April 8, 2013 is a day I’ll never forget.  It’s the day I gained my freedom.

On that morning, I woke up at the same time, did the same routine – news, blog comment, shower, breakfast – and took my step-son to school.

Then, I came back home and sat down at my computer.  I had a yellow pad full of ideas and items to complete, and I began my full-time work-from-home life!

Most exciting is the simple fact that, as clichéd as it sounds, if I can do it anyone can!

While I’d love nothing more than to tell you I was an overnight success, or have a personal story of how I found Network Marketing and 60 days later had made six-figures, that’s just not the truth. 

I spend most of my time feeling like I need to get out of my own way, and that seemingly everyone has it much, much easier than I do!

But I’ve got one trait working for me that I have developed over my adult life – pure stubbornness and a deep belief in Network Marketing and its ability to transform lives! (okay, that’s 2 traits).

How I got here

My journey started in the fall of 1989.  I’d just started College (yes, do some basic math and you’ll know I’m over 40 now) and a friend told me he’d just started a business!  When I asked if I could invest, I’ll never forget he told me: “Better! I want to help you get started with your own business!” 

And that is how I got invited to my first Amway opportunity meeting.

I was hooked; I instantly got the power of Network Marketing: Earn commissions when you move product and a little “piece of the action” when you help others do the same!

At this point in my life was a scrawny, thick-glassed, introverted nerd trying to grow his hair out and drove an old jeep so I smelled of exhaust most of the time; and it was worse when I had the top up!

But the message got to me, and I spent the next year talking with people and drawing circles. I was fueled by excitement and Vision, and didn’t care who I talked to. High school students, doctors, it didn’t slow me down.

One year later I quit, burned out on constant rejection and failure but the seed had been planted.

The next 4-5 years were a string of abject failures in MLM, never treating it seriously or like a six-figure opportunity or a real business that needs to be marketed. Companies I never should have joined, or were closed down as pyramids, or where the owners were arrested while yachting.

I left Network Marketing and with my shiny new Engineering degree I focused on my career.

Interlude

By 2009 I had successfully established myself, worked my way to Department Manager, and seemingly achieved my goals.

Except my life was in shambles and I hated my job. Divorced, living in an apartment, stressed, not sleeping, and working 60 hours a week only to be criticized by the Owners of the company for not working enough.  Then the downturn occurred and business dried up. Ultimately, I ended up living briefly with family to conserve my savings.

I met a wonderful woman who blessed me and became my wife, I did find a new job with a good company, but I had found myself wondering where all my Dreams had gone.  The houses, vacations, and cars.  All Lost to a Career.

I knew there was a better way.

I began to work to figure out how people make money with their computers.  Affiliate products, blogging, setting up websites, adsense ads on blogs.  Slowly, a trickle of money began to come in.

I got a couple of books out for kindle, and about this time I remembered the Hope I’d always felt with Network Marketing. I felt uneasy with the status-quo, 30 more years of work for retirement. I began to search.  I could see other people were making money online, I don’t think they’re all that smarter than me, so what were they doing?

Even then, it was not all smooth sailing to the point I’m at today. The first company I dove into I quit cold-turkey when I found my customers weren’t seeing results from the product – and I refuse to be associated with a company where the products don’t work. I left behind an income stream, and while it was modest it proved to me and my (new) wife that Network Marketing could produce an actual, real income.

Ultimately, I was contacted in Pre-Launch by the Master Distributor for the Company I’m with, and after trying the products, finding out about the ownership and financial backing, the great Story we have around our products and their benefits, I knew this was the place I was meant to be.

On to Today

All throughout this journey, I’ve continued to work on me and my personal development.  Sometimes consciously, most times because I was just interested. Anthony Robbins courses I listen to over and over.  Making my own websites.  Working with a good company with a good job (at a massive decrease in pay) but with no time freedom or flexibility.

My eyes had been opened by people like Ray Higdon, Dani Johnson, Eric Worre and more who showed me it would work, when you work for it.  Changing your mindset from “if I get in early enough” to treating it truly like a business you have to work, to focus on, to improve and be a Professional – and which can pay you a Doctor’s income when you do!

Today, I have multiple income streams, and it allowed me to finally quit my job.  While I say and consider this was a 3-year journey from when I got truly serious about making an income, it truly was over 20 years in the making!

I offer a specific inspection service for homes, pulling from experience in 2 previous careers and the skills and knowledge I learned there.

I am starting a small business, church, non-profit website development company. I have no html training, and all my sites are wordpress based, but my ability to do this is 100% because I’ve invested countless hours learning how to do it for my own sites!

Those ebook, affiliate, and ads income streams? I continue to work on them.

I have several book ideas I’m roughing out, and finally have the time to write!

But the biggest portion, and the portion that will define my future and financial legacy is Network Marketing. 

I’m an honest, tell-it-like-it-is guy, and while I’ve grown a tremendous amount, I still see so much more I have to improve or learn from scratch! I won’t proclaim I’m a Guru and making six-figures a month.  I’m not, but I will.  One major reason I chose to work from home now is I never had the time to do everything I needed. This opens up far more time for offline advertising and helping others.

Find a good company and get to work.  Work on your mindset, your personal development and generating a deep belief in the Power of Network Marketing.

Think like an Entrepreneur – there is opportunity all around you, every day, you just have to be open to thinking about it. What skills do you have that can be packaged in a book, or a course. Need a blog? Go start one and figure it out while you work! 

Keep a book or notepad and write down all your ideas for income streams, even if you know you can’t implement them right now.  Their time may come, and you don’t want to forget.

As Mike Litman says, “You don’t have to get it right, just get it going”.

Get it going for yourself today!  The payoff is in the future, but you have to invest in yourself and your skills today!

-Jon Patrick