Planning

Vitamins for the Mind by Jim Rohn
PLANNING

I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacations with better care than they plan their lives. Perhaps that is because escape is easier than change.

If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they may have planned for you? Not much.

The reason why most people face the future with apprehension instead of anticipation is because they don't have it well designed.

The guy says, "When you work where I work, by the time you get home, it's late. You've got to have a bite to eat, watch a little TV, relax and get to bed. You can't sit up half the night planning, planning, planning." And he's the same guy who is behind on his car payment!
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Vitamins for the Mind is a weekly sampling of original quotes, on a specific topic, taken from The Treasury of Quotes by Jim Rohn (TTOQ). TTOQ, a beautiful, burgundy hardbound book with gold foil lettering, is a collection of over 365 quotes on 60 topics gathered from Jim's personal journals, seminars and books spanning over 39 years. To order the TTOQ by Jim Rohn or Excerpts from TTOQ by Jim Rohn or Brian Tracy, please go to Jim Rohn's Online Catalog

YTB is reaching towards #1

YTB Ranked #26 In Travel Weekly Power List! Not Bad considering 5 years ago no one even knew who we were.

While we know that most of the BIG NEWS is being saved for the National Convention in August the Travel Weekly Power List is out and YTB is Ranked #26 overall, and tied for the LARGEST GAIN of everyone on the Power list with $414.5 Million in Travel Sales.

Watch us continue to grow...why don't you come and join us?

Vitamins for the Mind by Jim Rohn

RESULTS

At the end of each day, you should play back the tapes of your performance. The results should either applaud you or prod you.

The greatest form of maturity is at harvest time. This is when we must learn how to reap without complaint if the amounts are small and how to reap without apology if the amounts are big.

Life asks us to make measurable progress in reasonable time. That's why they make those fourth grade chairs so small – so you won't fit in them at age twenty-five!

There are some things you don't have to know how it works - only that it works. While some people are studying the roots, others are picking the fruit. It just depends on which end of this you want to get in on.

Vitamins for the Mind is a weekly sampling of original quotes, on a specific topic, taken from The Treasury of Quotes by Jim Rohn (TTOQ). TTOQ, a beautiful, burgundy hardbound book with gold foil lettering, is a collection of over 365 quotes on 60 topics gathered from Jim's personal journals, seminars and books spanning over 39 years. To order the TTOQ by Jim Rohn or Excerpts from TTOQ by Jim Rohn or Brian Tracy, please go to Jim Rohn's Online Catalog

Get the RESULTS you want!,

YTB International (YTBLA) Approved for Trading on OTCBB

WOOD RIVER, Ill., April 17 --YTB International, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: YTBLA) ("YTB" or the "Company"), a provider of Internet-based travel booking services for travel agencies and home-based independent representatives in the United States, Bermuda, the Bahamas, and Canada, today announced that its Class A Common Stock has been approved for quotation on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board (the "OTCBB"). All existing market makers will move to the OTCBB within the next 30 days. The Company's Class A Common Stock will continue to be quoted under the ticker symbol "YTBLA."


YTB is a leader in the travel services business and has operated in the travel services industry for 25 years. The Company recently reported its third consecutive quarter of profitability, with total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2007 increasing by 177% to $141.3 million, compared to $50.9 million for the previous year.


The OTCBB provides access to more than 3,300 securities, includes more than 230 participating market makers, and electronically transmits real-time quote, price, and volume information in domestic securities, foreign securities and ADRs.


"We are excited that the Bulletin Board has agreed to quote our Class A Common Stock, as it confirms that YTB International meets the strict filing and disclosure regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission," stated Scott Tomer, Chief Executive Officer of YTB.



"Quoting our stock on the Bulletin Board dramatically increases the number of investors that can freely trade our stock. We believe that this will help to increase the liquidity and visibility of our stock in the financial markets."


About YTB International
Recognized as the 35th largest seller of travel in the U.S. in 2006 by Travel Weekly, YTB International, Inc. provides Internet-based travel booking services for home-based independent representatives in the United States, Canada, Bermuda, and the Bahamas.

Don't forget the Hope

Leaders: Don't forget the Hope

by Tim Sanders

In my line of work, finding the ultimate definition of leadership is to find the holy grail.

I've heard an assortment of good definitions over the years, but during a mid-May interview with USA Today, AMEX CEO Kenneth Chenault came up with the best one I've heard so far.

For his definition, he took words from a leader who experienced great success and failure -- Napoleon: "The role of a leader is to define reality and give hope."

That's a GREAT way of thinking about leadership. This simple definition gives you two clear mandates to carefully balance: Reality (the way things are) and Hope (the way things can be). By focusing on both, you are able to be candid, yet inspirational.

Leaders who, like Chenault, follow this credo will hit their financial goals, and build an emotionally sustainable business along the way. Without hope, you have follower burn out and revolt. Without reality, you have idealism and no results.

So the trick to leadership, then, is balance and not just vision or charisma. Is hope part of the emotional comp plan for the people that work for you or follow you? Are you the reality king/queen or the 'big idea person'? You've got to own both of those roles to succeed.

~Tim Sanders

Best-selling author Tim Sanders says that it's not just a matter of what you do, but of what you think and how you make others feel. Now, in The Likeability Factor (his popular DVD program), Sanders can help you learn to boost your "L-Factor" and achieve your life's dreams.

Success Magazine Article - Part 2

Direct Selling Offers Flexibility and Financial Freedom
Erin Casey May 5, 2008

Tap into a proven system for success. Avoid wasting time or money by learning from others’ experiences and wisdom. Direct selling companies often provide high-quality, high-impact marketing tools, including personal Web sites, brochures, catalogs, DVDs and CDs to help direct sellers present a professional image—at a fraction of what it would cost to produce the same tools on their own. Additionally, training in best practices is frequently offered online and via conference calls as well as at local and national conferences.

Start a business for $500 or less. Direct selling companies offer big opportunity with minimal startup costs. For a small sign-up fee, new reps receive access to training and marketing materials, discounts on products and sample products to show and sell. You can set up office at your kitchen table with phone and laptop. Low overhead combined with minimal(if any) inventory expenses make direct selling businesses affordable. And because many companies handle online orders and deliver directly to customers, independent representatives can focus their time on connecting with potential clients and team members.


Experience flexibility and time freedom. The flexibility to work around full-time jobs or to create an income stream that fits into their families' schedules is a huge perk. Becauseeach representative is an independent contractor, not an employee, there is no set schedule or required number of hours. On average, part-time direct sellers devote three to 10 hours per week to their businesses. Those who pursue the business full time invest 15 to 35 hours per week. In either case, representatives can set their own schedules and build their businesses during off hours and lunch breaks or on weekends.


Earn what you’re worth. When you’re the boss, you don’t have to ask for a raise—you simply go out and earn one. A results-driven industry, direct selling levels the playing field by offering the same opportunity to everyone regardless of age, ethnicity, gender or socioeconomic background. Equal opportunity, a clearly defined career path and no earning restrictions mean there are no limits on what successful direct sellers can earn. While some in the industry are earning millions, it’s more common for direct sellers to use their businesses to earn extra cash per month to pay for dinnersout, private school, college expenses, cars and family vacations.


Maximize your earnings with residual(or passive) income. By building a team of people who love the products and are excited about telling others about the opportunity, direct sellers can leverage their time and maximize their income. Capitalizing on a team’s efforts means a business owner can devote 10 hours a week to their business, but with 10 other people also devoting 10 hours to their businesses, the team leader earns a commission from the collective sales and team-building results of 110 hours’ effort. It also means a team builder’s business has the potential to grow, even while he or she is on vacation.


“I like the honesty about direct selling,” says economist Paul Zane Pilzer, author of The Next Millionaires, “because it openly tells people the way to get rich is residual income: Get paid tomorrow for something you did yesterday—and let it accumulate.”


Reap the rewards of helping others succeed. Building a team definitely makes financial sense, but it also offers significant intangible rewards. Though representatives run their businesses independently, they often develop a family-like connection with their team members and others in the business. The friendships formed and the experiences of helping others improve their personal and financial lives are often as meaningful to direct sellers as the money they earn.


Get the recognition—and prizes—you deserve. In the corporate world, there’s no such thing as a free lunch, much less free vacations, luxury cars or fine jewelry. Direct selling companies know most people work more diligently and with more enthusiasm for a reward. First-class incentive trips to exotic locations, free cars or car allowances, fine jewelry and cash bonuses are offered by many companies to those who excel. And the opportunity to earn such rewards is open to everyone.


Become a better you. Direct sellers are faced with numerous comfort-zone challenges, and by overcoming those challenges they grow personally and professionally. The encouragement and training these independent business owners receive from their companies’ leaders as well as others in the field spur them to step outside their comfort zones to achieve success.

Success Magazine Article - Part 1

Direct Selling Offers Flexibility and Financial Freedom
Erin Casey May 5, 2008

If you want to spread your entrepreneurial wings but have little or no business experience, don’t have a product or service to offer or are simply looking for a proven system for success, direct selling might be the ideal opportunity.

For more than 100 years, direct selling companies have offered independent representatives the ability to purchase products at wholesale prices and earn a profit by selling them at retail prices. Most direct selling companies also allow representatives to earn commissions for introducing new sales reps to the business. This business model relies on independent contractors, rather than traditional advertising, to spread the word about a company’s products or services. The word-of-mouth marketing approach works for several reasons: Consumers appreciate the personal service, the convenience of shopping from home, and the comfort of buying from those they know and trust.

Jim Cramer, host of CNBC’s Mad Money, is bullish on direct selling, especially during a slowing economy. “Direct selling is a great model…with high gross margins, low capital intensity, lots of free cash flow,” he said on a recent show. “It’s a fragmented industry with gigantic room for growth. The top 15 players only account for about half the market.”

Amy M. Robinson, Direct Selling Association Vice President of Communications and Media Relations, points out that, while many people seek additional income during lean economic times, “in all honesty, direct selling is hot because it’s a fun, convenient way to shop that people enjoy. So, poor economic times or not, people find direct selling to be appealing. Great products, personal service and income potential are elements of direct selling that make it a strong economic contender at all times.”

“People motivated to get started in direct selling typically share certain attributes,” she says. “Most seek supplemental income, either short-term or long term. The social aspect also is appealing for those who love to meet new people and many enjoy buying products and services they already use—at a discount.”

With a direct selling business opportunity you can: Join an industry where business is booming and there’s always room at the top. Direct selling, sometimes referred to as network marketing, is a $32 billion industry in the United States and a $110 billion industry worldwide. The millions of individuals building direct selling businesses determine for themselves when they want to move up the career ladder and exactly how high they want to climb.

In the next post there will be more information on how, exactly, to do that...