By Aimee Buhagiar, Sydney Australia
My network marketing business came to me at a time in my life when I was working over 70 hours per week. I was a personal trainer in the evenings and weekends, and during the day I was a high school secondary PDHPE teacher.
Whilst teaching weight classes, I had severely injured my wrist and was in terrible pain. I realized I had no time but in fact needed this business to allow me to have the time freedom I desperately wanted. However, my only concern was focusing on getting my wrist better. The business side did not interest me for some time.
The constant weight/cycle classes and repetitive movements of putting weights back after a gym floor shift continually made my injury worse. I couldn’t work properly, and it hurt me just to pick up a drinking glass or even open a door. I was in my last year of university studies, and I couldn’t even type on a computer without being in pain. It was at this point I realized how important my health really was.
I was introduced to nutritional products that turned my health around completely. My wrist got better within only a couple of months, and I was back at the daily grind. Eventually, I started helping my clients at the gym and my family with their health issues also.
I eventually realized I needed the business because I would wake up at 6am, head to the gym, come home quickly and wouldn’t even have time to eat. Each day would finish at 11pm. I was in this routine five days per week, over five years. I even worked weekends!
My mentality was the more hours I worked, the more money I could save to put a deposit on my first house! I had no time; my friends and family were upset that I didn’t see them. The lack of time with family was an exact resemblance of my childhood.
My dad owned his own business and sold it 18 years later after feeling that he didn’t get to see his family enough. I realized that there must be an easier way of living. My parents would attend property investment seminars and invested in properties. Therefore I naturally thought I needed to do the same, to get ahead and set myself up. It was at this point that I realized there could be a way out of my current lifestyle; I started to feel like my work was more like prison.
My mum took me to my first Personal Development seminar when I was 20. I absolutely loved it! The speaker was Pat Mesiti, and he spoke about relationships and thinking patterns. It was only a few years later, after starting my MLM business, that I enrolled in a personal development program that went over a period of months. I had heard from many of the speakers that for any business to grow I HAD TO GROW!
After attending the personal development seminar, I made the decision to quit both my full time jobs, but I didn’t have an income from my business at this stage! I felt so drained from my workplaces because I had bosses who were overworking me, and in teaching I felt like I was competing for work. In fact there was a ten-year waiting list for a full-time job in teaching!
After watching Robert Kiyosaki’s cash flow quadrant, I realized it didn’t matter how many hours I worked, how much I saved, or how many properties I had, I would NEVER be financially free without a passive income from my OWN business. I decided MLM was my perfect and only choice!
With small start-up costs and learning business skills, all I needed was the right mindset and attitude to build an empire of my own and help others do the same. Thinking back now, I am so grateful being able to be my own boss today. I remember feeling unhappy where I was in life and being told what to do and when to do it.
Years ago, I remember walking into a seminar held by my company. I saw a young man only 26 years of age, and he was the same age as I at the time. He was completely financially free, but the idea of financial freedom felt so far away for me. I felt like I was too young, didn’t have the skills, thought I knew nothing about the industry.
However, deep down I thought that if I worked hard, the opportunity WOULD work and the seminars would assist me with my mindset and being around positive people.
There were two areas that helped me overcome my mindset challenges. The first was working on myself daily and building up my self-confidence. For example, during the day whilst still working as a teacher, I would say affirmations to myself and would read self-development every chance I got!
The best thing is I don’t see my business as work! Now I get to watch my team achieve success and can mentor others. I didn’t want to work four to six months every year just to pay tax; I’d rather be a business owner and have the tax advantages.
Now I get to wake up, go for fresh juices daily, exercise when I want, and have the time to make and prepare healthy foods. I love traveling for the business. Working feels more like a hobby than a job, and the income is just a side effect!
After six months in the business, I was making more than I was making in Personal training, and after one year, I was making more than personal training and teaching combined. My business went interstate in the first year. I started to learn how to use online systems to train my team from Simon Chan. One of the greatest gifts of all was having the opportunity to now work alongside my family. For a long time I wanted my family to do the business with me. I saw so much potential in my sister, brother, my mum and all my cousins. Once my family saw me quit my job and how serious I was about my business, they wanted to be part of the action. I wanted to build an empire for my future and help my family do the same. I’ve realized that anyone can have success. Any age, any background, any skills, all they did differently was work hard at it and never give up.
How Network Marketing Has Changed My Life
Networking has changed my life because my income is unlimited! Moreover, I get to live my passion everyday, which is health, and I have helped so many people change their lives.
I have time freedom. Not many people do! The time I spend with my family, friends and, most importantly, with my gorgeous little nephew, Cruz Buhagiar, is so precious to me.
Traveling is a passion, and I have been to all the states in Australia on company holidays, which I would have never experienced if I were still a teacher! There is no pressure from a boss or being stuck in the system. I love not having to take annual leave to go on a holiday or asking for a day off. Plus I love waking up when I want and waking up peacefully, rather to an alarm buzzing in my ear!
Now I get to meet like-minded people on a daily basis and all different types of people from all over the world. I have met so many people on my journey, and many are now some of my closest friends.
Probably the greatest part of my MLM business that has made my life better is the constant training; support and personal development are helping me grow my leadership skills. Also, I love inspiring other people to grow, watching them develop into leaders and realizing their dreams.
This is my footprint, and I feel more fulfilled waking up doing so every day!
You Must Be Learning and Growing Every Day
Self-development has helped me develop a very strong mindset, allowing me to shield against negativity and be more in tune with my thoughts. I thoroughly believe the more I grow as a person, the more my team can grow. As John C Maxwell states, “You cannot give what you don’t have.”
MLM has taught me better leadership skills, as I now have a team of over 170 people and need to keep growing myself in order for my team to grow.
Personal development has made me feel NOTHING is impossible in any aspect of life. I’ve learnt to watch whom I put my energy into and that I should surround myself with people who are supportive.
Another lesson learnt is not to waste my time trying to change people. Others can create a better version of themselves, and it is only others that can change themselves. I now understand that anything that needs improvement in my business is a reflection of me and my thoughts alone. John C Maxwell would say, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.”
The Joy of Sharing and Helping Others
I have learned so much from my business that I can transfer into my life. For example, T. Harv Eker’s Millionaire Mindset and accessing my money blue print were an eye opener to me! I learnt how to deal with and think about money in a certain way, due to my parents’ way of thinking. (I guess we all have.) I needed to undo my current thinking about money and set my blue print for money high.
I was taught money was hard to earn and it didn’t grow on trees. I now understand that my money blueprint must be set high in order to achieve success. Therefore, I now have a millionaire mindset rather than a poor mindset. I no longer think in a lack way, rather I think in abundance! I believe this is such a crucial part of creating success in my business.
Also, being able to encourage my family to think the same has been a wonderful thing to teach and share. My family now shares the belief that we have unlimited power inside us; we all have individual gifts and are worthy of success! Plus, now we encourage each other and build each other up.
I have learned that personal power is limited, but team power is not. One of the greatest experiences of my business has been developing others into leaders. John C Maxwell has taught so much about the difference between equipping people with the skills they need and developing people, creating great mindsets and building leadership skills. There is a big difference between the two and my passion today is taking people as far as they can in their business, so they are one step closer to their dreams.
The People Around You Determine Your Success
One thing I learnt was, modeling ourselves into successful people. Basically, the individuals that we surround ourselves with will make us or break us!
I experienced success in my business once I changed my environment and the people with whom I surrounded myself. I became more aware about whom I was spending my time and how they were contributing to my life, i.e., if they were adding to it or subtracting. I had to make hard choices. Now I constantly surround myself with positive, successful people who I look up to and who are constantly developing their mindset and have skills I aspire to have. This is one thing I believe has helped me a great deal.
Aimee Buhagiar is a Gold Director and is the leader of Revolution Y and can be reached at aimeebuhagiar@gmail.com
