Hello, fellow ntwrkrs! Ever since I received the news that I’d be contributing a chapter to this incredible book, I knew exactly what I wanted to share with you. Now that I’m here, I’m thrilled to present you with a concept that I believe is critical for success in business and in life: the best time to chase your dreams is right now.

My Network Marketing career has spanned eight years, but I’ve always been surrounded by the dynamic, powerful nature of this profession. This is, of course, thanks to my mom, Deni Robinson, who has had thirty-five years of experience in this field. Make sure to check out her chapter in this book, too! I guess you could say I was brought up on Network Marketing, so I’ve spent a lifetime observing successful people in the field and figuring out their day-to-day habits and long-term strategies.

A standout realization about the way these successful people treat their businesses is this: they understand that there’s no time like the present to pursue their dreams. This moment, right now, is ripe for living, dreaming, shining, and reaching for those aspirations that stir your soul. And if you don’t take it, it’s gone.

Think about the cost of unfulfilled dreams—it’s not just the loss of those dreams but also the potential inspirations they could have sparked in others! Your destiny is in your hands, and you have the power to craft the life you desire. This all hinges on how seriously you take your dreams and the decision to pursue them without waiting for what you perceive to be the perfect time.

In this chapter, I’ll walk you through seven compelling reasons to immediately start chasing your dreams. We’ll explore why embracing failure is a pathway to success, the chaotic nature of life’s unpredictability, the necessity of dedicated effort to realize dreams, the power of compounding your skills, the unalterable truth of aging, the lessons in every life experience, and the relentless pace of technology. These insights are not just observations but catalysts for action and change.

So, let’s link arms and explore each of these reasons to immediately start pursuing your dreams, outlining actionable steps to empower your journey. Buckle up—we’re in for an exhilarating ride!

Failing Your Way To Success

Let’s dive into our first powerful insight: failing your way to success. It may sound paradoxical at first, yet, here’s the truth: in our society, we’re often taught to fear failure, to see it as a stop sign. From our days in grade school, where an ‘F’ was something to avoid at all costs, we’ve been conditioned to equate failure with defeat. But I’d like us to shift our perspective, especially in the entrepreneurial and Network Marketing world you’ve bravely ventured into.

In this dynamic space, failure isn’t a setback; it’s a stepping stone. In fact, it’s a part of life that molds us into better versions of ourselves. Successful people embrace it, understanding that every failure is valuable feedback. It’s about winning or learning—both are incredibly valuable—and often, you learn more from failures than successes.

I gleaned this firsthand lesson from observing my parents—my amazing and successful mom whom I mentioned earlier, and my dad was a successful entrepreneur in accounting. But both faced their share of failures while I was growing up.

My mom had to restart her direct sales business five times in new locations, each time feeling like she was back at square one. She didn’t let that stop her, though. Instead, she used the lessons from experiences to propel herself forward. When she finally joined Network Marketing, she appeared as an overnight success. And what many didn’t see were the lessons learned from starting over multiple times, which ultimately contributed to her rapid success.

My dad’s journey in growing his CPA firm wasn’t smooth sailing, either. He was constantly navigating the challenges of hiring the right employees and adapting to technological shifts, moving from paper-based systems to digital. However, he knew that each hurdle, each moment of discomfort and perceived failure, was an opportunity to grow and adapt, and this attitude led to the eventual tripling of his firm’s revenue.

It may sound counterintuitive, but I promise, that embracing failure and discomfort is where the magic happens and where growth is sparked. It’s about taking risks, learning from them, and stepping out of your comfort zone to reach new heights! So, how can you start changing your mindset around failure? Here are three actionable steps:

1. Self-assess exactly why you’re stuck. This is important because often after a failure, you settle into what I like to call a ‘post failure pause.’ Of course, it’s normal to pause for reflection after a setback. However, I’d like you to ask yourself, are you still pausing for constructive reflection, or is it fear of failing again holding you back?

2. Identify and act on ‘that one thing’. What is that one thing you’ve been hesitant to do because of fear of failure? Write down the immediate next step needed to progress towards that goal. Remember, it’s about taking one step at a time, rather than seeing the entire journey from the start.

3. Take the next step immediately. Now I’d like you to put down this book and act on that next step, whether it’s reaching out to more people, improving a skill, or following up on leads. The key is action, no matter how small the step may seem. Then pat yourself on the back and jump back into this chapter!

Let’s embrace our failures as the lessons and stepping stones to success that they actually are. It’s time to redefine failure—not as an end but as a pivotal part of your journey to success. Now, take that brave step forward!

The End Is Near

Next, let’s discuss a somewhat sobering yet profoundly significant realization: the end is near. This isn’t meant to be morbid, but rather, think of it like a wake-up call to the unpredictability and preciousness of life. It’s about understanding that life can change in an instant, flipping our world upside down. In moments where we face this reality for ourselves or a loved one, as challenging as they are, offer us a chance to slow down, reassess our priorities, and make sure we’re not just getting swept away in the daily grind.

I was recently struck by the sudden loss of a legend in the network marketing space, Jessie Lee Ward. Her passing, although we weren’t close friends, shook me to my core. It made me realize the true legacy of a person lies in the impact they leave behind—and Jessie’s impact was so vast that it touched lives far beyond her immediate circle. She had a profound ability to inspire and transform people’s lives—including mine.

Back in 2016, I was at a Network Marketing event listening to Jessie speak from the stage. To be completely honest, her words didn’t resonate with me. At all! Yet over the years that followed, I watched her grow immensely, and her message and methods began to have a strong influence on me. I was fortunate to be part of her accelerator program, and I experienced a tremendous amount of growth and change under her instruction.

The transformation from the woman I saw on stage in 2016 to the mentor who profoundly impacted my growth was nothing short of incredible. Jessie Lee, who was only a year older than me, embodied the essence of living each day to the fullest, making the most of the time we have.

Her passing was a stark reminder that tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. It forces us to ask ourselves, why aren’t we more grateful for each day? Why don’t we seize every moment as if it’s our last? Jessie Lee’s legacy lives on in many ways, including many of her followers announcing they will #bossleeup when life’s challenges seem insurmountable. It’s an inspiration to make an impact, to live fully, and to embrace each day with gratitude and purpose. In honor of this realization, I encourage you to embrace these simple yet powerful steps:

1. Meditate on the fact that tomorrow is not guaranteed. Consider how this phrase impacts your decision-making. Does your current lifestyle align with your true purpose and reason for living?

2. Identify your top five priorities. Make a list of the five most important things in your life right now. This exercise is about gaining clarity on what truly matters to you.

3. Focus and strategize on just one of those priorities. Choose one priority from your list. Each day, take deliberate steps to make this a more significant part of your life. It’s about moving the needle, no matter how small the steps may seem!

Let’s take this opportunity to #bossleeup in our own lives, drawing inspiration from those who have shown us the way. Remember, while we can’t predict the end, we can live each day with intention, and we can make sure that our actions and choices reflect what matters the most to us.

Dreams Don’t Happen Just ‘Anyway’

It’s time to tackle our third key insight: dreams don’t just happen just ‘anyway’. Instead, they become a reality through dedicated effort, through a balance of learning and doing. In Network Marketing, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking about our dreams, affirming them, and even attending trainings, while not taking the necessary actions to make them a reality.

I’d like to share a concept from Fraser Brooks, a remarkable trainer in our field. He talks about the importance of having both a left foot and a right foot in our business journey. The left foot represents our beliefs, education, and affirmations. The right foot symbolizes action. Trying to step with only one foot leads to going in circles, not forward! It’s about finding the right balance between knowledge and action.

When I joined this profession, I initially thought success in Network Marketing would naturally come to me, being the daughter of a successful Network Marketer. I believed that my mother’s success and wisdom would somehow magically transfer to me! However, I overlooked the years of effort, skill development, and massive action she had put into her career. Success isn’t something that can be simply passed down; rather, it requires personal commitment and action. So, let’s get practical with some action steps:

1. Assess whether you’ve only been using one ‘foot’.

• Have you been accumulating knowledge without applying it? Do you have notebooks filled with ideas that have become mere ‘shelf help’? Recognize whether you have knowledge and beliefs that you need to act on.
• Do you need to strengthen your belief in yourself, or do you need to enhance your knowledge or skills? If you’ve been taking action without the right education, you might need to focus on education.

2. Identify areas of entitlement. Where have you felt that success should have been handed to you? This could relate to your upline, your sponsor, or previous experiences. Identify these areas and understand that success in Network Marketing is earned, not given.

Remember, dreams don’t just happen ‘anyway!’ They require a balanced dance of belief and action. So, identify which foot you need to move forward with, and take that step, whether it’s gaining more knowledge or taking bold action towards your dreams. Step forward in your journey, not just dreaming, but actively shaping our dreams into reality!

Compound Your Skills

Another vital part of the journey to success is understanding how to compound your skills. In Network Marketing, as in any field, skills are assets. They appreciate and compound over time, and they open doors to new opportunities and greater mastery.

Consider this analogy from Alex Hormozi, an influencer who dominates the realm of entrepreneurship and growth. He urges his audience to understand the progression of skills like this: understanding math leads to learning accounting, which opens the door to tax work, then to understanding insurance, and eventually to becoming a Chief Financial Officer. Each skill builds upon the previous one, expanding your capabilities. Similarly, Network Marketing is an excellent gateway to entrepreneurship, particularly due to its emphasis on human psychology and sales skills. I’ve always believed there is no better on-ramp to entrepreneurship than Network Marketing!

When I started in this profession, I was unsure if it would be my ultimate career path. Like many, I wasn’t dreaming of becoming a Network Marketer from a young age. However, I recognized the immense value of the skills I would gain in this field, skills that would be useful in all future endeavors.

Initially, my passion wasn’t for the profession itself, but for the company and products I represented. It took time and experience to see the effectiveness of Network Marketing as a vehicle for success. This realization dawned upon me after I graduated with a bachelor’s degree and landed a job in corporate marketing, where I found a lack of fulfillment. Luckily, a mentor suggested that I compare the two fields and then reassess my career path.

I compared the lives of my corporate superiors with those of successful Network Marketers like my mother. The differences stared me right in the face: Network Marketing offered the potential for significant income, impactful work, and most importantly, time to enjoy life, while corporate marketing could only offer me financial gain. This realization solidified my commitment to the profession, knowing that the skills I developed would be invaluable, regardless of the immediate outcome. So, if you’re wondering how to compound your own skills, here are a few actionable steps:

1. Assess your commitment. Are you fully engaged in your Network Marketing business, or are you holding back because you’re unsure of your final destination? It’s time to increase your level of commitment, regardless of whether you see yourself doing this long-term.

2. Adopt a Skill Acquisition Mindset. Recognize that hard work and skill development in Network Marketing will pay dividends in all areas of your life, no matter where land in your career. Success, in any field, is intentional, not accidental!

3. Revisit your initial ‘yes’. Reflect on why you said yes to Network Marketing in the first place. Reconnect with those reasons and recommit to your journey, focusing on enhancing and compounding your skills.

Remember, the skills you develop in Network Marketing are not just for this moment or this career path; they’re assets that will continue to grow and serve you in countless ways. Embrace the process of skill compounding and watch as it transforms not just your business but your entire approach to life and success.

You’re Not Getting Any Younger

Now, let’s address a truth we often overlook: we’re not getting any younger. Despite all the anti-aging products and health supplements we fill our medicine cabinets with, time marches on, and life actually becomes more complex with age, not less. This reality brings us to a crossroads: either we get pushed around by life’s demands, reacting to each new challenge, or we choose to strengthen ourselves, take control, and proactively pursue our dreams!

As a mother of three young children, including a six-month-old, I know firsthand about the chaotic beauty of life. In the early days of motherhood, I thought about setting aside my dreams, hoping for a calmer future to pursue them. However, conversations with parents of teenagers and empty-nesters revealed a stark truth: life doesn’t get easier; rather, the challenges just change shape.

This realization, while initially overwhelming, taught me a crucial lesson: there’s never a perfect time to start something new or to prioritize my dreams! Waiting for that ‘ideal’ moment is an illusion. I learned this after my first child was born. I planned to re-engage with pursuing my dreams when he was six months old, thinking I’d be more rested and he’d be out of the newborn phase. Yet, as he grew, new challenges crept in and took the places of old ones, showing me that life doesn’t pause or simplify for our convenience. So, now that you understand the reality of this, what can you do to navigate it? Here are some practical steps:

1. List out everything on your plate. Write down all your responsibilities, from household chores to professional tasks. Remember, there’s no responsibility too small! It’s essential to visually acknowledge everything you juggle daily.

2. Determine what’s essential and delegate the rest. Decide what tasks are crucial for you to handle personally and which ones you can delegate. This could mean hiring help or asking for support from your network.

3. Redefine your schedule to include your dreams. Once you’ve delegated non-essential tasks, reassess your schedule. Identify pockets of time that can now be dedicated to pursuing your dreams and goals.

Accepting that I couldn’t do it all alone was transformative. I chose to hire help for tasks like laundry and house cleaning, freeing up time for my Network Marketing business and personal aspirations. This decision became my motivation to succeed in this profession, ensuring I could afford the support I needed.

Your approach may vary—it could be seeking more help from your support network or hiring assistance. Whatever it looks like for you, the key is to recognize that achieving your dreams often requires offloading some of life’s burdens.

Just remember, the complexity of life doesn’t diminish with time! Embrace this fact, reorganize your life accordingly, and you’ll find that pursuing your dreams becomes a more attainable and fulfilling journey.

There Is A Lesson In Every Experience

Next, let’s explore the idea that every experience in life, especially those that are challenging, holds a lesson. Life’s difficulties are opportunities for growth, skill development, empathy, and resilience. They can build our confidence and reinforce our trust that things will improve. And yes, I know that it’s easy to say the words but not so easy to put this mindset into practice, but it’s the best way I know how to overcome what has seemed insurmountable in my life.

I’m a big fan of Tony Robbins, and his perspective on this has been a game-changer for me. He says, “It’s vital to view life’s events as happening for us, not to us.” This mindset shift can be transformative, especially during tough times. Along those same lines, the principle that ‘what we focus on expands’ is not just a motivational quote; it’s a reality. Simple experiments in your day-to-day life can help you build a case for this concept.

Take, for example, the moment you buy a new car, like my family did with our Chrysler Pacifica. Suddenly, you start noticing that same model everywhere. Were they there before? Sure, they were! However, now you’re noticing them without even trying. The same is true for the opportunities and results we choose to think about. This phenomenon is a testament to how our focus shapes our perception and experience.

Many people don’t know this about me, but when I was twelve, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. I would battle this disease over the next six months, and it took a serious mental, emotional, and physical toll on me during what should have been my most fun, free, and formative years. In my later teens, I often looked at my life situation and questioned why this was my reality. I fell into the mindset that I wouldn’t get the things I wanted or deserved in life because of what had happened to me.

However, over time I realized that the experience of fighting cancer—of having to be brave and courageous even when things were at their worst—was instrumental in shaping the strong young woman I had become. Once I learned that seeing the experience as happening for me instead of to me, I was unstoppable.

Some people, even after reading this chapter, will continue to let difficult experiences define them and limit their potential. Others, however, will learn to use their negative experiences as fuel to transform and empower their lives, seeing every challenge as a chance to grow stronger, more resilient, and more patient. I want you to be the type of person who becomes empowered by these types of events. To put this into practice, here are some steps you can take.

1. Identify a traumatic experience. Think of a challenging or negative experience from your past. Write down the negative feelings associated with it on the left side of a piece of paper.

2. List your strengths. On the right side of the paper, list your strengths and positive traits. Then, try to draw connections between the traumatic experience and these strengths. Often, our greatest strengths are born out of adversity!

3. Zoom out for perspective. When facing a current challenge, imagine a ‘future you’ explaining this experience and what you learned from it to an audience ten years from now. This helps you gain a broader perspective and see the potential lessons.

4. Assess recurring patterns. Consider if your current challenge represents a recurring pattern in your life. If it does, it might be the lesson you need to learn to prevent its recurrence.

5. Have gratitude for life’s experiences. Lastly, strive to view your life experiences, especially the challenging ones, with gratitude. If it’s difficult to feel grateful for them now, that’s okay. It’s a journey, and with time and reflection, gratitude can emerge.

Remember, all of life’s experiences, the good and the bad, are happening for us, not to us. They shape us, teach us, and prepare us for the future. Embracing this perspective can transform how we view and handle life’s challenges!

Tech Never Sleeps

Finally, let’s discuss an unavoidable reality of today’s world: technology never sleeps. This profound truth doesn’t just apply to the world at large, it especially applies to the Network Marketing profession! Success in this field is built on relationships and communication—and as the vehicles for those two things change due to technological advances, it’s just not an option for Network Markers to fall behind.

If you’re wondering if it’s as serious as I make it sound, let me share some staggering statistics with you:

⇨ The AI industry is growing by 16% annually
⇨ 40% of the global population has access to the internet
⇨ 90% of the world’s online data was generated in the last two years (read that again!),
⇨ 5 billion people own a mobile device,
⇨ 2.65 billion people use social media
⇨ Every day, the world becomes more reliant on smartphones

I’m not just relying on numbers here; in fact, I have evidence from my business that this is true. A few years ago, a woman who had been very successful in Network Marketing a decade earlier joined my team. She had financial, social, and career success for many years, but then she decided to stop and raise her family full-time. When she came to me, she was excited about getting back into the profession she had loved and excelled in.

However, the Network Marketing landscape had drastically changed since her days of house parties and in-home meetings. She was overwhelmed by the emergence of Facebook groups, Zoom meetings, and social selling. Despite her past success, she struggled with the steep learning curve of modern technology. And despite the coaching from me and others, she almost quit the profession on a few occasions when it felt like she would never grasp the breadth and depth of the online world she needed to participate in. Ultimately, she had the motivation to stay the course, but it took her almost a year to get into a comfortable place with the ‘new’ Network Marketing field.

This serves as a reminder that if we don’t keep up with technology, we risk feeling alienated in our own industry. While the core principles of Network Marketing remain constant, the methods of execution evolve. Falling behind in technology can leave us overwhelmed and ineffective. To ensure you’re not left behind, try these actionable steps:

1. Identify the online habits of successful leaders. Select five network marketing leaders you currently admire. Observe their online presence and take notes on what they’re doing that you aren’t.

2. Learn and implement. Choose one skill or strategy they use and learn just enough to get started. Commit to taking one action every day to improve your business in this area, even if it’s not perfect!

3. Repeat and grow. Once you’ve integrated one skill, go back and choose another. Implement it in the same way, embracing imperfect action over inaction.

Remember, in the fast-paced world of technology, taking consistent, albeit imperfect, action is key. This approach will yield more benefits than waiting to act perfectly. Embrace technology, adapt to its changes, and use it to enhance your business. And remember—this is ongoing, for the rest of your life and career!

So, let’s wrap this chapter up! We’ve journeyed together through seven themes that will enhance your success in Network Marketing and in life. Let’s briefly recap these pivotal points:

1. Fail Your Way to Success: Embrace failure as a valuable learning experience. Remember, every setback is a setup for a comeback.

2. The End is Near: Reflect on your current priorities. If tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, are you focusing on what truly matters?

3. Dreams Don’t Happen ‘Anyway’: Dreams require action and skill development. Nurture your dreams with decisive steps and continual learning.

4. Compound Your Skills: Your skills are invaluable assets. Invest in them, and they will appreciate over time, opening new doors of opportunity.

5. You’re Not Getting Any Younger: Life doesn’t necessarily get easier, but you can get stronger. Prioritize your time effectively and surround yourself with the right support.

6. A Lesson in Every Experience: Every challenge you face is an opportunity to learn and grow. Stay open to these lessons and let them guide you.

7. Tech Never Sleeps: In our technology-driven age, adaptability to technological advancements is key. Use technology as a tool to bolster your network marketing efforts.

I sincerely thank you for taking the time to explore these ideas with me. And I want you to acknowledge the effort you’ve put into gaining these insights and commit to applying them! Don’t let these lessons be more ‘self-help’ that never gets acted upon; transform them into ‘self-action.’

Remember, the path to success is a journey, not just a destination. It’s about evolving, growing, and embracing every step of the way! I have full faith in your potential and your journey ahead. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of it!