As requested by our readers, we’re re-posting this for Mothers everywhere. Mahalo for asking!
MOMS and NETWORKERS
Mom doesn’t know anything about Network Marketing, I think when she asks me how my business is going.
I think she doesn’t understand it. Maybe it’s me that doesn’t understand.
MOM taught me everything I needed to know to build a network marketing business, she gave me network marketing skills.
Mother’s Day. Don’t we all feel like we should do a little more all year for Mom?
Would it really kill us to go to Mom’s house and leave the cell phone in the car, have a cup of coffee and just be ‘present’?
Can’t make up for the past, you know, all those times we’re a ‘little too busy’ to just visit?
She was never too busy for me.
Don’t we all feel like we like we could all do a little more recruiting?
Would it really kill us to sit at our desk an hour a night and dial the phone and be ‘present’?
Can’t make up for the past, you know, all those times we were making ourselves ‘little too busy’ to just dial?
Why are we always too busy to actually do this with new people?
MOMS
She encouraged me to dream.
She knew my dreams and encouraged them and me.
She asked me about them.
She found places, like where to get me signed up for Little League, and got me there.
So many countless things.
NETWORKERS
We encourage others to dream.
We tell them they have to have a ‘why’
Tell them to write it down.
Do we know their dreams like Mom knew ours?
Do we find articles, pictures, and events that support them?
After they do write it down, do we ever, like Mothers do, ask them about it again?
MOMS
Mom was a hands-on-teacher. Not a school teacher.
She was patient. Persistent. Insistent.
She never quit when I struggled. Never.
Yeah, she made me read the directions, sit there while I read them… and answered a lot of the same questions over and over.
Asked me if I understood them and then she showed me how to do things right, no matter how many times it took.
She taught me skills.
Am I a hands-on teacher or do I just ‘plug’ them in?
Do I quit on them when they struggle and rationalize it as ‘they don’t want it bad enough’?
Do I make sure they get the directions and make sure they understand them?
Could I be a lot more patient when I have a rep on the phone and they are not ‘up to speed’?
Am I as willing to answer the same questions over and over?
Do I teach skills, hands-on or just keep selling the dream?
MOMS
Mom never quit setting an example of excellence, even when people were not looking.
Never.
She never asked me to do anything she was not doing herself.
She was never a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ Mom.
She never quit on me.
NETWORKERS
Do I set an example of excellence?
…even when others are not looking?
Do I dog it and tell others what to do even though I am not doing it myself?
Am I a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ managing MLMer?
Do I quit on myself and others with the lie that tomorrow I will double up?
MOMS
My Mom had to quit school and take care of her brothers and sisters when her Mom died.
Got her GED in her 50s.
Went to college, studied hard and graduated with highest honors in her 60s.
She was excused from her finals her last year.
Took them anyway, wanted to test herself.
All A’s, of course.
She knew she’d Ace the tests.
Always prepared. Well in advance.
Pride.
NETWORKERS
Am I staying a student, continuing to grow as a person and learn about people and my trade?
Or am I surfing the web for short cuts?
Do I have pride in my profession and performance or do I look for the easier, softer way and pretend I am ‘working smarter, not harder?’
Am I ready for the daily test of growing a business?
Am I prepared to succeed to the point that I know that I will?
Do I have pride in my effort?
MOMS
Manners.
Please and thank you, no elbows the table.
Listen first. Ask for permission to speak, don’t take it.
Respect their needs, forget your wants.
Never talk about people that are not present.
It’s OK to disagree but don’t be disagreeable.
Honesty is the greatest of all manners.
NETWORKERS
Do I have manners?
Do I belittle people mentally or with other reps who do not join?
Do I tell people why I am calling or ‘pretend to be their friend’ so I can use their words against them later to look?
Do I ask if it is OK to tell them about my business?
Am I focused on their needs or just trying to scare them about the future?
Do I listen? Do I take a ‘no’ as graciously as a ‘yes’?
Am I honest?
MOMS
She never hesitated to go the extra mile for us.
Never stopped looking for the extra mile.
NETWORKERS
We have a chance to do this for others every day AND get paid for it.
Do we look for it? Take it?
MOMS
Moms have courage.
My Mom by age 89, was legally blind and needed help.
Told her she has 2 choices.
Assisted living or move 6000 miles from Massachusetts to Kauai, HI and live with us.
She’s was living in the town she was born in.
Mom says she’s scared. Says she’s used to where she lives. Knows where everything is and it’s comforting.
She packed and she’s here in Kauai.
Courage. Mom’s have courage.
NETWORKERS
Picking up the phone takes some, ahem, courage.
At least we like to pretend it does.
Not as much as moving 6000 miles to a place you’ve never been to at 89 and blind.
Do I lack courage or am I just lazy? Mom’s are not lazy.
Rejection? Mom never accepted any obstacle as a reason to let fear determine her life.
MOMS
Moms insisted that challenges are chances to learn and get better.
Winners, she told me, embrace them and grow.
She told me often of how competitive it was when she was dancing in Vaudeville.
Told me that most of the gals and guys felt threatened by challenges but the good ones loved being challenged.
She explained the whiners did not like challenges and did not appreciate being in the game.
I asked her what that meant one time. “They don’t want it, they just want it to be easy.”
NETWORKERS
Do I embrace challenges?
Do I whine when reps don’t show up?
Not me. I was trained by the best.
We all were.
Santa Januszewski will be 89 on October 12, 2010. Columbus Day.
How appropriate. She still has the guts to explore.
IT
I wanted it. I wanted her to see Kauai, to live in a multi-generational home.
Networking allowed me to step up and doing something special for myself and our Mom.
I wonder how much sooner great things would have happened in the lives of others if I had not made the mistake of thinking Mom knew nothing about Network Marketing?
Like a little boy, I foolishly thought my business was so different that she’d never understand it,
Turns out she knew everything IMPORTANT about it before I was born.
Happy Mother’s Day
UPDATE…
Mom moved back to Massachusetts in 2012, said she wanted to spend some time there.
Moved into assisted living, didn’t like it at all. At 91 she said the people there were too old for her. Old, she said. Had given up.
Was planning to return in spring of 2013.
Never made it.
She passed away in December. I flew back for the funeral and it was a fantastic celebration of a life.
believe,
Mark Januszewski
World’s Laziest Networker
POST SCRIPT – What did your Mom teach you that might help others?
Mark,
Life can be tough but mom’s set a wonderful example. Thank you for dissecting some of that and making a real life application with network marketing. I love your very authentic and practical approach. It is still hard for me to internalize what seems like should be so natural but is so counter to how I was trained to think. Still working at it and thankful to have found you to support the transformation. Blessings to you and your family.
Mark:
What a wonderful tribute to your mom! She sounds like a wonderful woman and she made you the man that you are. Thank you so much for sharing this. Made me cry!
AWESOME and so true I find myself adopting the people I chosse to join my business…nurturing them as my own…
Wow thanks Mark for sharing the truth about how hard mom’s work to help us grow up and accept response ability for ourselves and those we love. The comparison of mom’s to MLM builders is so very true. Thanks for reminding us of how high the bar needs to be set for us to be a leader & builder of people in our business and life.
thanks for posting this again Mark…hadn’t seen it before. Inspiring. And made me realize how many qualities I have as a mom that will help make me successful at at Networker.
You hit it on the head again. It is special like T and G R spell it as well:-
“The turning point in the lives of those who succeed, usually comes at the
moment of some crisis, through which they are introduced to their “other selves.” This is what MOMs do
Always a pleasure Mark…
Thanks
The Ten reasons you should love your MOM
10. The Bank of Mom is always open… (although not always approving loans)
9. Mom don’t get upset and yell ( I may exaggerate a LITTLE here….)
8. Mom’s have anticeptic and antestetic kisses.
7. Mom laughs even if your jokes are not funny (…well sometimes).
6. Mom only says “I told you so” when she actually did.
5. Mom reminds you what you need to do, over, and over, and over, and over, and……..
4. Mom’s Happy Hotel will always take you in when you tick off your sugnificant other or they tick you off.
3. Without Mom you wouldnt be here!
2. Cause MoM’s “Da Bomb”!
and the number one reason … !!!!!!!!
1. SHE HAD EVERY OPPORTUNITY AND RIGHT TO KILL YOU ALL THOSE YEARS AND YOU ARE STILL HERE!!!!
Mahalo Chuck
I love your thoughts about ‘raising the bar’ – you are dead center correct.
And, you are correct about how Mom’s work to help us ‘grow up’ and we need to do this for people we bring in…..help them ‘grow up’ in this industry
keep giving to keep growing
believe
mark j
Mahalo Donna…..
You are so right to do it that way…..nurturing folks. All the inter-webbie stuff has taken a lot of people ‘off target’ but clearly that has not happened with you. It’s not about sponsoring….that’s the beginning…..it’s about helping the people we sponsor. And, you ‘get it’ – BRAVO!
believe
mark j
Aloha Pam
Mahalo for your very kind words.
We can take it a step further ….. they, Mom’s, never say ‘well, my kid just wasn’t right for life’ …..like so many MLMers say ‘well, they just weren’t right for the business’ ….declining any responsibility for the performance…..
keep giving to keep growing
believe
mark j
Mahalo Janelle….
Those “qualities” are the difference between success and failure of our newbies…..today it’s become so popular to say ‘well, they just weren’t right for the business’ ….what a cop out of responsibility…..clearly you are one of the few who understands that. BRAVO!
keep giving to keep growing
believe
mark j
Mahalo Bruce…..thanks for stopping by and sharing, we appreciate you
keep giving to keep growing
believe
mark j
Often we cannot see because we are too close, nor can we hear as we are listening for enlightenment from afar. A beautiful tribute to your mum Mark may your god go with you and your family
Aloha Mark!
Thanks for posting this! I love the way you look at things. Have thought on many occasions “How much can I really contribute? I’m just a stay at home mom.” But this shows how valuable my “mom skills” truly are. Thanks for the encouragement!
Mahalo Jenn
And, if I may, suggest that making it fun is crucial……a no brainer for you 🙂
keep giving to keep growing
believe
mark j
Mahalo Alan
Wow…..did you hit the bull’s eye …..so often it is right infront of us. Thanks for reminding all of us of that Alan
keep giving to keep growing
believe
mark j
Thank you for sharing, it opened up something that was bottled up inside. I thought I had forgotten how my Mom taught me,and ‘never’ gave up on me.
I see this again in my wife, the way she teaches ‘Hands on’, nurtures, listens, protects, and inspires our little ones everyday.
Thank you brudda!
I pay Homage to your wonderful Mom! She reminded me of my Mom who too was very resourceful, full of energy that put us to shame and always encouraged us to go ahead in life! She inspired my sis in law to start her own business and be her own Boss instead of working under someone! Today my sis-in-law is a very successful running her own Salon!!
Such are moms! God Bless them!
BAM!
wonderful list Dan
believe
mark j
I forgot that one……RESOURCEFUL……nice trait to have as an mlmer, eh?
GREAT addition!
believe
mark j
Charl…..BINGO! That is what Mom’s do! and they always come through in crisis, like champs 🙂
Great addition!
believe
mark j
That is a remarkable story and brought tears to my eyes!
Transformation? Tremendous description…….we try to help others ‘transform’ into being authentic, not into something else.
Just like all those great Moms. Always trying to ‘draw out’ our natural gifts.
believe
mark j
Mahalo Fredinand…..
You’re a walking example of no quitting on people…and your Mom would be proud of that part of you …..it’s spectacular!
believe
mark j
My mom was the first entraprenure. And an inspiration to me…your story is priceless about all moms
Mom spelled backwards is mom. So which ever way your mom leads you, she is still your mom. But tap dancing on her head , would make her upside down. And mom upside down , is WOW.
So it proves the fact that MOM’s and always WOW us now matter what!!
Way to rock your mom’s memory!!!
MM
Mark J.,
WOW…your passion that gives all the credit to your Mom is so admired, Mark. Your Mom is a true Legend and so are you…I read all your positive affirmations and suggestions on how to build personal relationships with people…and relaize it’s all about honesty and real Love for people. Your Mom was like mine she Loved people also.
I too had a miracle for a Mother…Mom was always my best friend and confidant…always giving me positive feed back and encouragement…always watching and suggesting …and somehow she always knew when we lived 100’s of miles apart when I had a serious challenge and would call me and say “Alan, what’s going on in your life, I feel that you are hurting,…what can we talk about to smooth over any rough edges…did you give it to God to also help deal with it?” She would always remind me that every human being is totally different as we all have different finger prints. She used to say that’s how unique I was as “that’s God’s way of ID for all of us that look alike”. She lived to be 91 fought off cancer, arthritis, but always had a smile and a kind word for everyone. She taught me that life isn’t fair, and it doesn’t matter how many times you get discouraged or just knocked down in life, what builds true character is how many times you are willing to get back up, dust yourself off , and start at your DREAM again…correct what your error might have been and just keep going forward. She was a miracle in my life. Thanks Mark for all of us to express our respect to our Moms in your Blog…You’re the best.
What can I say. Mark J spot on…once again. I wish that Heidie & I could of met your Mom in person. Wisdom is often sneaky. Wow…I think the message I that get from her via you might be- “get busy living”. Seems like she did a lot after age 89…and still managed to sneak in a lesson for you here & there…to share. Hey thanks for sharing. Thanks Mark’s Mom.
(O:
Chris B.
aka the captain.
What a great read Mark. Thanks so much. What an incredible woman. No wonder you are so proud of her and her many accomplishments. Something else that I like to think adds value from moms to us MLMers is the residual blessings…they pay out over and over and over again. The years of lessons are so embedded so because they did something right once, we get to benefit from it repeatedly…a very nice residual payment.
Your mom was lucky to have you and you were lucky to have her.You picked well Mark!
My grandmother was made of the same stuff; made a good life and was an exemplary family woman who put others first without losing her identity. That generation saw a war and were grateful for the nations and individuals that pulled together. She was a true lady, who literally stopped traffic with her fabulous style and London fashion sense – the omnibus driver actually stopped so people could see her walk by pushing her fabulous perambulator in amazing hats and high heels. When we remember these people with respect, humour and appreciation I truly believe these good feelings reverberate through the universe. Thanks for sharing your memories Mark, Santa sounds a wonderful woman.
This story is awesome Mark – thanks for sharing ! It brings us back to the basics, reason for living, even if these things are SO easy to forget and consider as real “basics”, not so important… So true with our networking business as well – I very much appreciate the connection you made with it… THANK YOU !
Thank you so very much for sharing Mark! What a beautiful testimony to the life of a great mom!
We all go through a time when we may not see eye to eye with mom but at our all time high’s or low’s and between; Mom is always there.
My mom did not even attend high school but she has taught me so many lessons in life. She does not understand my business either but will do anything to help me and encourage me. When I got sick and lost my job she stepped up without hesitation.
She is stubborn to take care of herself without help. I hope that my success in life, the inspiration I give to my own children and grandchildren will be my greatest gift back to her.
I am a mom of four, two of them have children of their own and a third is getting married soon. This morning my littlest one, Alaena, told me she loves me more than anything even more than Waddles. Waddles is her beloved stuffed penguin who goes everywhere (even gets buckled into the car beside Alaena to keep safe).
I love being a mom!
It is my hardest task each day and yet my absolute most rewarding!!!
What a WONDERFUL tribute to your MOM,Mark!
Yes, you are right. Moms never give up ,they are always setting an example for excelence and are the best leaders.
All the best to all Moms!
BAM!! They never give up!
keep giving to keep growing
believe
mark j
What a great story you have……
Your Mom was a great teacher and so are you……I love the ‘stubborn’ thing.
keep giving to keep growing
believe
mark j
aloha
You are correct…..it is true that it’s just like NWM ……..
keep giving to keep growing
believe
mark j
Mahalo Anna-Ray
thanks for your very, very thought words Anna-Ray…..and you and I are exactly alike in the belief of ‘reverberating’ through the Universe….
I love the word picture of high heels and hats…..fantastic!
keep giving to keep growing
believe
mark j
Aloha Alan
WOW….to you too….
this statement “Alan, what’s going on in your life, I feel that you are hurting,…what can we talk about to smooth over any rough edges…did you give it to God to also help deal with it?” is so incredible, thank you for sharing that….
keep giving to keep growing
believe
mark j
Yup…..MOM is a palidrome! How appropriate!
And, yup……Moms rock!
keep giving to keep growing
believe
mark j
Mahalo Bill….
sounds like your Mom inspried you in many, many ways…and, in part, is why you own a business!
keep giving to keep growing
believe
mark j
Aloha Marianne….
All Moms stories are remarkable……eh?
keep giving to keep growing
believe
mark j
Aloha Cap’n Chris
Yeah……just like all Moms…..she was still ‘sneaking’ in lessons and the ones I did not pick up on? Whack! 🙂
Thanks for stopping by Chris and sharing too
keep giving to keep growing
believe
mark j
Aloha
Thanks Lydia….the little Italian rocked, like all Moms…
she embedded ethics, work and service in me……just like all Moms do
keep giving to keep growing
believe
mark j
What a great article. I really enjoyed it and it made me think about how lucky I am to have my mother and grandmother alive. They have been a big influence in my life and taught me so many lessons. I am grateful that you shared your mom’s story with us. I had a tear in my eye. Happy Mother’s Day to all and many blessings.
Hi Mark,
What a beautiful tribute to your mom… It makes me appreciate my mom of 88 years that is still living with us in our home. She still dreams about driving a Mercedes sport car and gets excited every time she sees any sport car in the streets. And she still dreams about going to Hawaii and the Caribbean, although she hasn’t yet flew in a plane outside the borders of South Africa. She hasn’t given up on my dreams of financial freedom, and still supports me in every effort I make. She truly is a remarkable woman! What a privilege to have her around. Thanks Mark for making me realize that I should appreciate her much more… Greetings from South Africa!
Mahalo……and thanks so much for sharing a piece of yourself!
believe
mark j
Mark,
It was a very touching article! You are a great son of hers!
Congratulations to you to have Mom be able to live with you and enjoy the family life there!
Yes, good networkers should be like Moms, except they don’t do “baby sitting” 🙂
Sorry to miss this morning’s webinar due to power outage. Was planned so well to get on 🙁
Have a great Mothers Day!
Alice in Taipei
Hey I cried too, very special and profound Mark, thank you.
Awesome! Yes I had tears. I never Knew Dad’s Mom & Mom’s Mom past when I was 16 years & 2000 miles away. I’m Net Working to bring Mom(73) & Dad(83) closer to me. Thanks for all the Help!!!
Mahalo Rebecca…..
You are creating a legacy, which I am sure you know….
be great by being yourself
believe
mark j
Mahalp James….
Good tears, I am certain, yes?
believe
mark j
🙂 …..no, we don’t do babysitting….or at least, minimal…
What’s important is that we do what our Moms did….get us ready!
Webcast is already posted…go for it
believe
mark j