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CHAPTER 17: A Business Where Women Excel 88is the primary breadwinner, that has often meant it was the woman who engaged in the part-time, stay-at-home business. A parallel factor is the fact that it is a home-based business, which means that building a network marketing business is uniquely compatible with the demands of raising a family. But I think it goes beyond these practical and historical circumstances. Network marketing is, at its core, a relationship business. As Robert has explained, it's not a business that revolves around making sales; it is a business that revolves around making connections. It's about establishing relationships, coaching and training, and teaching and mentoring. The actual day-to-day work of building a network is less like carving out a sales territory than it is like building a community. And the supporting, coaching, nurturing relationship of a network marketing sponsor to her growing network of apprentice networkers is the kind of relationship and interaction in which women excel. Of course, none of this means that men can't be successful in network marketing, too. There are millions of men who are proving that every day. But the bottom line of the business is simply this: It is a business model where women excel. What Women Need And it's a good thing, too, because today's women really need to learn how to build their own wealth. A young journalist approached me a few years ago and said, with obvious passion, “We have to make women aware that they have to take charge of their money. They cannot depend on someone else to do that for them!” As we talked together, I soon learned where her passion was coming from. It turned out her 54-year-old mother had recently moved in with her after going through a divorce that had left her with basically nothing. She was now supporting her mother as well as herself. That was enough of a wake-up call in itself, but what had really shaken her up was when she took a close look at her finances to see what resources she had to support the two of them. She realized that if her steady paycheck were for any reason to stop suddenly, the only thing she had to fall back on was about $7,000 in savings. For a household of two, $7,000 wouldn't go very far. She and her mom were both a few thin paychecks away from poverty and even homelessness. No wonder she was passionate about the subject of women taking control of their finances! Fortunately for me, I am not in this young woman's position. Robert and I are financially set for the rest of our lives, regardless of what the economy does. But even though I don't have that sword hanging over my head, I am just as passionately driven as this young woman was on the subject of women creating their own financial independence. The “how-to's” of network marketing are no different for women as they are for men. However, the driving reasons why women build their network marketing businesses are often very different from those of their male counterparts.

The Business of the 21st Century.pdf

The Business of the 21st Century 89We know that we lead very different lives than our mothers did, but you may be surprised at just how different. Here are six reasons why women need to get into this game called wealth-building. 1) The Statistics The statistics about women and money are startling. The following are U. S. statistics, yet for other countries throughout the world, the statistics are very similar or are trending in the same direction. In the United States: t



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financially responsible for themselves. t


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caretaker for the home, a woman is away from the work force an average of 14. 7 years, as compared to 1. 6 years for men. Add this fact to the lower salaries women still receive, and you have retirement benefits that are only about one-quarter those of men. (National Center for Women and Retirement Research—NCWRR) t


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(Ann Letteeresee, June 12, 2000), which means they must provide for those extra years. However, married women who are baby boomers can expect to outlive their husbands by fifteen to twenty years, on average. t


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(Morningstar Fund Investor) t

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What do these statistics tell us? That more and more women are not educated or prepared to take care of themselves financially, especially as they grow older. We've spent our entire lives taking care of our families, but have no ability to care for ourselves in this vital way. 2) Avoiding Dependency You don't get into a marriage expecting a divorce. You don't begin a new job expecting to be laid off. But it happens, and today with more and more frequency. Women, if you are depending on a husband, a boss, or anyone else for your financial future, think twice. They may simply not be there. Too often, we may not even realize just how dependent we are until we're faced with our own personal wake-up call. 3) No Glass Ceiling Along with all the challenges facing the corporate employee in this post-2008 world, women still face one additional, huge obstacle: the infamous “glass ceiling. ”

The Business of the 21st Century.pdf

CHAPTER 17: A Business Where Women Excel 90Yes, it's true, even today: Because of our gender, women can move only so far up the corporate ladder. And for women 50 or older, trying to re-enter the world of corporate employment? You don't even want to know. In the world of network marketing, the very idea of a glass ceiling for women is ludicrous. Your network marketing company doesn't care if you're female or male, black or white, a college grad or a high-school dropout. It only cares about how diligently and effectively you build your network—and as I pointed out, there are four times as many women as there are men doing exactly that. The key is your skills, education, and experience. There are no limits and no ceilings, glass or otherwise, for women in the world of network marketing. 4) No Limits on Income Because of the glass ceiling and the still-present wage inequality between men and women in the job market, a woman is often limited in the amount of income she can make. Studies show that women with the same education and experience as their male counterparts earn about seventy-four cents for every dollar their male peers earn. But a network marketing business is fully scalable. Regardless of gender, in network marketing, the size of the income stream you can generate by building your network is without limit. 5) Increased Self-Esteem Personally, I think this is one of the greatest benefits and rewards to a network marketing business—and it is one of the strongest reasons women become involved in the business. It's not unusual for a woman's self-esteem to be linked to her ability to provide for herself. Being dependent on anyone for your financial life can lead to a reduced sense of self-worth. You may do things you otherwise would not do if money were no issue. I've seen women's self-esteem soar once they know how to make it on their own financially. And when a woman's self-esteem rises, the relationships around her tend to improve. Higher self-esteem leads to greater success, which ultimately leads to the greatest gift of all—freedom. 6) Control of Your Time When it comes to devoting energy to building genuine wealth, one major impediment women often have far more than men is the simple matter of time. This is especially true for mothers who spend many hours taking care of children. I hear from many women, “After I come home from work, I have to get dinner ready, help my kids with their homework, and clean up the dishes. By the time everyone's in bed and I have a free moment to myself, I'm exhausted!” As a network marketer, you are in control of your time. This business is something you can do part time or full time. It is something you can do from your home, on the phone and computer, in the evenings, weekends, anytime, anywhere. It is a business

The Business of the 21st Century.pdf

The Business of the 21st Century 91that can travel with you, that you can keep in your pocket, and that you can engage in half-hour increments, if that's what your schedule and circumstances dictate. Wealth-Building Is a Necessity These six reasons support why women so strongly need to learn how to build their own wealth. The statistics prove how much times have changed for women and point out that our need for real-life financial education is no longer a luxury; it's a necessity. Depending on someone else for your financial future is like rolling the dice. The reward may be there in the end, but the risk is steep. Glass ceilings and limits to income are what so many women have been fighting against for ages. Both disappear in the world of network marketing. And then two of the greatest gifts of all—a higher sense of self-worth and time to spend exactly as you want—can be yours. However, out of all these reasons I've just listed, I have no way of knowing which speaks the most to you. You are not the “average woman”; you are you. And the single most compelling reason for building your network marketing business is one that only you can determine. Create Your Wealth... and Have Fun Doing It Regardless of what that compelling reason is, you have to remember one more thing when starting a network marketing business, and that is to have fun. Yes, it's great to think that you can earn an extra $100, $1,000, or even $10,000 a month, and that you can avoid dependency and have control of your time, but if you are not having fun, it can quickly lead to that same rut many find themselves in out in the corporate world. Simply put, you have to be passionate about what you do; the lack of it will reflect in your bank account. That's why I think party plan businesses—a type of network marketing business that revolves around in-home parties—are ideal for so many woman looking to start their own businesses. Party plan businesses are the perfect opportunity to spend time with family and friends in the comfort of your own home even while you are creating a social network that will allow you to build wealth—and have fun doing it. An interesting fact about the party planning sector is that during turbulent economic times, it continues to fare well. In fact, this is one reason the network marketing industry as a whole is such a force to be reckoned with. Companies such as Vorwerk (J AFRA Cosmetics), Mary Kay, Tupperware, Scentsy, Partylite, Stampin' Up, Jewels by Park Lane, the Longaberger Company, and Southern Living at Home are among sixty-four direct selling companies with an annual global wholesale revenue of $100 million or more. According to a September 2009 Direct Selling News report, Tastefully Simple, a party plan company offering specialty food items, saw sales rise by 5 percent in 2008, despite the recession. Another, Pampered Chef (which was purchased by billionaire

The Business of the 21st Century.pdf

CHAPTER 17: A Business Where Women Excel 92Warren Buffett in 2002) saw a 5 percent increase in recruiting during that same time period. What's the message here? Party plan companies offer a low-risk, highly rewarding opportunity for any woman looking to take charge of her financial future. I recommend it for stay-at-home moms looking to join the ranks of new entrepreneurs, working women looking to supplement their paychecks, college students hoping to earn a few extra dollars—any woman who wants to give herself the opportunity to create wealth... and have fun doing it. Know What's Important On our very first date, Robert asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I told him I wanted to run my own business someday. He said, “I can help you with that. ” Within a month, we had a business going together. But he also started talking to me about larger things, too—about spirituality, and asking me about my life's purpose. This was in the 1980s, when people were workaholics and proud of it. By the '90s, people began taking a closer look at their lives and asking some harder questions. But it was really after 9/11 that people started saying, “Whoa, wait a minute. Why am I running around like a hamster on a wheel? What am I doing with my life? Where is it all going?” I hear women all the time say they are too busy to get involved in a part-time home-based business. I tell them, “Here's the key to making your business successful: You have to look at your life, really look at it, and ask yourself, 'What is it that is so meaningful to me that I have to have it in my life?' ” What is important enough to you that you'll make the time and devote the effort to building a business that generates its own income, and then use that income to build wealth that will take care of you for the rest of your life? Because if you don't identify what that is, it's just not going to happen. Freedom is different for everyone; success is different for everyone. It's personal, and it should be personal. Numbers are abstract; whether it's five thousand dollars or one million dollars, it doesn't really mean anything until you give it the meaning it has in your own life. Early in our marriage, Robert and I were both passionately committed to being in business for ourselves, to not having other people tell us what to do, and to being in control of our own financial destinies. That was so important to us that we were willing to put up with just about any hardship to make it happen. And it took years—really, about ten years. At times, the stress of having no income was enormous. We had all sorts of friends who were telling us we were crazy, that we should just go get regular jobs with regular paychecks, but that was what we absolutely did not want to do. Finally we decided we had to do something. Robert began teaching some courses. I went to a friend who had a clothing line and asked her to let me market her clothes. I went to hair salons and set up little mini-boutiques. There was no paycheck

The Business of the 21st Century.pdf

The Business of the 21st Century 93in it, no guarantees, only sales commissions—and in truth, I really made very little in commissions. But it got me out there, doing something. I learned that this is the essence of being an entrepreneur: You have to go out there and make things happen. And the only way you are going to do that is if you know what is really, truly important to you, and you realize that the only way you are going to have that is to create it yourself.

The Business of the 21st Century.pdf

The Business of the 21st Century.pdf

PART THREE Your Future Starts Now What it will take to get your successful network marketing business started

The Business of the 21st Century.pdf

The Business of the 21st Century.pdf

97CHAPTER 18 Choose Wisely So you've decided to do start your own network marketing business. Congratulations! Now you face a choice. There are several thousand network marketing companies in operation. Which one are you going to join? And how do you choose? Newcomers to network marketing often make this choice by default, by simply signing up with the first opportunity to come along. Now, it may well be that the first company you hear about is a great company, and a wise choice for you. But it should be an informed, educated choice that you make with care. This is your future we're talking about. So how do you choose? On what criteria do you base your decision? “Our company has the best compensation plan—you can make great money here!” When I was investigating different network marketing companies, I often heard this comment. The people anxious to show me their business opportunity would tell me stories of people making hundreds of thousands of dollars a month from their business. Because I have met people who really do make hundreds of thousands of dollars a month from their network marketing business, I don't doubt its massive earning potential. Yet I do not recommend looking into a network marketing business primarily for the money. “We have the best, most premium-quality products—products that have changed people's lives!” I heard this a lot, too. Profound product benefits were probably the No. 2 reason for joining that people gave me, money being No. 1. And again, I didn't doubt it. While I heard plenty of exaggeration and outright hype, I also found truly great products, some of which I still consume or use today. In fact, exceptionally high-quality products tend to be one of the hallmarks of network marketing. Yet products are also not the most important benefit. Let me repeat that: When choosing a company to work with, the product is not the most important consideration.

The Business of the 21st Century.pdf

CHAPTER 18: Choose Wisely 98I stress this because most people assume that the product is the most important thing. It's not. Remember, you're not taking a job as a salesperson; you're going into business for yourself, and the business you are in is network-building. And when you start looking around at different companies, the question foremost in your mind needs to be, “Is this company going to help me learn how to become a master network-builder?” The No. 1 reason I recommend network marketing is for its system of real-world business education and personal development. A network marketing system is set up to make it possible for anyone to share in the wealth. It is open to anyone who has drive, determination, and perseverance. It does not care what your family name is or what college you went to (or if you went to one at all), how much money you make today, what race or sex you are, how good-looking you are, how popular you are, or even how smart you are. Most network marketing companies care primarily about how much you are willing to learn, to change, and to grow, and whether you have the guts to stick it out through thick and thin while you learn to be a business owner. Is this true of every single network marketing company out there? No. As in anything, there are the good, the bad, and the ugly—and there are also the truly great. Not all network marketing companies really support education. There are some that are just about hustle: They just want you to go sell for them, and don't really care about teaching you anything. They just want you to bring your friends and family into the fold. If you run into one of those companies, I would be leery about getting involved: They won't contribute to your growth and may not be around long. But the better companies out there will be totally dedicated to your business education. They are committed to the long haul and place a priority on developing your skills and your abilities. When you find a company like that, with leaders above you who are willing to train you and help you become the businessperson you can be, that's a company to stay with. Is the compensation plan important? Sure. Is the quality of the product line critical? Of course. But far more than those things, what I really look at is how dedicated the company is to developing you as a strong B quadrant individual—a genuine wealth-building businessperson. That's the most important thing about the network marketing company you affiliate with: It really is your business school. If you like what you hear from the initial presentation, take some time to actually meet the people who do the educating and training.

The Business of the 21st Century.pdf

The Business of the 21st Century 99Invest the time to look past the compensation and products and really peer into the heart of the company: Is it truly interested in training and educating you? This takes more time than just listening to a thirty-minute sales pitch, clicking through a colorful Web site, and hearing about how much money people are making. To find out how good a company's education really is may require you to get off your couch and look into its training, educational seminars, and events. If you like what you hear from the initial presentation, take some time to actually meet the people who do the educating and training. And look carefully, because many network marketing companies say they have great educational plans, but not all do. In some companies I looked into, the only training they had was a recommended book list, and then they focused on training you to recruit your friends and family into the business. So take your time and look carefully, because there are quite a few network marketing companies that do have excellent educational and training plans—in fact, some of the best real-life business training I've seen anywhere. Here are a few questions to ask yourself about a network marketing company. t

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line that you can be passionate about? Who's Running the Ship? Inexperienced people, who approach a new business with an E quadrant or S quadrant perspective, often look at a company's products, pay plan, or promotion to judge the strength of the company. I skip over all that and look directly at the principals —the people at the helm. It's not that the product and pay plan and everything else aren't important. But no company is perfect. Problems always happen. If you have the right people running the ship, then whatever goes wrong, they'll fix it. In fact, if you have great people running the company, there's no problem they can't fix. But if you have the wrong people at the helm, then when problems happen, there's absolutely nothing you can do about it. You can't judge a book by its cover; look beyond the promotional videos and Web sites. Look at the principals. What are their backgrounds, their experience, their track records, their character? Whether or not you get to know them personally or ever work with them directly, they are the partners you're getting into business with. John: One thing I'd like to address here is the myth that eager promoters sometimes spread: that in order to make “the big money,” you have to “get in on the ground floor. ” This is just not true.

The Business of the 21st Century.pdf

CHAPTER 18: Choose Wisely 100Robert: Not only is it not true, it's plain stupid! The majority of business startups fail within their first year or two, and that includes startup network marketing corporations. Why would you want to risk your hard work, time, and energy by investing all that in a company that doesn't yet have a track record? John: There are strong, viable, excellent network marketing companies that are 3 years old, and there are those that are 30 years old. It's true that there is something exciting and invigorating about being part of something that is still young and in its fresh beginnings. But there is also a lot of power and credibility that comes with being affiliated with a company that has been in business for decades. I would exercise due caution about committing yourself to a company that has barely opened its doors. Yet, even here, there are exceptions; you may find a new company that is just starting out, yet has such strong corporate credentials that it merits serious consideration. The point here is, do your due diligence: Find out what it is you're looking at and who you're getting into business with. Don't be fooled by people telling you that the trick to getting rich is being with a brand-new company, or a 5-year-old company, or a 35-year-old company. There is no “trick. ” There is no magic formula. What you want is a company that knows what it's doing and gives you clear signs that it's going to be there for the long haul. Does the Company Offer a Proven Plan of Action? John: The most lucrative and viable network marketing opportunities will not expect you to reinvent the wheel. Instead, they will offer plans of action to help you create the success you're after. For example, they will have a training guide with suggested daily or weekly activities. Some companies will offer business owners a personalized Web site to help educate prospects or share products and opportunities. First-class, professional presentation tools such as CDs, DVDs, podcasts, and print materials have become standard fare for the typical network marketer's toolbox. Does the Company Embrace Both Business Skills and Personal Development as a Regular Part of Its Educational and Training Programs? I've made it pretty clear that I hold the training and education you get as the No. 1 value in your network marketing experience, even more than the income stream you're building. So make sure it's there. Make sure your company places a high value on regular training, both in business skills and also in character development and personal growth. For decades,

The Business of the 21st Century.pdf

The Business of the 21st Century 101the leaders in this industry have known that it pays to provide their people a steady diet of great inspirational and educational material. In the old days, it was books and audiotapes. In the 21st century, it's CDs, DVDs, podcasts, live teleconferences, and webinars—and yes, books. Books never go out of style! John: And live events, too. Even in the Internet age, there is something powerful about being physically present at a live event, something that no other medium can fully replace. These days, the day-to-day business of building a network is typically conducted over the phone and the Internet as much as it is face to face. But you'll still find that the better companies put a strong focus on their annual, semiannual, quarterly, and/or monthly events. Why? For their educational, training, and personal-development value. And by the way, it's not just the network marketing corporation itself who will be involved in your training and education. You have a whole hierarchy of people—from the person who actually enrolls you directly into the business (often termed your “sponsor”) through their sponsor and all the way up the chain of sponsorship (your “upline”), all the way to the corporate officers themselves—and they all have a vested interested in seeing you grow, learn, and succeed. One of the beauties of the network marketing system is that it is set up to be the exact opposite of the dog-eat-dog corporate environment, where even your best friend may climb over you to get to the next rung on the ladder. In network marketing, that kind of cutthroat competition doesn't happen, simply because your sponsor's and upline's success depends on your success. The people who profit from your growth want you to grow! Does the Company Have a Strong, High-Quality, and Highly Marketable Product Line That You Can Be Passionate About? Even if it isn't consideration No. 1, the company's product offering is critically important. Why? Because of one word: buzz. Network marketing companies typically don't do a lot of mass-media advertising. You don't often see billboards or TV ads for these products. Why not? Because they use a completely different promotional model. Instead of putting their advertising budgets into expensive mass media, they put their advertising budget into people like you. John: The lifeblood of a growing network is word-of-mouth—individual people telling other people about their product or service and the opportunity they have become a part of.

The Business of the 21st Century.pdf

CHAPTER 18: Choose Wisely 102Because of that, the products and services that typically do really well in the network marketing model are those that people get excited about, those that have a great story to them, those that have an intriguing ingredient or unique history, those that provide the user especially powerful benefits, or those that are the first of their kind—products or services that tell a unique story. In a word: buzz. Now, don't get me wrong: I'm not talking about hype. I'm talking about genuine qualities and attributes. Your product has to be the real deal. That said, it's important to remember there is no one “best” product. There is room for thousands of best products and services. To some extent, choosing a great product is a highly subjective thing. Some people have a strong affinity for skincare products, say, or nutrition, or technology. Is there a strong market for the product? Is it something that will appeal to vast numbers of people? Is it priced competitively? Do you believe in the product's value, and will you use it personally? Does it have a great story to tell? When you are genuinely passionate about the product you're sharing with others, they'll be more likely to become excited about it, too.

The Business of the 21st Century.pdf

103CHAPTER 19 What It Takes So what does it take to build your own successful network marketing business? First, let's look at what it doesn't take. You Don't Need an MBA or High-Powered Business Background Remember the word duplicable. The strategies that work best in networking are those that duplicate best. Network marketing does for a B quadrant business model what Henry Ford did for the automobile industry: It reduces the process to component parts that can be mass-produced. John: A successful network marketing business is not a handcrafted masterpiece made by one skilled pair of hands. It's a symphony of simplicity crafted by hundreds of thousands of hands. You Don't Have to Be “Great at Sales” Again, one of the biggest misconceptions that people who are not actually in network marketing often have about the business is that you need to be a “born salesman” to be successful here. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, holding onto that idea will hurt you in network marketing. Why? Because “great salesman” types cannot duplicate themselves. John: Remember, this is not principally a sales business, but a teaching, team-building, and leadership business. Your job is not to sell a lot of product, and it isn't even to teach a lot of people to sell a lot of product. It's to lead, train, and build people. It is first and foremost to build a network. Robert: Making the sale is not the point; building the network is the point. John: Exactly.

The Business of the 21st Century.pdf

CHAPTER 19: What It Takes 104You Don't Need to Quit Your Job! In fact, it's vastly preferable not to quit your job when you're starting out. For one thing, building your own business is not like starting a new job, where you start earning a paycheck the moment you show up for work. It's going to take time to build your network. Give it time. John: And not only for financial reasons. Even if you could afford to quit your job, many new networkers find that once they get their businesses going, being connected to their co-workers can serve as a source for prospective partners or referrals to prospective partners. The great majority of network marketers build their businesses part-time. The 2008 National Salesforce Survey conducted by the Direct Selling Association showed that only about one in eight network marketers worked twenty hours or more per week on their business. You Don't Need to Be Rich or Take out a Second Mortgage on Your Home Most network marketing businesses require less than $500 in actual out-of-pocket startup costs. Make no mistake about it: What you save in cash capital you will make up for in sweat equity and passion. The major investment in most self-owned businesses is investment of oneself, in the form of time, focus, and persistence. But you don't need a pile of cash to start. John: Still, just because the capital investment is low does not mean it's nonexistent. This is a business, and you need to run it like a business. And that means you will have monthly operating costs. Typically, your monthly budget will be very modest: a monthly supply of the product sampling, and the cost of contact and presentation tools, such as those mentioned above (CDs, DVDs, Web sites, etc. ), as well as ongoing business-development and personal-development materials. So, no, you don't need a big cash stake to start, but you do need to budget some reasonable monthly expenditures. You Don't Need to Be a Genius at Negotiation or a Whiz at Numbers You do need a burning desire and determination fueled by a strong dose of passion. “You have to love what you do,” says my friend Donald Trump. “Without passion, great success is hard to come by. As an entrepreneur, you'll have tough times if you aren't passionate about what you're doing. ” Those are a few of the things it doesn't take to build a successful network marketing business. Now let's look at what it does take.

The Business of the 21st Century.pdf

The Business of the 21st Century 105It Takes Being Honest with Yourself Building a B quadrant business is not an easy task. You need to ask yourself, “Do I have what it takes? Am I willing to go beyond my comfort zone? Am I willing to be led as well as to learn to lead? Is there a rich person inside of me, ready to come out?” If the answer is “Yes,” then start looking for a network marketing business that has a great training program. John: I would also add this: Make sure you are clear on where you are and what you would like to accomplish in your life. Having a vision for what you would like to accomplish is essential. Then, get clear on your expectations. Get clear on what it will take, in terms of time put in each week, as well as money, skills, and resources. Get clear on what actions you'll need to take to make this business successful. Get clear on a realistic time frame. In the book I wrote with Donald Trump, Why We Want You to Be Rich, Donald wrote: “Network marketing requires an entrepreneurial spirit, and that means focus and perseverance. I do not recommend network marketing to people who are not highly self-motivated. ” Donald is absolutely right. It Takes the Right Attitude For me, becoming an entrepreneur is an ongoing process, one that I am still involved in. I believe I will be an entrepreneur-in-training till the end. I love business, and I love solving business problems. It is a process that brings me the kind of life I want. So, although the process has been tough for me at times, it has been worth it. One thought has kept me going; it was my glow in the dark, even in the darkest of hours. I had a small piece of paper from a Chinese fortune cookie taped to the base of an office phone at our surfer wallet company that read: You can always quit. Why start now? There were many phone calls that I had to handle that provided me with more than enough reasons to quit. Yet, after hanging up the phone, I would glance at the words of wisdom from the fortune cookie and say to myself, “As much as I want to quit, I won't quit today. I'll quit tomorrow. ” The good thing is, tomorrow never came. My rich dad used to say if getting rich were easy, everybody would be rich. That's why, when people ask what was the No. 1 thing that allowed me to become rich, I say that I didn't want anybody to tell me what to do. I wanted my freedom so badly. I didn't want job security. I wanted financial freedom. And that's what network marketing offers.

The Business of the 21st Century.pdf

CHAPTER 19: What It Takes 106If you like somebody telling you how much you can make and when you should arrive and leave work, then a network marketing business is not for you. It Takes Real Growth A network marketing business can be a B quadrant business. But that doesn't necessarily mean it will be. That's up to you. Network marketing is the perfect vehicle for people who want to enter the world of the B quadrant. While your income potential in the E and S quadrants is typically limited to how much you as an individual can produce, in a network marketing business, you can earn as much as your network generates. That means, once you build a very large network, you can earn a massive amount of money. However, simply joining a network marketing company does not make your new venture a B quadrant business—not until it's truly large. John: The technical definition of a “big business” is one that encompasses 500 or more people. Again, those 500 are usually described as “employees,” but the point is the numbers involved. When you build a network of 500 or more independent representatives, what you have definitely fits the definition of a big, or B quadrant, business. And a network marketing business system is designed to expand to well over 500 people. It's common for an individual's network organization to grow to several thousand or even tens of thousands, and it is not unusual to see network organizations of hundreds of thousands. Newcomers to the networking business often make the mistake of treating their fledgling network's income as “free money”—readily disposable income from Day One. But when you have just 5, 10, 50, or even 100 or 200 people in your network, your new business is still very much in the formative period. It is not yet a big business. Once your network grows beyond 500 people and is getting into the thousands, you have a true B quadrant business that is generating passive income. It is not only a viable network; it is an income-generating asset. But this means that the interval from when you join your company up to the point that you reach that 500-plus scale of business is a formative period, a time of laying your foundation. Keep it in perspective. Keep your eye on the real goal: wealth-building. It Takes Time If you have the idea that you can start a network marketing business and expect to start making money right away, then you are still thinking like someone who lives in the E or S quadrants. In fact, it is people in the E and S quadrants who are most often sucked into the get-rich-quick schemes and scams of life.

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The Business of the 21st Century 107John: There is no such thing as a get-rich-quick method in network marketing. While the activities of the business are simple, they require time and effort, the foundation of passive income. The DSA says that, on average, one in ten contacts will say “yes” to the opportunity. However, that figure improves with the business owner's level of experience. Remember, this number will hold true in volume. Though you may not find it average for just 10 contacts, you'll discover it is true for 100 contacts. Over the years, there have been some people who have promoted the network marketing business as a sort of “fast track” to wealth. Of course, this is total nonsense. The people in network marketing who have developed their leadership skills, built their businesses, and developed genuine wealth have spent long, hard years doing it. So don't be fooled if you hear anyone try to tell you that you should see quick results. This isn't some sleight-of-hand or six-month, hit-it-lucky joyride: This is serious business. This is your life we're talking about here. In the real world of business, if you cannot start producing business within three to six months, you are fired. Xerox was a little more generous: They gave me a year to learn and a year of probation. If I hadn't had those two years, I would have been fired. Your situation is different: Your network marketing company is not going to fire you—so don't fire yourself. Don't give it a few months or a year of effort and then say, “Oh well, I guess that didn't work out. ” Give it the time it needs. Robert: John, when I tell people, “Give it time,” I invariably get the question, “Okay—how much time?” How would you answer that? John: I say give it five years. Robert: That's exactly the same answer I give! In fact, it's the same for building any kind of business—I call it “my five-year plan. ” The Five-Year Plan If you are serious about starting your journey, I recommend committing to a minimum of five years of learning, growing, changing your core values, and meeting new friends. Why? Because that's realistic. It took years for Howard Schultz to build Starbucks, for Ray Kroc to build Mc Donald's, and for Michael Dell to build Dell Computers. It takes time to build great companies and great business leaders. It took me years to build my own successful B quadrant business. It will take you years to build your network marketing business. Why should it be any different? Most people don't think in terms of years; trained by advertising and the paycheck-to-paycheck values of the E quadrant, they think in terms of immediate

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CHAPTER 19: What It Takes 108gratification. Is it any wonder that so many people, when they first consider putting their toe into the B world, are so susceptible to the idea of “get rich quick”? “I signed up a week ago. When do I start making the big money?” Folks, get rich quick is an oxymoron. A rich relationship doesn't happen quickly; a richly rewarding novel is never written overnight. Creating richness, by definition, takes time, and this is just as true of financial richness as it is of any other kind. This is why there are so few people in the B quadrant. Most people want money but are unwilling to invest their time. In his book Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell explains that to become outstandingly accomplished at anything, it takes about 10,000 hours of hard work. As a high-school kid, Bill Gates put in 10,000 hours of programming. When they were still just another unknown British band of wannabes, the Beatles played a nightclub in Hamburg, seven hours a day, seven days a week—and put in about 10,000 hours. “What's really interesting about this 10,000-hour rule,” says Gladwell, “is that it applies virtually everywhere. You can't become a chess grandmaster unless you spend 10,000 hours on practice. The tennis prodigy who starts playing at 6 is playing in Wimbledon at 16 or 17 [like] Boris Becker. The classical musician who starts playing the violin at 4 is debuting at Carnegie Hall at 15 or so. ” Ten thousand hours: Do the math. If you work eight hours a day, five days a week, you hit the 10,000-hour mark after five years of full-time effort. Fortunately for you, mastering network marketing is not like becoming a chess grandmaster. You don't need to become Boris Becker, the Beatles, or Bill Gates. You don't need to become the best in the world—but you do have to master the skills of the business. It won't take you five years of full-time, forty-hour weeks. But to learn and master what it takes to build a massive network with passive income, do yourself a favor and give yourself enough time. By the way, I still use this five-year plan. When I decide to learn something new—for example, investing in real estate—I still allow myself five years to learn the process. When I wanted to learn how to invest in stocks, I again gave myself five years to learn the process. Many people invest once, lose a few dollars, and then quit. They quit after their first mistake, which is why they fail to learn. But losing is part of the process of winning. It's only losers who think that winners never lose, who think that mistakes must be avoided at all costs. Mistakes are priceless opportunities to learn essential lessons. Today, I still give myself five years to make as many mistakes as possible. I do this because I know that the more mistakes I make and learn from, the smarter I will Ten thousand hours: Do the math. If you work eight hours a day, five days a week, you hit the 10,000-hour mark after five years of full-time effort.

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The Business of the 21st Century 109become. If I make no mistakes for five years, then I am no smarter than I was five years ago—just five years older. Give Yourself Time to Unlearn, Too As much learning as you'll do in this business, chances are good there is also a substantial amount of unlearning that needs to happen. One reason so many people get so entrenched in the E and S quadrants is that they start to feel comfortable there. It isn't that these quadrants are inherently more comfortable. After all, you're being taxed like crazy, your time is never your own, you're often forced to work with people you can't stand... in so many ways these quadrants are really quite uncomfortable. But people start to feel comfortable there because they have spent years learning how to be there, and it's what they know. That all changes when you enter the world of network marketing. The job experience that comes from time spent in traditional employment or self-employment is often not that useful in network marketing. Fixed work hours, set wages or salaries based on time put in, the structure of having bosses and management hierarchies, narrowly defined job descriptions, a clearly defined clientele, a clearly defined territory and physical plant—so many of the trappings of the conventional workplace simply don't exist in this business. If you have worked in traditional sales, as we said before, you'll actually want to unlearn those skills to a good degree, because in network marketing, it's not what you can do that counts, it's what you can do and duplicate. If you have experience managing employees, you'll need to do some unlearning there, too—because in network marketing, you don't hire, fire, or tell people what to do. It's an entirely new dynamic, this business of the 21st century, and to excel here, you will likely need to leave some old habits behind. Take your time to unlearn as well as to learn. For some people, the hardest part of switching from the left side of the quadrant to the right side of the quadrant is to unlearn the point of view of the E and S quadrants. Once you have unlearned what you had learned, the change will go much faster and easier. It All Comes Down to Action You can plan all you want, study all you want, and learn all you want, but the only people who win in network marketing are people who take action—today, tomorrow, and every day.

The Business of the 21st Century.pdf

The Business of the 21st Century.pdf

111CHAPTER 20 Living the Life What makes you rich? Most people would answer, “Money, of course!” And they would be wrong. Having money does not make you rich, because you can always lose money. Owning real estate does not make you truly rich, because (as we have seen dramatically in the last few years) real estate can always lose value. So what makes you rich? Knowledge. My Golden Lesson As a young adult, even before I began investing in real estate, my very first investment was in gold. “Gold is the only true money,” I reasoned. “How could I go wrong?” I began buying gold coins in 1972, when gold was approximately $85 an ounce. I was 25 years old. By the time I was 32, gold was approaching $800 an ounce, and my money had multiplied nearly tenfold. Hot dog! The frenzy was on, and greed overtook caution. Rumors were that gold was going to hit $2,500 an ounce. Greedy investors began piling on, even those who had never bought gold before. I could have sold my gold coins for a significant profit, but I hung on, hoping for gold to go higher. About a year later, with gold sagging back below $500 an ounce, I finally sold my last coin. I watched gold drift lower and lower until 1996, when it finally bottomed at $275 in 1996. I didn't make much money with it, but gold taught me a priceless lesson about money. Once I saw that I could actually lose money investing in “real money,” It is not real estate, gold, stocks, hard work, or money that makes you rich; it is what you know about real estate, gold, stocks, hard work, and money that makes you rich. Ultimately, it is your financial intelligence that makes you rich.

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CHAPTER 20: Living the Life 112I realized that it was not the tangible asset that was valuable. It was information relative to the asset that ultimately made a person rich or poor. It is not real estate, gold, stocks, hard work, or money that makes you rich; it is what you know about real estate, gold, stocks, hard work, and money that makes you rich. Ultimately, it is your financial intelligence that makes you rich. Financial intelligence has little or nothing to do with academic intelligence. You can be a genius when it comes to academic intelligence, but a moron when it comes to financial intelligence. 1) Knowing How to Make More Money The more money you make, the higher your financial intelligence. Someone who earns a $1 million a year has a higher financial IQ than one who earns $30,000 a year. 2) Knowing How to Protect Your Money The world is out to take your money, and it's not just the Bernie Madoffs. One of the biggest financial predators is your government, who takes your money legally. Take two people who both make $1 million a year. If one pays 20 percent in taxes while the other pays 35 percent, the first person has a higher financial IQ. 3) Knowing How to Budget Your Money Many people fail to keep much money out of what they earn, simply because they budget like a poor person rather than like a rich person. Budgeting your money also takes financial intelligence. Take two people: Person A earns $120,000 a year, and Person B earns only $60,000 a year. Who has more financial intelligence, Person A? Not so fast. Let's say Person A also spends $120,000 every year, putting him at Square 1 at year's end. But Person B, who earns only $60,000, budgets carefully and is able to live well on just $50,000, and invests the remaining $10,000. Who ends up with more? If you have poor money-management skills, then all the money in the world cannot save you. If you budget your money wisely, and learn about the B and I quadrants, then you are on the path to great personal fortune and, most importantly, freedom. Being able to live well and still invest no matter how much or how little you make requires a high level of financial intelligence. Having a surplus is something you have to actively budget for. 4) Knowing How to Leverage Your Money After you budget a surplus, the next financial challenge is to leverage that surplus. Return on investment is yet one more measurement of financial intelligence.

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The Business of the 21st Century 113The person who earns 50 percent on his money has a higher financial IQ than one who earns 5 percent. And the one who earns 50 percent tax-free on his money has a much higher financial IQ than the one who earns just 5 percent and then pays 35 percent in taxes on that 5 percent return! Most people save their financial surplus, if they have any, by sticking it in a bank or putting it into a mutual fund portfolio, hoping this will leverage their money. But there are much better ways to leverage your money than savings and mutual funds. Those don't require much financial intelligence: You can train a monkey to save money and invest in mutual funds—which is exactly why the returns on those investment vehicles are historically pretty pitiful. A Magnificent Life The purpose of your network marketing business is not simply to make you money, but to give you the skills and financial intelligence so that you will use that additional money to build genuine wealth. But even that is not the end goal. The end goal of building that wealth is so that you can live a magnificent life. From my observations of people in many different situations, I would say there are three ways to live. These three ways are driven by three different emotions, and also correspond closely to three different financial and emotional states: LIVING IN FEAR I know what it's like to be broke. I've described how, in 1985, in many ways the worst year of my life, Kim and I were in such dire straits financially that we were literally homeless and living in our old broken-down Toyota. The feeling of fear during those days was paralyzing, so intense that it numbed our entire bodies. I knew this feeling: It was the same sense I had as a young child, growing up in a family that was broke most of the time. That dark cloud of “not enough money” hung over our family for most of my childhood. Not having enough money to live on is a horrible experience, and it hurts in many more ways than financial. It can undermine your self-confidence and sense of self-worth, and sabotage every aspect of your life. LIVING IN ANGER AND FRUSTRATION The second way of living is living with the emotion of anger or frustration from having to get up and go to work, especially when you would rather be doing something else. A person who lives with this feeling may be someone who has a good job and high pay but cannot afford to stop working. That is where the frustration comes from. They know if they stop, the world they live in would come crashing down. People like this may say, “I cannot afford to quit. If I quit, the banks would come and take everything away. ” These people often say, “I can't wait until my next vacation,” or “Only ten more years to retirement. ”

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CHAPTER 20: Living the Life 114LIVING IN JOY, PEACE, AND CONTENTMENT The third way of living is to live with the peace of mind of knowing that, regardless of whether you work or not, there is plenty of money coming in. This is the feeling Kim and I have lived with ever since 1994, when we sold our business and retired. Kim was then 37 and I was 47. Today, many years later, we still work; in fact, we work hard. Why? Because we love what we do. The feeling of not having to work, knowing that no matter what we do we'll have more than enough money coming in for as long as we live, is an amazingly freeing, exhilarating feeling, allowing us to do what we genuinely love. We spend our time together, and whether we're playing golf, traveling around the world, or putting in long hours in our boardroom, to us, it's all play and it's all the stuff of dreams. It's our life, exactly as we've always wanted it to be, and we treasure every single moment of it. Ants, Grasshoppers, and Human Beings Earlier I mentioned the fable of the ant and the grasshopper. We all grew up with this idea that there are two ways to live: You can live like the good, modest, industrious, and frugal ant and sock away crumbs for the future, or, like the irresponsible and spendthrift grasshopper, dance and fiddle away the days without a thought of the future. In some ways, this image has done us more harm than good. Sure, it's good to be responsible and frugal, and to prepare for the future. But look at the ant's lifestyle! Do you really want to be a cog in a gigantic ant colony, pushing little crumbs of dirt around, day after day, for the rest of your life? Let's face: We're not ants, and we're not grasshoppers, either; we're human beings. Is it unreasonable to expect that we should be able to live the full lives which we humans are capable of living? If you grasp the basics of wealth; if you manage your money, your time, and your attention with intelligence; if you create big dreams and have the audacity to follow them; then you can live a life that meets with a success unexpected in common hours.

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115CHAPTER 21 The Business of the 21st Century One reason I have such strong respect for network marketing is that it is a genuine equal-opportunity business. Network marketing casts a very wide net. When you look closely at the more than sixty million people worldwide who are engaged in the business, you'll find people of every color and creed, every age group, and every level of background, experience, and skill. This also makes it the business of the future. In the 21st century, we are realizing as never before that wealth, as I said earlier, is not a zero-sum game. It's not a question of some of us prospering by holding others down. The future of genuine wealth lies in pioneering ways of doing business that elevate the financial well-being of humanity. Those are my personal business values, and network marketing shares those values. And championing those values not only feels good—it's also good business. Democratic Wealth-Building One of the principal reasons I have put so much energy into supporting and promoting the network marketing industry is simply this: Its systems are fairer than previous systems of acquiring wealth. A network marketing system is set up to make it possible for anyone to share in the wealth. This is a very democratic way of wealth creation. The system is open to anyone who has drive, determination, and perseverance. The system does not really care what college you went to or whether you went to one at all. It does not care how much money you are making today, what race or sex you are, how good-looking you are, who your parents are, or how popular you are. Most network marketing companies care primarily about how much you are willing to learn, to change and to grow, and whether you have the guts to stick it out through thick and thin while you learn to be a business owner. Network marketing is more than just a good idea; in many ways, it is the business model of the future. Why? Because the world is finally starting to awaken to the reality that the Industrial Age is over.

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CHAPTER 21: The Business of the 21st Century 116For a world with less and less of its former security, network marketing is emerging as a new engine of individual achievement and security. Network marketing gives millions of people throughout the world the opportunity to take control of their lives and their financial futures. That is why, even though Old World thinkers persist in not seeing it yet, the network marketing industry will continue to grow. In the years ahead, I expect to see an explosion in the prevalence, penetration, visibility, and maturation of leading network marketing companies. Earlier I wrote about how Thomas Edison became rich, not by making a better light bulb, but by creating the network that supported the light bulb. Edison had a young employee named Henry who did something very similar with another new invention that, at the time, seemed to have no real practical use. Like Edison with the light bulb, young Henry Ford did not invent the automobile, but he did something radical that forever changed the invention's destiny, along with the destiny of millions of people. At the turn of the century, the automobile was seen as a curiosity, a rich person's toy. And indeed, they were so inordinately expensive that only the rich could afford to own one. Ford's radical idea was to make the automobile available to everyone. By slashing production costs and adapting the assembly line to mass-produce standardized inexpensive cars, Ford became the largest automobile producer in the world. Not only did he make his car affordable, he also paid the highest wages in the industry and even offered profit-sharing plans, redistributing over $30 million annually to his workers—and $30 million was worth a lot more in the early 1900s than it is today! Ford's mission statement was to “Democratize the automobile,” and in the course of fulfilling that mission, he made himself a very rich man. Network marketing is a revolutionary form of business: For the first time in history, it is now possible for anyone and everyone to share in the wealth that, until now, has been reserved only for the chosen few or the lucky. The business is not without its detractors. And it has had its share of hucksters and flim-flam artists, unethical people trying to make a quick buck. But by its very nature and design, network marketing is a strikingly fair, democratic, socially responsible system of generating wealth. Despite what its detractors will tell you, network marketing is not a very good business for greedy people. In fact, the only way you can become rich in network marketing is by helping others become rich in the process. To me, this is as revolutionary as Thomas Edison and Henry Ford were in their day. By design, it is the perfect business for people who like helping other people. By its very nature and design, network marketing is a strikingly fair, democratic, socially responsible system of generating wealth.

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The Business of the 21st Century 117I don't necessarily condemn greed; a little greed and personal self-interest are always healthy. But when the goal of personal gain grows out of perspective and people pursue it at the expense of others, it becomes repugnant. I believe that most people are inherently generous, and that we gain the greatest satisfaction and fulfillment from our own achievements when they also serve to lift up others, and not to keep them down. Network marketing satisfies this generous impulse. It offers a path to personal success, to building great wealth and creating financial freedom through a process that operates successfully only through helping our fellow human beings. You can become rich by being cheap and greedy. You can also become rich by being abundant and generous. The method you choose will be the method that most closely matches the core values deep inside of you. An Economic Foundation for Peace I flew helicopter missions over the jungles of Vietnam, and I know from firsthand experience what war is like. I also know that inequity is one of the core causes of war. As long as the gap between the rich and the poor widens, it is going to be tough to create conditions of peace. We can march for peace, give speeches endorsing peace, form committees to study peace, and promote peace, but it's going to be impossible to actually create that peace we talk about unless and until we can begin to bring substantially more economic opportunity to many millions of people. And as huge a goal as that sounds, that is exactly what network marketing is doing. Today, many network marketing companies are spreading peace through economic opportunity all over the world. Not only are network marketing companies thriving in all the major capitals of the world, but many are also working in developing nations, bringing financial hope to millions of people who live in impoverished countries. Most traditional corporations can only survive where people are rich and have money to spend. It is time that people all over the world had an equal opportunity to enjoy a rich and abundant life, rather than spend their lives working hard only to make the rich richer. It's time you had that opportunity. Welcome to the 21st century.

The Business of the 21st Century.pdf

The Business of the 21st Century.pdf

119ROBERT T. KIYOSAKI Investor, Entrepreneur, Financial Education Advocate, and Best-Selling Author Robert Kiyosaki is the author of Rich Dad Poor Dad — the No. 1 personal finance book of all time—a book that challenged and changed the way tens of millions of people think about money. Rich Dad Poor Dad ranks as the longest-running best-seller on all four of the lists that report to Publisher's Weekly —The New York Times, Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today —and was named “ USA Today 's No. 1 Money Book” two years in a row. It is the third-longest-running “how-to” best-seller of all time. With perspectives on money and investing that often contradict conventional wisdom, Robert has earned a reputation for straight talk, irreverence, and courage. His point of view that the “old” advice—get a good job, save money, get out of debt, invest for the long term in a diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds—is “bad” (both obsolete and flawed) advice, challenges the status quo. His assertion that “your house is not an asset” stirred controversy, but has been proven to be accurate for many homeowners. Other Rich Dad titles hold four of the top ten spots on Nielsen Bookscan List's life-to-date sales from 2001-2008. Translated into fifty-one languages and available in 109 countries, the Rich Dad series has sold over 28 million copies worldwide and has dominated best-seller lists across Asia, Australia, South America, Mexico, and Europe. In 2005, Robert was inducted into the Amazon. com Hall of Fame as one of that bookseller's top twenty-five authors. There are currently twenty-seven books in the Rich Dad series. Among the notable titles is Why We Want You to Be Rich: Two Men—One Message, a book written with Robert's good friend Donald Trump in 2006 that debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list. Already, the two friends and business giants are at work on a second book to be published in 2010. Robert's latest books include The Real Book of Real Estate, a compilation of real-life lessons and advice from veteran real estate investors and advisors to Robert, and Conspiracy of the Rich: The 8 New Rules of Money, an innovative and groundbreaking free interactive online book that has garnered an unbelievable amount of unique visits and climbed as high as No. 5 on the New York Times how-to tradepaper best-seller list. Robert has been featured on shows such as Larry King Live and Oprah, and was recently featured in TIME magazine's “10 Questions” column, a notable Q&A column that has featured such names as director Spike Lee and actor Michael J. Fox, among others. In addition to his books, Robert writes a column—“Why the Rich Are Getting Richer” —for Yahoo! Finance and a monthly column titled “Rich Returns” for Entrepreneur magazine.

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120JOHN FLEMING John Fleming was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. His interest in architecture and desire to build was borne of a family tradition that dated back to his great-great-grandparents. A gifted student, his natural talent for architectural design flourished at the Illinois Institute of Technology, known for its adherence to the principles of Mies van der Rohe, one of the most renowned architects of modern times. Upon graduation, John worked for the great architect and was selected to do many of the illustrations in Mies van der Rohe: The Art of Structure, the last book published on him. John's knowledge of and interest in architecture eventually led to the realization that the same principles of design and construction could be applied to life as well. These thoughts formed the foundation of his passionate belief that ordinary people could accomplish extraordinary things by following similar building concepts. It was this belief that led to his shift from the study of architecture to a career in direct selling. John's decision to embrace the direct selling industry was guided by the knowledge that the industry had welcomed people from all walks of life—regardless of past experience or inexperience—for more than 100 years. He believed it enabled those willing to learn a few basic skills about selling and servicing others the opportunity to engage in the American free enterprise system. For the next 40 years, he tested his theories not only upon himself, but also upon thousands of others whom he believed could become the architects of their own destinies. John has built a successful career as an entrepreneur, consultant, writer, and speaker. He has owned and operated his own direct selling company, served as an independent contractor, and held various executive positions with leading companies, including 15 years at Avon Products, Inc., where he led the company's western business unit in both top-and bottom-line growth for a record six consecutive years. John retired from Avon in 2005. John has had a longtime affiliation with the Direct Selling Association and the Direct Selling Education Foundation, and currently serves as a board member for both organizations. In 1997, the Direct Selling Education Foundation recognized his contributions with its highest honor, the Circle of Honor Award. Over the past several years, John has continued to create several organizational structures through which his consulting and leadership remain focused on business, educational, and life solutions. In 2006, he assumed the publisher and editor in chief duties of Direct Selling News, the trade publication serving the direct selling industry, where he now brings his knowledge and insight to industry leaders (www. directsellingnews. com). Since 2008, he has served as the executive director of the SUCCESS Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping teens learn critical personal-development skills so they can achieve their full potential (www. SUCCESSFoundation. org). John is also the author of The One Course, which provides instruction on how to build a successful life using the principles of architecture (www. theonecourse. com).

The Business of the 21st Century.pdf

121KIM KIYOSAKI With a passion for educating women about money and investing, Kim Kiyosaki draws on a lifetime of experience in business, real estate, and investing in her mission to support financial education. Kim has been a featured guest on The Larry King Show, FOX News, and A Brave Heart View Internet Television show, and she is the host of the PBS Rich Woman show. Kim was recently featured as a financial education advocate in Essence magazine, and she is a columnist for Woman Entrepreneur. com. Kim is a self-made millionaire and a happily married (but fiercely independent) woman. Her first book, Rich Woman: A Book on Investing for Women, hit the Business Week best-seller list the month it was released. Rich Woman is a best-seller in numerous countries throughout the world, including Mexico, South Africa, India, Australia, New Zealand, and across Europe. Donald Trump stated about Rich Woman, “This book is a must-read for all women. Today, more than ever, women need to be financially savvy. ” Rich Woman was also listed on Donald Trump's Summer Reading List for 2009. Kim has used the international forum of Rich Woman to showcase the startling statistics related to women and money, and through www. richwoman. com, she has created an interactive online community where women can learn and grow. Kim Kiyosaki, and her husband Robert Kiyosaki, both know what it is like to be in the financial crisis situation that many Americans are confronting today. In the 1980s they were homeless, jobless, and over $400,000. 00 in debt. At that difficult time, they created and followed a straightforward 10-step formula to get out of bad debt. They share that formula in the popular How We Got Out of Bad Debt audio CD. Today, they are successful entrepreneurs and best-selling authors. In addition, Robert and Kim Kiyosaki created the CASHFLOW board game in 1996 to teach the financial and investment strategies that his rich dad spent years teaching him. It was those same strategies that allowed them to retire early. Today there are thousands of CASHFLOW Clubs throughout the world. In 1997, Kim and Robert founded The Rich Dad Company. The company has launched the Rich Dad® message and mission of financial literacy—through books, games, and other educational tools—to international recognition and acclaim. “Too many women, especially as we get older, are finding ourselves in dire financial straights—due to divorce, death of a spouse, or simply no planning. The problem is that so many of us have not been educated about money and investing. Financial education is not about how to buy car insurance or save pennies at the grocery store. I think we women are a little smarter than that. Women need to take control of our financial lives, instead of crossing our fingers hoping that someone else is looking out for our financial futures. ”

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BE THE ARCHITECT OF YOUR OWN DESTINY! The One Course Created by successful executive and entrepreneur John Fleming, The One Course is designed to guide you through the steps necessary for creating a successful life. It helps you identify the areas of your life that need designing, or redefining, and helps you “construct” a solid framework for the future that will allow you to live the life you truly want to live. Each lesson features a summary that provides a high-level overview of the material. In addition, each summary includes a building principle that highlights an important phase or process needed in your personal development. Important lessons include: r
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The Business of the 21st Century.pdf

The Business of the 21st Century Book This is the definitive book for helping you get started in a network marketing business! In The Business of the 21st Century, Robert Kiyosaki shows you that while these may be economic hard times for the majority, for some entrepreneurs, they are times ripe with economic potential. Perfect for recruiting and distributor training. 142-page paperback book. _________________________________________________________________________ The Perfect Business? Audio In the exclusive audio interview, Robert Kiyosaki reveals his choice for the perfect business to help you retire rich. Prospects will discover successful strategies to create personal security and financial freedom. Excellent for recruiting! Approximately 20 minutes. _________________________________________________________________________ The Perfect Business! Video Let Robert Kiyosaki show your prospects how direct selling can be their ticket to financial freedom. This exclusive video, shot in Robert's home, envelopes prospects with his revolutionary CASHFLOW Quadrant® wisdom, just as his rich dad shared it with him. Excellent for recruiting and follow-up. Approximately 11 minutes. _________________________________________________________________________ The Business School Book With The Business School for People Who Like Helping People book, Robert Kiyosaki helps you build your network. Learn the Eight Hidden Values of a Network Marketing Business—Other Than Making Money! Robert reveals one of the quickest ways to build a B quadrant business and why the word network is so powerful to the rich. Excellent for recruiting and distributor training. 144-page paperback book. *EFBM
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The Business of the 21st Century.pdf

The Business of the 21st Century.pdf