Why not you? Why not now?

Tomorrow will be September 1st. That means that most kids will be back in school, and for many parents it means getting back to a routine. The fall of the year always seems to be a time when many people seem to increase their efforts for building their business.

Do you have a clear vision for what you want your business to look like 90 days from now? There are many definitions of the word "vision" and probably my favorite is the following from Bill Hybels:

Vision is a mental picture of the future that produces passion in people.

I'll ask again - do you have a clear vision of the kind of growth you want to see in your business during the months of September, October and November?   You could double your monthly PGPV.  You could sponsor 10 to 15 people and from that could come 30 to 50 new people in your personal group. This action could ignite your growth, which will carry over into making 2016 your greatest year ever. 

New goals require new thinking and new behavior. I think each one of you who is reading this message know what to do for building new momentum. It's all up to you. Why not you? Why not now?

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Another Jim Rohn Classic

Here is another Jim Rohn classic. Mr. Rohn always taught that who a person becomes is more valuable than what they would earn. It's about personal development and becoming the absolute best person you can become because when you become that person, you will have changed your life.

Read and enjoy.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

There’s No Telling What You Can Do When You Get Inspired

The ultimate reason for setting goals is to entice you to become the person it takes to achieve them.

What goals did you set at the start of this year? Have you accomplished them? Personal development legend Jim Rohn says the most valuable lessons lie not in the destination, but the journey.

“The real value in setting goals is not in their achievement. The acquisition of the things you want is strictly secondary. The major reason for setting goals is to compel you to become the person it takes to achieve them,” Rohn says.

Say you want to be a millionaire. The greatest value to becoming one is actually not the million dollars (seriously!). “The greatest value is in the skills, knowledge, discipline and leadership qualities you’ll develop in reaching that elevated status,” Rohn says. 

Answer this question: What kind of person will you have to become to get all you want? Write down the kinds of skills you’ll need to develop and the knowledge you’ll need to gain. Your answers might give you some new goals for your personal development. Work on your goals. Your ability will grow to match your dreams. “This is the magic of goal setting. The more you work on your goals, the more new opportunities will present themselves to you,” Rohn says.

You can make big things happen in your life. “You can make startling changes you can’t even conceive of right now, if you just give yourself half a chance.”

Goals. There's no telling what you can do when you get inspired by them. There's no telling what you can do when you believe in them. And there's no telling what will happen when you act upon them.

"I believe like I've never believed before. And that is the big difference."

The following message is a response from Carla Harris to yesterday's message. I greatly appreciate it when field leaders send me their thoughts and how they have been inspired by an event like what we had in Cleveland. This is another wonderful example of what can happen when people attend Shaklee events.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke 

I, too, was ripe and ready for Cleveland.

I've been working my Shaklee business for 5 years now. I have focused on the products for 2 reasons: 1) They changed my life and I felt passionate about helping others have better health and 2) I was scared to share the business and didn't really believe it would be do-able for most people. 

A few months prior to Cleveland, I got a paradigm shift about the business and began believing that it is a goldmine and very simple (not easy but simple). Then I got a dream for building my business so I could start a foundation to provide affordable housing for aging single women. Then I went to the convention! Wow!

For the first time in my 5 years in Shaklee, I know I can do this. I know I'll make the Chairman's Conference and walk across the stage with at least one new business builder. I just know it. I'm doing the strategic planning to figure out what I need to do to get there. I'm making the calls and doing the work. I believe like I've never believed before. And that is the big difference.

I was so moved at the convention. I cried out of gratitude to be partnered with such a wonderful company. I'm so thankful for the vehicle to help others on so many levels. 

Thanks for your encouragement along the way!

Carla Harris  

What happened to one person in Cleveland

You have heard how great the Cleveland conference was so I want you to read a short message I received  from Scott McCray who is from Colorado. There are 4 or 5 major points Scott makes and I want to comment briefly on them.

"A spark re-ignited in me this conference, and it changed my thinking. Most importantly, my behavior is changing, new activity is already showing up. Next will be maintaining consistent discipline in the years to come - no easy task, but I see a different future worth fighting for now."

Scott McCray

#1 - Scott got re-ignited.   What this means to me is he got some fresh enthusiasm in Cleveland.

It has been said that when you put yourself in the right environment you will stretch yourself in a variety of ways.

#2 - It changed his thinking. That is really getting stretched and simply means his thinking is taking him to new ideas of what is possible.

#3 - His behavior is changing. That is where the rubber really hits the road.  When behavior changes, that means he and his business will change with new activity.

#4 - Must maintain consistent discipline in years to come. Not this week or next month but in all the years in front of him.   No easy talk is right on the mark.  Great comment.

#5 - But I see a different future worth fighting for. Yes it is sort of a battle as we all face obstacles, problems, negativity, etc. Making the decision to fight for it is awesome.

How did Cleveland affect you? Have you taken the time to spell it out like Scott did above? Why not take some time and whether you were in Cleveland or you weren't, write out your own vision that you have for 2016.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Yes, success is everything

The following is probably the type of message that everyone should read about once a week, every week. It is that important and it's a reminder of reasons to be consistent at building your business.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Yes, Success is Everything

by Jim Rohn

Someone once said to me that success isn't everything, and I think I know what they really meant. I believe they really meant that money isn't everything, and I certainly agree with that. 

But I do believe that success IS everything.

First, you need to succeed to survive. We must take the seasons and learn how to use them with the seed, the soil, and the rain of opportunity to learn how to sustain ourselves and our family.

But the second, is to then succeed to flourish in every part of your life. 

Good question to ask mature people: "If you could do better, should you?" 

And I think almost everybody would answer the question in the affirmative. If you could improve your health, shouldn't you do that? If you can learn more, shouldn't you do that? If you could earn more and share more, should you do that? If you can improve your relationships and spirituality, shouldn't you do that? And I think that is what success is really all about.

Interesting phrase in the Bible that says strive for perfection--not that we can ever reach it. 

But it is in the striving, to be a little bit better today than yesterday: in our speech, our language, our health, everything we can possibly think of.

So yes, in my opinion, Success Is Everything!

The key to success is...

There were a few thousand people who attended the great conference in Cleveland last week. My guess is that everyone went home with some new thinking as well as a new commitment to have this next year be the best ever.  Now it's time to get to work and to start making things happen. There's that old saying that says, "Things don't just happen, they happen because someone makes it happen." Are you ready to make this your best year ever?

I found a quote by "Coach K"  from Duke University that describes what happens as a person is on the road to success: 

"To coach and lead others is a great opportunity, but to be successful over the long haul, you have to adapt and adjust.  That is the key to success."

I had the opportunity to be on the coaching staff right out of college at a high school in Wisconsin. Also on the staff was a teacher and coach named John Gould. John was a terrific coach and had experience and I learned a lot from him. I remember asking him the question, "What is the most difficult thing in coaching?" What John told me was once a game starts things happen so being able to recognize what adjustments are needed is the most important thing you must learn. Making adjustments.

My point in this message is as you are working to build your business things are going to happen and you will have to make some adjustments. You'll be facing some unknown obstacles, you'll have some minor setbacks, maybe a major setback. At times there may be doubt about what you're doing. Things happen.   Things change. As coach K says above, you'll have to adapt and adjust.

Don't ever give up your dream just because things don't work out perfectly.  Learn to recognize that maybe you have to make some adjustments on the way in order to succeed. That is part of the learning process. Stick with it. Become mentally tough.nHave the mindset that nothing is going to stop you from having fun building your future.   

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

7 Steps for Growth

The following seven steps are from a top leader with another company. I love the simplicity. If you want a large, growing business focus on step number four. I took the liberty to add a few words to reflect our Shaklee business.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

STEPS FOR THE SERIOUS WHO WANT TO GROW

 

This process has been tested and is true: It is networking. 7 steps that help create success.

 

[1]  You must accept the networking idea.

 

[2]  You start casting your bait out into the world  (lots of casts).   Bait = Products and opportunity.

 

[3]  As you sponsor people, you look for those who will ALSO SPONSOR PEOPLE & BUILD.

 

[4]  Go wide, go wide, go wide.   If you want to be a top SHAKLEE LEADER, set your goal to develop a minimum of 12 working legs.  Be realistic. 12 good legs might be a 2-year project. You might have to sponsor 24 or 36 or 50 or 100.

 

[5]  Stay in touch with your active leaders. Give them ideas. Encourage them. Help them. And stay in touch with your downline leaders.

 

[6]  Pay special attention to special people. Those who follow the process to build.

 

[7]  Don't forget about follow-up.....with prospects as well as members and distributors. You should connect with every person in your personal group - active and inactive - every week or every other week. Don't bore; don't push. Find ways to just stay in touch. Example: GO GROW daily messages.....always stay connected. 

NOW WHAT?

Where are we going now? I don't mean the trip to Disney World for the next annual Shaklee conference, and I also don't mean on a cruise. That's not where my thinking is this morning after returning home from Cleveland. Faye and I believe that the Cleveland conference was one of the best in a long, long time and in our opinion, that means it's going to be a banner year.

Where are we going now? TO THE FUTURE. The future in Shaklee has never been better. If you are reading this but weren't able to make it to Cleveland, believe me when I say that the next 5+ years are going to be growth years. We saw this in the 70s and 80s and know what it feels like. This is a great time for anyone willing to go to work and that means investing about 10 to 15 hours a week doing growth activities and being consistent with your plan and actions.  

I want you to challenge yourself. What do you want your business to look like next year at this time? Maybe to double your current monthly PV. Or how about doubling your monthly PV and also developing one or two new first generation Directors? By the way, that would put you on the stage for recognition next year. Why not sit down and put your thinking on paper.   Remember, we are all entrepreneurs which means we don't work for Shaklee Corporation or our upline. It is each person's responsibility to challenge themselves as well as to set their own goals and create their own plan.   

I feel very challenged right now because it happened again -- Faye and I have attended about 40 or more annual conferences and every time I attend one my thinking gets stretched. It happened again this year and to be honest, I was expecting it to happen. My hope was it would happen. It did!

Don't even think that you can't have your best year ever. You can. You know what to do and I believe you also know how to do it. Be an example for yourself, your family, and your team members. Accept that responsibility. Go for it. Why not you? Why not now?

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Here we go! New Master Coordinator, time to have fun

This is going to be a great week as we will be in Cleveland having fun, seeing friends, hearing ideas and learning in the general sessions and workshops. It will be a full week for sure.

Our sincere CONGRATULATIONS to Laura Evans as she has qualified as Master Coordinator. As most of you know, Laura worked at the home office for years as a top executive and when she decided to leave she chose to stay in Shaklee and build her own business. A great story, from home office to field leadership at the highest level. When you see Laura in Cleveland tell her how proud we are of her terrific accomplishment of becoming a Master Coordinator.

This will be my last daily message as we are off to Cleveland. For me the annual Shaklee conference has always been the beginning of next year. This will be our 45th annual conference and one thing I know is that we will be stretched in our minds. It happens every year because when you put yourself in this kind of environment you start to think again about all the possibilities we have in our future. For those of you attending, prepare yourself for new thinking because you will be inspired. New thinking is always the first step for making changes and having progress. Go with high expectations for yourself and your business.

I will return with these daily messages on August 17th. Have a GREAT WEEK.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Change comes from challenges

IDEA:  Thanks to Master Coordinator  Marty Frederick for the following idea.  This is about yesterday's message and how to evaluate or compare where you are today and then has anything changed after attending the Cleveland conference.     Here's the IDEA.....fill it out now and THEN fill it out again AFTER THE CONFERENCE. Then share or compare if you have experienced any change.

Here is an idea for you to invest some of your thinking time over the weekend.  Part of this exercise is we all have choices and at some point in the past you have chosen Shaklee. You currently are exactly where you have decided to be but the good news it can be changed if that would be your choice.  Describe how you see your Shaklee business two years from now.

We have choices at how we see ourselves.  

I see myself AS

I see myself DOING  

I see myself traveling.....To.... Where?

I see myself achieving to what rank? 

I see myself earning 

Everything starts with a thought or idea.  Once you hear a good idea it's your responsibility to say YAY or NAY. Why not consider yourself doing whatever it takes to get to whatever it is you dream about?   You have the ability. We all can do better than we're doing.  Think about it...then act on it.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

CHOICES

Here is an idea for you to invest some of your thinking time in over the weekend.  Part of this exercise is to understand that we all have choices and at some point in the past you have chosen Shaklee. You currently are exactly where you have decided to be, but the good news is that you can choose to change it. Describe how you see your Shaklee business two years from now.

We also have choices about how we see ourselves.  

I see myself AS

I see myself DOING

I see myself traveling to

I see myself achieving (what rank?)

I see myself earning

Everything starts with a thought or idea. Once you hear a good idea it's your responsibility to say YAY or NAY. Why not consider yourself doing whatever it takes to get to whatever it is you dream about?  You have the ability. We all can do better than we're doing. Think about it...then act on it.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

It's time for new energy and it will happen next week

Next week at this time we will be in Cleveland and I think it's going to be one of the best conferences we've had. As I have mentioned before, when you put yourself in the kind of environment that Cleveland will be it will stretch us in our minds. It happens every year. It's like having a new beginning every year and when you have the excitement of new beginnings, it just gives you another level of energy and drive.

It's about renewing the mind. Starting over. Having new thoughts. Thinking bigger. Getting yourself ready for your next growth spurt. Setting new goals or renewing former goals that haven't been reached yet. Being energized again with that new level of energy. Whew! Sounds pretty good to me because I know that feeling of new energy and I know I'll get it and I know you will as well.

My message for today is the boy scout saying....Be Prepared. Come to Cleveland expecting great things. It only takes one new idea to have that renewed feeling. Having expectations seems to open the mind to receive information that could become life-changing. Hey, why not decide right now that for you this conference will be life-changing? Come with high expectations for yourself. I know I am.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Congratulations to new Key Coordinator Bonnie Donahue

Congratulations to Bonnie Donahue, new Key Coordinator from Indiana. Check out what Bonnie has been doing to grow herself and her team.

“I’ve been doing the exact same things to build my business that I had been doing all along, but I have concentrated on being consistent in the way that I market my business, grow my team and develop myself.

“I’m always bringing more people on to the team — people who want to do what I am doing and are willing to put in the work to do it. And I am consistent in using things like Facebook to share my story and the story of others on my team…to invite people to participate in what we’re doing. I am of the mindset that you have to find lots of potential builders because some will stick and some won’t. But being consistent ensures that you have a regular flow of activity.

“Building a Shaklee business is a team effort and so it is very important to me that I am a good example to those who work with me. I feel very strongly that you lead with love and a right attitude. I look to build up and inspire my team through things like coaching calls and creating small incentives where they can win personal development materials that will strengthen their skills.

“And the same personal development that I encourage in my team, I do myself. Every day I am working on myself by reading books, listening to something positive and being more efficient in how I use my time. When I first started with Shaklee, I wasn’t computer savvy at all…now I am using social media, the web, and all sorts of digital resources to share and grow my business. And if I can do it…anyone can!

“There is no magic bullet you just have to keep at it every day. I am a wife and mom of four and our family has been moving and traveling since May. It would be very easy to say, ‘I’m not going to work today.’ But I still have to make the calls, write the emails, do the Facebook and blog posts…it’s not easy, but it is worth it. I haven’t done everything perfectly, but my attitude is fall 7 times and get up 8!

“I am convinced that you have to stay consistent at least 3-5 years to begin to see the full benefit of all that is available when you make Shaklee a career. I have been doing this for five and a half years, but I feel like I am just getting started. I know soon, this will be a million-dollar business and I look forward to helping many more moms like me on my way there!”