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 I first
got involved in network marketing in the early 1980s. As usual, I did it for different
reasons to most people. I was teaching at Australia's largest university at the time,
in marketing, organisational behaviour, visual communications, graphic design and
advertising.
I'd read about network marketing and thought that if even a fraction of the claims
made about it as the future of retail distribution were accurate, we should probably
consider including it in our curriculum. I'd had unique insights into the pyramid
selling fiascoes of the late 1960s and early 1970s and, although I knew this was
different, I wasn't sure why or how. So I figured it was time to find out more.
I began asking colleagues and other sources about network marketing and was surprised
by the emotional nature of the responses I received. They were long on opinion and
notably short on facts. So I began enquiring internationally and found the same thing.
In the end, I decided that the only reliable course was to go to the source, and
I called an old friend whose regular invitations to look at his company I'd just
as regularly declined. I think it took him all of 15 minutes to travel the 35 km
separating us!
By halfway through his impressive presentation bells started ringing in my head.
This business model made a lot of sense to me, and I could see the potential it had
— if it were handled properly.
So I joined, with him as my sponsor.
Lynne and I won just about every award it was possible to win in our first year.
I spent a lot of time researching and testing ideas, especially in areas like retail
merchandising and sponsoring approaches. Our team grew quickly and we achieved outstanding
retailing results using the strategies we created based on our research.
But, in 1986, I became ill as a result of severe stress in my advertising business.
Instead of our MLM income continuing to grow, as expected, we found that our group
was being raided by crossline distributors and others. Preoccupied with just surviving
my illness, we decided to let it slide. Our business dwindled very rapidly. We weren't
particularly impressed, either by the failure of the concept to support us or by
the less-than-ethical practices of so many other distributors and upline leaders.
Instead, I decided to set up in business as a management consultant specialising
in the direct selling industry, including network marketing and party plan. Over
the next few years I built a reputation for excellent results with a variety of companies.
In 1990 I joined another network marketing company and built a successful business.
But, as demand for my consulting and training services grew, I finally resigned and
handed the business over to my wife and (then) business partner, Lynne, who still
runs it today.
In 1996 I formed a company called Income Security Australia Pty Ltd. I had
a vision of helping ordinary wage and salary earners achieve freedom from money worries
using simple, powerful principles and practices for gaining control over spending,
eliminating debt and turning household spending into secure, profitable, long term
income streams.
I wasn't interested in creating multi-millionaires. I wanted to help people break
free from the stress and worry caused by lack of disposable income. I wanted them
to be able to...
- have money in their pockets
or purses whenever they needed it
- pay their bills on time
- take a holiday every
year that would relax them — not stress them!
- buy the things they needed
and wanted without going into debt
- meet financial emergencies
whenever they arose.
It's taken ten years to put
everything in place, but now, in 2006, we're ready to launch.
In 2005 I launched www.FREEcoachingonline.com, a 12-part training and support program
for network marketers from any company, any distributor team, anywhere in the world.
This is proving to be very popular with people struggling to grow their businesses,
especially if they have sponsors and other upline leaders who neglect or ignore them.
I look forward to showing you how YOU can succeed using our leading-edge strategies,
training and tools. Please feel free to contact me at any time using the contact
details on this site.
John Counsel
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