Hey, ntwrkrs! I’m thrilled to introduce an incredible concept that has shaped my twenty-seven-year journey in Network Marketing—known as the Wheel of Success. In this chapter, I’m going to show you how to build the Wheel of Success, how to spin it, and how to get all the rewards that come from using it as you grow in this amazing career. Picture the Wheel of Success as a snowball at the peak of a hill—difficult to push into motion but once rolling, it’s an unstoppable force!

Before I dive into my story, I want to emphasize the importance of two keys to success: mentorship and coachability. Without my mentor, the magic of the Wheel of Success would have remained elusive to me. If, in the end, I hadn’t finally become coachable, I might have missed the chance to implement its valuable principles. So, as you read through this chapter, remember the significance of mentorship and coachability!

Today, as a seasoned mentor and coach with extensive experience in the industry, I’ve generated millions in sales and led several companies to success alongside my husband and business partner, Dave. We’ve dedicated nearly three decades to Network Marketing, and we’ve found that the Wheel of Success isn’t confined to just our field; in fact, it’s quite versatile. We’ve applied it to various ventures, from real estate to establishing a med spa and a dance school.

As we dive into our exploration of what it looks like to spin the Wheel of Success, we’ll reference the acronym SCAR: Success, Confidence, Action, Results. Though the term SCAR might seem a bit jarring to some readers, it symbolizes the concept of ‘failing forward,’ which is a critical component of our lesson. Success breeds confidence, which in turn fuels more activity and leads to results. This cycle of success builds upon itself, creating a perpetual motion of achievement and belief. The more success you achieve, the more confident you become, spurring further action and yielding even greater results.

Warning: Once you learn to spin the Wheel of Success, there’s no unlearning it. So, if you’re ready to take everything you’re pursuing to the next level, read on!

S For Success

First, let’s dive into the initial spark that will get the wheel turning. You might be wondering, ‘How can I begin if I haven’t seen any success so far?’ If that’s you, I want to reassure you: it’s not about listing achievements or bragging. After all, there was a time when I was grappling with failure after failure in multiple ventures, and I still managed to find the tiniest success to fuel the journey forward.

There was a season in my life when I had almost given up on Network Marketing, but a pivotal moment came just as I was set on quitting. One day, my husband attended an in-person meeting for a new company, and he returned home with a revelation, exclaiming, “Honey, we’re going to be rich!” I was skeptical, to say the least. We were facing daily financial struggles, with bounced checks and unpaid bills. I’m pretty sure I told him he was crazy! However, our trajectory did indeed change. When I finally got on board, we eventually made millions and became top distributors, and we were only in our twenties. 

How did we accomplish this success? The game-changer was mentorship. My husband latched onto a mentor in that company who guided him, and he committed wholeheartedly to the journey. He hopped onto the Wheel of Success and got it spinning after he achieved his first small win. 

When someone new joins the business, it’s so important to secure an early win for them. Rejection is common, and doubts can quickly set in. The excitement of joining they initially felt can wane, leaving them questioning their decision. But an early victory, no matter how small, can make a significant difference.

How many of you can remember your first prospecting days where, out of all the people you approached, only a handful responded positively? Despite a greater number of rejections, that small nod of approval from a few connections likely sparked a surge of confidence, leading you to think, maybe this can actually work.

As I mentioned earlier, when Dave came through the door telling me about the new business he’d just invested in, the one that was going to make us rich, I didn’t have any evidence it was going to work. With all the financial uncertainty in our lives, how was I supposed to believe that Dave’s new upline was going to drive four hours to do a presentation at our house and turn our lives around?

However, Dave’s new upline did drive four hours to do a presentation at our house. And he helped Dave sign up three people, when just a week prior, I’d invited forty-two people to a gathering in my home and not one person even showed! I remember holding the check Dave’s upline gave us in my hand and preparing myself for it not to cash. But, sure enough, I took it through the drive-thru at the bank, deposited it, and the amount hit our bank account. I took one more lap around the bank, parked, and went inside. I nervously asked to withdraw the amount and took the cash back out. My jaw may as well have been on the ground! I couldn’t believe it. It was a real check. Real money. 

The reality of this influx of income was earth-shattering. It was as if I’d done ninety haircuts in one night, and this was all from enrolling just three people! We got everything we’d invested back that night, and much, much more. Dave was convinced, and said to me, confidently, “I’m moving forward with this, whether you believe in it or not.” For some reason, I was still hesitant. But while I was harboring doubts in the face of real evidence, he was actively turning the improbable into reality.

This is the truth about embarking on any new venture: there will always be skeptics—people ready to dismiss your dreams as unattainable. But the key lies in carving out that first slice of success. If you can help someone achieve even a minor victory early on, it will significantly increase the chances of them staying the course and potentially emerging as leaders.

This is where the concept of coachability—or teachability—comes into play. Dave was a prime example of someone who was teachable and coachable. After his initial success, he was interested in learning more, always asking, “What’s the next step?” This brings us to an essential question: How high is your teachability index? If it’s not high, you might struggle to grasp and implement the guidance given, which makes it more difficult to succeed.


C For Confidence

To explore how success can inspire confidence, which is the next point on the wheel, consider what happened to Dave after his first successful sign-up. He felt like Superman! So, you can imagine the boost in morale when a newcomer secures their first customer, or when someone expresses interest in a video you’ve shared. Each small interaction, whether it’s a nod of interest or a definitive sign-up, elevates a person’s feeling that they can get out there and do more! And this growing confidence breeds conviction. 

When Dave and I went all in on our new venture, I had already mastered the art of dance instruction and hairstyling, and my many customers backed up the confidence I experienced in those fields. My confidence in this new field of Network Marketing, however, was minimal. I harbored doubts about whether or not I’d succeed, and I lacked the conviction I felt in other areas of my life.

Low confidence and conviction can be a major hurdle in any industry! If people sense hesitation and doubt, that often leads them to question your credibility. No one is convinced by uncertainty. So, the key to elevating confidence in your team is simple yet powerful: affirmative reinforcement. Engage with your team, recognize their efforts, and let them know they’re on the brink of success.

Encourage members of your team by saying, “You’re doing exceptionally well. Your victory is just around the corner, look how close you are to your goal!” Effective coaching is about instilling belief in them. Remind them of the aspirations they shared and paint a picture of their future successes—a new home, a new car. Helping them to visualize these achievements can ignite the spark of confidence they might not yet see in themselves.

This process of building confidence is similar to nurturing a plant. It requires consistent attention and reinforcement. Acknowledge their progress, with positive reinforcement such as: “You’re evolving into an outstanding presenter,” or “You’re rapidly climbing to the top.” Highlighting their presence on the leaderboard or acknowledging them as an emerging power couple within the team can do wonders. Recognition is a powerful motivator.

When you’re cultivating confidence in your team, step aside and allow others to lead. Let them experience and learn from their own presentations. When someone actually does the presentation and secures a sign-up, it can dramatically boost their self-assurance, far more than if you were to handle every presentation for them.

Even during the days when our mentors were driving hours to lead meetings in our new venture, both Dave and I were somewhat reserved. And while I wouldn’t have called myself shy by any means, I simply didn’t feel prepared to take the lead in presentations. Instead, I’d chime in during their talks—not out of confidence but out of enthusiasm I just couldn’t contain.

One day, our mentor called to inform us he couldn’t make it to a significant meeting at the Elks Club Ballroom, where we were expecting a crowd of twenty-five to thirty people. He told Dave, “You’ll have to run the show tonight. Someone will meet you with the slideshow.” My immediate reaction was panic! I couldn’t hide my worry. “If you handle it, we won’t get any sign-ups!” I told Dave. Looking back, of course, I realize my comments were not exactly supportive. Maybe it would have done more for his conviction if I’d boosted his confidence by reminding him of all the wins he’d had with our mentor, but I was still navigating my way through being the spouse of a Network Marketer. I didn’t yet understand the concept of the Wheel of Success.

Sure enough, despite my skepticism, when Dave took the stage, managing the slides himself, it was a moment of transformation. This was before the era of Zoom meetings and Facebook Live—a time when sharing a video meant physically bringing a TV set. Dave’s performance, despite his evident nerves and a few moments of silence, was just what the audience needed. People understood his message and they signed up. Each one boosted Dave’s confidence immensely! He began to think, I can actually do this!

Soon, we stopped waiting for our mentor to drive down from Nebraska to lead our meetings, and instead, we started hosting them ourselves, night after night. The result? A surge in confidence and a spike in activity. So, here’s a key success tip: elevate your team. Celebrate them, highlight their strengths, and bring them into leadership roles. Step back and watch their confidence grow as they realize they can succeed without you.

How would your business flourish if you weren’t directly involved? The ideal system should be foolproof, fear-proof, and easily duplicable, enabling everyone to participate effectively. It’s about getting everyone involved in small ways, rather than relying on a few to do the heavy lifting.

A For Activity

I’m passionate about this part of the Wheel of Success because I’m all about action! Still, it’s important to remember that it’s not just about being busy—it’s about engaging in income-producing, results-driven activities. What matters is focusing your team on actions that lead to direct deposits, customer acquisitions, and transactions that result in real earnings. It’s important to differentiate between mere activity and true accomplishment.

Let’s explore the daily actions that contribute to your success—in other words, the activities that increase your bank account balance, expand your network, and deliver products to your customers. What’s the key? It boils down to one essential activity: engaging in conversations about your opportunity or product with people who are neither current customers nor involved in the business. It’s about introducing the business to newcomers and sparking their interest.

Recently, Dave and I have been heads-down with industry experts and mentors. We’ve spent a fortune on mentorship and coaching. We listened. We took action. We learned and we networked, and met people like Christopher Hussey—hey, he’s the guy who publishes these amazing books! The consensus among these Network Marketing heavy hitters is clear: the crux of the business lies in customer acquisition and enrolling new participants. Fresh involvement is the lifeblood of any thriving business. Without growth, stagnation sets in. 

Many people get comfortable in Network Marketing and fall into the trap of thinking they can get away with just coasting along. But remember, no one coasts uphill. Without consistent effort, there’s only decline, leading to burnout. Instead of thinking that an overload of Zoom meetings, trainings, and seminars will bring in new prospects, focus on effective presentations that attract new customers and team members.

Too often, people experience initial success, boost their confidence, and then shift their focus to managing their existing team. Trust me, I know how easy it is to do—we were actually guilty of this when we were growing the new venture I’ve been writing about. Sure, we had spun the Wheel of Success. We started with just four new joiners, which grew to eight the next month, and then exponentially increased to over four hundred in just four months. We had success, built confidence, spurred activity, and reaped substantial results. 

However, on the path to those results, we made some big mistakes. We elevated people in our team to leadership positions, and shortly afterward, without really even knowing it, we slipped into a management mindset. And let me promise you, this is the worst activity you can do for your business! It literally leads to reduced income for you and your whole team.

Dave and I had diverted our attention away from growing our business through recruiting and growing the number of people in our network, and instead, were focused on micro-managing the people we’d put into leadership and trying to control everything. We eventually course-corrected, but not without losing time, income, and a bit of our serenity.

This serves as a critical reminder for all of us: this business isn’t about you. It’s about empowering others, fostering their success, boosting their confidence, and guiding them towards effective actions. Your role is to facilitate their growth and then step aside, allowing the system and the people within the business to flourish. Leadership is about setting an example, driving results, and elevating others to your level of success.


R For Results

I’ll repeat a version of what I just wrote above: The results you’re looking for are new members who can achieve the same level you’ve achieved. And you can’t bring others up to your level unless you show them that you aren’t just standing around telling other people what to do, right? You need to show them that you’re actually doing it. And you do this by keeping score! 

I maintain a daily journal with charts and graphs to monitor where I am and where I aspire to be. I set lofty goals, which, I admit, can lead to disappointment. However, striving for excellence and failing is always better than never setting the bar high enough! So, I often ask the question: how many six-figure earners can we develop? How many individuals can we help earn a substantial monthly income? Who can we propel onto the leaderboard? And I don’t hold back when I come up with the numbers.

To achieve these lofty goals, setting clear outcomes is key. Over and over again, I find that incentivizing progress and rewarding achievements in some manner creates the results I’m looking for. Every compensation plan out there is designed to reward income-producing activities! So, as a leader, remember to set a stellar example. Uphold integrity in everything you do, and don’t shy away from recognizing the achievements of your team. They deserve it!

Another way I envision the path to my desired results is to keep a vision board in a prominent place, showcasing where I want my team to be, the goals I aim to achieve, and the results I’m striving for. If you do this, you can look toward these intended results and take a moment to assess your team. Consider the talents and resources at your disposal. Recognize each team member’s unique abilities and think about how you can collectively reach your goals by working together. Remember, you wouldn’t even start spinning the Wheel of Success if you weren’t focused on a particular end goal. So, make sure the results you aspire to are staring you in the face, each and every day!

I began this chapter with a story about Dave and me as a couple, and I’ll end that way, too. My husband was the embodiment of teachability, while I, on the other hand, was not. I believed I had seen it all, that I had already acquired the necessary experience and knowledge. Without Dave’s willingness to learn, I would have likely floundered in our new venture. He immersed himself in learning resources, which I initially dismissed as unnecessary. I didn’t even think I had time for coaching, since I was busy caring for our two children (and expecting a third), managing household chores, and taking on haircut appointments and dance classes. But in the end, I finally came to realize that to truly succeed, I needed to enhance my own teachability index.

Watching Dave—a man who, at the time, had minimal experience and talent, and an introvert who lacked the so-called ‘gift of gab’—achieve remarkable success was a revelation for me. He wasn’t the type to effortlessly strike up a conversation with a stranger; he was actually quite fearful of small talk with people he didn’t know! Yet, he surpassed everyone in our company, and by the age of twenty-four, we ranked in the top three among one hundred and fifty thousand distributors. We lacked conventional qualifications. We had no formal education and had spent our lives leading up to that point as a bankrupt beautician and a bull rider. We seemingly had every reason to fail. But something set us apart from the rest. It was Dave’s, and soon after, my own, high teachability index and an insatiable desire to learn.

As I wrap up, my overarching advice to you is simple: remain teachable and coachable. Continuously seek knowledge. Find a mentor who possesses what you aspire to achieve, and cling to them like a magnet. Maintain your teachability and coachability, and openly express your desire for mentorship.

Then, as you start accumulating successes, take a moment to recognize your own strength. Affirm to yourself, “I am capable. I am deserving. I’ve achieved this.” With each small achievement, encourage yourself to strive a bit further, to stimulate more activity. As with anything in life and business, consistency is key. Evaluate your outcomes, acknowledge your accomplishments, and prepare to replicate that success time and time again. Go from the back of the room to the stage, but then stand back to applaud the others you can bring up to experience that success wheel.

In short: success breeds confidence, which in turn fuels activity, leading to results that culminate in even greater success—which spins the wheel again! It’s been an honor to contribute to this book and collaborate with all of these amazing women and the team at ntwrkr. I can’t wait to meet you out there at events, and I hope this chapter empowers you to reach new heights! Dream big dreams, don’t be afraid to fail, and never give up!