Somewhere along my journey of the transition from Bohemian to Financial Freedom, I discovered I was tired of working hard for a living. It wasn’t that I hated my job. I derived immense satisfaction out of my work achievements. I just got tired of working because it cut into a lot my personal time for things I wanted to do. It dawned upon me that I was searching for a way out of the rat race, so I started reading books to get “educated” on my options.

I first discovered Network Marketing from a book by Robert Kiyosaki called The Cashflow Quadrant. After reading about it, I knew this was the business model for me. Coincidentally, at the same time, a friend approached me about her business. Having already decided that this was the industry I wanted to get into, I joined her without hesitation. I was probably her easiest sign up.

Admitedly, I didn’t know at the time that Network Marketing was not very popular among a lot of Malaysians. Now that I am more aware and better educated on the industry, I would probably attribute it to a number of reasons:

• there are some 500-600 Network Marketing companies in existence in Malaysia
• anyone can join a network marketing company, including the unscrupulous who have created quite a bad name for the industry
• there are good network marketing companies and there are bad network marketing companies; some that are very successful while others that are so-called “fly-by-night” operations because they cease to exist after a couple of years
• there are illegal pyramid schemes dressed in sheep’s clothing, pretending to be network marketing companies
• a lot of people “once bitten” are “twice shy”, making the assumption that all companies are the same
• the hard-sell approach of network marketers can be as off-putting as the sales girl in a department store that won’t leave you alone

For these reasons and more, I can’t say I really blame anyone who has the misconception that the network marketing industry is illegal and full of con-men. I, too, have had my share of distasteful experiences during the course of business, but I guess I can say I am one of the luckier ones because the companies I joined were stable, legitimate enterprises with excellent systems in place. I am also fortunate that I have met with very supportive uplines who are interested in my development and my success.

Even if you haven’t been as lucky, I do encourage another look at the Network Marketing industry. In fact, the more “bad” experiences you’ve had in the past only makes you wiser in selecting:

1. The “right” network marketing company that suits you best
2. Finding the “right” group of people that you prefer to work with

My brother once told me something about the Australian social wellfare system which I think makes a great analogy for the network marketing industry. He used to say that the wellfare system in Australia was so open to abuse because the system was not strict enough to lock out the people who cheat the system. The reason why the system couldn’t be too strict was so that it didn’t end up locking out the people it was designed to help in the first place. If the system was too strict, the people who really needed the help wouldn’t be able to get help either.

Likewise, in network marketing, the opportunity is open to anyone and everyone. Unfortunately, because of that, it’s also open to abuse by people without scruples that prey on the unwary. Like the Australian wellfare system, it can’t be too strict, otherwise the people who need this business opportunity won’t be able to get into it. What makes the system great is also unfortunately one of its pitfalls.

One of the other reasons why Network Marketing ends up with such a bad reputation is that network marketers, in the attempt to sell their company and products, end up “bad mouthing” other companies in the process. I admit, I’ve also been guilty of doing this. Network Marketers then wonder why their prospects are fearful of signing up with them.

Once you’ve established that the company you’ve chosen to work with is solid and that you like the philosophies and work ethics of your uplines, then there is no reason why you can’t succeed in the business. The key to success isn’t so much which company has the best products or the best business plan, but the individual’s level of persistence to keep going until results are achieved.

That’s what I like best about Network Marketing. The race isn’t won by the fastest or the most talented person, but the one who gives it their heart. The best thing is that anyone can win this race if that is what they truly desire. The first prize is not limited to one person or just a handful of people who happen to cross the finishing line first. It is available to anyone who wants it.