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There are a few ways to look at the connections you are creating each and every day…
Are they BENEFITING you or are they COSTING you?

Wherever you go…
Whatever you do…
As you talk with people you know, or strike up a conversation with someone you don’t know, you are CONNECTING.

This is also known as…you guessed it:

NETWORKING!!!

“Nice weather we’re having, isn’t it?”
“Is that book any good? I’ve had a few people recommend it.”
“What would you recommend from the menu?”
“Did you see on Channel 7 how they caught that guy?”
“I just LOVE your purse! Where did you get it?”

Have you said any of THESE statements before?
(okay, if you’re a guy then probably NOT the last one…but you get my point)

As you strike up a conversation with someone, you are CONNECTING with them. This is the FIRST STEP in the 3 Step Process!!!

If you have already “LIKED” my FanPage on Facebook, then you know EXACTLY what I am “refer”ing to…
If you aren’t a fan yet…WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU???
(just kidding…kind of…)
http://Facebook.com/DenaiVaughn will get you to the FanPage on Facebook and hey, when you “LIKE” it, be sure to comment about this blog post. Let me know YOU ARE READING IT!!!

So, back to the steps…

Step 1: CONNECT
You don’t have to give EVERYONE you meet your business card…
You don’t have to ask EVERYONE you meet if they have an insurance agent or need a new car or want to buy some jewelry or whatever…
You don’t have to SELL everyone on ONLY buying from YOU YOU YOU and here’s WHY WHY WHY.

Sometimes, well, MOST of the time, it is so much better to just CONNECT with someone.

Make eye contact.
Smile.
Give them a compliment.
Ask a question.
Create a CONNECTION!

A story I just LOVE from my friend, Laura Morlando, “The Stress Commando” is this…
She will setup a booth at a Craft Fair or Expo or Chamber Meeting or whatever event she is attending and is sometimes the presenter/speaker at the event.
Many will just walk by and ignore her.
Some will stick their nose in the air, make a rude comment under their breath to a friend, and keep walking.
Others will stop and…guess what…
CONNECT!!!

When Laura takes the stage and shares what she witnessed, the crowd listens up..even as some roll their eyes because they realize THEY are the guilty party.
Maybe you are reading this and thinking YOU have done that before…and are still justifying your actions to this day. Well, keep reading because HERE’S THE KICKER!!!

You see, Laura is connected to THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of women across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and has an even larger network around the world! She has served a number of years with the ABWA (American Business Women’s Association) and held a variety of offices within the International Organization that, by the way, has members who are SIXTH GENERATION!!!

The reason some walked past her and/or rolled their eyes is because Laura is a Master Network Marketer and has achieved high ranks in the Beauty & Body Care Company she has aligned with.

How many times have you seen someone from “A COMPANY” and stereotyped them as being pushy, sales-y, or…fill in the blank?

How many people have you met that, once you found out their career, you filed them away as “no need to connect with them” because of a bad experience you had or something you HEARD about the company?

You see, doing so WILL COST YOU!!!

I am positive that the people who walked past Laura’s table were KICKING THEMSELVES once they found out who she was, who she knows, and the vast connections she has. What I know about Laura is that she is loving and forgiving and, whether they embraced her as they walked in or as they walked out, she welcomed them with open arms…

WOULD YOU DO THE SAME?

Here’s one more example as I drive home the point…

Recently, I flew from Amarillo to Kansas City for an Isagenix event on Southwest Airlines.
Those who really KNOW ME know I have a style all my own. I’m not afraid to stand out in the crowd and can DEFINITELY strike up a conversation with anyone about anything…which probably explains a lot about my childhood and being kicked out of “cliques” because I didn’t conform to their ways but remained true to ME and my beliefs. Even when it wasn’t the “popular thing to do”, I didn’t care. I’ve been on BOTH sides of that fence and, frankly, I prefer being on NEITHER side but to bring BOTH SIDES together. LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO NOT ALL GET ALONG!!! CONNECTING at its finest right there – WOOHOO!!! But, I digress….

Think about this:
Are you more likely to strike up a conversation with someone in a suit or a t-shirt and cutoffs?

BE HONEST!

Then, consider this: In reality…IT SHOULDN’T MATTER!!!

Sadly…
it does to far too many people.

I can strike up a conversation with anyone, no matter what THEY are wearing or what I am wearing.
On this particular trip, it was one of those “what I am wearing” times that brought comedy relief to my friends, John & Lori Lober, Jimmy Smith, and a few other friends…including my hubby, Tim.

The end result…
I CONNECTED WITH THOSE I SAT BY ON ALL FLIGHTS!!!
(can I get a WOOHOO?!?)

I met a Holistic Nurse Practitioner from the San Antonio area who I connected with a teammate in the same area. She has been looking for a Holistic General Practitioner for her family…add to it that Cora (I even remember her name…because I have her contact information as she asked ME to call & email her) has a number of patients who have similar conditions as her son!
For one SOLID hour we talked…well, I asked questions and she answered them. (HINT HINT for step 2…)

On the next leg of my flight, I met a couple from the Houston area who own a School Furniture Company. They travel regularly to Germany to visit the plant where some of their furniture is manufactured. They were on their way to HER class reunion (his was last year) and staying with HER parents who live near KC. Got their card, and again…asked LOTS of questions to build the connection.

What started the conversation on both flights?

They asked about what I WAS READING!!!

On the first flight, it was a Wellness Magazine – all natural and holistic remedies…information on recent legislation (GRRR… is the only nice thing I can say about that), and included statistics on Heart Disease, Breast Cancer, Obesity, and more…Which are a few of the things I educate my clients on as we work to improve their health.

The other was as I was going through the new catalog for Isagenix. HEY, if I’m going to a weekend event where the products are a key topic, I am sure there is something ELSE I need to know…so I was educating myself further and THAT caught their eye.

HERE’S AN IDEA: KNOW YOUR PRODUCTS

So, through BOTH stories, do you see how Laura turned the situation around to make a MASTER CONNECTION and how I seized each opportunity to learn more about THEM and talk less about MYSELF?

THAT IS HOW YOU CONNECT WITH SOMEONE!!!
(and yes, this technique CAN be applied to ONLINE connections)

Once you have step 1 down, you can move on to step #2…RELATE!!!

I am one of those people who is an INFORMATION JUNKIE!!!

On this week’s episode of Only3Degrees
it was all about Dishin’ Out More Dollars…
and getting MORE in your pocket!

If you have a website AT ALL, then you need to listen to this broadcast…and if you don’t, the info will be helpful to you also, so BASICALLY it is for everyone.

The show shares FIVE Money-Making Ideas to add more “dough” in your pocket…but in reality, there are MORE Ideas shared that just 5!!!

Here’s some of what I shared today:
1) Masked Domains with a redirect
2) Freebies with Opt-ins
3) Monetizing Newsletters

If we are linked on Facebook, you have seen my posts about this, and you have probably figured out I AM an Information Junkie!

If we aren’t connected there yet, then here’s SHORTCUTS to get to the multiple pages I post to on a regular basis and RARELY will you read the same posts on each page…
unlike other marketers I know (many of whom outsource their pages, too but this is one of my PASSIONS so you won’t see that happening).

* http://Facebook.com/TheNetworkingQueen – my profile is maxed out, but you can still read my posts.

* http://Facebook.com/Only3Degrees – for my Internet Radio Show

* http://Facebook.com/DenaiVaughn – FanPage for my main website

OH, and that doesn’t include the GROUP pages I have created and also admin. See, I am an info JUNKIE – I need multiple pages to post the overload of information I am taking in everyday…
I WANT TO share it so others can benefit!!!

And yes, the list DOES include YOU!

But the REAL reason for this email is to share with you an article I came across today that talks about how small to medium-sized businesses are spending on MARKETING vs. ADVERTISING and the role Social Media plays…which will really get you PUMPED!!!

http://www.flowtown.com/blog/social-media-and-small-to-medium-sized-businesses

Are you ready for some of the STARTLING STATS in the article?
* Forrester estimates $716 Million will be spent on SOCIAL MEDIA this year …
* This number will grow to $3.4 BILLION by 2014…
* SEARCH advertising = $31.6 Billion
* DISPLAY advertising = $16.9 Billion

So, as you decide WHEN and WHERE to spend your dollars, if you are like me, there is a CLUE in these statistics that is powering my decisions…EDUCATED decisions at that!

Also note the statement that, “In light of the Recession over 53% plan to INCREASE spending in Social Media.”

So, when you consider the opportunity this presents for YOU and YOUR business, I would say this has some “staying power”. That as you connect, relate, and refer on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, Plaxo, YouTube and beyond…
YOU are creating “Media Mania” around your product, service, and/or company! You are AHEAD of the competition and RACING to stay there because you have TAKEN ACTION!!!

(hint hint…if you haven’t done so yet, I wouldn’t delay another day!)

If you LOVE being in the know, like I do, then you might consider adding the following sites to your bookmarks & RSS feeds:
Mashable, eMarketer, BetterNetworker, and, of course, the NEWS stations (CNN, FOX, ABC, NBC, CBS, CSPAN, ESPN, etc.) [had to add ESPN for my hubby - LOL]

WHEW!!!
Are you on Information Overload yet?!?
It is pretty PACKED…
and you haven’t even clicked the link to the story I recommended!

Get ready for more…
WOOHOO!!!

Believing in the power of YOU!
You are WORTH IT!!!

!!!BE SURE TO REGISTER FOR OUR FREE ENEWSLETTER ON THE TOP RIGHT OF THIS PAGE!!!

If you have not read my Facebook Note, I want to encourage you to do so before continuing on…
CLICK HERE TO READ: Your Next Level of Success is Within Reach!

Keep in mind, “SUCCESS is a JOURNEY, not a DESTINATION.”

As mentioned in my Note, there are people YOU need to add to your Toolkit, no matter where you are in life and/or in business. As mentioned in my note, I am linking you to their websites below:

In continuation with my post, I want to share a few quotes from a frame in my office. It was given to me when I graduated COLLEGE (which was 1997) and I am sure they will resonate with you yet today, just as they do me!

The Secret of Success is that it is not the absence of failure, but the absence of envy. (Herodotus)

Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits. (Thomas Alva Edison)

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear. (Mark Twain)

Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it (Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe)

Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage. (Robert Louis Stevenson)

There is no education like adversity. (Benjamin Disraeli)

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. (T.S. Eliot)

So, what did you learn about YOURSELF and your next level of success today? I hope you will comment below and share with others your goals, aspirations, desires and dreams.

Where you are today is NOT where you will be tomorrow…if you TAKE ACTION NOW!

Don’t make excuses and don’t procrastinate or, as my coach would tell you, “You are joining the largest nation on the planet, PROCRASTINATION. Instead, be a RECOVERING PROCRASTINATOR!” (and let me shamelessly plug his new 10 disc training FOR Recovering Procrastinators (Confessions of…) – LOL! I have it…and I am proud to say I AM RECOVERING!!! The funny thing is, many will read this and think, “oh cool, I’ll have to check that out…” and you will PROCRASTINATE looking into the training on Procrastination. HOW IRONIC IS THAT?!?

Only thing I will ask – be sure to tell Jeffery and Erica that I sent you, okay?!?

If Twitter wasn’t giving me “The Whale” I’d be able to tweet about this new blog. :S They are experiencing “MAN OVERLOAD”…I guess it is better than a man overboard… LOL!

Okay, now back to the COMMENTS and another gentle reminder to READ MY FACEBOOK NOTE so you have a C.L.U.E., that would be CLUE as to what I am talking about and WHY in this blog post.

p.s. Don’t forget to VOTE and SHARE my audition for TheDenaiShow.com on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).

DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR ENEWSLETTER – THE FORM IS ON THE TOP RIGHT!

As an entrepreneur, Sales Rep, Network Marketer, member of Direct Sales, whatever the case may be for YOU, we have all experienced ONE WORD that sometimes stops us in our tracks…”NO”.

We can learn much from the Psalms, here’s some HOPE for you from 31:24 – “Be strong and take courage, all you who put your hope in the Lord!”

HOPE = confident expectation; EXPECT it any day now…you are NOT limited to your present circumstances (Marilyn Meberg on Hope & Humor)

ABSOLUTELY IT DOES!!! And here’s why I am asking for YOUR VOTE:

There are hundreds, even thousands of Talk Shows already on the air. . . but did you know NONE are focused primarily on the industry of Network Marketing? Sure, they have a guest on once in a while, but nothing consistent.

WHY?

Think about this:
What if I were to interview Mary Kay Ash, the Founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, who is known WORLDWIDE for her groundbreaking efforts in this industry, as well as quotes which EVERY successful MLMer has said, used, or been told? She is no longer with us, but just image if I were going to interview her for my Talk Show, a show similar to that of Oprah, but with Direct Sales as the primary focus. Do you think ONLY people who are Mary Kay consultants or working for their corporate offices would tune in? Do you think they would be the only ones to DVR the interview, which would actually consist of HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of people, so those are good numbers, but…do you think they would tell others to watch her interview as well?

ABSOLUTELY they would tell friends, family, colleagues and prospects! And we wouldn’t have ONLY those affiliated with Mary Kay watching, but YOU would be, too.

Millions of people would tune in…just like if I were to bring on Jim Rohn (heaven has another great servant in that man!) or Zig Ziglar, Anthony Robbins or Brian Tracy, Suze Orman or Joel Osteen…they may not all OWN or REPRESENT Network Marketing, but network marketers have heard of them, attend their events, buy their products, and follow their blogs…at least a few thousand do (in the LEAST). So do you get where I am going with this?

People personally or financially linked to a company aren’t the only ones to listen, watch, and learn when the Founders, Executives, Millionaires, Company Leaders, and/or Research Groups who come on a Talk Show, like “The Denai Show” to be interviewed. There is a captive audience in EVERY CITY and most EVERY COUNTRY, even third world countries, who will mark their calendars and make sure NOT to miss a minute of the broadcast!!!

YOU might be among the long list of BUSINESS OWNERS who longs to hear from award-winning, record-breaking, infamous men & women like the aforementioned, let alone the names I share below. There is an ENDLESS list of entrepreneurs you keep hearing about day in and day out…and for GOOD REASON!

Again, it isn’t just in AMERICA…we are talking AROUND THE WORLD!

Direct Sales is a multi-billion dollar industry. . . that was BILLION – please notice with a “B”!

This industry of Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) allows everyday people to have an INTERNATIONAL business. You can link with people from EVERY country, EVERY walk of life, EVERY age (over 18, of course), and even THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES! The possibilities are endless…so why don’t we see TV shows giving this industry MORE footage, MORE airtime, MORE recognition, and MORE kudos?

THOUSANDS of companies and business owners are doing it right, while others are, yes, doing it wrong….and paying for it, just like anyone else would in Corporate America. Yet, the media covers what is going with more publicly traded companies than they do with “those pyramid scheme things.” (if you chuckled as you read that, it is because you have heard it, too – makes me laugh because CORPORATE AMERICA is more a “pyramid” than Direct Sales could ever be – HECK, I make more than the person who enrolled me and I have people on my team who’ve made more than I have…and I think that is GREAT! My former “boss” who hired me would NEVER want me making more than her…would yours? I digress…)

So many stories are going UNTOLD that need to be shared because this industry isn’t any different from “Corporate America”…or is it?

Corporate America is covered in the news DAILY! You hear about stocks going up and down on the nightly news. How often do you hear about a Direct Sales company who has a HUGE INCREASE in sales, or decrease and how lives are effected? Ummmm…can you say NOT REALLY!?!

The massive lay-offs hit the afternoon news and are “rumored” on TV everyday, yet when was the last time a newcast cover how a Network Marketing company filed bankruptcy?

When did you last see a show talk with distributors who were terminated? Who is letting them share why it happened, how they are coping, what are they doing now, and the lessons they learned?…among other things!

Wouldn’t it be WONDERFUL to have a Talk Show where YOUR VOICE can be heard, YOUR QUESTIONS are answered and YOUR IDEAS can be shared? Ummmm…YES!!!!

THEN VOTE NOW!!!

There are many informative sites that focus on TRUTH verses lies…would YOU like to know how these sites got started, what motivated someone to “put it all out there” and why they aren’t shut down? (well, for one, they are giving people what they WANT TO READ…I want to give them what they want to SEE and HEAR – more TRUTH!!!)

One difference between a J.O.B. and career in Network Marketing (NM) is that the ones “laid off” from their NM career aren’t getting up, commuting, and sitting in a “brick and mortar” building everyday until they are fired. They ARE working, just the same, and when “laid off,” they are unemployed…until they find a new company to align with (which doesn’t require a SUIT for an interview or multiple interviews, there’s no commute, no set office hours, no boss breathing down your neck to get to work on-time or rules for vacations…and over 1000 other differences I could name).

What many do not realize is that your livelihood IS effected daily but what happens in your business – YOU control your income, YOU determine when you are promoted, YOU set your own hours, YOU are in control!!!

Sadly, these are the stories that get little attention…and in Direct Sales, there are MORE SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE THAN IN ANY OTHER INDUSTRY!!!

We don’t hear the SUCCESS STORIES enough.

Millionaires are being announced WEEKLY in this industry!!!
They are telling INSPIRATIONAL STORIES that deserve to be heard by YOU, by AMERICA, by ASIA, by AUSTRALIA, by AFRICA…and that is only a few of the “A” countries…we could go through the alphabet!

So why is it that their stories only make it to the ears of those IN their company? I believe these EMPOWERING stories deserve a stage with an audience and viewers from around the GLOBE!

What many don’t realize is that the stories we read in the papers, the interviews we hear on the radio, and the chats we see on TV for “traditional jobs” are similar to the stories within Network Marketing Companies…but I believe, YOUR STORY is one of the most powerful stories yet to be told!

YOU, as an MLMer, ARE DOING THE SAME THING!
This is an industry all its own and it deserves OUR attention more so than it has been given!

Direct Sales Corporations are giving MILLIONS each year to charities just like the high-rise enterprise you passed driving home from your J.O.B. today….or that houses the desk where you office as you read this.

They have CONTESTS and CONFLICTS and POLITICS just like every MLMer who is SERIOUS about the business they have selected (notice I said THEY selected, not the business picking them – YOU CHOOSE).

The revenue/income produced for this industry isn’t tucked away into a Marketing budget for TV and Radio ads, or Magazine and Newspaper subscriptions. INSTEAD, those dollars are going into the pockets of DISTRIBUTORS (or whatever you prefer to call yourself based on your MLM’s business model).

YOU get the money instead of the MEDIA getting the money!!!

There are so many stories we “see” covered on Corporate America….but no one is committed to covering (or uncovering) stories about this MULTI-BILLION (that is, again, BILLION with a “B”) DOLLAR INDUSTRY…UNTIL NOW on THE DENAI SHOW on OWN!!!

Why NOT have a Talk Show that is devoted to the ins and outs, ups and downs of an industry where people from the North, South, East and West have already embracing as a Plan B (or Plan A)?!?

I mean, the WORLD is missing out on the teachings of some AMAZING people!!!

If you don’t believe me, see what search results you get for the people I am sharing below which I am already linked. They are RECORD BREAKERS in this PHENOMENAL INDUSTRY!!!

I want to invite EACH of them to be my guest on “The Denai Show,” and YOUR VOTE NOW gets me closer to the FINAL ROUND and an opportunity to have each of them on My OWN Show!

I believe what they are educating their teams to do, their contacts to embrace, and this industry to master are skills that EVERYONE needs to know, not just Network Marketers….EVERYONE!!! You can take what you learn and apply to your life, your job, your family, your finances, your health, your future, your dreams, your goals, your passion…TO YOU!!!

Check out this diverse list, search for them on Facebook, Twitter, and via the search engines. Connect with each of them as I PROMISE you will NOT soon regret it, but be blessed by it!!!!

WHEW…and that is just the BEGINNING!!! There are THOUSANDS of Companies and MILLIONS of people worldwide with stories to share…including YOU!!!

If you AGREE, that these persons would make GREAT GUESTS on “The Denai Show” where we are ALL ABOUT Network Marketing, MLM, and Direct Sales, then CLICK HERE to cast your vote NOW (and vote often).

Check out the COMMENT SECTION below this post AND on the voting page to share your ideas here, too. PLUS, you can jump on my “Vote for The Denai Show” Page for Facebook, or below the video, state who YOU want to hear from, what company they are with, and WHY they would make a great guest on “The Denai Show”.

OWN monitors the comments (YAY!). It may be YOUR COMMENT that is the final water on a seeds planted that will yield the HARVEST!!! This isn’t about me, this is all about WE – network marketing is all about TEAM WORK and this show will UNITE a great industry that I am very passionate about!!!

VOTE, SHARE, and COMMENT!!!

Here’s just a few more ideas I have already worked up for “The Denai Show”:

BATTLE OF THE BOTTLE: We’re taking products from competing Network Marketing companies to see if what they SAY happens, really does. My panel of Scientific Experts & Researchers will test ingredients to reveal what is REALLY in that bottle, and that is JUST THE BEGINNING…

THE MLM BEAT: What’s the latest news in MLM? A new company launches, a company that closes, a company that just broke a record! What is going on in the world of MLM? Discover what we UNcover in just SIXTY SECOND during “The MLM Beat”!

TAKING IT TO THE STREETS: I’m interviewing pedestrians as they pass my way to find out questions YOU have asked to see what answers THEY give. Like, “What does MLM stand for?” Think you know what answers I’ll hear…you have to tune-in to find out!

PROSPECTING: How to respond when someone says, “I would love to get this today but I don’t have the money.” and other commonly heard objections. There are expert trainers traveling the world teaching on this very thing. I will bring you THEIR stories, THEIR teachings, THEIR answers so you can learn, grow, and implement what is working now…for you!

LEAD SYSTEMS: What’s out there? Do they really work? Who uses them? Who are the creators of these systems? I’m bringing YOU the owners of companies who provide such services as they go head-to-head and we let the audience be the judge!

PRIZES: Who doesn’t like to leave with something FREE when they are in the audience, or a frequent viewer? I KNOW I DO! My show will be no different. Because there are THOUSANDS of authors, trainers, speakers, companies, books, magazines, and MORE that would LOVE to get their goods in your hands.

VOTE FOR THE DENAI SHOW
SHARE THE DENAI SHOW
DON’T FORGET TO COMMENT ON THE DENAI SHOW!!!

YOUR VOTE MATTERS!!!