50 and Counting

Tuesday marks a milestone in my life, I turn the dreaded 50. That's right, I hit that time in life when most men are either still on their way up the corporate ladder of success or looking for a new girlfriend. I am neither. I am securely in a relationship with the most wonderful woman a man could ever want or need and as for looking for some pension with a gold pocket watch that's also not in the cards. Linda and I are rather building our own business and life together. We are actually living the American Dream.

The one thing that I am reflective about, is the fact that I  have never had any biological children of my own. I do have 4 step-children and 8 grandchildren but none of them are from my loins and to tell you the truth that doesn't always set really well with me. Not that I am afraid of them ever putting me in the old folks home and never visiting me, I am more concerned with my own biological legacy.

Legacy is something that we all want to leave behind. Some of us more than others. But in my case I am  hung up on the prospect of leaving a legacy of the Ray family line, Sherman branch. This may be the only way I can acheive immortality that by writing and leaving a digital legacy for future generations to see and hear, so this may be my masterpiece in work.

In the weeks and years to come I hope to continue this work of mine. It is my baby that I want to nurture and prune. Unlike a biological child I won't have to worry about it getting into the fridge at 2am.

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Honesty Is The Best Policy

The life of a business owner has its ups and of course its downs. Most of the time all I do day in and day out is find different ways of helping people get what they want and as a result I get what I want. Today was a particularly impressive day because what the customer wanted wasn't something that I was able to get for them, nor would I ever.

Maybe you've found yourself in a position where your morals were put to the test and you had to choose whether or not to cross that line between good and evil. Now I don't want you to think for even an instant that I have gotten to the point where I am sinless. Heck, I sin on an everyday basis. Sometimes I crapout on an hourly basis but there are just some lines that I am not willing to cross.

Without going into all the details. (I just erased all of them and realized that I could get alot of people, including myself, in trouble) I had to decide whether to cross over a line of morality, business-wise that surely potentially had immediate as well as future consequences. Not only did I refuse the first advance but when I was offered a second time, with rationalizations by the tempter, I had to refuse again.

Ok, so I know that I am being cryptic but in order to not get people in trouble I just have to. Now hear is the point of the whole story. If I had fallen to my temptation, then why would anyone ever trust me with the things that I am currently being trusted with? I don't even think the tempter even realized what they were asking me to do. If I was willing to steal, lie, short, stretch the truth or anything less than the truth then what would make them think that I wouldn't steal, lie, short or stretch the truth with them also?

The reason that people do business  with us is the very thing that this person was trying to get me to jeopardize, our honesty. Honesty is all we have that makes us different from the rest of the pack. If we loose that edge then we become just another dishonest businessman.

My hope is that you, Mr or Mrs businessowner become disgustingly honest. The Bible says that you should not give false measures. That means that you need to be honest. Not only is it satisfying but it is right.

An Open Letter to All My MLMer Friends

I recently finished my run with a promising Network Marketing company that we had hoped would do some incredible things. It proved not to be "The One" and we parted company none the worse. As a matter of fact, I learned alot during the 6 or so months that we spent with the company.

One of the best things we learned was that there are alot of people involved in MLM or network marketing. The average person spends only 90 days as an MLMer and in that time only makes a small amount of money. That means that 90% of MLMers are looking for that next ship to roll into harbor everyday.

For Linda and I we decided to chuck the whole thing (this has been our 3rd go around in the last 20 years) and focus on our traditional business that being an Interior Design company.
The problem with ending our MLMer days is that once you have been branded an MLMer you always get people thinking that you are just an MLMer in between jobs. Not only are you never quite out of the loop but the loop follows you from station to station in life.

Most recently, I received one of those, "You can get in on the ground floor opportunity calls." I can't tell you how annoying it all is that someone who knows that you are building your own business would present their opportunity and basically discount that your dream is already being fulfilled. That is the problem with the whole MLMer thing. Everyone who is in an MLM is taught that their opportunity, comp plan and product is what you are looking for. The truth is not everyone is a candidate for your product or service. As a matter of fact I would go even further and say that unless you are very choosy in the people that you present your opportunity to the MLMer is doing the very same thing that all of his coaches and mentors tells him people will say about his OPPORTUNITY.

The mentor or coach or upline will tell the sincere new protege that those people who don't get involved with your new business are lost or dillusioal or dream stealers, etc... Unfortunately, those same well meaning MLMers are saying in essence to the business person that their business that they have dreamt of starting and are actively building is wrong. What an outrage.

Now I know there ARE people who have businesses that DO change direction and become very successful in network marketing but the numbers are extremely low. I've done my research on this one folks. As a matter of fact, if only 10% and that is being generous, of MLMers make any kind of money at all then someone quitting their dream and becoming an MLMer would have to either really be getting into THE ONE or be out of thier minds.

So, to all my MLMer friends and relatives, please be more choosy in your network marketing companies. There is a new comp plan, product and ground floor opportunity started everyday and they are not all ONE SIZE FITS ALL. Not everyone needs to be in your business. Especially those who already OWN their own business.

Lastly, I am off the market and will be working on my dream until it becomes a raging success. Anyone trying to introduce me to their opportunity will be soundly removed from my life (I will still pray for you) because you are a DREAM STEALER. Don't be a Dream Stealer and stay my friend because I love you all.

Sherman Ray
Owner, Linda Ray Designs