Alan Sickman

By Alan Sickman
Double Crown Diamond
Advisory Board Member
Million Dollar Circle

The Max business model is somewhat unique, based on the potential for financial success verses the capital required to start a business. There are many examples of people who have earned fortunes or full-time incomes at Max. There are hundreds of examples of people who have earned a substantial part-time income. There are no income guarantees or claims, but the Max business allows Associates to be highly successful because it allows for the opportunity to earn from the efforts of others.

Although this is similar to the way traditional business works, wherein the business owner reaps the benefits of others’ efforts, the major difference is that in our business we are rewarded for teaching, empowering and fostering the independence of others. In traditional business, the profits are made, but the employee has a ceiling on what they can earn and the position they can achieve within the company. They will never become the CEO. In the Max business, we are all CEOs. It is difficult to accumulate business wealth when income can only be generated from your own efforts. John Paul Getty once asked “would you rather earn 1% of the efforts of 100 people or 100% of your own efforts?” Given the opportunity, the choice is clear for most people.

Remember, as an employee your efforts are limited by, first, your value to the marketplace, and, second, time. In the Max business model, you get paid for setting others up for success and there are no ceilings or limitations. The reward is not just the money and time freedom, but personal fulfillment. Those are strong desires that most people have and few accomplish. That being said, there are many Associates who do not achieve financial success at Max. To become a high achiever, the difference between success and failure will depend on you practicing these four fundamental principles:

1. Long-term Relationships=Long-term Success
Too often, sales are the only focus in the Max business. Sales are nothing more than an event on the journey to developing a relationship. In reality, sales are a promise to Associates you sponsor or your Customers. The path to earning business relationships is in giving your all to ensuring that promises are fulfilled. The key to a large, successful, and long-term Max business is “critical mass.” In other words, the more stable and lasting the relationships within your Max organization, the more it will create lasting success and yield greater “relationship income.” Some would classify the Max business as “residual income” because it pays from the relationships in the organization even if you are not working. However, we should all earn our way, and one of the keys to keeping a large business is to constantly find and cultivate new relationships. We are not handed a successful business. Rather, we are given all the tools that are needed; the rest is up to us.

2. Desire—Never underestimate the power of a strong “why”
Desire is often the fuel behind discipline. The stronger the desire, the stronger one’s discipline and resolve. It has been said, “To achieve greatness, your dreams have to be stronger than your largest obstacle”. This is so true. Life throws constant interruptions and choices at all of us. For many, that reality creates a life that is like a leaf blowing in the wind. Desire requires resolve. It requires a level of commitment where you will reach the top of the mountain or be found dead on the side. As Napoleon Hill noted, “Every person who wins in any undertaking must be willing to cut all sources of retreat. Only by doing so can one be sure of maintaining that state of mind known as a burning desire to win—essential to success”.

3. Willingness to Work
Many who fail to succeed in business seem to lack the key element needed to succeed in anything—the willingness to work. Even more important, it is the consistent discipline built around a solid DMO (Daily Method of Operation, our routines in life) that is often the key difference between success and failure. The ability to dream lives in all of us. However, it is the few verses the masses who have that willingness to work to do whatever is necessary to achieve that dream.

We all know or know of people who achieved success without working very hard, and we also know they are the exception to the rule. You will find in high achievers that there is not only that willingness to work, but an extra drive that really makes the difference. As the old adage goes, there is very little traffic in the extra mile. It is those who conquer that extra mile that become the examples in everything in life. That little bit of extra effort pays off.

4. Teachable – “You Must Grow as Your Business Grows”
The key is to grow right along with your business. That will always give you a better outcome. Don’t wait to begin your business until you feel you have sufficiently grown personally or you will never get started. Once you achieve success, it can become a wall for continued growth. It is here where the potential of an individual is minimal or even lost.

Use the principle of constant and never-ending improvement. The more money you make in business, the harder you should work to increase your value to the marketplace and your team. Continue to invest in your own personal development. There is always something you can learn that will help you achieve more and contribute at a higher level. Investing in personal development only occurs if you remain “teachable.” Growth in life requires an open mind. When you close your mind because you believe you have enough knowledge, then you are cheating yourself and all those you are serving. In the end, remember that experience is always the best teacher. However, as Vernon Law quoted, “experience teaches only the teachable.” If part of your DMO is not focused on growth, then you limit your ability to grow.

It is important to remember that principles mean nothing if you do not apply them to life. Application occurs through activity. That means you have to integrate these principles into your life if you want to achieve the benefits and rewards that come with them. Make relationships a priority. Learn how to create and build them. Fuel your desire everyday because that will fuel the discipline and resolve necessary to succeed at anything in life. Work hard and make productivity part of your DMO, regardless of the amount of success you have achieved. Success always leaves clues. Finally, remain teachable because there is a world of information that can open your mind to new possibilities and take your success and happiness to new heights.

“If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others, then what am I? And if not now, when?”—Hillel, Ethics of the Fathers

These keys to business success are what my mentor taught me. It has served me well for the last 20 years in this industry. I remain committed to personal growth and learning how to better serve you. Partnering and relationships are essential to a successful business and life.

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