Welcome and thank you for hanging out for a bit on my blog.  I have updated, upgraded, retooled, redesigned and all the other “up’s” and “re’s” I could think of to support you in building your businesses and launched a new blog on my own platform.

Please go to:

http://authentic-networker.com

Go there now and check out all the goodies!

With love & laughter,
Keith

I hope you enjoy this video as much as I did.  It is SO worth 8.30 minutes of your life.

Are you living in self-expression or self-suppression?  Are you bringing your value to the world?  It’s time for you to step up.  The world is waiting.

Click book to purchase

If you haven’t read Tribes yet, this article will still serve you in a big way.  If you have and haven’t put all of the incredible concepts to work for you yet, then absolutely read each word…you may need it more than most.

Tribes is about many things, but it’s mostly about a new form of leadership and what it takes to create a following.  Everyone in network marketing knows that your income is largely related to your ability to lead others and create a following of loyal customers and affiliates.  Tribes should be required reading.

As you read this, consider your current role as a leader within your team and your company and consider Godin’s 7 key elements of leadership with my notes on each to follow:

1. Leaders challenge the status quo.

Are you really bringing something new to the table?  There is a status quo inside of every organization.  Our country has one, our business economy has one, your company has one, your team has one…and I would be bold and say that you have an internal one.  These are the sets of beliefs you have about what you are capable of and why.

2. Leaders create a culture around their goal and involve others in this culture.

This is the beginning process of creating momentum.  Can you rally a team behind a common vision/purpose?  Can you engage others in meaningful ways that has them buy into the big picture while fulfilling their own needs?

3. Leaders have an extraordinary amount of curiosity about the world they are trying to change.

This could apply to your financial life and utilizing a more effective way to secure your future.  This could relate to the network marketing industry as a whole.  Mike Dillard a few years ago changed the game for many network marketers, essentially inventing what is now called Attraction Marketing.  How much of your time do you dedicate to continuing education about your craft?

4. Leaders use charisma (in a variety of forms) to attract and motivate followers.

Are you a good speaker?  Do you give good phone? J Seriously, how compelling are you on a prospect call?  Do you lead team trainings, conference calls or webinars?  Do people feel lifted and invigorated after speaking to you?  If not, it’s time to change that.

5. Leaders communicate their vision of the future.

We all know that repetition is the mother of learning.  We all know that repetition is the mother of learning.  We all know that repetition is the mother of learning.  Damn, I am funny.  Some people will buy into your vision the first time they hear it.  Others will take some time.  Your job is to passionately share it with everyone who is willing to listen.

6. Leaders commit to a vision and make decisions based on their commitment.

Once your compass is set…go flat out in that direction. Do you get sidetracked easily?  Is there always something else going on?  Do you let bad days and dream-stealing naysayers deflate your energy and enthusiasm?  Toughen up.  Know things will be ever changing and stay the course anyway.  After all, this is what you want, right?

7. Leaders connect their followers to one another.

This one is important and often overlooked in network marketing, especially as teams are just starting out.  There is huge value in community and honestly, it’s one of the main motivators for people joining and staying in a network marketing company.  Make sure you have systems set up so that your team can communicate to each other.  This will pay huge dividends over time.  You never know, they may even create a better plan and go out earn you.

This is just one small piece of the value out of Tribes…as the entire book is filled with moving, creative and engaging ideas about personal branding, positioning, stepping up as a leader, how to work through the criticism and a ton of phenomenal stories illustrating them all.

If you have read Tribes, I’d love to hear how you have specifically applied one of the ideas.  Also, I’d love to hear your thoughts on how the above 7 key elements apply to you.  Please post your comments and if you think this article will help others, please Digg it, Tweet it and share it with others.

If you haven’t read it, go pick up the book.  Read it.  Study the lessons.  Then pull your leadership team together and figure out how to add value to your existing tribe…or go create the one you know you can.

This can be a sobering video or an empowering one depending on your perspective.  Sure it’s true kids imitate us, we see it every day.  We all know the statistics related to things like abuse, alcoholism and violence.  Much gathers more.  This is how nature works.

This video is a great reminder for me to get even more present to my vision for myself, my family and the world.  If I am not clear about it, then it isn’t clear and the likelihood of getting there is nearly non-existent.  I watched the video and wasn’t sad that the things that were happening.  Those sorts of things happen every day.  People litter.  They smoke.  They abuse animals, their spouses and their children.  It sucks, I get that.

But the action is the end result, not the cause.

What my mind raced to is how lost those people must be.  Sure, some of them might have some parts of their life together.  Hell, for some, they may seem to even have it all together.  But they’re lost.  They have no real vision.  If they did, how would their actions ever fit into their plans?  That’s a lesson I want to showcase to my son – vision drives performance.  Vision infuses our lives with meaning and power.  With vision, our choices become much easier.

Yes it’s true that our children follow our actions.  But they are the second ones to learn from our actions.  We are the first.

We may talk about something we truly want, but we learn by doing.  We learn and relearn our lessons through our experiences.  Are you teaching yourself the things you really want to be learning?

Do you talk a big game but then only take action on small parts of it?

Have you bought ‘hope’ but haven’t been disciplined enough to manifest your desires?

Our words are powerful, there is no denying that.  But our actions brand our lessons deep into our souls.  After all, our daily actions over time turn into our habits.  Our habits over time cultivate our lives.

It’s been said that character is who we are when no one is watching.

Perhaps if some were watching, if everyone had a coach observing their every thought, action and response…we would do so much better as a species.  I know for me when accountability is called into play, I step my game up.

Can we evolve to the point where being accountable to ourselves and our vision is enough to drive us forward?

Can we become powerful and committed enough to create a generation that is more motivated by a desire for joy than a desire to avoid pain?

If we can teach our children THAT…now that would be something.  That is a game worth playing.  Who is with me?

There I was, heading south on US1 in Ft. Lauderdale right by the airport and I was zipping along noticeably faster than I normally do. I was on my way to a meeting and was running uncharacteristically late and was trying to make up some time.

I noticed I was doing a little over 70 mph but I wasn’t exactly sure what the speed limit was. I guessed 50 or 60, but I wouldn’t put money on it.

I thought, “hmmm…maybe I should slow down.” I decided not to.

The Sheriff’s car that pulled out in that very moment decided something different.

I haven’t had a speeding ticket in over a decade. It’s not that I don’t speed, because I often do, I just don’t get tickets. I don’t attract them for some reason…and I like it that way.

I did my best to talk my way out of it, but the best I could do was get the actual speed reduced, which was pretty good.

I found out what the speed limit was. It was 50. I was going 71. He ticketed me for 64.

I thanked the fine officer and wished him the best…and meant it.

You may be saying, what the heck does this have to do with network marketing? It wasn’t what happened then, it was what happened next.

Within about a week it started.

They started showing up at my door.

They were all very persuasive and value driven with solutions to my current challenges.

Ticket Clinic Solicitations!

Dozens of them.

This situation exemplifies why so many people struggle in network marketing and the mindset you absolutely must have to succeed.

You absolutely must focus all of your marketing efforts so that you are speaking to people who are home business buyers. These are people who have already demonstrated interest and commitment.

Just like me. I was committed. To the tune of $248.

Most people who start in MLM will be taught to make a list of the top few hundred people they know.

That’s fine.

How successful do you think the ticket clinics would be if they did a general mailing to a given neighborhood?

They would go broke.

Just like most network marketers.

I don’t care if you are marketing to warm market or cold market…marketing is a sorting business. You are sorting interest and commitment.

Your pipeline should always be full with people who are your target market, but just haven’t made a decision yet. This doesn’t mean just people you know. Are they an entrepreneur, have they been in MLM before, are they looking & committed, are they a business owner…they must give you something. Just because you know them doesn’t make them a good prospect.

Following sound attraction marketing principles will put you in the center of the universe of people who will sort themselves. Creating online marketing funnels is one way that automates this process for you. Over time, as you continue to build a relationship, people will gravitate to do business with you.

If your marketing efforts haven’t pulled you the results you have wanted…go out tonight and drive really fast…then watch how the pros that understand how to target a market do it.

See, lawyers are good for something after all.

There are of course many reasons why marketers should use Twitter as a marketing tool. Social media has redefined the way products and services are marketed.

Although social media is a relatively new medium, social platforms such as Facebook, Myspace and Twitter offer marketers the ability to not only gain mass exposure for their brands, but to conduct extensive market research at no cost.

Twitter encourages users to post messages on what they are currently doing, their views about products and services and just about anything else they can think of. So, if you have a product and people are talking (tweeting) about it, the chances are that knowledge of your product and your competitors could be widespread.

Think about what this means for instant reviews by customers and clients…both favorable and disgruntled.

Twitter can help promote your brand globally in the matter of days…minutes even.

How do you build yourself or your business to be able to wield that sort of power and influence?

Add value. Contribute.

The more you contribute to the Twitterverse by means of useful messages, the more people that will read what you have to say. In other words, the more you give, the more you will receive.

Twitter can be a fantastic way to drive traffic to your sites, driving 100’s of people or more a week to the places you would like them to go.

As with every strategy, there are a number of do’s and don’ts for when you begin communication with the Twitterverse. Your followers on Twitter need to be interested in what you have to say, so posting regular, interesting, useful or humorous updates and feedback is essential.

Remember that your peeps are following you today, but may not choose to follow you tomorrow. Give your Twitter peeps (Tweeps) some love.

Keeping your Tweeps interested or entertained is of course a whole other subject but don’t worry, it is easy when you know how and the process can even be automated.

If you are an MLM’er and use your Tweets to only blast out offers for your network marketing business, expect to lose them as fast as you they found you. But if you create enough value amongst your tribe…they will listen to whatever you have to say.

Build value. Grow your tribe. Share yourself authentically with them.

Show your Tweeps some love…and they will love you back.

There are too many times to count that Brennan’s natural way of being reminds me of some grand lessons of life and the brilliance of being 100% in the moment of who you are. For your enjoyment, I’ve picked my top 9.7.

9.7 – Get excited about life.
Dive into experiences with energy and enthusiasm, as it is often this intention that creates our level of enjoyment and our results.

9 – Explore & Learn.
Take time to stare intensely at how a door opens and closes and what makes it work. Become intimately fascinated with new ideas, concepts, experiences and completely immerse yourself in the learning.

8 – Image isn’t everything.
Who cares if you have oatmeal or ketchup or sweet potato all over your face? Did it taste good? Absolutely!

7 – Make sure you get enough rest.
Sometimes there is nothing better than a power nap. Making time to recharge your batteries can pay huge dividends.

6 – Show your appreciation for the things you love.
Clap, smile, high five, laugh, be in JOY, giggle, squawk, scream…express yourself fully in appreciation for the people and experiences that support your growth and happiness.

5 – Get over it.
Hurt your foot? Who cares! It seemingly stops hurting if someone hands you your favorite toy. Be in your experiences, connect with them, learn from them and move on. Getting stuck in the drama of things in the past robs our ability
to connect with the present moment.

4 – Never take the relationship with your parents for granted.
My son is intimately connected to where I am, what I am doing and what mood I am in. I encourage you to look at how a toddler views his relationship with his parents, how important he feels they are to him and how much he values them…then answer those same three questions for yourself. Any difference?

3 – Believe in your ability to do things you have never done.
Take chances, risk, be bold, be courageous and strive forward with energy and optimism without giving a rat’s ass about what anyone else may think.

2 – If you aren’t getting what you want, stand up for yourself.
When a 4 year old isn’t happy, he’ll let you know. Now I am certainly not condoning how they go about conveying their message every time, but I applaud their commitment to their goals.

1 – Be FearLESS.
Walk around the edge of pools when you don’t know how to swim, play with light sockets, go down stairs at full speed, eat bugs, drink cold smoothies quickly and don’t worry about the brain freeze, walk up to stray dogs and jump off beds that are higher than you are tall. Seriously though, how many times do we let the fear of something stop us in our tracks, petrified by the outcome we make up in our own mind? Acknowledge your fears and go for it anyway!

Thank you, Brennan, may I repay you with the gift of teaching you as many things as you have taught me over your lifetime.

You are just bending the truth of who you are a little…it doesn’t matter, no one will know.

It really doesn’t fit with your values…but you should let it go, it doesn’t matter. No one will know.

But you know. You know clearly. Each and every time.

Being authentic is relatively simple in concept, but very rarely practiced consistently in today’s world. In many ways, I consider myself to be authentic, but I have come to understand that being authentic most of the time just doesn’t work. When is it okay to be inauthentic?

In other words, when is it okay to NOT be true to who you are?

I know, for me, fear, judgment, trust & acceptance all play a role and influenced many of my decisions over the years. Where do you let fear & judgment influence who you are being in your personal relationships? What about in your business relationships?

What prices are you paying for those choices? In other words, what is being inauthentic costing you in life? What are you missing out on?

In speaking with many others, being completely authentic is a bit like the Holy Grail; it’s often sought but very rarely found. Think about the number of COMPLETELY AUTHENTIC relationships you have in your life where you are free to talk about anything without concern of judgment or criticism.

I know I can count mine on one hand.

What exactly are we all so afraid of? In the transformational work I have done over the last 15 years with both youth and adults, it’s clear that we are all living out the same dramas – pretending to be things we are not, stuffing real emotions, biting our tongue, wearing masks, trying to impress, fighting for belonging and acceptance…

I don’t get it. I mean, I get why we do it all. I just don’t get why we do it all.

I have had the privilege of practicing being authentic in a few relationships over the last few months and this is what I have noticed. At first it scared the crap out of me. It was nausiatingly difficult. (I made that word up if you were wondering).

But then I noticed some other things too that for me, were really profound.

Authenticity alone doesn’t provide the juicy amazing feeling that I expected. It’s good; it’s self-gratifying, but still not complete.

Authenticity combined with unconditionality in a relationship is magical.

Apply this into your personal relationships and you’ll win every time.

Apply this into your business relationships and you’ll make a fortune…and love every step of the way.

To me, this is the “Galt’s Gulch” of personal relationships and everyone should have some. I think we cut ourselves off so much from the full experience of what it means to be human and this kind of relationship is an experience that everyone gets to have.

If you don’t have any…start now. Waiting isn’t worth it.

I am grateful for all of the times in my life that I chose to be inauthentic and for all of the people I have encountered who were inauthentic in their dealings with me.

It is because of those experiences that I am abundantly clear that I am no longer willing to pay the price of inauthenticity. It’s a nasty debt that accumulates over time.

I choose to be debt free.