With the new year, it is coming time to start setting goals for 2010.

For many people, writing goals can be a confusing and frustrating process.

I find that most of the confusion and frustration comes from not understanding how to break down a goal into realistic, manageable steps.

Linda Locke of MLMWoman published a fantastic article in her recent newsletter giving her spin on Goals.

I hope this helps some of you to better understand Goals.

“When we set our goals, it is natural to aim for the summit.
We look for the highest point that we can imagine.

That’s wonderful – all achievers have a clear vision of their ultimate target – but it is only a part of the goal-setting process.

A true goal, one that has any chance of being realized, comes in two parts:

1. The top of the stairs

2. The next step.

Imagine a person with arthritis looking up at a flight of stairs.
The task is immense. The flight of stairs may as well be a mountain.

But the first step isn’t so bad. Grip the handrail and haul – not too difficult, not too painful.

The second step is just as easy as the first one – and so on all the way up.

Pretty soon, the top is reached, but it wasn’t a mountain climbed – it was twelve simple steps.

Every goal that you set should stretch you beyond where you are right now. It should be something that is beyond your current abilities to reach IN ONE STEP.

But right underneath where you’ve written down that huge objective, you must also write down the first step that you will take on that journey.

It is like pulling on a rope. To begin with you can’t clearly see what is tied on to the other end. You know it’s there, because the rope is heavy, but all you can see is a shadowy outline.

With each pull on the rope the outline becomes more and more distinct until it is right there in front of you. All you have to do then is reach out and grab it.

So don’t forget when you write down your goals – they come in pairs: the big leap and the little step. And in many ways, the little step is the more important.

I love the imagery Linda uses.  This is exactly the way we need to look at our goals.  As a series of small steps on a journey to reach the big prize.

My GOAL is to consistently make $10,000 a month in my MLM business from residual income.

My first step has to be smaller.  Something I can realistically BELIEVE that I will accomplish.

It might be a smaller financial goal of making $500 or $1000 a month.

Each step will be another manageable amount of money until I reach my main goal of $10K a month.

If you are having some difficulty writing your goals, give me a call or send me an email and I am glad to help you.

Believe in Your Success, I Do!
Karen

Most people often mistakenly lump Multi Level Marketing (MLM), Network Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Ponzi Schemes and Pyramid Schemes together as one big group of scams.

In reality, network marketing, MLM, and affiliate marketing are different and usually legitimate business opportunities.

Whereas Ponzi Schemes and Pyramid Schemes are illegal scams designed to make the person or people at the top rich and rip off everyone else.

In the MLM industry, a person still has to be careful in choosing an opportunity to join.

Not all businesses are designed the same and not all contracts and policy and procedure are created equally.

It is vitally important that a person understand what makes a company a strong business opportunity for the distributors. 

At Mentoring For Free, we use the Five Pillars and the $10,000 Question to measure an MLM company’s strength.

Whatever yardstick you use to evaluate your company or a company you are considering joining, you must understand what would make it a scam.

How To Identify A Scam

An Attorney General would ask these two questions:

1. Would a logical thinking person pay this much money for the product or service if there was not a business opportunity involved?
2. Does the income stop when the recruiting stops?

If the answer to the first question is “No” and/or the answer to the second question is “Yes”, then it is a scam.

The word SCAM
brings up Ponzi schemes and Pyramid Schemes.
They are similar and different.

A Ponzi Scheme usually targets more affluent people referred to as “investors”.

A Pyramid Scheme targets more of the blue collar section of society.

They are both illegal and designed to rip people off while making the guy(s) at the top rich.

Rod Cook of MLM Watch Dog wrote an excellent article about Ponzi Schemes and Pyramid Schemes.

Take the time to read it here: Pyramids and Ponzi Media Reporters.  At the end of the article is some interesting history about Carlos Ponzi.

As Rod says, “A good MLM provides goods or services that a consumer would buy if an income opportunity were not included!”

Believe In Your Success, I Do!
Karen
mentor.karen.j.miller@gmail.com

You’re on your social media sites just about every day networking. 

And just about every day you get pitched, or see sponsored ads, for the latest, greatest MLM opportunity.  Better yet…IT’S IN PRE-LAUNCH!!

You’d better hurry and sign up fast so you can get in on the bottom floor of the best, most innovative, opportunity with the first ever patented pay plan to hit the scene!

Get in before the first 37,000 entry level spots are filled!

Like most people, all of these offers and hype make my head spin!

Unfortunately, MLM is full of hype.  Many of the offers are for these “pre-launch ground floor opportunities.”

If you’ve entered MLM to make some extra money, or to even build a substantial business for yourself, you did it with the intention of being successful.

The first truth about pre-launch opportunities is that they most likely will FAIL within the first two years.

You might be thinking…Oh there she goes, bashing a great deal that will get me rich quick.  She just wants me to join her company.

Think what you want.
All you have to do is Google small business failure rates and you’ll find all the statistics you need to see the truth.

Here is what Michael Dlouhy has to say to answer the question, “Has the company passed the ‘early failure’ time line?”

  • Beware of “ground floor opportunities” and start-up companies.
      • There should be no rush to get in on the “ground floor”.
      • 99% of companies don’t last two years.
      • If the company is good today, it will be great tomorrow.
  • Most people don’t make money in the first two years while the company is dealing with start-up issues.
  • Company profit comes AFTER two years.  Join then.

The second truth about prelaunch may surprise you.

Most of us are honest people.  We tend to believe what is told to us by people inviting us to join a company.

Unfortunately, there are dishonest people who will start a company and draw people in with believable hype.  Then they bail out in two years, taking all of the profits for themselves.

Honest folks think the FTC and Attorney General is out they overseeing all of this activity.

The truth is that it takes the government 2 or 3 years to gather enough evidence to crack down on scammer companies. 

By then, it’s too late.  The company is closed.  The money is gone.  And the distributors are burned.

Think about it. 
The next time you are tempted by the hype of a great “pre-launch” opportunity…you could lose everything overnight.  Your income and reputation are at stake.

Your Friend and Mentor,
Karen

cartoon art courtesy of Jeff Bucchino, “The Wizard of Draws”

1. Maintain cordial, professional relationships with your contacts on social networks. Actually read their profiles to learn something about them as a person. I’m always more interested in what friends who are gardeners are doing. Put in some effort to find something besides business to talk about. Everyone relaxes and no one will feel they are going to be “pitched” or hunted down by “used car salesmen”. Let the topic of business come about naturally.
2. Remember when you decide to post something…a note, a link, a video, a blog post…that you need to be adding value to the business community you are networking with. And not everything you post needs to be about business. Include inspirational stories, amusing events in your life, etc.
3. Use your real name, not some snappy handle like ‘MLM MegaMama’. And for heaven’s sake, post your real photograph on your profile! YOU are NOT a product, a company, your favorite pet, beautiful scenery, or an animated character. You are a brilliant human being with a warm and friendly smile!

Be the Real Person Facebook wants to see using their site. Be the Real Person your contacts want to see so they can relate to you.

Wishing You the Success of a Lifetime!
Karen
k.j.miller.777@gmail.com

What on earth was I thinking?

When I decided to have children, I was like most young women…I thought dreamily of the baby booties, carriages, and lovely baby smells.

Imagine, if I would have thought ahead realistically about the upcoming teen years, I might be a childless woman today.

As you might have guessed, my baby boy has grown into a teenager and is demanding his right of passage into adult hood…behind the steering wheel.

Like most of life’s lessons, he came to the automobile without a lick of experience or practice. He needed instuction and someone to teach and guide him.

I had to face the fact that “someone” was me! After our first few driving lessons {and a box of hair color for my new gray hairs}, my son is getting the hang of it. He still needs quite a few more hours of driving practice, but with my mentoring, he’ll do just fine.

Just imagine for a moment what it was like the first time you were learning something new. You had to have a teacher, a mentor, someone who could show you the ropes.

How about when you got invloved in your first (or second, or third, or…) network marketing company? You needed someone to train you. You had dreams of earning extra income on your own time from your home. Dreams of being your own boss. Dreams of owning your own home based business.

You were demanding of the universe your right of passage from an everyday working stiff to a business owner with the financial and time freedom that would allow you to enjoy the finer things in life and enjoy meaningful time with your family.

Proven Fact:
Everybody knows in order to succeed in any business you need to learn a specific skill set.
Yet, usually when you join, they tell you that you don’t need to know anything…”Just sign up and you’ll be rich.”

If you’re like me, you’re wondering if it’s so easy, why is there a 95% failure rate in MLM??
When I joined my first MLM company, I was told to make a list of 100 of my friends and family members. The top producer in my upline said she moved all her $5000 in inventory in just 6 weeks…”Sitting at my kitchen table, with my two babies by my side.”

What parent wouldn’t want to go after that image! So, I did everything I was told.
After a little while, I found myself in the N.F.L. (no friends left!). I found myself involved with a company that didn’t have a clue how to train their distributors to be successful in today’s market and with today’s technology.

I was miserable and I felt like a total failure.
Then I learned something from a friend.

The best formula for success in Network Marketing is to find a Mentor you can relate to with a proven, duplicatable system.

What exactly is a “proven, duplicatable system”?

1. There is training offered by fellow network marketers who are currently building successful businesses. They teach the methods they are using now.
2. There is a lead generation component that is easy for a newcomer to put into action and get results quickly. The system uses low or no cost methods for finding targeted leads…people who actually want to talk to you about your business.
3. There is real human being support focusing on your personal development. This human being is your Mentor. Your guide through the vast journey of becoming a business owner. Your Mentor knows and will teach you that the key to your success is your personal development and growth.

I am involved with such a proven, duplicatable system. It is Mentoring For Free.

Some systems and companies appeal to a person’s greed, envy, pride, or fear. At Mentoring For Free, we appeal to a person’s desire to learn the skills needed to succeed. And in return, have a desire to help others learn, succeed, and not get scammed.

It is quite obvious that our ultimate objective with Mentoring For Free is to generate potential leads for our own businesses. What is unique about our system is that it focuses on building long term relationships and exchanging information. Not in twisting anybody’s arm to join a company. We want to develop strong leaders who are critical thinkers and can make informed decisions on their own.

We accomplish this by offering generic training where no companies or products are mentioned. This way anyone from any company can get the training they need without fear of being “pitched”. We respect the relationship you have with your current company.

When you download and read our free resource, Success in 10 Steps, you’ll see the value in what we teach…at no cost to you…before you are halfway through the ebook.

Wishing You the Success of a Lifetime!
Karen

This has been a tough cold and flu season at my house! It’s been especially hard on my business as a network marketing mom. We all got sick at the same time. Then, when everyone was getting over it, the baby got sick again. Really sick. Thankfully, she’s getting over the worst of it.

As anyone with children knows, when your kids are sick, they monopolize your life. The younger they are, the more they take over your life. AND, the more tired and worn out you get. Sometimes just getting enough sleep is all you can do for yourself.

I was faced again with how to get things done around the house and with my home based business. Dirty dishes in the sink, mounting unanswered emails, piles of laundry, Facebook friends to chat with, filthy bathrooms to scrub, writing to do….the list goes on endlessly, doesn’t it?

I did get through it, and am still catching up.
What I found out the secret to surviving a sick baby is, was to identify the essentials and prioritize. Accept the fact that you can’t possibly get everything done.

What HAS to get done around the house and what MUST you complete in your business activities? Do these things to the best of your abilities at the time and get through the upset in your household.
Once you’re back to normal operations, you’ll catch up what you can and let go of what you must.

I’ve been spending some time researching branding, SEO, keywords, article writing, and blogging.
I’m still learning more and am taking an online blogging course from a fellow mentor. I’m excited to see where I’m going!

So, in conclusion, I want to Welcome you to my new look. I updated my profile and pictures as well.

• My new title, MLM Networking Women, reflects my focus…the all important niche you must find for yourself in this endless ocean of an internet we are all swimming in.

• I have a rich and multi-faceted life and am with an awesome group of mentors who make up many levels of my MasterMind group. I’m here to share that with you.
• As a woman in the business world, I face the same unique challenges other women face, no matter your age, your business, your background, or your family composition.
• I specialize in Internet Marketing, the direction business is taking for us all. I am in an MLM company I love.
• The best thing I have learned about how to do this business “right” is that you have to Network with People. Build relationships and offer value to your contacts’ lives. Building People is the “work” in Network Marketing.
• This blog is a place for me to mentor anyone who stops by. I offer assistance to anyone who needs it. I can help you personally or get you in touch with somebody who can. And I never charge for my service to you…this is an offer of friendship.

I’m looking forward to sharing my skills with you and meeting new friends in this sisterhood of MLM Networking Women.

This is Karen Miller, a Network Marketing Mom Refreshed, wishing you the Success of a Lifetime!

Karen
(541)484-5455
k.j.miller.777@gmail.com
You can download my free ebook, Success In 10 Steps, here.

Turning your Whys into Goals…Not just New Year’s Resolutions that vaporize before the bubbles escape the champagne.

I have been reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. In the chapter on Habit 2, “Begin with the end in mind”, Covey gives an exercise assignment.
We are instructed to imagine being at our own funeral and to think of what we would want said in the eulogies spoken by our family, friends and co-workers.

What does this have to do with setting goals, you say?

Thinking of what you want people to remember you as, is a good gage of what your principles and values are.

And this, my friends, becomes your life’s goals. I like to call them “Global” goals, since this is the big picture.

If you’ve been honest with yourself about your eulogy and principles, all of your goals…those for each day, those for your week, your month, your year, your next decade…will never vaporize.

The goals you set, even those New Year’s Resolutions, will be founded in your principles and you will be more likely to stay committed to them.

So, get to thinking about your eulogy, and write it down. Make it a real commitment.

There are two kinds of People in the World:

Those who watch reality television…
And those who CREATE their own reality.

Everybody knows in order to make more, You must become more.

Find out for yourself what Mentoring For Free has to offer in training you to set your business and personal goals by downloading this free ebook.

Karen
(541) 484-5455
k.j.miller.777@gmail.com

Have you taken the time to sit down and review the past year?

Have you captured your dreams for the future in writing and developed them into goals for the New Year?

Are you focused and on the right track mentally, physically and otherwise?

Having definite goals and a plan to reach them, in writing, is critical to your success in reaching those goals.

The first step to take is to write down…yes with pen & paper…what you want.

What is your “Why” for working your business?
More time with your family, a new house, pay off debt, afford family vacations, save for retirement, have extra cash for philanthropy?
The list is endless and is unique to you. It’s your life, it’s your Why.

Give it some genuine thought.

When you know your Why, take the time to reflect on the past year.
Think about how close you are to realizing those “Whys”?
Think about the actions you took last year to get to those “Whys”.

Coming up…Turning your Whys into Goals…Not just New Year’s Resolutions that vaporize before the bubbles escape the champagne.

In the mean time, visit my Squidoo lens on Setting Goals.

Most people are very pleased to discover that there is no catch to getting and using the Mentoring For Free skill set, but some fail to see that.

Download and read your own free copy of Success In 10 Steps to start learning this skill set…all for free.

Karen
(541) 484-5455
k.j.miller.777@gmail.com