The Lesson I Taught My Sponsor

Today I would like to tell you all a little story about someone I talked to over the weekend.
This weekend I reconnected with my sponsor, Mark from the first MLM I was ever in. I won't tell you the name of it, but I will say it was in the communications industry. The company was comprised of 2 businesses that had combined to sort of become one. One side of it was the bigger servicing end of it and the other was the business opportunity end that did the sales. Our conversation lasted at least 2 hours, and in that time something was driven home that I already knew, but it was reaffirmed by my talk with Mark.
You see prior to my being sponsored by Mark, he had spent 7 years building his business and when we met he had an impressive downline and he was making over a million a year. His income was completely derived from his MLM business, he no longer had to work at a job and he was free to do whatever he wanted to do. He lived the life most only dreamed of.
At the time I was new to the industry and I was quiet and shy and had a hard time with sponsoring. I gave up on it after a year of trying to get my friends and family to join, as well as combing the colleges for people and all sort of other sponsoring activities. I was a sad sack to say the least and I had no posture whatsoever.
Not more than a few years after leaving it, I heard that the bigger sister company went bankrupt and in the process dragged down the other "business opportunity" end of it. In an instant all the reps that had spent years building their businesses, had nothing left to show for it.
When I talked to Mark this was reaffirmed. He told me about how he and the reps at his level had lost everything. They no longer had income coming in. Their lifestyles went from being millionaires to having to sell their big houses and cars to pay the bills. And because they had grown dependant on their life under and because of the "business" they had to start all over from zero, because most of their downlines that they had no longer trusted them because they now thought it was a scam.
(Just so you know, it wasn't. It was very big and what they did completely paved the way for the "Newer" MLM communication businesses. Matter a factly, the heads of it are now in 3 of the top Telecom MLM businesses that exist in our business)
Mark told me about the pain of going back to a job after so many years of not having one. I felt bad for him, how could I not. He assured me that it is so much worse to have to go back to work after getting to that level, than anyone who hasn't gotten to "retire their job."

So what is my point in telling this story?
What is the moral of this story?

It is this. Whatever MLM or Network Marketing business you are in, you must realize that it is only 1 vehicle. Thinking that it is the begin all and end all is, quite frankly, delusional. Not matter what vehicle someone chooses; be it real estate, stocks, an MLM business, currency trading, or whatever else....holding all you eggs in one basket will only assure that if something happens to that basket, you will lose everything. It is like having your only retirement plan be your 401K. If something goes wrong, you are a 70 year old greeter at Wal-Mart. Your "opportunity" is only one of many, and it is in NOT the best. What you do with it makes the difference and how you do it and how open you are to getting it done will determine your success and your income. In the world of online marketing the phrase “The money/power is in the list" holds true for your "opportunity" as well. Building a list means never saying you’re sorry, if this business or that business isn't for them or doesn't fit in finances or one day goes under. Building a list and teaching them to market and how to succeed in whatever "opportunity" as quickly as possible, means that that there will be a whole lot less animosity if 1 vehicle doesn't pan out, because there are plenty more out there. Not to mention, if you do as I do, you will be able to teach them to harness affiliate commissions to fund their business as well as their desired "lifestyle". Imagine having your affiliate commissions equal or dwarf your company's comp plan. Instead of having one company, your MLM, paying you; you have 20 or 30 streams of income coming in aside from your MLM.
Incidentally, Mark was very excited about this idea. He is going through all of my marketing stuff right now. Imagine that, I just sponsored my sponsor from years ago. I guess I finally gained posture. I can teach you to have that much posture as well. See what Mark is now so excited about.
http://www.mlm-mastermindmarketing.com