Many years ago, during a very bad week as a REALTOR®, I became involved with Amway. Three customers had tanked on me in one week, and I’d been working with all of them for months. Amway was presented to me as an alternative to real estate, and I bit.
While Amway did not end up making me the money I had imagined, it did teach me a lot about how to look at my business and my life. At that time, Amway recommended a path to success that included three things: ‘books, tapes, and functions’.
Here’s what they meant:
Books: Amway recommended reading one book each month. That book was written by someone like a Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie or an Og Mandino. They were books that had something to offer that would make you a better person.
Next was tapes: At that time (pre-CD days), you were supposed to subscribe to the tape-of-the-week. Each tape was made by someone more experienced in the business and listening to them provided training for becoming better at your (Amway) job.
Finally, functions: There were weekly meetings, monthly meetings, and great, big, out-of-town meetings. They were educational too, but their real purpose was to put you in touch with positive people who were moving on in their lives.
While I only stuck with Amway for a few years, I carried the philosophy into my real estate career. To this day, I continue to read books that will help me understand myself and others and help me be a better person.
I continue to take advantage of opportunities to learn more about real estate, stay on top of the business, and become better at what I do.
Finally, I learned that it was better to be around positive people than negative ones. Those friends who are always complaining about life, how unfair things are, and yet do nothing to change their lives for the better – I don’t hang with them any more. I prefer to be with people who get up each day and believe they can make a difference in their own lives and the lives of others.
So while Amway didn’t make me rich in the sense I had expected, it actually made me richer in a far greater way. I know that I have been a better person and REALTOR® because of it.
Guest Blogger: Crissie Cudd
email: CrissieCudd@WatsonRealtyCorp.com
website: CrissieCudd.wordpress.com
904.254.0980
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow! Sometimes a kick in the pants comes in the oddest ways! Thanks for the kick!
Hey Crissie – I ran across your blog on the Amway blog. I have exactly the same story you do – and have often said I owe my sucess to my Amway training days. I too still listen to books, CD’s and continue to attend as many real estate functions as I can. So it was no surprise to me to see that you are also a CDPE…..as am I. Would love to network with you. Seems we are kindred spirits. I look forward to hearing from you. Keep on Keeping On!
I have thoroughly enjoyed both articles I found on this site written by you.