It's really all up to you

December is right around the corner and that is always a very busy month. This also means that we have 2016 to look forward to and a question I have asked myself over the years is: what do I have to do to make the new year to be one of my most productive years? The following comment is my answer. The following quote is from Urban Meyer who is the head football coach at Ohio State University. Coach Meyer is one of the most successful coaches in the country and he said the following to his team: "It's up to you. I know you have big dreams. I want to help you fulfill them.  But if your habits don't reflect your dreams and goals, you can either change your habits or change your dreams and goals."

If you take those words and read it as if coach Meyer is talking directly to you,  what are your thoughts? To me that is a very challenging idea. Do I have good work habits? Can I expect to reach my goals if I continue to do what I did in 2015? Am I putting in the kind of effort that it takes to grow myself as well as this business? Do I have good thinking habits? Did I reach my 2015 goals?  

I suggest that you take some time to reflect in December so you can get yourself ready to make 2016 an incredible year. Be the example for everyone on your team. Think about it. I can. I will. I did.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

When all is said and done...

This is a simple message but yet vital for any of us to build the kind of business we dream about.

"When all is said and done, usually more is said than done. So be bold and courageous."

- Les Steckel

I don't think much has to be said about this as it's very clear what is being said.  If someone has a dream about the kind of future they want, being bold and courageous will be a requirement. The following words are from the definition of "boldness."

- Beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action.

- Necessitating courage and daring; challenging.

Most of us who have built this business came in with little or no experience doing what it takes to make it work. But many of us did it. How? By being bold and courageous.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Today's post is nothing new, but it's important

The following three quotes are nothing new but of course are very accurate.  

 "Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.” — Zig Ziglar

 

"Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results." — Willie Nelson

 

"Positive thinking is more than just a tagline. It changes the way we behave. And I firmly believe that when I am positive, it not only makes me better, but it also makes those around me better.” — Harvey Mackay

I personally believe that what stops people more then anything else is doubt. What leads to doubt for many people is negativity in some form. So the question might be, what are we doing to fight doubt and negativity?   

Some questions may be:

What are you currently reading?   

How many good books do you read every year?  

Who do you listen to?  

Are they a positive influence for you?   

Do you have a balcony person in your life? (A balcony person is someone who cares for you and always seems to be encouraging you. If you have two or three balcony people in your life you should be very thankful. You might want to call that person and thank them for being who they are.)    

Do you have a positive purpose for what you are doing with your time?

I think those three quotes are right on the mark.     

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke 

Getting on track for growth

A NFL football coach was asked the question about what will he do to get back on the winning track? He said the following: "Very simply it's about getting back to the basics. We've kind of slipped away from focusing on the basics and have gotten away from some of the basics it takes to win football games."

If you're wondering what it takes to get yourself and your team on track for more consistent growth just sit  down and think about where you are spending your time. Are you doing the basic things that create growth and is it just that maybe you're just "doing Shaklee" and not doing the basics? Basics is another word for fundamentals. The following are what I would label the basics for building this business:

- Having business goals

- Having a plan

- Asking questions

- Being a great listener

- Having appointments

- Telling the Shaklee story simply

- Following up

- Sponsoring people 

- Attending meetings

- Doing in-home events

- Leading the way

The above list might not be the perfect list of the basics but it certainly would be a good place to start. This is something to think about. I believe it's always a good idea to take some time to evaluate yourself.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

What do I want to become?

JIM ROHN

What you become directly influences what you get.

Here's the great challenge of life:  You can have more than you've got because you can become more than you are.

I have found that income seldom will exceed your own personal development. Once in a while income takes a lucky jump, but unless you grow out to where it is, it will go back to where you are. Somebody once said if you took all the money in the world and divided it equally among everyone, it would soon be back in the same pockets.

However, you can have more because you can become more. You see, here is how the other side of the coin reads: Unless you change how you are, you will always have what you've got. The major thing that makes the difference is what you do—it is the human effort that counts.

In order to have more, you need to become more. The guy says, "If I had a good job I would really pour it on, but I have this lousy job so I just goof off." If that is your philosophy, you are destined to stay there. Some people say, “If I had a lot of money, I would be really generous, but I don't have much, so I'm not generous.” See, you've got to change that philosophy or you will never have "the lots of money.”

Unless you change, it won't change. Amazingly, however, when we throw out our blame list and start becoming more ourselves, the difference is everything else will begin to change around us.

It's about our mindset

I would like to recommend a book to those of you who have a desire to be a better leader and then develop leaders along the way. The name of this book is: Making the First Circle Work by Randy Gage. The following is a quote from this book.

"Our mindset may have more to do with success than any other single thing we could have.  Because our mindset creates our attitude and our attitude determines the actions we will take.  Or not take."

How is your mindset about your future in this business? Are you totally sold in your mind on the idea that you can build whatever size business you want? I think the word mindset is about our expectations. If we expect people to reject our idea, that is probably what will happen. Do we approach people thinking they will be skeptical? Then we probably won't approach many people. If you expect people to be interested in the idea for building this business you probably will find those people.

Another quote from this book is: "When you have a negative mindset, every minor challenge will turn into a distraction and distractions kill growth. When you have a positive mindset, distractions don't affect you." We've got the company, the products and the marketing plan that's awesome. Growth and success is really more about the person and that is what mindset is about. So that brings us back to the idea about personal development.  I believe that when the person gets better the business gets better.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

If you go to "resource store" on www.networkmarketing.com, you'll find the book.

Miracle on the Hudson and Shaklee growth

On the news last night I watched an interview with Captain "Sully" Sullenberger. On January 15th, 2009  Captain Sullenberger was flying a USAir flight that had no choice but to crash land in the Hudson River between Manhattan and New Jersey. I'm sure that you recall this incredible event. All 155 passengers ended safe because of the many people who rushed to the scene in their boat of some kind to help the people get to shore.

The person interviewing Captain Sullenberger made a comment about his skill as an experienced pilot and his response was, "It wasn't that I was so good, it was because I did so much of it."  

When I heard him make that statement I couldn't get his words out of my mind and how that relates to our incredible business. Read his quote again. Do you get it? If any of you are wondering what it takes to become better at building your business and your future, just read that quote again. Regardless of who you are or how long you've been in this business this quote is the answer for getting better for growing yourself and your future.

How much are you doing?

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke  

The time is now

The following is from Louise Rees who has been a strong sales leader for many years in our organization. Everyone should read this and think about what she is saying as her message is very clear. The opportunity has never been better to put the effort in that will change your future financial position.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

As I'm getting older, I'm realizing more and more how valuable my Shaklee business is. We are not affected very much by the bad economy and the checks just keep coming in.  Eleven years ago, I had breast cancer, and my immediate priorities changed.  I needed to be good to myself.  Now I'm ready to revitalize my business because I meet too many seniors and almost seniors who are not in a comfortable place for retirement. Or young couples who just can't keep up with the rising costs and stagnant wages.  AND Shaklee keeps getting better and better. Better income potential and better products. Every year Shaklee has another scientific innovation that keep them on the forefront of the best products available - Guaranteed!  The time to "take a look" is when you are still working and not yet retired.  You CAN change your future for the better.    

Louise Rees

Something to think about

I remember when I went over to this guy's house to look at an opportunity on May 1, 1970. I had never met him before, didn't know anything about him except his name, address, phone number and that he was looking for people to talk with about his opportunity. I called him, made an appointment and went to his home and that was the start of my future in this business.

I chose to listen to this guy about what he had and then I chose to learn more because I wasn't sure what was true and what wasn't true. Then this guy invited me to attend a meeting he was going to have at his home so I chose to attend.  The rest is history as they say. I use this example to support the following quote from Henry Thomas from his book CHOICES.

You do not decide your future; you decide your choices. Yourchoices decide your future.

When I read that quote it was one of those moments where it just kind of jumped off the page and made me think back about how I got started in this business. It was my choice to learn more.  I made a series of choices and everyone who is reading this has done the same. I chose to make this new idea work and I chose to be willing to do whatever it would take to make it work.   

Enough about me. What choices have you made about your future with Shaklee? Have you chosen to run high monthly PV or have you chosen to do the minimum? How about reaching higher levels of earning? What's your choice on that? Take some time over this coming weekend and write out your choices for what you want your future in this business to be. Like Henry Thomas says, "Your choices decide your future."

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

It's really simple

Today I want to give you a simple thought concerning prospecting. This business is simple but not always easy. It does get easier though as a person moves forward and builds confidence, experiencing  small successes along the way and learns that many people want exactly what we have to offer. Better health. To help people. To be self employed. To travel. To have unlimited earning opportunity. To be in a very positive environment. 

Here is the thought about prospecting.  It's very simple as long as we keep it that way and don't make it complex in our thinking. The following is what you will want to do to make your business explode.

Find a need and fill it.

That's it. We just have to be willing to talk to people, ask some questions, listen, and become an expert for discovering needs. Don't make it complex because it isn't. You don't need a two hour seminar about prospecting. So here is your challenge for the rest of the month of November. No matter where you are, talk to people, ask questions, listen and you will hear the needs of people. You'll get better every week and become an expert in prospecting and you and your business will grow.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke 

How to change a life of business

Shaklee certainly does change lives in a variety of ways. If you want to create positive change in your life do you know what to do? The following is the answer to that question.

"You'll never change your life until you change something you do daily.  The secret of your success is found in your daily routine."

John C. Maxwell

What do you have planned to do today that you haven't done in a few days or weeks?

What if it's really that simple to change a life or a business? It's about the daily routine we all have and when someone steps out of their comfort zone change will eventually happen. 

Think about it.   

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke