With only the LIFE Business, you could probably figure out how to sell books and CDs and how to sign up people. You don’t need a system for that. With a little determination, you will find a process that works for you. You might even be able to recruit a few others to do the same. In other words, you could carry buckets to deliver water and you could also recruit a team of people to carry buckets and deliver water. This is the typical analogy I use to describe traditional MLM and networking models, the Bucket MLM.

Bucket MLM businesses are difficult, because sooner or later the ones who are good at signing up people, get tired and hope someone else will do it. Trying to sustain a signup game is very difficult. I’ve known many people in the MLM industry who have built big organizations and it all fell apart. A volunteer business that is built around the idea of recruitment is not easily sustainable. People who are generally very skeptical of the LIFE business are the ones familiar with this bucket model. They think that’s what we do and arguably so they want nothing to do with it.

Naively though, many of the people that get in the LIFE Business do, see it as a business, but have it in their mind that bucket recruitment is the easy mode of operation which will make them a success. It is in fact the hardest and nearly almost impossible way to build an organization. Innocently, they think this is “simply” a business of recruitment and “sales” and they are willing to play the odds of recruiting enough people and selling enough that someone eventually will do it for them. They usually have “Big Fish” mentality. In other words, because they know some influential people they think are going to have it easy getting a lot of people “signed up.”

If you do get some progress out of this method, then congratulations is due. You are a great sales person or you have lived your life in a manner that has blessed you with influence. Be forewarned, it will almost never last because you are not duplicatable and right now your business depends on your abilities and not a system. Consequentially, it is limited to growth only with in your abilities. In addition, with, you as the limitation, there will not be enough LIFE materials flowing through your organization for it to produce an income which will allow you to be financially independent.

The Bucket MLM way, is actually the way I thought when I got involved. I believed I knew enough people that would join me and eventually it would get so big that I would not have to do anything and before long I’d be rich. I was hit with a rude awakening when not that many people were willing to listen to me. And no big fish ever joined my team to do it for me. By the way, there is a method of sustaining this kind of business. It’s called, “work your guts out forever.” I didn’t have the kind of time that was required nor the energy to work hard enough for this method to work for me. I also didn’t have the influence I thought I had. I am so thankful for the TEAM system to help me develop the culture for duplication to occur. It has proven to be a true pipeline and not a bucket. I would have been sunk if success depended upon my existing level of influence within my circle.

For, the immortal person who gets the bucket MLM of to any kind of a decent start, the good news is they have taken personal responsibility, the bad news is, at this point they are self-employed. It is not our (THE TEAM’s) desire that you be self-employed. This is why Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward have included excerpts on the B-type businesses in The TEAM’s first night book. In addition, this is why we promote the Robert Kiyosaki’s book, “The Cashflow Quadrant.” For your success, and the success of others, it will be desperately need to understand the B-type business quadrant and the importance of systems. In order to have a b-type business, it will be necessary to learn and understand how a b-type business owner thinks. In the “How to get started” pack, there is a cd called, “Team 272 – Think Business” by Chris Brady. Think like the wealthy and you will become wealthy.

Learning will not be optional

Learning will not be optional for success.  It might have been my biggest obstacle in the beginning. I did not like to read. In addition, where I went to engineering school, they taught me that I knew everything already. Lol.  A hunger to learn is what it will take.  Let me say that a different way.  Since I was not wealthy, it was proof that I don’t think like a wealthy person.  I didn’t like being told that or even discovering it, but it was true.  I had to “confront the brutal facts” as Jim Collins says in his book “Good to great” and not be offended, but enlightened.  By admitting the truth, I could now act on it, instead of experimenting with my time and other people’s time. 

I found that it is not just learning that was important.  One must be hungry to learn also.  In the book “Launching A Leadership Revolution” by Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady, Chapter 2 begins the “Foundational Qualities.”  “Foundational Quality” number one is “Hunger.”  Hunger is a discipline.  Don’t worry if you don’t feel very hungry right now.  Read the aforementioned chapter to understand what it means to be hungry and how to develop it.  I won’t try to say it better than my mentors have in their #1 best-selling book.  Listening to the TEAM cds regularly will also help you develop some hunger naturally.

A strong desire to take direction from those who have proven they have the answers will also be a big short cut.  Learn to think like a person who is wealthy.  Learn from those who are wealthy and learn in the manner they recommend, not just in the way you prefer.   All people who are wealthy depend on systems, not their abilities.  Robert Kiyosaki very plainly states in his book, “The Cash Flow Quadrant,” that all B-type businesses develop people and/or systems.  The TEAM has a system for developing people.  It’s not your “Job” to develop people here at this time in the journey, it’s your responsibility as a leader to create a culture of learning and leveraging the TEAM system to duplicate and develop people.

Stay Tuned for my next section in this series Called “How to Create a Culture of Hunger to Learn”

God Bless

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One of the 3 keys to wealth, having time, money and influence, is the power of compounding. The life business is set up to help you create wealth by leveraging the team system.  In order to have a business that will duplicate and grow on its own, you will need a duplicatable system. The objective of the TEAM system is NOT really just to give you the shortcut on how to be successful. The TEAM system is designed to give you the shortcut on how to duplicate successfully.  Duplication is the only way you’re going to create the exponential growth needed for a true b-type business as defined by Robert Kiyosaki.  Duplication is not optional when it comes to being wealthy. It is a requirement.  In the LIFE business, wealth comes from assembling large sustainable teams.  We call them communities.  To build and to sustain a community, using a system for duplication is really not optional.

Not obvious to most people, duplication does not happen naturally.  As individuals, we are NOT duplicatable.  This is even less obvious and without experience or trust you will tend to ignore this major point.  People want to do things their own way due to personal preferences and so on.  They think because they do it “one way” everyone else should and will do it that “one way” as well.  Or worse they think everyone should be allowed to do it their own way.  This is nowhere close to being true for success. More on this later.  A leader in the LIFE business understands people are discretionary and discretion is the enemy of duplication.  So it’s not just enough to have a duplicatable system for people to follow, because they won’t naturally comply and follow it. 

For someone to have a true B-type business they will need use the TEAM system as leverage to set up a culture of duplication.  People tend to adopt the culture of their TEAM. They rarely blindly follow a system or someone who has no more results than them.  If you want the business to grow and last, the laws of success here cannot be ignored.  If your business is not growing or your business is shrinking, it is not because the business does not work.  It is not because you can’t do it, or because the system doesn’t work.  It is simply because you are either being discretionary about learning what it takes to set up a culture of duplication, or you’re being discretionary about what you’re willing to do in order to set up a culture of duplication.  Either way, the culture of discretion you set up is destructive to the TEAM’s growth.

Often newer TEAM members or ones who haven’t been listening, reading, and attending the meetings as much as they should, will discuss what “they” think needs to be done to build the team. In addition, they are usually talking in terms of them or maybe a couple of people on their TEAM.  Rarely are they quoting results from a book or someone on the CDs. Beware of following these TEAM members, you will likely end up with their results.  Respectfully, look upline, if needed, to find someone quoting and pointing to the system with results.  You never have to worry about positional leadership on the TEAM because we only recognize earned leadership.

Orrin has been a great example of trying not to be the system for success, but to create a culture of learning from people who have success.  I love Orrin Woodward’s example of a pool to describe culture and then the example outside of himself that follows.   The following excerpt you can find on page 198 in the Resolved 13 Resolutions for LIFE book.  Incidentally, this chapter in his book is called “Leadership Resolution” with a story about Sam Walton’s Leadership. You will find mixed into the TEAM’s system, many of the principles and methods that made Sam Walton successful.  Here is the analogy for understanding culture.

“… Culture is like the water current in a swimming pool when leaders jump into the pool orchestrating (and by example) the community to move in the same direction,  it creates a current that influences everyone in it. (note the idea that the current influences EVERYONE this applies to a good current and a bad current) New members jumping into the pool will be pulled along by the current flowing in a positive direction thanks to a moving leadership team.”

Continuing on with this thought, if everyone is not going in the same direction, there is no current. The reason that some teams have pools with a strong current and some teams do not is because some teams are discretionary about going in the right direction of following the system.  Recognize you can also have a strong “wrong” current.  The culture and the current are the two things being compared. This is why the leader must leverage the system to create the “right” culture and then “right” culture builds the TEAM “properly”.  In our example, with the pool if the current is strong, a new person who wants to go in an opposite direction literally has no chance of opposing the current. However if the current is weak, the current can’t possibly correct a group of people in opposition either.

My next several posts for my blog going to be on a series of articles on creating the right culture of duplication. These articles are really designed for leaders who want to have a business that works. Meaning one that’s growing and sustaining itself.  We know that there’s only a certain percentage of people at any one time, willing to lead. We never want to ostracize a person who wants to be a follower and not yet a leader. Consequently you should be aware; the concepts in the next several articles are more leadership type concepts. People who are hungry for the answers so they can get results are the people who will appreciate the following articles the most. For people who are not so hungry, the articles will be tough on your thinking and your “current” actions.  Remember, although we will always encourage you to live a life of excellence, we will also always love and accept you wherever you are in your journey.

If your TEAM is not growing I can guarantee as you continue reading you will understand why.  When people are called to lead they are rarely ready. So I hesitate to tell you not to read the following unless you’re ready to be a leader because that’s usually not a criteria for someone who steps up.  Again, just know that if you decide to read the blog articles that follow for the next several days and you haven’t been leading, they may seem a little tough for you.  There is no intention to hurt anyone’s feelings, or make anyone feel unwelcome in the life business.  We accept everyone.  If the only thing you’re willing to do at this time is use the life material to become a better person, we are still extremely proud of you. You have stepped into the role of personal responsibility for your life.  For those of you willing to lead and duplicate that personal responsibility into an organization correctly, there is a vast reward greater than you can imagine in the areas of TIME, MONEY and INFLUENCE for you to use however you like. So let’s get started learning…”see you tomorrow.”

God Bless

Hello to all the members and Teams of Team Maximus. What an amazing event we just had this weekend.  I’m very proud of the representation we had of power players.  The current in the pool is definitely rushing. Make no mistake about how fast your business can grow right now.  Team Maximus has several people who will be new Round table members by the next major.  New levels reached in the business always provides belief for anyone.  Just make sure you have been working hard to get new people to the Opens and seminar for them to see it and your teams will explode.  Our system of cd packs are a Key.  Use them in order for your prospects and you will see them fall in love with the team and our system. If you have a scarcity mentality when it comes to the packs, or feel you want to answer all their questions you are going to be in for some frustration and no duplication.

There are several things that have been put in motion for YOU to leverage to get the same kind of explosion that Claude and Lana Hamilton have demonstrated this past weekend.  First off all of Chris Brady’s teams have come to go there under the umbrella of Rascal Nation. We will still go by our individual teams: team Maximus-Galileo, team Maximus-Spartacus etc. Chris has a website@rascal-nation.com. Over the last day or two we been collecting the commitments on all of team Maximus within the Round table groups of who and how many power player points we are willing to provide for the next major. I know that not everybody is motivated by competition. In my mind competition however keeps us honest. We tell people we had the greatest business in the world we ask in the sign up with us we tell them they can make money but the best way for us to prove that we have the greatest business in the world is to demonstrate that were willing to work together as a team for each other’s success not just our own. Chris will be keeping track of each power player that breaks on his website. Not the specific numbers but percentages of the goal met so far. All of the Roundtable percentages goal met and their teams will be posted and updated regularly.

Chris and Terry Brady have been some of the biggest servants that I’ve ever known in my entire life.  They give it their all because they know my future and the future of many other people’s success are on the line. I’ve never seen them act selfish.  It was not too exciting for me to watch them not be the source of the most power players this past weekend.  This time around I plan on doing my part. Chris Brady will hold regular go-getter conference calls in order that we can leverage it for ourselves and new Team Members. The first one will be November 6.  By then, everybody is required to have held six plans since the major in order to be on the call. I would say everybody’s goal is really just to be a power player every 30 days.  So go-getter is a forgone conclusion for EVERYONE.  If that hasn’t happened for you in the past it’s now time to change your thinking. The current is going to be rushing so fast that if you’ll do the work it will be hard for you not to get a goal.

The question is will your teams work together or they work like individuals will they form death squads and use a the squeeze board and keep track of their plans and be accountable to each other which surely will require putting the Team agenda above a personal agenda sometimes.  These are all the things that make it go fast- people working together. I believe team Maximus has some of the best leaders in the whole country and it’s time to let our colors shine. It’s also time to contribute back to Chris and Terry Brady for the opportunity of a lifetime that they have given to us.  They are some of the biggest leaders in the world and deserve my best because they have always given me theirs. Let’s really KCB this time!

God bless

Josh Dames

A Hard working Man Learned how LIFE is so much more!

It was just a hand full of years ago when my wife Annie (Dames) got an unexpected phone call that, we would soon find out, would change our life forever. I grew up in a small town in Missouri where I was able to witness and learn from hard working parents, what it took to “get by” and raise a family. I am one of six children and have the greatest family a man could ask for. Growing up the oldest boy, I would like to say that I learned first hand from my father the principles, thinking, and character it took to be successful as a husband, father, and spiritual leader in my home, but that is not my story.  

I want to point out that I have a great father, and I can say that because I have learned things from him that I am able to still implement in my life, but he did not have the life or lifestyle that I wanted. I did learn from him one thing that I believe is a great trait to have as a man, and that is a strong work ethic. Because I learned to work hard, I soon realized that my work became a source of self-worth, or self-confidence. I found myself working 80-90 hours a week with a wife and 3 small children at home.

Not having any other options in my life but to “work hard”; I thought I was on the right track. With much doubt where our financial future was headed, Annie got the phone call. It was then we were introduced to the Team. I got really excited about the financial opportunity that the Team and eventually the LIFE Business had to offer! Working through all the skepticism, the questions, and a wife that was not excited about pursuing anything more, I seen a great opportunity to get us out of the financial trap that I was in. Thanks to Kevin Cobb, he was a great turning point in my life because he met me where I was at, not only by helping me in my finances, but also giving me the information in the 8 F’s. He also introduced me to the association where I learned the most valuable thing in my life! Define, Learn, Do!

  I did not realize that by simply defining what I want my life to look like, (in the 8F’s) learning from someone or a proven system that has fruit on the tree, and then doing what they did, that I would then start to see things change in my life. I would then have the successes that I was looking for.

  This is where I would like to thank my personal Life Coach and mentor, Mark Haas for his example and having done what is required to have results and the fruit on the tree to learn from. Also, Orrin and Laurie Woodward, and Chris and Terri Brady for developing the world’s best proven business information system. This system has helped me to grow in my family life, leadership skills, character, and relationships.

Ultimately I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for his love, grace, and mercy! God Bless!

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 How One woman Learned so much from LIFE and the Proper association.

Annie Dames

When I look at myself today, I sometimes wonder how in the world did I get here? If you could have seen me five years ago, you would completely understand what I mean. How did an extremely shy and insecure girl get involved in a people business, of all things, and actually see some results? I’m not talking financial results, we have seen those as well, but more importantly internal results.

  When I was younger I was very shy, so shy that my mom did everything she could think of to help me break out of my shell. It was the first day of school in fourth grade, and my teacher was doing roll call. When she came to my name she mis-pronounced it, being a Spanish name, it happens quite often. Instead of just speaking up and telling her it was wrong, I just allowed her to call me by the wrong name, and for the next five years (yes, FIVE years) my friends and teachers were still calling me by this mis-pronunciation of my name!! It drove my mother crazy, and she couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t correct everyone. You’re probably thinking the same thing! I was so shy that I would rather be called the wrong name than speak up in class and correct her!

I tell you that because sometimes you see someone in this LIFE business, and you see the finished product. You see them all polished and think they have it all figured out, and that they have never had struggles.  I certainly thought that when looking at all of the leading ladies. I remember thinking there is no way I would ever be able to get enough courage to speak on stage. There is no way this information can give me the confidence of a Laurie Woodward, or the grace of a Terri Brady. I thought only a certain type of person could make it in this business. I didn’t realize that i could become that type of leading lady through reading, growing, and implementing the information.

I am so thankful for people like Mark and Rita Haas and Kevin and Emily Cobb who saw something in me that I was too blind to see in myself! Sometimes you have to go on someone else’s belief for awhile until you can gain it yourself!
  Of all the blessings I have gained from being a part of Team, the one that I treasure the most is my relationship with Christ. I never would have dreamed that through this I would find Christ and ask him into my life. To see my husband take control and be the spiritual leader in our home has been amazing, and because of that, my children are so hungry to learn.

  I look at my relationship with Josh, and although we thought our marriage was good, and it was, I never imagined it could be great!  With great books like A Woman After Gods Own Heart, Love and Respect, For Women Only, and The Five Love Languages, I was able to learn how to be a Godly wife and give him the respect he deserves. Not only did I learn the information, but I had amazing examples in Rita and Terri to help me along the way.
  It makes me cringe to think about where we would be right now, had it not been for those two amazing strangers coming into our lives! We are eternally grateful, and consider it an honor to be a part of this amazing journey called LIFE!  God Bless!

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 A Man learns systematic Success from LIFE and its mentors!

Scott & Angie Ballah

I always had great examples to follow in the area of hard work which is required to achieve success in anything. It was only after being introduced to the Team system and our future mentors Mark and Rita Haas that I realized I had found a cure for the “pain” I had endured as an engineer. Chris Brady, Orrin Woodward, and Mark Haas taught me that hard work alone will just make a person tired. Hard work coupled with a system and the correct information is the true key to success.

I can remember sitting at my desk during work hours and being extremely frustrated about our financial situation and not having a way to be free to make my own choices. People would always tell me “you must be doing very well since you’re an engineer and your wife is a nurse”. Little did they know we were drowning in debt and having to spend more time away from each other and our twins at the time.

The first night I was introduced to the Team business system and what eventually became THE LIFE BUSINESS, I was extremely excited!! All of the dreams I had when I was in college that I thought would be provided through getting an engineering degree were awakened. At first, I only saw the financial benefit of the Team system and LIFE business. I have learned and applied so much about each of the 8 F’s of LIFE (Faith, Family, Finance, Fitness, Fun, Friends, Freedom, Following).

Our marriage and finances were a wreck. I didn’t have much of a spiritual background or foundation. Leadership was not in my vocabulary and I didn’t understand the importance of keeping our freedom (personal and national). I had plenty of friends and fun usually involving 12 ounce arm curls (the results of which were stated in the first sentence).

I am eternally grateful to the Haas’ and the Brady’s for steering me out of that train wreck through their mentorship and the books and CD’s in the LIFE business. Our marriage is amazing (twins plus 3 more)!! We have been able to get out of debt, pay cash for vehicles, help some family members financially, raise our children in a Christian home, have more friends and fun and find a purpose that will affect generations to come. LIFE will never be the same and I’m fired up about that!!!

In Christ,
Scott
“In a man’s heart, he plans his course but the Lord directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9

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I recently read through an article from Chris Brady’s blog.

He wrote an article about the Tim Tebow mania that’s happening right now with him starting for the Denver Broncos. He points out the many critics who can’t find anything good to say about him. Below is a portion of his article.

“Tebow’s play seemed to justify the claims of the critics. He missed wide-open receivers. He overthrew easy passes. He fumbled. He got sacked in the backfield. He rolled up terrible statistics the likes of which no NFL quarterback could expect to post and still retain his job. All the while the critics howled with their “I told you so’s.” However, one thing Tebow did was win. In fact, his whole team seemed to start playing better. The defense stepped up to an unbelievable level. Receivers started making stupendous catches. Running backs started nearly defying gravity. And Tebow himself seemed to come alive when the pressure was the greatest and pull victory out of the jaws of defeat – several times.

I am writing this article a bit early. Although Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos have won four out of the last five games, anything could still happen and they could end up at the bottom of their division. Their near-miss wins could easily start turning to losses, and if that happens, I have no doubt whatsoever the critics will have a field day once again.

None of that matters, however, because Tebow has already proven something extremely valuable, namely, that while people talk about lack of skill they should never underestimate the power of will. What Tim Tebow brings is leadership. He has that special ability to energize a team of players to each perform at their very own personal best. He inspires, instills confidence, and makes those around him believe that anything can happen if they just have faith. While the statistics bemoan his performance, Tebow proves again and again that there are some components in victory that can’t be measured. There are intangibles to greatness that come from deep within, that defy the odds and mystify prognosticators, and that just simply can’t be contained.

Leadership matters.

Character matters.

Attitude matters.

The will to win matters.

Critics, however, don’t matter.

Tebow has shown all this and more. I personally hope he keeps on winning in his unconventional way, in front of the NFL experts who so haughtily claimed “That’s not the way it’s done here.” The world needs to understand that unconventional doesn’t mean wrong, inadequate, or below grade. Unconventional just may mean revolutionary. 

They said Tim Tebow wasn’t ready for the NFL.

Perhaps the NFL wasn’t ready for Tim Tebow.”

I can’t get over this. I love it. Leadership matters, character matters, attitude matters, but just like Chris Brady says, critics don’t. They don’t matter. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing football, becoming a better person or employee, or building a business. They don’t matter.

As much as we say critics don’t matter….Critics hurt. Critics destroy. How can we be mindful of our words and actions so that we do not become critics with our spouses or critics with our kids? Critics with our parents or siblings? Or even critics with our friends? I know for me, the LIFE information has helped me be less of a critic. I’m not saying I’m cured of my criticism habit, but I’m saying it’s gotten a lot better after getting better information. What is it that you like most about the LIFE information, is it the books, cd’s or the association?

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Congratulations!! Go-getter is 15 plans per month, or about 4 per week.  We post each week on Tuesday for the previous week Monday Morning to Sunday Night.  Send your Go-getter recognition to mrteam@swbell.net.Go-getters  I’m sure there are more out there, they just need to be reported.

Week Ending 12/11/11

Kevin & Emily Cobb

Scott & Angie Ballah

Jay & Stephanie Bethel

Josh & Annie Dames

Rob and Amie Sinkinson

Week Ending 12/19/11

Josh & Annie Dames

Mark & Rita Haas

Jon & Laure Ziegler

Chris & Lia Arnold

Tyler Schlosser

The Best Business is LIFE

There is a current post on Orin Woodward’s Blog “Dreams, Dramas, & Creative Destruction” that would help me to explain one reason why I’m so excited to be able to offer the best business on the planet. Which if you are any kinda of Team LIFE business builder at all you should read it near daily and point others to it.  Think! What business owner doesn’t read his top trade articles as a staple to success for “sharpening his saw, regularly?”  Think also!  What other trade has two top 12 leadership experts writing specifics for your success? Orrin Woodward’s and Chris Brady’s insights are awesome!   Anyway here is an excerpt with “Some of the facts, Jack!”

“Orrin Woodward: LIFE is striking at the foundations of the old networking business model. It is taking the best examples of leadership, community building, and life coaching, and marrying them together into a digital age busines Anyways. The benefits to the consumer are lower prices, higher rewards, and best value proposition, making the risk/reward ratios the best in the history of networking.

I have yet to see any legitimate criticisms of the LIFE business model and I am not shocked by this. How can anyone criticize these improvements on the current benchmarks in the profession?

1. LIFE is attracting numerous customers. In fact, one member had a customer sign up over ten customers in two days! You heard me correctly. I said a customer just signed up ten other customers so that he and several of his friends can enjoy their products for free through the three for free program.
2. LIFE has the lowest monthly subscription price on the market – ($50 to $125).
3. The leadership information is taught around the globe on the principles taught from two Wall Street Journal and New York Times best selling authors and Top 30 leadership gurus.
4. LIFE has meetings anywhere in the USA and Canada thanks to internet streaming technology.
5. LIFE flows close to 70% of the PV revenue back to its members (the highest in the industry to my knowledge).
6. LIFE has a 30 day no questions asked return policy. We want satisfied customers or your money back.
7. LIFE products already have thousands of satisfied users. Our best product is the changed lives of our customers and members.
8. The TEAM community building techniques have been benchmarked by nearly every other networking company, with many of the top networking leaders already customers of TEAM’s business building materials.

If any legitimate analyst would like to compare LIFE’s break-away compensation plan with any of the other break-away business models, then I am more than happy to do so. Show me any company that has a break-away compensation plan that rewards its members better? Since no other break-away pays up to 50% on the first type of bonus, I don’t think they really want to go there. In fact, it’s probably why they haven’t. In addition, when the older models pay 4% leadership bonus and LIFE pays 8%, I can see the need to deflect attention from that anyway they can. More telling, when the older models pay a 1% depth bonus and LIFE pays 4%, maybe the “no comment” policy is the right option. Lastly, when the older models pays no depth bonus after three legs, but LIFE compensates another 2% bonus on six legs, it becomes clear why the cat has got their tongue. Another 1% is the reward for nine legs over with further bonuses continuing through eighteen legs currently.”

I think of all the good that can be done with a successful business that builds with a community striving to be better in the areas of the 8F’s.  I’m proud to be associated with Men and women leading their families with financial wisdom.  I love being able to offer people who are struggling with faith, the same books and CDs that helped me get answers.  I so enjoy seeing marriages fortified and even being saved.  I’m inspired as I watch men become  heroes to their wives as they learn from others and the Life information what it looks like to be a leader and a person of character and then fight with a purpose to help others do the same. 

We need more men and women of character in this country.  We need strong families and family values!  We need finances to help us propogate our freedoms to create that kind of community that has the ability to turn back the destruction of our country. We need you to take LIFE and live it as if it’s our last chance to fix what is broken before its too late!

Money, time, and information are tools! What you do with them make all the difference! 

God Bless

Mark Haas

Please comment on What are you most excited about in the LIFE business!

Chris Robinson

When they say the phrase “you don’t know what you don’t know,” that was me.  There are so many things that I thought I knew that I really didn’t know.    It’s amazing as you listen to other people’s experiences in LIFE and you see how they struggled just like you did, it gives you a sigh of hope.  With that hope, it gave me a desire to ask more questions, and I listened more.  As I dug deeper into the information, I really started to learn principles of success that I never heard before.  I was always taught to work hard, but was never taught the principles of how to win in life.  I was always surrounded with working and working and working.  What a great feeling it is to be on a journey of personal growth-to grow in all areas of my LIFE! 

To learn so much in these areas as far as being a husband, a father, a friend, a servant to others, and not to judge.  The three A’s- Accept, Approve and Appreciate-taught me how to love people for who they are.  As I’m on this journey, I see the ripple effect that is caused by each of us being willing to change.  In my personal life, I see how my willingness to change has impacted the lives of my children as well as good friends and others I have met along this journey.  There’s no turning back.  The better “me” lies just ahead, and I’m committed to learning what I don’t know.

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Because of Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady, my wife, Rebecca, and I have had the privilege to be a part of the greatest Team building community on the planet called LIFE!! for the past four and a half years. I can’t begin to explain the thankfulness for the blessings that we’ve have received from mentors in my life like Mark and Rita Haas, Josh and Anny Dames  and a wonderful self directed education that has helped tremendously in my life. You see I have had a deep grounded faith in Jesus Christ most of my life. I would pray and think about ways that I would be able to lead and influence people to the faith that has changed my life.

I would share my faith with people that I didn’t even know and even though I had good motives, at times I would feel frustrated with the fact that I was not able to make a significant difference in there lives an influence them in the faith that had greatly effected my life. I knew that God had placed certain gifts in me but was not sure how to effectively be able to use them. What really happened is that I started to work in a career in the construction industry that started out as really just a means to be able to work until I was able to do the thing that I was called to do.

I was not a stranger to hard work because my family had brought me up that way, providing a great example in my life. I soon later met my wonderful wife Becca and bought a house and had our first kid (Nolan). With having a family came the greatest rewards in life, however I did find myself working more hours to provide for my family, more time away from the people that I loved and definitely had a hard time finding time to a calling. 

I knew that God had placed me in a wonderful position and had blessed me with an amazing family but I still had such a desire to make an impact in the world while he had put me here. It wasn’t but a couple of years later that my brother had introduced me to a leadership development engine called TEAM.  TEAM gave me new insight that there was a better way to live life, and that I did’t have to stay in the rat race like everyone else. But, more importantly, I was able to gain mentors in life that showed me how I to truly lead community of people by gaining influence in the eight F’s of LIFE! I started to learn and grow in my leadership an through an amazing system of information and I started making a difference in more peoples life than I could never have imagined.

I didn’t know it but at the time when I had been introduced to LIFE, God was giving me the tools to fulfill my calling, to make a difference in my family, and to become the person I was created to be. What I learned is that the information that you receive and apply will determine actions, your actions will determine your habits and your habits will determine your results. Unfortunately most of the information that was being taught to me by the world had helped me get in to the position that I was in. 

What I now realize through the LIFE Business, is that if I wanted to get different results I should learn from those most qualified to teach me (hence, someone who has fruit on the tree). That in of itself is what the team has provided in my life. So I can’t begin to put into words what a true blessing the LIFE business has been for my family.

Thank you Chris and Orrin for Serving and developing The Life Business with such Godly intentions

God Bless

Jason Dames

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As I attended one of the Team’s (co-founded by Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady) LIFE open meetings recently, the speaker discussed a concept taught by Napoleon Hill. In his book, he studied successful people and based on his research found four principles that successful people apply. I have not read the book (it’s on my list!) and am not claiming to be an expert, but one of the principles the speaker mentioned really spoke to me.

He said, “Have a definiteness of purpose backed by a burning desire to fulfill it.” To someone who isn’t around leadership principles, this may sound a little funny, or hard to understand. How can we have a definiteness of purpose in life if we’re just trying to make it through the day? How can we have a definiteness of purpose with our children if we’re just wishing they would hurry up because we’ve got ten thousand other things to do? How can we have a definiteness of purpose with our spouse if we don’t have time to spend good quality time with them?

My point is, what the speaker said hit me hard. It had an impact on my thinking. Immediately.

How many of us wish we could take a few minutes each day, put our worries and work aside, and spend good quality time with our spouse or children? Or wish we could take a look at our life and live by our priorities instead of our obligations? How much would life be different if we all lived by our priorities?

But that’s just the first part of the equation…the definiteness of purpose has to be backed by a burning desire to fulfill it. Ah ha. That’s the hard part. The desire to do whatever. it. takes. to fulfill our definiteness of purpose. Living by your priorities is not easy. It means letting the phone ring when you’re spending time with your children. It means leaving work at work, even though your work is not finished. It means taking the time to read books and apply the information you’ve learned, even though it’s easier to watch tv. It means being diligent with your finances even though it’s easier to use a credit card. It means doing the hard work and disciplining yourself in whatever area you define as your definiteness of purpose.

That’s what I love about the information that LIFE provides. It consistently gives us information to help us fulfill our definiteness of purpose. The LIFE information encompasses everything I mentioned above (time with your children, relationship with your spouse, growing personally, better finances, etc.) and more. We are so thankful that we got over our skepticism to actually take a look at the information. It truly has changed our lives. I now live with a definiteness of purpose AND a burning desire to fulfill it.

LIFE is good.

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Give the Gift of Honor

The gift-giving season has arrived and it reminds me of a book Terri Brady recommended related to parenting.  It challenged me to consider the Family area of my LIFE, specifically in regards to honor and respect in the home.  Honor was defined simply as “treating people as special, doing more than what’s expected, and having a good attitude.”  Additionally, it went on to explain that showing honor is like giving a gift.  When we treat others in dishonoring ways, it’s like giving dirt to them.  On the contrary, when we show honor, we give them a daily gift worthy of sharing with others.

As an assertive and somewhat dominant (lol!) woman, my personality had affected our home environment.  Our children were being raised as independent thinkers, yes, but ultimately, they knew that mommy and daddy had the “final say” in the home.  Obedience didn’t seem to be a problem; yet, something was lacking.  It didn’t take me long to recognize that “something” was honor.  I can laugh now looking back how I attempted to “take charge” and bring honor into our home through an action plan of discussions on character related topics, reading classics, and associated reward charts.  Initially we saw some change, but obviously I was missing the spirit of the book–honor through example.

We are commanded in God’s word to “prefer one another” (Romans 12:10).  The New International Version states it like this, “Honor one another above yourselves.”  At the heart of it, “preferring” one another really challenges our naturally selfish mindset.  This type of honor is desperately needed in many homes across America, including our own.  With the addition of our seventh little one, Chris and I were reawakened to this need.  We are so grateful for the LIFE changing information we continue to receive through the LIFE subscriptions.  Chris Brady’s recent LIFE cd on “giving happy” reminded me how we find true joy in service to others.  Honor Based Parenting isn’t always easy, but as Orrin Woodward says, “Leaders don’t do things that are convenient, they do things that are needed.”

The author of the book I mentioned earlier stresses, “When we recognize a person’s value, it’s easy to give him or her honor.”  We find ourselves blessed to be associated with people like Mark and Rita Haas, Chris and Terri Brady, and Orrin and Laurie Woodward.  These LIFE leaders exemplify how to not only validate others, but to add value in their lives by pouring a bit of themselves into them.

Chris and I are proud to be part of the legacy of Team Maximus, where each of our affiliated Teams can unite under the banner of “Strength and HONOR.”  We have found that STRENGTH resides in being part of a group of people that are committed to “treat people as special, do more than what’s expected, and have a good attitude.”  Thank you, Mark and Rita for setting that example for us all.

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After reading the following paragraphs of Orrin Woodward’s recent blog post entitled “LIFE: Downside Risk & Upside Reward”, I thought back to the first time Sarah and I were introduced to the networking profession.  

“So what is the downside risk in this model? Hmm, let me think. . . The downside risk is that you might not enjoy the leadership training from two best selling leadership authors and business partners. If at any time you do not see the value in the leadership materials, you have a 30 day “no questions asked” return policy. Certainly within 30 days, you could discover whether the leadership materials is helping you or not, right? 

The downside risk is negligible. But what about the upside reward? With a compensation plan that pays out 70% revenue points to anyone who achieves a minimum of 150 points of business, the networking game is changed forever.” 

As our great friends Brandon & Kristina Brazier shared the information, our thought process was:  “So you are telling me that we are going to subscribe to great principle-based leadership information from people with fruit on the tree (as opposed to those with only an opinion), associate with positive people who genuinely have a vested interest in helping others (as opposed to those who focus only on themselves), and have an opportunity to create a pipeline income over time (instead of the 45 year plan)?  There is no commitment and I can vote with my wallet?  As Orrin says, this became an IQ test.  Sign me up! 

Because we “took the downside risk” our lives have changed dramatically in each of the 8Fs in a positive way.  I would like to thank my amazing (graceful) wife Sarah, an awesome team of Rascals, our coaches Chris & Marcia Robinson, our mentors Mark & Rita Haas, along with Chris & Teri Brady, Orrin & Laurie Woodward and the LIFE founders for having the vision and hunger to make a positive impact in this world by first growing themselves and then helping others grow – to a million and beyond!

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Orrin Woodward’ and TEAM ‘s Motto is a Great Motto.  Recently, I was driving along the highway and noticed, to the right, a billboard.  It took me 10 seconds to  drive past, notice, read, internalize, ponder about, and finally come to a conclusion how the message on this billboard would inspire me. The local hospital’s slogan were the only words.  It read, “Make a Difference”.  My eyes were immediately attracted to these 3 words similar to our Team motto being, “Have Fun, Make Money, Make a Difference”.

My thoughts wondered what that same motto would mean to another business.  Most likely, for this hospital, Make a Difference would mean; we will heal your broken bones and give you fast emergency care, or we know just the right medication for your physical healing, you know the list that would go on and on.

For me, and my involvement with The Team founded by Orrin & Laurie Woodward, the slogan Make a Difference has a different meaning.  Nearly unable to find the perfect words for paper, Make a Difference to me means to heal my spirit, give me hope while improving my daily thinking.  Because the Team has lead me through a love of learning, I have access to better thinkers, mentors and positive friends where I most likely would not have found throughout my lifetime.   The Team’s difference has given me a life that completely reduces the negative aspects and elevates and improves everything that is positive about my life.

Recently, some of the ladies on my team got together for a book discussion.  I asked the question, “How has the Team training system improved your life?”  I want to share a few of the responses, in my words.

“We were tired of hanging around our high school friends and needed a group of people going in the same direction.”

“I love my kids growing up in the Team and getting better thinking, they love the cd’s!”  …Her children are 6,4, & 1.

“I overheard my 6 year old daughter sharing the gospel with her cousin which never would have happened before.”

“I have always been a reader of self improvement books and always looked for others who did the same and now I’ve found you!”

A lady who is able to listen to cd’s most of the day said, “I have to take a 20 minute break from cd’s! I love them so much!”

Another lady who was already very involved politically in changing the country said, “The Team has made my life come full circle.  I already had a purpose and the system came along right beside and made that purpose stronger.”

How many businesses could claim to make this kind of “Difference” in people’s lives?

Thank you to Orrin & Laurie Woodward and Chris & Terri Brady for producing a system of information that will Make a Difference one person at a time, one family at a time.

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Number 7 rated Leadership Guru in the World, Orrin Woodward has an article on his Blog entitled Leadership Polarizes Because Truth is Polarizing.  Reading from the following excerpt:

“As a leader, I have had to make the tough decisions, letting people go (or supporting COO of TEAM, Rob Hallstrand in this process) when performance targets were not being met. It wasn’t personal, but as a professional leader, I am expected to make the tough decisions in order for the community to thrive. I did and will continue to do so as a leader. I also, as the TEAM Chairman, hold the line on people’s character, when they do something that is not in line with the culture or character of the team. I will sit them down from representing the TEAM until the issues are addressed. We are a grace based culture and forgive quickly when people repent from poor character choices. Our objective is always to restore relationships as this helps all of us reach more people. The goal is to confront, teach, and resolve, but if someone refuses to follow this process, they will not be allowed to hurt the rest of the LIFE TEAM community.

Regardless of how much a person complains, he should know that complaining to others (in person or online) will not resolve a character issue. Just as Proverbs 18:17 “The first to state his own case, seems right, Until  another comes and examines him,” it’s only by sitting down and addressing issues like leaders that we learn the truth of the matter. I am happy to report that over the years, numerous relationships have been restored though practicing the Biblical conflict resolution principles taught within TEAM. I pray for the key relationships within each community, for I know this is one of the main ways Satan attempts to destroy movements for good. My advice to the reader is to remain humble, knowing that all of us are blind to our own sins, staying open to “learning moments” from each conflict resolution process. I know I certainly have learned a ton from the conflict resolution process over the years.”

I thought of what I read a few years ago in the book “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.”  The author discusses:

1) the absence of trust

2) the fear of conflict

3) the lack of commitment

4) the avoidance of accountability

5) the inattention to results

I noticed how Orrin’s above two paragraphs discussed things covered in that book.  I recommend that you read it, if you have not.

I did want to cover something that sometimes is not obvious.  Often times people mistake the need for trust as a need for agreement. This problem demonstrates one of the greatest assertion of pride I think I see in Teams. Because leaders or followers of  leaders disagree it is no reason to exhibit mistrustful behavior.  Often when someone disagrees with someone else the natural but destructive thing they do is solicit the agreement and sympathy of another persons. I see it as the Cowards route and I know it well because I used to do it.

I’d used solicit my wife for her to side with me and be against someone else. It’s embarrassing now to think back on what  biblical principals I was violating.

This is very dangerous. It causes division and damage to the whole team.  One of my favorite movies is Crimson Tide with Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington. Denzel is a modern expert via academics on War and Gene is a wise seasoned war hero.

Two Leaders find themselves on Board a USA Nuclear submarine and fighting amongst themselves for the authority and influence to act upon a call to nuclear war with the enemy.  I leave the movie for you to watch to see what a mess the two leaders ended up with.  One thing was for sure, that because of their pride they failed to resolve their differences between themselves, and destroyed a team of people that had been made over so many years of sacrifice.

Leadership requires humility.  Often times strong personalities mistakenly want to turn everyone who disagrees with them into the enemy or someone to compete with.

Here is somethings you should remember:

1)  Be humble. It is important to be a leader.  But if your too big to follow then you will be to small to lead.  Followers need to see their leaders submit to someone’s authority.  If not, all you will teach by your actions eventually is how not to be a follower.  A real leader never expects someone to do what they will not.  If you are not being mentored (which incidentally is very different from being coached) then you will create a whole team of people who do not mentor. A team that does not mentor turns into a self destructive force.

2)  Competition is good and does create cooperation if done with the right spirit of win win and the right heart.  Doing it to prove someone else wrong is a recipe for disaster.  Someone’s spite for another person can not be easily hidden. And unless you are really fighting an enemy and everyone knows it, you shouldn’t be fighting but instead creating ways to collectively win together.

3)  As a leader who also follows, remember that no one is perfect.  The person you are following may make mistakes or goes in the wrong direction once in a while. It is not required for you to agree with them to follow.  It is not a democracy. A good leader will fix his mistakes. Keeping everyone unified in the wrong direction for a moment is better than dividing everyone into their own “what they think is right” direction. Discretion is the enemy of duplication and hence the enemy of  leadership.

It doesn’t mean a leader has a free ticket excusing him from adressing character flaws.  Character flaws must be addressed using Conflict resolution methods.  But I’m not talking about character flaws in my explanation of being a good follower to be a good leader.   I’m talking about a difference in opinion of methods of directions or path to the agreed upon destination.

Ignore these items above and also in “The five dysfunctions of a Team” and you my find quick temporary growth in a Team as all strong and excited personalities can make happen but long tern it will destroy itself.

Ask questions and comment!

God Bless

Most People think MLMs are a Scam.  One of the newest ones to launch involving Orrin Woodward, Chris Brady, Mark Haas and many others recently is
The LIFE business.

  Here is a Cartoon I made which details many misconceptions I have experienced in the Ten Years I have been exposed to this industry.

The Founders of LIFE Orrin Woodward, Chris Brady and the other members are Leaders, Let’s Join them!

I will be posting a picture and Summary for all the members of Team Maxumis Recognition weekly.  Examples are Go-Getters, Welcome New LIFE members and their subscriptions including Team System and SOT, ect.  I will do my best to post each week on Tuesday morning that which represents the previous week of “Recognition” up to that Sunday.  Tuesday, Most days I will have it posted By the open meeting and it will be useful information to you and your TEAM for edification purposes.  Please check in and leave comments on people’s achievements. As time goes on and we develop some good formats and examples, I will ask each Profit sharer to post their own for their Team here on The Team Maximus Blog.  I will give you publishing rights.  In addition, I will ask Orrin and Chris to frequent the Blog and Leave comments as well, so they can get to know you or your Rising Leaders.  The Blog is not intended to take the place of Team Talk, but is an addition to it.

God Bless

Lets Use our performance in LIFE to influence others for the Greater Good!

LIFE is food for your head!  I saw my first You Tube post of Nick Vujicic a few years ago. I know I constantly need to be reminded that I have the power to choose, and my excuses always comes back to my thinking..  Here is one of his videos to remind me of My blessings and that I CAN ACHIEVE MORE!  Stay plugged into LIFE.  Food for you head!

Merle Schneider found the good LIFE

From TeamMaximusRecognitionPhotos