Are you taking it step by step

The following is from a book I picked up by John Mason and the title is The Impossible is Possible.

 

The beginning is the most important part of any endeavor.  Worse than a quitter is anyone who is afraid  to begin. Ninety percent of success is showing up and starting. You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try. 

 

The first step is the hardest. That's why many fail - because they don't get started. They don't begin.  Don't be discouraged. Little steps add up, and they add up rapidly.

 

I remember my start in Shaklee like it was yesterday.  I felt inadequate, zero confidence, not sure of myself, let's see, how many other things can I think of that didn't feel very good.  I took that first step and sat down with a friend.....well you probably know the outcome.

 

But as it says above, "little steps add up, and they add up rapidly."  I learned to just keep doing the steps because somehow I knew I wanted to learn how to do this business.  I wanted what Shaklee offered. It was that simple. Think about it. How about you?

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

A simple but important principle

The following principle really helped me at various times as we were in the building process of our future in Shaklee.  At times there are bumps in the road and I would question myself and of course I learned like everyone else that you just keep on keeping on. 

 

Remember, building this business isn't always easy but it is very predictable.

 

Basically people want, and in some cases need, what Shaklee has to offer. Our products are second to none and it didn't take long for me to realize that the Shaklee products were a major key for growing this business. The products are very predictable because they won't let you down.

 

Our compensation plan is also very predictable because we know that millions of people are always looking for opportunity. I'm a believer that whatever you are looking for will eventually show up as long as we're working the process.  

 

The key factor as far as I'm concerned is putting in the effort. When people work at this business and are consistent with their effort, it is predictable what will eventually happen. They will find that some people aren't who we're looking for, and they will also find many people who are looking for a future, or looking for another income source.   

 

Think about it.

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Steps that lead to success

The following is a quote from Paige Dungan who is the Marketing Director for SUCCESS, a monthly magazine.

 

"What I am learning now more than ever is that it is not a lie when someone tells you that you can have it all if you're willing to work for it.  The key is researching and finding resources and tools to make it happen.  The most important tool is a positive outlook."

 

When I got started I did research for four months. I asked lots of questions. I used many products during that time and got other people to do the same thing. I felt I needed proof from someone other than myself because it would be easy to just say I liked the products.  I wanted the opinions of other people. What I learned was people loved the products.

 

The other resource I learned from was the regular meetings that were available in the Minneapolis area. I never missed the meetings during that time. At the meetings I met many people who were making it work and that helped me to build my confidence.

 

The tools I had were my very positive attitude as well as having mentors available to help me understand how this business worked. For me the mentors were invaluable. 

 

As I said earlier, I did research for four months. I should say that my total earnings during those first four months was a total of $26.52. In our 8th month our bonus check was just under $1200.00.  What happened?  My belief grew, I had goals, I was excited about a future, and I was working at what I learned in those first few months.

 

Once you do your research and learn how great this company is and you literally fall in love with the products, you'll have the belief. Then it's decision time. Is it going to be that you put your effort behind your belief? Once you get to that point you'll continue to learn and you will also become a terrific example for many people. 

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke 

Make it happen

Hey folks, guess what? Today is Monday, the start of a new week. Do you have a plan for making this week a productive time for you and your team? Don't allow today to be like every other day.  Make today special by making some new decisions about what it is you're going to accomplish this week.

 

Maybe it's about making calls, then having some appointments, maybe sponsor some new people.   I personally believe that being an example for the people you will talk with this week is a BIG deal.  The two most powerful things in this world are prayer and example. 

 

I just had a thought: why not make this vision week for yourself and your team. Think about your vision. Talk about vision - a vision of yourself, your business, your future. Encourage people on your team to think about their vision, their business, their future

 

Don't allow yourself to hesitate. Make a decision. Fight any doubtful thought you may have. You can make a difference. You can make things happen. Most importantly, you will be a terrific example.

 

Have a fun week being that example!

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

It's about investing our time.

A major issue in building this business is time. Most people who come into this business to build a part-time income have busy lives, commitments, and various priorities, but the fact of the matter is it's going to take some time.  

 

Of course when something new comes into our lives we have to find the time it's going to take.  I would say that the one thing I have heard over the years that stops people from making decisions is the issue of time. 

 

We have to learn how to say "no" to things that have the potential to interfere with our  priorities.  Everyone needs a plan of some sort to help guide them to start making progress with whatever new idea comes into their lives. I know that when we got started in Shaklee I had to make some adjustments because I had a busy life but I did want to learn more about this great idea for a new future and I knew it was going to take some of my time. 

 

Everyone has 24 hours a day to deal with so it's a matter of looking at our lives to see where we can make some adjustments. In the beginning I committed to attend meetings, the more I learned the more serious I got, the more serious I got the more time I wanted to invest more time in moving forward.

 

I've never regretted investing my time to work at this amazing business.

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Who are you following?

When I joined Shaklee I didn't know much about how to build a business. I certainly wasn't looking for this kind of business but once I saw it I just felt compelled to learn as much as possible. As I think back about the things I learned there is one principle that stands above anything else I may have learned.   

 

I learned that I can learn something from anyone and everyone, but I can't follow everyone and anyone. For me that was a big deal. The more I understood this business, the more I thought it was a great idea If I would follow people who have already achieved what it was I wanted to achieve. 

 

I decided I wasn't going to change to the idea of the week and start a new idea all over.  That creates confusion. I like simplicity and fundamentals and I stuck to what was simple. 

 

Faye and I got to know Chuck and Joyce Hoffmann who became Master Coordinators and I have to say that we learned so much from the Hoffmanns. They weren't very far ahead of us but they were growing faster than most of us were growing. We decided to learn as much as we could from Chuck and Joyce. And we did.  

 

As I said above, I decided to follow people who have already achieved what it was I wanted to achieve. That was the best decision I made.

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Here's what it takes to become successful in anything

Today's message is in my mind at the heart of growing your business to levels you dream about.  Do you have a mission for yourself of the kind of future you want?  Is our mission on your mind every day?

 

The following is what I consider getting at the heart of the matter.  The matter is doing whatever it takes to get exactly what you want.  A friend of mine told me this a few years ago and we had a discussion for quite some time about what really drives achievement and I've never forgotten it.  Thanks Jack for your wisdom.

 

"99% of what I see going on in our culture is busy work and not real work.  Real work involves a certain amount of rejection, and it takes real courage to be successful in any business.

 

Dealing with fear and risk is what really drives achievement and it's that sense of mission that overcomes fear and drives one to excellence."  

 

Enough said.

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Are you asking yourself questions?

At times I get asked about guidelines for building this business. My first thought when I'm asked that question is what it takes is a matter of being consistent with effort and attitude. For me those two things will help as much as anything. 

 

The other thing that I think is vital for building the business is telling stories. Question, Are you telling the Shaklee story? How often? Are you telling your story? How often? 

 

As I've said in other messages over the years, it's important to ask yourself good questions. Am I doing the right things on a consistent basis? How many new people will I sponsor this week? This month?   I want a different future...In what areas? What am I going to do today as a step for moving forward?  

 

I'm sure you get the point. Every individual is responsible for their business growth and my experience has taught me that I have to do everything possible to stay as positive as possible. 

 

Enthusiastically, 

Gary Burke

Decisions, decisions

I've been thinking about what message I could send today and I guess it's going to be one of those days where my mind is blank. So what I'm going to do is just start writing something and see what happens. This has happened before...I just had a thought.

It's about making decisions. I had to decide to get started because everything is about moving forward. If I don't make a decision to start, I have learned from experience that I won't have any direction, and without some direction, nothing happens.

The same is true for this business. We are responsible for getting ourselves started. It's not Shaklee's job to get us started every day, it's my job to get me going. What do you have planned for today? Are you going to do something or just say to yourself, "I'll do it later." Another thing I've learned from experience is that when I hesitate or tell myself I'll do it later, later never really comes. 

One of the best ways to get yourself started is to ask yourself good questions. Do I have any appointments this week? Who can I follow up with? Do I have a plan? If yes, am I going to follow it?  If no, will I create a plan right now for this week? What Shaklee title am I pursuing?  Am I being the example for people on my team?

About 20 minutes ago I started to ask myself some simple questions about what message I might have for myself. Yea! I got started and now I can go do my daily workout. My hope for you is that you ask yourself good questions and get yourself started again. 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Learning on the fly is how to succeed

My nephew is a very successful Senior Vice President in the corporate world and the following are his comments on yesterday's message concerning the concept that you don't learn before you go, you learn as you go.  Adam is reflecting on the same idea about how to succeed in that corporate world.

 

I like this.  We talk about similar things here. We have an analogy we use to prod people to action. It is, "don't wait for all 14 green lights down Madison Avenue." In other words, if you wait until you think you are ready or can see the whole path, it will never happen. Get going on the first green light.

When I network with folks, especially if they are seeking new work, I have the opportunity to reflect on how I arrived in my current situation. I was wholly unprepared for the majority of my jobs. Big parts of them were outside my comfort zone and certainly my skill set many times. Nevertheless, I learned on the fly as I went. I hope to always keep learning and improving.

Adam Burke

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

It's a process

I was in a conversation about this business a few weeks ago and I was asked "about how long will it take to learn what to do." Of course there isn't a specific answer to that because it depends on the individual and what they are willing to do. I asked a couple questions and finally figured out this person wanted to learn what to do and how to do it before getting started.

 

My answer was simple but I feel it is accurate: you have to learn as you go not before you go. In other words you have to get started.  You have to do what you can do and learn as you go. You can't know how to do everything in the beginning. It's a process. 

 

The harder a person works at doing the fundamentals, the quicker they will learn and develop those fundamental skills that will help them build the kind of business they want. I don't believe there are shortcuts. 

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

The answer to some questions

Let's get the month of April off and running to a great start. All it takes is making some decisions and then following up with a simple plan, then put yourself to work to make it happen.

 

Let me give you an idea what you will probably experience this month when you make a decision to work and grow yourself and your business. I say these things because it's what I experienced.

        Will there be struggles?  At times....Yes!

        Will there be disappointments?  Probably.

        Will some things be difficult?  I think so.

                         BUT

        Will you find new people?  Yes!

        Will you have fun growing your business?  I know you will.

        Will you experience small steps of success?  Absolutely!

        Will you be a positive example for your team?  Absolutely!

        Will it be worth committing your time for this month?  Yes!

 

Think about it.   Make those decisions today.  You will never regret working hard at your future.  

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke