Jack Maitland

Jack, you epitomize leadership and success. You came to network marketing with success under your belt. In addition to owning a successful marketing and advertising agency in Fort Lauderdale, Fl., you also had success playing football. Could you start by giving us a glimpse of 'Super Bowl' Jack Maitland? I was a member of the Baltimore Colts in 1970 when they won Super Bowl V against the Cowboys, and it happened to be my rookie year. I went to Williams College, a small college in New England, and had the unique distinction of being the first guy from that college to be drafted into the NFL. Ironically, I just happened to make the team that won all the marbles that year.

Timing in life is everything. I was a sixteenth round draft pick and a running back. The first round pick, one of the starters, got hurt, which is how I made the team that year.

I started a few games, got to catch a touchdown pass from Johnny Unitas, and we went on to win the Super Bowl that year. So six months out of a small college that had never produced a professional football player, then playing in the Super Bowl, needless to say was a thrill of a lifetime.

The following year, I was sold to the New England Patriots. My first year with the Pats we had the worst record in the NFL, which was kind of like going from the penthouse to the outhouse, but it put a lot of things in perspective for me. After a couple of years, I decided to move on. The money in football then wasn't quite what it is now. Some of the high- priced players back then were earning what the water boy earns today.

A lot of the things you learn from football, like paying the price for success, working as a team, etc., were principles that I learned I could carry on into business and eventually into a career in network marketing.

Thanks for sharing that with us, Jack. I'm especially honored because one thing I've noticed about you, that undoubtedly contributes to your leadership, is that you are so selfless. People don't hear about this story from you as you're too busy pointing out others accomplishments. So after football what did you do? I went to work at my Dad's advertising agency for about a year and a half. Fortunately he was closing his big agency that was out of the northeast and went on to pursue a final career with the National Football League Alumni as their Executive Director. I used that opportunity to start my own business. I had said to my wife that I had come to the conclusion that I am virtually unemployable and that, "I'd rather be captain of my own rowboat than first mate on somebody else's ship." So, on a wing and a prayer, I borrowed money, took a second mortgage and opened up my own Ad agency in 1977, which I ran for 21 years.

We had a pretty good size agency here in the south Florida market. Exactly ten years into it I got approached by a client about network marketing. The client had asked me to have lunch with him and of course, with a client you just do that. Admittedly, we had more than just a client relationship, we had become friends and he knew the kind of work hours I was putting in and that I had three young kids coming up the line. So he knew that the time element was precious and that I was spending way too much time at the office.

So he asked me a basic qualifying question (BQQ), "If I could show you how to make the kind of money you're making in advertising, Jack, and have the time to go with it, would you be willing to listen to something?" My first thought was, "I wonder if it's legal?" because with the kind of money you can make in advertising and have the time to go with it… well, all I knew was linear income, trading time for money. I wasn't one of those famous athletes who got residuals from endorsements so I was curious and I listened.

My first reaction was that I had no interest in that and his response was, "I don't either." Naturally, I then had to ask why he was doing it and he said, "For the results!" "You told me you didn't have enough time for the family. This is a way to develop residual income, leverage your time and have more time with family." So, on the strength of that conversation, I began what became a nine year career with one company, which led to a six year career with another. In both of those cases I had made emotional decisions, not business decisions. One was an attraction to the people I was involved with in the first company and the second was a very dramatic product experience that my daughter had. While we climbed pretty far in both of those company's, neither one of them had the right business model to accomplish the goal that I set out to accomplish --

A reliable, residual, reproductive, and ultimately willable income.

So I got into coaching and became a network marketing coach and four years ago I said to my wife, "I'm either going to find the last one, not the next one, or I'm going to go back and resurrect the Ad agency." That's when I stumbled on the company I’m working with now. That's kind of how it all came about, and this August I will be celebrating 20 years in the network marketing industry.

You mentioned getting involved initially due to a relationship with the people inviting you. Could you talk a bit about relationships in this business? We really are in a relationship business; in fact that's the term I prefer to use for it rather than network marketing or mlm, because it's truly about building relationships.

Value-based selling is what it really is. It comes from the desire to really get to know someone, see what might be missing in their lives, and determine whether you can help fill the need or solve the problem. In order to do that, you must build a relationship with them first. As my good friend Bob Burg says, “All things being equal, people do business with, and refer business to, people they know, like and trust”.

It seems success in this 'relationship' business comes from having those who join us, become successful. Certainly you have accomplished that and I wonder, do you leave a wake of successful people behind you or lead by having people in front of you and pushing them along? Well, you can't really push or pull. The push has to already be there. You can't want it for someone more than they want it for themselves. I'm looking for the ambitiously dissatisfied or the successfully discontent.

We're really looking for people that want what we have, not need what we have.

We can't save the world but we have an opportunity here for those who are willing to do something about their current situation. Everybody is griping and moaning about something, but those who are willing to step out and do something about it are a pretty small minority for the most part. However, they exist, they're out there, and it's through casual conversation and asking good questions that you ultimately build a business like this.

I'm looking for people that are looking for me. I've always thought and taught in terms of “fishing” rather than “hunting”. I'm not looking to talk people into anything or 'get 'em into what I do'. I'm looking to find out if they qualify to hear and learn about what we do. And again, that is just a function of asking good questions and listening with an intent to understand, not with an intent to respond.

If you look at the “fishing” example – you're sitting by the river and you toss the hook and bait in the water. You watch the bobber and if it goes down you don't yank it, you gently tug on it. And of course, you want to have other poles in the ground and drop the lines, because it ultimately is a numbers game. He or she with the most “no's” wins. That's kind of how I've always looked at the industry. Don't count on anybody and never give up on anybody, unless they give up on themselves.

You're right! You're not a 'pusher', you are an encourager. I appreciate that, and really, that's all you can do. If the fire, the 'burn' is not there, I can't do much. It has to be something that people have internalized. Motivation only goes so far. It's like taking a hot shower on a cold day. Eventually you've got to go out in the cold. If the thermostat is internal, if it's inside and it's something you can regulate, now you have something you can work with.

I don't mean this in a derogatory way but there are a lot of decoys out there. They think they want to be wealthy and free, but so many of them don't want to pay the price that the dream inside of them would require of them.

What would that price be, Jack? Basically it's becoming a student of the industry. I think just about anybody, in a 90 day period, can learn the essentials and fundamentals of being successful in our industry. These are simply the basics like making a good contact list, setting appointments, contacting and inviting, giving your presentation, the follow up and follow through process, and yet far and away, the most important thing is the inner game … self improvement and growing as a person and as a leader.

It's about becoming the person you'd like to introduce the business to.

In other words, I'd like to find a lot of people with my drive and commitment to this business. A lot of people have it and a lot of people need a lot of work in that area.

When I first got involved I knew I had a lot of changes to make. I knew I had to get a lot better as a person, as a leader, if I was to grow a business like this. This kind of a business will make you grow up. It forces you to face the truth about people, including yourself. Some of us choose to bite the bullet and do it. Some people don't, but those who do choose to grow, in the context of a business like this, can truly be financially free someday. Again, assuming they have the right vehicle.

I wanted my kids to see what a leader looks like up close. That became my motivation. I brought them into the fold right at the beginning and explained to them what Mommy and Daddy were going to be doing. That kept me going. There were often times I wanted to throw in the towel but I wasn't going to let them down.

The only other choice for me was to go back to the life I had before and pretend I hadn't found the truth about something better. I liked what I did, but what I'm saying is that I didn't want to continue trading time for money if there was, in fact, a better way.

As you know, one of the reasons we created TheNetworkMarketingMagazine.com is to support that personal growth. Isn't it amazing to watch people evolve as they build their business? As we know, God doesn't make junk. I've heard people say that anybody can do this business and anyone can do it if that person is willing to pay the necessary price and make the necessary changes. But like I said, so many people don't really want what they say they want if it costs them comfort and convenience or if it confronts their fears or sense of inadequacies. That's where most people stop dead in their tracks. Someone once described it as walking into a closet, turn the lights on shut the door behind you and now, maybe for the first time in your life, you're going to come face to face with who you are, what you're really made of and it scares the crap out of a lot people to where they turn the light off, open the door and walk out saying, "Network marketing doesn't work". They look for excuses not to do it, instead of reasons to do it.

It takes us on a journey that's not for the faint-hearted. But independence, freedom and the other benefits of a business like this are never possessed by the faint-hearted.

Success in any endeavor is surrounded by a wall that I think is very infrequently scaled. Most people go through life in what I call an 'obstacle avoidance' mode.

I wasn't necessarily a sponge for new knowledge or experiences that were going to expand my emotional limitations or stimulate internal growth back then either. I was just fortunate to have a very well defined reason for doing this business and I had good mentors.

I started with a lot of hopes and dreams and there was also some cynicism and doubt. I thank God I stuck around long enough to see it work out. I took the time to figure it out and the amazing thing is that I survived the first two companies.

One thing that is interesting about this industry is the variety of people that are interested. You seem to captivate both the raw 'rookie' and yet stimulate the seasoned veteran by bringing simple truth to the forefront. What is it that you say to people who are confronted with discouraging remarks from others? I probably say the same thing to the seasoned veteran, the rookie and everyone in between. It always goes back to the basics, define the dream and make the necessary commitments.

We're all moved to action by the prospect of a result. It's important for everybody to go back to that initial reason for doing this.

An undecided heart, without a doubt, is the biggest reason for the high attrition rate in network marketing.

The problem is there is no liability. There's no barrier to entry and there is no barrier to exit. When I opened my ad agency I had to borrow money. If I didn't feel like going to work… guess what? I went anyway! Why? Because I had a wife, three kids and liability… I owed money!

So step number one for anybody is to create some mental and emotional liability for yourself.

In other words, what do you want so badly that if you're honest, you'll admit you probably are not going to achieve, without an opportunity like this? Of course, you could win the lottery and people will come up with the fact that you could gain an inheritance, but the reality is that the statistics are frightening.

However, we are the baby boomers and we've transformed every industry we've ever touched. And the last one we're going to transform is the retirement industry. You simply have to ask, how do you hope to redefine your future? How would you like your lifestyle to change? How will building this business benefit your family? There are going to be inconveniences, obstacles and sacrifices. I tell people that right up front.

For a person to be successful in this business they have to be clear about why they are going to move past those obstacles.

If your answers aren't sufficiently compelling you're going to quit. But with hope in the future, there is power in the present.

People face the future one of two ways, apprehension or anticipation. Sadly, most face it with apprehension because their lives are sequences of events rather than defined dreams that they're pursuing. Zig Ziglar called it a meaningful specific as opposed to a wandering generality.

Just wanting more money isn't enough. What would you do with it? How would it change your life? If that's well-defined it's almost magnetic and pulls you to grow and be better. It gives you energy and helps you through the challenges and disappointments. And those are things I'd say to anybody in the business. Some of the seasoned veterans oftentimes need to go back to that. I do it a lot. I go back and redefine and remember why I'm doing this stuff.

Have your reasons changed over time? I think they've changed as I've grown. I accomplished the things I originally set out to accomplish and I continually reset the goals.

Frank Keefer wrote an article titled, It's later than you think, in response to the death of John Kalench, and he was talking to network marketers and said, "None of us know how much time we have left. Thank God for the sense of urgency I brought into my business. If you don't have a sense of urgency you need to develop one. If you're complacent you're defenseless and positioning yourself to be controlled by unseen circumstances in your future. Why not become proactive and be prepared for eventualities outside of your control?" He went on to say, "Get your butt in gear. A successful network marketing business is the cheapest insurance policy you'll ever get. Your premium is a little effort put forth to help others and that effort is the down payment today for your family's security tomorrow." As I understand it from CNNMoney.com, 76% of the Boomers are going to be working into retirement. 56% of them plan to start a new career sometime in their 50's. 42% of senior level executives, these are the 40- 50 year old with incomes in the six-figure range, are actually looking for jobs right now. Many of them have been unemployed an average of two years.

So, you can look at network marketing and consider how even an extra $2000 a month can dramatically and substantially improve someone's retirement income.

This is a wave that's going to last for the next two decades. Life expectancy is on the rise, pensions are on the decline as 85% of them are under funded. I understand 401k balances are averaging only $60,000 upon retirement. We are looking at a jobless recovery system.

There's a great book written by Ken Dychtwald called, Age Power, where he's talking about the baby boomers transforming all these industries and he said it's like a huge elephant lumbering forward. He suggests rather than shooting the elephant with arrows as it goes by, we dig a hole and capture the elephant. In other words, we have a tremendous solution for a problem that's out there. A lot of people don't have the financial capability to invest in a business of their own, though 76% of the baby boomers claim they would like to. Network marketing is a real, viable option.

And isn't it a great fit for women, especially when you consider that statistically women outlive men. I find it good news that 85% of network marketers are women. There is no more security in the workplace. Technologies are racing ahead, industries are closing and downsizing and as the experts say, there's never been a better time for offering security through a good network marketing opportunity.

You really emphasize knowing, examining and continuing to examine your reasons for doing this business. What other piece of advice might you offer to someone just joining the business today?

I think a really important thing is what I call expectation management.

We have to get it across that to be successful in this business requires you to learn about a half a dozen new skills. These skills have to be learned, they have to be honed, they have to be practiced and they have to be worked in and around your personality and comfort level.

The problem with most new people is that they want to jump ahead and lead an organization instead of developing one. What we need to do is get people comfortable with one of the toughest things in this industry, repeating the same steps over and over and over again. But that's the business. Anyone who has been in this industry for a period of time knows that basically, we do the same things day after day. We make phone calls to people, share information, do three-way calls, and go to meetings and events.

The consistency is the secret though.

And if you work at that and you get better at that and you're willing to commit to the monotony, momentum eventually kicks in like a tsunami. Just like a tidal wave starts as a little ripple out in the ocean; the energy from that first ripple combines with the second and it grows exponentially until it's a massive force by the time it hits land.

Likewise, by gathering like-minded people together, who begin to move forward, the energy begins to grow. Then the monotony turns into that tidal wave.

What I've learned from you, Jack, is that if you want to be successful you have to go out and do the things successful people do, follow the successful systems. Yes, the system is kind of the secret to a business like this. People have doubts about themselves and their limitations, whether it's lack of time, discipline, people skills or whatever.

People are not afraid the business is inadequate, they're often afraid they are inadequate.

I can't begin to tell you what a relief it was to me when I began to realize that my limitations were irrelevant. That the business wasn't about me! It was about putting good, credible information in front of the people who could pass it on. Whether or not it was good timing for me didn't matter, it was about my prospects timing. And most businesses don't operate that way. It's always about how much time and capital they have; how much time and liability they have. But when you can start to factor yourself out and factor other things in you can make up for some of these inadequacies and that's a revelation.

On a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being ten feet tall, bulletproof and able to sponsor anyone into a business like this and zero meaning you couldn't lead a group in silent prayer, how do you become an 8, 9 or 10? The best way is to find one! I'm looking for people that are better than me. So, through three-ways and getting good people around the fire and around the excitement, you can borrow others credibility to get a team rolling.

One other thing I'd mention is the fun part of it! People are stressed out today and if you're going to add to their stress, they are going to run the other way. So it's valuable to emphasize the fun. Don Shula said the most dangerous guy on the field is the guy out there having fun. Look at Zach Thomas with the Dolphins out there on Sunday. He just loves what he's doing and he's dangerous.

And the most effective people in our industry are the ones that are out there having fun with it.

Anything that we do for our own empowerment, our own improvement, typically involves three stages. The first stage is the beginning. It's the desire for change, the anticipation of reward; it's the personal evaluation of what can be gained. A good example I can use was when I was drafted by the Colts. For me the excitement of the first stage was imagining myself in the Colts blue and white uniform with the horseshoe on the helmet and being in the huddle with Unitas and how great that would be.

Another example would be somebody's first of the year commitment to the new diet. They start visualizing the new, slimmer, more fit body. Again, stage one, my son joining the Marine Corps and picturing himself as one of the few, the proud, the Marines with the uniform, the hat and the sword.

That's stage one, the sincere desire for change.

Stage two involves changing habits, inconvenience, challenges and discomforts. It utilizes perhaps some underdeveloped character traits like discipline, persistence and things like that. Stage two, for my son Keith, was Paris Island. All of a sudden he's losing this vision of what the Marine looks like upon graduation. Instead he's getting his butt kicked in boot camp. Stage two for the person on the diet is the reality of fighting all the temptation and it isn't as easy as they thought. Stage two for me was training camp. We didn't have the uniforms in training camp and the logos don't even go on the helmet until you make the team.

At this stage it's easy to lose sight of stage one.

And it's an accurate analogy for network marketing. We come in thinking about how great it will be to make the car payment and maybe grow the business and cover the mortgage payment and then all of a sudden we go out and our best friend laughs at us. That can be seriously discouraging.

Now stage three is not a decision. Stage one and two are because you decide on your reason in stage one and you decide to enter the battle in stage two. Stage three is more of a transition. One day you just know that you know that you know that you're going to win. You find yourself responding to people and things in new ways and you don't exactly know where the posture came from, but it’s there. You can't really mark the date or point to a particular moment when you've entered this stage, it just happens.

In stage three you start to eagerly anticipate the challenge. Facing the fear now becomes a source of energy and a confidence builder.

Unfortunately, most people get blown out in stage two but if you can hang on, stage three makes it well worth it! And the way to do that is to stay focused on stage one.

Jack Maitland and Shirley, his wife of 32 years, live in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Jack and Shirley raised 3 children and now have 4 grandchildren. In August 2007, Jack will be celebrating 20 years in the network marketing industry where today he has found a permanent home as a top leader with The Wellness Company, Melaleuca.