July - August 1999
Success Story
Success Comes From Vision-Inspired Action - Barry Donalson of The Free Network
It wasn't exactly the good life. As a district manager for Lexus automobiles, Barry Donalson spent most of his time on the road, traveling his territory, seeing to the needs of auto dealers around the country. Sure, it was a great corporate job-- but Barry had had enough.
"I basically lived out of hotels," he remembers. "I'd pack my bags and leave on Monday; come home on Friday; do laundry on Saturday; go to church on Sunday; and then pack and leave again on Monday. I was getting sick of it."
Barry also knew that the corporate life wasn't a wise investment long-term. He was all too familiar with good people constantly losing their jobs after decades of loyalty to a company. He wondered seriously if I he was on the right track in his life. That's when he got the call....
I got the famous call that a lot of us in Network Marketing get-- you know, the old friend who wants you to take a look at a business opportunity. It was perfect timing for me. I was in a looking mood.
I'll admit I didn't understand it all at first, but it intrigued me enough so that I kept getting more information until I finally decided to get involved. I was really ready to do something else. In my corporate job, I was underemployed, underpaid, and overworked. But most importantly, I knew that I wasn't rising to my full potential in a regular job. Jobs don't really call on people to fulfill their potential-- they keep you in a specific slot so you can perform a certain function.
One of the things that most attracted me to Networking was the emphasis on personal development and maximizing your potential. It's not all about making money. It's about being the very best you. I liked that very much.
I was involved with one Networking company for a while, and just didn't do as well as I would have liked. I look back on it now as a learning period. I eventually found my way to the company I'm with today.
When I first got started in Network Marketing, I didn't fully grasp how big a business it was. I had to learn that if you treat it like a hobby, it will pay you like a hobby. But once you give your business the respect and dedication it deserves, it will pay you big time.
The other big challenge I faced was doing the business while I was working my regular job. That was hard trying to make everything fit into the schedule. I would literally drive out into my territory in the first part of the week, and drive back at night to do briefings and training sessions before heading back out the next day to work my job-- sometimes with as much as a six hour drive each way. I'm not going to kid you, it was hard.
I'd find myself sleeping in rest stops, always trying to get somewhere to work my business. I spent many hours on the road. I did that for almost three years-- all the while maintaining a good rating at my job, until the network was built so I could focus on my own business full-time. I wanted that money, time, and freedom, and I knew I wasn't ever going to get that with my corporate job. I knew it wasn't going to come easy.
I knew that it would take time, energy, and effort to become successful in Network Marketing. I also knew that success comes before work only in the dictionary. Once I got straight on that, it was just a matter of staying in motion and working until my goals were reached.
I didn't play basketball on Saturdays. I didn't go to movies. I went to seminars and training events. I spent my money on tapes and videos and books to condition myself to make sure I stayed in the game when times got tough.
Most people have the same common denominator in Network Marketing-- we all face rejection and negativity. I listened to a lot of tapes and attended many, many seminars and lectures, and they really kept me on track. I realized that others had gone before me on this journey, and they could teach me what I needed to do and what I needed to look out for. The answer to any of the challenges you will face is to put your hand to the plow; don't look back; hold on to your dreams; and keep going no matter what. That's just what I did. And it works!
I run a consistent schedule. I always have phone calls, appointments, follow ups, and weekly training sessions with my people. I'm out in the dens and living rooms at least four nights a week-- always presenting the opportunity and creating new leaders.
One key is to become proficient at being a coach. Train new leaders to stand on their own and to build their businesses independently of you. That's what leaders do, they take control and lead. Always stay in depth, too, working with the very newest people. I don't care what level they're on, I'm there to build a strong leader.
Definitely take advantage of the information that is there to help you by plugging into your company's training system. Any training event, no matter what the cost or what you have to do to be there, go to it! Remember, if you want your people to plug into the training and take advantage of it, then you have to be willing to do that yourself-- because your people are only going to do what they see you doing. Lead by example.
There is no secret to success. It comes out of consistent, positive, vision-inspired action. I believe that success in Network Marketing is all about surrounding yourself with the right people who want more out of life, and who aren't afraid to do the work to get it.
Take the path of least resistance: Work with people who want to work, and teach the people who want to learn. Don't force yourself on anybody, it's a waste of time. If you can get with people who want to work, and who aren't afraid to learn to lead, then you will be successful in Networking within three to five years-- no question about it.
The most incredible thing about the experience for me has been the money and time freedom. I have time back in my life. I don't fight traffic anymore. I don't live out of a suitcase anymore. I have more money in the bank now than I've ever had in my whole life. I'm driving my dream cars. I've traveled all over the world. And I enjoy great tax advantages.
Everything that I always read about this industry is absolutely true. It provides the time and the money to anybody who is willing to put forth the effort. In the early years of building your business, you may put forth more time and money than you make back. But in the long run, you'll make way more money than you can ever imagine.
BARRY DONALSON is a full-time Networker with The Free Network, Network Marketers of telecommunications services. He is an International Marketing Director with the company and has been involved with Networking for about seven years. Barry is single, 32 years old, and divides his time between Chicago, IL, and LaDera Heights, CA.
Reprinted with permission from Upline, Donalson - Success Story - July/August 1999, 888-UPLINE-1, http://www.upline.com
