The word for today is "progress"

What would happen to your business if you had a simple goal to have continuous movement towards higher monthly PV? You decide to qualify for the annual incentive trip. You have made a decision that you want to double or triple your income. You want the business to be more fun because it is fun when progress is being made.    

Making consistent progress is really quite simple but it's a matter of keeping yourself in motion by putting in the necessary time every week. I know without question that when people in this business are working at the basic fundamentals they will be making progress. Of course making this progress also means things are improving, movement is taking place, something is going on besides maintaining, new people are joining every month, the incentive trip is now within reach, and you will be moving to higher ranks.  

One thing we know is when people have new thinking it helps to create new behaviors. Why not go for making continuous progress during the next few months? Why not you? Why not now?  My guess is that the vast majority of you who are reading this message have already proven that you can make things happen when you're in motion doing the right things. Making progress is the opposite of maintaining the same monthly PV month after month after month. 

Remember that new thinking helps to develop new behaviors. What's your new thinking? Why don't you sit down right now and start writing what your new thinking is going to be. Higher PV, more sponsoring, more income, helping more people. Again, why not you?  Why not now? Your new thinking will help you to make the kind of progress you want and believe me the business will be more fun for you and you will be an incredible example for the people on your team.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

The word for today is "preparation"

I was a boy scout for a few months when I was a young guy and what I remember are two things: tying those knots was difficult and the motto for the scouts is "be prepared." I wasn't a model boy scout but I do remember that motto. I can't recall if that is where I learned about being prepared, but I do like to be prepared if I am going to do something of importance.

When you go on a trip it takes some time to get everything prepared. Taking certain classes in high school helps to prepare for college. Everything takes preparation.  When I came into this business I wasn't prepared to do what was required to do in order to experience success. This was all so new and I recall feeling very inadequate about everything related to building a business. I had never read a book on business. I never thought I would ever be in business for myself. I literally hated to think about speaking on my feet in front of people. UGH!

But at the same time I always attended meetings and I heard the comp plan over and over. The more I heard how a person's life could change for the better, the more inspired I got. I finally realized everything I was hearing at these meetings was true. I decided I wanted everything that Shaklee offered. I had some work to do on myself because I wasn't prepared. I took notes. I read books. I studied the comp plan. I was asked one night to speak at a meeting...briefly. I was petrified. Scared stiff. But I did it. I had a lot to learn about talking to people about getting an appointment (golly...what if they say...).

I was very involved in athletics as a young man and I was one of those kids who liked to practice as much as play the in the games. Somehow I knew that if I were to get better it would take practice.  Let me say something here - if you want what this business offers you'll probably have to do some things you've never done before. You have the responsibility to prepare and challenge yourself.

The payoff for you will be your personal growth. That personal growth is what is going to open doors for you as time goes by because by working on yourself you will be prepared and you will succeed. It will take persistence on your part but you'll never regret becoming what you're capable of becoming. Prepare yourself because it's your future and you're the only person who can make it happen.    Believe it.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

The word for today is "persistence"

I have decided to choose a word for each day and apply it to what it takes in this business to reach personal goals.  I created this list at the lake this past weekend and it inspires me so I hope in some way it will help you in your pursuit for success in this business.

The word today is persistence. Many people have said persistence the secret for helping a person succeed. I think there are times for all of us when we question what we are doing and wonder if this opportunity will work for us. While driving to a appointment or a meeting during my early years, I would often wonder if this business would ever work for us the way it did for the people who did those meetings. It caused me to start to doubt and I learned that in order to be successful I would have to be persistent in fighting everything that caused me to doubt.

Being persistent means that no matter what happens, or how many times it may happen, we hang in there and keep at it regardless of how much time or effort it takes. It doesn't matter who says what or who does what, you stick with your dream and make persistence be your friend. Persistence is a choice and I do believe that this is one of the most important skills that we must have. 

You want to be known as a person who doesn't ever give up because you just keep on keeping on and stick with it no matter what happens. By being or becoming persistent you are assuring yourself to be as successful as you choose to be. Believe it.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Becoming skilled

Faye and I were at our lake home over the weekend and I spent a lot of time sitting around thinking, making some notes, and asking myself some questions. I found myself wondering if we in the field really understand the power we have with this opportunity to help ourselves as well as helping lots of other people. This idea of what Shaklee offers has incredible potential to change lives. I know that is true because it has happened for us.

I have known for a long time that this is a very simple business. As I've said before, simple of course doesn't mean easy because it isn't easy. If you are looking for easy, this or any business probably isn't for you. Not easy but simple. To me it comes down to learning from the people who have done it successfully.   I think that is true with any business a person might look at.  

I like to keep things as simple as possible because simplicity has huge potential to attract and making things complex might impress people but it certainly doesn't help. So here is what this business is to me.  It's about three things:  

1) People   

2) Products    

3) Presentations.   

Then there are two major areas to help us develop the proper skills that are needed to build effectively:

1) Fundamentals - What to learn...prospecting, etc.

2) Strategy - how will I proceed in building high GPV and/or sales leaders?

Our job as I see it is to learn the fundamentals, work hard to develop the skills and understand that the better you get at developing the needed skills, the easier it will seem to build the kind of business you want. Developing the needed skills doesn't come from attending webinars, listening to CDs or watching videos or DVDs. You will certainly learn from those resources but skills are only developed by doing something - repetition is the key. The more you do the more skilled you'll become and you'll get better and better as time goes by.

Question: What two skills would make your business explode? I think you know the answer to that. Once you write those two activities down and set a goal to become the very best you can with those two skills, you will look back and be thrilled with what you have learned and how you can literally change your life.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Two things that changed our business

When I look back to when we got started I can identify two major things that had a huge impact on our business in a very positive way. Number one was about telling stories. I was doing meetings every week but they weren't very good and that was because I didn't have much experience. When I would attend the Hegerman meetings I would always get inspired. I was wondering what it was they did that I wasn't doing.  

I went back to attending these meetings with the idea of learning what they did that I wasn't doing. It took about 3 or 4 weeks and then one night I was sitting in my back row spot and it was like a light went on in my head. That's it I said to myself. What dawned on me was they didn't just talk about Shaklee facts, etc.  They were telling stories. Wow! I decided that night that I would tell more stories than facts. Stories about the products and what happened to the people.  Stories about people earning more this month then last month. To make a long story short, my meetings changed and from that night until today and I am totally convinced that telling stories has helped me conduct more interesting meetings.

The second thing that changed our business in huge way was also about meetings, but about volume, not content. I wanted a large business. I wanted everything that Shaklee offered.  I attended a training meeting and didn't get the idea this person was presenting.   I attended the same meeting about 4 months later and heard the same idea that helped us grow a very large business. This person said if you do one meeting a week you'll grow but it will be slow. If you do two meetings a week you won't grow twice as fast, it will be squared and you will grow four times faster than the people doing one a week.   Three a week and you'll grow nine times faster. Four a week and you'll grow sixteen times faster. WOW!

After that idea exploded in my head I decided that my strategy was going to be 3/4, 3/4. Three meetings one week and four the next,then repeat, so I would be doing fourteen meetings a month. By this time I was full time in Shaklee. For the next 20 plus years I did fourteen meetings every month and credit this idea with helping me to understand what it would take to grow a large business.  This is about meetings, not appointments.

Maybe you aren't full time. But I'm sure you could probably do more than one meeting a week. How about doing eight meetings a month? Maybe 10? If this simple formula worked for me, it will also work for you and help you speed up your growth. Something to think about.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Are you ready to challenge yourself?

Fall is right around the corner. Kids are either back in school or getting ready for school. This is a season that is always vital for the coming year. New thinking requires new goals, and new goals mean you have to have a plan or a process to follow. Just setting a new goal won't get you a cup of coffee because it's the plan or the process that is vital. The plan/process are the steps you'll have to take to make it work.

The other thing I hope you will do is make your commitment to make this next year better than your last year. Raise the bar for yourself. Set new standards. If you averaged 5000 PV last year you should want to raise that to 7000 PV or 8000 PV.   Decide to develop at least one new strong first level Director who also will have 5000 PV to 7000 PV. Go for the next higher rank. There will be people that are going to have one of their best years ever. Why not you? Why not now?  

The idea that you can have a banner year is really quite simple. The point is that others have had their best year so that should be proof for you to step it up a notch because when you do you're going to have more fun as you have your best year. Don't just accept the idea that where you are is where you'll be in your business a few months from now. Again I suggest that you raise the bar for yourself. Challenge yourself.

Others have 7000 PV to 15,000 PV. Why not you? Others have taken the steps to challenge themselves. Why not you? Believe me, accepting challenges and then doing what has to be done to make them become a reality will help you to become the person you are capable of becoming. GO FOR IT!

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

The Enemies We Face

I know many of you receive messages by Jim Rohn. The following comments by him are excellent. This message is something that you should print out and read every once in a while.  It is a very powerful message about the enemies we face every day.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

The first enemy that you've got to destroy before it destroys you is indifference. What a tragic disease this is. "Ho-hum, let it slide. I'll just drift along." Here's one problem with drifting: you can't drift your way to the top of the mountain. The second enemy we face is indecision. Indecision is the thief of opportunity and enterprise. It will steal your chances for a better future. Take a sword to this enemy.

The third enemy inside is doubt. Sure, there's room for healthy skepticism. You can't believe everything. But you also can't let doubt take over. Many people doubt the past, doubt the future, doubt each other, doubt the government, doubt the possibilities and doubt the opportunities. Worst of all, they doubt themselves. I'm telling you, doubt will destroy your life and your chances of success. It will empty both your bank account and your heart. Doubt is an enemy. Go after it. Get rid of it. The fourth enemy within is worry. We've all got to worry some. Just don't let it conquer you. Instead, let it alarm you. Worry can be useful. If you step off the curb in New York City and a taxi is coming, you've got to worry. But you can't let worry loose like a mad dog that drives you into a small corner. Here's what you've got to do with your worries: Drive them into a small corner. Whatever is out to get you, you've got to get it. Whatever is pushing on you, you've got to push back. The fifth interior enemy is over-caution. It is the timid approach to life. Timidity is not a virtue (unlike humility — they are different); in fact, it can be an illness. If you let it go, it'll conquer you. Timid people don't get promoted. They don't advance and grow and become powerful in the marketplace. You've got to avoid being overcautious. Do battle with the enemy. Do battle with your fears. Build your courage to fight what's holding you back, what's keeping you from your goals and dreams. Be courageous in your life and in your pursuit of the things you want and the person you want to become.                                                   Jim Rohn

It's time to move forward

On the flight home from Long Beach, CA yesterday I did what I have done on the way home for over forty years- that is taking time to think about the week, read through my notes, write some ideas and to set some short-term goals. Faye and I have been in this business a long time but I find that I still have that desire to grow and it seems to always get stronger once I have put myself in the right environment.

As I was writing new goals I wondered if others do the same thing? I'm sure the majority of people do because I talked to lots of people who were excited, inspired, ready to set new goals and to have their best year ever. One person I talked with came to the conference with a heavy heart. That same person came up to Faye and I on Saturday and with excitement in her voice and ideas in her head about what she was going to be doing this next year and for years to come. She was like a new person in a matter of days. It was a short conversation but one I will remember.

I think my point this morning is that it is vital for you to be willing to invest in yourself and to attend every meeting possible because you never know what meeting will change your life. Being at the annual conference the home office hosts gives you the opportunity to be in that kind of environment.  Believe me, there are people who attended this conference that had to save to get there, but they got there. You hear great stories, attend workshops, rub elbows with new people and they become good friends. Of course you hear first hand about the new products. And much, much more.  

Many things have potential to move your business. I would like to suggest that right now you make the decision that next year you will be in Cleveland, Ohio for the 2015 annual conference. Go online and learn about the new products, get caught up with new thinking and new goals.I will close with a comment that I believe very strongly:

You are better than you think you are, and you can do more than you think you can.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

I'm back...very inspiring message

I know I said I wouldn't be sending out a message until after Long Beach but I can't seem to help myself on this one.   The link below will take you less than two minutes to watch and listen to. My bet is many of you will do the same thing I did a few minutes ago and that is to listen to it again and then again.

Have a great day and I hope you will put yourself in the picture as you're watching this very inspiring YouTube video. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SwvRbyhXN0&feature=youtu.be

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Make something happen

First of all I want to let you know that I am taking a break of some sorts and then will be off to Long Beach for the annual Shaklee conference. This will be my last daily "It's Grow Time" message until we return from the Long Beach conference on August 17th. I look forward to seeing you there.

Before I sign off though I want to plant a seed in your mind.  Sometimes when I think about how many years Faye and I have been involved in this incredible business it blows me away. I was sponsored on May 1, 1970, so we are in our 45th year in this business. Amazing!  I say that because looking back I again realize how fast time flies when I look in the rear view mirror.

I read the following idea in a book years ago and it has stuck with me - it said something to the effect that 10 or 20 years from now I will be more disappointed by the things I didn't do than by the ones I did do. It went on to say that for most people that is probably true in some way. I can sit here this morning and say to myself that I am not disappointed that I first looked at this business and wondered if it were true.

I am not disappointed that I took time to evaluate this opportunity. I am not disappointed I got sponsored and I'm not disappointed I made the decision to build this business. I'm not disappointed we worked hard very consistently over the years. I do have to say that I've been disappointed now and then while working at growing, but at the same time for me this has never felt like work. Many times I have told people that I haven't worked for over 40 years. That is how I feel. Really.

My hope and prayer for you is that you will never be disappointed by what you didn't do. If this business is your choice for having a better future for yourself, then make it work. Don't sit back and say it's too late or I'm too old, or I'm too young, or I'm too whatever. It's never too late to start making a dream come true.   Get yourself in motion.  

I'll talk to you again in a couple weeks.  Make something happen.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke