As 2017 comes to a close, I am personally completing my 40th year full-time in this grand profession. And as excited as I was in 1977, 1987, 1997, and 2007, I am far more optimistic about our profession today than ever before.

Why is that?

Because there is no match in the marketplace for what we do. There is no better way for the common man or woman to build wealth, no better way to learn leadership, no better way to travel the world, no better way to build relationships, no better way to challenge yourself, no better way to develop yourself to be the best you can be, no better community of like-minded and like-hearted people, and no better way to find personal and financial freedom. NO BETTER WAY. In fact, runner-ups are in the dust, so far back they are in a different time zone. We know that is true for us. That is why we are here. But ...

• • • What about the failure rate?
    • What about the hype?
    • What about the junk products and services?
    • What about the FTC, FDA, SEC, ADA, and SPCA?

I will tell you what about all that. Yes, the failure rate is still crazy high. But let’s get real about it ...

Failure at what?

95% of those who join us still do so just to have more intimate access to the products ... better prices, auto ship ... maybe a chance for free product. Do you really think most people join a company looking to nail their own Four Year Career? We could only hope. And we are talking about business here. 95% of everyone who starts almost any business ends up failing. And that failure is real ... life savings real. Quit your job to start a business and work 70 hours a week real. What do those people do when it does not work out? They really start over ... all over in life.

• • • 95% of realtors give up.
    • 95% of insurance agents give up.
    • 95% of anyone who starts anything gives up.

It’s OK. It doesn't mean anyone is a loser or wrong or weak. It just means they did not see enough Value in the end game to justify the work. Maybe we need to do a more credible, believable, professional job of showing the Value.

Here is something we can do about it: We can teach people to win. We can double the number of people who "succeed" at $1,000 a month. We can teach people that "The Work is Worth it." We can do the work ourselves ... every day in a graceful way.

We can start teaching them the difference between “earned income” and Asset Income. $500 a month in earned income is worth $500. $500 a month from a rock-solid asset is worth $100,000. Give people The Four Year Career®, The Four Year Career® for Women, Standing Tall, Big Al Tells All, Beach Money, The Greatest Networker in the World, Four Color Personalities for MLM, Ripple Marketing, Flip Flop CEO, Get Over Your Damn Self, Fearless Networking, Go Pro, My Master's Degree is Useless, ROCK Your Network Marketing Business, The 7-Cent Decision, 25 To Life, Building an Empire, A Lawyer's Case for Network Marketing, Making The First Circle Work, The Game of Networking, or MLM Blueprint and teach them about Asset Income.

Teach them a real business plan that anyone can stick to. Not someone’s plan that earns $100k a month, but one that will get them to $500-$1,000 a month in Asset Income ... like a team of 20 people.

Who quits when they have 20 excited people? Not many.

Well, what about the hype? Outright lying, stupid illegal claims and cheeseball videos about how cool it is to be rich are never going to stop. Why? Because people watch them - supply and demand. Kind of like stupid TV shows and lotteries. 50% of the population graduated at the bottom of their class. Think about that … or not. Why do people follow these guys? Some of you will probably look at these examples and call them. I can't wait to hear from you.

Why do these fools keep doing this? Because people fall for it. Why did I show you their names? To shame them.

What about the regulatory agencies?

Aren’t we under siege from the government? Are you kidding? If we were the clowns above, we would be in jail. There are, at any given time, 700 or more Direct Selling companies based in the U.S. Considering that 95% of them go out of business eventually, in the last 20 years, there have been thousands of Direct Selling opportunities. How many have even been sued by a federal agency, let alone been put out of business? Maybe 1 out of 100 (when 90 out of 100 deserved it at one time or another in their cycle). If you are in a legitimate Direct Selling company, with real products and real customers, you want a strong regulatory environment. You want federal pyramiding laws. Can they get it wrong on occasion like they did with Vemma? Yes ... a $200 million tragedy. No excusing that one. Most of these people are just doing their jobs based on their view of the world. Yes, it is usually different from ours. That does not make them wrong or the enemy.

What about bogus products and services that no one would ever buy if a compensation plan and massive hype were not attached?

Yeah ... that is our biggest challenge. Ownership is so desperate to start and own their own company that they create the stories ... house of mirror horror stories and fools believe them. And the thing about belief is ... once we believe something, once we represent it to others, once we “are one,” we defend our belief to the death. And no matter how clear and compelling the evidence may be to the contrary, we cannot hear it, see it or consider it. It does not exist for us. Don’t believe me? Go tell a far-right political zealot that they ought to consider moving over to the far left. Then do the same to the left … video it. Great party trick kind of stuff.

How do we fix this?

We don’t. That would be like eliminating the 50% of the population that are not critical thinkers, don't do their homework, and don’t ask powerful questions. There will always be the 50% bottom of the class … 50% of the knives in the drawer that are not the sharpest. We should embrace them, for they make the rest of us look good. There are people of means, influence and vision who work every day in some way to steer this giant ship of a profession onto a better course. People like Eric Worre, Tom Chenault, Garrett McGrath, Tony Cannuli, Art Jonak, Donna Johnson, Troy Dooly, Jonathan Gilliam, Lisa Grossmann, Todd Falcone, Mel Atwood, Len Clemmens, BK Boreyko, Kevin Thompson, Jordan Adler, and many more I just forgot. Also, some courageous company owners, suppliers, and organizations like the DSA, MLMIA and ANNP. Let them do their thing.

Here is what you and I can do:

We can keep our head down and do our work and we can ask ourselves if we are part of the problem or part of the solution. Are you promoting a Ponzi scheme or an Asset Income opportunity? I don’t know if your Crypto Techno Heartbeat Widget, Educational Whatever, Magic Pills, or Potion Lotions are a pyramid scheme. I really don't.

But you do.

Ask yourself if you are really in a legitimate company with real products. How would you know ... your belief and opinion? Not hardly. How about some facts? How many active customers do YOU have ... customers being defined as people not earning any income, not engaged in the team building opportunity? It doesn't matter what price they pay nor their designation. What matters is the motive. Why are they buying? Because of your hype and money laundering scheme or because the product is so damn good and the price is so right they would never be without it?

• • • Are you trying to sell something that my toaster will do for free by next year?
    • Are you trying to sell something that no one would ever pay that price for, if not for the money hype?
    • Are you selling something that will be completely irrelevant in 5 years?

If so, you are promoting a Ponzi scheme. Check your facts and then tell the truth, if only to yourself. What you and I can do is choose a company that we KNOW in our hearts and minds will be here selling totally relevant and legit products 100 years from now. If anything less, you are defrauding everyone you encourage to join after you. By definition, Network Marketing is a residual Asset Income opportunity, and as such, the income needs to flow indefinitely. The companies that have provided it the best have been doing it for 50 - 70 years. Some pump-and-dump 5-year scheme is nothing but an illegal and immoral pyramid scheme. And quit following people whose resumes reflect poor judgment like: “Built multiple 6-figure incomes,” and “Rose to the top of the comp plan in every company.” Really? How many deals have you been in? #avoidliketheplague Find a legit company, if you have not already, and go build it ethically. Success does not require recruiting 90 people in 90 days. If you just invited ONE person a day to “just take a look” at your excellent opportunity, you would have done more in the last 90 days than 99% of the people in your company.

Just do the work.

The work is worth it. Invite the 300 million people in the U.S. and 7 billion people in the world who are not in yet. Champion those of us already in and quit trying to recruit US. It is rude, disrespectful and violates the golden rule. Build it legally via FTC and FDA guidelines, and ignore the bottom of the class. The regulators and the marketplace will eventually take care of them. And if not … remember, they make us look good. If I offended you, comment below. If I inspired you, do the same. Happy New Year,

Richard