Open Mic Night
I play and poke at some pretty nasty characters. Because I point out some of their glaring mistakes and weaknesses, it’s to be expected that I’m going to get some flack. I’ve been a source of major frustration, and in return, they’ve dug up whatever they can in an attempt to discredit yours truly. While the man hours of time and energy spent on me pales in comparison to YTB, I would place very good odds on the time spent on me as a distant second.
While I’m certainly not happy about what’s been going on the past few years, the attention, bitterness, and anger is to be expected. While they’ve attempted to rat me out, call me names, I never really cared much for what critics think of me, or what they have to say. My life, goals and beliefs are my own, and critics certainly don’t have the power to take that away.
Case in point was yesterday. For the last few days, I received several e-mails, a phone call or two, and a plethora of comments on boards and blogs that my world was crashing down around me. The angry mob of critics had just what they needed to finish me off with a glaring mistake I made on my Examiner column. When you combine that with the illusions they have about the battle I’m facing with some really desperate creditors, they think they have what it takes to finish me off.
While they have been busy pounding their chest in victory the last few days, life had a way of turning the tables back into my favor yesterday.
As the day progressed, it first made me grateful. As it continued, it made me smile. By the end of the day, I was literally laughing over what had transpired.
Yesterday started out with winning a long standing battle in court with one of the most aggressive credit card company’s I’ve had to endure to date. Because of the Courts ruling, additional money has been freed up enabling us to settle yet another, more cooperative creditor. When complete, this will leave one last credit card to resolve and be out of the hole we dug ourselves.
A light at the end of the tunnel.
Then there was the gross error in judgment I made in cutting corners with a copy and paste for my Examiner column. Because I took full responsibility, admitted and correct the error and subsequently apologized, I’m not only still writing for the Examiner, but had another writing opportunity land in my lap because of the way I handled the entire situation.
The coup de grâce of the entire ordeal was an e-mail from my Examiner Manager who I believe was sent links to show how upset everyone was over what I had done. His response was extremely revealing as he wrote, (and I quote) “Comments on the blog are a bizarre waste of time”.
That doesn’t negate the fact that I did make an enormous error for which I have apologized (several times) and took full responsibility to make sure that it was corrected. What I did was wrong, make no mistake about that. But the word “bizarre” was a very accurate and insightful description in the way critics attempted to vilify and stone me into submission via the blogs and message boards.
Truth is, the average person sees right through that kind of bantering, and it actually reflects more poorly on them than it ever will me. Especially when you own up and apologize for your own mistakes and shortcomings.
Even when the storm appears to be the darkest and most damaging, good things continue to happen to good people. You just can’t change that.
With that said, it’s time to get over the little hate-fest about “Dougie” and start thinking about some real issues here. One was pointed out last week and that’s how these desperate fools are going to combat the best compensation package available in the Travel Industry.
Let me refresh everyone’s memory here:
I have a challenge for the smarter than average critics out there that like spout off that a traditional host is a better alternative.
Provide me documentation of just one Host, one Agency, one single Brick and Mortar that:
- Offers 80%-100% commission contracts.
- Pays cash bonuses of up to $10K when you hit performance levels for travel commissions earned.
- AND completely covers the cost of your Medical Insurance and provides a $150,000 Life Insurance policy.
- Oh, and you need to give me that “hat trick” for less than $500 start up and $49.95 per monthly overhead.
Because of the distraction and focus over me last week, I’ve yet to receive a single response. I have seen one response surrounding the challenge in one of the trades, which was more of an excuse than it was an answer. As we’ve seen so many times before, they excuse the ability, and question the credibility by thinking YTB can’t offer medical benefits to Independent Contractors. We need to be “Employees”.
Two words come to mind about that particular thought.
Poppy Cock.
YTB has offered medical benefits and life insurance to Directors for years without challenge because YTB has a successful legal stance to ensure that we can and will be offering these benefits to any Traditional Travel Agent who is smart enough to break free of the cult like thinking and mentality. Furthermore, the response does not answer the possibility of 100% commission, and our incredibly low start up cost and monthly fees.
While the choice to ignore this challenge is certainly within the right of anyone who can’t (or won’t) answer, that won’t make it go away. It will simply make it easier to state “The best compensation package in the industry”.
Money talks. (And I think you know the second part of that phrase.)
The mic is yours, and it’s time to put your money were your mouth is.
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Doug & Ronda Bauknight AKA: TravelPro Travel Agent / Networker Phone: 678.458.5812 |
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August 19th, 2009 at 9:30 am
[...] class action was thrown out. I mean not a single word about how or why it got booted. Same goes for my challenge to the industry concerning YTB’s travel commission contracts. While there have been a few comments about it, what I’m finding are more excuses and spin [...]
September 1st, 2009 at 12:45 pm
[...] to link properly, we’re bringing the challenge I offered up to the industry, called “Open Mic” night” back up. If you came here from No Travel MLM’s, you would have found an article on [...]
September 4th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Doug,
First, I wrote the text of the article. I don’t remember supplying the link. One of the other editors of the blog supplied the picture and the link. You’ll note that the link has been fixed.
Second, I was not aware of the offer of health insurance to site owners. That must be relatively new. As I’m sure you have noticed, I have not spent much time on any blog pertaining to MLM travel in recent months. I thank you for supplying that information. I’ve already thanks Rod for supplying the same information on John’s blog. I knew that such insurance was provided to directors, which is why I said that you were mixing the two sides of YTB. Apparently I was incorrect because of the recent updates I had not followed.
I asked this question on John’s blog as well. To reach the 80% level you need $25K in earnings. Is that $25K gross earnings (of which you get whatever your prior split was), or $25K in earnings at the lower split level? Note that I’m not criticizing, just asking so I have my facts straight.
I am not a lawyer, so I won’t enter the debate about independant contractor vs. employee.
I think it is pretty clear that we will never agree about YTB, and that’s okay. That’s the great thing about having the right to free speach in America.
September 4th, 2009 at 11:16 pm
Thank you Steve.
I apologize for assuming that the link was yours, and should also realize that not everyone knows or cares about the importance of linking properly.
The insurance for our RTA’s has been available for two years now. It was released at the 2007 National Convention.
To qualify, you need to earn $25K – $50K or $100K according to the current contract you have in order to move up. It is not prior to split.
December 4th, 2009 at 9:19 am
[...] in the industry when you factor cost, benefits, and percentage all in one. I’m still waiting for a legitimate contender to beat these contracts. Instead, I get excuses about not being allowed to offer insurance to non-employees. Even better [...]