Network Marketing Historical Society And Museum

What you are about to learn will stay with you for the rest of your life!

People ask me all the time, "Why is network marketing history so important?"

My answer is always, "It's not only important, it's VITAL for us to know where we came from so we can clearly see how bright our future can be."

People hear words, phrases, and stories all the time, that they then repeat, without knowing the truth behind them.

And the more they are repeated, the more they get distorted, until what they originally mean is forever lost.

A great example is the word, "ABRACADABRA".

It isn’t just a word that a stage magician uses when pulls a rabbit out of a hat.

“Abracadabra” is the English version of the Aramaic word “Abraq-Ad-Habra” – which literally means “I Will Create As I Speak”.

Do a quick Google search and see for yourself 😊

NOW you will never be able to hear or see that word again without

KNOWING what it really means.

It's the same premise with the history of the network marketing profession.

The core values that were originated over half a century ago by the founders have either been completely forgotten or they have been warped over the years into something that doesn't even resemble what they started out to be.

I hear so many people talking about things they don't really understand and it's not their fault!

They are just repeating what they heard from others, who didn't know either.

Like an old VHS video tape that has been copied over and over and over until the picture and sound are so distorted, it makes no sense.

I am working on several projects at the moment that will forever capture the history of this amazing profession we call network marketing.

Having personally known and been mentored by the icons and legends that created the profession has given me a unique platform to speak from.

And I will speak!

Words, pictures, audio, video, AND memorabilia will tell the story and I will be your guide.

Stay tuned because some EXCITING things are about to happen!

Coming off of an incredible weekend that STILL has me smiling! Check this out:

1) Saturday was the 45th Anniversary of Larry Thompson's Millionaire Training speech. The Millionaire Training book came out 6 years ago. I wrote the section on Network Marketing History which I am very proud of 😎

2) And this ties in to #1 perfectly! Larry gave that speech February 21, 1981, in front of a room full of Herbalife distributors. The company had just celebrated 1 year in business.

Saturday, I got in a shipment of vintage Herbalife memorabilia for the history museum! I'm talking COOL stuff (see pictures) from the company's beginning INCLUDING audio recordings of EARLY Herbalife meetings Mark and Larry gave in Orange County, California and other audios.

Also got some original Herbalife products:
Original Herbalifeline
2nd generation Herbalifeline
Kindermins (Kids Vitamins)
APR (Arthritis Pain Relief) bottles
Schizandra +
Formula 4 Linseed Oil caplets
Tang Kuei
Original tablet boxes
Chicken soup canister
Beef soup canister

How was YOUR weekend?

Toward the end of this message, you will find what to look for to avoid the snares, pitfalls, and outright LIES rampant in our space!

I really have to laugh when I see all of the "marketing" on social media 😆😆😆

"Buy MY training because it's the BEST! You'll make a zillion bucks in 4.3 seconds!" 💵💵💵

"Those other guys are LYING! Buy MY training because it's the BEST! You won't have to do a thing because we'll build your business for you while you sip exotic drinks on the beach!" 🍷🍸🍹🏖️

It reminds me of the insurance commercials where every company claims you'll save money by switching to them 🤔

If that was the case, you could keep switching companies until you save so much money, THEY pay YOU 🤑

And don't get me started on all of this MASTERCLASS crap!

It's the new buzz word and everybody and their uncle is teaching a masterclass 🤓

They may have been in the business for 2 weeks but they are going to show you how it's done 🤣🤣🤣

Better yet, some do**us got lucky and a real heavy hitter joined under them.

Now because that heavy hitter's organization is giving do**us a sizeable check and has caused them to rank advance several times, they now think they're a leader and want to sell you do**us training.

For goodness sake, please keep your wits about you and see this for what it is, HYPE!

I've seen the best and the worst this profession has to offer in the last several decades and I can count on a few fingers the people who are qualified to teach a dad gummed masterclass.

With that said, what do you look for when you need solid training?

The #1 thing you must look for is simplicity.

The absolute geniuses in business and in life are MASTERS of simplicity.

I cannot impart this emphatically enough.

Any trainer, mentor, or coach worth their mettle will be focused on bringing you back to the basics while streamlining your operation.

No magic, just showing you how to declutter, strip away the unessentials, and simplify versus adding more to your already over complicated enterprise.

Great questions to ask before learning from anyone are:

Who are you?

Why should I listen to you?

What makes you an expert?

How do you know that?

Stand guard at the door of your mind and make dang sure that you do your due diligence.

After all, your FUTURE depends on it!

Just had a conversation with a couple who had been in network marketing before, had failed miserably at it, wanted to get started again, but was afraid.

They asked, "If network marketing is such a valid business model, why do so many people fail?"

Thought I would share something we talked about which was "The Thompson Rule."

Not truly understanding people, in my opinion, is the main reason why people struggle building a business.

When you truly understand "TTR", it not only explains so much about business, but about life.

Let's dive in, but before we get going, we will be exploring 3 facets that put handles on all of this for you to grab a firm hold on to and forevermore run with.

1) It reinforces the simple genius of TTR while giving new understanding and insight to an ages-old axiom.

It's called "The Pareto Principle".

You may know it by it's other name which is the "80/20 rule".

Named after Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto who observed that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by about 20% of the population.

Further study and exploration of this principle yielded the observation that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.

80% of the wealth of a society is held by 20% of its population.

80% of the work is done by 20% of the work force.

And so on.

The Thompson Rule or "TTR" explores and explains that principle further by redefining the numbers.

80/20 is redifined to 80/15/5.

Although TTR can be applied universally, let's focus it on the network marketing business model.

Simply stated ( I could talk for DAYS on this, but not here)

80% of network marketers will do little to nothing. They have little time, little drive, and may get some products for themselves and get a few new customers each year. They have little to no interest in building a team. They have neither the time or desire to get on conference calls, attend events, or trainings.

15% of network marketers have more drive, will devote more time, and will bring in more customers, and have the desire to build a small team. They will attend a few calls, events, and trainings.

5% of network marketers will devote an insane amount of time, drive, effort, and energy into their business. They develop a massive customer base and build huge teams. They're at every event, on every call, and every training.

Now let's get back to that original question which was "If network marketing is such a valid business model, why do so many people fail?"

With all of the "get rich quick" idiots out there, many people fail because their expectations were not properly managed from the very start.

Can you become financially free? Of course.

Is it easy? Of course not.

It takes an above average drive and committment to achieve that level of success and most people have neither the time or the drive to do it.

They have an 80% mentality expecting 5% results.

They were not properly onboarded.

They were not placed into an environment that supported them, taught them, encouraged them, and made them feel appreciated no matter where they were in TTR.

2) Another facet is that TTR is a continual sliding scale.

Life happens.

You can go from 80% to 15%, even to 5% overnight.

And vice-versa.

Part of that crucial environment is to not to judge, EVER!

People do what they do for their reasons, not yours.

So many 5%, because of life events, were forced to drop to a 15% or even an 80%, only to be ridiculed for it.

They hear moronic statements like:

"I thought you were serious!"

"I guess you're not a player."

"What's wrong with you?!"

MANY, because of this treatment, quit.

They leave, never to return, all because some "Leader" or "Leaders" were ignorant of TTR.

3) The last facet we will talk about is that the ONLY difference between an 80%, a 15%, and a 5% is their activity level.

It's not what you know, it's what you do.

A-C-T-I-V-I-T-Y is the crucial metric that defines where you are, at any given time, in the TTR scale.

You can have the skill sets and mindsets of a 5%

You can have the desire and willingness of a 5%.

But your activities define your true place in the scale.

Let me close with this.

Wherever you are, at any given time, is perfectly okay!

You are good enough, right where you are, right now.

Live your life.

Work your business.

Be authentic to YOU.

Understand the foundational principle of TTR.

Absorb it and metabolize it until it is such a part of you that it permeates every part of your life and your business.

Put into practice what you have learned here.

If you've unwittingly been a victim of TTR ignorance, now you understand why things happened the way they did.

If you've unwittingly done to others what we've talked about here, now you better understand why you did it.

Make amends where you can.

And, from this day forward, make TTR the foundational bedrock upon which your business, your life, is built.

My friend Angel Fletcher posted this in our group.

Take the few minutes to read it, it might clarify a few things:

It is said that knowledge is power. It's hard to argue with this statement. The only thing I might add to this equation is knowledge + Action = FREEDOM. In the spirit of clarity, I would like to help people understand what it is that we do professionally.

__________________________________________________________

"There seems to be a lot of confusion about Network Marketing. At it’s best, network marketing is seen as unimportant "mommy-businesses" or something strange Uncle Joe did to find his fortune.

At it’s worst, network marketing is perceived as being full of greedy snake oil salesmen and shysters. But once you get past the old attitudes and misconceptions, network marketing is a viable way to start a part-time home-based business.

Let's take a look at the myths associated with the Network Marketing Industry, shall we?

Myth #1 about NM. We chase our friends and family to purchase our products. Or go door to door selling products out of our trunk.

Truth: We refer people to products that we believe in. (Just the same as if we were to refer someone to a nice restaurant, good movie, sale at the mall, etc.) And for those who are interested in learning more, we provide resources where they can get ore information. That's it. The company handles inventory of the products, shipping, etc.

Myth #2 about NM. We chase, beg or pressure our friends, family and colleagues to join our business.

Truth: We make sure everyone knows the solutions we provide financially. Those who are looking, AND WANT more information, we educate them about the opportunity with tools provided by the company. That's it. No pressure. No sales. Our job is to notify people about what we do and make sure those who are interested have enough information to make a well informed decision about whether it's a good fit.

Myth 3: Network Marketing is an illegal pyramid.

Truth: In the illegal pyramid test, the shape of an organization does not determine legality. If it did, most businesses and organizations including the government would be illegal because all have a pyramid structure. An illegal pyramid scheme provides no products or services, and pays according to the number of recruits. Legal network marketing programs offer products or services that are sold to consumers. Recruiting new members allows for increased income based on the volume of sales.

Myth 4: Only the people at the top make money.

Truth: This argument more accurately describes a “job”. How often does a minimum wage worker become the CEO? In good network marketing companies, members can make any amount regardless of where they are in the organization. Income is related to effort not position.

Myth 5: Network marketing uses people.

Truth: Success in network marketing comes from helping others reach their goals. A person cannot earn income off the efforts of their recruits without investing time in helping them earn income, as well. Admittedly, some network marketers see potential recruits as dollar signs, but those people are not as successful as those who are genuine in their effort to help their recruits do well.

Myth 6. Eventually the program will get saturated.

Truth: Saturation is impossible because there is never a finite number of people. Everyday new people are born or turn 18 thereby adding new potential network marketers to the pool. Tim Sales, in Zig Ziglar’s Network Marketing for Dummies, offers the best argument against the saturation myth. He asks, “Do you know anyone who doesn’t have a refrigerator? No? That doesn’t stop GE from selling more of them.”

Myth 7: Network marketing doesn’t work.

Truth: According to the Direct Selling Association, in 2013 the direct sales industry grossed $31.63 billion in retail sales in the United States. Worldwide that number increases to $100 billion according to Zig Ziglar’s book Network Marketing For Dummies. These numbers indicate that network marketing can work. Success or failure has less to do with network marketing itself and instead is determined by the amount effort one puts into the business. Many bloggers, eBayers and other home business owners don't do well or quit too, but you don't hear people saying blogging and eBay don't work.

Myth 8: No one really gets rich in network marketing.

Truth: It's true that not everyone succeeds in network marketing. The 2-10% of network marketers earning big money are the same 2-10% who work consistently on their businesses. But getting rich shouldn't be how network marketing is judged. If getting rich is the measure of success, then the majority of employees in traditional jobs are big failures. Instead, network marketing should be measured by the number of people who reach their goals. Many people in network marketing find success when they earn enough to stay home with the kids or pay off debt.

The fact is, no matter where I travel in the world people are people, and they are all searching for the same things; more income, more time with the people they love and care about most and better Health.

We proudly offer a solution to all three of these challenges!

So there you have it. No pressure. No sales. Just a simple business of referring people to products we believe in, and educating people about a business that can be started for little money with an unlimited income potential!

It's definitely not get rich quick, but to impress upon you it is get rich possible."

A great example of WHY I do what I do with Network Marketing History...

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She was afraid people would rewrite history, so she recorded over 300,000 hours of TV over 35 years on 71,000 VHS tapes.

Marion Stokes recorded television programs nonstop for over three decades. She started in the late 1970s, and by 1979 she was relentlessly capturing everything 24/7, from news to sitcoms, because she noticed that TV networks often erased old shows to save space and money.

As a former librarian and activist, Marion cared deeply about making information available to everyone and wanted to save TV history so powerful people couldn't rewrite it however they wanted.

Marion once kept up to eight videotape recorders running at the same time, and she got her family to help. For example, her son Michael remembers having to rush home from dinner to change the tapes.

When Marion died in 2012, she had recorded about 71,000 tapes. This made her the only person to save such a complete record of television from that time.

Now the Internet Archive is digitizing her collection so anyone will be able to watch it online. Thanks to Marion's dedication, her dream of giving everyone access to knowledge is finally coming true.

While some sources (NBC News, CNN, etc.) claim she recorded around 800,000 hours of VHS tape. However, later Snopes clarified that the 2013 story claiming 140,000 tapes was not correct, as the total number of tapes counted and shared by the Internet Archive is 70,000+. So maybe the 800,000-hour figure was estimated by accounting for 140,000 tapes.

So, mathematically, 24 hours × 365 days × 35 years = 306,600 hours, which is just over 300,000 hours. So I chose this more realistic figure instead.

I just got something COOL for the museum! An Herbalife 40th anniversary Tiffany dish for a crazy price that was (doing my best Mark Hughes impersonation) UNBELIEVABLE! 💯

The US distributors are in Dallas, Texas this weekend for the 45th anniversary Extravaganza. Who knows what cool swag will come out of it 😎

If memory serves, this dish was crafted as a birthday gift for Prez Team and above. Brand spanking new. Still in the original bubble wrap with Tiffany & Co tape holding it all together. A real eBay find! If you want to know what I paid for this Tiffany dish, message me and I'll tell you 😉

If you've been a friend/fan/follower of mine for anytime, you know of my absolute passion for network marketing history and my plans for opening a physical museum to display the giant collection of memorabilia I've gathered for over half a century.

If you know that, you also know I am writing a book capturing the real, correct, and true history of the business model in a way that informs, teaches, and inspires.

The hardest part of writing this book isn’t lack of material, it’s the sheer abundance of it.

Having personally lived, breathed, and preserved over five decades of network marketing history has been a challenge to capture.

Having not only met, but been great friends with, been mentored by, and worked side by side with the legends.

Collected the artifacts and memorabilia that tell the story.

Witnessed the rise and fall of iconic companies, leaders, and ideas.
All of this, what's in my head, and in my heart, is both a blessing and a curse.

Yes, there have been mistakes.

Villains.

Thieves.

Egos run wild.

To pretend otherwise would be naïve.

But you can’t have light without darkness.

And while I acknowledge the dark corners of this profession’s history, I don’t dwell in them. I focus on the lessons learned, on how we move forward, wiser and better.

History, told correctly, doesn’t just expose what went wrong, it reveals what went right. It shows the good that rose in spite of the bad. The legends who stood tall. The principles that still stand true.

There’s plenty of noise in the world and online focusing only on what went wrong in network marketing. Very few are telling the whole story, the mistakes and the miracles.

That’s what I intend to do.

And the challenge is figuring out how to pour all of that, and more, into pages that don’t just teach, but touch people.

How do I write in a way that honors the pioneers who came before us, while inspiring a new generation to see the greatness in this profession?

It’s like trying to bottle a storm, but I know I must, because if I don’t, this history, OUR history, could be lost forever.

One of the most amazing parts of working on this book, and building this museum of history, is seeing how the threads all connect.

This profession truly is a grand tapestry.

When you step back and look at the big picture, you begin to see how all the early companies were woven together.

Each strand crossing, strengthening, and inspiring the others.

How the legends who rose out of them learned from each other, inspired each other, and passed down principles that still echo today.

It’s not just a business model, it’s a living, breathing legacy.

A story still being written.

Thank you for coming along with me on this journey!

How NOT to build your network marketing business!!!

Ego is the destroyer of worlds!

A post in a group I'm in prompted me to talk about this. It is a story of glorious triumph in the face of MAJOR adversity.

I know a lady who had a white hot burning desire to change her life and went after her new business like crazy.

She couldn't get any real answers from her upline on how to do the business so she was excited to learn that a huge leader was coming to a city near her for a training.

She used ever penny she had to put gas in her barely running car, packed a sack lunch, and hit the road.

She was SO excited when she got there. Like a 5 year old on Christmas morning. She was FINALLY going to get some answers.

The venue was packed! There were several hundred people there, but luckily, she spotted a seat on the front row.

She sat down, put her sack lunch under her seat, took out her pen and paper, and waited for the event to begin.

The event started and her excitement hit an all time high. The "leader" came out on stage and asked the crowd if there was anyone there who wasn't part of his group.

This lady enthusiastically raised her hand, only to be told, quite harshly, in front of hundreds of people, to leave!

Completely embarrassed, and with as much dignity as she could muster, she gathered her belongings and, with her head down, started to leave.

Then, to add humiliation to her embarrassment, about half way down the isle, someone said "You forgot this!" and threw her sack lunch at her.

She drove home in tears, humiliated beyond the ability of words to capture it. It was one of the longest drives home of her life.

This was THE moment for her.

This was the moment a CHAMPION was made.

Forged from the fires that would destroy the average person.

This single event strengthened her resolve to the point that nothing or no one would ever stand in her way again.

She vowed not only to be successful, she would never allow anyone to be treated the way she had been treated.

She kept her vow. Not only did she hit the top rank this legacy company had to offer, she did it quicker than anyone in the company's history.

And she took her organization with her.

They were all rank advancing faster than anyone in the company's history.

And she kept another vow. Everyone was welcomed to her trainings with open arms.

The idiot leader that threw her out of that training got absolutely SMOKED by her and her organization.

The sad and unbelievable thing is, that after all she accomplished, other leaders in that company continued to bad mouth her because she did it too quickly and hadn't "paid her dues".

She wasn't asked to speak at many big company events because the other leaders (and I use that term loosely) didn't want her there. She wasn't part of the clique.

She is now retired, living in Hawaii, and lives a dream life, steadily collecting her royalties in spite of all the haters.

This ego driven CRAP drives me insane!

I'm one of the nicest guys you will ever meet.

I have a smile, a handshake, and words of encouragement for everyone I see.

With that said, let me witness someone being treated harshly, or bullied, and you will witness a side of me you don't want to see!

Here's another truth. Time ALWAYS weeds out the idiots!

Time always weeds out the fakers, the liars, and the deceivers.

Stay the course.

Strengthen your resolve.

Let time work is magic.

Remember this story.

And leave your ego at the door.

Today is Jim Rohn's 94th birthday and I find myself fascinated.

Fascinated that it's been 46 years since I first heard that voice.

Fascinated that it's been over four and a half decades and the nuclear impact the man had on me has done nothing but grow.

Fascinated that his wisdom continues to not only touch the lives of new people every day, but constantly touches the lives of the old guard.

Fascinated that the Jim Rohn Mastermind Group, started as a simple way to keep his ideas alive, has grown to over 80,000 members.

Not a day goes by that I do not see and hear his influence.

Not a day goes by that I do not have a discussion about him, online and offline.

Not a day goes by that I don't feel his guidance in so many aspects of my life.

The sheer beauty of this is that I know I'm not alone because so many others are feeling this way too.

So many people who, because of Jim, have gone on to influence untold millions of others.

Jim was the master of 2 styles of communication:

Direct.

Indirect.

He was more direct if you were close contact (eating with him, car rides, etc)

He was more reserved on stage and in groups.

When he was direct, you knew it. He could really lower the whammy on you.

(When you see me in person, ask me about the steak dinner with him in Norfolk, VA)

When he was indirect, you didn't know it.

His wisdom escaped you until specific scenarios or situations arose and then his subtle insights presented themselves.

Singer/songwriter Dan Fogelberg wrote a hit song in 1981 called "Leader of the Band" containing some lyrics that, to me, capture Jim perfectly:

"He earned his love
Through discipline
A thundering, velvet hand
His gentle means of sculpting souls
Took me years to understand."

For all of his accomplishments, he was the most humble person I have ever known.

Something we must all strive to exemplify.

The first time I heard his voice on July 15, 1978, he taught me.

Today, on his 94th birthday, almost 15 years since he passed, he is still teaching me.

Which is what he wanted.

In all the interviews Jim gave, one stands out because of a question he was asked during the interview that no one else ever asked:

"Jim, how do you want to be remembered?"

His simple 4 word answer:

"I taught you something."

He taught the WORLD something.

And he's still teaching.

The direct.

The indirect.

It's all there.

Refreshing the hearts and minds of those who knew him.

Waiting silently in books, audios, videos, articles, and other media for those who have yet to discover his "thundering velvet hand".

So many people are forever grateful for the "Farm Boy From Idaho".

If that's you, take a moment today and thank him.

Then, give him the best birthday gift you could ever give by sharing his ideas with others.

Let me close this tribute with a quote from William Shakespeare:

"He was a man, take him for all in all,
I shall not look upon his like again."

Happy Birthday Jim!!!

59 years ago today, the legendary J. Earl Shoaff left us. Over the years, on this date, I have written about many aspects of his life. He was a true giant in every sense of the word.

Today, I thought I would give you a glimpse into the heart and style of the man by sharing something that most of you have never seen or heard before.

He loved cars. Sports cars, Luxury cars, and everything in between. In 1955, he discovered the prototype of a very unique car made by two brothers that really caught his eye.

For the cars to be made, the brothers needed at least 25 orders so Earl gleefully placed his order. The car was very expensive ($195,000 in todays dollars) and he could not wait to drive it around town.

Long story short, because of the expense, they got less than 5 orders so the car never made it into production. Only one complete car is in existence today.

That car was called the Ga***rd Gladiator and was so chic, they called it a sports car in a tuxedo.

See and read about it here: https://zeppelin70years.com/2020/02/24/a-car-that-looks-like-a-tuxedo-hello-gaylord-gladiator/ #:~:text=The%20car%20had%20convenient%20features,the%20touch%20of%20a%20button.

Earl Shoaff was all about experiencing life. It's a lesson that we can all learn from and emulate.

Make it a GREAT day!