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Friday, July 3
Thursday, June 29
The Story of Two Friends
I have received this email from MLMFirePower...
Worth sharing.
This is the story of two neighbors Mike and John. Mike and John became really good friends as the years progressed. Both had very similar backgrounds, they had actually gone to the same college, both had gotten good jobs and had a beautiful wife and each had a couple of kids. Both were by all means successful in their chosen jobs. They both had good sets of friends, and active social lives.
As it turned out, both started a Network Marketing business and were naturally very excited about working for their future and the future of their families. Initially both saw some success but nothing that would allow them to quit their jobs and spend more time with their families.
As time wore on, they continued to struggle and soon their progress was very minimal. Mike grew angry, disillusioned, and blamed everybody he could think of for his failure and promptly quit.
John on the other hand realized that although things weren't going as well as he wanted them to, he knew that he was responsible for his success. He knew that all he lacked was the proper training and knowledge to succeed because what he was currently doing with his business wasn't working. So John decided he needed to learn the basics of marketing. That way he could learn to effectively market his products and opportunity without wasting so much time and money.
It took time, and work, and although he didn't have much time because of his job he was able to devote 10 hours a week into his business implementing the knowledge that he was learning. Eventually, he started making more and more money with his mlm and eventually was making enough money to allow his wife to stay home with the kids, and soon enough he quit his job never to return.
John went on to become one of the top income earners in his company and make gobs of money with his business, but more importantly he was able to help hundreds of others put their business into profit and make money.
What happened to Mike? Well Mike had no money to his name, and spent his days in misery and despair, feeling like a hamster on a wheel. He wondered, in spite of all his hard work, why he couldn't prosper.
John, on the other hand lead a much different life. His days were filled with joy and happiness. He had all the free time he ever wanted. All the possessions he desired. He traveled when he wanted, where he wanted, seeing and meeting friends the world over. But more importantly, John was able to provide his children with the education and the jumpstart in life that he himself never had.
What was the difference between the two men? Knowledge, plain and simple. One learned how to create leverage and control his income and his wealth. He was able to quit his job and live the life he desired.
The other man learned none of these secrets. He simply watched TV every night. He was forever frustrated with his lack of money. He couldn't own the things he wanted, nor could he control his own time after all, he had a job. He was trapped in the rat race and he knew it.
Worth sharing.
This is the story of two neighbors Mike and John. Mike and John became really good friends as the years progressed. Both had very similar backgrounds, they had actually gone to the same college, both had gotten good jobs and had a beautiful wife and each had a couple of kids. Both were by all means successful in their chosen jobs. They both had good sets of friends, and active social lives.
As it turned out, both started a Network Marketing business and were naturally very excited about working for their future and the future of their families. Initially both saw some success but nothing that would allow them to quit their jobs and spend more time with their families.
As time wore on, they continued to struggle and soon their progress was very minimal. Mike grew angry, disillusioned, and blamed everybody he could think of for his failure and promptly quit.
John on the other hand realized that although things weren't going as well as he wanted them to, he knew that he was responsible for his success. He knew that all he lacked was the proper training and knowledge to succeed because what he was currently doing with his business wasn't working. So John decided he needed to learn the basics of marketing. That way he could learn to effectively market his products and opportunity without wasting so much time and money.
It took time, and work, and although he didn't have much time because of his job he was able to devote 10 hours a week into his business implementing the knowledge that he was learning. Eventually, he started making more and more money with his mlm and eventually was making enough money to allow his wife to stay home with the kids, and soon enough he quit his job never to return.
John went on to become one of the top income earners in his company and make gobs of money with his business, but more importantly he was able to help hundreds of others put their business into profit and make money.
What happened to Mike? Well Mike had no money to his name, and spent his days in misery and despair, feeling like a hamster on a wheel. He wondered, in spite of all his hard work, why he couldn't prosper.
John, on the other hand lead a much different life. His days were filled with joy and happiness. He had all the free time he ever wanted. All the possessions he desired. He traveled when he wanted, where he wanted, seeing and meeting friends the world over. But more importantly, John was able to provide his children with the education and the jumpstart in life that he himself never had.
What was the difference between the two men? Knowledge, plain and simple. One learned how to create leverage and control his income and his wealth. He was able to quit his job and live the life he desired.
The other man learned none of these secrets. He simply watched TV every night. He was forever frustrated with his lack of money. He couldn't own the things he wanted, nor could he control his own time after all, he had a job. He was trapped in the rat race and he knew it.
This article is protected by copyright
Harun Bahri
Matrix Contingency LLC.
All rights reserved.
480.968.9898
www.mlmfirepower.com
Tuesday, June 13
Bad News is Good News
By Robert Kiyosaki
When you look at the CASHFLOW Quadrant below, there is much more than meets the eye.
Each person in each quadrant is very, very different. In other words, on the surface, we all look like human beings. But once you go beneath the skin, the core differences between an E (employee) and an I (investor) or an S (self employed or small business owner) and a B (big business owner over 500 employees) are extreme.
While changing Quadrants is possible, the change is not always easy, simply because the core make-up of the person in each Quadrant is so very different.
The Investor Quadrant
The Quadrant I want to focus on for this article is the Investor Quadrant. Why focus on the I Quadrant? The reasons are because, today, most of us need to be investors and because the person who is successful in the I Quadrant is often very different from the people in other Quadrants.
Why is the person in the I Quadrant different? Because the true I is a person who looks for bad news, not good news. A true I, a person like Warren Buffet, is most excited when times are at their worst. When times are good, they move on – looking for bad news in other sectors, searching for bargains, investments with high value low prices, and a trend that is about to take an upward turn.
Why is knowing about this core difference so important? There are several reasons. They are:
Reason #1: Most people live in fear of bad economic news, which makes them bad investors. This fear of something bad happening is what causes many people to cling to job security, a bad relationship, a bad investment, or an unfulfilled (often boring) life.
Reason #2: When times are bad you have the best opportunity to get rich. Just before the war in Iraq started, the stock market was low and the real estate market was, and continues to be, in a mania bubble. In the last two years, it seems that everyone I met was suddenly in the real estate market. People who had never bought an investment property were suddenly flipping properties for quick cash. Financial planners, who were once selling mutual funds during the stock market boom, were suddenly transformed into mortgage brokers or real estate brokers, selling the gospel of real estate to the newly enlightened.
In 2002, when the stock market was down, Kim and I invested heavily in the stock market. While we continued to invest in real estate during this period, more or our investment dollars went into paper assets. Why? Because the stock market was nothing but bad news and real estate was the good news.
So reason #2 is that people who fear bad news, waiting only for good news, often arrive late to the wrong party and pay the cover charge.
Reason #3: Your life is more exciting. Rather than living in fear of bad economic news you look forward to the next economic catastrophe. To me, this is the best reason of all.
As stated in reason #1, most people live in fear of bad economic news. If you are truly from the I Quadrant, this fear – a fear that runs most people’s lives – is turned from fear into excitement. If you can learn to live with excitement rather than fear, my experience is that life is more fun, stimulating, and fulfilling. The more I hear about bad news, the happier I get. To me, being happy and getting richer in good times and bad is a great way to live life.
The Next Big Deal
While there are many financial storm clouds on the horizon, the storm cloud I am watching is the continuing decline of the U.S. dollar. For over 40 years, the U.S. dollar has been the currency of choice of the world. Due to excessive debt, both nationally and as a people, the mighty U.S. dollar will come under even greater attack as the world realizes how weak the dollar is.
Recently, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad, urged a room full of Saudi Arabians to not sell their oil for dollars. Instead, he urged them to sell oil for gold. He said, “The price of oil is $33, but the U.S. dollar has declined by 40% against the euro so you’re effectively getting $20…so you’re being short changed.” Now you may understand why Kim and I invested heavily in gold and gold shares seven years ago, when gold was bad news.
While it may be almost too late to invest in gold, because gold at around $400 an ounce is now the good news, there is a lot more bad news ahead. Today, many people are living in dread about the rising price of gas at the pumps. Rather than join them in their fear, I suggest you begin to think about the ripple effect higher gas prices and a weaker dollar will have worldwide. Begin dreaming about a real estate crash or a banking failure due to excess credit. When you can see the opportunity in what other people fear, you will begin to see the brightness and excitement of the future ahead.
Rose-Colored Glasses
To me, the best thing about the I Quadrant is that I really do get to see the world through rose-colored glasses. All you have to do to get your own pair of rose-colored glasses is be able to see bad news as good news… stop living in fear and live a life of excitement.
Employee vs. Entrepreneur: What's the Difference?
In honor of Robert Kiyosaki's induction into the
Amazon.com 10th Anniverary Hall of Fame
By Robert Kiyosaki
In 1983, the Harvard Business School published "A Perspective on Entrepreneurship," a paper that defined the differences between entrepreneurs and employees. This paper, written by Professor Howard H. Stevenson, is one of the most articulate articles on this particular subject that I have read. While many differences were examined, I found two in particular to be especially insightful.
The first difference between entrepreneurs and employees is:
1. Employees are resource-oriented. Entrepreneurs are opportunity-oriented.
A person with an employee mindset might say, "I would start my own business but I don't have the money." Or "I'd love to invest in that piece of real estate, but I don't have the down payment." In both of these examples the person focuses on their resources--in this case their lack of money, rather than the opportunity.
In a similar situation, a person with an entrepreneur's mindset might say, "Let's start the business and we can finance the business from the cash flow." Or "Tie up the property and we'll find the money later."
My poor dad was a man who saw many opportunities, but failed to act on them simply because he was resource-oriented. Instead of taking action, he often said, "I wish I could do it, but I can't afford it." Or "I would go into business for myself, but I need a steady job. I have a mortgage and you kids to feed."
My rich dad (my best friend's father, an entrepreneur who taught me a lot about how the rich think about money) was a man who started with nothing, but eventually became one of the richest men in Hawaii. Today, when you look at
The second difference between entrepreneurs and employees is:
2. Employees prefer to manage via hierarchical structures. Entrepreneurs manage via networks, utilizing the resources of other people and organizations.
This means that employee-type leaders would rather hire people and bring their talent "in-house." Rather than have an outside firm do their creative work, an employee-type leader would prefer to hire the talent and have them under their control. While there are economic reasons for doing this, the report stated that the primary reason is control. This is because employees gravitate to a leadership style that is more suited to a military command-and-control type of organization.
My poor dad was successful in the hierarchical structure of the government, eventually rising to the top of the educational system as Superintendent of Education and running for Lieutenant Governor for the State of
Instead of the military's command-and-control leadership style, my rich dad used a more cooperative and collaborative style of leadership. He encouraged his son and me to learn to lead and manage people who are not required to follow our orders--people who did not need to jump when they heard the word "Jump." Rather than hire people and bring them in-house, rich dad networked with other people and organizations, which tended to reduce his costs and at the same time increase his resources and influence in the marketplace.
Today, The Rich Dad Company follows my rich dad's advice. Instead of becoming a stand-alone publishing house, we choose to cooperate via a joint venture agreement with The Time Warner Book Group, as well as licensed publishers around the world who offer our books in 43 languages. In this way, we keep our core staff small, yet we utilize the thousands of employees of publishers around the world.
But leveraging the assets and resources of partners is not enough. It's important to choose the right partners--ones who are aligned with your goals and values. Choosing the right partners can make the difference between success and failure--as I've learned the hard way.
As The Rich Dad Company has grown, we have worked with partners who have opened doors to opportunities that were much greater than what we could have been able to pursue on our own. In an entrepreneurial spirit, we formed alliances with major media organizations and international promotion firms that leveraged the Rich Dad brand with their worldwide networks.
In doing so, we--as entrepreneurs--stay small, yet increase market share by cooperating rather than competing... by networking rather than hiring employees and bringing work "in-house."
In 1989 the world changed. That's when the Berlin Wall came down and the World Wide Web went up. Instead of a world of walls, we became a world of webs... networks of people working cooperatively rather than competitively. It is a special honor for me to be recognized by Amazon.com, a pioneer in the brave new world of the web, founded by a great entrepreneur, Jeff Bezos. We at The Rich Dad Company join in celebrating Amazon's successes and salute your leadership in this world of webs rather than walls.
There are key, fundamental differences between the mindset of an employee and the mindset of an entrepreneur. One of the great things about this world of webs is that the world is now open for business to billions of people who choose to think as entrepreneurs--rather than employees.
from RichDad.Com
Thursday, June 8
Why the Rich Gets Richer
Why Savers Are Losers
by Robert Kiyosaki
Monday, October 17, 2005
My poor dad believed in saving money. "A dollar saved is a dollar earned," he often said.
The problem was he didn't pay attention to changes in monetary policy. All his life he saved, not realizing that after 1971 his dollar was no longer money.
You see, in 1971 President Richard Nixon changed the rules of money. That year, the U.S. dollar ceased being money and became a currency. This was one of the most important changes in modern history, but few people understand why.
Prior to 1971, the U.S. dollar was real money linked to gold and silver, which is why the U.S. dollar was known as a silver certificate. After 1971, the U.S. dollar became a Federal Reserve Note -- an IOU from the U.S. government. Instead of our dollar being an asset, it was turned into a liability. Today, the U.S. is the largest debtor nation in history due in part to this change.
Taking a brief look back at the history of modern money, it's easy to understand why the 1971 change was so important.
After World War I, Germany's monetary system collapsed. While there were many reasons for this, one was because the German government was allowed to print money at will. The flood of money that resulted caused uncontrolled inflation. There were more marks, but they bought less and less. In 1913, a pair of shoes cost 13 marks. By 1923, that same pair of shoes was 32 trillion marks!
As inflation increased, the savings of the middle class was wiped out. With their savings gone, the middle class demanded new leadership. Adolf Hitler was elected Chancellor of Germany in 1933 and, as we know, World War II and the murder of millions of Jews followed.
A New System of Money
In the closing days of World War II, the Bretton Woods System was put in place to stabilize the world's currencies. This was a quasi-gold standard, which meant currencies were backed by gold. The system worked fine until the 1960s when the U.S. began importing Volkswagens from Germany and Toyotas from Japan. Suddenly the U.S. was importing more than it was exporting and gold was leaving our country.
In order to stop the loss of gold, President Nixon ended the Bretton Woods System in 1971 and the U.S. dollar replaced gold as the world's currency. Never in the history of the world had one nation's fiat currency been the world's money.
To better understand this, my rich dad had me look up the following definitions in the dictionary.
"Fiat money: money (as paper money) not convertible into coin or specie of equivalent value."
The words "not convertible into coin" bothered me. So my rich dad had me look up the word: "fiat."
"Fiat: a command or act of will that creates something without or as if without further effort."
Looking up at my rich dad I asked, "Does this mean money can be created out of thin air?"
Nodding his head, my rich dad said, "Germany did it and now we are doing it."
"That's why savers are losers," he added. "I fought in France during World War II. That's why I never forget that it was after the middle class lost their savings that Hitler came to power. People do irrational things when they lose their money."
Most economists would disagree with my rich dad's correlation between the loss of savings and Hitler. It may not be an accurate lesson, but it's one I never forgot.
Between 2000 and 2005 housing prices went through the roof. Oil went from $10 a barrel in 1997 to over $60 a barrel in 2005. Gold went from $275 an ounce in 1996 to over $475 an ounce in 2005.
In spite of all these increases in prices, the federal government's economists say, "Inflation is low. It's under control." They are allowed to say that because the government is charged with only monitoring inflation in consumer prices -- not asset prices. The consumer price index (CPI) is the pressure gauge the government watches because they want to make sure the consumer is happy finding bargains at Wal-Mart, which is easy because China is forcing consumer prices down.
The problem is our dollars return to the U.S. to buy our assets. In simple terms, we send cash overseas to buy goods, and overseas investors take our cash and use it to buy our assets. That's why the Wal-Mart shopper finds bargains in the store but can't afford to buy a house, gas, gold, or stocks. Those same "consumers" also worry about their jobs going overseas.
In summary, investors shop for asset bargains, and consumers shop for consumer bargains and try hard to save money that is not really money. That is another reason why the rich are getting richer.
For more on this subject I recommend reading "The Dollar Crisis" by Richard Duncan.
by Robert Kiyosaki
Monday, October 17, 2005
My poor dad believed in saving money. "A dollar saved is a dollar earned," he often said.
The problem was he didn't pay attention to changes in monetary policy. All his life he saved, not realizing that after 1971 his dollar was no longer money.
You see, in 1971 President Richard Nixon changed the rules of money. That year, the U.S. dollar ceased being money and became a currency. This was one of the most important changes in modern history, but few people understand why.
Prior to 1971, the U.S. dollar was real money linked to gold and silver, which is why the U.S. dollar was known as a silver certificate. After 1971, the U.S. dollar became a Federal Reserve Note -- an IOU from the U.S. government. Instead of our dollar being an asset, it was turned into a liability. Today, the U.S. is the largest debtor nation in history due in part to this change.
Taking a brief look back at the history of modern money, it's easy to understand why the 1971 change was so important.
After World War I, Germany's monetary system collapsed. While there were many reasons for this, one was because the German government was allowed to print money at will. The flood of money that resulted caused uncontrolled inflation. There were more marks, but they bought less and less. In 1913, a pair of shoes cost 13 marks. By 1923, that same pair of shoes was 32 trillion marks!
As inflation increased, the savings of the middle class was wiped out. With their savings gone, the middle class demanded new leadership. Adolf Hitler was elected Chancellor of Germany in 1933 and, as we know, World War II and the murder of millions of Jews followed.
A New System of Money
In the closing days of World War II, the Bretton Woods System was put in place to stabilize the world's currencies. This was a quasi-gold standard, which meant currencies were backed by gold. The system worked fine until the 1960s when the U.S. began importing Volkswagens from Germany and Toyotas from Japan. Suddenly the U.S. was importing more than it was exporting and gold was leaving our country.
In order to stop the loss of gold, President Nixon ended the Bretton Woods System in 1971 and the U.S. dollar replaced gold as the world's currency. Never in the history of the world had one nation's fiat currency been the world's money.
To better understand this, my rich dad had me look up the following definitions in the dictionary.
"Fiat money: money (as paper money) not convertible into coin or specie of equivalent value."
The words "not convertible into coin" bothered me. So my rich dad had me look up the word: "fiat."
"Fiat: a command or act of will that creates something without or as if without further effort."
Looking up at my rich dad I asked, "Does this mean money can be created out of thin air?"
Nodding his head, my rich dad said, "Germany did it and now we are doing it."
"That's why savers are losers," he added. "I fought in France during World War II. That's why I never forget that it was after the middle class lost their savings that Hitler came to power. People do irrational things when they lose their money."
Most economists would disagree with my rich dad's correlation between the loss of savings and Hitler. It may not be an accurate lesson, but it's one I never forgot.
Between 2000 and 2005 housing prices went through the roof. Oil went from $10 a barrel in 1997 to over $60 a barrel in 2005. Gold went from $275 an ounce in 1996 to over $475 an ounce in 2005.
In spite of all these increases in prices, the federal government's economists say, "Inflation is low. It's under control." They are allowed to say that because the government is charged with only monitoring inflation in consumer prices -- not asset prices. The consumer price index (CPI) is the pressure gauge the government watches because they want to make sure the consumer is happy finding bargains at Wal-Mart, which is easy because China is forcing consumer prices down.
The problem is our dollars return to the U.S. to buy our assets. In simple terms, we send cash overseas to buy goods, and overseas investors take our cash and use it to buy our assets. That's why the Wal-Mart shopper finds bargains in the store but can't afford to buy a house, gas, gold, or stocks. Those same "consumers" also worry about their jobs going overseas.
In summary, investors shop for asset bargains, and consumers shop for consumer bargains and try hard to save money that is not really money. That is another reason why the rich are getting richer.
For more on this subject I recommend reading "The Dollar Crisis" by Richard Duncan.
Wednesday, June 7
Network Marketing Do's and Don'ts
by: Nial Robbins
Why did you become a network marketer? Most people immediately respond, “for the money!” However, this is not the real reason.
No one subjects them to the hard work of building a business just for little pieces of paper with the faces of dead presidents. The truth is you work in order to obtain what those little pieces of paper can bring you.
The first thing you need to do is to find the reason WHY you are a network marketer. Is it the freedom to choose whatever you want to do whenever you want to do it? Maybe you are looking for a different lifestyle. If there is one thing that is critical to your network marketing success, this is it. If you don’t have a reason, there is no motivation to succeed.
A network marketing business is a teaching and coaching business. If you don’t like interaction with other people, a network marketing business probably is not for you. There’s a concept that most network marketers just can’t seem to get a handle on. You do not sponsor “reps,” you sponsor “people!”
If you have to find a reason why you are building your business, then doesn’t it stand to reason that other people will have to do the same thing? If that’s the case, then why is it that network marketers continually focus on how much money your prospect can earn?
There’s no way you are going to convince “Joe Sixpack,” to get out of his Lazyboy recliner unless you find out what his motivation is. Most network marketers literally pound in the amount of money Joe can earn. They bombard him with message after message about how “Successful Sam” has just purchased his 10th Porsche, refurnished his 25,000 square foot cottage and promise Joe that he can do the same!
Just how realistic is this approach? Joe isn’t stupid. He works long, hard hours at his job in order to provide for his family and truly believes that the best thing he can hope for is saving enough money by summer to pay for a camping trip. Then here you come, promising Joe that he can have everything that Sam has and he can have it if he will just sign that piece of paper making you his sponsor!
You will probably sponsor a few people that way, but if you are in business for the long haul you need to change your approach and do it fast.
The proper approach is so simple, but in your rush to sponsor another “rep” instead of helping another person, all too often you talk yourself into and straight out of sponsoring the Joes of the world.
God gave you two ears and one mouth and he did it for a reason. We are supposed to “listen” twice as much as we “speak.”
Instead of pouncing on Joe with the latest and greatest network marketing program of all time, find out what Joe wants and needs. Ask him questions, lots of questions. In fact, in your first meeting with Joe, don’t even mention your business! Yes, that’s what I said. Don’t even bring it up. Remove yourself from the super duper network marketing persona and spend time making a new friend.
Follow these recommendations and you are set to grow your business exponentially.
Why did you become a network marketer? Most people immediately respond, “for the money!” However, this is not the real reason.
No one subjects them to the hard work of building a business just for little pieces of paper with the faces of dead presidents. The truth is you work in order to obtain what those little pieces of paper can bring you.
The first thing you need to do is to find the reason WHY you are a network marketer. Is it the freedom to choose whatever you want to do whenever you want to do it? Maybe you are looking for a different lifestyle. If there is one thing that is critical to your network marketing success, this is it. If you don’t have a reason, there is no motivation to succeed.
A network marketing business is a teaching and coaching business. If you don’t like interaction with other people, a network marketing business probably is not for you. There’s a concept that most network marketers just can’t seem to get a handle on. You do not sponsor “reps,” you sponsor “people!”
If you have to find a reason why you are building your business, then doesn’t it stand to reason that other people will have to do the same thing? If that’s the case, then why is it that network marketers continually focus on how much money your prospect can earn?
There’s no way you are going to convince “Joe Sixpack,” to get out of his Lazyboy recliner unless you find out what his motivation is. Most network marketers literally pound in the amount of money Joe can earn. They bombard him with message after message about how “Successful Sam” has just purchased his 10th Porsche, refurnished his 25,000 square foot cottage and promise Joe that he can do the same!
Just how realistic is this approach? Joe isn’t stupid. He works long, hard hours at his job in order to provide for his family and truly believes that the best thing he can hope for is saving enough money by summer to pay for a camping trip. Then here you come, promising Joe that he can have everything that Sam has and he can have it if he will just sign that piece of paper making you his sponsor!
You will probably sponsor a few people that way, but if you are in business for the long haul you need to change your approach and do it fast.
The proper approach is so simple, but in your rush to sponsor another “rep” instead of helping another person, all too often you talk yourself into and straight out of sponsoring the Joes of the world.
God gave you two ears and one mouth and he did it for a reason. We are supposed to “listen” twice as much as we “speak.”
Instead of pouncing on Joe with the latest and greatest network marketing program of all time, find out what Joe wants and needs. Ask him questions, lots of questions. In fact, in your first meeting with Joe, don’t even mention your business! Yes, that’s what I said. Don’t even bring it up. Remove yourself from the super duper network marketing persona and spend time making a new friend.
Follow these recommendations and you are set to grow your business exponentially.
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