This past week I read the amazing story of LuAn Mitchell, one of Canada’s great entrepreneurs. Her story will never be a movie because no one would believe it!

Pregnant at 16, later a beauty queen who married a man even after they found out he had a life-threatening disease, single mom, and CEO of (believe it or not) one of Canada’s largest meat packing companies, she has an astonishing story of perseverance and accomplishment.

How did she do it? And, what can we learn from people like LuAn who overcome the odds and get results most of us only dream of?

I think there are at least four basic principles that MLM distributors can keep in mind.

The basics are just that, the BASICS! Too often we get caught in the busy-ness of life and we either forget to monitor the first principles of success, or we get over-confident and think we can re-invent the basics, but there are no “new fundamentals.” The fundamentals have not changed. We either take care of business, or we struggle.  (Or we count on “luck” to save the day…never a smart plan.)

So, what are the basics?

1.  Use your HEAD.
Success requires a great strategy. Too often I see idealists trying to build something that just doesn’t make good sense.  They don’t have a budget, adequate financing, an effective strategy or common sense. They have a great idea and charge ahead, hoping that “somehow” customers will find them. Or that “somehow” things will work out. Success requires a smart, logical, effective strategy. Use your head!

2.  Follow your HEART.
In addition to a good plan, success requires passion! No matter how good your plan, there will be challenges along the way and only passion, determination, faith and “insane optimism” will carry you through. If your heart isn’t in it, don’t even try! (I am convinced that often “procrastination” is really a great plan with no heat, no fire, behind it.)  Super-achievers are passionate people! Follow your heart.

3.  Create a TEAM.
Even marathon runners have a team of trainers, coaches, family and friends to encourage their “solitary” run.  Writers need a TEAM of editors, publishers, publicists and printers. You will need mentors (your uplines), customers AND distributors to help you achieve your dream. Winners work in teams and understand the strength in numbers. Create a winning MLM TEAM and trust them to help you.

4.  The joy of hard, hard WORK.
Nothing happens until someone, somewhere, rolls up their sleeves and gets to work. In this “information age” we tend to forget that only WORK makes stuff happen. Whether it’s the daily discipline of raising children, teaching school, ministering to your flock, or the more traditional work of talking to new people about your products and business opportunity, or prospecting online through searches or forums or working with your downline, human work is the basis for all RESULTS, and only results really count.

If possible, do work you love. And always look for ways to make things easier, more fun and more productive, but in the end, hard, hard work (actual productivity) is the basis for achievement.

Of course, there is more to life than achieving “success”, but doing something worthwhile and leaving our mark in the world is a huge part of “the good life”, especially in network marketing.

Whatever your dream, you can achieve it! You can even climb Mt Everest – people with prosthetic limbs have done it, and so can you! Or, you can start an MLM business or retire early or mentor a child or create music. Whatever your heart desires, you can achieve it if you have a solid plan, a great team, and the willingness to work “until” it becomes a reality.

Tags: entrepreneurs, fundamentals, MLM business, MLM Distributors, MLM Team, Network Marketing, strategy, upline

Technorati Tags: entrepreneurs, fundamentals, MLM business, MLM Distributors, MLM Team, Network Marketing, strategy, upline

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 4th, 2008 at 12:22 pm and is filed under MLM - multi level marketing, Network Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.