Many of us make health-related resolutions, such as to lose weight, stop smoking or join the neighborhood health club. While it is common to set high goals, experts say that setting smaller goals could do more for our health.
"Small steps are achievable and are easier to fit into your daily routine," says James O. Hill, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. "They are less overwhelming than a big, sudden change."
Here are 10 to try:
1. Keep an eye on your weight and work on making sure you are not gaining extra lbs. Even if you gain just a pound or two every year, the extra weight adds up quickly.
2. Take more small steps. Use a pedometer to count your daily steps; then add 2,000, the equivalent of one extra mile. Keep adding steps, 1,000 to 2,000 each month or so, until you take 10,000 steps on most days.
3. Eat breakfast. Breakfast eaters tend to weigh less and have better diets overall. For a filling and nutrition-packed breakfast, top Whole Grain Total® with fresh fruit slices and low-fat or fat-free milk.
4. Switch three grain servings each day to whole grain. If you're like the average American, you eat less than one whole grain serving a day.
5. Have at least one green salad every day. Eating a salad (with low-fat or fat-free dressing) is filling and may help you eat less during the meal. It also counts toward your five daily cups of vegetables and fruits.
6. Trim the fat. Fat has a lot of calories, and calories count. Purchase lean meats, eat poultry without the skin, switch to lower-fat cheeses, use a nonstick pan with only a dab of oil or butter.
7. Consider calcium by including two or three daily servings of low-fat or fat-free milk or yogurt. Dairy calcium is good for bones and may also help you lose weight.
8. Downsize. The smaller the bag, bottle or bowl, the less you will eat.
9. Lose just 5 to 10 percent of your current weight. The health benefits are huge-lower blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides.
10. Keep track of your eating. Write down what you eat over the next couple of days and look for problem spots. Often, just writing things down can help you eat less.
Remember the benefits of omega 3s to brain health I talked about last week? Here's a delicious way to get those nutrients in your diet in less than 30 minutes. I'm excited to try this for dinner this week.
For many of us, gaining back full range of motion and strength after a health scare (stroke, multiple sclerosis or other illness that compromises mobility) is a goal that requires daily movement and practice. You can’t give in to despair. You can’t give up on yourself. You have to give yourself some grace when you have a bad day. You must remain relentless in your quest to be whole.
I do this through functional movement and retraining my brain to move in the way that most people take for granted. Like walking, talking, running, getting down to the floor from a standing position and getting up from the floor.
A huge part of my training is flexibility training. A muscle that is flexible has more capacity to become stronger and move as it was designed to move. I have found a program that I have done before and will be starting again and I am excited to see how far I’ve
come since doing my first round.
I’m getting stronger every day so I know I will do well this time around🤩
Recovery comes in many forms. We all struggle with something. The goal should always be to give your best every day you are blessed to wake up❣️ Through prayer and supplication I found the courage to embark on this journey. May whatever you struggle with today not overwhelm you. Make it your runway for you to take off towards your new beginning🤗
Would you like to get started on a new program to strengthen not just your body but also your mind too? Check out some options here.
I remember reading this for the first time and being like “Dang David! You didn’t have to come at me like dat!”
Buuuut...
He is 1000% right!
If you tryna do something big, i. e. accomplish great things and/or create an impact, and you’re not getting results or making the milestones toward your goal, then it’s time to take a looooooong look in the mirror and deal with some stuff.
Connect with some people that will hold you accountable and give you courage to do big things.
Simply put…
Clear the cobwebs out yo mind and spirit that keeping you from gettin the bag 💰
If you're really trying to reach some crazy, scary, I can't believe I'm even thinking about this, kinda goals, I encourage you to get Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins
One thing I’m know I’m really good at is suffering😂but any success I’ve had in life has been because I pushed past pain (try saying that 5x fast😆) and I was relentless in achieving my desired outcome.
After all, I raised a whole human for God’s sake! I don’t mind telling you that she is an amazing and fantastic human with the biggest heart I’ve ever known. I can’t take all the credit tho… I had a little help from the Almighty🙏🏽
It takes courage to put your trust in God! For me, that’s the pushing past the 40% that David is talking about in his book, Can’t Hurt Me. Anyone can push up until it hurts. But it takes a whisper in your soul to make you take action and push past pain to get to where you wanna go. It’s the mind, soul and spirit vs. the brain for me.
Your brain is there to protect you. But your mind, soul and spirit will take you where you want to go❣️🧠🧐🙏🏽🤗
Shout out to Aaliyah when she told us to dust ourselves off and try again❣️ RIP
You know I’ve been having a lot of conversations about health and wellness and taking care of your mind, body and soul. Some of us seem to think that it’s got to be all or nothing.
NEWSFLASH 📰
‘ALL IN’ doesn’t mean all or nothing.
It means betting on you for positive change!
All or nothing is the biggest misconception about the journey to getting healthier that I have ever heard. Like anything in life that you’re learning for the first time, there’s a process involved.
Maybe you have to write it down several times so you remember new information.
Maybe you have to hear it multiple times for you to understand the value of it.
Nevertheless, it is a process that is meant to be embraced, a process for good change to happen in any area of your life. Whether it’s a new job, new motherhood, a new relationship…whatever it is…you have to learn it and practice it to be good at it.
Would you throw your kid away the first time you made a mistake?
Would you quit your job after the first day because you didn’t learn everything in one day?
Would you stop seeing someone after the first date because they ate their salad with the wrong fork?
No you wouldn’t!
So why would you give up on YOU because the first day, the first week or the first month of learning what it is to take care of yourself for the first time doesn’t go as planned?
It’s a process.
Embrace it!
Give yourself some time.
Give yourself some grace!
You won’t learn everything in one day just like you won’t lose 100 pounds in one day… it’s a process… one day at a time, one lesson at a time, one pound at a time, one meal at a time.
REAL TALK
Whenever you’re trying to do something good, the enemy will rear its ugly head and try to throw a monkey wrench in your plans.
If you know what I’m talking about, holla at ya girl!
You gotta be better than the enemy and stronger than the enemy and have a little bit more faith in your Creator to get up when you’re knocked down and try again.
This week is an opportunity to try again.
Since the Lord blessed you to wake up this morning, what are you going to do with the new opportunities to TRY AGAIN this week?
This delightful young lady wrote in an article in Cosmopolitan magazine about not being represented in the “wellness” niche. I know how she feels on so many fronts and I am sure I am not alone. Nevertheless, she, like me, was not afraid to try new things (many new things) to discover what works for her and what makes her feel good in pursuit of her own wellness goals. She discovered that listening to her body was the most effective way to achieve her weight loss and wellness goals. At the end of the day, that's what being healthy is all about, isn't it?
Here is what she had to say about her discoveries along her journey into her new wellness lifestyle:
“After a week of experimenting with surprisingly attainable recipes, the superfood-phobe in me realised it is possible to give your body and mind proper attention without necessarily resorting to fancy foods I can’t pronounce. It might sound obvious, but actual[ly] living, [it] has done confidence-boosting wonders for someone who felt a little excluded from the wellness zeitgeist”.
I agree that some of the wellness or “fitness” images that we see on our timeline has been, in the best of terms, somewhat deceiving. I believe it's because a lot of so-called diets and workouts are designed to be a “one-size-fits-all” type of solution to achieving wellness. However, we know that’s not true.
I’ve always believed that you should run experiments on yourself (be your own guinea pig) in your quest to achieve wellness. Try new things and give them time to work (30 days is a good benchmark) to see if the system you've chosen is sustainable to your lifestyle. That means listening to your own body and truly studying what works for you. This is the secret sauce to wellness, fitness and weight loss.
Hey let’s face it what you eat matters. If you’re not getting enough protein, fiber and carbs (yes, I said it, carbs) you are going to experience plateaus and weight gain.
Examples of the types of protein you should consider are:
Lean beef such as flank steak, sirloin 90% lean ground beef
Fresh tuna, albacore or chunk light tuna fish in the can ( in water)
Chicken thighs (trimmed) chicken breast
Salmon
Cod
If you can get you chicken and beef organic or grass fed and your fish wild caught, all the better.
Examples of the types of fiber you should consider are:
Green leafy greens like spinach, kale, spring greens (for salads)
broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini
Examples of the types of carbs you should consider are:
Sweet potatoes, brown rice, whole grain pasta, green beans, green peas, carrots, turnips
Although some of these are typically in the veggie category, they are also a great source of carbohydrates that don’t do a ton of damage to the waistline.
When you eat
I can’t stress this enough. When you eat is just as important as what you eat in my humble opinion. Frankly, practicing intermittent fasting is a very effective way to manage your weight. Intermittent fasting is when you choose an eating window in your day. For example, my eating window is typically 12p - 8p eating the largest meal of the day first. Throughout the eating window, I decrease the portions proportionately at each meal. The last meal of the day is the lightest, usually a superfood shake which I have found boosts my metabolism and makes for a more restful night’s sleep.
A good night’s sleep
Speaking of sleep, it should never be underestimated how much a good night’s sleep contributes to weight management. The more sound sleep you get, the deeper the rejuvenation of your bodily functions and the healthier your metabolism will be. We all know that your metabolism contributes significantly to achieving a healthy weight. A good night’s sleep will almost guarantee your weight loss goals once you make how much you sleep and your quality of sleep a priority.
Bonus Tip!
Movement
How much you move is definitely related to healthy weight management. While diet and sleep account for about 90% of your weight loss goals, movement and exercise give you an edge. Even walking can get the heart rate up, help you break a sweat and get the blood flowing. All of that contribute to the commonly accepted and basic concept of calories in calories out that is essential to effective weight loss. Thirty minutes a day is all you need. So take that walk at lunch time. Taking a walk does wonders for your digestion and it’ll do you good to enjoy the sunshine (on a nice day) and get some vitamin D as well as clear your mind from the stresses of the day.
So there you have it. My tips for healthy weight loss. If you want to begin your weight loss journey but don’t know where start, start here.
You got good grades in school. You were a good girl and didn’t make any trouble.You did your best to be the perfect girlfriend. You had a moment of rebellion just to try to fit in. You met the man of your dreams and vowed to be everything he ever needed. You became a mother and swore to be the best mother God gave you the strength and power to be. You went college and earned an advanced degree. You went out to work in a world that demanded more than your best time and time again and you always and consistently delivered. You didn’t need anybody’s help. You got this!
For all your hard work 😓 you:
Still got rejected by your parents.
Still wasn’t what he wanted.
Still was the last to be invited to the party.
Still got bamboozled by the husband.
Still fell short as a parent.
Still got taken advantage of in exchange for your good will at work.
Still wasn’t smart enough.
Still wasn’t good enough.
For all your effort, you realize you ain’t got this!
Don’t you deserve better?
Don’t you deserve to live a life full of wellbeing and purpose?
Don’t you deserve to know love and peace in a way that surpasses all understanding?
Don’t you deserve to have more, do more, be more?
Don’t you deserve to enjoy good health, be financially fit and renew your mind to the highest esteem?
You can! Starting today! In order to have more you have to be more so you can do more. You have that power. It all starts with a desire and a decision to create change that creates focus and determination to go where you want to go and be who you want to be.
I know it’s a big decision. Bigger than the decision to get married, have kids, go back to school or even accept an offer for a job. Keep in mind, all those decisions were made in fear. Fear of your biological clock. Fear of being rejected. Fear of failure. Fear he wouldn’t love me. Fear she wouldn’t respect me. Fear of being alone. Fear of (fill in the blank) How about we change the narrative? How about we start stepping out on FAITH!?!
Why not change the thoughts in our mind to know and accept that anything is possible with God? How about we write some crazy, awesome dreams down on paper and take them to God in prayer? How about having some hope for something more than just checking the boxes of what the world expects of you?
What if you did that and changed your life in such an amazing way that you won’t even recognize the life you left behind? If fear was no object and faith took its place, what could your life look like in 5 years?
👉🏽I’m really thinking a lot about the way I lived my life in the past and how I intend to live now to prepare for my future
👉🏽I can’t sleep at night and feel lethargic during the day
👉🏽 I would do about anything for just a little more energy
👉🏽I wanna focus on my health but who has the time?
I hear you. It’s been a crazy few months but you can find some calm in the anxiety and rejuvenation from the fatigue. Let’s focus on our health as the foundation for all other things we want to do. I have an idea that might help.
For starters, I’m joining my team’s 11 day glow up challenge starting July 6th. For 11 days, we are going to nourish our bodies in a way the reduces the stress, gives us a good night’s sleep (I know right, what is that😳), giving us the energy to get through the day!
Depression is such a broad phenomenon. It covers so many things. Some people think it is just clinical depression that you should be looking out for when thinking about depression generally, but in fact clinical depression varies and is exhibited in all kinds of forms. Anxiety, loss of appetite, lack of desire to do something that you once loved, even lack of a sexual drive are all signs of depression. I'm not an expert or clinical psychologist but I've lived a little life and I’ve learned throughout my many different stages of life how you can fall in depression over things and you can really have a hard time coping with situations. Situational depression is one thing but if you’re not paying attention, it could also lead to a lifestyle of depression where you're in a funk for two and three years and it's the reason why I'm bringing this up today.
In our empowerment zone group, we use fitness as a foundation to improve other areas of our lives. We support each other not just in our fitness journey but also in our daily struggles with work and family and kids and friends and all that other kind of stuff. We have a mother and daughter team that's in the group and we found ourselves talking about a breakthrough that they made in their relationship with regard to the depression that the daughter was suffering at the same time that the mom was suffering from depression but they were dealing with it in different ways. The daughter revealed was that she had come to the mom on several occasions as a teenager to discuss feelings she was having and these dark places that she found herself in. The mom was always so preoccupied with something else.
During that perilous time in both the mom and the daughter’s life, the mom was just doing everything in her power and working around the clock just to ensure that her daughter is safe, getting three squares, has clothes on her back but with very little support. Even though the mom was married to her daughter’s father, the dad was not really doing all that he could he to support the family so the burden was on the mom. To hear the mom explain it, he had a weird job that some weeks he'd work he'd work ten hours a week other weeks he'd work 80 hours and it made it difficult for them financially never knowing what their what their situation would look like.
The mom shared with us that she was working two-three jobs at any given while going to school to try and just keep everything together because at the end of the day, she wants to take care of the daughter.
Unfortunately, while her mom is there sometimes and not there a lot, the daughter tried to confront this and tried to explain her depression to her mom. Since the daughter couldn't get her mom's attention, the daughter found other ways to cope.
The good news is that when the mom and the daughter finally had the conversation years later, the mom finally got clarity. She understood that as much as she wanted to provide for her daughter and make sure everything stayed afloat and even though she was going through her own thing, if she had a chance to do it all over again, she would most definitely be paying attention to her daughter. She started listening to her and they both were talking through the issues that the daughter was feeling and get her into therapy.
I share this because I think it is an amazing story. First of all, these groups are really great when we have the opportunity to help each other in a profound way. We can talk about these issues in private we don't share them with anybody and we end up empowering people to live happy, fulfilling lives. I'm bringing this your attention because depression is a real thing. Depression is something that you really have to address as parents, especially when you profess that everything that you are doing is for your kids. This is what I heard often during our conversations in the group. “Everything that I did and every day I got up was guided by how can I make this easier for her? I just don't want her to suffer like I suffered. I don't want her to go through what I'm going through.” What the mom in our group learned is, at the end of the day when your child is in front of you and needs to talk to you need to pay attention. I’m a parent too so clearly, I empathized with her. I know our kids don’t come with manuals. I do think there is a lesson to be learned here for parents of teenagers that are going through a lot of different things. Teenagers by virtue of the fact that they're teenagers are just going through a lot as they discover who they are. Their hormones are all over the place and sometimes they don't have somewhere to channel all this energy. They're just trying to learn about all that’s going on with them. So as parents, we sometimes have to drop everything. We might have a presentation for the CEO that's due tomorrow morning. At the end of the day, whatever you are doing, you're doing that for your kid. I just feel like when your kid tells you that they're depressed, when their kid when your kid tells you that they're feeling sad, when your kid tells you that something is bothering them, don't say ‘not now’. Do yourself a favor. You don't have to listen to me. Listen to your kids. I think it'll be good for you to understand them. So when they are in crisis, you will be the first to know. It’s critical!
At the end of the day, we want to provide our kids with the best life possible but let me tell you one of the things that your kids treasure the most as they're growing up and when they become an adult. They're going to remember the time they spent with you. They're going to remember that time you said ‘not now’ and it's going to impact them in a very negative way and it's going to contribute to years of depression and wondering why they're not enough and why they were never enough. I lived it as a kid growing up. God bless my parents. I didn’t come with a manual either. I think that they did the best that they could. However, during my adult life, I was dealing with a lot of issues of abandonment as a result of hearing ‘not now’ one too many dang times. So, I could so relate to this young lady who was sharing her story. The mother and daughter are in a better place. Thank God for His mercy that they went through what they went through together and separately and still ended up being the best of friends. Now that's a blessing and God's grace in an abundant way. I'm so happy for them and I'm so happy that they're doing this group together because it's going to help them continue to heal in ways that maybe they haven't explored yet. The daughter feels validated now and the mom is learning to forgive herself. It's a beautiful thing to watch. I'm blessed to be able to witness that and just kind of guide that process. It really is them they're doing this together and it's a beautiful thing so I'm glad that I could be part of it.
At the end of the day, if you're a mom or a dad with teenage kids or young kids and they come to you anytime and talk about feeling sad or feeling a certain kind of way just stop what you're doing for a second, look them in the eyes and say ‘baby girl, (baby boy) tell me what's going on’. That is going to mean the absolute world to them. Just remember as busy as we are as parents remember who you're doing it for. It's not an easy job raising kids and having to work outside the home, building a business and finishing your education. Trust me, been there, done that. Remember, what your kids want the most is your time to hear them tell their silly story, to hear them tell you what's wrong, okay?
So if this article was helpful, please share it. Please talk about it. Please let me know if you know a busy parent that's dealing with depression and relationship issues with their kids. Share this article with them and hopefully it'll help. Hopefully it'll give them some perspective. Hopefully this article gave you some perspective because I know I learned a lot of lessons raising my own baby girl and listening to this dynamic between this mom and daughter in my group and being a kid raised with a disconnect from my parents. So I know how incredibly valuable this can be to those who think there is no hope for their relationships with their kids. Please share and comment below let me know what you think. I'll talk to you soon.
This is such a taboo subject to write about and discuss but
I think that is because there is also a lot of confusion around Network Marketing
and how it is mistaken for what is known as Pyramid Schemes. In my humble
opinion, I believe a lot of people want nothing to do with it
because there are a lot of misconceptions of what network marketing actually is
and what it is not. I would like to take a moment to dispel some myths about
this business model and if nothing else, provide a better understanding of why
it is a valuable source for a side income.
Have you ever felt like there's
never enough like no matter how much money you make? Even when you take that
promotion, get that raise in pay doesn't it always seems like the
harder you work and the more you try to climb up the
ladder, there's always a thing associated with that come up that is just
draining you financially and you can’t seem to get ahead? I think that’s what happens to
most of us. Let's just be all the way real... that's most of us. On the other hand, there's a lot of us
work two and three jobs just to keep food on the table. We could all use a part-time job. I've been there, done that and I got the t-shirt, coffee mug, writing pad and pen to match, ok? But is network marketing really a better way?
Let me just be all the way real, ok?There's a lot of stigma attached to this
network marketing thing. But I think you
gotta go into any new situation with your eyes wide open. You also gotta go
into it with a certain amount of optimism and belief in yourself
and what it is you are capable of doing given the opportunity. So, let me just
dispel some of the myths and confusion because honestly a lot of the misunderstanding
of network marketing and pyramid schemes is not based in fact or supports the
legal definition of either. So what’s the difference between a network
marketing company and a pyramid scheme?
Pyramid schemes are, first and foremost, ILLEGAL. So, the
long and short of it is, if you ain't got no (yeah, bad grammar, my bad) product
to sell but you’re selling people a promise on being able to make money, you’re
probably in a pyramid scheme. If you can't make no money unless you have a
bunch of people investing and you rely on those investments to make money, you’re
probably involved in a pyramid scheme. If only the people who are at the top or
the first to invest are making the most money in the business, you are probably
involved in a pyramid scheme.
The defining factor about pyramid schemes is that there is
no product or service involved and your return on investment relies entirely on
people who sign up after you to invest and you get a piece of the sign up fee. Therefore, there is a ceiling on the
amount of money you can make. In other words, people are giving money to
something but there's no exchange of products or services. So, if you’re #500 of five hundred people that
invested in a “business” where no product or service exists, you're never gonna
make as much money as the first person. That’s
the makings of a pyramid scheme my friends. Here's where those pyramid
schemes comes up short …if for any reason the person who's doing allthe recruiting can't bring nobody else and those
“early investors”, top people don't get paid, people get mad. They should
because the entire enterprise is biased toward the first to enter scheme. That
is why it is illegal.
This could be confusing to some people when you think about
how traditional business is operated every day.If you think about early
investors in like Amazon, you recognize that when the stock sold at $5 a share
(just an example probably not the actual price) early investors are
now wealthy and someone who bought stock today at about $2,000 a share (approximate value as of the date of this writing) is not going to make as much money unless Amazon comes up with something
so extraordinary that it shoots the stock price sky high.
I can't tell you how
many times how much wanted to kick myself for not putting my $5 when they had
their initial public offering. I had already been spending money on textbooks
and trading textbooks on Amazon for years during my college years. I was doing
a lot of business with Amazon and I wish I invested because I knew what that
what they were offering in 2002 was an example of innovation in the online
space.However, you have to keep
something in mind…if a company is particularly successful over a period of time,
their stock prices will rise. All kinds of things influence the price of stock.
So as long as Amazon remains profitable,
those first investors will continue to reap the most profit.
Here’s the thing…Amazon has a product to sell to the end
user. Therefore, investors will receive
a dividend from their investment as a result of sales revenue and
innovation. So, this should clarify the
legitimacy of companies like Amazon and frankly, network marketing companies.
So, for people who think that network marketing are pyramid
schemes on the basis that only the people that get in first make the most money, I
have to say, you’re argument is weak at best. We have a legitimate system that
people invest in every day called the stock market and a concept called first
to market. First to market is when a company is first to bring product to the
market that meets the need of the consumer.When a company is successful at that, they will get the benefits of the
first fruits as they should.Once other
companies get wind of what is going on, and create their own version of the original product, the profits becomes more evenly
distributed based on the successful execution of the other companies that enter
the market afterward.In fact, companies
that come afterward, if they are really good at what they do, they may even
over run the company that was first to market. It's capitalism at its best. In this principle alone, I argue
that network marketing companies become more credible.
Now I can’t say that all network companies are created
equal. In my partnership agreement, NO ONE, no matter when you became a distributor, holds the market on how much
money can be made or whether the first to arrive will continue to make the most
money in comparison to those who join the company after they did. First fruits
may belong to the first to get into the business but if they are not working
hard to corner the market on profits they are not guaranteed to make the most money in the
long term.
In my company, there are some
people who came in at the beginning are
either not there anymore or they are not engaged in the business and therefore,
are not making any money or not nearly as much as people who came in 5 years
ago who are committed to becoming a millionaire and succeeds. I know that there
are probably other companies out there but I can't really speak to those because
I am not involved with those companies. What I do know from my own experience
is that as a new distributor, you can make money in retail (selling products to
customers) and building team (people on your team also sell to customers and
build teams of their own). Network marketing (aka multi-level marketing) is defined on the FTC website as follows:
Multi-level marketing is one form of direct selling. Generally, a multi-level marketer (MLM) distributes products or services through a network of salespeople who are not employees of the company and do not receive a salary or wage. Instead, members of the company’s salesforce usually are treated as independent contractors, who may earn income depending on their own revenues and expenses. Typically, the company does not directly recruit its salesforce, but relies upon its existing salespeople to recruit additional salespeople, which creates multiple levels of “distributors” or “participants” organized in “downlines.” A participant’s “downline” is the network of his or her recruits, and recruits of those recruits, and so on. (ftc.com)
Like most businesses, network marketing is a business model where
there is a product or service in exchange for an investment from the distributor or sales person. If you decide to become a distributor, you are going
to pay a nominal sign-up fee and possibly buy some products at sign up. However, the purchase of products is not a
requirement to become a distributor with my company. Other companies may have different rules. Having said that, it only makes common
sense that if you sign up to distribute a product for a company that you are
actually a consumer of the product.
This is where a lot of the confusion lies with some apparent
similarities between network marketing and pyramid schemes. Incoming team members in network marketing are placed under the
recruiter in a binary structure, such as it is in my company. For skeptics, the pyramid shape of a binary structure is seemingly not differentiated from the investment for no
product or service exchange that is characteristic in illegal pyramid schemes. However,
the appearance of a binary structure is where the similarities to a scheme begins and ends.
Now, I want to be very clear… there is a some language in the
FTC explanation that says if the bulk of your income is gonna come from
building the team that doesn't consume the products then there is a question of whether the company is a network
marketing company or the makings of a pyramid scheme. I can tell you from
personal experience that building a team doesn't mean anything if the people
that you're building the team with aren't buying products. Why? Because we are not paid a percentage of fees. Also, by design, the team bonus is significantly
smaller than that which a distributor can earn in commission by selling
directly to the customer.On the other hand, you
can’t get into the pyramid or Ponzi scheme without a minimum investment when there is no product in exchange.
In my company, you don’t have to buy product
to become a team member.It’s a little
less effective from a business perspective but I think what the FTC is
concerned with is a company making this a hard and fast rule. I can tell you I
have had team members that have never bought anything except for the first time
they signed up. There is no team bonus, no commissions or any financial reward
when people don’t buy products. No business makes money without repeat business
or new customers. No surprise there, right?
There are people in my downline right now that are just
sitting there paying a monthly fee just to be a distributor but they're not
really taking advantage of the of the wide array of products that'll help them
to live a happier, healthier life. They're not doing it so the company does not pay me. As a business, they
are not making any money either. The
monthly fee that they pay goes to the parent company not to me.
I think the key
here and where you actually build a business in network marketing is when you
have people who are actually buying and using the products that they need and I think that that is the key
for skeptics to understand. Like I said, I don't know how other companies do
what they do and what the compensation structure looks like elsewhere but what
I know about where I'm at. At the end of
the day, you won’t make any money if nobody's buying product. Period.
When I compare
network marketing to traditional business, I find that McDonald's don't make no
money if nobody is in the drive thru or the dining room. Staples doesn't make
any money if businesses aren’t buying office products. If the company doesn't have a
customer and team members are not buying product no one is making money in my
network marketing business.
Why should I listen to you?
Having said all of this, you must be asking yourself, “Why
should I listen to her?” I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Legal Studies
with a concentration in Business Law and Public Policy and a Masters in Business Administration.One of the fundamental things about the
program and my formal training is that you need to know how to do legal
research and analysis and critically assess information so that you can come up with a recommendation for your client. Not only have I been formally trained but I've
also done compliance work for big companies and universities where I have built
compliance programs around doing effective legal research and analysis.
Tips for finding a company to partner with
I have a deep appreciation for doing the research making intelligent
decisions on your own based on the facts found in that research.To be clear, I'm not even advocating that
network marketing or any other business model is for everybody because I really
don't think everybody should be doing it. However, I do believe that it is for
some people who want to create a side income doing something that they actually
really, really love and they know can serve people in a profound way AND are
willing to work really hard to accomplish that goal.
So, I think you can find
your fit out there among the many opportunities available in a way where you
don't have to put up a huge investment.I
think that network marketing is a very economical way to start a business.
Find leaders who are willing to share their secrets
If you pick the right one, the company will have
really good leaders that will share their secrets and teach you some business fundamentals
to help you succeed. A company worth its salt is gonna have extensive training in how to build a business and will teach basic business principles with really good leaders in your company that's willing to share what they've learned and implemented to build their business.
Do your own research
At the end of the day, do your research and
make an educated decision for yourself. Don’t depend on word of mouth and definitely
don’t listen to anyone saying that being in business for yourself is easy.
Follow some people who you know are in network marketing or doing
what you like to do you know and see what a day in the life looks like for them.
Make sure the company and its products align with what you already like
One of the first things I do when I'm
exploring a new industry, I evaluate whether it is aligned with the things that
I like. So if it's book club, makeup, hair, or fashion accessories, then I'm
gonna be looking for somebody who's doing that and doing that well or at least appears
to be doing that well. Then, I see if they have a social media outlet (other
than the one I found them on) dedicated to talking about the things
I like and other topics such as how to start a business or how to create a
product or any kind of teaching content. It’s clear they’re really adding value
to their community and they're really showing you how to do things.They're giving you business tips and they share
things you need to know and how you need to be thinking about business.
Let me be even more clear.This article is intended for intelligent, grown folk who are inspired or
need to start something on their own and is interested in a low cost of entry
in an industry that can turn into a significant income.This is not intended to try to convince
anyone who does not have an entrepreneurial spirit and is not open to learning
about better ways to create extra streams of income. Basically, I'm talking to
grown folk who are responsible, got homes of their own, got families of their
own and they want to make responsible choices in line with those priorities. I'm talking to those people who are of that age where we can make intelligent decisions
about our lives and about the risks were willing to take for the greater good
and who want to level up their lives. At the end of the day, don't automatically
dismiss network marketing as some kind of scheme or you think the products are
overpriced.
I haven’t addressed this in this article until now, however, I will say this.
I think that the differential in the price of the products in network marketing
companies and retail markets, is 1) the quality of ingredients, and 2) the time
and method it takes to sell the product.Again, this is my humble opinion based on the company I am with and the “belly
to belly” method with which we share and sell products. Personally, I think
that mass market products don’t come with 30 day money back guarantees even if
you consume all of the product.They
also include a lot of artificial ingredients and fillers in order to sell more,
in the least amount of time to the most people.If they sell it for an inexpensive enough price, most people will at
least try it.However, it is unlikely
that you will be able to get your money back if you so much as crack the seal
on that product.
When I tried my first program,
I invested because of the money back guarantee.Frankly, it did what it said it was gonna do if I did what the program
directed so I didn’t return it.I
believed in the system so much that I decided to become an advocate.Then I talked about it when people asked
about it because I then became I walking billboard not by harassing friends and
family.I started my business on being
an example of what works and I have found that people will invest in what has
been proven to work.
It would be worth the investment to find that company that
you connect with who has something that you want and that you would enjoy using
and consuming. That, in and of itself, for me as a consumer is worthwhile. I
think it’s really worthwhile to invest in when you know you can get your money
back. So, if the investment to get started as a distributor is $500 and you get
a guarantee from them that if it didn't work for you, you can't sell this thing
and you can send it back to the company and they’ll give you $500 back, you should go you should definitely invest in that product or
service-based company. With my company, you can invest as little as $160,
use the products for a month and then go about your business. If you don't like
it, return it, cancel your membership and go about your way. At least you gave yourself and the products
and the business a chance and you don’t have the regret of saying ‘what if’.
Bottom Line
A couple of things I want you to
take away from this article. First, know the difference between network
marketing and a pyramid scheme. Network marketing is legal. Pyramid scheme is not
legal. Only people at the top (early investors) make money in a pyramid scheme
while this is not necessarily true in network marketing (at least in my company).
In my company, some people who came in at the beginning, may not necessarily be making as much as someone who came in 5 years ago. My company has been
around for over 20 years the network has been around for 15 years. Someone who came in
12 years ago may very well be making no money at all if they are not treating
their business like a business.Meanwhile,
someone coming in a year ago could be killing it and become a
multimillionaire.Your level of income
in my business is truly going to depend on what level of time and grind you are
willing to invest in it not when you started your business.
Second, pyramid schemes don't have
products and services to exchange. Network marketing does. I believe in any
business you have to have something to offer people in order to justify the money
changing hands between the business and the consumer.You have to be selling something to be in a legitimate
business. There has got to be an exchange of goods and services. As with any
legitimate business there is going to be some skin put in the game in order for
that business to be profitable at some point. The harder you work in business
building activities, the more your reward. Anything worth having is going to
require a good amount of hard work. So do your research, be accountable to what
it is you're investing in, be smart, use your God-given intelligence to make a
good decision for you and your family and don't just listen to what everybody
else got to say about what it is you want to do in your business. Make
intelligent decisions by doing your own research.
Feel free to get a comprehensive overview of network marketing (multi-level marketing) on the FTC's website. They do a good job of laying out a layman's version of what it
is you need to be looking at when deciding to join a company as an independent
contractor. Do your research and figure it out for yourself. You don't wanna
get yourself involved in mess that is not above board.
So, if you're struggling financially and you need something beyond your full-time job to help ends meet, you need a side hustle and retail ain’t doin’ it for ya, this might be a cost-effective way to get started doing something on your own. It could be something that can be turned into something big, like a legacy for your children. Networking marketing could be something where you should shoot your shot.
Understand that every business, network marketing or traditional business is going to take hard work, determination and time to build into something that can replace your 9 - 5 income. I'm just saying if you think, “I was meant to do something more with my life, damn sure more than the hell I'm doing right now”, then investigate and find something that suits you.Find something that you love and go for it!
I hope this was helpful and it
cleared some of the mystery and misconception about network marketing. If it was
helpful, great! Share this article with your community.Comment below and let me know what you
think.Be constructive, not mean (cuz that
doesn’t serve anybody) then we can still be friends.Subscribe to the blog. There is always more
to come.
Connect with me on Instagramand
Facebookto
view some content there about improving your health, get tips on nutrition,
beauty and all kinds of fun stuff. If you want to start something new and
interested in what I do, fill out
this short questionnaire and let’s set aside some time to chat. Take care.
If
someone offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it,
SAY YES, then learn how to do it later. ~Richard Branson, Founder & CEO Virgin Group, Ltd
Nothing gives me more satisfaction than when someone I helped get started in
fitness and in business tell me she is getting amazing results. I am
literally overjoyed for her! It’s not easy when you are a working mom to
balance work, home, a budget, cooking healthy meals for her family and being
able to afford to do so. Spending time with our kids that we adore seems to be
luxury reserved only for the rich and famous. As parents, it seems we sacrifice
time with our kids so that they can have the life we never did. Unfortunately,
we sacrifice that TIME we need to build our relationship with our kids because
we work 2 and 3 jobs just to keep food on the table and the lights on! Me
and my team have discovered a better way!
Who
are we
Team
Fierce and Fabulous is a team of Beachbody Coaches laser focused on creating a
healthier life for ourselves and everyone around us. We do this by aligning
with a company that is committed to designing fitness programs for every level
of fitness and proven nutritional supplements guaranteed to provide optimal
results. When we enroll people who want and need to live a healthier life
on our team, we mentor those individuals by providing support through tips to
develop healthy habits and nudges of encouragement to do the things that help
them reach their goals. As Coaches, we also encourage each other to stay
on point with our own health and wellness. We also mentor others who join
the team to meet their business goals. It is a collaborative effort that
each of us invest in everyday to lift each other up so that we can be our best
selves and leave a legacy of healthy living to our kids who we treasure more than
anything.
Why
we do it
Most
importantly, THIS BUSINESS GIVES KIDS THEIR MOMS AND DADS BACK! So many
are living their best lives by helping others get healthy and stay healthy. The
best part is being able to be home with our kids and be a part of what is
important to them, soccer games, dance recitals and band assemblies.
Those were the best when my daughter was growing up. We get to set the example
of healthy living for our kids. We want to have more, be better
and most importantly, be present for our kids while we still can They
grow up so fast and before you know it, they are out the door living their
own lives, getting on the hamster wheel of paycheck- to-paycheck
themselves. We want better for them. So we're breaking that cycle together by building a business around
health and wellness. We are committed to beginning a tradition
of building wealth upon a foundation of good health and for once, live a
healthy, more fulfilling life.
Become
part of our Community
Make
an investment in your future and our kids’ future! When you join our teamwith a challengepack, you will
receive all of the tools tailored to excite you about becoming a new Team Beachbody
Coach and about CHANGING YOUR LIFE! I will teach you actionable steps so that
you can form the building blocks of a solid business. When you sign up as a Coach on Team Fierce and Fabulous,
you will receive amazing BONUSES that include:
Exclusive
training provided on an app, completely FREE of charge, designed by a Team
Beachbody Founding Coach (and our upline, YAY) with over a decade
experience in health and wellness coaching
The
Basics of the Fierce and Fabulous Life which is a 30-60 day training
provided by yours truly exclusively to new Team Fierce and Fabulous
Coaches
Weekly
team calls offering additional training and best practices by successful
coaches who offer their best tips and tricks to running a successful
business to help you succeed as a new Team Beachbody Coach on this Fierce
and Fabulous Team
Exclusive
access to Beachbody Corporate Facebook groups which provide the latest
information on new products and also feature experienced Coaches sharing
their best practices so you can leverage several ways to succeed as a new
Coach
25% Discount on all your personal Beachbody purchases and,
25% Commission from purchases made from your customized branded website
The
kind of training and resources that are available to you as a Team Fierce and Fabulous Coach is phenomenal. As trends change, we share it with the
team. As we learn more, we share more. Other lifestyle coaches can charge tens of thousands of dollars for these
resources. When you join our team, you will receive all these resources
completely FREE.
There
are no guarantees but we are here for you*
Now
we can’t guarantee what your business will look like only YOU can do
that. Here some questions to ask yourself before you make the decision to
go ALL IN on your future:
What are your goals?
How hard are you willing to work to to accomplish your goals?
What would your life look like if you were successful in this business?
As
your Coach, I can promise this. If you want to crawl, I’ll crawl with
you. If you want to walk, I’ll walk with you. If you want to run, I’ll run
with you. Basically, I will match your effort. I will always share my
knowledge and you will always have access to what I have access to but YOU will
have to put in work. I will show you what that work is and the effort
that is going to be required based on what you want to accomplish. No doubt? I
will help you get there.
Nobody does this business alone…not when
you join a Fierce and Fabulous Team. Are you ready?
*Team Fierce and Fabulous and Team Beachbody do not guarantee any level of success or income from the Team Beachbody Coach
Opportunity. Each Coach's income depends on his or her own efforts, diligence, and skill. See our
Statement of Independent Coach Earnings for the most recent information on the actual incomes of all
our Coaches.
.png)
.png)
.png)