Rika loves garage sales. It’s a beautiful spring day, and we go for a walk. Along the way, we see… A GARAGE SALE! Suddenly, as we meander along past the tables laden with other people’s trash, we both notice something on one of the tables that once changed our lives.

The Program that Changed Our Lives

Many years ago in South Africa, we imported the Anthony Robbins Personal Power Program from America. Because of the exchange rate and import duties, it was expensive, and it took a long time to receive it. We were very excited and listened to it over and over again. It changed our lives dramatically and resulted in personal understanding and choices and a video program that made us tens of thousands of dollars. We still live by the principles we learned from that wonderful program.

Throwing Away a Fortune

And there it was, in all its glory! The Anthony Robbins program, in pristine condition, with the little workbook and everything, at a garage sale!  That’s like putting your most precious, inherited, priceless, irreplaceable family jewels on a garage sale.

I was stunned. Rika and I both reached forward simultaneously to grab the program.

I looked at the character behind the table, early fifties, torn T-shirt, and asked him. “Why are you selling this fantastic program?”

His reply should have been expected, but I was still shocked. “I didn’t even finish listening to it – I don’t believe that stuff – that a 20-something could make all that money – it’s rubbish.”

When I recovered I asked, “So how much do you want for it?”

“I paid $139″, he scowled,”But you can have it for eight – say five dollars.”

On the way out of the garage sale, clutching my treasure, I noticed that the event was held at a Co-op housing place.

Most Never Even Cross the Finish Line

Naturally, I am re-listening to the entire program and loving every minute of it, and on the first tape Tony Robbins mentions that only 10% of the people who invest in the program will finish listening to it.

There’s a reason why that loser lives in government subsidized co-op housing. He was handed the keys to a magnificent mansion in the form of the Tony Robbins program, and he discarded it, probably in favor of a joint and a hockey game on TV. It was “too good to be true”.

Guess when he started scowling? When he saw my DollarMakers ball cap. Bitter and twisted, trapped in his cynicism, and poor.

It’s NEVER Too Late To Break Free

Although I was disgusted at this specimen that devalued something as life-changing as that Tony Robbins program, I really do pity him, and deep down inside I know that it’s not too late for him to break free of his present situation, if, indeed, he wants to break free. Many people have missed the boat, and yet they could still escape their compromised lives if they had the tools, given that they want their freedom from serfdom, mediocrity, and lives of quiet desperation.

As I type this, I have just finished writing my latest book, “Break Free!” and it will soon be available. Perhaps it should be very expensive, instead of the usual $20, since $139 didn’t get the attention of a young man who held his future in his hands all those years ago.

The truth will set you free, and the source is unimportant. When the student is ready, the teacher will appear – even in the form of an old audio tape program at a garage sale. It’s never too late to start living and to break free.

Logically, if one continues to accept the beliefs and philosophy that got one into a pickle in the first place, one’s trajectory won’t change. Any rational person accepts that if we keep on doing the same things, we will keep on getting the same results.

Change Starts in the Mind

To break free we have to change a few things, starting with one’s understanding of money.

All change starts off in one’s mind. Believe it or not, we don’t have money problems; we have thinking problems.

5 Simple, Doable Steps to Freedom

When our lives are so complicated and scary, when we’re sleep-deprived, drained, and weakened, complicated, time-consuming solutions are not the best medicine; one needs simple, quick, cheap, doable fixes to build a ladder out of the dark, dank dungeon of dejection, rung by rung.

First, take personal responsibility for your predicament, and accept full responsibility for the solution. Then, start climbing the ladder to laughter, light, and luxury:

Rung #1: Visit www.JVWisdom.com and consume as much as you can about Joint Ventures. You will find heaps of valuable, free information and videos. Share this information with your family.

Rung #2: Choose a Joint Venture strategy that you feel comfortable with, and start taking consistent, focused action.

Rung #3: Accept that some of your Joint Ventures will work, and some won’t, but since they take little time, and given that they entail no cost or risk, you have nothing to lose and everything to learn and gain, so don’t quit – keep on keeping on.

Rung #4: Surround yourself with successful people and kick the pessimists, losers, and parasites out of your life. Start reading “Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand.

Rung #5: Repeat rungs 1 though 4 until you emerge, victorious, into the glorious sunlight, having broken free from financial slavery, and breathe the fresh air of freedom, peace of mind, and security. I did, and you can, too. It’s not too late.

The following questions, when seriously considered and answered on an individual basis, will reveal some of your deep motivations and beliefs, interpretations and needs, objectives, fears, and dreams, as well as some of the perceived barriers and pain in your life.

I challenge you to take some quiet, uninterrupted time to sincerely and honestly ask yourself these questions and answer them.

1. If I won five million dollars tomorrow and I had to allocate it within five days, what, specifically would I do with it, and why?
2. If I was given five million dollars and I had to distribute that between five people, not including myself or my spouse, who would those people be, and why?
3. If I had to spend three weeks on a desert island with ten people, dead or alive, who would they be, and why?
4. What would be a good reason for me to commit suicide?
5. Why would I not commit suicide?
6. Why do I hold my present religious beliefs? Do they help me or hurt me?
7. If I had to double my income in three months or be shot to death in public, what would I do differently in those three months?
8. If I had only six months to live, what would I do in those six months?
9. If I had ten million dollars in the bank, how would my life change specifically? What would I start doing, what would I stop doing, and whom would I spend time with?
10. If the world was going to be destroyed and I had to pick fifteen people to escape with me in a rocket ship, who would they be, and why?
11. Repeat the same question for FIVE people plus yourself.
12. Repeat the same question for TWO people plus yourself.
13. If I moved, alone, to a new city, far away, where nobody knew me, and I didn’t have to work (enough money to live comfortably) and I had to live there for a year, what would change in my life and my activities? What new things would I do, and what would I stop doing?
14. If there were no consequences or punishment, and nobody would find out, what would I do?
15. What two things do I fear most, and why? What can I do about it?
16. If I could change two things in my life, what would they be?
17. Which five people do I love the most, and why?
18. Which three people do I hate the most, and why? How would I benefit from forgiving and forgetting them?
19. What stops me from succeeding to a greater degree? What excuses am I making for not reaching my full potential?
20. If I could change the way I think about my life and the things I tell myself about my life and my options, I could break free and be happier. How badly do I want my dreams to come true, on a scale of one to ten?

“Buy me candy! I want a toy! Gimme food! Me, me, me! Look at me! See how high I can jump!” No, that’s not a four-year-old, spoilt brat – it’s a typical, brain dead, self-employed, broke salesman, pretending to be an entrepreneur. I get these e mails all the time, asking me to expose my list and database to unknown felons posing as salespeople. “Buy my products because I need money! I paid $247 to join your club so now you have to help me sell my services!” SHOOT ME NOW. I even get emails from “JD” asking me to spam my Members with his snake-oil “health” juice adverts, and he’s not even a Member of DollarMakers. OK I’m calm now. My gun is loaded, but I’m calm.

Why “Me, me me!” Doesn’t Work Anymore

Basically, when you’re trying to sell your services, tap into other peoples’ databases, and sell, sell, sell, you’re simply wasting other peoples’ time. Joint Ventures is about getting the attention and the reciprocity of other people by NOT selling, but by solving THEIR problems. You’re in selling mode, that’s why you’re not getting ahead. This isn’t a networking club. Here’s how you get someone’s attention and create enough value for them to ask, “And tell, me Petunia, how can I help YOU?” That’s what I teach. The “Me, me me!” approach doesn’t work anymore – people will simply delete your e mails. You need to find out what other people want, help them get it, and get paid for it. It has nothing to do with what you’re selling, but everything to do with THEY want.

Why People Buy

People only buy from you (they have millions of other options, believe me, Mr. Manson, or may I call you Charles?) when they like you and trust you, and they will only take time to even LOOK at what you’re offering when you give them a damn good reason to do so. I get to know you by spending time with you, even if it’s on the Internet, not by reading your adverts.

What “Sowing Before You Reap” Means

The Members of DollarMakers who make the most money are on our Members Only conference calls, at the local Members meetings, especially at the Convention, and at the Bootcamps, building relationships. Are you involved in these ways? You have to sow before you reap and earn the right. I promote people who have proven themselves to be trustworthy, reliable, honest, professional, and generous. I cannot know that when there is no relationship.

My suggestion to you is to:

1. identify people with whom you want to work,
2. then to go all out to create value for them (and get paid for it, of course, Petunia,)
3. and build relationships with them.

The return on that investment is substantial. Give me a reason to like you and trust you and help you.  Put wood on the fire before you expect heat.

The Difference Between Selling and Brokering

Desperate salespeople are a dime a dozen, and nobody likes them or respects them. They hang out at business networking clubs, reeking of aftershave, pushing business cards, flashing their whitened teeth and trying to sell their stuff to other broke people. Joint Venture brokers are entrepreneurs who work strategically and use leverage, relationship, and reciprocity to create long-term wealth. Then you can go buy you own candy and even have your teeth whitened, if you’re that needy.

Are You Running your Business on Gasoline or on Nuclear Power?

A pound of highly enriched uranium as used to power a nuclear submarine or nuclear aircraft carrier is equal to something in the order of a million gallons of gasoline.

When you consider that a pound of uranium is smaller than a baseball, and a million gallons of gasoline would fill a cube 50 feet per side (50 feet is as tall as a five-story building), you can better understand leverage.

Unlocking Unlimited Potential

Running a business in the conventional way is like using gasoline. There’s nothing wrong with it, but it’s very limited potential compared to someone using the nuclear power of Joint Ventures.

Here is why using Joint Ventures in your business to double and quadruple your profits, or, better still, becoming a Joint Venture Broker, is so superior and a so much more sophisticated way to create wealth:

1. No overhead
2. No selling
3. No risk
4. No inventory
5. No employees
6. No leases, licenses, or franchise fees
7. No limitations or restrictions
8. No entry barrier
9. No ramp-up period – start earning immediately
10. Everything you earn is 100% pure profit.

Click here for more information about how to turn your business into a money magnet using Joint Ventures.

Many years ago, I was on the brink of bankruptcy. It’s a very scary feeling, unless you’re a dyed in the wool sociopath. I will never forget the sleepless nights, having to plead with bankers whose arrogance was exceeded only by their ignorance, and how the only way out was hard, 24/7 WORK.

Why did I totter on the brink of a flaming financial furnace?

High overhead, all my eggs in one basket, relying on other people, and refusing to confront reality; we all like to hide our heads in the sand at times. And when you extract your head from the sand, you find that the house has burned down around you. Fortunately, I managed to escape the jaws of bankruptcy, and I swore that I would never put myself in that position again.

Falling Hard with a “Successful” MLM

It’s interesting that pride always comes before the fall.

We knew a fellow in Edmonton a few years back who was making big money selling a magic health juice through an MLM company. Naturally, they made wild, silly claims about their juice, which was soon replaced by another juice from another company. Different packaging, same snake oil.

Well, as with most products and services, the juice ended up in Wal-Mart for a fraction of the price, and that was the end of this fellow’s arrogance and swollen head.

He lost pretty much everything, because, typical of the nouveau riche, he felt he had to lease expensive cars and buy the bling to convince other dumb people that he was making money.

It Happens in Traditional Business Too

I know someone in the UK who put every ounce of his energy and every penny he had saved into building a business. He had a great reputation, delivered excellent service, and was admired by many.

One day, a big customer showed up and started giving him large orders that required that he expand his premises and increase his production and overhead in order to cope.

Soon, the new customer brought him 85% of his business.

Slowly, this powerful customer insisted paying on him after 60 days instead of 30 days, then 90 days, thereby putting the squeeze on his cash flow.

One winter day, the customer showed up with an offer to buy the business for a mere pittance.

He was offered two options: “Sell me your business for pennies on the pound, or I will take all my business away and bankrupt you.”

This is not an unheard of story. He ended up in debt and despondency after selling his business, having to start all over again at the age of 63.

Job: Selling Your Life for “Security”

Having a boss is the same thing – handing over the control of your life, income, security, and dreams to one or a few people is crazy.

Many entrepreneurs are glad to sell themselves into slavery and bondage for the promise of enough money, and they forget that while power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Don’t buy a golden leash – it might look impressive to your cranky old mother-in-law, but there’s a slip knot on it, and it can end up choking the life out of your finances.

Be Willing to Work for It… And Then Work SMARTLY.

It amazes me how easily vulnerable people will commit themselves to large amounts of money, debt, and suicidal indenture for the sake of a free trip, accolades, and false hope. I think the main reason why people will gamble their future financial freedom is the idea of a quick buck – greed and indolence at work.

Hard work is not something most people are comfortable with, even when they know that working hard for a year can allow you financial freedom for the rest of your life, if you’re moving in the right direction.

What It Takes to Weather the Storm

The combination of arrogance and greed with having all your eggs in one proverbial basket is a recipe for failure. Today’s expensive fad is mass produced and sold in malls tomorrow.

Companies, competition, and economies come and go, and people come and go. Floods, fires, changes in laws and governments, offshore competition, new technology, and the blatant disregard of patents by certain nations means we live in a changing, dangerous world. Nothing lasts forever, and business is a series of cycles, like the seasons.

Those who spread their income and risk and maintain a low overhead can weather storms; when one section or area of business suffers, another prospers. That means no feast or famine, chicken or feathers, rollercoaster cash flow.

Why Joint Venture Brokers Have It Made

Joint Venture Brokers can participate in multiple different markets, products, services, and cultures simultaneously, with no cost, risk, overhead, or limitations except their understanding of profit, value, and business.  Typically, they are very selective, and they maintain a mature, objective approach to business.

Everything they earn is 100% profit, and they don’t have to allow themselves to be manipulated or ripped off, since they always have other options due to the nature of their business. They have the money as well as the time to enjoy it.

Savvy Businesses Use Joint Venture to Explode Their Bottom Line

Business owners who understand how Joint Ventures can be used to leverage existing resources can significantly lower their overheads and advertising and marketing budgets, while at the same time building multiple additional income flows at 100% profit. The more sophisticated operators use their front / primary businesses as “feeders” for their lucrative Joint Ventures.

Your Most Valuable Asset

The most valuable assets you have in business are your relationships, and those who understand the power of synergy, leverage, and Joint Ventures seldom walk away from good relationships or allow greed and ego to steal their futures. Together, we can do amazing things, and it’s always better to have 5% of millions than 100% of $1,000 with no support or leverage.

Keeping all your eggs in one basket is tantamount to Russian roulette.

A lot of people are good at selling themselves, but they can’t sell or produce anything. They can run their mouths all day long and impress everyone with their promises, but they can’t make it happen.

The main reason is that they don’t work hard enough, and they quit too soon.

We’ve all heard the story of the billionaire who started out in a car dealership and fired his worst salesman every month. It’s interesting to see the responses of people who hear this story.

Talk is cheap – money buys the whiskey.

“Show Me the Money!”

I like to give people a chance to prove themselves, to show me that the hype actually leads to results. I have no expectations, because I am used to listening to B.S. and I am pleasantly surprised when someone actually does what he tells me he can do.

I don’t believe a word you say; I only believe results.

You can’t bank B.S. – only money.

So give people time to produce, and if they don’t, fire them. Replace them. Everyone is replaceable. Losers hate the story about firing the worst salesman every month, because they know they are just talkers.

Only Pay for Results

People who write sales copy are the worst – they will tell you how they can write copy that will make you millions – IF you first pay them their ridiculous fee. When you put them on the spot and tell them how they can make double their fee by getting paid for the results they produce for you, they tuck their tails between their legs, grab their teddy bears, and run for the hills crying for their mamas.

The same goes for web “masters” who tell me how much money they will make me through SEO. OK, so go ahead and create a site for me, do your thing, and let’s share the results.

Talk is cheap. I don’t pay for lies and promises; I pay for results. The same goes for advertisers.

Check These Out & Gauge Your Reaction

Making money isn’t about being popular or parties or hype – it’s about closing sales and making deals. (Warning – foul language in the following movie cuts.)

• Watch this cut from the movie, Glenn Gary Glennross and get a wake-up call.
• This cut is from the movie, Boiler Room. It will either excite you or upset you, depending on whether you’re a producer or a talker.

Production Shows the Real You

Tom Hopkins said:

“Sales is the highest paid hard work, and the lowest paid easy work.”

It puts people on the line. You can’t hide behind your computer and wear your mask when you’re in sales – sooner or later, you will reveal who you really are through what you produce…

“by your FRUIT, you will be known”

…apples don’t grow on weeds.

If you can’t produce, go work for the government. But if you CAN sell, close deals, and produce, you are on of the most valuable people around, and a rare commodity. Time will tell.

Sailors beware! Pirates, storms, and rocks! Let this short article be your lighthouse.

Save much time, money, frustration, disappointment, and even bankruptcy, while speeding up your progress and making a lot more money by sailing your ship past these sandbanks and dangers. Avoid these ten risks, landmines, and pitfalls in business, and you can navigate a successful voyage to your Treasure Island.

After 22 years of working with thousands of business owners, I have discovered that you can definitely learn from the mistakes of others.

Risk #1 – Things Susceptible to Undercutting or Short Life-Spans.

Avoid fads, trends, gimmicks, and products that can be duplicated, knocked off, reengineered, and produced cheaper. Remember, the Chinese provide no patent law protection. “Today, it sells for a fortune – tomorrow, it’s in Wal-Mart.”

Look for long-term stability and growth.

Services usually provide higher margins and more stability.

Risk #2 – Selling Your Time.

Selling your time is not smart, unless you’re a famous film star or sports star. Remember that time is your most valuable, irreplaceable resource.

Be a general and work strategically, not a soldier in the trenches. Use your head, not your hands. Use leverage. DollarMakers teaches people how to use leverage through Joint Ventures.

Risk #3 – Bad People.

Jim Rohn famously said that:

“there are only eight bad people in the whole world, but they get around a lot.”

Sociopaths and scam artists are usually very friendly and convincing. Do your due diligence and work on referral.

DollarMakers Joint Venture Broker Club Members that are dishonest get fired when we discover them. Your reputation and fortune are at stake. “When my enemies become your friends, you, too, become my enemy.”

Don’t choose the wrong people to work with. Evaluate them carefully.

Risk #4 – Buying a Franchise or a Distributorship.

We teach our students how to get the same benefits, and more, at no cost whatsoever!

Risk #5 – “Investing” Schemes.

Avoid “Investing” in “Foreign Currency” schemes and other spurious, “Tax Break” schemes and dreams – don’t let urgency and greed blind you to obvious rip-offs.

Risk #6 – Start Ups.

Avoid buying mass-marketed real estate properties that aren’t built yet, especially in third world countries, is very risky.

The same goes for business start-ups and new inventions – I don’t even consider them. Their failure rate is extremely high.

Risk #7 – Having All Your Eggs In One Basket

Keeping all your eggs in one basket is probably the most risky thing you can do in today’s business world.

As a Joint Venture Broker, you can build multiple income streams and diversify across different industries, products, services, economies, and countries.

Risk #8 – Being Lead by the Blind.

Taking advice from the wrong people  is just plain silly.

Never take advice from someone who is more screwed up than you are, and always learn only from someone who already has what you want. Poor people can’t tell you how to get rich, and more than a bank manager can.

Risk #9 – Poor Thinking.

The wrong philosophy about life and money will sink your ship faster than ten giant torpedoes. Maintain the right attitude and mix only with winners.

Risk #10 – Quitting.

Quitting too soon is the mark of a loser. Most people give up three feet from the gold.

Avoid Risk by Becoming a Joint Venture Broker

In spite of warnings, the best motives and intentions, and well-planned strategies, the future is unpredictable, and things go wrong in the real world.

DollarMakers teaches people how to create unlimited wealth, financial freedom, and peace of mind through the use of Joint Ventures regardless of your background, age, experience, or circumstances, and whether you have a business or not.

Joint Ventures is the best way I have found to create financial success.  I run DollarMakers with no cost, risk, overhead, employees, inventory, or risk. This is a great business to be in.