Do you know what you want?

I found a quote by Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, that is both unique and accurate. He said, "People don't know what they want until you show it to them."

I'll start off with one example I know supports that quote. As you probably recall, I was a very discontent young guy who had a job but didn't have a future. That was how I viewed my situation. I called a guy because I heard he was looking for people to take part in his opportunity and I was willing to check out whatever I could. It happened to be Shaklee. I had never heard of it and knew nothing about what this company offered. I sat down with this guy and he started telling me his story and then the Shaklee story. It sounded interesting so I decided to check it out and obviously it literally changed my life.

 

If I were to make a list of the top hundred things I wanted to do with my life, this business would never have made my list.  But after I saw the presentation and the incentives, and the idea that a person could be their own boss, I decided to evaluate what I was hearing. I met some wonderful people and many of them were making full-time incomes from their part-time efforts. I was impressed and eventually decided this would be worth my efforts. Building a future appealed to me as it does for many others.

 

People aren't sitting home praying that a Shaklee person would call them. But people are sitting home wondering if there are any opportunities as they also might have a job but no future. Just like me. Getting appointments and showing others what Shaklee is all about is what I learned how to do. Make up your mind that you're going to tell people the Shaklee story. You will find those who aren't interested, but you will also find people that are waiting and have hope for a better future.

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

It's time to make things happen

I have used this message before but it is such a simple, meaningful message that says it all for those people who are always planning on getting started. At times there are many of us who have to start over and over and maybe even over again. Keep in mind that you are the owner of your business and your future.  It's about priorities and being disciplined to do the things that count for you in your life.

 

Zig Ziglar said, "You don't have to be great to start, but you do have to start to be great." Maybe being great isn't in your plans, but at the same time, maybe you want your business to be making progress because you have ideas about what you want for yourself and your family. Get into the habit of doing SOMETHING every day. Make a call, talk to your mentor, watch a webinar, read a chapter of your favorite book. June is right around the corner so allow me to make a suggestion: sit down and write out your new goal.  

 

There are personal goals and business goals. What are your business growth goals? How many will you sponsor in June? Would you like to double your monthly personal PV? Why not put that idea in motion? If you are a Director or above this is what I know. You know how to build. You've already done it. Do it again. Don't settle for less. Go for it.    For those of you who are not yet Directors, set your goal to get to 5000 PV. Don't stop at 2000 PV as that's just a step to higher success levels.

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Got stuck but...

I always seem to be searching for a message that might have some meaning for someone and this morning is one of those days when I feel kind of stuck. I have read tons of books over the years and have always read with a highlighter in my hand so when I come across an idea or a comment that jumps off the page I highlight it; when I pick a book up that I haven't looked at in a while I just read the highlights. 

 

I just found what I think is a very interesting and accurate comment or idea. The first time I came across this same thought was about 30 years ago.  I remember it because it was one of those "Aha" moments for me at the time and I think it had an impact on me personally.   This principle appears in many books in different ways so I hope it might make sense to you.  It is as follows.....

 

Successful people are the ones who do the things most people won't do.

                                                                               - Steve Sax

 

I have seen many high potential people come into this business who love the products and the idea to help people and want or need more income but for many they just aren't willing to do certain things that help to build this business. I won't get into everything I think people refuse to do but I will repeat an idea I've read in other books: change your mindset and you change your world.

 

What is it that might be holding you back from building that dream business you have thought about over and over?   Change your mindset and you change your world.

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is it yes or no?

Thanks to Diane Larkin for sending me the quote which is below. I'm not going to say much about it but I hope you'll read it slowly and think about what you have to say "no" to.

 

"People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I'm actually as proud of the things we haven't done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1000 things."

                                                                               - Steve Jobs

 

Building a successful Shaklee business also requires saying "no" to the dozens or hundreds of things that have potential to get us off track. Personally I really like this message because it's hitting the bulls-eye as far as building a future. As it says, you have to pick carefully.

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

You must keep your dream alive

When I think back about the early days when I was looking for a job, the best thing that happened to me was I didn't find a job. I discovered an opportunity. I had what most people would think was a very good job as it was with a Fortune 500 corporation. The point here is I had a job and was really looking for a future.  As it turned out this new opportunity turned out to be my future. Little did we know what was in store for us as we started to evaluate this new opportunity.

 

I started to dream about the future and my thinking changed and what it could be like if it turned out to be for real. I have a small booklet I read a while ago and I had the following highlighted:

"Dream about your future. Get books, cut pictures from magazines, write checks in your name and stick them on the wall in your room. Advertise your future to yourself."

 

When I think back, I did those things because somehow I knew that if we were to have a successful future I had to learn how to keep myself inspired. I started to collect anything that seemed to inspire me.

 

I feel strongly that it is each person's responsibility to keep themselves as positive as possible and on the right track that will lead to the kind of success you want. You have to work at keeping yourself inspired. How do you do that?   Read the above. I especially love the words ADVERTISE YOUR OWN FUTURE.

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

 

Do you have a to do list?

I like simplicity and the following quote that Sarah Drew sent me certainly fits. I think most of us have ideas going through our minds every day about things we want to do or what we would like to accomplish, or maybe places to go.  Basically the todays in our lives are meant to help us prepare for our future.

 

"Make sure what you are doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow."

 

What's on your schedule for today?   Do you have a daily list of to dos? I remember reading an article several years ago about making a list and it suggested that we make sure to do the most difficult things first and then work down to the easiest. I know I've had good intentions to do the difficult first but I would bypass the difficult and do the simple things that were the easiest. I also know that when I do the difficult first, I always have a sense of accomplishment.   

 

A suggestion: make a list of what you want to accomplish today and the entire week. Challenge yourself by doing the difficult first.

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke 

Are you ready?

Once in a while I get asked, "What is the most difficult thing when it comes to building this business?" Some people think getting started is the most difficult and I think that would be a good answer.  But for me the most difficult thing to do is to stay started. Think about that for a couple minutes. Staying started is a major key. So many people start and stop. Start and stop. Staying started means having a plan and putting it into action, and keeping it in action.

Napoleon Hill said, "Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action."

I received a note from one of our leaders a few years ago that was saying she was stuck. She just didn't know what to do next. I recall that her note said, "Being a cautious, task oriented person I've been stuck at 3, as in 1 for the $$, 2 for the show, 3 to get ready, 3 to get ready, 3 to get ready...... always getting ready.....I need to focus on go!"  It's really about, 1 for the $$, 2 for the show, 3 to get ready, and 4 to go. I'll just add my thought that staying started works.

 

Some people are always getting ready, wanting to know everything there is to know before they GO. The day will never come for any of us to know everything there is to know. Step out and staying started is the key as far as I'm concerned.

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

   

 

 

Yes, you can make it happen

I don't know about you but when I think back a few years my thinking seemed to constantly be on the idea of what's possible. I would attend meetings and my mind would be off and running about what might be possible. Could I build like the people I listened to at meetings?   Can we make it happen? I had a positive view of the future but wasn't quite sure how to make it happen. As I think back it seems clear to me that the reason I could stay focused was because of the great leaders here in the Minneapolis area.

 

What I saw here in this area was lots of success by others and for me that meant I just had to learn how to build the business I was dreaming about. There is something about listening to people who have done it before that is inspiring to me. I would guess it is for you as well.   The following quote kind of describes the kind of leadership we have in the Minneapolis area.

 

"Great leaders are never satisfied with current levels of performance. They are relentlessly driven by possibilities and potential achievements."

                                                                 Donna Harrison

Are you driven by the possibilities that this business has for you? Do you really understand the incredible potential this business has for anyone and everyone who is willing to decide to put the time in and learn what it takes? The future is now. Go for it. You'll never regret working hard to build your future with the Shaklee opportunity.

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

A very honest response to Thursday's message

The following is a response I received from the message I sent yesterday. This response will hit home to many people and I greatly appreciate receiving it.   

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Wow, Gary!  These words hit me right between the eyes.  There definitely are things essential to building a Shaklee business that I just do not like to do.    So I do other things related to Shaklee but not related to our essential task of speaking directly to people on the phone or in person.  Of course, that does not create the results I want.

 I intend to take these words to heart and do what is necessary even if I don’t like doing it.  I suspect that doing it will make me better at it.    Being better at it will make me more confident.  Being more confident will make me more effective.  

 First, the telephone.  I don’t even like talking to friends on the phone, much less talking to people I don’t know well – or at all!      I can do it, I just don’t like it.  I will just have to get over that.

 Thank you

Are you willing?

The following is probably my favorite quote as it's from a NFL football coach talking about achievement and what it takes.

"My job is to make people do things they don't want to do, so they can achieve what they want to achieve."

                                                                        Tom Landry

Please allow me to say that in a different way to those of you who sincerely want to grow your Shaklee business to higher levels. Our job is to start doing the things we don't want to do, so we can achieve what we want to achieve.

 

What holds most people back from having the kind of business they dream about? They just aren't willing to do the things it takes to build. When I got started I remember exactly what I didn't really look forward to doing. My obstacle was prospecting. I had never done anything like prospecting. I didn't like making calls. Speaking in front of people was the other thing that was a obstacle for me. Why do we have the business we have? Because I decided if we were going to experience everything Shaklee offered, I was going to have to start learning to do what I didn't like doing.

 

What is it that you feel might be holding you back from achieving at higher levels?   It's all about making a decision. Go for it.   You'll never regret learning to do what you might not like doing.

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

The requirement for making it happen is...

I read a book a couple years ago titled Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell.   Marcus and his brother started training to be Navy Seals at age 12. Their father was their coach and they went through intense training for what it was going to take. Both Marcus and his brother Morgan became Navy SEALS. I can't imagine starting at age 12 but that's what they did.

 

It was one of the most interesting books I've read. I wrote down one short paragraph from the book as it was one of those things that made sense about achieving anything. The following is the quote Marcus wrote:

 

"Deep down I knew there was something more required to make it into the world's top combat teams. And that was a level of fitness and strength that could only be attained by those who actively sought it, nothing just happens. You always have to strive."

 

The words that "nothing just happens.  You always have to strive" are what caught my attention. Of course it's true, nothing just happens; if you want something there will be a price to be paid and whatever it is we want we will have to go after it. Do you want a successful Shaklee business? Would you like to become financially secure? Do you want to be the healthiest you can possibly be?  Do you want a specific rank that Shaklee offers? I could go on and on but I think you get it.   

 

NOTHING JUST HAPPENS. YOU HAVE TO GO AFTER IT.

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are you willing to do what we do?

I'm currently reading Think and Grow Rich, about what Napoleon Hill learned in his 20 years of research. The quote I'm writing about today struck me as being aimed directly at our business.

 

"It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed."

That quote is what our business is all about. None of us can experience much success unless we're helping others to reach for their goals and dreams. So this must mean I should ask myself a question: who am I working with who needs encouragement and guidance?   Our business is not only about running high monthly PV. Of course we all want 10,000 monthly PV, or more. But the heart of this business is about people.   Who wants to be healthier? Who wants to be self-employed? Who wants to earn and have more than they need? Who wants more free time to spend with family?

 

Our job is to learn how to find the millions of people who want what we have to offer. People want what Shaklee offers.   No doubt about that. In fact I've never heard anyone say they wouldn't want what we have to offer. I've heard lots of people say they don't want to do what we do though. So my view has been rather simple all these years. I look for people who want what we have and will do what we do. That's it.

 

If you agree with my view of prospecting, then your job is simple. Learn the fundamentals of this business, then continually talk to people and look for those who want what we have and are willing to do what we do.

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

What decides our limits?

In 1938 the book Think and Grow Rich was published for the first time.  It is still being published and printed today in 2016. Napoleon Hill invested over 20 years doing research for this book.   Andrew Carnegie was convinced that great achievement was a matter of doing a few certain things in a certain way so when Mr. Carnegie met Napoleon Hill he persuaded him to work for nothing to learn the steps to success. Napoleon Hill accepted the offer and invested over 20 years gathering information that resulted in this great book.

 

What Mr. Hill learned was, "there are no limitations to the mind except those we acknowledge."                     

 

Some people acknowledge to themselves that they can't sell, can't build, don't know enough people, don't know how to find people who want a new future, can't speak in front of people, and of course don't have enough time. What happens is with this kind of thinking it leads to putting limits on ourselves. Just think for a minute. All we really have to do is think about what our limits are and make decisions that all limits will no longer hold us back from achieving what it is we would like to have and become. Basically it comes down to just refusing the idea that you have limits.   It's a choice!

 

You might want to buy the book - Think and Grow Rich  by Napoleon Hill.

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke