John Morrison on MLM Financial Freedom and Mentoring Greatness
John Morrison masters everything he touches, from being a professional drummer, to Real Estate, then Network Marketing. Here’s our incredible interview.
Thank you so much, John for taking time out to do this interview with me. So, let’s get started!
You were a professional drummer before you discovered network marketing. I was a drummer as well and grew up on “Modern Drummer.”
Who were some of your favorite drummers at that time, and what style did you enjoy playing most?
Funny you mentioned “Modern Drummer.” I had stacks of those magazines.
Some of my favorite drummers at that time, and still to this day (even though some are no longer with us) were/are Larrie Londin (probably my biggest influence), Jeff Porcaro, Vinnie Colaiuta, Eddie Bayers, Dave Weckl, Omar Hakim, and the list goes on and on.
I really enjoyed playing several styles (country, rock, blues, and zydecajun), but found myself touring and doing sessions playing country the most.
Then, you were a football coach and you discovered an attribute that would eventually help you become one of the top Home-Based business coaches in the industry. What was that attribute and who needs it?
I would say there are several things I learned and go hand in hand with coaching football, but probably the most important attribute I learned was getting a group of people to come together to accomplish a common goal.
The next would probably be getting people to believe in themselves and their business even when they may not at first.
I believe everyone needs belief in what they are doing or it is just a matter of time before they give up and quit. In other words, I think having a high belief level is mandatory!
I always say at my trainings that “If you don’t truly believe in what you have to offer, it is just a matter of time before you stop offering it. Once this happens…You’re done.”
Eventually, you found Real Estate, but there was something missing with that profession, which led you to Network Marketing. Could you explain what was missing?
Time freedom. I built a nice real estate business, but I did not have time to enjoy what I had built. I missed out on a lot of family activities and memories that were made without me because I was so tied to the real estate business and making sure it continued to grow and run smoothly.
I remember a time when I was constantly glued to my phone. I remember a time, on a quick little family getaway, my phone got broke and I literally spent most of that day getting my phone replaced.
I look back at that time and think how sad was it that I allowed that to happen. It wasn’t real estates fault. It was my fault for letting it take control of my life like it did. Thank God for Network Marketing because it has allowed me to make up for lost time so to speak.
You initially did Network Marketing in the 80’s. How long did you do it then and how long did you take a break from it before it called you again?
Well I would say that I TRIED Network Marketing in the late 80’s. I did not DO it and that is why I didn’t experience a lot of success. I say that for you audience because there is a huge difference.
My lack of success was not Network Marketing’s fault but my fault. I dabbled on and off for a couple of years, and even though I did not really experience a lot of success, I just loved the concept.
I knew in my gut that it was a brilliant business model. I just did not have the skills at that time to pull it off. I took a few years off and then I was introduced to it again in 1992 after I started coaching.
Funny Story…I got involved with this company I was introduced to by a successful family member, took it very serious, and started having significant success. It had a significant start up cost to get involved.
I started getting fellow teachers and coaches involved, money was flowing, everyone was getting excited. Then, I went home one night after work, turned on the TV, and up pops the show “America’s Most Wanted,” and a picture of the CEO of the company and his wife.
Needless to say, not a good day. I was just sick. All of the leaders then jumped to another company and with their recommendation I did too. That company lasted literally 7 days. That is when I said never again.
Well, never say never! I reluctantly got involved with another company in 1994 that changed my life. That is where I experienced true leadership, a legitimate company that went on to break several records, and they wrote books about the company.
Most importantly though, that is where I learned the skills required and necessary to be successful. Mergers and acquisitions happened with that company, it went public on the NYSE (the youngest company to ever do that in the history of the NYSE), and due to some of those decisions, as well as, changes in the marketplace with technology, etc. it went away.
With that being said, that was even a positive thing when looking back on it because it actually prepared me for when it would really count which is now and the company I’ve been with now for over 9 1/2 years.
In all those years, what part of network marketing has stayed the same, and what aspect of it has changed the most?
I would say the part that has stayed the same is that it is a relationship business. No matter how you’re building your business (face to face, online, etc.) you are still going to have to pick up the phone, talk to people, and build relationships.
The part that I would say has changed the most is the technology. We used to have to fill out a form in triplicate and mail it in to corporate when signing up distributors or customers.
We used to have to show the business by drawing circles on a whiteboard or napkin, with a flip chart or on the phone via conference calls for prospects out of driving distance.
Now we have the internet and tools that show the business for you and allow you to sign up customers and consultants/distributors in real time no matter where they live. We now even have the ability to automate the entire process. We are truly living in an incredible time.
What was the biggest struggle for you in the beginning of network marketing, and what did you learn from that?
Great question. I guess the biggest struggle for me personally in the beginning was getting people to take me and the business serious.
I was young and just out of high school. My friends and people my age weren’t thinking like entrepreneurs/business owners.
They were going to college and partying. LOL Therefore, my best demographic was older than me but didn’t really take me serious because I was a wet behind the ears kid and musician.
What did I know about building a business right? But it all goes back to what I mentioned earlier. I just knew and believed the network marketing business model would work. All I had to do was figure it out.
What was the “breakthrough” that led you to achieve phenomenal success in Direct Selling?
The breakthrough was in 1995 when we were experiencing true growth with an incredible company and I was forced to get in front of the room to do the presentation because my upline did not show up on time.
We had a large number of guests in the room to take a look at the business, and the fear of possibly missing out on all of that potential far exceeded the fear of me getting up in front of the room and doing the presentation.
I look back and personally believe my upline leadership did it to me on purpose even though he has never admitted to it. LOL With that being said, I believe that was the day that changed everything for me. At that moment, I realized I did not have to rely on any one person to build my business.
If someone wanted to start network marketing with you, what would you ask of them before they could partner with you?
I would ask them some very important questions (Not necessarily in this order) like:
Why are you looking to start a network marketing business?
What are your goals?
How much money do you want to make in the next 30, 60, 90 days?
What is your 12 month goal?
What is your 36 month goal?
Give me 3 reasons why you will never quit or abandon these goals.
Have you ever been involved in direct sales/network marketing before?
If so, what is your level of experience?
How much money would you invest in yourself to get started now?
Questions like these will get you some very important answers that will let you know if they are serious and have realistic expectations which is very important.
How old is your blog, how many posts are on it, and do you generate leads from it consistently?
I actually have two blogs which I don’t recommend for everyone. It is hard enough keeping up with one much less two.
With that being said, one is my main flagship site that is completely generic. I use it to provide training to everyone no matter what company the individual is associated with.
Once I started getting asked to speak and train for various companies, organizations, groups, etc. I wanted a site that people could feel safe sending people to that was a recruit free zone so to speak.
My other blog is completely devoted to my current network marketing business and is used as a training site for our team.
As for the number of posts I would say I have over 100 posts and pages that consist of training, topics, tools, resources, and coaching. Yes it does generate leads everyday.
If a new rep wanted to do everything with a blog, what would you tell them?
A blog can be an amazing tool and help you accomplish many things when used correctly. It is like having your very own piece of online real estate so to speak. As for doing everything, it will not.
Your blog will never pick up the phone and call someone for example. There are certainly things you can do to automate the process and make your job easier, but I’m a big believer in actually getting on the phone with people and cultivating relationships.
The blog can be instrumental in getting that process started. My best advice would be to have one blog and be consistent. Consistency is key and something I need to get better at myself. Consistently put out value/content to your target market/niche.
As they said in the movie Field Of Dream, “Build It And They Will Come.” If you are delivering value people will come and get it. If you are not, they will find it somewhere else.
What’s your favorite social media platform right now and why?
Facebook. I just like the way it continues to evolve with the times. I’m a big believer in the power of video and that seems to be the direction Facebook is headed.
You can see this by how they have started to incorporate various concepts inside the platform that were originally used in other platforms such as instagram, snapchat, etc. The ability to scale and segment your audience via groups and fan pages is awesome as well.
I could go on and on about the power of Facebook and what I believe is coming, but to answer your question Facebook is my favorite.
What’s your favorite business book right now and why?
Wow. There are so many great books out there. To ask me to name just one is painful Erik. LOL. I would say (if I had to name one), there is a book most would not expect me to name.
Years ago, my Aunt gave me this book and it has been my go to book for business. It is called “The Businessman’s Topical Bible.”
It actually provides scripture for topics and situations that a businessman will run into.
For example: When you need to negotiate, when you need favor, when you need motivation, when your employee needs motivation, when a customer is dishonest, when a customer is dissatisfied, when a customer doesn’t pay his/her bills, when you need new ideas, when your employee cheats on you, when you face a financial crisis, when your schedule is overbooked, and on and on and on. This book actually gives scripture from the bible that relates to each topic, and I absolutely love it.
What are your plans for 2017?
I want to do more of the same. I want to continue to help people grow their businesses via my trainings and content via the blog. I will do some speaking engagements.
I am still very active in continuing to build our network marketing business. We recently got our son started in the business with us, so we are enjoying spending time with him and helping him build and grow his business. Last, but not least, I plan on continuing to enjoy family time with my family and create more memories. <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/2/72x72/1f642.png" alt="