Over the MLM Wall

It's early Saturday morning.  The gym is not very busy. Probably because everyone is sleeping in.  I'm running next to my good friend Greg.  We've run a couple of marathons together now and today is going to be a long run on the boring treadmill, with plenty of time to talk.  He's aware that I've been contemplating getting involved in direct sales, you know a multilevel marketing company (MLM). Yes, I know, everyone has already said this to me. "Why would you do that Sean, you've been so successful and have such a great reputation?" He's thinking the same thing.  We've had many conversations about it and he's identified his anxiety as I've talked about opportunities.  He avoids the conversations at this point and it's kind of awkward.  This morning after about 20 minutes of small talk, I speak up and say "Greg, I'M GOING OVER THE WALL."  "What does that mean?" he responds with a snicker.  "I'm going over the MLM wall".  He laughs at the reference to going over the wall.  "I'm really doing it, I'm going deep over the MLM wall and I don't think I'm coming back."  He laughs a bigger laugh this time, he thinks it's pretty funny, but I'm not sure what's going on in his head.  "I just want you to know you're invited to come." I respond.  He laughs again but this laugh is encumbered with an awkwardness that hangs in the air.  He says "I can see you now, crawling on your hands and knees under the barb wire and thru the muddy trenches." "Good luck with that" he adds.  "Oh but don't worry, I'll still hang out with ya." 

Till now I've been committed to a career in Real Estate Development and been successful.  I love real estate and have always thought it was the perfect business. I've made millions in the industry and have a solid reputation for what I've accomplished .  I'm 43 years old and just starting to get to that point where business starts to compound on the reputation you've developed, and I've developed a great reputation, built on trust. However, November 1, 2007 I sold my interest in the Real Estate Development company I owned and took a pause or a time out. The three main reasons for this were these.  First, the real estate market was suffering tremendously and I felt strongly it was going to get much worse, I was very concerned about the fundamentals of the market and believed we needed to shift our business strategy quickly.  My partners were not as excited about shifting our business strategy that we had done so well with.  Second, this gave me the opportunity to spend more time on my primary relationship with my spouse which was most important to me and needed attention.  Third it gave me the opportunity to spend time doing some things that I had always wanted to do and had been neglecting.  I also wanted to play a bigger game and though I didn't really know what that meant, I knew that it needed to involve a lot of people and massive contribution.  I had been a little bored and recognized from prior experience that when you are bored all you have to do to fix it, is examine your level of contribution and contribute more.  Though my level of contribution as CEO of my company was high it was being held back by my partners unwillingness to change and let my employees and I do what we knew we needed to do, they held the purse strings and I didn't see an opportunity to contribute more at the level that would fulfill this need.  

So, now I find myself many months later wanting and needing to get back to adding value again and in a big way, my soul not only yearns for it but my bank statement is telling me it would be wise. I've been intrigued with the MLM industry over the years and always thought that when I had time maybe I'd give it a try.  Actually I'm drawn to speaking and training in the area of personal growth and see MLM as a possible way to accomplish this.   I believe that I can help people and change lives with my talents and experience.  Maybe I need to see a psychologist, I could just be going thru a midlife crisis.  Maybe a fancy sports car or Harley is next.  Why in the world would I want to do this.  I live in Utah and there seems to have been an MLM bloom going on over the last 20 years.  Utah seems to be the incubator for MLM.  I don't know why but these companies are all over the place.  Just drive along I-15 from Salt Lake to Springville and you can't help but notice them dotting the landscape.  Most of them are Juice companies.  Everyone I know seems to have an aversion to this business and I've done such a good job of laying down a solid "No, I'm not interested" over the years, why would I want to change that.  What is everyone going to think of me? I might loose the reputation I've tried so hard to build over the years. 

We all know stories of people making incredibly fantastic sums of money in the industry.  Some of us know a few of these people personally.  What's so special about them?  We also know many, many, many more who didn't make any money and probably spent more than they made chasing the dream that was brewing in their head from fantastic seminars they had just returned from, where they set intentions of walking on the red carpet at the next seminar.

I'm an entrepreneur and a capitalist I understand business and I know what is required to make money and it's just not that easy, or is it?  What is required? Maybe, I don't really know anything at all.  Maybe, this is the best industry in the world and I've been to blind to see it.

How do I question this paradigm that has been built from years of observation in my mind?  I see some things that actually look quite attractive.  Such as it really is the purest form of marketing.  If I was to start a new product based company I'd probably be a fool not to look at marketing through an MLM channel because of the speed at which I may gain market share.  Not only that it would be more consistent and predictable income which any business owner covets. I like the fact that the industry is very positive and that a person with little means can change their life with effort and contribution.  I like that the industry promotes personal growth and improvement and the philosophy that as you Learn you Earn or that your income is in direct proportion to the level of your personal growth.  I like the fact that a persons efforts can be duplicated through teaching and this generates an increase of income. This is an abundance mentality.  There is enough stuff that is good that I have to question my belief system.  What I do know is that it's ridiculous to think that anyone can take anything internal away from me that I don't give them, such as my reputation.  So why should I fear.  Though plenty of people may change their perception of who I am on false evidence.  Such as going to the so called "dark side" and getting involved with an MLM company.  The fact that I am who I am is not going to change and I have a responsibility to myself according to my belief system, that I stretch and improve myself.  This is one industry that appears to not only promote this philosophy well but live it. 

Well, with all that said and out in the open I've come to a conclusion, that the only way I'm going to find out for sure is to do it and not in a little boy or girl kind of way but do it for real.  I've got to go over the wall and see what is on the other side.  I've got to go deep over the wall and if it's anything like what the good ones in the industry claim, I just might not come back.  Wish me luck!  The guys that are good do say there's a certain amount of luck to it.  What the heck does that mean?  I've been taught that luck favors the prepared mind.  I hope I'm prepared, wish me luck. I'M GOING OVER THE MLM WALL!