny, both falling with no parachute open] Six seconds. We’re going to be meat waffles.

Bodhi: Little hand says it’s time to rock and roll.

[after a long discussion about which parachute Johnny Utah should use]
Johnny Utah: You gonna jump or jerk off?

Bodhi: Yo, Johnny! I see you in the next life!

Bodhi: What’s the matter with you guys? This was never about the money, this was about us against the system. That system that kills the human spirit. We stand for something. We are here to show those guys that are inching their way on the freeways in their metal coffins that the human sprit is still alive. Don’t worry about this guy, okay? I know exactly what to do with him.

Bodhi: Look at it! It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, man! Let me go out there and let me get one wave, just one wave before you take me in. I mean, come on man, where I am I gonna go? Cliffs on both sides! I’m not gonna paddle my way to New Zealand! Come on, compadre. Come on!

I caught my first tube today... Sir.

…Now don’t get me wrong, some of these are hilarious, however through the humor, there is one line that tends to stick with me in all aspects of my life. As a wave rider myself, I understood its content. It’s the deeper, this more inspirational meaning that has followed me to every nook and cranny of my life and business.

“Fear causes hesitation, and hesitation will cause your worst fears to come true.” –Bohdi

Wow.

It seriously gives me goosebumps anytime I read, repeat, or hear it.

Friends, I cannot tell you how true this quote is. If you take this in the context of extreme surfing or any extreme activity where death is the ultimate consequence, it’s typically hesitation that will cause accidents and in some cases death, which is the exact result that one is looking to avoid at all cost. So because of this fear, it caused hesitation that lead to that fear turning reality.

I hope you are following.

I presume many car accidents could have been avoided if the fear of what was happening, did not paralyze the driver to hesitate in taking a different course of action immediately.
(How does this relate to business? I’m getting there.)

True Story, my fiancée once ran an “orange” (yellow turning red) light and was pulled over by a police officer. She was obviously upset and after issuing the officer her license and registration to the officer, he explained to her how she “ran the light.” She responded nervously and assertively with, “officer, my boyfriend always told me not to hesitate, because fear causes hesitation and hesitation will cause your worst nightmares to come true!” According to her the officer seemed rather intrigued… no ticket was issued. Ha!

Moving forward with home –based business and internet marketing, many people are presented with an opportunity to begin the process of creating change. They are presented the opportunity, the company and the compensation and for that moment, once completed, there is a peace and excitement that enters the entrepreneurial soul of every individual in the finality of avoiding mediocrity, to avoid a lifetime of financial struggle, to avoid their own personal greatest fear in life! It’s at that very moment there appears the choice to move forward with immediate action or to hesitate. “I’ll think about it,” “let me check with my spouse,” “Let me do some research,” … AKA: Hesitation.

For those of you whom are well-versed in this industry, you understand that hesitation is typically equivalent to a “no” and/or “never.” Thus it’s this hesitation that will lead them to experience their worst fear coming true ….slowly…. which is even worse. A life of mediocrity, linear income, limited time to pursue passion and spend with their family, and/or declined health. Every single fear they were looking to avoid!
With respect to the recent Winter Olympics, ask an Olympian if this quote is true for them. Imagine training your entire life to hesitate when it matters most… talk about their worst fear coming true!

When it’s time to lose weight; don’t hesitate, when it’s time to follow and pursue your passion; don’t hesitate, when it’s time to take advantage of an opportunity; don’t hesitate.
When it’s time to pick up the phone and make that call; don’t hesitate! That very fear that causes hesitation will give birth to much worse in whatever case you identify the quote with.

Action cures fear.

Without fear, there is no hesitation,

If you ask those closest to me or even those that receive my early morning tweets you may think that I’m either a vampire or an insomniac. The truth is that I don’t have a problem with sleep, however as the day unwinds I become engulfed with a tremendous amount of motivation that my productivity reaches a fever pitch that I sometimes just forget to sleep or end up sleeping very early in the morning (like 7am)!

I have never pondered this thought more than I have the past 6 months, “Imagine how much more productive humans could be if we didn’t need to sleep.” Don’t get me wrong, rest is absolutely necessary, (it’s actually Biblical) and I enjoy my deep dream sessions, however I have come to the conclusion that this motivation that refuses to let me lay my head at a reasonable time is birthed through continual daily inspiration. Take a look at this video as I explain this mindset:

[viddler id=ad7f65c6&w=437&h=370]

I would love to hear what inspires, what draws you motivation on a daily basis.

Inspired and Motivated,

The famous Swiss skincare line known as Arbonne has officially filed for Chapter 11 in the state of Delaware. Several reports have estimated that the company is in upwards of $800 million dollars in debt.

Now I want to make it clear that this does not necessarily mean that Arbonne will close its doors for good. Many times companies will do this as a means to restructure their finances; however this typically leads to being owned by the bank. For an MLM company, this is not a good thing.

I personally know several Arbonne reps and overall it’s a devastating blow to the network marketing community as a whole. The company itself has been around for 30 years and the future at this point is uncertain.

Here is the report from Reuters:

 
The company plans to borrow up to $20 million to fund operations during its bankruptcy, known as a debtor-in-possession loan.
Lenders owed approximately $530 million will end up owning 85 percent of the reorganized company’s equity under the restructuring plan. They will also have a new term loan worth $125 million. Lenders owed about $216 million under a separate loan will be allocated warrants that will allow them to purchase up to 5 percent of the equity in the reorganized company.
Harvest Partners LP, a New York private equity firm, owns the prebankruptcy equity in Natural Products Group and it will be wiped out.
Harvest formed Natural Products Group in 2004 to buy Arbonne International LLC, a direct marketer of personal care products, and Levlad Inc, which owns the Nature’s Gate line. Harvest, with other investors, provided $93 million of equity for the acquisitions.
Natural Products Group, based in Irvine, California, said in court documents that it grew rapidly in 2005 and 2006 as Arbonne added a large number of direct marketing contractors, providing an unsustainable boost to revenue.
The company’s net sales began to fall in 2007-2009 due to a loss of direct marketers and downturn in the economy.

$800-Million In Debt?

My View Of Arbonne

As a company I have always viewed Arbonne, from their marketing to their distributors as a more contemporary, vibrant, “sexier” (if you will) version of Mary Kay or Avon. I know that in the world of skincare and especially in network marketing, Arbonne really has created a niche and culture to the way they promoted their product line. I believe that many of their distributors will ride it out and “see what happens.”

The difficulty does come in the form of media and integrity. As I have written article in the past, negative internet content does hurt the process of prospecting and sponsoring, and although it can be overcome, it does take time. That particular article that I mentioned does deals more with the ignorance and ‘pyramid-type’ objections. In the case of Arbonne, it’s mainly a company financial issue which is much worse.

Public – 1 , Private – 0

This leads me to my next issue; I have on several occasions been told by distributors of many private companies that their company is “debt-free.” It is widely-known that many Arbonne distributors up until this announcement (and may continue for those that have not heard the news, eeek) are claiming theirs is a debt-free company as well!

Although publicly-traded companies have their own challenges, finances are generally left open and quarterly reports are mandatory. So I would suggest that distributors stop claiming company revenue and “debt-free” status unless it is public information! Logical right? This again is one positive aspect of a publicly-traded company as the “rug can never be swept beneath you.”

Arbonne Loyalty?

I believe in loyalty. I believe that Arbonne has really created a legacy in the past 30 years and I respect the many loyal Arbonne distributors that will ride this one out to the very shall I say…”end.” As mentioned above, Chapter 11 bankruptcy does not mean the company closes its doors. I believe it’s similar to a major knee injury to a professional athlete …you can have an operation and possibly recover from it, but your career will be cut short and you will never really be the same both mentally and physically.

In network marketing, as a distributor, it is your name as much as it is the company that you represent. Your integrity is one that needs to be upheld. As a leader, it’s important that you foster your dowline and always stay one step ahead with options and “back-up” plans.

An Alternative

Again, I see how Arbonne was able to differentiate themselves from cosmetic giants Mary Kay and Avon and I want to help that process in searching for a solid company that represents the culture of what Arbonne distributors have come to admire. I am personally not a skin-care specialist or specialize in cosmetic/skin-care marketing, but I do know this industry quite well and have several resources and connections in that area of expertise. It is my desire to be diligent in being able to offer information and options to those whom may be looking.

I have discovered a skin-care line that is connected to a publicly-traded and actual debt-free company. This particular line that I discovered owns several patents and is unique in that it offers a product that is completely preservative and paraben-free. The company is solid in its financials and is backed by a larger division of a widely successful product-line. The company operates on a binary compensation plan with a 100% check-matching bonus. Their marketing is contemporary and their science and research is backed by over a decade of studies. The product line is condensed so learning and marketing the skin-care line will not be an issue. It can be duplicated rather quickly as timing and growth is important for teams in a new “home.”

If you would like more information on my research for concerned Arbonne reps regarding this alternative, please place your information below and I will have someone contact you regarding this more-than-sufficient alternative opportunity.

“Opportunity often comes in disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat.” –Napoleon Hill

Students really? Yes really! Look I know some of you are saying to yourself, “yea I got a few kids in my downline that are in college”…and if so…great! This article isn’t so much about enrolling someone of college age that happens to be in school this is more about the value of building a team, that produces massive growth….establishing and eventually leaving a MLM legacy on a particular school.

I want to start by saying that I have not personally left a legacy on any particular campus… yet. I will judge that as time passes. What I have accomplished is the beginning of something absolutely wonderful and empowering, which began with one student and duplicated to about fifty more, and hundreds of customers within a semester.

Now it isn’t easy to penetrate a campus… its difficult enough to enroll a student that is completely engulfed in the college experience, but even more difficult to develop a culture and duplicating team. With that being said, it’s absolutely worth it! I am not here to share with you exactly how I did it, (note: I am not a college student, I’m several years removed from being in college) however I’d like to share with (10) value points to keep in mind and/or share with students that you may encounter. These points will also show you the massive benefits of conquering such a challenge.  

Possible donwline or dunce?

Before I begin, a few quick tips to keep in mind-

- Don’t focus on a large number, look for one or two “leaders.”

- Commuter schools do not work as well as resident-filled universities with a majority dorm population.

 The Ten Values of Campus MLM

 1-     Part-Time Income: Obviously. Many of these students are dependent completely upon their parents. They survive off of $500-$1000 a month, so the idea of making extra cash (legally) outside of a job is the greatest idea since 18 and over clubs.

2-     Real World Experience: Students take great value in the idea of “work experience.” They hear that term thrown around all their life and sharing with them that they will not only experience “marketing” at its grass-root core, it’s almost considered a “paid-internship!” The idea of promoting and representing a brand and/or product (like celebrities do) is a very appealing draw.

3-     Environment: Unlike the “real world” or life outside of school, there is very little that the students don’t know about each other. In other words the objection of being “too busy” isn’t acceptable. The truth is that there is A LOT of downtime throughout the school semester and it’s spent on video games, gossip, and eating.  I literally remember beginning one of my first presentations on campus and having to walk from dorm to dorm on one floor talking to students that were each completely engulfed in their internet gaming. By “environment,” I also mean that nobody’s really going anywhere, if they do, they’re coming back. So again; less excuses.

4-     “Business Fraternity/Sorority”: The name says it all. Just replace the hazing, partying, drinking with presentations, training, and studying the compensation plan. I’ve seen this happen. Completely focused and like-minded students, having an absolute blast, spending an entire Friday night discussing strategy and compensation!

Actual candid photo of the excitement a downline tree brings to some of my students.

5-     Perpetual Stability: Much like the example above, every year there is an entirely new class of students (Freshman) willing to look and listen. Each year the group before has the ability to grow their downline with new partners, the pattern continues over and over, just like a fraternity and sorority.

6-     Massive Customer Base: Within a school year there are several breaks, or vacation times. Many students come from all over the country to attend school, this means when they arrive home for the winter, spring and summer, they are more than likely building their customer base with family and friends. It works just as it did when they were younger; selling cookies and magazine subscriptions. Families and extended family tend to be very supportive.

7-     National Growth: I found that many of my students were enrolling their hometown friends that were attending different schools. They come together during the summer and spend months training and hanging out…this is the possibility of hitting a new campus… naturally! With the internet, their really are no limits as they utilize iChat and Skype to present to their new downline located in other schools, other states.

8-     Computer Savvy: College students are incredibly computer savvy. Blogging, webinars, video conferencing, and emails are a part of their DNA, which makes communication very efficient and internet marketing an easy progression.

9-     Materialistic: The idea of a new car or impressing their peers, at this point in their life (their WHY), is as important as any other reason to which people begin in MLM.

10-  Team Sports: Especially with a health product, you can really create sparks within a sports program by approaching student athletes. Some of these kids are very athletic and are unafraid to also approach their coaches and staff about a product or opportunity. I was lucky enough to work with the #1 and #2 Freshman football recruits in my particular experience. There is leadership and confidence among athletes that naturally translate to business.

Candid photo I shot of an actual student presenation in a dorm, led by a student presenting. Duplication is beautiful thing.

I hope that I was able to share with you the abundance potential of a college campus. Personally, I feel great that I may provide a student several options to pursue their passion as opposed to falling into the categories of “profession” once graduated…not to mention the best way to handle student loans, is begin paying them off prior to graduation right?

Redemption For Higher Education,