Some Things You Should Know About Working From Home!

It is almost hard to believe that my wife and I have been working from home now for the past 5 years full time. I gotta tell you the first year we were online was really, really easy. Of course the reason for that is because our first ever internet based business was a partnership with an already existing company. However, once we stepped away from the business everything changed!

You must learn before you can earn

Ok, so how many times have you heard that exact statement above? If you have been in the Affiliate, or Network Marketing industry for any period of time you know it is true! Another common term is "Learn as you go." This has actually been the motto that has worked the best for me.

For some reason I happen to have the "Trial and Error," personality. It always seems to take me just a little longer than others to catch on when trying to learn something new. My secret is I just never give up! Sooner or later it will make sense, and when it does, game on!

In 5 years we have been able to learn,
- Lead Generation
- Affiliate Marketing
- Building Affiliate Networks
- Social Media
- SEO & SMO
- Blogging
- Community Building
- Internet Marketing
- Network Marketing!

In case you haven't read my article, The Underground Railroad of the 21st Century, make sure you take a moment and do so. There are some Truths that I have discovered over the years that many people still haven't grasped yet. After all, The Truth Shall Set You Free, and I know a lot of people who definitely don't feel like they are free!

Where to get started

There are 3 things you must consider before getting started in any work at home or Home Based Business opportunity.

1. What are you passionate about?
- For me this one was pretty easy. I love helping people! Since I grew up a fat kid and struggled with my weight, it was easy to get excited about working in the health & wellness and weight loss industry. Isagenix has provided a vehicle where we can help people improve their health, lose weight, and make money from home. However, we also like to earn additional income through blogging! What a great way to make money! What are you good at? What sports do you like the most? Music? Whatever you love doing, blog about it! Guaranteed there are other people out there like you who will not only relate with what you blog about, they will also be interested in buying whatever you are selling through your blog!

2. What are your goals?
- Too many people think everything is a "Get Rich Quick Scheme." Problem is, they're not, and that is why people don't make any money. Did you get that? What people want are get rich quick programs. When I tell people it will take them 2-5 years to build a successful internet business from home alot of people aren't interested. They are looking for an immediate income. Well, not to say you can't make quick money online, afterall there is always eBay, however, to build a long term residual income, it is going to take time. Make sure you have realistic goals set when getting started and be willing to commit long term!

3. Are you teachable?
- Let's face it, you go to college to learn how to make a living in a high paying career. Well internet marketing, affiliate marketing, and network marketing are all careers. Like college, you are going to have to invest some time and money into your education. Now we are not talking the tens of thousands you might pay to attend college, however, there will be an investment required to properly learn how to build a business, and brand yourself as an expert online. Don't worry it isn't going to be that hard, just be willing to learn new information. By remaining teachable you will be able to learn everything you need to do to create total freedom in all areas of your life!

Conclusion

There really isn't anything better than working from home. With the crazy job market we have in today's economy, what used to be the safe way to make a living is quickly becoming the risky way. You may find this article of interest in regards to this subject, Corporation Domination. As we continue to move forward, more and more people are going to turn to home based business and the internet for their income needs. Just by reading this article you already have a head start on the masses.

Times have changed. We live in the Information Age! Though it won't be easy, starting a home based business online is by far the best option for creating wealth in the 21st century!

What experiences have you had working from home?

Blessings,
Ron

Connecting the dots...

Many times my wife and I find ourselves talking about certain circumstances, or events, that took place in our lives. It is fascinating when you look at how coincidental certain situations were and how one little thing led to another, which led to another, and so on. As we looked back over the past 12 years of our lives, since being married, we were able to connect the dots with amazement.

Can you remember a time in your life when you met someone out of the blue. That meeting then led to a dinner engagement where they introduced you to their friends Chris and Susan. Chris happened to be in business for himself in your field of expertise. Without knowing it, he was currently looking to hire someone, with your credentials, and you happen to be in between jobs yourself. How coincidental, eh? Of course, this is just a short story to serve simply as an example, but I think you get the point.

Just looking back at the start of our marriage, amazing. You might chuckle to find out that when Melisa and I were married, in our little 2 bedroom apartment in Newport News, I was a pizza delivery driver. Hah hah, I know, go ahead and laugh. I had mentioned that I wanted to learn a trade, but didn’t know what, to the maintenance man at our apartment complex. He said he knew a guy hiring carpet helpers and gave me his number. That started my carpet installation career.

While I was on the job training, my boss hired another young guy, mind you I was 18 at the time, who was a year older than me. However, he was already good at installing carpet, whereas I was still a “green horn.” Anyhow, as it would turn out, 6 months later, I quit working for this company, and started my own carpet installation business, partnering with this other younger installer. That is how First Class Installations came to be. So, what if I wouldn’t have lived in those apartments. What would have happened if, we will call him Rick though that isn’t his real name, didn’t get hired while I was learning how to install carpet? Truth be told, it was his idea for us to quit and start our own business! Would things have turned out differently?

As irony, if you believe in irony, would have it, while I was in business for myself now, the same maintenance guy hooked me up with a contract in our apartment complex. I was now installing carpet in all their units, which used to be installed by my former boss. You know, my former boss whom my maintenance guy hooked me up with 10 months before that. Heh heh…. From there we met another gentleman named Marcus, who really liked us because we were young and ambitious. It was him that nailed a contract for us with a company called Contractor’s Carpet. While we were installing there, for about a year or so, there was another gentleman who worked in the field named Phil. Phil insisted I talk to a gentleman named Woodrow at Lowe’s. He set the appointment up for me and said I could do much better there, than I was currently. Long story short, Woodrow quickly had me approved to install for Lowe’s and the rest is History!!

So again I raise the question? What if I never would have met Marcus? Then, while installing for Marcus, met Phil, who in turn led me to Woodrow? How would life have been different? Perhaps even more greater than that is how we met Sean, whom we partnered with in 2005 leaving behind our carpet company and our hometown. It was a fluke, we met online in a networking business. Through that initial contact that we made, a relationship had begun developing, which eventually led to a whole new life for me and my family.

That is just a quick overview, to illustrate what I mean when talking about connecting the dots! If you look back over your life it is amazing at how one little event led to something else which led to that one thing happening which made the next thing possible where you met that one guy who told you about that one deal and that one deal led to another deal with this one guy who knew this other guy and on and on and on…….

Life is amazing! Perhaps one day I will have to write a book, however, write it backwards. Like when I am 50, write a book going backwards illustrating all the decisions and circumstances that took place in order to arrive where I currently am. You don’t always know which direction you are headed in, or how you are going to make it through the next few years, or who you are going to meet in the next day, week, or month, until that time has come to pass. However, once you have lived it, experienced it, and tasted it, you can look back, trace your steps, and wow yourself in amazement at how you got here!

Did that make sense? :-)

The best part of our life experience is just that. It is an experience! One that we are continually working on, to enjoy more and more everyday! Even when facing a challenge, looking back over your past life experiences, you can see how every time they came, and went. Though some might seem harder that others, in reality, they always come to pass.

If looking back over my life has taught me anything, it would be this. Life is easy, hard, fun, scary, exciting, adventurous, loud, quiet, annoying, fulfilling, heart breaking, unpredictable, incredible, sorrowful, happy………. You get the point! Life is an experience. It might not be fun all the time, however, we are blessed to have experienced it!

Try and connect the dots in your life. Living life to it’s fullest, one experience at a time.
Peace,
Ron

Your Self Talk is Important!

I believe it is safe to assume that having a good self-esteem can assist you greatly during the course of your life experience. The posture you have when walking, talking at an interview, or prospecting a potential client does matter.

One of the most devastating ways people sabotage their success is by destroying their own self-esteem. Your self talk has huge influence over how you handle yourself. What do you talk to yourself about?

How many times have we been told how great we are, that our potential is unlimited, and there is simply nobody better for the job than we are. Just to turn around and slam ourselves, in our own mind, creating doubts and ultimately convincing ourselves that this is just not true. What you say to yourself does make a difference whether you think so or not.

As we, have been on the topic of positive versus negative thinking, there has been some intense debate. However, as a simple illustration for this article, it would be hard to imagine having great success in any venture, if you are constantly telling yourself it just isn’t possible. Take a look at sports for example. When you are playing in a tournament, do you enter into the contest thinking you are going to lose? That would be negative thinking. What is the likelihood you would win, when your expectations are that of defeat. In truth, when you enter into any tournament, your belief is that of winning. Therefore you are centered on positive thinking, expecting victory to be yours. If winning was such a negative experience, why would anyone play the game?

For years my self-esteem was terrible. Growing up obese, you can imagine the ridicule I was subjected to. That constant teasing definitely created a negative self image, and my self talk was anything but favorable. There were times I was so focused on my lack of self-esteem that I honestly wanted to die. When you believe life simply isn’t worth living, and your life truly stinks, your self talk will present reasons to validate your claim. What you say to yourself, when no one else can hear you, has major impact on who you are. Sooner or later, that image you have of yourself will shine through.

Obviously you cannot think positively all the time. Each of us will face times in our lives where it seems impossible to be positive about current circumstances we are facing. However, instead of giving up and dwelling on these depressing situations, thinking positively and seeking solutions to help overcome your challenges seems like the more logical thing to do.

“I am a big fat loser.” That is an example of negative thinking. “I am a great listener, friend, and lover.” That is a great example of positive thinking. We believe in affirming our values. Constantly reminding ourselves of the areas we are improving in and need to improve in. Give yourself praise when you make forward progress at becoming the person you were created to be. Since we are all sinners, and the evidence of negativity surrounds us in the World, we should make the decision to remain positive in our own minds.

As Winston Churchill said, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” A great illustration of positive vs. negative thinking!

If only it were true that one could live their entire life only experiencing positive results, how great would that be? Of course, what might be perfect to you, is a nightmare to someone else. That which is negative to me, might not be negative to you. This is where the debates could go on forever and ever as we all have different personalities, and process information differently. However, when talking to yourself, do you speak in a way that increases your self worth, or do you down yourself constantly? Some people feed off of their own negativity. They enjoy to fuel the anger that they already feel inside and add to their misery. Perhaps the reason they do this is simply to gain attention? Who knows….

“Whether you believe you can or you can’t, you’re right!” – Anonymous

What you say to yourself is important. Positive, Negative, Encouraging, Discouraging, Good, Bad, it is what it is…… Your self talk could be the difference between living your dreams or settling for mediocrity.

“If great is available, good isn’t good enough!” – Anonymous

In Christ,
Ron

Do what you fear

Let’s talk about fear. You know, False Evidence Appearing Real! How many times do we allow fear to paralyze ourselves from doing what we know we must? In business we all want to have the big results, lifestyle, and freedom that comes from building a successful enterprise. If you are going to succeed it will require shattering your limiting beliefs, facing your fears constantly, and living outside your comfort zone.

“Do what you fear until you fear it no more.” – Anonymous

I have to constantly remind myself of that quote. When there is a task that needs to be completed, such as making a sales call, and the overwhelming feeling of not wanting to do it starts to set in, it is important you face that fear and push through it. So many times fear will create a paralysis so great that people will miss opportunity rather than push through it. It is fact that the more you face your fears, the less you will fear them.

When we first started our business, I hated making phone calls. Honestly not really sure why. I guess for many, and probably myself, it was the fear of rejection. Yet the calls never turned out the way I feared they would. Shortly after starting to make the dials, and talking with a couple of clients, what I feared became something I enjoyed to do. It is almost pathetic when looking back at how much time was lost in procrastinating, rather than just getting started. The stress and worry I put myself through was ridiculous.

For some of you reading this, I am sure you can relate. Let’s pick on, and hopefully inspire, you network marketers out there who hate making phone calls. You know what I am talking about. You have a list of people whom you need to call. Whether they are people you know, or referrals interested your opportunity, the thought of calling them makes you sick to your stomach. The time has come to make your dials and all of a sudden you realize how disorganized your desk is. “Before I start my calls, I better clean up my desk right quickly,” you think to yourself. Once your desk is clean and organized, you remember there were a few emails you needed to respond to. Then you have this genius idea. “I bet these people don’t want me to call them, I should just send them an email instead!” That feeling in your gut continues to increase, you become more and more uncomfortable. The thought of sending them an email instead of calling sounds great, however, your intuition is telling you it isn’t the right thing to do. After procrastinating and wasting all your productive time, fearing to make your calls, you realize it is now too late to make calls. “How rude it would be for me to call someone this late at night, what if they have kids who are in bed, I would wake them, and that would not be good. I better just wait and call these tomorrow instead!” The sad reality is tomorrow you will find other reasons not to make the calls as well. “I should’ve called these yesterday, it is probably too late to call them now, I will just send them an email.” And so the pattern repeats itself, until you finally give up and decide that building a business which can create financial freedom for you and your family just isn’t worth the discomfort of facing your fears. You quickly return to your old life, back into your comfort zone, and surrender your dreams to fear.

If you don’t want to do something, yet you know it is the next thing you must do in order to move your business forward, you gotta force yourself to do it anyway. Ask yourself, “what is the worse thing that could happen?” And, “what is the best thing?” Remember the reason why you are making that call, facing your fear, in the first place. Then, just do it! You will be surprised at how simple the process really is, and how quickly you move from fear to enjoyment.

In the book, “Eat that Frog,” they talk about doing the things you dread most first thing in your day. Get them out of the way as soon as possible. If you do, the rest of your day will naturally flow. If you don’t, and you choose to stress doing that dreadful task, your day will be miserable. You will quickly find that not facing your fear is more torture than facing it! Go ahead, prove me wrong! What is it that you have been putting off because of fear? Take some time right now, and face it! Crush your fear and experience the satisfaction that awaits you.

Fear is a mechanism that has been instilled in each of us for two reasons. The first is to warn you of danger. The second is an indicator which tells you what needs to be done next. So when you are filled with fear ask yourself, “is this going to harm me in anyway?” If the answer is no, then do what you fear, once you do, you will fear it no more!

To your success,
Ron

Who wants to be a Millionaire?

No I am not talking about the Television Game show either! Although, if you consider how popular that show was, then the making of the video games, it would serve as evidence that most people want to be Millionaires....

More proof would be the lottery system. The chances of winning the lottery are basically, "once in a lifetime," yet millions of people play every week, hoping that they pick the lucky numbers. The irony? These same people complain and criticize about the wealthy? "You can't have what you speak against."

We have all heard the stories of people who have won the lottery. Then these same people go bankrupt 3-5 years later. Many times we believe that being a Millionaire is just about money, however, there is much more to it. There is a mindset that is required to create and/or manage wealth.

"You must first think like a Millionaire." This was one of the quotes that stood out to me when I started becoming more involved in the self development industry. When you consider those winners in the lottery who could not keep the increased wealth that they won, it was an indicator that there is a lot of truth to this statement.

How do Millionaires act? How do they think? What do they enjoy to do? So many questions started to run through my mind because I really, really do want to be a Millionaire. I think one of the main reasons this has always been a dream of mine is because of the options money provides for you in life. Not only can you live your life to its fullest without financial limitations, think about all the good that you can do for others.

There have been many times when our church has been raising money, whether for a missions trip or other charitable causes that were near and dear to our heart, where we just wanted to give them the money needed from an anonymous source. Or, what if a family member and/or close friend is sick and needs an operation

they cannot afford and doesn't have insurance, their need can still be met. There is so much good that can be done with an abundance of wealth. It makes you think about Warren Buffet when he gave $37 billion of his fortune to charities in 2006. What a blessing......

So, who wants to be a Millionaire? Are you willing to become the person necessary to handle the responsibility that comes with being wealthy. Darren Hardy from Success Magazine said, "You can only create and maintain the level of wealth that matches your personal development. Thus if you want to have more (wealth), you have to become more (valuable)."

We have all been given gifts and talents. Should we decide to sharpen our skills, and tap into our true potential, the possibility of becoming a Millionaire, especially in our day and age, is in our favor. If you have the discipline and the willingness to make it happen, then what is stopping you?

"All that might be holding you back are your own limiting beliefs. You only need to embrace your own great potential, cultivate it and release it into the world. The marketplace will remunerate the contribution of your talents with great abundance." - D.H.

Tap your potential and we will see you at a Millionaire retreat soon!

God bless,
Ron

Negative Thinking Stinks!

So how many times have we heard the expression, "You get what you think about?" Whether or not you believe there is power in your thoughts and that choosing what you focus on is important, the reality is negative thinking stinks. Not only does it affect your attitude, most of the time those people who are around you will pick up on your vibration and follow suit. One of the worse things that can happen to us is having our attitude tank because of someone who is acting, thinking, and vibrating negatively.

It is ironic, if you believe in irony, that the patterns of your daily life experience are generally in line with the way you are thinking. There is a lot of truth to, "the power of positive thinking." Now that doesn't mean just because you say aloud and affirm that everything is going to be peaches and cream, it immediately becomes so. If it were that easy there would be a lot less violence in our society these days. However, making a consistent effort to remain positive and taking on your challenges from an optimistic perspective, rather than pessimistic, tends to offer a more enjoyable outcome.

Recently I heard an interview with Montel Williams. What an amazing story! Since he was diagnosed with MS, life has obviously not been the same. At first he was very upset about his diagnosis. He even went on to say that he threw himself in front of a taxi hoping to end his life. After a while he finally came to grips with reality and decided to change the way he was thinking about his illness. His testimony impacted me because of his willingness to accept things as they were and make the decision to remain positive. One of the interesting points he raised was how we as human beings are hardwired to think and react negatively. He went on to say that this was a defense mechanism providing the following example. Why do we say, "Be careful don't walk out into the road, YOU MIGHT GET HIT BY A CAR AND KILL YOURSELF." Could we not have simply said, "Be careful don't walk out into the road!" That statement alone would be appropriate for the situation. However, we continue to add the negative reason why it is a bad thing to do. "You might get hit by a car and kill yourself." The negative outcome anchors our sense of reasoning. Since most of our thoughts are centered in negativity, it is important that we consciously decide to think positive. He concluded by saying once we understand the power of our thoughts and choose wisely what we think about, there are no boundaries to what we can achieve.

My wife and I have observed for several years how true this really is. Especially since having kids! "Be careful with that glass, SO YOU DON'T SPILL THE MILK." Or, "Watch your step, SO YOU DON'T FALL AND BREAK YOUR NECK." We quickly respond by saying, "Think Positive, Focus on what you want." The Law of Attraction says you will get what you focus on whether you want it, or not. Whether you believe it to be true, that is exactly how it works. Again, that doesn't mean you focus on a million bucks and the next thing you know you're a millionaire. Or if you are sick and focus on a cure, that instantly you are back to perfect health. However, it does mean that you should do your best to keep a positive attitude.

Here is some homework. The next time you are out and about, whether it be at the grocery store, birthday party, or even church, pay close attention to people and how they talk. Listen to their words and observe their actions. How many people smile when they walk by? It is certain that you will see a pattern.

You can even see the negative mindset we have by simply looking at the slogans on clothing, bumper stickers, and coffee mugs. We live in a World where negativity is seen as funny, and positive thinkers are seen as false prophets. Large groups of people with common visions to positively impact the World are called Cult-like, weird and unusual. We live in a time where good is looked at as evil, and evil as good. Negative thinking stinks!

Being the Optimist that I am, there are still times when negativity takes control of my thoughts. For me, it is not easy to shake them once that occurs. Today, as I write this article, was one of those days for me. However, in the end, I realize the importance of shaking that "chip on my shoulder" as quickly as possible. Experience tells me that the more negative my thinking is, the worse off I feel, the less productive I am, but most of all, my negative attitude affects the people closest to me, my family. How about you?

"If our thinking is that important, why then do we spend so much time filling our minds with garbage?" The garbage you let in leads to "stinking thinking!"

Our 3 year old never watched a movie, or seen a television show with violence, until a few months ago. My wife rented a movie from the library about a dog. This dog happened to go back in time during that of the Civil War. As you can imagine, there were guns and killing. Though it was not graphic in any sense of the word, what happened? Now everything he picks up resembles a gun. He runs around the house shooting everyone and everything, saying, "I am going to kill you." The same thought that was running through my mind when asking my wife why she rented the movie. :-) Prior to his seeing the shooting and killing, he never would have had a thought like that. However, once the negative image had been locked away in his mind, it became a thought that he acted upon. You see this all the time with our youth being influenced by Hollywood. That is another article in itself.

In closing, our thoughts are powerful. Choose your programming wisely, and work hard to think positive. They say it takes more muscles in your face to frown than it does to smile. Smile for goodness sake, you look so much better when you do!

Much love and blessings,
Ron

Yesterday is gone

So you decide to make some changes in your life. These changes can range from a many variety of things. Perhaps you decided it was time for a job change, or a re-location of where you and your family are going to plant your roots and settle down. (Yeah, you probably guessed it, a personal experience here)

Interesting how when everything is going your way, the decision to make the move looks fantastic, however, should anything start to go wrong, you begin to second guess yourself. You start to think along the lines of, “we shoulda……..” However, if not making the decision to change wasn’t what you really felt like was the right choice, then you probably wouldn’t have made it. Let me give you an example.

When we lived in Virginia, we were very settled. We owned our own home with land, carpet company, all new vehicles, and were definitely comfortable. However, both my wife and I hated what we did for a living. I was never home, most of our relationships were negative, and we were ready for something new. Something challenging and life changing. A chance to do something we loved and escape the lifestyle we were not happy with.

The opportunity came about in 2005, and we acted upon it. At first this decision was definitely accepted as an excellent move on our part. The new business we partnered in was flourishing, we had more time together since the business was all internet based, and everything seemed perfect. Good bye VA and hello MI!!

Then it happened. One, stupid, unethical business decision, and everything changed. Something so small turned out to be so huge and it changed everything in a matter of moments. As things started to quickly spiral out of control, we lost our business, and now all of a sudden the decision to move wasn’t looking very good! We started thinking about what we left behind, the carpet company we had, the life we were living, no struggles or worries like any of the new challenges we were now facing. Instead of focusing on the future and looking for solutions in the present, we started to feel sorry for ourselves and began focusing on the past. The way things used to be. How we wish we never woulda…….. or we coulda…….. or we shoulda……..

Yesterday is gone! The decisions you made, when you made them, were based on the circumstances you were experiencing at that time. Like I mentioned earlier, if life was so good, why would you have been seeking change in the first place? Sometimes, OK a lot of times, in life, what you anticipate happening doesn’t always happen exactly as you planned. However, once you made the decision to change and acted on that decision, there is no going back. Accept it, and instead of focusing on yesterday, plan for tomorrow, and live for today!

See, had we never made that one stupid mistake, we would more than likely be Millionaires today. However, should we have not made that one stupid mistake, we would not have grown and become the people we are today. Though sometimes it is easier to feel sorry for yourself and regret certain decisions you might have made in the past, yesterday is gone forever, no matter what you do, that choice you made has already come to pass. Rather than dwell on your mistakes and wish you would have done things differently, learn from your mistakes, accept the fact that we are not perfect, dust yourself off, and start taking the necessary steps today to make tomorrow the way yesterday could’ve been!!

We need to stop beating ourselves up. Failure is a stepping stone for success. It isn’t a matter of, “am I going to fail,” but “will I get up and keep going when I do?”

Live for today, create for tomorrow!
Blessings,
Ron

Stays together...

“A family that prays together, stays together.” No one ever could have prepared me for how difficult raising 4 kids was going to be. I have said many times, the most rewarding, yet hardest task one will ever have to experience in life, is raising up a family.

Raising kids actually reminds me a lot of building businesses. Seriously….. You invest a lot of time, money, and effort for years, not generally seeing the fruits of your labor for some time. Along the way you have some successes, as well as, setbacks. Sometimes you feel like there is progress, yet other times it seems as if you can’t do anything right. There is a saying, “you can’t please everyone, all the time!” So true in business, and in family!

It seems that the lessons your own parents were trying to teach you, as you were growing up, didn’t set in until you were older. My parents used to tell me all the time, “just wait until you have kids of your own….” It seemed that everything I did wrong, in their eyes, would make more sense to me when I seen my kids do the same things. As I chuckle when I say this, now with my kids, not only do I see what my parents seen, I find myself saying what my parents said! Can anyone relate?

There was one thing that my mom always told us kids as we were growing up. She told us that it was her wish that we would learn to love one another, and always be there for each other in times of need. My mom wanted more than anything for us to stay together as a family, even after we were grown. Something she said didn’t happen in her family, or my dads. Unfortunately she didn’t get her wish. Though I love my brother and sister very much, we do not have much of a relationship since becoming adults. All of us are on different paths, and we communicate very little.

For me, this is a goal that I have taken on from my mom and wish the same thing for my kids. Over the years I had to ask myself, “what can we do to instill this sense of love and appreciation for one another in our family?”

It wasn’t until late 2007 when we really started seeking God in our lives. Shortly after we lost our 1st internet business since moving to Michigan, we quickly realized that something needed to change. Since we always believed in God, just didn’t attend church or focus on our spiritual growth much before, we decided to do so. Our entire family took to attending church and growing in the Lord very well. Sundays became a day that we looked forward to. Church become so enjoyable that we began to seek a Sunday Night and Wednesday Night service.

As we continued to grow spiritually, and came to know Christ in our lives as Lord and Savior, everything changed. I began to realize that the love my mom wanted for her family, that she couldn’t figure out why it was missing in our lives, was Jesus. Since our family has found Christ, the difference in how each of us act toward one another is amazing. Though we all have different personalities and like different things, there is a common bond that each of us share which keeps us united. The principles taught in the Bible, especially when acted upon in your life, are truly life changing. Our experience has been nothing less than amazing.

Though my mom passed away over 3 years ago now, she would be happy to know that we have found the missing ingredient in our lives. Her wish may not have come to pass in her family while she was alive, however, she instilled that same dream in me, and I am sure it will come to pass in my family! I am also confident, since God was able to move in mine and Melisa’s life, there is still time for Him to move in my brother and sisters lives also!!

My mom planted a seed in me many years ago. Eventually that seed started to sprout and now has begun to grow. In business and family, the fruits of your labor may not always show up right away, or in the exact fashion that you may have hoped for. However, with belief, consistent effort, and persistence, in time your desired result will manifest.

I want to give a special thanks to a special woman who, through her love and example, influenced my becoming the man, husband, and father I am today.

Miss you mom!
Much love,
Ron

Keep Going...

Challenges, Struggles, Stress, Financial Worries, Relationship Troubles, It's One Thing After Another..... Any of these sound familiar? One of my mentors once said, "If you are going through Hell, KEEP GOING...." Jesus said, “In this world you will have tribulation …” (John 16:33).

So, how about it? Do you believe that growth happens during those times of our greatest struggles and hardships? Have you ever heard of the expression, "Lesson continued until lesson learned?" Or, "That which does not kill us, strengthens us?" Or, "God only gives us what we can handle?"

In truth, life is definitely not easy!!!

However, if we analyze these statements, can we find peace during times of hardships? In essence if we are struggling, regardless as to the circumstance, is there a lesson that we are supposed to learn from the experience? Looking back on our life it is evident there is truth to this. We never appreciated an abundance of money, until we experienced the lack of it. We didn't appreciate family living close, until we moved 800 miles away and had no family nearby. Just to name a couple.... Early in our learning about Prosperity we heard our mentor say, "In order to truly experience and appreciate prosperity, you must also experience poverty."

Another saying which I remember hearing many times growing up was, "You don't appreciate what you have until it is gone." Or, "The grass isn't always greener on the other side." Again, to experience both sides of any situation seems to offer a better sense of understanding. Indeed a lesson learned...

Life is definitely a learning experience. Over the years we have learned that no matter the situation you are facing, stay strong, expect the unexpected, and most of all, have Faith, that you will overcome it. Embrace each experience as a life lesson and learn to enjoy the ride.

Everyone will experience peaks and valleys! Time does not slow down for anyone. Stay strong and keep going.....

In Christ,
Ron

"Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength." Arnold Schwarzenegger

There is power in numbers part 2

To continue with leverage, the next best term is compounding! "The power of compounding was said to be deemed the eighth wonder of the world - or so the story goes - by Albert Einstein."

Wikipedia defines, "Compound interest arises when interest is added to the principal, so that from that moment on, the interest that has been added also itself earns interest. This addition of interest to the principal is called compounding (for example the interest is compounded)."

So as you earn interest, then re-invest that interest, your investment begins to grow, picking up speed over time. Though this article is not about compound interest, the dynamics of building a network marketing business are similar.

When you begin your business, it is just you. Then you sponsor a couple of people on your team. Now you have two people and yourself building the business. Now those 2 new team members sponsor 2 people each. Now you have six people and yourself building the business. Just for the sake of illustration, let us go another level and say that all 6 team members sponsor 2 more people each. That would add another 12 people to the existing 6 plus you. What started off as just you, has now grown to 19 people in the business over time.

As you continue to work with your team and grow your business the amount of people joining your team will continue to compound and eventually you will hit exponential growth. Once that happens, the rest is history. Wikipedia says about Multi-Level Marketing, "exponential increases are promised to appear in each new level of a starting member's downline as each subsequent member recruits more people."

There is huge power in numbers. Leverage, Compounding, Exponential Growth = Wealth, Lifestyle, Freedom

Our business model is so powerful, with its many benefits and opportunities, it would be difficult to fathom why anyone would pass it by. Interestingly enough we have spoke with many people over the years and many have at least "tried" an MLM business. Yet they are not still actively engaged, learning, or building? The only conclusion that we were able to come up with is their lack of understanding the business model itself, and/or, missing out on the first piece of leverage that comes with the business. Like I mentioned in part 1, "You are in business for yourself but not by yourself."

Randy taught me early in my Networking career, "MLM is a learning and teaching business." Therefore when you get involved in Network Marketing, understand you must learn the business first, then teach others what you learned. Sadly some people do not learn everything about the business before they begin teaching others, and that negligence produces inadequate results, not only in their business, but that of those people who they were responsible for helping.

There is no greater industry, especially for the average person, than joining a Network Marketing business. Before you do, 1. Learn about the industry 2. Find a company that offers a product or service that you are passionate about 3. Join with someone that is actively engaged and committed to building their business 4. Commit to using your companies product or service 5. Learn, Learn, Learn 6. Teach, Teach, Teach 7. Build, Build, Build 8. Never give up

To your success!
Ron - Independent Isagenix Associates

There is power in numbers part 1...

Earlier today I was watching a DVD from an issue of Success Magazine and it happened to have a clip from a talk given by Robert Kiyosaki. Rich Dad Poor Dad was the very first book I read back in 2003 which started me on my quest for building residual streams of income. There was a term that he used called "leverage." Leverage is one of the secrets of the Rich.

John D. Rockefeller was quoted as saying, "I would rather have 1% of 100 people's efforts, as opposed to 100% of my own effort." He understood the meaning of leverage. When working at a job for example you are being paid on your own effort. Whereas the owner of the business, whom you work for, is being paid on the efforts of those people he employs, in addition to, his own effort. The owner has created leverage. Can you see the benefits of creating leverage in your life?

Another quote that I love by Kiyosaki is, "The Rich build networks, while everyone else looks for work." Now there are a lot of people who have become very Wealthy as Employees working for big corporations, however, it seems a lot of the most successful people are self made Entrepreneurs.

Personally, when my wife and I decided to embark on our journey, the biggest hurdle we had to overcome was our ignorance. That is, we simply didn't know what we didn't know. The thought of investing money and taking risks was a very scary scenario. Both our parents worked jobs, and still to this day, do. Yet there was something in our lives that we just knew was missing. We wanted more in life than just working a 9-5 job. If you could choose to be Rich, who wouldn't?

When we were introduced to Network Marketing, the business model made sense. Only because we learned about leverage prior to looking at the industry. The first time we seen Randy Gage draw circles on a whiteboard and explain how to build a network we were hooked. Then we heard these most comforting words, "You are in business for yourself but not by yourself."

If you join the right company, there will be a team of people that you will be working with. This is very important. As with anything new, it takes time to learn and get good at the business. This is the first part of creating leverage in your business. I know for us in the beginning, we leveraged the time, experience, and knowledge that our sponsor had while we were learning. In this business, like many others, you learn as you go.

Now, as the business has grown, the shoe is on the other foot. While I still work with my sponsor, and might I add Alicia is awesome, it is my responsibility to mentor and train the people who are getting started on our team. For every new team member that begins to build their business, we are creating more and more leverage. As you can imagine, the more leverage you create, the faster your business grows.

First, it is your own effort and that of your sponsor to help get you going. Then you have 4 people in your team, 10, 25, 75, 105, 225, and so on.... I am here to tell you, there is power in numbers. Think about it this way, at your job, what if you were paid for your efforts, and also received a 6% bonus of everyone's paycheck who works with you? How cool would that be? Would you be interested in helping those other people at work make more money? Would you be interested in helping the business grow, as now you have more of an incentive than just getting paid for your own efforts? Of course you would..

A networking business is built in that same way. As you start building your business, you will get paid based on your own efforts. However, as your team starts to grow and other people in your business are now making money, you start to earn a % of their income as well. The more money they make, the more money you make. Can you see why Network Marketing is so powerful. When it is done right, and people understand how the business works, everyone works together and wins together.

Now, this leads me to my next point, "The power of compounding..." Check out part 2 of this article!

In Christ,
Ron Curtis, Jr.
Independent Isagenix Associates

Are you disciplined enough...

So you think it might be time to start your own business, eh? Thinking about entering into the world of the Entrepreneur? Are you disciplined enough?

There is much required of you when making the leap of Faith to do so. More than just money to invest, time to invest, books to read, cds to listen to, meetings and seminars to attend. Oh yes, much more than that will be required of you if you are going to succeed in your own business.

Ever since we were young we have been trained up to obey orders in our life. As a young child it was your parents who instructed you on what was right and wrong. Then we enter our school years and our teachers began to instruct us. Finally we enter our adulthood and for 95% of us our boss continues the pattern.

What time you wake up in the morning, where you live, what you drive, when you take your vacations and so on are generally determined by your job. I chuckle when I think back to high school and see the similarities of working a job vs. attending school. The evidence that we are trained up and programmed to perform certain responsibilities each day are too similar.

Mon-Fri you attend school from 7amET - 3pmET, amazing, 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week. The typical expression for a full time job is working Mon-Fri from 9amET - 5pmET, 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week. In school you were told when you were to switch classes. At work you are told when you can take a cigarette break. At school you had a set time for lunch. At work, you do too!! At school you needed permission from your teacher, or the principal, to take time off from school for whatever reason. At work you have to request time off from your boss. We can go on, but I think you get the point.

As an Entrepreneur there is no one that is going to stand over you and tell you when and where you need to be everyday. What projects need to be completed? How many hours per day you are going to work? How much money you will earn every week for doing so? Oh no, it is nothing like that at all. As a matter of fact, if you are not self disciplined enough to work, even when you don't want to, there is no way you will ever make it as an Entrepreneur.

So I ask the question again, "Are you disciplined enough?"

Are you willing to get out of bed everyday and work 8-10 hours, or more if required, without having to report to anyone? Are you willing to work hard without much compensation at the start of your business venture? Are you willing to invest time and money into getting your company up and running? Can you handle the criticism and negative feedback of your peers and family while you start to pursue your dream of becoming financially free? Will you commit to your business plan, making necessary changes as you go, and persevere long enough for your business to establish itself successfully in the marketplace? Will you consistently do what it takes, long enough, without needing to be told what to do next?

When you are your own boss, you must hold yourself accountable. If you don't get up in the morning and go to work, work won't get done. It may seem like an easy thing to do, however, it is an even easier thing not to do!

I have been an Entrepreneur since 1999, and let me tell you, it has not been easy. There have been plenty of times when I chose to play with my kids instead of make phone calls that needed to be made for our business. Slept in late and missed important phone calls and/or appointments. Procrastinated getting work done and wasted entire days doing nothing. The list goes on, however, there is one thing that I did do right......

I kept moving forward. Over the years my wife and I both have learned how to utilize our time efficiently. How to be great stewards with money, not to focus on how much you make but how much you keep. Proven the theory that written goals are much more effective than not writing them down. Waking up in the morning when you don't want to is necessary, and also staying up late, in order to build a successful business. That delaying your gratification for just a little while can lead to much better decisions long term. We realized that we are not perfect, only Jesus can make claim to that, yet were determined, committed, and willing to persevere long enough, until we were able to get it right!

How long will it take? Only God knows, each of us are different. For us it has taken nearly 12 years, however, the results were worth the investment!

So, how about it? Are you disciplined enough? We believe in you! Make the decision to get started, and do it today.....

In Christ,
Ron - TheUnaverageAverage

Your strongest relationships...

This article has been inspired by our Isagenix family. It is true that some of our strongest relationships have come to be known because of our business. Just like that of your immediate family and church family, in the networking world you also have your business family.

There is a strong set of emotions that are developed with each person/family that joins your team. For anyone who has never experienced success in network marketing, you cannot understand, however, for those that have, you know exactly what I mean.

I was talking with one of our newest teammates the other night from Alaska. I had told her that she has yet to meet some of her best friends. As she continues to grow her business, she will develop relationships with people from all over the globe. People whose lives she will impact both healthwise and financially......

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The weakest link...

Saturday afternoon we spent time with Josh and Karly Knapp, and family, in Kalamazoo. Our two families are quickly becoming very good friends! Around 6pm or so we decided to visit Apple Knockers in Vicksburg for an ice cream. Yummy....! Afterwards we walked to the local park so our kids could run out some energy before we ended our visit and returned back to Allegan.

While at the park, my oldest son Talen, was on the swing. One of my favorite things to do is twist my kids up in the swings and let them fly! So I did, and he had a blast. This of course led to the other kids, Tyrus and Alexis, wanting to do the same. Once they had finished, I asked Talen if he wanted to go again, this time we would twist him to the maximum and see how fast we could get him zinging!! Talen was all for it! He sat on the swing and I began to twist. Higher and higher and higher, to the point where he barely had anywhere to hold on and there was no more chain to twist. He was literally higher in the air than I am tall. As I released him, giving him a bit of an extra push to start the spinning out quickly, he was off, and I mean he was flying. As we watched him spin, round and round and round, about halfway through the ride, one of the links snapped, and Talen quickly found himself lying on his back laughing and also wondering what had happened. As for the rest of us, we were laughing and in shock that this happened. Nobody was hurt and the experience was very much enjoyable.

After this had happened, while we went back to our vehicles to head home, I told Josh that somehow I was going to turn this event into an article. I mentioned to him that there must be a lesson we can learn so that the article will have value to those who are reading it. With some thought, we came up with, "The weakest link."

So here is the lesson. As we learned from this experience, Talen, Tyrus and Alexis, all spun on the swing. However, when Talen went the second time, something happened. Just one of the links snapped, and the chain was broken. Can anyone say teamwork? Think about each link on the swing as a member of a team. When each link is working in unison with each other, everything works properly. However, should even just one link break, the whole team feels the effect. It only takes one sour grape to ruin the bunch.

Teamwork is extremely important for just about anything you do in life. At your job, there is a team of people who are each responsible for a particular task.

Many times you will hear of situations or circumstances where someone on the team is not performing their job to the best of their ability. When that happens other people have to pick up the slack. This can cause animosity amongst the team and create major issues in the overall productivity.

Yet there are other circumstances where the team members not only perform their job with high levels of productivity, they also go over and beyond their call of duty. Thus creating a team which is strong and capable of handling any task sent their way. There is power in working together as a team.

As another example, think about a family. First of all there is the mom and dad. Before becoming a couple, each was their own individual. Once getting involved in a relationship, they then became a team of two. It does require work to make a relationship last, and it will require effort and sacrifice on both parties to make it happen. Then enters children. Now the team just became larger. Each member of the family has its role to play in the team, especially as the family/team continues to grow. In our family we are known as, Team Curtis Family. Melisa and I have four children. When all six of us are working together as a team, life can be pretty good. However, should even one of us, adults or children, not play our role, things can get crazy, FAST!!

Dads are expected to work and take care of the financial aspects of the relationship, while also devoting his time to the family. Moms are always busy taking care of the house, raising the children, supporting dad, just to list a few. (Women/Moms are amazing!!) Then the older kids are needed to help with chores around the home, in addition to their studies, and also assisting with their younger siblings. The younger children also play a huge role on the team.

It is their job to keep their older brothers and sisters in line. They have to lead by example, constantly reminding their older siblings to stop fighting, wash the dishes, and do their homework. Heh heh, and you think I am joking!! (Well, kinda, but if you have younger children you know what I mean!)

My point is, regardless as to the exact circumstances, or situation, when you work as a team, productivity is at its peak potential. Six hands working on the same project will always outperform one, in theory anyhow! There is power in numbers.

So remember, the next time you are working on a project at work, cleaning the kitchen after dinner, or twisting on the swings at the park, it only takes one weak link to break the chain. Work as a team, grow as a team, and win as a team!

Blessed to be a Blessing,
Ron - TheUnaverageAverage

It pays to be patient!

So what exactly does it mean by delaying your gratification anyhow? Patience is not something we are born with, though some personality types are pretty laid back and seem to have more of it than others!

Over the years it has been my observation that when we take our time and think over any decision we make, the outcome is generally better than if we act on impulse. Naturally, as humans, when we want something, we hate to have to wait for it. We want it now!! This type of emotion can really get us into major trouble. There is a 4 letter word that comes to mind when talking about this subject. Anyone care to guess what it is?

D-E-B-T, debt!! Since we live in an instant gratification world, if you can't afford it, charge it. Watched any television lately? Have you seen the ads for new vehicles by chance? Do you notice their marketing plan is to influence you to go finance a new car? The majority of America drives around in vehicles that they couldn't afford. There is nothing financially smart about leasing or financing a vehicle. However, most people when they go to buy a new car only care about one thing, getting the new car! As long as they can afford the monthly payment, they don't care about the interest and payments for the next 5 years. (How many people get that car, then within 12 months, are already wanting a new one?)

Take that scenario above and think about what happens next. You take your car in, after only owning it and making payments on it for 12 months, and try to trade it in. Your car, which you financed $26,000, is now only worth $14,000 for the trade-in and you still owe $23,000 on your loan. Uh-oh, that is negative equity, and that is definitely not good. How many people then try to roll over that negative equity into an upgrade, using some of the available rebates, and finance the new car, which was sticker priced at $35,000, yet your loan is for $39,000? Ahhhhh, you got the new car you wanted, more debt, more negative equity, and a higher monthly payment. :-(

Lets look at this situation from a different perspective. Lets say you wanted this nice car, which brand new would cost you $26,000. Though you could put 20% down, and finance the rest, you decided to delay your gratification. Instead for the next 12 months you continued to drive your existing car, which you owned outright, and set aside money each month in your budget to save for a new car. Now you decide it is time to get the car. Instead of looking for one that was brand new, you find the make and model of the car you want, which happens to be a year old now and has 11,000 miles on it. Because you delayed your gratification, and saved money for the past 12 months, you make an offer of $14,000 cash, and they take it! So, what happened?

Because you waited 12 months and saved your money, you were still able to buy the car you wanted, however, it was a year older with 11,000 miles on it, but you saved $12,000 plus interest. This is just one example of delayed gratification.

Now without thinking on the lines of debt, let's talk about the harder form of delayed gratification. That would be not buying something, though you have the money and can afford it. One of my mentors once said, "If you think spending money is hard when you don't have any, having money and not spending it is even harder." Can you fathom that? If you have the money, why wouldn't you buy what you want?

And the survey says? That is the reason you have a lot of money. Heh heh, think about it. The people who learn to delay their gratification, make smart investments with their money, and put off buying pleasurables until they really can afford it, avoid the trap that most of us fall into. Instead of getting what they want through acquiring debt, they save and invest, then pay cash for what they want. You will quickly realize, the more money you have, that cash is simply a tool. Once you are able to purchase anything you want, the things you want change.

Delaying your gratification is tough. We live in a world where everyone judges you based on your status in the community. It is sad how we live our lives, more concerned about what other people think of us, as opposed to living below our means and making smart decisions for ourselves. We make impulsive decisions that cost us big dividends in the long run just to "show off" our success. Before you make any major decisions in your life, in any area of your life not just financial, set a new 24 hour rule for yourself. Never buy on impulse, always think it through overnight. Ask yourself; Do we need it? Is it worth it? Can we afford it? Why do we want it? Is it a good investment? What is our return on investment?

You will be surprised at how thinking a decision through, being patient, can save you from making some really big mistakes. We are not perfect, and have learned by making plenty of mistakes ourselves. Though delaying our gratification is not always fun, in the end, it has always paid off!

Blessings,
Ron - TheUnaverageAverage

Are you a dream stealer or dream encourager?

Have you ever had a dream? Of course you did, and probably still do! Have you ever stepped out of your comfort zone and made the decision to pursue it? If so, then this article will hit home.

One of the first books I recommend anyone starting out on a new business venture to read is "The Dream Giver," by Bruce Wilkinson. If you do not currently have this book in your library, make a point to visit Amazon.com today and purchase it.

Making the decision to change your life is very uncomfortable. It will require growth and leaving behind the familiar. This perhaps is the main reason why so few people chase after their dreams. After all if you are making a decent living, and are comfortable, why would you want to take a risk of leaving that, even if the new destination would provide a more fulfilling life experience, one that you have always dreamed of having?

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE...

The invisible realm...

In a previous article I had talked about being consistent when building an internet business even though there might not be measurable results at the start. Regardless as to what results might be, or might not be, visible, never underestimate what is happening in the invisible realm...

There is a saying that says, "what you do today will affect tomorrow," or "the results you have in life today are a reflection of the decisions you made in the past." This illustrates the point that something is happening whether you realize it or not.

We did get involved in a couple of business opportunities, while on our journey to find the best home business for us, where we learned the truth of the invisible realm the hard way. Let me explain!

When we started building our very first internet business, we began putting advertisement out all over the net. Our friends and family were quickly aware that we were building a business, as they seen our advertising and products when they came to our home. There were cds, dvds, newspapers, brochures, etc. that we began sending out to people who shown an interest in our opportunity. Everything we did always had our name, phone number, email address, and website on it.

For about 6 months we were consistently at it. My wife and I were just sure with all this effort we would certainly have 100's of people chasing us down and becoming customers. Though we did see some results, not much, we started to get burnt out. We didn't understand why this was happening? What were we doing wrong? Slowly our efforts began to decrease and we were starting to get discouraged.

Interestingly enough after we had all but stopped all of our advertising efforts, it seemed business started getting busy. We were receiving emails and phone calls in regards to our business. There were orders being made on our website and we had no idea where they were coming from. When we spoke with some of the people who were responding they were telling us how they found one of our cds at a friends house. Or how they inquired about our products months ago but were not able to get started at that time and now they are ready. One guy even said that my brother told them about our business and gave him a dvd! We were reaping what we sowed!!

As you can imagine we were pretty doggone excited, so we decided to start back our advertising, sending the cds, dvds, newspapers, brochures, etc. in order to keep the momentum going. You probably guessed it, since we did stop our advertising for a few months, eventually the flurry of activity we had died off and we were back to working hard with little results again. Even though we knew what happened last time, we just plain gave up. A few months after we quit the business we found another opportunity. Now here is the kicker, we had people who started calling us about the other company we used to be in. Again, the seeds we sowed were starting to sprout, though it was too late. There was even one lady who we spoke with more than a year prior who was finally ready to get involved, and we were no longer with the company anymore. :-(

So here is my point! You have to realize that everything you do will have a consequence. Sometimes it will be an immediate return, however, in most cases there will be a period of time that goes by before your result is manifested.

This is another reason why it is very, very important that you decide what business you want to get involved with. Make sure it is something you are passionate about and are willing to commit long term, NO MATTER WHAT! Looking back on it, if my wife and I would have never left that initial opportunity.....?

Ah well, the best learning opportunities generally come when you make mistakes. So here we are today, we understand that there is an invisible realm, that everything we do today will affect tomorrow. There are times when it doesn't look like our business is growing, and other times when it is exploding. The important ingredient is to remain consistent. Your efforts will pay big dividends once you understand how this works. It is kinda like the "law of Karma." You know, "what goes around comes around." If you plant good seeds, then you will reap a good harvest!

Learn to use the invisible realm to your advantage. Believe in what you are doing, set a plan of action which consists of daily, consistent activities, and execute your plan with Faith knowing that your desired end result is within reach and will come to pass.

Many people will get started, sadly, only a few will finish what they start! As Winston Churchill said, "Never, Never, Never Give up!"

In Christ,
Ron - TheUnaverageAverage

The more you get to know them...

We have all met people we don't know for a first time. Generally most people are consciously aware that making a first good impression is important. However, what I have found to be of more value is the authenticity of a persons character the more you get to know them....

This is very obvious with children. Have one of your children's friends come over to stay the night and you will more than likely see their best side. It is easy, and requires very little effort, to act in a way, that you want people to think, is how you are for short periods of time. However, keep these kids at your home for more than a night and usually by the 2nd day you start to see their true colors.

Too many times we are fooled by the impression we make of someone when we first meet. This is also why it is important that we don't give too much trust to someone that we do not really know. Take for example young couples who start dating. Many young people make the mistake of thinking they are in love way too early in a relationship. If you want to know whether or not the person you are having feelings for is your "night in shining armor", the best thing you can do is get to know them better, and this will take some time.

In the business world it is extremely important that you are who you say you are. Whether you are at work, at home, at church, at the mall, or anywhere else for that matter, you need to be you. Don't be two faced! There is nothing worse than meeting someone, just to find out later they were not the person you thought they were. Character does matter!

Character is what you do, who you are, when no one else is looking. If you act one way when engaged with others, however, act completely different when no one else is around, then you have a Character flaw. Sooner or later people will see the real you.

It is just like the boy who always lies. He will tell his friend one story, his teacher another, and yet his parents a completely different story than he told the first two. Think about how difficult it is to not only remember your lies, but who you told what to? Would it not be easier to just tell the Truth, ALL THE TIME?

Though first impressions are important, lets make sure we are not trying to fool people into thinking we are something that we are not. Take pride in your Character, live your life with Integrity, and cherish your relationships!

Have a blessed day!
Ron - TheUnaverageAverage

Waking up to new customers....

One of the coolest advantages to building an internet business is waking up to new customers. I remember when I first got involved with Isagenix, it seemed as if I was working very hard with little results. My sponsor, whom I greatly appreciate, kept telling me about how it took her several months before she finally started to see the fruits of her labor online. She kept telling me to be consistent, plant seeds, and before you know it things will start to happen for you.

I think this is a very important lesson for anyone that is thinking about, or is currently, building an internet business. It is the law of Sowing and Reaping. If you sow good seeds, you reap a good harvest. Though it never happens overnight, the results are worth the investment.

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Living a life of gratitude...

Everyday is a new experience. Some mornings as we awake the sun is shining, birds are chirping, there is a nice cool breeze blowing through the trees..... Yet there are other mornings, like that of today, when you are literally woke up by the sounds of crashing thunder, the sky is lit up with lightning, and the rain is pouring down. Power surges throughout the house. What incredible power God can display! Nature is truly remarkable...

Each morning, regardless as to the circumstances with the weather, employment, financial challenges, relationship issues, and so on, it is important that we see the good of our situation. To learn to appreciate the blessings that we currently have and get to experience. The fact that we are alive and have the incredible ability to grow, change, love, care, prosper, see, taste, touch, and live life! To have a roof over our head, food on the table, clothes to wear, car(s) to drive, and much, much more!

To live a life of gratitude is to spend time noticing that which you do have. Those in your life that you do love and they love you. All the opportunity and material pleasures that each of us have been blessed with. It is consciously making the decision to love life and embrace change. Every morning we are given another gift! How do you choose to use your gifts?

Many people seem to get caught up on the negative events, or circumstances, of their life experience instead of focusing on all the good. It is easier to see the negativity in our lives, as opposed to the positive. I challenge you today to unplug your mind from any negative, focus on the positive side of life. Not everything in life will be perfect. You won't always be able to keep a positive attitude. There are times on our journey when we will be confused and have a lack of understanding why certain events are occurring. However, all this will come to pass, and in the process you must be grateful for the person each adversity has molded you to become.

When you come to a place of understanding that we are constantly growing, that challenges and struggles are part of everyone's life, then you can learn to embrace these situations. You can learn to live a life of gratitude, giving praise for every blessing, big or small. Nobody said life was going to be easy, however, it sure is one heck of an experience. There is no better movie, than that of the one you are currently filming, everyday of your life.

We are a blessed people! Give God some praise this morning. Thank Him for all your blessings and start to live your life with more gratitude today!

"Change the way you look at things and the things you look at will change!"

You are awesome!
In Christ,
Ron - TheUnaverageAverage

Article writing is a learned skill...

In 2005 I shut down my very successful carpet company in Virginia very suddenly. Many people thought I lost my mind. If you knew that I was letting go a half million dollar per year business and partnering with a complete stranger in an industry I knew nothing about, you'd probably agree with my critics!

I remember once we made the move getting a brand new HP laptop computer that was way more advanced than any PC I ever owner prior to that. Even more, with my carpet company I never used a computer. I was very old fashioned, did everything by hand, and still have the filing cabinets full of paperwork to prove it!

My partner on the other hand was a College Graduate for computer technology. This dude is a freaking whiz on the computer. I remember the first time I went to his house and he was working online. He was fast when it came to typing, and his ability to type good quality articles was amazing. He told me, "my fingers type what I think, simple as that!" What an awesome skill. Me, on the other hand, I remember him asking me to copy and paste something and I didn't even know how to do that. :-)

There was a time when I really thought there was no way I could ever write articles. It took forever just to draft a basic email, so the thought of typing sales copy, or articles, for any internet based business seemed highly unlikely. Besides, how would I know what to type about anyhow? I just wasn't creative enough to make it happen.

Interestingly enough, over the years a few things started to happen. We had many failed business ventures, and our share of good ones too. On our journey I have been fortunate enough to mentor with some great thinkers and top income earners in our industry, read hundreds of self development books, listened to countless hours of audio albums, watched many hours of online videos relative to our business and so on. It is amazing the amount of information that you can feed your mind, and when needed, you can log in to your own personal database, subconscious mind, and pull out the necessary files that have been stored throughout your life experience.

Take that ability, which we all have, and 5 years of typing on the computer consistently everyday, and now my fingers type what I think. It is actually very cool! The only thing that I need now is a little inspiration about what to type, then I just sit down behind the computer and allow my thoughts and fingers to do the rest of the work. Mind you, in order to type good articles, it is helpful to consistently continue to add new content to your mind daily.

Qondio has offered a great platform for me to also continue to sharpen my skills. Though I realize I am not the best Blogger or Article writer out there in my niche currently, I am determined to get better. As time goes by it is inevitable that my article writing will take off and all the time, effort, and sacrifice will be worth it!

So if you are just starting out online, or have been marketing for some time, have heard about article writing and think you just can't do it? Think again! Here are a few tips to get you started.

First of all, like many authors talk about when writing a best selling novel, they type everyday. Even when they have no idea what to write about! They simply sit down at their desk and begin to write. After just a little while of doing so, words begin to fill the paper, then your creative mind goes to work.

Second, start off easy. Write about your life experiences, your children, spouse or significant other. Re-live some of the childhood memories you had growing up that helped mold you into the person you are today. How did you get started in your business, job, or current niche? What are your dreams, passions, desires, and goals that you have set forth for you to accomplish on your journey? Blog about your favorite Sports teams, etc.

Finally, just begin, and begin today! There is no greater loss than that of time. Time is the only thing that money cannot buy you back, GUARANTEED!

I am going to begin writing more articles in regards to our home business. Part of what I will do is study videos and literature, while taking notes, then type an article on what I learned. You would be surprised at how easy and effective this is at educating your audience on your product or service.

Take a look at what you are currently doing. How can you use the information that you have learned in a way to teach and educate others. If you offer value to the marketplace, it is guaranteed that you will have an audience that will read your articles. Besides, after a little while of doing it, article writing becomes fun and quite addicting. Give it a try, stick with it, and you won't be sorry! After all article writing is a learned skill, and to get really good at anything, it is going to take time and practice!

In Christ,
Ron - TheUnaverageAverage

You gotta love what you do...

When I was growing up my dad always told me, "Ronald, when you do what you love for a living, it isn't work!"

For the longest time I never grasped the true meaning of what he was trying to teach me. As a matter of fact when I first started my adult life I thought making a lot of money at work was all that matters. Though it didn't take long to realize, even when you are making a lot of money, if you don't like what you are doing for a living eventually the money won't keep you motivated. (My wife and I owned a Carpet Installation Company called First Class Installations in Virginia)

It was 2003 when I first decided to see what the internet could offer me in order to find a way to replace my high consumption lifestyle doing a job I hated, with something that I loved!

You may not be surprised to find out that this really was no easy task. With the internet there is opportunity after opportunity. It can be very overwhelming once you start searching for different ways to make money. For me, it was even more difficult, because I honestly had no clue what I would love to do for a living.

Seriously, since I grew up overweight..... READ THE FULL ARTICLE - CLICK HERE

Modern Day Spamming Technology...

Will it ever end? Of course Spam will not, I am referring to the ignorance of those people who fall for the latest and greatest technological spamming techniques that present themselves in the marketplace.

Anyone else sick and tired of the automated, "make $400/day with our system," calls yet? We thought Social Media spam was annoying, well, this takes the cake. My question again, why are people falling for all this crap?

As we were walking back from the lake this afternoon I had received a call on my Isagenix business line. With some ads on Craigslist, and websites all over the net, it is quite easy to harvest my number. There is nothing more annoying than one of those automated lines promoting the easiest, most cost effective way to have prospects calling me all the time. If their system is so great, then why are they trying to sell me on it? Use the system to build the largest, most profitable business ever and stop wasting time trying to find the next idiot to buy into your idea. (They are making $400/day on the people who actually believe them and buy it!)

OK, so I am a bit irritated with all of this. I apologize in advance, however, it is quite obvious that a large majority of people online are still uneducated. Here is a quick lesson for anyone reading this, are you ready?

In order to build a business and create an income, YOU WILL HAVE TO WORK! There is no lie greater than, "our system will build your business for you." Just plug and play, set and forget, kick back and sip your martini while we do all the work for you is plain NONSENSE!!!!

"Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth."

The only way Spammers will ever cease to exist, this will probably never happen, is for people to stop falling for their tricks. Blackhat marketers are all over the latest and greatest ways to trick average people into giving them money. If people would lose their instant gratification, get rich quick mentality, then the effectiveness of these tactics would cease to exist!

If we were not hard wired with a get rich quick mentality, explain why Lottery sales are still up, even in this down economy? I have used this quote several times, and I will use it again here, "Empty your purse to fill your mind and your mind will fill your purse." Benjamin Franklin understood that the key ingredient for success was education. Spammers are making a ton of money because they are taking advantage of those who are not properly educated.

A quick tip, when you do receive one of those annoying calls, be sure and press 9, as it is supposed to take you off their mailing list. If you sincerely want to make $400/day working from home on the internet, be prepared to have to learn, work hard, sacrifice, and commit for some time in order to make it happen!

You can do it!
Ron - TheUnaverageAverage

P.S. Think about it this way. How long have you been employed? Are you making $400/day yet? How hard do you currently work for what you are making? Now ask yourself if one of these miracle systems sounds realistic? Common Sense could save you a lot of Cent$!!!

Technology Slavery...

This Fathers Day Sunday we spent the entire day in fellowship with our great church family from Cornerstone Pentecostal Church. We had a blast! There was a pig roast, Sumo Fighting, Bouncers for the kids, horseshoes, volleyball tournament, and basketball.

There was also one other noticeable trend, and that was the "texting war" that was happening throughout. I couldn't help but tease Gabe Knapp who was glued to his cellphone while we were getting ready to start playing basketball. Even after the games concluded he ran and grabbed his phone, went out into the hallway, and started texting some more. Gabe has some game when it comes to basketball, and it also seems he has become part of the "Technology Slavery," that is sweeping our Nation. (He was also the inspiration for me to type this article!)

There are countless advantages to technology these days. Instant communication, mobile internet access, unlimited ring tones and apps to keep you entertained for days, and much more..... However, there is also a downside to this new way of life. Have you ever received a phone call, seen the caller ID and decided you were not in the mood to talk at that particular moment? Then when you check the voicemail the message started off like this, "Hey Ron, where you at dude, I know you have your cellphone on you, YOU ALWAYS DO, you trying to avoid me or something? What's up, call me back dude!"

Somehow we now live in a time where if you don't answer your cellphone, or instantly return a text message, something is immediately perceived as wrong. It is almost as if through all the conveniences that a cellphone brings to the table, it also makes you a slave to answer and respond, regardless as to what you are currently doing. It creates unnecessary animosity amongst friends and family whom call and you do not answer. As if not answering the phone is sending a signal that you do not care about them, or they are not important.

How many times have you seen someone in church, at a birthday party, in the hospital, etc. jump and run when their phone rings? Have you ever been in conversation with someone face to face, just to have their phone ring, and regardless as to the importance of your conversation, they must take the call?

What about going on vacation? I thought a vacation was where you unplugged from your "normal activities" of life and enjoy some time relaxing and getting away? During the day of Technology Slavery, that isn't the case anymore, is it? You may decide to leave your computer at home, but you still bring your Blackberry with you, texting, checking emails, and taking calls even while you are on vacation?

Cellphones have created a 24/7 on call mentality for most people. I am sure some of you reading this will also relate to hearing your phone go off at night while you are sleeping, and awakening, then jumping out of bed to see who is calling you, or texting, at 3o'clock in the morning. Many have children who also have cellphones, not sure what that is about, and during dinner the kids are texting their friends instead of conversing as a family while you eat your meal. How many times have you sat down to eat dinner, the phone rings, and watch all your kids, or even you, jump out of your seat to answer it. Could the person calling not have just left a message and you call them back after dinner?

When out and about start to observe people and what they are doing. The only thing more common these days then smoking is texting or talking on cellphones. Take a look around and tell me we are not living in a time and age where Technology Slavery is evident more now than ever.

Ladies and Gentleman, I myself have 2 cellphones. Yes I generally have them on me. One is for our Isagenix business, and the other our Carpet Installation Service. However, there are 2 main functions on my cellphones that I utilize often. The first is caller ID and the second is voicemail. If I am currently tied up, whether that be at church or conversing with someone in person, these 2 features on my phone work wonders. I still believe that when a person calls, if it was important, they will leave a message and I will CALL THEM BACK!

I am not against texting, and I love the advancements in technology, however, to be on call 24/7 is not for me. Many times people have said, "You are hard to get a hold of," yet the reality is, that is not true. It is only valid when comparing me to someone who has fallen into Technology Slavery....

Here is a test to determine whether or not you are on call 24/7. What is the one thing you could never leave home without? If it is your cellphone, then you might just be a slave to technology. We will pray for all of you! :-)

Be free, be blessed,
Ron

P.S. Gabe did say he doesn't usually text all the time, except in this instance, it was the only way he could communicate with this particular young lady! Perhaps he is not a slave to his cellphone, however, I would like to give him a special thanks! If it weren't for him this weekend, this article might not have been possible. :-)

Modern day language and professionalism?

Am I just old fashioned? It seems the modern day language contains profanity as the main adjective regardless as to the situation or circumstances when engaged in conversation.

Being a contractor there was a time, before finding Christ in my life, that this form of language was acceptable to a certain degree. However, even during the days of my "potty mouth" there was a time and a place where it was just plain unacceptable.

Just going in for a simple oil change these days at the majority of mechanic shops you have to keep your windows up to protect your children from hearing these obscenities. I can recall one particular instance when we needed to get our oil changed and our usual mechanic was booked for that day. So, instead of waiting, we stopped at a new shop which had just recently opened. I felt like we were in the middle of a Rated R Infomercial. The mechanic meant well, I am sure, however, every word that came out of his mouth was preceded with a 4 letter adjective. My wife and I were both very thankful that our kids were sleeping in the back of the van during this occasion. Interestingly enough once he looked in our van and seen the kids he did acknowledge that his language was unacceptable and apologized. Needless to say we have not returned to his shop since.

This is not just a random occurrence either. Everywhere you go people use profanity as acceptable language. As a matter of fact, recently I had a young lady request I measure a carpet job for her. We set a time to meet and when I arrived she was not there. On our third attempt to connect with her via the phone, she answered and once I reminded her of our appointment she said, "Holy S??!, I forgot." Now I am not being judgemental, however, it just seems that there should be a certain level of professionalism and courtesy, especially when dealing, or meeting, with people you don't know.

Again, that might just be it though, since it is "acceptable" language in today's culture, nobody sees anything wrong with it. Personally, I beg to differ.

That raises my second point about Professionalism. Is it too much to ask that when a contractor, or anyone in the service field, is meeting with, or working with, a customer that they display a level of professionalism. Like I mentioned earlier, when I used these same adjectives fluently when engaged with friends, or not around children, never would you catch me talking in that manner with potential clients.

Perhaps I am a 30yr. old, behind the times, husband and father of 4, whom still believes in moral values and good ethics. Or, perhaps we live in a day and age where illustrating good character and integrity just don't seem all that important anymore?

Either way, how about we have a little consideration for those of us who don't appreciate the use of profanity in conversation.

In closing I am reminded of a family that was interested in our Networking Business. We went to their home and shared with them the opportunity and products.

While we were there one of their children came into the room. He was a young white male, probably 14 or 15, and told us he was going to be a professional rapper. I asked him to rap for me, so he did, you can imagine the language he used. Once he finished his little rap I then proceeded to ask him if he could rap for me without using any profanity. Interestingly enough he said, "I can't rap without swearing, it wouldn't sound right."

It seems many people these days can't talk without swearing, after all it wouldn't sound right?

Blessings,
Ron - TheUnaverageAverage

It was the thought that counts...

So yesterday morning I get a phone call in regards to a possible carpet job. The gentleman tells me he was buying carpet from the Home Depot, however, they would not be able to install it until the 1st of July. His dilemma is that he needs it done by this upcoming Monday!

No problem, I asked him when would be the soonest he could get the carpet on the job. He told me he could get it there by the next morning and I agreed to install it for him. "Wow, that was fast!" was his response. :-)

So after we confirmed the job he mentioned to me that he had already put down the tack strips. The job was in his basement, which meant concrete, and if you know anything about installing carpet, the tack strips, on concrete, is a real pain to tack down. If the strips are not done properly it will mess up the entire installation process. (Anyone see where this is going yet?)

My son and I arrived at 9amET this morning, as scheduled. Once we met with the homeowner we were shown the room where the carpet was to be installed.

Immediately I started to check the tack strips. At first glance I was pretty impressed. The homeowners were installing the carpet over existing VCT tiles and the tack strips were holding pretty good, however.......

There were 2 immediate issues. The first was that the gap in between the strip and the baseboard was close to an inch. Normally it should be about 1/4 - 1/2 inch or just enough so you can fit your fingertip between the strip and baseboard. This wouldn't have been too big a deal if the baseboards were raised, however, they were not!

Now the second issue is one I haven't run into before. Seriously, close to 12 years of installing carpet and I never seen this done before. The tack strips, 75% of them, were facing the wrong direction. Each piece of carpet tack strip is pre-nailed and also has little tacks which grasp the carpet in order to properly stretch the carpet. Though the homeowner thought he was doing us a favor by putting down the tack strips himself, in the end, it made this install much more difficult.

Hey, it was the thought that counts!

So we had to put down a second piece of strip with the tacks facing the right direction in order to properly stretch the carpet. Unfortunately we were not able to pop up what he had already installed to correct the gap difference between the strip and baseboard because the VCT tile flooring they were installing over was starting to bust up. In other words, if we would have tried to pop up the strip, we would have had to pop all the tiles, and then liquid nail the strip to the concrete, which the homeowner did not want to do!

To accommodate for the gap between the strip and baseboard we simply tucked extra carpet to give it a nice tight fit, then went back after we stretched, re-inforced some areas by stapling the carpet to the tack strip, then trimmed the excess carpet to give it a pretty tuck around the baseboards. Talk about time consuming........!

Once the job was completed, the homeowner was very pleased, apologized for their mistake, and acknowledged they know better for next time! :-)

So here is the lesson for today. There are 2 lessons actually!!

The first lesson is when installing tack strips, for all you DIY's out there, be sure that you have the tacks on the strip facing toward the baseboards. Most tack strips have an arrow on them which tells you the direction to face the tack strip toward the baseboard. These strips did and when I showed that to the homeowner they said, "Oh that is what those meant. I thought there might have been a certain way they needed to be installed." All you can do is laugh with them! Also remember that the strips should be about a 1/4 - 1/2 inch away from the baseboards. A good rule of thumb is to use your fingertip as a spacer. With raised baseboards the distance is not as important, however, when the baseboards are on the floor, you will want to be sure and keep them closer so the carpet can be tucked securely between the strip and the baseboard giving it a nice tight finish.

The second lesson is patience. Once we realized the job was going to take twice as long to complete because of a simple error made on the part of the homeowner, we did not get upset or impatient. No corners were cut, we did what we had to do and made the best of the situation, without making the homeowner feel bad about their mistake. Sometimes the easy jobs aren't always so easy!!

In the end, it was another satisfied customer, and that is what makes what we do worth it.

Have a blessed day!
Ron First Class Installations

Man do I love Customer Service...

Yeah that is right, I said it, I love Customer Service. There is nothing more fulfilling in business to be able to meet the needs of your clients with 100% efficiency!

We use Craigslist a lot to find carpet installs and repairs. You can imagine what it is like to be a homeowner who is looking to save a few bucks by hiring their own Contractor to do some work in their home instead of paying the high prices at a store. Sometimes you never know what you are going to get!

With this understanding we know that it is up to us in order to assist the client in feeling good about their decision. This process starts from the ads we post. One thing I notice about many ads that people post is they don't put their basic charges for their service. With my personality type I prefer to find the information I am looking for without having to make a phone call. We feel it is important to be transparent, therefore, our charges are listed in the ad. We also make references available upon request!

From the ad comes the phone call. Once people have read the ad and feel confident they have found the right Contractor, how you talk on the phone has a lot to do with closing the sale. It pays to be courteous, polite, and knowledgeable. Instead of trying to sell your new client, it is best you ask several questions about their project. Once the client realizes you are genuine and know your trade, it is almost guaranteed you will get the job, assuming they are serious about getting the job done.

The next step and probably most important, is your arrival on the job. I believe your first impression is the most important. When you walk up to the door, always extend your hand and introduce yourself, and any of the help you have brought with you. The people who come with me on any jobs will also extend their hand for a friendly introduction. Since the client doesn't know us, it is important that you make them feel comfortable with having you in their home.

Personally I love to chat with my clients while I begin working. The key here is to develop a relationship. Word of mouth advertising is awesome and it is free. It is important for your client to get to know you, and just plain good business ethics.

Whatever the job, give your best effort. Pay close attention to detail. If there is a problem, do not hesitate to go to your client and show them, then explain to them what it is and what needs to be done. Treat them as you would want someone to treat you. It is always my goal to leave someone's home looking much better than it did before I arrived.

Once the job has been completed, work area cleaned up, go and get your client and let them know the job has been finished. I will not accept payment for a job until my clients have had a chance to inspect the work that we have completed and they are completely satisfied. Once that has been done you can present your bill and watch in amazement as your client gladly pays you for your services. This is a great time to present your business card, and more often than not, the client will begin asking you about other projects they need done and whether or not you would be able to do them. Almost always, 97% of the time, they will shake your hand as you are leaving and say, "If I know anyone who needs carpet I will definitely recommend you!!"

Customer Service is the key to success in every business.

In Christ,
Ron - First Class Installations