Hey, ntwrkrs! I’m excited to share some great stuff with you through this incredible book, full of expert insights and valuable advice. Over the past two decades, I’ve dedicated myself to the home business sector, specifically focusing on the dynamic world of Network Marketing. It’s been an incredible journey, enabling me to help countless individuals, much like yourself, unlock their potential and achieve remarkable success.

In this chapter, I’m going to introduce a foundational concept that has been a cornerstone of my success: the power of leverage. Surprisingly, this principle remains unfamiliar to many! It’s not something that’s typically taught in schools, and it’s unlikely that our parents have passed this knowledge down to us. Yet, understanding and applying leverage in your business can be transformative, propelling you toward the success you’ve always aspired to achieve. It has the potential to truly set you free.

But what exactly is leverage? Well, let’s take a look at an example from our childhoods. Are you familiar with a seesaw or teeter-totter, or whatever it was called in your neck of the woods? I’m referring to the playground contraption that lets small children lift other kids, or even adults, off the ground. And all that up-and-down fun is made possible by the triangle in the middle: the fulcrum.

It defies what seems possible, right? A kid shouldn’t be able to lift the adult on the other side of the see-saw off the ground. But they can, because of that fulcrum and the magic of leverage. I’m going to show you how to use leverage in your business, so you can win your time back and earn large quantities of money. This formula will allow you to work just a few hours per day, affording you the freedom to prioritize family time, travel, or pursue any of your other passions. 

As we explore this concept together, I’ll guide you through four critical areas essential to mastering leverage in your business. These areas include building meaningful relationships, maximizing exposure, creating a library of content, and generating residual income. Each of these components is a vital piece of the puzzle, and when integrated effectively, they can redefine your business and, ultimately, grant you the freedom to live the life you’ve always envisioned.

So, let’s get started!

Relationships

One of the foundational pillars I’ve emphasized to my teams and students throughout my career in Network Marketing is the undeniable power of relationships. While it’s true that not every person you meet will be a direct prospect for your business, it’s important to remember that every person you meet knows someone who is! Every interaction is an opportunity to expand your reach, as each person you engage with likely has connections who would benefit from what you offer.  

When I initially entered the world of Network Marketing, business was done completely offline. I was a busy mom of two children who were just transitioning from elementary school to middle school, so my life was a whirlwind of activity. I was the quintessential “mom mobile,” ferrying my kids to various activities, assisting with homework, and fulfilling all the other responsibilities that come with parenthood.

Amid this hectic season of life, Network Marketing started to move from the offline space to the online space. I adapted quickly, creating a digital marketing program specifically for our profession. However, I needed to connect with other professionals who could help me broaden my audience and draw more people to my program! I decided to travel to a prominent marketing event, knowing that it would be a gathering place for some of the most influential people in the industry. Once I was there, all the Network Marketers huddled up together, and before I knew it, I was breaking bread with all of them.

The relationships I forged at that event were nothing short of transformative! Despite being relatively unknown at the time, my new relationships led to invitations to be a guest trainer on one of the most prominent online networking sites and to speak at an event attended by over four thousand people. The moral of the story is, it doesn’t matter what you’re looking for—speaking on stage is my forte, but no matter how you’re looking to be recognized or utilized, building relationships is where you start. And it’s not just about the immediate connections you make; it’s about the doors those connections can open.

So, yes, you want to meet as many people as you can, but you also want to build relationships with people who already have warm markets that are full of potential connections. Real relationships are built on reciprocity and trust. This trust is not something that can be rushed or forced—it takes time and genuine interactions, along with a sincere desire to contribute to the success of the other person.

To foster these relationships, here are some actionable steps you can take:

1. Commit to meeting people. Set a goal to meet as many people as possible! This could be through social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, or Instagram, or in-person events and gatherings. If you’re able to dedicate full-time efforts to your business, aim to meet at least ten new people each day. If you’re balancing other responsibilities, set a target of five daily interactions. Now, notice I didn’t say pitch these people; rather, simply get to know them!

2. Seek out successful individuals. Surround yourself with people who have achieved the success you aspire to. Attend industry events, join relevant groups, and engage in communities where you can connect with accomplished professionals. These people can provide invaluable insights and may open doors to new opportunities. And distance doesn’t matter! You can jump on a plane and get to an event, or stay local by finding your chamber of commerce, church group, or real estate meeting.

3. Focus on serving others. Approach each new connection with a mindset of offering support and adding value. By prioritizing the needs of others and offering your support, you will create a foundation of goodwill that often leads to mutual benefit. This approach can lead to unexpected opportunities and partnerships that have the potential to propel your business forward.

As you can see, the power of relationships in Network Marketing cannot be overstated! By prioritizing meaningful connections, seeking out successful mentors, and adopting a service-oriented mindset, you can unlock a world of possibilities for your business. Remember, the journey to success is not a solo endeavor; it’s a collaborative effort built on the strength of relationships.

Exposure

Exposure might sound like a complex idea, but it’s something you’re probably already familiar with. Consider how you network in your everyday life. When your child needs something, you instinctively start asking around for recommendations. You seek advice on the best teachers, the most reliable orthodontists, and more. Networking and building relationships are skills that you already possess, and they form the basis of exposure.

In the context of Network Marketing, exposure occurs when someone with a following introduces you to their network and speaks highly of you. It’s as simple as someone you trust telling others about you. We all do this when we recommend a great pizza place or a skilled massage therapist to our friends. The objective is to increase visibility so that more people become aware of you and what you have to offer.  

So, when we recruit someone, we want to work through their warm market, encouraging them to introduce us to the people they know. This expands our reach to individuals who might not have come across us otherwise but are willing to listen because of their relationship with our mutual contact. 

For instance, If I sign Mary into the program and she hosts a house party, all the attendees will be open to hearing from me, even though they don’t know me personally. This is because of my relationship with Mary and the implied trust that’s already there. When we talk about exposure, what we’re discussing is the leveraging of existing relationships to widen our circle of influence.

In the previous section, I wrote about getting on a plane—to Los Angeles, in fact—and meeting influential people in the Network Marketing space. We connected personally, and our mutual trust led them to introduce me to their online audiences. No longer limited by in-person events or geographical locations, this exposure transformed me into a household name in the industry, seemingly overnight!

Just imagine what your business would look like if everyone in your town knew you had the best product, that you were able to work from home and spend more time with your kids, and that the extra money you were making afforded you to take your family to Disney World. Word-of-mouth endorsements would spread, attracting people who desire what you offer. 

Exposure acts like a magnet, drawing the right individuals to you without the need for exhaustive one-on-one searches. While building a relationship may be the first step to leverage, as it’s a connection with someone you trust and can seek help from, exposure can amplify this by introducing you to a broader audience, transferring trust through the person who introduced you.

So, how can you increase your exposure?

1. Look for opportunities to get in front of your contacts’ contacts. Whether it’s a small gathering of five people, a Zoom party for twenty, or a speaking engagement in front of a hundred people, every bit of exposure counts! Find out where your contacts’ contacts are getting together and find a way to offer value.

2. Get involved in local or online groups. What are your interests? Where do you have a sphere of influence? Anywhere you have a presence, like the PTO, the Chamber of Commerce, or even Mardi Gras Krewes in places like Louisiana where I live can provide a fun way to build your warm market, which is paramount for gaining exposure.

Exposure is about leveraging your relationships to broaden your reach and attract the right people to your business. It’s a powerful tool that, when combined with trust, can significantly accelerate your success in Network Marketing.

Content

Content creation has become deeply integrated into our daily lives, thanks to platforms like social media. Essentially, content can take the form of audio recordings, videos, or written pieces like blogs, all of which you share with your audience via emails, social media posts, or other platforms. For Network Marketers, becoming a prolific content creator is a step toward gaining significant leverage.

The beauty of content creation lies in its flexibility. You can generate content every day, depending on your availability and commitment, producing anywhere from one to ten pieces of content. Each one, whether it’s a short-form video like a TikTok or Reel, a graphic accompanied by insightful words, or a well-crafted blog post, serves as a building block in your online presence. By consistently posting across various social media platforms, you not only engage your audience but build a substantial library of content that can be repurposed repeatedly. 

Life is unpredictable, filled with unexpected challenges that might hinder your ability to operate at your usual pace. In my own life, I faced unforeseen circumstances such as divorce and COVID-19, temporarily affecting my ability to run my business the way I was used to. 

During those challenging times, having a reservoir of content became my lifeline to my business. When the coronavirus sent me into the ICU, I was upfront with my audience about what was going on. The outpouring of prayers, flowers, cards, and well-wishes still warms my heart! But to the rest of the world, my business was functioning as it had for years. I recycled the hundreds of posts I had in my content library, and even though I wasn’t out at events or actively recruiting, my business was still able to grow.

On the other hand, during my divorce, I wanted that season of my life to remain very private. I wasn’t my normally perky or motivated self. I didn’t want to see or talk to anyone. I just wanted to sit on my couch and watch Gilmore Girls! And that was okay because I had a content library.

Once again, I used that content library to maintain my presence online, and I’m telling you—not even my team knew I was gone. Every piece of content I had created added to the treasure trove of ‘reruns’ that I could share with my audience, ensuring that my voice remained heard even if I wasn’t actively creating new content. 

These experiences taught me a very important lesson: content creation is not solely about immediate engagement. It’s also about preparing for the future, creating a safety net that allows your business to thrive even during challenging periods. It’s a strategic move that provides leverage and resilience, ensuring the continuity of your Network Marketing business!

To help you build your content library, here are some actionable steps:

1. Embrace daily creation. Dedicate yourself to producing and sharing new content every day for the next ninety days. Experiment with various formats such as posts, stories, short-form videos, or graphics. Consistency is key!

2. Utilize creative tools. Make the most of platforms like Canva for designing graphics and explore the world of Reels or TikToks for engaging videos. These tools can significantly streamline your content creation process, allowing you to create more content in less time!

3. Organize your content vault. Develop a system for storing and organizing your content. Whether you use cloud storage or a specific folder on your computer, having an organized collection will make specific content types easy to find, and simplify the process of repurposing content in the future.

4. Recycle & refresh. Don’t hesitate to republish old content. As your audience expands, new followers will appreciate discovering your earlier work, while long-time followers will enjoy revisiting your past valuable insights.

By implementing these steps, you’ll not only enhance your engagement and visibility but also fortify your business against life’s inevitable fluctuations.

Residual Income

Residual income is a term that resonates deeply within the Network Marketing community, as it symbolizes the gateway to financial independence. For those primarily focused on direct sales, the concept of building a team and generating residual income might seem like uncharted territory. It certainly was for me! I remember my early days in this profession, when I was solely dedicated to selling products, unaware of the opportunities that team building and residual income could provide.

As I delved deeper into the concept, I learned that residual income, in its essence, is simply earnings that continue to flow after the initial effort has been made. It’s the recurring revenue you receive when customers make regular purchases or enroll in auto-ship programs. The power of this income stream is often underestimated. Some people may dismiss smaller amounts of residual income, such as $200, $300, or $500, as insignificant. However, when you consider the substantial investment needed in traditional financial instruments like stocks or mutual funds to generate similar passive returns, the value of even modest residual income becomes impossible to ignore.

The benefit of residual income extends beyond mere financial gains; it offers a safety net during life’s unpredictable moments. During the seasons of divorce and illness in my life, where my ability to actively work in my business was severely hindered, my residual income served as a financial lifeline, ensuring a steady stream of income when I wasn’t able to devote much attention to business.

One of the most remarkable aspects of residual income is its reliability. Whether you’re going on a family vacation, celebrating an anniversary weekend, or attending to the health needs of a loved one, the assurance that your residual income will continue to support you is life-changing. It’s a reward for the hard work and dedication you’ve invested in building your business, providing peace of mind that your financial well-being is secure, even in your absence!

To fully harness the power of residual income, take the following powerful action step:

Focus on nurturing your relationships and ensure customer satisfaction. One of the most common mistakes I see Network Marketers make is overlooking the importance of follow-up after a sale is made. Cultivating long-term relationships with customers and team members is key for sustaining and growing your residual income! Regular follow-up ensures that your clients remain engaged and satisfied, which, in turn, supports the longevity of your residual income stream.

Understanding the value of residual income, prioritizing customer relationships, and consistently nurturing your business are key steps to unlocking your full income potential and achieving the financial independence you desire!

As we conclude this chapter, I want to reiterate that leverage can transform the way you work, enabling you to achieve more than you ever thought possible. While the idea of working from home or anywhere else with such flexibility might seem too good to be true, I assure you, it’s a reality! Of course, there will be times when you’re doing a launch or a special event when your focus intensifies, and you might find yourself working longer hours. However, generally speaking, the freedom to manage your time and the assurance that your income continues to flow is a direct result of leveraging the four key principles I’ve outlined.

Begin with relationships. The foundation of any successful Network Marketing business is the connections you make. It’s about meeting people, engaging with them genuinely, building relationships with people and their warm markets, and serving their needs. Remember, the more you give, the more you receive. Start by offering value, and the rest will follow.

Next, leverage comes into play through exposure. It’s not just about the person you directly interact with; it’s about who that person can introduce you to. Build a relationship so strong that they’re eager to share your message with their network. When the right people hear what you have to offer, they’ll naturally be drawn to it without the need for hard selling.

Content creation is the next critical aspect of leverage. Those who know me often joke about my morning routine, which involves posting and creating content, regardless of where I am. Whether I’m on a cruise or in a hospital, if I can move my fingers, I’m creating content! And with the tools available today, much of this can be automated, allowing your presence to be felt even when you’re not actively working.

Lastly, focus on residual income to attain the lifestyle you desire. By consistently working on building streams of residual income, you secure your financial freedom and ensure that your hard work continues to pay off long into the future.

To you ntwrkrs out there, remember, you truly are incredibly awesome. I may not have a profound closing statement, but what I do know is that it’s been an absolute pleasure to share these insights with you! I wish you tremendous success in your journey. Congratulations on deciding to empower yourself with this knowledge! Stay connected with the ntwrkr community (special shoutout to my co-authors and everyone who contributed to this book!), get out into the world, and leverage your way to the top! See you out there!