A Hopeless Ending...

As the politicians argue about who caused the problem with America's budget problems, it is you and I that will pay when America runs out of money. In an attempt to buy votes, money has been given away to organizations and people that have not contributed. In the end it will be the middle class worker that will end up paying the bills with higher taxes and lost promises.

Endless Hope

Three decades ago, I was introduced to the world of Home Based Business. I was shocked to learn that someone like me without a business background and no finances could replace my JOB income in less than a year on a 15 hour per week investment. It took 3 months to start earning $500.00 part-time and eight months to earn my first $5000.00 monthly check. I resigned my bus driving career and the rest has been history.

Vollara offers endless hope for those willing to work to share amazing green technology products and offer hope to others through an outstanding business opportunity. When I went to work the day after I found my business opportunity, I went to work with hope in my pocket. I was a different bus driver, a different father and a different husband. I now had hope for the future. My attitude changed as did my habits. I started reading books on success. I purchased a boom box to put on the dashboard of my bus and listened to Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy and many others all day long. I started going to business meetings and associating with others that had succeeded in a big way.

My whole life changed! My income skyrocketed and my debts were wiped clean. My old car with no back window was replaced with a brand new Bonus Car. Nata and I began flying all over the world on incentive reward trips. I learned that the world was a big wonderful place and I could get a piece of the action by changing the way I thought.

How about you? Are you ready to change your world and make a difference in the world around you? How about starting by trying an amazing invention called LaundryPure. Everyone does laundry. LaundryPure will eliminate the need to ever use hot water or detergent again. 1000 loads of Laundry are discharged into our lakes, streams and rivers every second of every day. I will let anyone try a LaundryPure risk free.

Take the suds free revolution test yourself and perhaps you can join me in an Endless Hope life!

I owe a lot to the business of selling.

When I finally found it and learned how to do it well, it rescued me from a mundane existence, a life of exhausting, meaningless work. Selling provided for my young family, educated my children, and gave me and the love of my dreams a life rich in friends and diverse in experiences. In order to develop the skills that it demanded, I became a serious student and a hungry reader. As I grew, so grew my business, my self-worth and my belief that this would be my life's calling. In selling, I made more money than I ever dreamed possible.

Selling taught me to speak with confidence, increased my influence and enabled me to help other people reach their dreams.

I owe a lot to this ancient profession. But even more, I owe a debt of gratitude to all the people who taught me by example the art of selling well. I never learned about it in school. I didn't find it on my own. The gift of the knowledge and power of selling to transform my life and the lives of countless others, was brought to me, taught to me, and shown to me by personal example. It was handed down, person-to-person, hand-to-hand.

Selling can be, but is not always, a noble profession. The men and women who became my teachers were noble in character and splendid in selling. They are authors and speakers, friends and relatives, teachers and coaches, all skilled in the art of selling and generous in the art of giving.

They gave me everything. The lessons they shared became more than mere words of instruction, they became my way of life. I've committed my life to showing others what I've learned, so its only natural that I commit this blog to freely sharing what I've learned about selling. While much of what I discuss pertains to my business, Vollara, the principles can and will work for anyone who is in the business of selling.

In the coming weeks I'm going to put it all out there, and welcome anyone's thoughts and ideas. The first lesson I'll share today is to ignore the cliches. The shady used car salesman? The goofy door to door peddler? It is people, not the profession, who created the images we poke fun at. Everyone and I mean everyone is selling something. The key is to sell your services, a product you're proud of, your ideas or opinions, whatever it is, in a way that honors people's trust in you.

Never feel embarrassed because you are someone who sells, and never embarrass someone else by "how" or "what" you sold them. I've been involved in home business for over 30 years, and I'm still proud to be selling, one-on-one, great products to people who need them.

I was having lunch with my friend, Hall of Fame Chicago Bears #50 Mike Singletary.  He told me a story about being in the training facility of the New York Jets when the coach at that time, Bill Parcels, walked by a player on an exercise bike.  The player told Parcels he had been riding for a great deal of time.  His coach responded, “don’t confuse activity with progress.”

There have been many times in my life I have found myself really busy running to & fro, and at the end of the day asking myself what I really accomplished.  Sometimes it feels like we are running on a treadmill with tons of effort and activity, without really getting anywhere.

Checkpoints keep us moving ahead

I occasionally drive to Knoxville for business meetings. Though only about 75 miles, it seems like a long drive.  A few weeks ago I took a trip and had to drive about 1000 miles, driving through Knoxville at the outset.  It was funny how quickly Knoxville seemed to come and go with my longer range objective.  Its like that in life and business.  If we have a long range view, with checkpoints to keep us on track along the way, we tend to get further and achieve more.

Knowing what goal setting is does not make us goal setters, or achievers

There is a famous study done at Harvard in which students were evaluated at graduation.  They were quizzed to see what their written, dated, and specific goals were for the next ten years.  It turned out that only 4% of those graduating students had written, dated, specific goals. It cam as no surprise that 10 or 20 years later (I have not looked at that study for many years) the 4% had achieved more financially that the 96% combined.  

I know allot of people that can tell you the process of goal setting, yet if you asked them to see their one month, six month and one year goals, they could not produce a document with a time table, short term check points to measure by, or a specific set of goals for their life or business.  Goal setting is free, easy and fun. More people would achieve some much more fun, joy, lifestyle and finances if we would just take action on this free and easy process.

A goal lightly set is easily abandoned at the first obstacle

If I could master only one of the dozens of skill sets needed to be a super achiever in life, Goal Setting would be my number one pick.  I want to encourage my readers to take just an hour or two and write out a dream book.  If money, time or expertise were not issues, what would you do with your life over the next year to five years?  I know, the big “but” comes in now.  Remember, we can make money or excuses, but we can’t make both.  

Where would you live?
Where would you travel to?
How much debt would you have?
What would you earn?
Where would you be working?
Would it be a job or a business you own?
What size clothes would you wear?
What would your health picture look like?

This dream book can become a reality book.  The difference between a dream and a goal is a plan.  Let’s set some big exciting goals make a plan and then execute that plan.  Inch by inch anything’s a cinch!

Share your goals! And have a safe, wonderful 4th of July.

We live in a modern world with more options to take up our time then ever before. We get the news seconds after it takes place. Entertainment options abound with Wii, Xbox, hundreds of TV channels. The Internet, and even portable entertainment on our mobile phones command our attention. It is no wonder to me that we hear so much about Attention Deficit Disorder. Its hard to stay focused on anything!

Something as natural as light or water, when magnified and focused, can cut through hardened steel. Yet, on the hottest day in the hottest desert with the strongest sunlight, the driest straw and a powerful magnifying glass, you cannot start a fire if you keep moving the glass slowly around the target.

Many people we admire are just like you, but they focused
Letʼs look back at some of the people who have learned how to harness the power of focus. Warren Buffet, when you hear his name, you think investing. Donald Trump, real estate. Thomas Edison, inventions. Marlon Brando, acting. Susan B. Anthony, Womenʼs Rights. Jay Leno, comedy. Marie Curie, science. (She won two Noble Prizes, in Physics and Chemistry!) Jimmy Johnson, car racing. Joe Urso, LBOʼs and Company turnarounds. Greg Montoya, Home Based Business.

We think of these people in almost superhuman terms but the reality is these great accomplished men and women made a decision to focus their energy relentlessly on their chosen field. It is amazing what can be accomplished when we put blinders on to all the distractions that take the focus off of our target. Setting distractions aside does not mean we have to put our family, faith or even hobbies in a place of unimportance. We have the ability to focus on more than one area of our life.

Have you ever seen the face of a dog chasing two rabbits?
My dog Rusty was saved from a local flea market. He looked so distressed in a small cage without water or food and his coat all matted. Nata brought him home and cleaned him up. He turned out the be a pure-bred small poodle with a computer chip and a identity tattoo. Rusty has a routine every morning when we let him out. He chases birds, squirrels, rabbits and about anything else that moves. But, Rusty has not figured out you canʼt chase two Rabbits at one time.

I've seen how fast Rusty can move. I am convinced that if those eyes remained focused on just one critter, and he was able to keep himself moving in that direction, he'd catch that squirrel... or at least get closer than ever before.

A note on Focus, and Home Based Business
In the career I have chosen, Home Based Business, I have watched thousands of Distributors jump from company to company, putting empty buckets into empty wells and wondering why they continue to come up dry. I built an amazing life with a company 30+ years ago. Though that company was behind the times in compensation and products, keeping a relentless focus and never allowing my dream to get out of focus allowed me to reach the top 1% in the industry. Now I have the privilege to work with a company with the best products, powerful compensation, world class internet business management tools, strong financial backing and leadership that has a long term commitment to the people and plan. With complete and total focus, we are starting a movement that will sweep the world of Home Based Business. Come join us!

Heading to a classic car show today in St. Paul, MN and its got me thinking.

Different years hold more meaning for different people. Maybe a year was special because you got married, a child was born, or you started a business or career. 1970 was a great year for me. Nata and I first dated and fell in love. I was only 15 working full-time after school. Nata worked at White Castle on University in St. Paul and I worked at the White Castle downtown. We met at a work Christmas party and have been together ever since.

1970 was good for cars too. This was the height of the muscle car wars, before the first oil embargo and the beginning of rising gas prices. I had saved my money and even before I had a license I purchased a 1970 Dodge Challenger with a 440 Magnum 4 speed. The color was called Plum Crazy.

I'd pick Nata up to drive around the “loop” in downtown St. Paul with CCR blaring on the eight track. That 440 would use a whole tank of gas on a Friday night but we didn't care. Gas was only 29 cents a gallon unless there was a gas war - then you could get it for 19 cents a gallon!

Memories are deceiving

Seems like everyone wants to go back to the “good old days”. Perhaps that's why vintage car prices have consistently gone sky high. That Challenger cost $3000.00 in 1970. Today? $50,000 would be a low-ball offer, if you could find one. Over the last 35 years I have owned many of these collectables. It became kind of a business - buying, restoring and, selling the classics. Here are some I have enjoyed the most.

Old memories are great. A song from the 70's brings you right back. But in reality, those days pale in many ways to living right now. The automobiles we drive today have more comfort, more features, much better gas mileage and MORE POWER! I was reading that one of the new Jeep models tops out at 180 MPH! If you got one of the old “muscle cars” to 180 you had better be on the salt flats because they didn't handle like the cars of today.

I know we're all feeling the pain of gas prices. But consider when I was paying 29 cents a gallon I was earning $1.90 an hour and my car was getting 10 miles per gallon. Today my wifeʼs Vollara awarded hybrid SUV gets about 30 miles per gallon in the city and thanks to Vollara her income can be more than $1.90 a minute! Yes, those were some good old days, but I will take 2011 over 1970 anytime!

33 years ago I dropped out of the 8-5 life (working for a company) and traded a job for a business. Why? I watched as the people working around me struggled working paycheck to paycheck, never getting ahead. I also noticed the old timers who had been there for 10 or 20 years were always complaining about the job and limited income. I decided to become my own boss. One of the best decisions of my life. Robert Kiyosaki says, "Most people if given a choice, would rather work for themselves in their own business rather than working for someone else in a job."

It is getting worse, not better
It used to be that you traded opportunity for security. But today, that security is not proving too secure. There was a time people left companies. Now companies are leaving people. Millions have lost their careers in just the last few years alone.

More responsibility - more hours - not more pay
I recently saw something online about companies promoting without pay increases. When you work to get a promotion by working extra hours, weekends etc., you have visions of a nicer office, more authority, bigger benefits, a more prestigious title, and best of all of all a pay raise, right? Unfortunately, times have changed. An increasing number of employers are ducking out on the latter -- giving promotions (more work) without raises. Wow! What's up with that?

Risk and Reward
My good friend Mitchell Tolle says "Risk and Reward beat in the same chest". Without risk there is little reward. So what if you could find the perfect business with "no risk” and tons of upside reward potential? I found that business and it is called Vollara. I have been in business for 33 years, generated more than 2 billion in sales, and have tons of opportunities I could pursue. I "choose" Vollara because it is simply the best, most accessible opportunity for average people. I help myself and family by helping others succeed. If you are looking for a fantastic and profitable opportunity, I would be honored to talk with you. If you work with us in Vollara, let us know what you're doing!

I've heard it said the difference between a dream and a goal is a Plan. So what's your dream? Is it a goal? What kind of success do you desire? Financial, spiritual, physical, family goals? Remember, personal "success" is defined by you, not the world. Growing towards a goal starts with planting seeds of greatness.

Procrastination is the great thief of success. History is full of wonderful and forgotten ideas that somebody was going to tackle someday. Yet the seed, the idea, was never planted. I learned a long time ago – "Getting started is half done!" I don’t care if you are talking about painting a room, writing a book, or building a business – taking the first action is half the project. Plant the seed, type the first sentence, make the decision, and you're halfway there!

Life is a mental game. An object in motion tends to stay in motion and an object sitting still tends to remain idle. When you take action, the "start" is 50% of the battle.

Where Can I Find These Seeds Of Greatness?

I began a process of “capturing” success thoughts three decades ago. I always carry a notebook and pen. As I fly through life at break-neck speeds, thoughts come through my mind like leaves floating down a river. Each success-thought contains a seed of greatness - my catalyst for action. It could be as simple as sending an email or it could be a whole sales campaign, contacting a prospect or even starting a new company.

When a seed of greatness comes through my mind I quickly “capture it” in my Seeds of Success notebook. Timing is vital. I can come up with a brilliant idea and walk to the kitchen to tell Nata, have my thought interrupted with the telephone ringing, and never remember the great idea again! It could have been a Billion Dollar idea!

When my family was young and we were out for a drive someplace, success inspirations would often come to me while on the freeway going 70 MPH. Nata knew what was happening as I hit the brakes, coasting to the side of the road, ready to record that "seed" while it was still fresh.

Michelle, Mike Jr., Jeremy and later Heather (our redhead) would roll their eyes and sit back until the journey continued. I would tell them, "kids, this idea could be the one the takes you to Hawaii or pays your college education!" A few years later I took the whole family to Hawaii. We rented a beach house complete with a pool, hot tub, masseuse, and even a butler! I reminded each of my children the importance of capturing success inspirations daily, and how this impacted our future.

Each night I review my ideas and put the ones I still feel have merit into action. Sometimes a brilliant idea looks terrible after time and contemplation, and it is cast aside. Others grow in importance. I have had success inspirations that led to a Million Dollars in sales in one hour. I keep my Seeds of Success notebook next to my bed because we dream million dollar ideas. I wake up and write them in my book.

Some are problem solving ideas while others are sales programs. Some are product innovations like my “Inspiration” alarm clock I am in the process of patenting. I believe someday this invention will sell tens of millions of units.

Most people get 4 to 6 success inspirations in a day. If we simply capture these inspirations and put them to work, the average person could turn their life from average to fortune in 3 to 5 years. Life has got to be on purpose. Drifting is dangerous. It is easy to just drift through life. The problem with drifting is you end up at a destination not of your choosing. You did not steer anywhere - instead you rode in the back seat just hoping to end up someplace good.

Action Plan and Commitment:

1. Start an inspirational success book to capture your ideas as they come to you. Start capturing one a day and soon your will be writing down 4 to 6 inspirations each day. Don't just think them. WRITE THEM DOWN!!!

2. Following the principle of "getting started is half done" and start now. Start all new projects as soon as possible and stamp out procrastination.

3.    Sit down as a family and begin working on each family members' goals and dreams. Make sure these desires become more than dreams by converting them into dated, specific, written goals. Find ways to incorporate everyone’s dreams into your success plan.

p.s. - If  you're new to our company, Vollara, consider a Success Institute training. We teach these principles in a University-like setting alongside many fellow, life-change hungry individuals. Register by clicking here.

Good, The Enemy Of Great

When I order fries at a fast food place, I always order no salt. This way I get hot fresh fries. Not only do they look at me strange when I ask for packs of salt, often times the rest of my order arrives mixed up. I always marvel at how a simple request can get some folks so turned around. As though the modern, fast-paced world doesn't allow them to be trained to handle a small variations in their daily work.

Over the years I have employed hundreds of employees, and at one time 1100 at once. I have always tried to train and teach that good is ok, but that “good work” is the enemy of “great work.” It only takes a little bit more effort and quality to move from good to great. To many people stop at “good enough”.

Proper Training Can Take You From Good To Great

On July 8th and 9th, I am hosting a Vollara one-and-a-half day Success Institute. The purpose of this event is to teach Vollara Competence Skills.

If I wanted to be an attorney, I would go to law school. If I desired to be a doctor, 8 to 10 years of medical school would be in my future. Success Institute is a school that teaches “Excellence in Vollara” skills. I am 100% convinced that a person can earn a high six or even seven figure income in their Vollara business. However, learning the skills needed to achieve this require focus and dedication.

OJT – On The Job Training

I was not a good student in high school. Guys like me took OJT to get out of classes. This is not high school.

OJT in Vollara is a powerful benefit because we can earn impressive incomes while we are learning the business. It is not uncommon for a brand new, untrained Distributor to earn $500 or $1,000 their first few days following the training. What a great way to go to school and get paid!

We Can Have More Because We Can Become More

Jim Rohn has become a friend of mine over the last 30 years. I learned more about life and success from Jim than from any other person over the last 3 decades. We were honored when he personally spoke before our group in Florida and in Mexico. One of Jim’s strongest teachings was to work more on ourselves than on our occupation. I've made it my mission to pass that lesson on to others.

Commit to move from good to great. Work on yourself by reading, listening and associating with the right books, mp3/CDs, and people. Become an expert in your chosen field. If it is Vollara, learn the skills.

Come join us on July 8th and 9th. That will be a good start!

Register @ the Vollara Company Store and join special guest, Vollara CEO Joe Urso!

The Whew Factor

For the last 35 years I have lived and taught others to never reach a goal without having the next goal in place. I call it the “whewww” factor. People work to achieve a goal - a promotion, a level in business, a degree, a desired weight and when they reach the goal the go “whewww” and stop all the actions that brought them to this new level in life. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen a person achieve great success and then be invited to speak to a large audience about it. Many many times I see that person disappear completely and go back to their old way of life. Seems like they reached their pinnacle and are lost not knowing “what now?”

Philippians 4:11 says “... I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content”. Paul was not saying that he was not ambitious and striving to achieve more in his quest to spread his message. He was saying he found himself in many different stages of his ministry and he had learned to be content and happy where he was and while he was working to move his ministry forward.

The future is exciting but so is today

I find many Vollara Distributors living in the future all the time. “It will be awesome when I earn my bonus car. When my checks hit $10,000 a month life will be good. Man will it be great when I am out of debt.” All of these statements are true. But, what about celebrating how great it is right now!

Here in America we have it better than 90% of the world, even in this economic mess our country is in. We could have been born somewhere where 90% of our days would be spent fighting through garbage cans for survival. Gas is $4 a gallon. In many parts of the world there is no food to eat or water to drink. We feel our government trying to limit our freedoms, while in many places in the Middle East a women cannot drive a car legally.

I have been goal driven all my life. I was always working for the next prize. A new home, car, trip or financial accomplishment. I have flown in private jets for years and also in the back row in coach, next to the restrooms. I have lived in a basement, and in a mansion. We have eaten our meals with WIC food stamps as well as in the finest, world-renowned steak houses. I cannot say we were happier with more stuff. We have learned to be happy where we are. Jim Rohn always said, “Wherever you are - be there”

Do you sing because your happy or happy because you sing?

Life is lived between your ears and in your heart. Sing, dance and live while you fly through life on your journey to the next stage. Our futures are full of wonders and adventures. It will be great when we get there. But, letʼs not miss the joy of where we are right now. It was just Nataʼs birthday. I sang to her and had a great time. Think I'll do that again today.

I met with the CFO of a 50M company last week. He told me that business had dropped 20% last month for his Company when it should have grown seasonally 10%, as it has every May for 20 years. I hear this same kind of talk in the business-world everywhere I go. Why then is our Company Vollara growing? We have seen significant growth in all of 2011.

I believe it is a combination of the right products at the right time, and an opportunity that can significantly impact people's lives immediately. This past week I have had some great business successes. I have had the privilege of sponsoring in 3 new business partners with Fast Start Packs. A Fast Start Pack is a whole home uncompromising health package. People are jumping into Vollara everywhere when they see the great value, quality and opportunity. I am not finding any kind of double dip recession in Vollara.

Saturday, I closed a sale of a Living Water and a Fresh Air Surround from a referral from a Pastor that stayed at our home - a year ago! He had a friend in the military at Fort Brag that is challenged with cancer. He told his friend about Fresh Air and Living Water and then turned him over to me. I was honored to make this retail sale because I know the Living Water and Fresh Air are going to have a wonderful effect on this man.

Then on Sunday, I talked to a pastor that is staying on our ranch. He and 3 other pastors and their wives have consumed about 20 gallons of Living Water at our place this past week. They have been breathing Fresh Air and have witnessed their laundry being washed with no detergent or hot water using Laundry Pure. And I have been making healthy shakes with Re:place, energy drinks with Re:vive, and offering Re:fuel with meals. I have not given a business presentation to any of them yet. But, I have lived Vollara all week. Pastor John has now learned about the “sell three get yours free” and is making a list of people back home he is going to refer me to. He is really excited about getting a Vollara Debit Card with $1,500.00 he can use for gas in his car, and a Whole Home Package to boot!

"Live the Vollara lifestyle" and watch your income and business flourish.