Mark Yarnell's Blog

Go Grab Your Share

Mark Yarnell — Mon, 16 May 2011 01:10:00 GMT

By Mark Yarnell and Dr Charles King

Off your ass and into the street,

Out of the shade and into the heat,

Forget about Facebook, or email or tweets,

It's only through hard work and focus we eat.

Blow off the texting, exit the screen,

Stop eating grease bombs and drinking caffeine,

Control all your urges to act like a teen,

Stop dressing like children who love Halloween.

Through effort there's no goal you cannot attain,

It's not your degrees or the size of your brain,

You'll not win through beauty, no need to be vain,

Cling to your youth and you'll wind up insane.

So get off the couch and out of the chair,

Wipe off the sour puss and drop the despair,

Knock off the whining, there's wealth everywhere,

Just get off your ass and go grab your share.

'Sup W' Dat? Part Four

Mark Yarnell — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:54:00 GMT

EI (Epistemic Irrationality) Factor #3

The ability to serve as a television talk show celebrity or play in the NBA does not qualify an individual to land a fighter jet on an aircraft carrier or build a large organization in MLM.

I don’t know what there is about MLM that causes rational adults to completely ignore the qualifications and experiences necessary to run a major corporation, but many people abandon all common sense when they decide to join a company.

Read this closely folks…tacit wisdom is not transferable. Either the owners of an MLM company have significant experience in the MLM profession or they don’t. Period. End of the story.

The fact that they are brilliant lawyers or quarterbacked a team that won the Super Bowl or perform as respected celebrities is of zero value when trying to manage an MLM company through hyper growth and international expansion.

Tacit wisdom is gained by significant repetitive execution of specific skills in a specific domain. Mediocre tennis pros can destroy world champion table tennis players on a tennis court.

We all understand that fact intellectually. So why do people join MLM organizations run by people whose successes have been in totally different fields of endeavor? I don’t know, but they do.

In the next blog, we’ll explore three more examples of Epistemic Irrationality.

Until then, may you only consider companies in which the leaders, products and owners have been fully researched. That’s a good start.

'Sup W' Dat? - Part Three

Mark Yarnell — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:42:00 GMT

EI (Epistemic Irrationality) Factor #2

Rational adults will generally fall into one of two categories when exposed to an MLM opportunity…either they decide to join a company and sell products with no proof of efficacy beyond absurd testimonials or they refuse to join a company and sell products with stacks of scientific validation until they can themselves “try the product.”

I’ve enjoyed this industry for 25 years and every day it feels more and more like I’ve fallen down Alice’s rabbit hole where everything is backwards and Mad Hatters rule.

I’ve met doctors who join companies that sell magic wands and diet candy and blue collar workers who refuse to join companies selling remarkable technology with hundreds of double blind scientific studies that prove product efficacy. One example should put this in perspective.

I showed a very respected scientist a product line in a ground floor MLM company in mid 2011 with over 90 published articles in scientific journals. In spite of the fact that she needed the product and certainly needed the money, the doctor declined.

A couple of months later, she insisted that I meet her for breakfast so she could talk to me about something critical. I met with her and her husband and after few social niceties she pulled out a small silver wand that looked like a Cross pen and asked the waiter to bring us a lemon.

She told me that her magic wand from a new MLM company would turn the lemon “sweet.” It didn’t and I haven’t heard from her since. Perhaps she thought I would pretend that the lemon tasted sweet. It simply didn’t.

So, remember this. Either the product has been studied scientifically and the results published in legitimate journals or it hasn’t. If it hasn’t, don’t risk your honor and credibility on a handful of biased testimonials.

By age 30, people should be long past the age of believing in magic wands, diet candy or therapeutic foo foo powder from distant countries. But they aren’t. ‘Sup W’ Dat?

Stay tuned for Part Four…

'Sup W' Dat? Part Two

Mark Yarnell — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 16:27:00 GMT

EI (Epistemic Irrationality) Factor #1

Rational adults join stupid companies because total strangers, family members or friends with no verifiable credentials ask them to do so.

I have no idea why rational adults who read labels on virtually everything they eat or drink will buy a business kit and join an MLM company under any relative who calls them even if that relative has never held a job higher than assistant manager of Arby’s.

Some prospects will actually quit good jobs to follow failures with zero business experience into really stupid companies. What’s the solution?

If anyone contacts you about a “big money, free-time MLM opportunity,” ask him or her to either verify their own credentials or put you on the phone with a leader who is making the big money.

If he can’t, you’ve got a problem. Either no one is making the big money or they will not be accessible to you. In either case, you’re hooped.

MLM is a team sport. Without access to a successful coach or competent owners, no team can possibly compete no matter how many individual stars are on the team. The same thing is true in MLM. Without credible mentoring you cannot “luck” your way to $100K a month, no matter how talented you are.

If, on the other hand, you can gain access to company leaders or if your friend or relative has a great track record in the industry, move to the next step of due diligence. Whatever you do, don’t abandon your due diligence yet if you can be mentored by a true expert because that’s one of the most important elements of MLM success.

But remember, even if you gain access to competent leaders, that’s just the beginning. Warren Buffet and Bernie Madoff are both financial planners and investment experts. Let’s just say that one of them is eating a lot more macaroni and spam than the other!

'Sup W’ Dat? They both managed billions for other people.

Stay tuned for Part Three...

'Sup W' Dat? Part One

Mark Yarnell — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 01:31:00 GMT

After twenty-five years in this industry I feel like I’ve learned enough to explain why some make millions while many others fail.

I will begin by introducing you to two words that you’ve probably never heard or seen. If there were more simple terms I’d use them, but there aren’t. Stay with me because at first I too found these terms a bit complicated.

I learned them in fabulous book written by fifteen of the world’s most respected psychologists/brain experts called, Why Smart People Can Be So Stupid, Yale University Press, 2002.

Those brilliant researchers coined the words Epistemic Irrationality to describe the root cause of stupid decisions.

Simply put, when people decide to take action they usually consider any relevant evidence that could impact their decision. Epistemic irrationality occurs when people refuse to take action even though all available evidence supports the fact that they should or when people take action even though all available evidence suggests that they shouldn’t. That’s when smart people make stupid decisions.

I can assure you that epistemic irrationality is an epidemic in our field.

In fact, were I hired to create a marble entryway with a universal slogan about our profession to be placed above the front entrance of every network marketing corporate office, it would read, “Abandon All Common Sense Ye Who Enter Here.”

Blaming the industry because many people fail to earn big checks is like blaming Orville and Wilbur Wright when the space shuttle blows up.

I can accept the fact that many people fail at MLM. What we need to understand is why they fail and more often than not, failure in MLM can be attributed to epistemic irrationality.

People simply refuse to weigh the preponderance of evidence about a particular company before they either join it or refuse to join it. Then, they blame the industry for their own foolish actions or inactions.

People violate one or more of several specific “common sense” factors. In future blogs, I’ll explain some of them. I call them EI Factors because they all revolve around epistemic irrationality (EI).

Stay tuned for Part 2...

Upcoming Blogs

Mark Yarnell — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 22:07:00 GMT

Every morning I awaken at 4:30 am. By 5:00 I'm reading a non-fiction book written by some author with excellent credentials. Usually it's a complicated hardback and the information is fascinating. By 7:30 I've absorbed concepts that a very limited number of people will hear about in a few years, if ever. That doesn't make me smarter than others in North America, but it does make me well read.

So I find myself at an intersection of interesting options. To follow path A is to content myself with the accumulation of knowledge for the sake of curiosity and personal wisdom. To follow path B, I must agree to sacrifice precious reading time on a regular basis in order to write a digital summary of my intellectual adventures so that others without the luxury of time freedom might gain from my accumulation of insights.

After considerable reflection, I've chosen path B for two reasons. First I do enjoy writing. Second, I have to believe that a market for intelligent blogs does exit. By market, I'm not refrring to a group from which I might derive a diverse cluster of economic gains, but rather a diverse cluster of intelligent folks who actually appreciate knowledge for knowledge-sake.

You'll be happy to learn that when I recently turned 60 I made the conscious decision to abandon my efforts to become general manager of the universe although in my youth, especially during my drinking days, I was fairly certain that I would one day achieve that goal.

I don't want your money so you need not ever fear that by reading my blogs you will be added to a data base and one day asked to join me on a special prosperity cruise for "Yarnell's Secret Inner Circle."

I am not interested in politics, have no new book to sell and could frankly care less about persuading others to believe what I opine. I intend to write for the pure joy of writing and if you like to read, I hope you'll enjoy my blogs. I also hope that my research will be interesting enough to some readers that they will actually (OMG) buy the book that I've written about and read it.

Of course that's asking a lot in a world where we can zap bloodthirsty zombies 24/7 on a hand held mini computer more powerful than the ones that put us on the moon. Why exhaust our brains with the effort required to gather information through old fashion reading when we can become wizards in binary wars (not withstanding their sheer irrelevance or the fact that they lead to zero "real world" competencies)?

I'll tell you why. Because reading is fun, rewarding and a marvelous strategic advantage to those who prefer to excel in a very competitive global economy. And unlike the results of participation in the digital pandemic, reading real books does not lead to social isolation, diminished spontaneity, stimulus-driven ADHD or cyber emotional abuse, the latter of which is supposedly responsible for a massive increase in teen suicides.

A pandemic is defined as a widespread, fast moving epidemic that affects all people. Unless you have been living in a cave for the past decade, you've probably noticed that most people cannot walk down the street without using a hand held screen. At least half the population is tethered to a wireless feed drip of irrelevant minutiae every waking hour.

Therefore, in the next blog I will discuss the marvelous new book by Dr Mack Hicks, founding member of the American Board of Neuropsychology and lead research scientist for the National Institute of Mental Health. The title of his new book is appropriately called The Digital Pandemic: Re-establishing Face-to-face Contact in the Electronic Age.

Until next week....happy tweeting. Oh, and one final thought - did you turn the stove off?

Correct Link for Webinar

Mark Yarnell — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:50:00 GMT

Hi Everyone,

Thanks to a good friend, we just learned that the link in the latest blog posted for The Lotus Code webinar release on Wednesday November 4th does not work.

Here's one that does!

http://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/531410699

Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.

NEW RELEASE - Training to Accelerate Your Progress

Mark Yarnell — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:32:00 GMT

Something Valerie and I are very proud to unleash on capitalism is about to be previewed through a Networking University webinar.

We would love for you to participate in the pre-launch rollout of our new seminal work, The Lotus Code. Please join us:

Webinar: The Lotus Code - The Secret Path to Networking Wealth
Date: Wednesday November 4, 2009
Time: 6 PM - 7 PM PST
To register (space is limited), please click on the following link:

http://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/531410699

We are irrevocably convinced that people need to do more than "think" to grow rich in this new global economy.

It's no longer a secret that proper thinking is a necessary component of most attainment strategies. We all know that. But too often well-meaning people ignore the other five elements of prosperity. It is those five components that are critical for personal achievement regardless of the goal we select.

The Lotus Code is a 2500-year-old philosophy that emphasizes each of six paint-by-numbers elements required for dramatic success in virtually any endeavor.

Wednesday night we will introduce you to our most exciting new project well in advance of its release. You will find the principles interesting and provocative...we can promise you that.

Feel free to invite your own friends and family to our webinar and fasten your seatbelts. This is not some lightweight new sales formula, but rather a substantive approach to accelerated excellence.

Join us and learn how you can take your business and your life to a whole new level.

See you Wednesday.

www.WhatIsTheLotusCode.com

Coffee Alert

Mark Yarnell — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:21:00 GMT

Now that I’m living in British Columbia, that’s in Canada just toclarify that for my U.S. friends, I am privileged to get informationearly because of the willingness of the media up here to actuallyengage in investigative journalism. The facts I just read were sofrightening that I decided to send them to my readers in a blog. Thisinformation could save your life, so I suggest that you take itseriously.

Itwas recently discovered that a specific coffee drink, a double/double,caramel frappy, somehow causes a mental state similar to that whichresults from two shots of hundred proof vodka.

Evidently,the coffee mixture is problematic enough to have been banned in severalprovinces and thirty foreign countries. In several locations itliterally cannot be consumed legally by drivers.

What’smade this coffee so dangerous has been the media’s unwillingness todisclose these facts until recently. Evidently, research has come tolight that proves that this coffee has caused the deaths of 159 BritishColumbian citizens in just the last year. That’s a published statistic.

Believe it or not, people up here are still drinking this coffee and the publicity about the deaths has made it seem cool.

Aslong as it’s legal, the death toll is bound to rise in spite of thefact that half those who died were innocent victims of some fool whoswerved over the yellow line and hit them head on.

I’mnot sure about whether this particular coffee is being offered in U.S.coffee shops but if it is, please don’t take any chances with itanytime you are planning to operate a motor vehicle. 159 deaths is anunbelievably sad statistic given the small population in one of theCanadian provinces and all of them were needless.

So I must urge my Canadian and U.S. friends to learn from the unnecessary grief thrust painfully into the lives of 159 families.

Waita minute… I apologize. I wrote coffee. What I meant to write was cellphones. Pardon the error. Everything else was accurate.

Article Published in The Central New York Business Journal

Mark Yarnell — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:09:00 GMT

Since The Central New York Business Journal is no longer posting this article we have attached a copy below.

Friends, recently I responded to a self-righteous financial planner who attempted to trash our profession in The Central New York Business Journal.

Check it out: http://tr.im/zrtO

Best Regards,
Mark

Another MLM Fairy Tale from an Industry Outsider

By Mark Yarnell

I’ve had about enough self-righteous opinions from financial sector capitalists who, perhaps embarrassed about their own performance, insist on criticizing legitimate professions.

One such asset manager, David John Marotta, took a shot at multi-level marketing (MLM) or network marketing recently in this journal and his analysis was so flawed, unsubstantiated and preposterous that I simply couldn’t let it slide. Like so many other self-appointed pseudo-experts, Mr. Marotta evidently decided to hold court outside his own domain and, in so doing, embarrassed himself and his profession.

David is probably a wonderful asset manager, but I humbly suggest that he focus his energy on rehabilitating his “Madoff World” and leave multilevel marketing to the experts.

In case you missed his editorial, here are a few of his bits of wisdom.

“MLM is a non-sustainable business model because it simply provides a product that has been marked up in price.”

Sorry David but last year alone, as a matter of public record, Amway did 8.2 billion in sales and Mary Kay, Herbalife and Primerica each did in excess of 2 billion. Those are just a few examples of companies that have been extremely profitable for dozens of decades. So much for non-sustainability.

Oh, and by the way, on planet earth every product that is for sale has been “marked up in price.” You see David, that’s how capitalism works. According to your bio, you do fee-only financial planning. Your fee, David, is a mark-up. Instead of anything tangible, you mark up a service that may help people or wipe them out financially. Either way you make money.

Among other things, David goes on to assert that MLM is “not really a business,” “we offend our friends and families,” create “no real value,” and “endlessly recruit hopefuls who churn at the bottom of a pyramid,” while “only those positioned at the top” collect big checks. He closes by calling our profession a “distraction from a genuine vocational calling.”

Although the editorial rules in this journal request substantiation, Mr. Marotto offered not one shred of support for his Wikipedia-style distortions. Why? Because his ramblings lack credible research and support.

As a best selling author I’ve met thousands of wonderful men and women since 1986 who, like me, joined established MLM companies at the very bottom and became wealthy through hard work and perseverance. We started with no money, special skills, or credentials and delivered superior products and services to people all over the world by word-of-mouth advertising. Many of us have earned millions over the years and given huge amounts to charities and multiple worthy causes.

My international MLM business has taken me to every continent. Unlike financial planners, we don’t just sit at home and collect fees by moving money around, we build international distribution organizations that allow common people with very little capital to prosper based on their own hard work and character. Many of our products and services are far superior to the crap from overseas that people purchase from big-box superstores.

David closed with the following delusional comment, “There are hundreds of legitimate business opportunities available for entrepreneurs who want to build companies that provide real value.” Sorry David, but you need to read a few books by legitimate writers. There are no options for millions of boomers who have been hammered relentlessly into horrible debt loads by unconscionable casino capitalism just in time for retirement. Others have worked diligently for decades only to have their assets “managed” into oblivion by people in your world.

Many have seen their assets converted from 401Ks to 201Ks by people in your profession. The only time I turned over $300,000 to an asset manager it was down the toilet in 3 years thanks to stupid, high-risk investments. Fortunately, I’ve managed the bulk of my MLM income over the years and have been comfortably semi-retired since the late 1980s.

There are good people and bad people in every profession. I’m going to assume that David is more like Warren Buffet than Bernie Madoff because ignorance is not always an indication of malice. So, David why don’t you pick up the phone and ask Mr. Buffet why he calls MLM a great field. Better yet, ask him why he owns The Pampered Chef. He might be able to teach you why so many experienced asset managers regard MLM with respect.

If you are going to offer bogus advice about any additional profession, may I humbly suggest that you do so on blogs and Twitter where everyone expects to read irrelevant minutiae from clueless writers. Why embarrass yourself, your clients and others in your profession by writing in a legitimate journal when you can spread inaccuracies online and even fabricate your identity?

If you enjoy concocting inaccuracies about MLM, think of the fun you can have online by pretending to be any expert in law or medicine. The possibilities are endless. You could write one week about dangerous surgical techniques secretly used by pediatric cardiologists, and the next about legislative challenges in tort reform.

I’d like to end by thanking Adam Rombel, editor of the Central New York Business Journal for his professional integrity. In an age when many periodicals pander only to special interests, his journal is obviously engaged in presenting both sides of issues. It’s refreshing to have access to a legitimate journal with no hidden agenda or stereotypical biases.

Mark Yarnell is author of the Random House bestseller, Your First Year in Network Marketing and former Contributing Editor to Success magazine. Contact him with questions at vbates@telus.net or 250-769-3214.

MULTI-LEVEL PARAGLIDING

Mark Yarnell — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:25:56 GMT

Yesterday, three of my friends and I ran off our local mountain and immediately gained altitude in some really kick-butt thermals. It was a beautiful Sunday and from several thousand feet we could see two golf courses and a lake full of sailboats beneath us.

We were flying with bald eagles and red-tailed hawks and stayed up until our arms were tired from coring thermals, that is, catching updrafts and carving tight turns in their centers in order to gain more altitude. From that height it was easy to see thousands of people enjoying their weekend activities.

As I flew out over the lake and hovered above the dozens of sailboats, a predictable number of people waved and took pictures of us. As always, I waved back and couldn't help wonder what they were thinking.

Given the choice between floating around on a boat in a lake, driving around in an electric cart on a well-mowed pasture, or soaring through the air with eagles, how could anyone choose either of the first two? Why were only four of us in the air and thousands of them on the ground, especially when the cost of paragliding is less than one-tenth that of sailing and there are no fees or tee times required to run off a mountain?

Three words: Fear Of Heights.

That's also what causes otherwise rational adults to avoid legitimate multi-level marketing...fear of heights. Most people never join our industry for the same reason that most never consider paragliding. They refuse to bet on their own courage and effort.

Once you leave the mountaintop and the ground slowly drops away, you're on your own. Remain calm and do what you've learned and you'll have a wonderful experience. Freeze up, freak out or forget what you've learned and it could become a horrifying experience.

It's the same in MLM. Most people never join our industry because they lack confidence in themselves. And most will never paraglide.

Then there are those who see us soaring with the eagles and immediately sign up for lessons. They'll never run off the mountain, but they'll dabble with a few lessons in order to tell everyone that they've tried it. It's one step closer to the dream, but a long way from soaring. It's like the thousands of prospects I've met over the years who claim they've tried our industry, but it wasn't for then.

I have a few words of caution for those who think they can dabble in multilevel or paragliding: Don't even try. Either find a great coach and do it right or don't do it at all.

Finally, there are those who are the most likely to die. In paragliding they die physically. In MLM they die financially. They're the rare folks who have no fear of heights or lack of confidence. They're the folks who think they're so brilliant and competent that they can read a book or two and teach themselves.

There's no one more dangerous to himself in paragliding than the experienced airline pilot, mountain climber or skydiver who has no fear and a pile of confidence.

And there's no one more likely to crash and burn in Networking than the successful professional who believes competencies are transferable. Just like the airbus pilot who selects the wrong wing, refuses lessons and ends up being airlifted to a trauma center after crashing into a cliff, the MLM hot shot who usually fails, picks the wrong company, a pseudo-upline leader or worse...reads a book and then runs off the financial cliff.

I've been paragliding and Network Marketing since the 80s so I speak with authority. I've earned millions in MLM in only two companies and I've completed thousands of paragliding flights without even a sprained ankle.

How? It's really simple. I picked a winning instructor, bought the technology he recommended, and did exactly what I was taught without exception.

Paragliding and Network marketing are serious endeavors if you value your finances and personal safety. So permit me to offer a bit of friendly advice.
Unless you're willing to take the time to sign up directly under a mentor who has significant skills in MLM, don't waste your time in my profession.

And unless you're willing to sign up under an expert and learn the intricacies of paragliding, please buy an electric cart and stay on the ground. When you get the courage to soar with the eagles either financially or literally...call me. I've got the time and skill set to teach you both.

Just remember one important fact: I won't teach you to paraglide if you insist on flying an inappropriate wing and I can't teach you to prosper in a goofy money game.

MULTI-LEVEL PARAGLIDING

Mark Yarnell — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:59:00 GMT

DAILY FOOD FOR BRAINS - QUOTE #8

Mark Yarnell — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:55:00 GMT

“When a corporate executive uses the company jet for personal flights, he does not pay anything. Instead, the value of the trip is treated as a taxable fringe benefit, just like the personal use of a company car.

Taxpayers pick up one-third of the real cost because buying and operating a corporate jet is a tax-deductible business expense. Shareholders of publicly traded companies pick up the other two-thirds. That means that ordinary folks who have put their retirement money into companies are dinged twice for this executive perk, once as taxpayers and a second time as investors.”

Free Lunch by David Cay Johnston

Mr. Johnston is a New York Times reporter who won the Pulitzer Prize as an investigative journalist.

***
When I read this book I was struck by the fact that every American who does not participate in Network Marketing has willfully given up his right to the same tax advantages enjoyed by the greedy hogs running major companies. For two decades I’ve enjoyed the tax advantages of owning my own home business. Maybe we can’t fly for free on company jets, but the least we can do is deduct our car mileage and home office expenses. Those who refuse to benefit from their own legal rights have no business criticizing wealthy people for corporate perks. Either get involved in MLM or stop whining!

***
Statement of Purpose
If you’re new to this blog on Food for Brains, please be advised of my mission.
As an avid reader, author and concerned critical thinker, my goal is to provide daily food for the brain, not steroids for the heart. If it’s positive thinking you crave, please look elsewhere. My objective is to encourage self-reflection, not self-absorption.
- Mark Yarnell

DAILY FOOD FOR BRAINS - QUOTE #7

Mark Yarnell — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 03:04:00 GMT

“The corporate world is doing everything it can to wiggle through the defenses parents erect around their children. Whether they sell unhealthy music or unhealthy food, they pose the greatest challenge to parents who wish to build moral meaning for their children.

The message of capitalism is that what matters most is the satisfaction of immediate desire. If America is to remain a civilized nation in the twenty-first century, it must begin by civilizing its children, teaching them about the necessary balance between instinct and desire on the one hand, and doing what is morally required, on the other.

In the online world, our kids spend their days and nights metaphorically surrounded by anonymous people who will gleefully support them and assure them that their most unlikely fantasies are perfectly desirable and realistic. In fact, they can now ignore the outside world altogether.

If teaching children what is right goes forward, it must begin with the family. And never forget one important fact: family is not something people are but something people do.”

Civility by Stephen L. Carter

Dr. Carter is the William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law at Yale and author of several critically acclaimed books.

***
As I read this book, I realized that each of us is a member of one human family. The responsibility for change rests squarely in the laps of each of us and I, for one, intend to do my part to call attention to cultural dead ends and unchallenged stupidity.

In the Jewish tradition, many scholars have argued that correcting the errors of others is an obligation. In my own religion the young founder preached love of others, but still criticized people – often quite harshly – for their transgressions or irrational behavior. It’s never an example of productive tolerance when we avoid ethical or moral debate. Although tolerance has become a very popular ideal in our society, we cannot afford to tolerate stupid, counterproductive, harmful behavior. Especially, we must teach young people to escape the virtual world daily and learn from real live people and well known authors.

***
Statement of Purpose
If you’re new to this blog on Food for Brains, please be advised of my mission.
As an avid reader, author and concerned critical thinker, my goal is to provide daily food for the brain, not steroids for the heart. If it’s positive thinking you crave, please look elsewhere. My objective is to encourage self-reflection, not self-absorption. Mark Yarnell

DAILY FOOD FOR BRAINS - QUOTE #6

Mark Yarnell — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 20:25:00 GMT

Washington DC “They came by Audi. They came by BMW. They came by limousine and by private helicopter. On a damp, drizzly fall day, tens of thousands of men and women from across the country converged on the mall in Washington DC for the first Million Millionaire’s March. The theme was sharing with others the struggle of being a millionaire in 21st Century America.

‘I know there are times when it’s hard,’ said Reverend Bertram Potter of Christ Church in Gross Pointe, Michigan. Some days you want to say the heck with NASDAQ and the museum benefits and the kidnapping insurance. But you’ve got to reach deep down inside yourself and find the strength to go on making money.’

The millionaires overcame many hardships to attend the march. Some had to actually pass up long-anticipated wine tastings. Others had to fly on commercial airlines.

The rally brought together a diverse group of millionaires from across the country some of whom had made their millions on Wall Street, others in technology and many in lobbying.

E. Bradley Hargrove, a millionaire from Sedona, Arizona attended with his ten-year old son Bradley Jr. who is also a millionaire.

‘I wanted to show my son what a tax bracket is all about. It’s not just about the Austin-Healey in the driveway and the second house with heated bathroom tiles. It’s about caring.’

As Tom Mannerling at New Canaan, Connecticut explained, ‘We have to support each other. We have to face the truth: You’re a millionaire. This is the hand life has dealt you. What you do with it is up to you.’”

The Million Millionaires March by Michael Rubinar

Michael Rubinar is a noted author who has written extensively for The New Yorker, GQ, New York Times and Rolling Stone. He has also written and produced a number of television shows.

***

As promised, I’ll sometimes share parodies with you, especially those which I find exceptionally humorous. This quote is from a series of essays found in a book of great contemporary humor entitled, “Mirth of a Nation,”edited by Michael J. Rosen. I found the notion of a millionaire support group particularly funny, especially given the huge number of millionaires in America. But underscoring the humor is a very sobering reality. Money is not always the best adult report card. It’s important to keep that in mind once you enter the field of Network Marketing because of the potential for such radical wealth. Enjoy the process because the destination will be far less exciting than you anticipate.

Statement of Purpose
If you’re new to this blog on Food for Brains, please be advised of my mission.
As an avid reader, author and concerned critical thinker, my goal is to provide daily food for the brain, not steroids for the heart. If it’s positive thinking you crave, please look elsewhere. My objective is to encourage self-reflection, not self-absorption. Mark Yarnell

DAILY FOOD FOR BRAINS - QUOTE #5

Mark Yarnell — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 21:58:00 GMT

“There are as many as 700 billion documents on the Internet and that is growing at the rate of 7.3 million pages per day.

Anyone who has spent even half an hour searching the Internet has learned that to find a tiny precious nugget of gold one must wade through a mountain of garbage.

The more we multitask, the less efficient we become at performing any one task.

Our culture is retreating into an increasingly narrow comfort zone, avoiding risk and cutting itself off from the renewing lifeblood of ideas.

Critical thinking is a prerequisite for the continued prosperity of America. This country needs a new generation of citizens trained in the art of critical engagement, debate and argumentation.

Video games are digitally generated special effects created for emotionally arrested males of all ages.”

Think by Michael R. LeGault

Michael LeGault, a consultant to major US companies on health, safety, environmental and quality issues is an award-winning editor and former columnist for the Washington Times.

***
This book made me feel both enraged and thankful. Enraged enough to begin sharing these quotes with anyone who will listen about the obvious social challenges we face. Blessed by the fact that I was raised in the 50s and 60s by two loving, educated parents who demanded that I learn the value of reading, debate, critical thinking and focus.

Somehow, we adults over 50 are going to have to figure out how to pull younger people out of their virtual worlds before it’s too late.

I have trouble finding anyone under 40 with the focus to work just one year in order to create radical wealth. But I will not give up until I’ve made a small impact. You can help me by getting these quotes to people under 40. Thanks.

***
Statement of Purpose
If you’re new to this blog on Food for Brains, please be advised of my mission.
As an avid reader, author and concerned critical thinker, my goal is to provide daily food for the brain, not steroids for the heart. If it’s positive thinking you crave, please look elsewhere. My objective is to encourage self-reflection, not self-absorption. Mark Yarnell

DAILY FOOD FOR BRAINS - QUOTE #4

Mark Yarnell — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 18:26:00 GMT

“Recycling is part of a larger theme of stuff white people like: saving the earth without having to do that much. It’s fantastic. You can still buy organic ice tea, beer, wine and bottled water and when you’re done, just put it in different colored bags or plastic bins. And Boom! Environment saved!

Everyone feels great! Global warming is slowed way down! There’s no chance the bottles will last forever in a landfill, trapping small animals and that makes us all green!”

This behavior is important because we all feel guilty about producing waste, but nothing will stop us from doing it. By putting our crud in different colored bags we get to feel just like the Native Americans who used every part of the product or beast they consumed.”

Stuff White People Like by Christian Lander

Lander is the creator of the website “Stuff White People Like”. A former PhD candidate, Lander was the 2006 public speaking instructor of the year at Indiana University.

***
When I first discovered this book of humor, I actually had to stop reading every four or five pages because of migraine-inducing laughter. I especially love anything that forces me to laugh at myself as did this brief essay on recycling. I thought my wife and I were changing the planet by putting our plastic bottles, papers and old magazines in special blue hefty bags. Whatever. –Mark Yarnell

***

Statement of Purpose
If you’re new to this blog on Food for Brains, please be advised of my mission.
As an avid reader, author and concerned critical thinker, my goal is to provide daily food for the brain, not steroids for the heart. If it’s positive thinking you crave, please look elsewhere. My objective is to encourage self-reflection, not self-absorption. Mark Yarnell

DAILY FOOD FOR BRAINS - QUOTE #3

Mark Yarnell — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 21:21:00 GMT

“Any handicap can be overcome by honesty, industry, thrift and concentration on one’s job.

If you will concentrate on one thing and know more about that one thing than anyone else in your vicinity, you at once become independent, irrespective of color, sex, health, poverty or any handicap.

This certainly is my belief, and I say so from experience.

The old saying, “There is plenty of room at the top” is truer today than any time in history.

Plenty of people have money and influence; college graduates are more common than bricklayers and plasterers; but the man or woman who knows one thing better than anyone else always wins in the end.”

Actions and Reactions by Roger W. Babson

***
One of the luckiest days of my life was the day that I discovered Roger Babson’s work.

Babson was personal friends with seven US Presidents, founded twelve companies and authored some forty books before leaving this world and taking his place among other geniuses relegated to the obscurity of historical footnotes.

The book from which I quote was copyrighted in 1935 and it was very difficult to find. Valerie gave it to me as a birthday present and his ideas continue to inspire me.

Two of his dear friends, Henry Ford and Thomas Edison, considered him a man of immense intellect and character and I agree.

You’ll be hearing more from Mr. Babson as we continue these blogs on Daily Food for Brains. –Mark Yarnell

***

Statement of Purpose
If you’re new to this blog on Food for Brains, please be advised of my mission.
As an avid reader, author and concerned critical thinker, my goal is to provide daily food for the brain, not steroids for the heart. If it’s positive thinking you crave, please look elsewhere. My objective is to encourage self-reflection, not self-absorption. Mark Yarnell

DAILY FOOD FOR BRAINS - QUOTE #2

Mark Yarnell — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 20:33:00 GMT

“Growth doesn’t come from persuading the most loyal members of other tribes to join you. They will be the last to come around.

Instead, you’ll find more fertile ground among seekers, among people who desire the feeling they get when they are part of a vibrant, growing tribe, but who are still looking for that feeling.

I’m not talking about disaffected outsiders, I’m talking about people at the fringes, individuals who might jump from one thing to another with less angst.

Begin with the passionate individuals who haven’t been embraced by other tribes yet.”

Tribes by Seth Godin

***
Author of ten international bestsellers, Seth Godin is a great writer who first intrigued me with his book Purple Cow. It’s a masterpiece. So is his new book…Tribes.

When I read Tribes, the above excerpt leapt from the page and grabbed both my ears and shook my head like Mrs. Reimer used to do in the second grade. Why? Because I see the results of this behavior daily.

In our profession, people will do anything to find other Networkers including pay up to $5.00 for their names. Go figure.

My experience supports Godin’s premise. The best people in any sales organization are the wonderful people who were very hungry, highly coachable and inexperienced at the time they were recruited. People often ask who to recruit and my response is simple, “Anyone but MLMers.” Once a Networker has failed at ten deals, he’s an expert who is very difficult to train and virtually impossible to keep focused.

***

Statement of Purpose
If you’re new to this blog on Food for Brains, please be advised of my mission.
As an avid reader, author and concerned critical thinker, my goal is to provide daily food for the brain, not steroids for the heart. If it’s positive thinking you crave, please look elsewhere. My objective is to encourage self-reflection, not self-absorption. Mark Yarnell

DAILY FOOD FOR BRAINS - QUOTE #1

Mark Yarnell — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 17:00:00 GMT

“For the first time in history, high-wage earners work more hours than low-wage ones.

We no longer have leisure-class elites. The rich are working harder than ever. Leisure is something for the poor.

Computer screens - particularly when combined with Adobe-Acrobat - were supposed to reduce our dependence on paper. Instead our per capita use of paper has risen.

We now travel more for business than ever before even though sophisticated telecommunications, e-mails and video links were supposed to end all that.

People have actually fallen for the ‘winners curse’. That’s how economists describe the irrationality of on-line auctions when one person wins by paying more than anyone else would pay which literally means the winner was willing to pay too much.

In fact, property crime has gone down because there’s really nothing worth stealing in the new economy.” Elsewhere USA- Dalton Conley

***

Dr. Conley is Adjunct Professor of Community Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. He also serves as Acting Dean of The Social Sciences at New York University.

When I read this book, I felt that if professionals in other fields truly understood the leisure time that Network Marketing yields, they’d make a beeline for our industry. For over two decades I’ve had a blast every day…thanks to a couple of years of professional networking. -Mark Yarnell