S.M.A.R.T. GOALS 2012!

Cathy Stroud, Executive Director (NC)

All things are created twice. 

There’s a mental or first creation, 

and a physical or second creation of all things.

You have to make sure that the blueprint, the first

creation, is really what you want, that you’ve thought

everything through. Then you put it into bricks and

mortar. Each day you go to the construction shed and

pull out the blueprint to get marching orders for the

day. You begin with the end in mind.”

—Stephen Covey

Cathy Stroud of NC achieved Executive Director during the toughest business building month of the year. She also qualified for the December Bonus Pool. Why? She set a goal, was plugged in with all of the scheduled weekly calls, and reached her goal by first understanding the importance of playing it S.M.A.R.T.

Only 3% of adults have clear, written, specific, measurable, time-bounded goals, and by every statistic I'm reading to date, they accomplish ten times as much as people with no goals at all. Why do you think it is that most people have no goals? We'll explore 5 main reasons on Saturday morning's Success Strategies call at 9am.  For now, let's just realize that the only way we can reasonably decide what we want in the future and how we will get there, is to first know where we are right now (this very moment) and secondly, what our level of satisfaction is for where we are in life right now, then get S.M.A.R.T. in our plan of attack with goal setting. 

After taking a moment to evaluate where you are and reflect on what you want to achieve, put the S.M.A.R.T. to work in your behalf with your goal setting. That means to be: Specific - Measurable - Attainable - Realistic - Time-sensitive. Don't be vague, be specific, right down to treasure mapping it and writing those goals down.  Then be honest with yourself about what it is you want to achieve, and when you can reasonably accomplish those goals (taking into consideration your current responsibilities). Then make it do-able, or realistic (ask your sponsor for some help here), and set deadlines every step of the way to achieving every goal you've written down. A goal is just a dream with a deadline - bottom-line!

So, here you are at 2012's doorstep. Don't let day one of 2012 come and go without you sitting down, reflecting, dreaming; then write down new goals for yourself - knowing that we (your upline team) are here to support you every step of the way to seeing you - just like Cathy Stroud - achieve those goals, starting with December 31st's call at 9am pacific (940) 287-4000 code 303063#. See you there! Remember: Start (today) S.M.A.R.T. :-)

Management and Maternal Mode

The easiest two traps to fall into with Network Marketing, after only the first few months and sponsoring 15-20 people, is the "management mode" trap and the "maternal mode" trap. Now keep in mind that I'm first and foremost a mom with big time maternal instincts. I've raised six fabulous kids and have sixteen (16) grandkids. I adore them. And with this maternal instinct running through my veins I have always wanted 100% of the people I talk to about the business to enroll, and 100% of those I sponsor to succeed. And I've gotten caught in both management and maternal mode with my groups. However, eventually I learned that both are traps that both stifle growth and discourage business building. So, learn from my mistakes and avoid these two traps that will kill your business and stop your success.

Sandi with PA grand daughters Addie & Jane 2011

There's a huge difference between the important action of "supporting your team" to being trapped in "management mode." You effectively "support" with weekly team calls and communications, 3-way validation calls, welcome calls, and motivational activity to keep your team pumped. "Management mode," on the other hand, sees your recruiting efforts stopped after only of few months of business building to focus 100% of your energy with trying to push people who really don't have that desire to success, or by "rackin' and stackin'" where you are placing people under people, and hoping they do something...eventually. This is not right action, it creates weakness and co-dependency. And your goal as a business builder and leader is to build, recognize and support leadership under you, creating "walk away" residual income. And this is where the "magic" of network marketing begins and the fun begins.

Ken with grand daughter, Sutton 2010

Yes, we all want everyone to succeed. However, those that will - WILL - with or without you. And the more you help someone the weaker they become. The individuals that catch the vision of how incredible network marketing is and your opportunity is, will run from the get-go with passion for the business and the product. They will use you for the 3-way calls. They will initiate business on their own. When they need you to validate with a 2-on-1 appointment or a 3-way call, they will use you as their sponsor. They will ask that you help them launch their business, but then they will take off on their own and build their business. They will be team players and will step-up and be key leaders for you. You don't have to push them to succeed. They will succeed. 


Your job? To keep on recruiting and building your team until your income provides you with a comfortable lifestyle - the American Dream. So...if you aren't where you want to be with the business financially? Keep building and recruiting, and avoid (like the plague) falling into the management and maternal mode. Now that you are aware of it? Go recruit!

Say Less to More People!

Ken Burgess on right talking the business.

"People.
People who need people
Are the luckiest people in the world..."

One of my all-time favorite shows is Funny Girl starring Barbra Streisand. And I remember singing the song "People" from that show many times during my college days. In thinking about this wonderful heart-felt song, and the topic I discussed on our Mentoring call this past Monday night, I need to stress to the Network Marketing world that this business is all about people needing people, and people talking to people everyday! You must get out there and talk to more people, and know that this business is literally for everyone. There is a place for all. Some are wholesale consumers, some are part time retailers, or part time biz builders. A handful are full-time biz builders, and eventually they grow into being very key, top leaders.


The bottom-line with building a strong network marketing business - you must like people, and you have to talk to a lot of people. Saying less to more people is done by using the tools with our system that include showing your 90-second commercial, using the recorded hotline (951) 262-3873, the Tuesday night Biz Briefing calls, Thursday night webinars, your website, Facebook V3 Success Stories group, your sponsor for 3-way calls and Launch Parties! These tools effectively help you tell the story of the business and product.

Sandi (me) in Maui at the Grand Wailea Resort doing a 3-way call!

No matter where you are, you can build this business. You must talk to a lot of people, gather piles of business cards, constantly make new friends, re-acquaint yourself with old friends, and let people know that you have a serious business with a fun little all-natural "happy skinny pill!" Spread the word about yourself by starting the "process" with filling up your Prospecting Pipeline. Always have "ten in motion" with business building. That means always having ten people you are parading the business in front of. When you enroll one of those ten, add another to the "pipeline." 


Not seeing the results you desire ($)? Talk to more people. Use your sponsor to launch yourself over and over again. Re-launching is part of the winning game we play. Team not recruiting? Go get another team! Set the example. Set the tempo for your team to follow. Don't let anyone or anything stop you from seeing success. It's all about "saying less to more people!"

Re-Sell the Dream!

There are three reasons we have done a weekly Biz Briefing call, and a weekly Saturday morning training call since before we opened our doors for business on January 28, 2011. First and foremost, to re-sell the dream to the existing team, secondly, to sell the dream to our prospects, and thirdly to personally stay on track with our goals, and stay excited about the business. You and your team should never miss a call, no matter what. Even if you have to listen with a Blue Tooth while sitting at a ballgame. (Been there, done that...many times!)

Sherry Holmen (AZ) - Marty Weeks (CO) Lost 90 lbs!

Every week our Tuesday night Biz Briefing call features one of our leaders and their team of testimonials. Every week the call is different. Every week we hear new, amazing product testimonials that blow us away. Every week we are inspired to share V3 because of the stories we hear. 


No matter how difficult the week has been, or how many of "life's" obstacles seem to interfere with your goals, getting on these calls pumps you back up. That's why, even when Ken and I are totally exhausted from being up at 5am working with corporate projects, we do the Tuesday night Biz Briefing call, and the Saturday morning Success Strategies training call. We are re-selling the dream to our "core" team, our prospects, and ourselves. 

Billy Banks, Executive (TX), has Lost 30 lbs. on V3!

And re-selling that dream guarantees that you - our fabulous team - see's the big picture, sets new goals for yourself, stays focused and on track with achieving those goals. Those that don't get on these calls quits the business. Bottom-line, they just don't stick around long enough to see their dreams come true. And that is sad. Why? 

Shelley Ball, Executive (WV) has Lost over 35 lbs. on V3!

Because down the road, say in a couple of years, Voyager will be the biggest opportunity going, and those of you who are on these calls, promoting them with your teams, will be at the top of something very, very special. And if you consistently sample and sponsor new people every month, you will be an exclusive member of that "millionaire's club!" 

Shedrick Sims, Executive, has lost 70 lbs. on V3!

Stay focused on building your Voyager business with the hottest product in the country called V3, and never, ever miss a Tuesday Biz  Briefing call, or Saturday morning training call. You and your team need these calls to RE-SELL THE DREAM to yourself, empower yourself, and excite your imagination for dream building every single week! You need to stay excited, focused and working at achieving your goals. Have you filled out that Commitment Letter at www.burgessbiz.com? Hope so.  See you Saturday morning! xoxo

Focused, Festive Fun!

Tis' the Season...part two is about doubling your efforts, turning up the momentum in the nooks and crannies with decorating your home, shopping for your loved ones, making those homemade truffles and attending those neighborhood holiday parties. You literally can do it all during the holidays. Just chunk it down. Give two focused, fun hours a day to leaving voice mail holiday greeting messages with prospects, writing that holiday family letter making sure to add that you've invested in a new little home-based business with that fun "happy skinny pill," and plant those seeds for sponsoring everywhere you go!

"Tis the season for gathering business cards, attending every local festive event possible, asking tons of questions, and making friends. Give your samples a festive look with holiday ribbons, bags and bells. Attend every craft show you can in the area. These home-spun "artists" are ambitious! That shows in the time they spend making their holiday crafts. Start talking to them. Ask questions and tell them you have a special gift to give them called V3! Meeting face-to-face with telling your prospects that you want to whisk them away from the hustle and bustle over a cup of tea, or bowl of soup. Discover their wants and needs, then tell them you've got something to share that will change their life.

Host your own "Carols, Cookies and Cocoa" neighborhood sing-along where everyone brings their favorite cookie to share, and you gather around the piano and sing carols. Get acquainted with these special people, ask questions about them, and tell them you'd love to get together and share a fun project you've been working on.


Keep your holiday festive and fun, but focused on what you want to do, and that is to build a dynamite team of business associates where people can achieve those top two (#1 & #2) New Years Resolutions...to #1- lose some weight, and #2- make more money. Yahoo...you have what they want but guess what? They don't know about it. So, put yourself out there ... caring and sharing holiday cheer at the same time...share your incredible business of Voyager and that magic "happy skinny pill" V3!!!

Tis' the Season!

"Deck the halls with boughs of holly
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
'Tis the season to be jolly
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la ..."


Tis the season to share the Voyager business opportunity in the nooks and crannies of your busy day. It's done subtlety with a smile and a sample. Subtle hints with every encounter. "Got a business card? Love to keep in touch and possibly meet up for a cup of tea after the holidays!"


Try not to wear that V3 button or glitzin' V3 shirt to holiday parties with friends. You'll find yourself un-invited next year. Attend as many gatherings with friends, families and neighbors as possible. Holiday sharing is done with subtle hints. Ask lots of questions about them. Take mental notes. Radiate happiness and they will ask "what's up with you?" You answer with just a hint of, "I'm working on a little project that we'll get together a chat about ... maybe after the holidays. It's pretty cool." Then turn the questions and attention back to them. Show interest in them and you'll know when the timing to share Voyager with them is right. Make sure to throw in a few samples in your pocketbook or pocket. You may need them if you are asking the right questions.

In your Christmas card letter, merely mention (not try to recruit them in writing) that you are excited about a new business venture that you've invested in. Hint that you are having fun, losing a little weight, and life is good. (those are perfect subtle hints.) Add a personal hand-written message in the card that merely says, "love to catch up after the holidays...let's meet for lunch.  I will call you."  Renew old friendships by sending a card. And host a little "Carols, Cookies and Cocoa" gathering of friends at your home. Have your friends bring their favorite cookie to share and sing Christmas carols around the piano. Leaving a basket of samples out in the kitchen, someone may ask what they are.


Gather your teams with grateful hearts, love and support. Let them know that they are invaluable to the team. Create team spirit and friendship, have everyone bring something to share, and plan 2012 Voyager activities for the area. Hug, brag on each other, and ring in the New Year with new goals and dreams!  Tis' the Season, as they say.  xox

Work On Yourself!

The most important question to ask on the job is not "what am I getting?" The most important question to ask is "What am I becoming?" 


A few weeks ago I started a Monday night Mentoring Moments call that takes an Associate from A to Z with business building. It's a true nuts and bolts approach to teaching the crucial basics for building a business. I started this because we, as experienced leaders in Network Marketing tend to forget to teach the basics with our new people. We often get caught up in the latest lead generation system or social media outlets. And we skip over those core basics with business building that we learned over the years, and must be taught to our team. I teach these in "digestible doses" so that the new and established distributors truly begin to understand how this business is built, from the inside out. 


We started with writing goals and the commitment letter. Truly deciding that this Voyager business is what we really want to do, determining why we are doing it, then writing down our plan of attack to achieve our goals. 

We talked about writing that important Prospect 200 list where we have to dig down deep and rack our brains, use the Memory Jogger, and write down every possible person we've had any encounters with - personal or business, realizing that everyone is a prospect.


We talked about the 3-way call and how it is critical for each of us to call our first ten people with our sponsor, then keeping that 3-way call going with every person we contact as part of the 4-step system. And we discussed the importance of working on ourselves so that we are bullet proof with this business when talking to others about our wonderful business opportunity.


You see, we must all lead with the heart, not the head, when building this business. When we do this, we will passionately build our business, and will see our goals and dreams come true. Personal growth is the biggest benefit that comes from working in the Network Marketing arena. We all start out in this business BAD. As we do the business, attend events, and learn, we become BETTER. As we develop ourselves, learn to develop others, and gain confidence we become BRILLIANT. This personal growth must be our goal and it must happen every day in order for our presentations to come from our heart vs head. 

Read personal growth books. Start with "The Power of Positive Thinking." Then "Think and Grow Rich," "The Greatest Salesmen in the World," and so on. 


READERS are LEADERS in every sense of the word. Use your car as a rolling university where as soon as you hop into your car, pop in a motivational, inspirational CD to listen to. Do this with your iPod as you exercise and do your daily chores. Learn about yourself along with learning about this business. Gain confidence and stay positive. This all comes when you are working on and developing yourself. 


You are all very special to this world. You are each unique and talented. You bring light to those you meet everyday. But that takes, like everything worthwhile, takes constant daily work. 


Give so much to the improvement of yourself, that you don’t have time to criticize others.

Jim Rohn