Why I started a network marketing business

For most of my professional life I was an attorney in private practice. I opened my own office almost right out of law school and the first few years were a struggle, but eventually, I had thousands of clients and a multiple six-figure income. Practicing law takes a toll, however, and after twenty years, I was ready to move on. I found my "exist strategy" when I started a publishing and consulting business. When that business took off, I closed my practice.

Several years later, I reached a turning point in my life. The publishing business was successful, and certainly less stressful than practicing law. But I was in my mid-forties and I started to think about retirement. It's not that I wanted to retire right away. But I knew that if I was ever going to be able to do it, I would have to do something different. I had a retirement plan in place but I wasn't saving and investing enough and at the rate I was going, I didn't know if I would ever be able to retire.

I examined my options. One was to expand the business, releasing new products and services, going into other markets, setting up joint ventures, and so on. There was (and still is) a great need for what my company offered. Another option was to start a different business. Over the last thirty years, I've owned or been a partner in many business ventures, including a real estate seminar business, a direct marketing business, and a telemarketing business. I've even dabbled in real estate development. My past had given me a lot of options, but I didn't choose any of them. Instead, I chose to start a network marketing business.

I chose network marketing for several reasons. First, I could start part time, without giving up what I was already doing. As busy as I was, I knew I could find ten hours a week to devote to a new business. The alternative–to put those ten hours into my publishing business, build the business and eventually sell it, was another possibility. But I didn't want to do that. It would require more advertising, more employees and overhead, and more work than I wanted to do. I wanted to work smarter, not harder. I wanted less risk, not more. And who knew how long it would take to build the business big enough to cash out. Five years? Ten? Fifteen? With network marketing, I knew it was possible to develop enough residual income to retire in as little as three or four years.

I also chose network marketing because it would allow me to plug into a proven system. Network marketing, like franchising, is system-driven, meaning the methods of operation are already in place and someone with no experience can come in and use those systems instead of having to create them. That meant I could invest 100% of my limited time into building the business and zero time creating infrastructure, acquiring products, hiring and supervising employees, dealing with government regulations, and all of the other things needed to build a traditional business. Plus, there's no risk. The initial investment to start a network marketing business is a few hundred dollars, not the hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars needed to start a traditional business or franchise. And there's no overhead to speak of. And no employees. Altogether, an incredible business model.

I fell in love with the idea of network marketing thirty years ago when my CPA invited me to a business presentation. I learned about leverage and residual income and was mesmerized by the numbers and how they could compound over time. And I liked the people I met–so much friendlier and happier than the people I dealt with every day in my law practice. Their stories about how their lives had been changed were very inspiring. I wanted what they had–fun and freedom and helping others and, of course, passive income, and I signed up, thinking that I'd build the business on the side, create a secondary income, and who knows where it might lead. I'd show it to my clients and everyone I knew and I was sure everyone would jump on board.

But I didn't do anything with the business and so nobody jumped on anything. I wasn't ready, I guess, and so good-bye to dreams, hello to building my law practice.

Over the years, I signed up into a few other companies with little or no success. Ultimately, I decided that network marketing wasn't right for me, no matter how much I wanted the benefits. I told myself I'd never do it again and I kept that promise until I found the company I'm with today and the success I had always dreamed about. But that's a story for another day. . .

Network marketing has allowed me to do the things I've always wanted to do but couldn't because I didn't have the money, the time, or both. It has been a blessing for me and my family and we are all glad I broke my promise and got started.

My initial goal was to build a retirement income and now I could retire, but I don't want to. I'm doing more writing now, my true passion, and speaking and training, but I love helping people and I love my business and can't see myself doing anything else.