Now Appearing in an Extended Engagement! Join Dave Robison as he takes you into his world and his daily life of reviving a stand-up comedy career. Prepare for side trips exploring Public Relations, marketing and business ethics. Enjoy some frequent detours describing his observations on life. Read the exploits of this self-proclaimed Renaissance-man and blooming blogger as you go
On The Road With Dave.
"...our spider seems to be having difficulty parsing your blog. The W3C HTML validator lists 111 errors with your HTML on your homepage. Our spider can sometimes be sensitive to these kinds of errors."
Removing the Amazon affiliate links took care of 46 of those errors.
Katrina, you had a pretty name, but you were an ugly storm.
I'm glad you are gone from here, and hope you die out as you drive north. By next week you should be a light rain past Pennsylvania.
Tomorrow will be a day of clean-up.
My daughter and her husband and a roommate of theirs will be staying the night with us. They are still without power and rode the storm out at a local shelter, unbeknownst to us.
Special Thanks to all who commented, emailed, and Instant Messaged me while I was online off and on throughout the day with their well wishes for our safety.
Thanks to all the regular readers of Will Wheaton Dot Net that paid me a visit. It was much appreciated.
"Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down", is the old song; well today was a rainy Monday; but knowing people think about you in times of trouble, even if they don't know you in person, can more than make up for it.
If you are following the news coverage of Hurricane Katrina and you have never been in a hurricane before, then you might be thinking that since the "eye" of Katrina is now in Central Mississippi, we folks down on the coast are "in The clear".
I wish.
In the last several hours we have been experiencing the "back" of the storm.
Local news has been reporting that there are still 50-75MPH wind gusts and we get bands of torrential rain still.
A few facts.
At 2:00PM CST winds were still being clocked at Category 1 speeds.
196,000 people are without power in the State of Alabama. We are among the lucky few that have power. A good deal of the town I live in outside of Mobile is still without power.
5319 people are in shelters. Shelter population is expected to rise as people with damaged residences seek a place to stay.
A drilling rig broke free and collided with a bridge in Mobile.
All of Mobile and Baldwin Counties are under a curfew until Dawn Tuesday.
From New Orleans, there are reports of people stranded on their roofs. There have been unconfirmed reports of bodies floating.
Tree limbs continue to fall, and we have had a few hit our roof with no damage.(Thankfully) But, we have been startled several times by the loud boom the branches make as they hit the roof.
An interesting observation I made about the wind; occasionally rather than a wind exerting a side force on the trees, we also get incredible downdrafts, that bend the limbs of the trees downward toward the ground on all sides. I had never seen that before.
Last report I saw, we have had 13+ inches of rain since last night and more still on the way.
I feel sorry for the folks in New Orleans and Mississippi and know full well they bore the brunt of Katrina's force. I also know that all of the State of Mississippi will endure the force of Katrina on into the night.
But even as the eye of the storm marches northward, we on the coast are not out of the woods yet.
One last personal note, I'm out of cigarettes, and since businesses are closed or without power and the existing curfew; I have no way to get anymore "smokes" until tomorrow. It's gonna be another long night.
Our yard is littered with limbs and the wind is still gusting well over 40MPH. A few trees have been snapped at their tops in our side yard.
The gusts of wind outside really do sound similar to a freight train roaring down its tracks. I stepped outside, a few minutes ago, and the wind forced me back inside.
Downtown Mobile has 8-10 feet of water standing in the streets and flooding some buildings. The storm surge was estimated at 22 feet.
Luckily our power is restored temporarily. I hear the sounds of generators in the distance.
I'm going offline again as the electrical power continues to flicker.
It's 12:47AM, about 5 hours from landfall in New Orleans.
We are getting some sporadic thunderstorms and wind from the early "leader bands" from the storm.
Hurricane Katrina is currently a high Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds at of 160MPH.
We are all bored at the moment. It's been a non-stop marathon of watching local newscasts. I finally popped in a video for two hours or so and watched my copy of "Last Man Standing" with Bruce Willis.
It's a good movie to break up the boredom. My hope is that the boredom will continue, and we won't be in for the excitement of major storm damage. But, it looks like we will stay up for most of the night, to keep an eye on the storm "eye".
In my last entry I gave a link to WKRG, the local CBS affiliate offering a live feed.
In the interest of equal time, you can also read reports at FOX10 news.
It looks like Hurricane Katrina will be hitting New Orleans by Monday Morning. Due to several circumstances we are not going to be able to evacuate.
In Hurricane "Lore", the principle is "East is Beast, West is Best". In our case, we will be two hours east of the storm. So we are going to go through a rough 24 hours.
The storm's total coverage at the moment in the Gulf of Mexico is 750 miles. Sustained winds are are 175MPH. So, when Katrina reaches New Orleans, all of the Gulf Coast will feel it's effect.
Not since, 1969 has a storm this large hit landfall on the Gulf Coast. The Storm at that time was Camille, and I remember the devastation Mississippi went through at that time. As a small boy, we lived 200 miles inland and we went through a night of terrible tornadoes due to Hurricane Camille. All of Mississippi was effected for days following landfall.
We've retreated inland twice in the last year due to hurricanes, but this time we are going to "ride it out." Local news coverage is now constant, and some coastal flooding and storm surges are now affecting us as the waves move in with heights currently at 12 feet.
We have "boarded up" the house, laid in a supply of food and water, charged our batteries, taken showers and baths for maybe the last time for a few days, and now we wait.
If you want to follow the storm, you can tune to the Weather Channel or you can watch live streaming video online at WKRG-TV.
I'll try to post an update or two, but can't promise anything.
In an entry entitled "Onward and Upward"; Dave Stone author of the blog, "MLM Today" announces the blog's demise.
Dave Stone, current Vice President of Passport, started "MLM Today" to express his views on the MLM Industry. In the beginning, many of his postings were critical of Quixtar and presented his company Passport as the alternative.
In recent months, Dave changed his focus several times and presented strong articles on building an MLM business and ethical marketing. Dave has been a long-time supporter of "On The Road With Dave" and I have him linked in my Side Bar.
Although he and I disagreed on company choices, we agreed on many more things than we disagreed. I consider him an "online friend" and a great blogger. He'll be missed.
From "Onward And Upward":
"...MLM Today was started as a way to share meaningful ideas and constructive discussions about the profession of network marketing. It began with the best of intentions but I found myself swallowed up in several, shall we say, spirited debates that were, in retrospect, entirely useless. By the time I pulled my head out of my own ass to realize this departure, I had created a reputation for myself that was prohibitive in my ability to convey much that could be helpful.
I have tried the past many months to correct for my poor judgment in hopes of being able to compile helpful information for those seriously involved or interested in our profession. I do not believe that will be possible here and after a discussion with a new friend earlier tonight, I am more certain of my decision than ever.
There are several people that have their encouragement and support early on in my blogging experience. This has meant a great deal to me. Thanks also to the regular readers that have continued to visit here, leave the occasional comment, and otherwise witness the train wreck called MLM Today......
.....See ya' in the funny papers.
DS"
Dave, Not if I see you first. Good Luck in your future endeavors.
Back in December I wrote about Time Management. I know that a lot of MLMs talk about succeeding working only 10-15 hours a week.
I found a thread at Network Marketing Tips that speaks about the Direct Selling Association's statistics on the Direct Sales Industry. The message concerned average incomes but it brought me to the link at DSA that also concerned the average time spent building a Direct Sales Business.
The Numbers are broken down like this:
Less than 30 hours per week 85.1%/ 30-39 Hours 7.6% 40 or more Hours 7.3%
I would have liked to have seen a further breakdown for the Under 30 Hours to include the legendary "10 hours a week" claim.
And it would be interesting to know what some of the Direct Sellers view as actual "work" during those hours.
Folks in the South love their Barbecue,(barbecue is smoked pork and BBQ sauce; NOT a grill that you cook meat on), but we've also been known to enjoy a bowl or two of spicy, hot chili.
Which is why when I saw the following, I had to reprint it. I must warn you, it CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE not usually seen at "On The Road With Dave."
The Chili Cook-off Judge
Notes from an inexperienced chili tester named Frank, who was visiting Texas from the East Coast:
"Recently, I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chili cook~off. The original person called in sick at the last moment and I happened to be standing there at the judges' table asking for directions to the beer wagon when the call came. I was assured by the other two judges, both native Texans, that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy and, besides, they told me that I could have free beer during the tasting. So, I accepted."
Here are the scorecards from the event.
CHILI #1: MIKE'S MANIAC MOBSTER MONSTER CHILI
JUDGE ONE: "A little too heavy on tomato. Amusing kick."
JUDGE TWO: "Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild."
FRANK: "Holy shit, what the hell is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway. It took me two beers to put out the flames in my throat. I hope that's the worst one. These Texans are crazy!"
CHILI #2: ARTHUR'S AFTERBURNER CHILI
JUDGE ONE: "Smokey, with a hint of pork. Slight jalapeno tang."
JUDGE TWO: "Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously."
FRANK: "Keep this out of the reach of children! I'm not sure what I'm supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver. They had to rush me more beer when they saw the look on my face."
CHILI #3: FRED'S FAMOUS BURN-DOWN-THE-BARN CHILI
JUDGE ONE: "Excellent firehouse chili! Great kick. Needs more beans, though."
JUDGE TWO: "A beanless chili, a bit salty, good use of peppers."
FRANK: "Call the EPA! I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels like I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now -- get me more beer before I ignite. Some barmaid pounded me on the back and now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I'm getting shit-faced from all the beer."
CHILI #4: BUBBA'S BLACK MAGIC
JUDGE ONE: "Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing."
JUDGE TWO: "Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a chili."
FRANK: "I felt something scraping across my tongue, but I was unable to taste it. Is it possible to burn out taste buds? Sally, the barmaid, was standing behind me with fresh refills. That 300-lb bitch is starting to look HOT -- just like this nuclear waste I'm eating. Is chili an aphrodisiac?"
CHILI #5: LINDA'S LEGAL LIP REMOVER
JUDGE ONE: "Meaty, strong chili. Cayenne peppers freshly ground, add a considerable kick. Very impressive!"
JUDGE TWO: "Chili using shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must admit the cayenne peppers make a strong statement."
FRANK: "My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead, and I can no longer focus my eyes. I farted and four people behind me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chili had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from a pitcher. I wonder if I am burning my lips off? It really pisses me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming. Screw those rednecks!"
CHILI #6: VERA'S VERY VEGETARIAN VARIETY
JUDGE ONE: "Thin, yet bold, vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of spice and peppers."
JUDGE TWO: "The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, and garlic. Superb!"
FRANK: "My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous, sulfuric flames. I shit myself when I farted and I'm worried it will eat through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except Sally. I can't feel my lips at all anymore. I need to wipe my ass with a snow cone!"
CHILI #7: SUSAN'S SCREAMING SENSATION CHILI
JUDGE ONE: "A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers."
JUDGE TWO: "Ho hum, it tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of chili peppers at the last moment. I should take note that I am worried about judge number three, he appears to be in a bit of distress as he is now cursing uncontrollably."
FRANK: "You could put a grenade in my mouth and pull the pin and I wouldn't feel a damned thing. I've completely lost the sight in one eye and the world sounds like it's made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with chili that slid unnoticed by me from my mouth where my lips used to be. My pants are full of lava-like shit that match my damned shirt. At least during the autopsy they'll know what killed me. I've decided to stop breathing, it's too painful. I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I'll just suck in through the four inch hole in my stomach. If they want to cremate me after I die, they'll need an act of Congress to waive the EPA rules and to compensate everyone six counties downwind. Maybe they can bury me in an atomic bomb test site in Nevada."
I'm not on the verge of suicide, or anything like that. I'm not breaking into tears. But, I'm definitely "blue".
Why should you care?
You shouldn't really; cause I'll get over it. But if you've been clicking on your Favorites link to "On The Road With Dave", for the last several days and wondering where the hell I was, then this should serve as your explanation.
Sometimes, when you are depressed, you feel like pouring your heart and soul out in words, and other times, you don't feel like writing down anything.
I guess you can figure out that I'm sort of like the latter.
Now, if I were depressed AND cranky, then that would have been another story. I might have blogged my brains out in a long tirade of why I was cranky; who made me cranky; and what ill-fated punishment should befall the cause of my crankiness.
But such, was not the case.
The good news is that I do feel like writing again, which means I'm less "blue" than I was.
But it's a double-edged sword. You must endure the explanation of why I haven't been writing regularly in the last few days AND by tomorrow you'll most likely have to endure the fact that I am once again writing regularly.
OK, so I'm getting up off the "therapy couch" and I'll see you tomorrow.
"Our lives are to be used and thus to be lived as fully as possible, and truly it seems that we are never so alive as when we concern ourselves with other people."
I apologize that I have no true attribution for the following, other than I acquired it at the YahooGroup World Vents.
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes."
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things -- God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions -- things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter -- like your job, house and car. The sand is everything else -- the small stuff.
"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. So... Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.
"Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.
The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and two cups of coffee.
The following was published at Quixtar Blog Forum, by the author and owner of The Quixtar Blog. It is reprinted here under permission and is licensed under a Creative Commons Deed, some rights reserved, license. Except where noted.
The Negative Pyramid Myth
There's a popular saying among some Quixtar critics -- The Pyramid Is Negative (TPIN). The basic premise is that overall, more money is lost in Quixtar and Amway than earned. For example, a Diamond living off "residual income" is enjoying that lifestyle at the expense of others losing money.
Another way to look at TPIN is that in order for an IBO to make a profit (after expenses) he must have a minimum number of people under him who are operating at a loss (losing money). So, at any given time there are more people losing money (spending more than they earn) than gaining money (earning more than they spend).
Another way of explaining it is "millions lost billions." Not sure that explains it too much but it's a popular slogan for the Quixtar critics.
The Myth? I'll use an example to explain the "myth" of TPIN.
You and 30 of your friends and family join "Imaginary MLM" but not all joined up at the same time (some are under you, others under their friends, etc.) and all of them have refused to spend a dime on any support, motivational or training materials.
The "Imaginary MLM" works like this - If you join and buy $100 in products you get a check for $5. If you refer someone to join, you get $3 for each $100 they purchase each month. And of course, the people they sponsor move $2 to you for each $100 they spend and so on.
Here's an example of how it would look for a group of 30 under you with a total of three levels and each person spending $100 each month:
1 (you) - $100 + $5 (rate of $5 per $100) 3 - $300 + $9 (rate of $3 per $100) 9 - $900 + $18 (rate of $2 per $100) 18 - $1,800 + $18 (rate of $1 per $100)
You're Negative!!! If you look at the above example it's pretty obvious that you, the person on top, is negative. After all bonuses are calculated you're still out $50. That's a crappy business right? Wrong!
What did you spend that $100 on? You didn't just toss it in your trash right? No, you spent it on products! You bought products that you used and supposedly enjoyed. Now, don't start hollering about prices and value and "Imaginary MLM's" bottom line yet, I'll get to that later.
What you must understand is in the above scenario you, the guy at the top, paid for actual products and services. And, at the end of the month, you received $50 back from your purchases and from others under you doing the same thing.
Nobody is negative and at the very least, each person spent $100 to get $5 back. Yes, there's a problem with paying taxes on a coupon but don't put the horse before the cart here. The issue to tackle right now is TPIN.
TPINN? So, is the Pyramid really negative? Well, by just examining the numbers it is most certainly NOT negative. Everyone in "Imaginary MLM" spends $100 on products, has no business expenses and receives some sort of bonus. The net expense each month is $3,100 but that bought $3,100 worth of products.
The problem with TPIN is that it doesn't include products into the equation. If you ditch the tool and business expenses in Quixtar, you're left with basically what amounts to a buyer's club. Of course it's not so simplistic but TPIN is flawed because it doesn't accurately address the complexity of the issues and thus gives rational apologists ammunition to dismiss the TPIN philosophy as the rantings of ignorant fools.
Prices and Value I've said over and over that arguing about Quixtar prices is stupid. I still believe it but if anyone is to buy into the TPIN philosophy the argument advocating its truth must be based on product pricing and value.
If in the above example, you pay $100 for a tuna sandwich each month and get that $5 bonus check then we could honestly say you're an idiot and that The Pyramid Is Negative. However, if you spend $100 and take home a new lawnmower, then clearly The Pyramid Is Positive.
So the debate lies in determining the value of products and services you bought with your $100. And that, my friends, is no easy task because value is an extremely subjective concept.
Would I pay $90 for a Tommy Hilfiger T-Shirt? Hell no. That's not a value... to me. But it may be a great value for you. I really do spend $28 for a bottle of shampoo but I don't mind because I absolutely love it. Is that a good value? Is the price too high? It's really hard to determine.
Now, if I find that same bottle of shampoo for half the price at a discount store, then yeah, I'm probably paying too much. But you see the dilemma that I'm illustrating here right?
The whole price and value ambiguity is the wiggle-room that MLM businesses like Quixtar use to legitimize their business.
The Tools and Monkey Wrenches
Obviously if you toss in tool expenses then the whole TPIN thing holds up mighty well because you're paying lots of money for basically nothing... right? Well, I would say yes but there's an entire industry in Western Culture (aka The Self Help Movement) that's trained us to attach value to books, tapes and seminars that tell us the same thing over and over and over again. I'm not saying it negates TPIN but I can understand how some Quixtar faithful convince themselves that they're wisely spending their money on tools... at least for a little while.
If we recalculate the earlier example with the inclusion of tool money we see TPIN emerging very clearly:
1 (you) - $100 (products) - $250 (tools) + $5 (rate of $5 per $100) 3 - $300 (products) - $750 (tools) + $9 (rate of $3 per $100) 9 - $900 (products) - $2,250 (tools) + $18 (rate of $2 per $100) 18 - $1,800 (products) - $4,500 (tools) + $18 (rate of $1 per $100)
Retail Sales
To further illustrate the flaws with TPIN let's toss in retail sales. What happens when you, at the top of a 30 person pyramid in "Imaginary MLM," sell $700 (your cost) worth of products each month for $1,000? Your bonus increases to $40 (excluding downline performance) and your net profit increase by $300 (minus any expenses you incurred acquiring those customers). And what if your downline duplicated your performance? Where is the "negative" here?
Why Is MLM A Problem Then?
None of this is to say that MLM is a great way to do business. It's not. MLM is one of the worst ways to market, distribute and consume products ever developed by modern man. Additionally, MLM is structured in such a way that it encourages abuses of the system and places an emphasis on recruitment (easy money) while de-emphasizing retail sales (hard money).
My point is to expose the flaws with TPIN in hopes that others will seek a more solid position from which to launch their assaults on the multitude of problems that need attention in the MLM industry (and Quixtar in particular). I may have missed something here and if so, point it out and I'll add it to the mix.
The preceding was reprinted because I found it quite an impressive summary for critics and Independent Business Owners of Quixtar, alike. I'll take comments here, but you can join the discussion to agree or disagree with the author at the above links
Independent Business Owners powered by Quixtar love to throw out numbers and dollar amounts to extol their businesses. Critics of these IBOs love to throw out the same or similar numbers to express their dissatisfaction with the Quixtar business.
One of the problems is the numbers that are used. Some use averages, some take percentages and work out complicated formulas to prove their point. Some gather numbers from what they have heard, some gather from what they read, and others seemingly pulled numbers from the deep recesses of their...well, never mind where those numbers come from.
So, what we need are numbers that anybody can work with, right?
Along comes "This Biz Now" a new website from Quixtar and the minds of their Public Relations-slash-Communications-slash-Advertising departments.
The site features what appears to be real world testimonials from normal IBOs, glowing recommendations from affiliate store officials and some press clippings. Sadly, a few of the quotes used from the press are somewhat outdated(all the way back to 1999) or very niche-oriented.(Specialty-magazines)
But the thing that everyone can agree on is the numbers.
And while the numbers and percentages are for fiscal year, 2004; one can hope that as soon as fiscal year 2005 is completed and compiled, we can expect some edits.
Included in the list are IBO numbers, real averages of income from certain achievement levels, and percentages of success.
So, there shouldn't be anymore conflict over who said what and where; cause these are the numbers as Quixtar reports them...good or bad, there they are.
The only thing I have against the new site is the same lackluster and still weak attempt to address the critical websites against Quixtar. It's my assumption that one of the reasons the "This Biz Now" site was launched was to address the "critical numbers". If that's the case, then why not be upfront and bold about it.
Instead we IBOs get statements like:
Negative web sites are a fact of life for all major corporations today. There is no distinction between credible sources and those based on personal opinion. Even companies with the most sparkling reputations have dozens of critics who actively share their opinions online.
In my considered opinion, the company should take the stand, "Yeah, we got critics, and some of their issues are valid, we are trying to balance the bottom line with addressing the concerns forthright, but bear with us; it can't happen overnight or we lose the financial ability to sustain the business through the changes."
But, heck, what do I know? I'm just a poor dumb southerner with a degree in Public Relations and some experience consulting with PR departments.
Anyway, you want numbers to play with; then "This Biz Now" has them.
Amy Sullivan's, Washington Monthly journalist, and commentator for American Public Media's MarketPlace, story on renting an apartment in Washington, D.C. featured in today's broadcast brought to mind a recent message I read on an MLM Forum.
As much as folks in Washington like to push for bi-partisanship; there are some things you just have to consider when conducting business in the Capitol City.
Do you give your money to a business, (or in Amy's case) a landlord whose political affiliation is in direct conflict with your own? What if they give your money to a cause or political party that you in turn are spending your money to defeat. In the case of reporter, Sullivan; would you rent an apartment to a liberal reporter when you are a staunch Republican? Listen to Amy story, but let me continue on with my MLM slant.
Yesterday, I read from another MLMer, a message that infuriated my liberal leanings, but made me think afterwards about my own actions.
Here's the message with relevant name changes.
Leopold, of course Amway contributes heavily to the Republican party, since both Rich de Voss and the late Jay van Andel were both very active in the Republican party in Michigan, and that is one of the things which attracted us to Amway. We would never be a part of a company whose founders were not Republican. (signed)Bertrand
Leopold wrote: >You are so full of it Bertrand. Do you really expect anyone to believe that crock >of bull? LOL! >What does a political party have to do with YOU selling Amway products?
Leopold, maybe political afliation is not important to you, but it is to us. For example when my brother Joesephus and sister in law, Zelda approached us about Mannatech one of the first things I asked if the founders were Republican or Democrat and the same thing before I got involved with AmeriPlan. The reason why it is important for me, because I want to know if the company donates to the Democratic or Republican party. (signed)Bertrand
So, here I am, a liberal Democrat in an MLM business that is founded by Republicans, donates to Republicans, and heavily endorsed by Republicans such as "Bertrand".
But, I also receive income from the very same company and with that money donate to my own liberal causes and beliefs.
"Bertrand" never expressed whether he would sign someone up for his MLMs that was outside his political affiliation. Maybe he doesn't consider the downline's money in his political cause.
I, on the other hand, sponsor people from both sides of the political spectrum and wouldn't dream about asking someone their political affiliation, before sponsoring someone.
Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe a MLM downline would thrive better if all the members were of one homogeneous group. Just like in the reporter's story; maybe a liberal landlord and a liberal tenant would have many more years of care-free co-existence.
I don't know.
But, I still feel(darn, those liberal "feelings") that diversity is better.
Balance and an exchange of ideas, even opposing ideas, builds a more open-minded downline. A downline that thinks for itself. A downline whose dream is for themselves and their goals. A downline with a passion to earn an income based on their own goals and causes they wish to champion.
And while partisanship is alive and well in Washington, DC I believe an MLM should strive for bi-partisanship.
So, I'm driving to pick up my wife this afternoon from her job. Southbound on I-65 about 5 miles from my exit, traffic slows to a crawl. There had been a traffic accident.
If you know anything about the Sunny Gulf Coast, then you know that during the summer, it's rarely sunny all day, and frequent scattered thunderstorms are the norm. So, slick, wet roads combined with interstate speed cause quite a few rush hour traffic accidents.
As I crawled toward the scene of the accident, I noticed that apparently a car had rear-ended a MobileGas service truck and that resulting wreck had caused two other cars to strike each other.
It appeared that most of the chaos was being cleared as I drove by, and I made it past with a minor delay.
I arrived at my wife's office and was exiting the car and she came out from the building and informed me that my daughter had been in a traffic accident.
My daughter had been a passenger in the car that had rear-ended the gas utility truck.
Her friend, the driver, had hurt her shoulder and back and was in x-ray when we arrived at the ER.
My daughter was sitting in the ER waiting room, with a swollen, black eye, a sore chest, and a small cut in her eyelid, but otherwise safe and okay.
We waited with my daughter until she was checked out by a doctor, had some X-rays and given a chemical ice bag and a prescription for pain killers. (She is going to be in for some pain and soreness by tomorrow morning.)
Thankfully, my daughter and her friend were relatively unharmed, and were discharged.
Sometimes, when I pass an accident, I often wonder about the welfare of the victims or about the impact of the families involved. Today it was my own family. Thankfully, the impact was a few minutes of panic, and a grateful sigh of relief.
I like writing a blog, but the technical aspects of producing one is frustrating to me. I've managed to learn how to cut and paste some simple HTML codes into my blog template, I'm pretty adept at putting in relevant links into the body of blog entries, and uploading photos is not the pain in the butt it once was.
I check my site stats daily and I try to analyze the "referrals" I received from different search engines, in order to adapt to my readers.
In case you don't know, Technorati is a service that tracks blog activity, they provide up to the minute updates on some 13 million blogs and provide a search service of those blogs by keyword, phrases, and "tags".
You can also set up a "Watch List" of certain words or topics, you often write about; and then keep track of other bloggers who also write about the topic.
The service is free, and provides a profile for your blog and even ranks your blog on popularity regarding topics.
Pretty cool, right?
I thought so too, but Technorati is making me feel like a leper in a public hot tub.
They used to list my blog under topics like "Quixtar", and I could watch how a topic I might write about, compared at any hour with other blogs writing about the same topic.
That is until I finally added the Technorati link in my Side Bar.
Now, my blog just doesn't show up in a Technorati search UNLESS someone else mentions my blog in THEIR blog, or has a link to it.
I wrote to Technorati, but I have found that with any other free service on the web; that the degree of technical support and speed of reply is seriously lacking.
Maybe(and I'm just speculating)Technorati has advanced software that excludes me from seeing my OWN blog in a search, because it figures I already know what I write about and shouldn't need to see it in a search.
Maybe, they have changed their search criteria to exclude "good ole boys" from Alabama who blog about Quixtar. Maybe, their criteria now excludes bloggers over 40 who also "play" with ventriloquist dummies? Who Knows?
I don't have the answer.
Ya reckon, my topic on "Technorati" will at least be included in their next update?
There are two more things I want to bring up about the "Quit Date" I wrote about today.
One: is I got an email from someone that was fearful that my personal goal was too much of a stretch for them personally. I want to make things clear that MY goal has nothing to do with what your "Quit Date" might be.
The purpose of establishing a "Quit Date" is to instill in you a "for-once-in your-life" goal of actually following through with all that "positive talk" you have heard for so long while participating in most Network Marketing Companies.
If your goal is to consistently sell $500 dollars per month in your venture, and you haven't done it; then either do what it takes to accomplish the goal or get out.
If you have been telling people you own your own business helping other people start their own business, and you haven't sponsored anyone in 6 months, then make a goal to sponsor somebody, do what is necessary to establish that person in business, or get out.
Your "Quit Date" is based on your actions in the past and your desire to "put it on the line" now. Don't let my goal sway you in establishing a goal that you won't achieve for the wrong reasons.
If you do that, then you are no better off than you were when you were stating you'd be a millionaire in 2-5 years...7 years ago; and re-writing the same goal every year extending it another 2-5 years.
Two: I want to thank Ty Tribble from MLMBlog for his kind words and encouragement in the Comments section. Ty's last question to me was this;
Dave,
Will you be sharing your gameplan for acheiving your goal?
I think anybody that reads my ramblings on a day to day basis, knows that a cookie- cutter type plan that is fully duplicatable in MLM is a myth, and my plan won't be a plan everyone can follow to the letter.
But my plan is basically based on the principles I normally talk about.
Get off your butt, get "out there", whether it's online or offline.
Sell or Learn to Sell.
Sponsoring someone doesn't mean just signing someone up. Be a true Sponsor.
Schedule Your Time Effectively and Efficiently.
Think Individually.
But, I do plan on sharing with you my activities and progress as I move forward towards this "Quit Date" After all, that's one of the purposes of this blog; to take you into the world of multi-level marketing AND my world.
If you have followed my last three days' of blogging; then you know by now, that I advocate setting a "Quit Date" for your personal MLM business.
You need to conduct business consistently or you need to go ahead and quit.
Well, there's no way I can write such a series of articles and then leave you hanging, without announcing my OWN "Quit Date"; and so, this is my announcement.
August 31, 2006 will be my last full day as a Quixtar Independent Business Owner, if I am not in the qualification process as a "Platinum IBO" as defined by the Independent Business Ownership Plan in the Quixtar Business Compendium.
So, if you are one of those people that like to remind a person of something they said in the past; and you feel like you may need to remind me of this statement; this will be your opportunity to save this entry and make a note on your calendar for next year.
If you have been following Part 1 and Part 2 of this series; then today you set down in stone, on paper, or "saved to disk", the date you will Quit Quixtar or any other MLM company you are involved with.
You have decided that "yes" there comes a time when you have to call it quits and you have analyzed your current state of affairs.
Based on your current progress and time spent, what can you reasonably hope for in the following months?
Has it taken you 6 months to sponsor 2 people? Has it taken you 6 months to sell $100 dollars worth of products? Has it taken you one year to achieve the first significant level in your compensation plan?
Have you been stuck at the SAME level for more than one year? Even if you are a MLMer in the higher ranks of your company, I would ask the same question. How effective of a leader are you, if you can't get past the same level over a two or three year period?
Is it likely that you will have more time to spend "building the business"? Is it likely that you will learn the techniques of selling to a client or prospect? Is it likely that you truly care about being in a business?
Have you truly worked at making appointments and presentations? Are your presentations effective?
Did you spend more money on literature than you needed? Did you buy samples that looked "pretty" on the shelf, with no inkling of how to give them to clients? Has your MLM business become a "social network" rather than a "business network"? Are you playing "bidness man"?
Consider all the factors, and then get ready to write down your QUITTING GOAL.
Here are the rules:
1) Your Time Frame is ONE YEAR. You may set down 90-Day Increments.
2) You must devote a specific number of hours each week.
3) You must have one specific significant Compensation Plan Goal.
4) You must have a specific sales or volume goal.
5) You must have a specific LIMIT on expenses. The goal here; is to decrease the percentage of expenses as your profit rises. You may very well have an increase in expenses, but your profit should far exceed the percentage spent.
6) You must have a specific checkbook balance with a NET PROFIT.
ONE EXCEPTION CAN BE MADE.
If you miss a goal for a specific level of achievement and yet STILL increase your profit through retailing, et cetera, you may continue on. This will offset those compensation plans where achievement is based SOLELY on recruitment efforts. Although if you are in a compensation plan that emphasizes achievement on "body count". I'd prefer you go ahead and quit now.
Using Quixtar as an example, here's is a sample QUIT STATEMENT.
After considering all the factors involved, I will quit Quixtar on August 31, 2006, unless I have achieved the level of a Platinum IBO. Upon re-examining my finances on that date; I should have $2500.00 in Savings. My monthly group volume should consistently be $10,000 dollars. My personal sales to my own clients will be $3000 dollars. If I do not achieve this I will officially resign my distributorship.
Finally, if you do quit after that date. You must do the following:
First: Officially write your company and your sponsor expressing your resignation.
Second: Return all salable items in your possession.
Third: Throw away, burn, discard, bury or use up any and all items that you do not return.
Fourth and Finally: Move on with your life, with no regrets, no bitterness. This time it was up to you. This time you acted. And this time you failed. That's right; you FAILED. No stigma, no hard feelings, you gave it a shot, you failed, and you decided to QUIT pro-actively.
Move on to better things.
My guess is few will make this commitment. Most will just lapse into some MLM limbo, or switch to yet another company, or become bitter over MLM, in general. Some will hang on just a bit more; just one more month, just one more year.
It's really easy to blame others, the market, the compensation plan, or any other factors. It's really easy to set a goal of success, and constantly re-set it every few months to coincide with your progress. It takes guts to QUIT.
Today, I want you to decide to QUIT your Multi-level Marketing Business.
Today, I will set down the criteria and rules in order to quit your multi-level marketing company; along with committing to a "Quit Date" Goal.
Usually, a person comes up with a goal, puts a date on it, and then decides on the actions that will be needed to complete the goal by the desired date.
Deciding on a "QUIT DATE" will be done in the opposite direction.
Let's get started "on quitting".
First: Get out your checkbook, your bank statement, your savings passbook, your spreadsheet financial software, what ever you have that keeps up with how much money you got, your average balances, etc. On a new sheet of paper or word processing document, write down today's date and the appropriate balances.
Look at your current MLM expenses. Literature, Catalogs, Tapes, Unsold products, etc. How much have you spent? Write that down as well.
Second: Get out your day planner or calendar and look at all the time you spent "working your MLM business" in the last month. This should include appointments, presentations, drive time, phone calls and emails. If you are involved in a seminars, conference calls or training sessions; you may include that time as well. But ONLY, if the sessions involved techniques on sales training or sponsoring.
Sitting in a chatroom or arguing with someone on a message board does not count as "working". Also, reading about success, or MLMs, or "getting rich" does not count, either. Neither, does listening to a strictly motivational tape or "getting 'fired up' at a rally.
Make a note of this time that you have used in the month. What days did you work the most? What time of the day did you work the most? What were your "down days"? Also, if you spent time arguing on a message board, or sitting in a chatroom, you might want to take note of the time you "wasted".
Third: What level in your MLM compensation plan are you at currently? How long did it take you to achieve that level? NOT, how long did it take you AFTER you got "fired up" or attended "that rally in Texas"; but HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU SINCE YOU SIGNED ON THE DOTTED LINE?
Write down your level and time it consumed.
Spend today analyzing this data, and assessing your current performance. This in-your-face analysis may already have you on the verge of quitting anyway, BUT hold on to that knot at the end of your rope, just a bit longer. You aren't quite ready to make the decision to Quit.
Today, I want you to decide to QUIT your Multi-level Marketing Business.
I'm not talking about letting your membership lapse or deciding not to re-new. I'm not talking about just phasing it out of your life. Today, I want to tell you it's okay to admit you are a QUITTER! In fact, today I wholeheartedly recommend that you decide to QUIT.
This will be a conscious, no nonsense commitment to quit with certain criteria to follow. No excuses, no "victim", no blame.
The MLM folklore and legends is replete with stories of how "Joe Bob" "worked the business" for 15 years with no success and then in one month he went "Super-Duper Ultimate Executive Gold Diamond with Silver Clusters"; today we are throwing away that story.
Or the story about "Sally Ann"; who showed her marketing presentation to 999 people and they all said "no". But on that 1000th time, she sponsored one guy who sponsored a thousand more people. Let's get rid of that story, too.
Let's quit hanging on to these "hanging on" stories! Yes, you may try to sell your Whiz Bang Buggy Whip Polish to 50 people, and the 51st person buys cases and cases for his Buggy Whip plant to use...BUT, let's just admit that ain't really going to happen.
Sometimes, you can't tie a knot on the end of the rope and hang on; sometimes you gotta cut the rope and free fall.
Yeah, your sponsor "loves" you and wants you to succeed. Yeah, you've said, "I'm gonna do it no matter what!" Yeah, you've bragged to all your friends and to all the critics; that you'll be laying "on the beaches of the world".
So What?
You have made countless goals and written down countless dreams on paper, you've pasted pictures of houses, and cars, and boats on your refrigerator. You may have even had some success. You may have achieved some of these goals.
But today, I guarantee without a shadow of a doubt, that you can achieve the goal of QUITTING. It will be the easiest goal you have ever set. And when you achieve it, you will be the happier for it.
Get Ready to QUIT!
Monday, I'll lay down the rules and criteria for you to follow.
Occasionally, I'm asked about living in the South. It amazes me sometimes, the misperceptions people STILL cling to, when it comes to living below the Mason-Dixon Line.
Somehow, people still believe they might witness a lynching or see a "moonshine still" in the backyard. Or maybe Granny out back making her lye soap, while Barney Fife fumbles for his one bullet in his shirt pocket.
And while I'm all for seeing Jessica Simpson let her "boots do the walkin'" in the new Dukes of Hazzard movie; I'm sure that movie won't help the cause of changing the image of the South.
BUT, I'm happy to say, we Southerners have something new to be proud of.
This week, the State of Alabama exercised it's right to act on a recent Supreme Court decision and instituted a new Eminent Domain Law.
In case you haven't followed the story, a law case from Connecticut recently was judged by the Supreme Court, and in the case the State was given the right to act on it's own accord involving Eminent Domain. After the ruling; the State of Connecticut granted a PRIVATE developer land originally owned by Connecticut citizens. The citizens lost their houses and land; not for roads, or state improvements, but for a private FOR-profit development deal.
In the South, we still pride ourselves for our homes and lands; and while we do exercise Eminent Domain for public works improvements, this week we stepped up to the plate to insure that citizen land would remain citizen land when it comes to FOR-profit developers.
Thanks to Governor Bob Riley, The State of Alabama exercised ITS right established by the same Supreme Court ruling, to grant home owners some special protection from these type deals.
In this day, where we must give up some individual rights in the interest of freedom for all, it's nice to know Alabama has stepped up to the plate to establish some safeguards for the individual once again.
I found this site today through Intelliseek's Blog Pulse. From somewhere in Russia, someone has found a way to take me away from work,(not like that's a hard thing to do, mind you.) to just sit and watch this "lady" fall and bounce on these bubbles.
You can click on the "lady" and slow her descent or keep her in a somewhat comfortable position as she falls, but some of the bounces will make you wince as you notice that her "body" does exactly what you'd expect it to do free-falling and hitting an object.
But, like watching a car accident; you just can't help looking. Just don't forget that you still have work to do, as you watch the Bouncing Bubble Lady.
UPDATED: January 4th, 2007
Since this entry is found through numerous Internet searches...the latest valid link is at PlanetDan.net
Well, it's as close as your Instant Message Buddy List
AIM Fight pits your Buddy List against the Buddy List of someone else in a dual to decide who is most popular.
But there's more to it. Each person on your Buddy List has a Buddy List of their own; so you can see who is most popular out to "three degrees of separation"
"Your score is the sum of the current number of people online who have you listed as a buddy, out to three degrees. This means the score is constantly changing, and the winner of the battle will constantly change with it."
Give it a try. You can start by comparing with me. My AIM screen name is davidrbsn.
Have you heard about Leonard Clark, Guardsman blogger? He was demoted because of his blog.
Leonard teaches kindergarten. Leonard is a soldier in Iraq. Leonard fights for that elusive freedom for all, that is so glorified and allegedly what the war in Iraq is all about.
But, Leonard is also a blogger; And Soldier Bloggers can only blog about certain things
Over the past month, I've been consumed with this idea of making On The Road With Dave a better blog, a better website, and a better success.
First, came the purchase of the new domain address. Second, came transferring the blog to the new URL address. Third, came what seemed like weeks of link repair, and notifications of the change.
Now, I'm faced with designing a new template, theme, and design for the blog.
Choosing a design and template for the site has got me thinking about Multi-level Marketing and business ownership in a different way.
It seems to me that every MLM Training Program markets their own version or template for success.
Whether it's a "9 Core Steps" or " Blueprint for Success" or a "Getting Started Fast" guide; they all seem to say, "Do It Our Way" and you will succeed. Even I wrote my own version I entitled; "Platinum Strategies".
When I first started "On The Road With Dave"; I picked what I considered the most appropriate Blogger template, for my style. This template was designed by Todd Dominey.
Todd's design is good; but in the end, it's Todd's style, not mine.
I even played around with different themes on my own such as this rejected rough draft.
But the process has continued.
In Multi-level Marketing, the process ALSO has to continue. You can start with a template, a business plan, an idea; but you can't stop there. You can't rely on that template for success.
You eventually have to find your own style. You eventually have to step away from the "Getting Started" guide, and develop your OWN "Moving On" design.
Just like I'm doing as I make changes to this blog; I analyze what works, what doesn't work, and what needs to be done now, in my Quixtar business.
Nobody's template is going to be perfect for you, but you will develop a template for success on your own. Will it be duplicatable? Maybe, for a short time. But your goal should not be developing "clones" of your template. You want to develop individual leaders that can design their own template, with your help.
You take the "code" provided in the template, and learn to "cut and paste" and manipulate the symbols, numbers, and tags to your own style and that of your MLM organization.
And like a good search engine finds your "perfect website" in the end; so will the potential member of your MLM team find your business.
