Sorry I haven’t been around much guys. While business is going well, it’s been rather hectic and time consuming now that school is back in session.

I do however want to address the news which broke this week that left some “stunned”.

In case you haven’t heard, the company announced that our Founder Scott Tomer has resigned as Executive Vice President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of YTB International, Inc

On the surface, and for those who don’t know Scott as well as we do, this news comes with some questions.

If you’ve ever seen or heard Scott at one of the many company events or been on conference calls, you’ve heard him talk about being a “Rep” at heart. He’s said it for years, and I’ve personally heard him say just that since we joined the company in 2006.

That’s what he loves to do, and that’s what he’s really – really good at.

If you recall, Scott and the Company were thrown into a huge storm back in 2008 when the YTB was attacked with vicious law suits and Scott took the reigns as CEO of the company. His Leadership and guidance through that turbulent time was frankly – amazing. Like all good Leaders, I watched Scott grow both as an individual and a CEO during those years.

When Robert VanPatten came along and Scott handed the reigns over to him, it was a huge burden lifted off Scott’s shoulders. (I don’t think anyone was happier than Scott with that choice, honestly.) While Scott did what he had to do – at the same time, he simply didn’t like “running the company” as CEO. The position nor the operations end of the business wasn’t something he truly enjoyed doing.

Scott’s place was with the people – not stuck behind a desk crunching numbers or making executive decisions.

Now that the company is stable, and in the hands of qualified people like our Board of Directors and Andy Cauthen, it was a good time for Scott to simply step down and get back to what he truly loves to do.

He would have never be able to make that choice if he truly didn’t feel that way – that I can guarantee. He loves this company and the people involved too much not to.

I can’t say for sure, but I think you’ll continue to see Scott around – but in a role more prone to what he truly loves doing. He is after all still a Founder of YTB and still a “Rep” at heart.

Everyone agrees that there were no hard feelings, and no bridges burned with anyone. It was simply time for him to take a step back from the “Corporate Life” and get back to being what he truly loves – being a “Rep”.

On a personal note, I’d like to thank Scott for his vision, his leadership, and his passion in not only keeping this massive ship afloat, but leading our company with over a decade of service to our fine company we call YTB.

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One of the best parts about running your own business is calling your own shots.

Beginning last fall, we started planning and budgeting for trips we wanted to take. (And boy – did we plan!) By the time we were done, the entire month of July was consumed with vacation trips that enabled us to get away and enjoy our time together as a family and as a couple. Likewise, when I say “get away” – that actually meant unplugging from our businesses and the outside world almost exclusively. We put aside all the day to day operations of our business and even shut down our blog and newsletter for the month.

Years ago, I read T. Harv Ecker and his financial blueprint which consisted of a “work hard” AND “play hard” type of lifestyle. No doubt we worked really hard this past year running several businesses all at once. (He also talks about multiple streams of income.) When it came time for us to play – it turned out we got to play (or swim) in the Atlantic, the Caribbean, and the Pacific all in one month.

Part of the fun of this month long trip was planning it without the kids knowing. The day before we left, we sent to kids off to friends’ houses while we packed and loaded up the van.The surprise worked to perfection. Neither one of the kids had any clue what was in store for them.

We kicked things off very early in the morning, with a supper sweat birthday surprise for our son, and a trip to LegoLand Florida. Something he’s been asking about since the new park opened last October. A couple things we really liked about LegoLand. One, the park itself was pretty wide open. No doubt, Orlando is a theme park destination – which often equates to large crowds. Not so much with LegoLand however. The crowd itself was small compared to something you might see at Disney, Universal, or Sea World at this time of year.

And two, LegoLand is specifically designed for kids between the age of 6 and 13. Coasters for example were tamed down and sized down for this particular age group. And we’re not just talking about the dips and curves either – the actual size of the coaster itself on two of the coasters were a bit small for a guy like myself. (My knees got banged up pretty bad on one of them.) But the kids – they loved them and all the coasters there were a great introduction for their first ever roller coaster ride.

For any kid (boy or girl) who’s into Lego building, LegoLand is a must see destination. It’s also a perfect introduction for kids in transition from “kiddie rides” to “adult rides” found at the more popular amusement parks.

After LegoLand, we drove about an hour east to Port Canaveral for a 7 Day Eastern Caribbean Cruise aboard Carnival Dream. These days, the ships themselves are the destination – and the Dream did not disappoint. It’s the first of its class, and the first ship built since Gerry Cahill took the helm at Carnival. While Joe Farcus still designed the ship, there was more input from a design committee which certainly showed up not only in features and amenities on board the Dream, but also in decor. The best way I can describe the decor is less glitz and more glamor.

Amenities were plenty with all the usual favorites on board, with a number of new twists to make life on board this floating resort more enjoyable.

Ports of Call (Nassau, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten) were all ports we’ve sailed to on prior cruise ships. While we got to try some new things on some islands, we returned to other beach locations (and a very expensive diamond store) that brought back pleasant memories and created new ones.

Plans are to do a full review of both LegoLand Florida, and the Carnival Dream in the future. Both worthy of their own articles for sure.

Next on the lineup of destinations was San Diego – without the kids! (Whoo Hoo!) It was both Ronda and my first trip to this absolutely gorgeous city. The weather is perfect – like, all the time – and the architecture is stunning. The early part of the week was “work related” and part of the Books Are Fun National Conference – but we were able to swing a couple extra days out there to sight see and enjoy ourselves.

And enjoy we did.

The month was not without its issues however. I’ve mentioned my brother and his CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) before up in Pittsburgh. He was cutting down some large trees on his property and the last one slipped off its trunk and bounced backwards on top of him – breaking his back. He had to be lifeflighted to Mercy Hospital and endured an intense surgery. While he still has a long road ahead of him, it looks like his recovery and rehab is going well. The community support I witnessed while I was up there was amazing.

Not exactly the trip we had planned to Pittsburgh, but it was meaningful none the less.

All in all – it was an incredible and much needed month off. We’re back in the ATL and we’re already back working our businesses – and the kids go back to school on Monday.

They’re already writing a book about their “awesome summer vacation”. ;-P

I did get a few e-mails and calls this month asking what happened. No, we didn’t fall off the face of the earth – just traveled to what seemed like every corner of it. We’re now back, well rested, and ready to roll.

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It’s been years since I’ve even looked at a site called Scam.com. You can probably guess, it’s one of those trash sites that enable people to spew about scams – promoting fear and really absurd thinking. As you also might have guessed – there’s an entire section devoted to MLM.

I use to have a lot of fun challenging these people – and for a short time, found it intellectually stimulating.

I’m reminded of a poster there – and if memory serves me correctly – he went by the handle “Cynical Fred”. This “Cynic” became fixated on me specifically. He unloaded everything he could possibly think of to either scare me off or shame me into submission. Frustrated with me, he finally contacted me privately and just came right out and asked why I just wouldn’t go away.

In so many words – I explained that I had been looking for a “job” in the travel industry for some time – but because I didn’t have the proper education, or the proper experience I couldn’t even get my foot in the door. When I found YTB, they not only welcomed me into the fold, but to my immense pleasure were willing to let me to learn as I go, and pay me for the work I produced. They also turned me on to supplier and industry training once hidden to show me the way. While I understood this avenue was not his cup of tea, I was not only happy – but thrilled with the doors that had finally been opened to me.

His response absolutely floored me.

He not only offered an apology for giving me such a hard time, but what I gathered to be a sincere appreciation for what I had gone through and what I had just found. He was genuinely happy that I found what I was looking for.

Sometime later I was banned from the site. I never got any type of clarification as to just why I was banned. My guess is that they either couldn’t convert me or were afraid I’d convert others making the site a more tolerant and understanding place to participate.

As a general rule, I’ve found the Travel Industry a very pleasant experience. The “Travel Agent Community” however hasn’t been nearly as warm and receptive. Like the folks on Scam.com, there’s always been a very boisterous segment of the agent community that fears, and therefore loathes YTB and the MLM model.

Skeptics I can understand. They simply need more information to make an informed, educated decision. It may or may not be for them, but they can move forward or move on without much hassle. Cynics however, are a really tough nut to crack. There’s far too much emotional baggage and deep rooted perceptions that reaching any type of understanding or compromise is difficult (if not impossible) to overcome.

A change in belief or perception means they must face their fear head on and question their own limited thinking. Ego and a willingness to surrender often prevent that from ever happening.

One of the biggest cynics of YTB has been John Frenaye, an individual who has spent years trying to “out” YTB. I’m quite certain that John honestly believes he was doing the right thing, and based on his perception felt called to report and warn people of the peril involved in a company like YTB.

The biggest obstacle for John over the years has been his unwillingness to interact with our company on a personal level. The closest he came was showing up incognito to a business presentation some years ago to observe what was going on. While Scott Tomer was at this same presentation, the two never made contact with each other, nor did any of the other members of our company even realize John was present.

John and others like him have been invited numerous times to our events – just like our suppliers have. Off the top of my head I can give examples of Ann Sedgwick, Debbie Maier, Marc Mancini, Jeff Scott, and yes, even Vicki Freed who have not only come face to face with our company and survived, but come away with an appreciation for who we are and what we do. They were able to get an accurate picture – while at the same time having the illusions conjured up by an inflamed imagination doused.

While it took years for John to find someone he felt comfortable enough with to contact, he finally dug up enough courage to speak with someone inside the company one on one. John had previous correspondence with Andy Cauthen some years ago when Andy left YTB. John’s thinking at the time Andy left was the he was dissatisfied with the direction of YTB and had finally “seen the light” and was ready to tell all.

More accurately however, while Andy was moving on, he still held a special place for YTB, and his love for the company and its people never wavered.

As you can probably imagine if you know anything about Andy, John’s the prior correspondence with Andy made a lasting impression. When official word got out this week that Andy had returned to YTB as President and CEO, John pulled the trigger and contacted Andy for more communication.

While some may find this astonishing – even unbelievable (as I did when I first heard about this) I feel it’s important to not only recognize but give credit where credit is due.

So here it is: based on John’s willingness to communicate and personally engage in conversation with someone “Pro YTB” here’s John Frenaye’s take on why he thinks Andy Cauthen can turn YTB around.

It really doesn’t matter how long this has taken to accomplish. I look at my own journey in business and making my own way, and there were plenty of obstacles and failures in my own experience. What matters here is that there’s been a shift and important change in the winds to keep all of us on the desired course to a common goal.

That being said, please keep in mind that this is a new beginning, not an end to a long, arduous journey. There is still plenty to mess to clean up and work to be done. We must all “walk the walk” at this point, and minimize the “talk”.

For the record – I find this to be such an important milestone in my own YTB journey, that I’m having this article framed.

If you’re a long standing member of YTB like I am, feel free to do the same. ;-P

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I’ve heard it expressed by some in our Company that YTB is blessed.

I’m not a real religious person, but I am spiritual. There is no doubt in my mind that there is a Power greater than all of us at work in our lives. True, while the human ego can quite often attempt to control and change things – this same Power has an uncanny way of overriding and correcting the natural course intended.

Imagine if you will what went through my mind when I was informed that Andy Cauthen was the prime candidate as YTB International’s new President and CEO. While a deal hadn’t been ironed out at the time and talks would only begin over the course of last week – I knew there was a Power at work here. If this was truly the course intended there was little I could do to help (or prevent) this action from taking place.

YTB’s Board of Directors certainly didn’t waste any time in their search for candidates and starting the interview process. One of Robert Van Pattens legacies for YTB is our Board of Directors. As CEO since 2009, Mr. Van Patten hand selected extremely successful and well qualified Board Members for YTB and the fruits of his selections and appointments have certainly shown over the years. This swift selection and hiring of Andy Cauthen as President and CEO, overseeing and now directing the entire Company is only the latest example. I’d like to thank Mr. Fred Lutzeier and Ms. Patricia Williams, Members of the Board who took charge of day to day operations of the company, and in our opinion, found THE perfect man for the job.

Personally, I’ve known Andy for years. Our introduction many years ago however, was less than auspicious. I had forwarded him a link to a flight plan I found online of what was called a “fly by” of then the Company Jet over the Home Office. Andy had told me some years later that his first thought was “What kind of whack job takes the time to not only digs something like this up but post this finding on the Internet?” It was Andy’s first real look into the dysfunction and ciaos conjured up by the overblown ego’s I mentioned at the top of this article.

That introduction however, prompted Andy to start a separate file to help him organize and formulate what was going on with the company at the time. That type of organization and attention to detail (no matter how bizarre it may look) is what I believe makes Andy extremely qualified to not only keep the vision of Coach, Scott and Kim alive, but take YTB into the future.

I’ve never met anyone who can juggle so many balls so effortlessly. He does it with a passion and energy that everyone who knows him finds not only inspiring, but infectious. Inspiration and ability to spread also makes this selection a key component in Andy’s success in the business world. If you were with the Company during Andy’s prior years with YTB, you know how much he was not only admired, but loved by everyone in the Home Office and the field.

As if a long lost Son has returned home.

I can tell you that Andy is very excited about the opportunity to be a part of the YTB management team once again. Andy finds himself challenged and optimistic about YTB’s future. There are some great people in the YTB corporate office and the valued field force, and together we all can and will support the vision that Coach, Scott, and Kim have had for over a decade.

That being said – there’s a lot to do now. Andy has been charged to develop a new business plan, not with just short-term fixes, but with long-term solutions. Andy gave me the privilege to see his vision for the future and I’m sure you’ll agree with the following components Andy has outlined moving forward:

• A positive attitude – Not one thing will be accomplished if we are negative. In order to achieve a positive environment we need to work on a positive attitude. It will work if we believe that it will!
• Trust – In your teammates. That that they’ll carry their load as you carry yours.
• Support / Loyalty – We will work together as a TEAM. We will support each other.
• Improvement – We can always improve in many areas, and we will.
• Communication – An essential ingredient in a company to carry out our vision and plan.
• A PLAN – We will PLAN where we are going, and we will follow that PLAN.
• Hard work – And Andy as well as myself are ready to go to work!

After years of study and work with other successful entrepreneurs and business minds – this appears to be one of the most solid foundations I’ve seen to rebuild the greatness of YTB and continue the course set in place over a decade ago. As well, if you know anything about Andy, these key components expressed as a direction moving forward with YTB as a company reflects the man, now President and CEO, Andy Cauthen.

Let me be one of the first to welcome you back to the family with not only open arms – but a giddy anticipation I can barely contain.

I can’t tell you how good it feels to have you back Brother Andy. Your selection and acceptance as YTB’s President and CEO brings back a magic and belief that we’re all in the right place at the right time.

Let’s Roll!

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UPDATE!! – Was provided some very confidential information on things early this afternoon. Mums the word on just what it is – but if everything comes together as expected, this would be hands down, with out a doubt – OUTSTANDING.

I have no idea how you anticipate really good news – and I truly don’t care if you simply cross your fingers (and toes) or get down on you knees and Pray for God’s Will to be done. Whatever you do – you need to be doing it for YTB over the next few days.  All you need to focus on and ask for is that what’s in the works right now comes together as planned.

More info to come – and we think later this week…stay tuned!!

~~~

We’ve been swimming along in YTB without much turmoil for quite some time. In fact, the news for nearly a year now has been pretty good. Come to think of it, aside from the devastating loss, and tragic passing of Kim Sorensen back in February – I personally can’t remember the last bad news we had to endure.

Last summer, we went back to the future – and our original name YTB with a new commitment and focus on our core product and service.

Ahhh, yes – “Travel”. Even with the loss of Kim, our core – our passion – our reason for being in this business in the first place was already secured with the partnership with First Travel Alliance.

While all this “good news” has been great – I look around – I see and hear what went on this past week, and realize that all this good news has made us soft.

A press release came out of the Home Office this week announcing a new Restructuring Program that included job cuts and a reduction in pay for key executives in an effort to strengthen the companies overall profitability. Instead of rehashing the announcement here, I’ll let you read it on your own. It’s fairly straight forward and to the point.

What I also noticed however, was how some of you decided to read other takes from social networks, news publications, and even blogs with considerable spin on the company announcement. My phone lit up and my e-mail was flooded with questions about what’s going on. From what I gather, very few read what the company actually had to say about this restructuring.

Also released this week on YTBPulse was an article from Coach surrounding his days as a minister and a story I’ve heard directly from him during my years with YTB, I haven’t talked to Coach about this, so I have no idea if this article was was planned or not as a lesson on how to handle what others are saying about this new restructuring program. Based on my experience with this company however, it’s no coincidence either way that these two articles are tied together in the same week.

When I read the Press Release from the company I knew that sharks would be swimming to speculate on YTB’s impending doom. Folks who have absolutely no clue about our model, our Founders or our people. It’s amazing how after all these years and all this time, some still can’t grasp or comprehend something as simple as Network Marketing. It ain’t rocket science – nor is it all that new.

Few simply can’t get past their own insecurity or misconceptions.

I’ve read and heard it all before. It’s nothing new. And while some are still attempting to tell anyone who will listen that this model isn’t sustainable or viable – I’m still here with a website that pays me for what I produce. (And so are you.)

I mean come on?! All this speculation – all this doom and gloom from these clowns has been going on since day one when I got involved in 2005. In 2007 when Royal Caribbean pulled the plug that was supposed to be it. Then is was Jerry Brown in 2008 who was going to shut us down. By the time Lisa Madigan got in the game in 2009 – that flavor of Kool Aid was so passé, very few had the desire to drink it.

Here we are in 2012 and it’s the same old nonsense from critics who see an opportunity or a last ditch effort to justify what they believe – stuck in their delusional fantasy that YTB just doesn’t work. Thing is – if that were true, we wouldn’t have a company or a program to promote today now would we?

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve been far too busy this week to read any of the various takes on this subject. (The Press Release was really all I read.) If I cared enough about what others had to say, I could have taken the time.

For me, it’s like the boy who cried wolf. You just know that little boy is blowin’ nothin’ but smoke up everyone’s “you know what”. There comes a time when you have to step back and realize they just don’t have a clue.

I’ve worked too hard – I’ve learned too much – and I’ve experienced enough not only in YTB but other business ventures to know who’s giving me the straight skinny and who’s absolutely full of themselves and their speculation.

And like Coach stated this week in his article, because my mind isn’t a garbage can, I simply choose not to even open the negative speculation about what could happen.

Instead, I choose to take our Board of Directors at their word. While it hurts, because you never want to see anyone lose their job – sometimes in business you have to make those tough choices in order to get through this difficult economy that just can’t seem to get on the right track.

There is hope however. You know as well as I do – you have an opportunity to create your own economy with your own business. While the majority of the country continues to struggle out of this recession – YOU have the power to make your own economy.

True, we’re bustin’ our tails right now – but that’s by choice. Opportunity is still there. Growth is still there. Success is still there. It’s entirely up to you to pick it up and run with it. Nobody is going to do that for you.

You need to focus on what “is” instead of what “isn’t”. Make up your mind to erase the negativity from your life. Eliminate what doesn’t feed or nourish you. That could include the media and the news, your social networks like Facebook and Twitter, and it could even include your own family who try to bully you into a different set of beliefs and values.

You don’t have to condemn them, you just avoid them for right now.

Granted, I’ve played the game too – and it made me miserable. It’s all too easy, and we all know misery loves company. What I continue to understand and see that if you eliminate all that’s negative in your life – no matter what it is or how much you’re attached to it – you soon realize how life begins to brighten and move in a direction more to your liking.

It’s much like the political landscape right now. Like free contraception, gay marriage, or what someone did back in high school and yes, even these job losses at the Home Office – they’re nothing but distractions to take our eye off the ball. The issue here is the economy and our profitability as a company and a country. Until we all (or enough of us anyway) focus on and tackle the real issues here we’re all going to fall deeper into this hole that sucks the life out of all of us.

What this company and our Country needs right now are Leaders who will make the tough choices, do the right things, tackle the tough issues, and eliminate the negativity from the playing field.

The best way to help in doing that is by doing it yourself.

There’s no way of telling right now if it will save the Country or turn the YTB Company to profitability – but I will tell you this:

No matter what happens, THIS family is safe and secure with the opportunities and businesses we’re running to drive our own economy – and we’ll be just fine.

That my friend is real freedom and real security.

It’s not always easy – it’s not always possible – but the more negativity you can eliminate from your life the more you realize how good and plentiful the opportunities in your life really are. Ultimately, the road leads you to true freedom and happiness.

Honestly, this news for us this week was nothing more than a blip. I’m actually surprised that after all this time it isn’t for more of the people who’ve been calling and e-mailing me this week. Isn’t it time for you to take the negativity and ciaos critics create about our company and place THAT in the garbage can?

By this late stage in the game, it really is the only alternative if you truly want to succeed.

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I got a couple of really cool surprises last week. We’re winding down our fiscal year with our other company, Books Are Fun next month. Late last week, we received a couple updates from the Corporate Office on how the year has gone thus far, and some items concerning our transition into the year ahead.

Mind you, we’ve spent the last year wrapping our arms around this new business. We took over a territory that was run into the ground and on life support when the opportunity was offered up. There were no guarantees and there was a good bit of damage control that needed to be addressed before, during and after our contract was signed. Changes were made, attitudes were upgraded, and marketing plans was implemented to turn this territory around and make it profitable for everyone involved.

A huge advantage for us was our experience and leadership in YTB and in the Direct Sales arena. All the “trial and error” since 2005 had already been tested and ironed out. Accessing a vast collection of theories, plans, and marketing tools from various entrepreneurs and business minds that had been implemented in our own YTB business and were proven to work.

That’s not to say that we didn’t attempt a number of real duds over the years. (Oh yes, we made plenty of mistakes and attempted a real doozy or two during that time.) That’s all part of the process in finding your own way from an “employee” to a “business owner” mindset and attitude.

Personally, what’s really cool is seeing the fruits of all those years of testing and learning paying off. Fast forward from last August when I signed my name to a contract connecting myself with this Northeast Georgia territory and Books Are Fun company to what I’m seeing today.

They’re worlds apart in less than a years time.

Last summer, before I assigned my name, Books Are Fun launched a Keys to Success contest. A list if you will, of tools and activities the Executives of Books Are Fun felt would help increase business and attain better penetration into it’s core market. Each activity or tool was given a “key value” and the “key” represented an actual key to a brand new vehicle. The more activities or tools you did on this list, the more keys you collected and the better your chances of winning this new vehicle coming up this summer.

Honestly, because I felt like I was coming in late to the game, and so focused on turning this territory around in an effort to make ourselves profitable, I didn’t pay much attention to this contest – at all. Yes, I knew about it – but never considered myself in the running for this new vehicle because I was so new. Therefore, this Keys to Success contest wasn’t even on the radar.

That is – until last week.

With the fiscal year winding down, an update to the number of keys each territory has was sent out, and everyone in the company got a chance to see where they stand in this contest. Out of curiosity I opened up the standings and to my surprise (actually it was more like “shock”) I found my name in the Top 10 with 351 keys!!

Now, it’s not that I’m absolutely blown away by this finding – but what’s really sad about this is, I wasn’t even going after this contest. I mean, I wasn’t doing all that I do in an effort to attain all these keys. I was just doing what I do in an effort to turn this territory around and make it profitable.

In other words – I was minding my own business. (Pun intended.)

I’m still not exactly sure how this massive amount of keys were accumulated over the last year, even after looking at the guidelines for the contest. There isn’t any one item I can pinpoint that I’ve done more, or better than any other. Everything that’s been done (to me at least) just makes good business sense.

It’s how I roll after all these years.

The second big “surprise” was the lineup at this years Books Are Fun Conference. As a side note, I’ve mentioned before that in Network Marketing it’s called a “Convention” – but in traditional business it’s called a “Conference”. The two, at least on the surface, look very similar. We’ll see how true to form that plays out this summer when we spend two days at this “Conference”.

Anywho…to my surprise, I found my name on the agenda to do a presentation. I had to contact our VP of Display Sales to find out exactly what he wanted me to talk about. (Although, after his visit a couple months back, I had a pretty good idea that he wanted me to cover our marketing initiative.) In addition, from the looks of it, I’ll be the only one from the field who’ll be doing a presentation for them this year.

Again, I just do what makes good business sense and know the tools and activities that produce the results desired. I simply do what it takes as a “business owner”. I’ve come to find out, the Executives at the Home Office are not only taking notice but find it impressive enough to have me speak to the rest of the field.

I’ve heard it said over and over during my years with YTB. If you treat this like a business, it will pay you like a business. It’s much more than that however: if you treat this like a business, you really can do ANY business. This nonsense that MLM is any different is complete bunk. The activities and the entrepreneurial mindset are the same. YTB was a great proving ground for me and got me in the game for a minimal cost. It’s value to me was (and to this day still is) that it instilled core values and habits that I can take just about anywhere and be successful. Business after all is Business.

The only difference between someone like me and someone who’s just starting out in YTB (or any MLM for that matter) is time.

The Keys To Success are there for you too. All you have to do is get yourself in the game by taking the business and more importantly yourself as a “business owner” seriously.

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Sorry I haven’t been around for a while. It’s crunch time with my other company – and we’ve been working double time in an effort to squeeze our customer base in one more round before our summer break.

Don’t get me wrong – it’s well worth the effort, but I have to prioritize on activities. Fact is, I love writing and there are times I really miss this kind of activity. Success in business sometimes changes activities in order to grow. And for that reason, this dear and trusted friend hasn’t seen much updating.

If there’s one thing I’ve had to watch very closely over that last year or so, it’s time management. Everything I do these days has an even greater importance or measurement associated with it. Scheduling each and every day has become the norm instead of the exception. All those time management books and seminar lessons I’ve acquired over the years have been pulled back out and combed over again. I even pulled out an old book I got as a gift from one of my old Coach’s, Robert Hartung called “Beating The Time Bandits“.

“Coach Bob” as I called him was my Business and Success Coach in a Nightingale Conent course I enrolled in years ago. It was the first private Coaching I ever took, and while it cost a pretty penny – it was the one thing that really got me on the right track. By the time I completed the course, my YTB Business exploded 10 times the size it was before enrolling. This same program was the single event that also solidified in my mind that Network Marketing was no different than any other traditional business form in regards to activities and attitude. If you treat it like a real business – it pays you like a real business.

That’s why I’m really pleased to see YTB partner up with Franklin Covey and this new Leadership Summit launch.

When we first heard about The Leadership Summit, we did a little research into the program and if the investment was worth not only our money – but our time. We have to admit, this course outline (Franklin-Covey) is one of the best we’ve ever seen and have personally taken a number of courses from this company.

Here’s a breakdown of the course and what you can expect:

• Learn what it takes to become an effective leader and how to apply those skills effectively and efficiently to your business life and your personal life.
• The Leadership Summit class meets once per month for 12 consecutive months.
• Classes include sessions with some of your organizations most successful leaders and course work developed by Franklin-Covey; internationally recognized as the premier authority on leadership training and implementation.
• Each participant will be given an official Leadership Summit binder complete with class syllabus, writing pen and class DVD.

As you can see, this isn’t your “basic training”. This is a true investment that if taken seriously can transform your entire life and your financial status.

The new Leadership Summit course combines the genius of Franklin-Covey training with real-life entrepreneurs and leaders that will share their insights – an amazing opportunity at an incredibly low price for training this powerful!

If you were to enroll in comparable courses, the tuition would exceed $4000. (That’s about what I paid for the Nightingale Conent training.) But they’ve added much more content and value at the Summit. The program will include the Franklin-Covey award-winning coursework PLUS additional sessions taught by some of your organization’s top Leaders and Entrepreneurs!

For a course this inclusive, you’d expect the tuition to exceed $8000. However, they’ve been able to guarantee attendance for all Leadership Summit sessions, making it possible for us to discount the tuition to less than $2000!

Bottom line: This is serious stuff – and comes with our highest recommendation for anyone looking to make the kind of breakthrough they’ve been looking for.

Click here for more information and to enroll in The Leadership Summit.

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

PPS - Subscribe to the Just Picture It Now RSS feed, (including e-mail) for all the latest posts and updates found right here!

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