Hello World!

I know.  You may be asking yourself “Who the heck is Richard Taylor, and why is he posting here?” right now.  Well, let me tell you a little story that starts with

Once upon a time, long, long ago. . . 

In 2001 I set out on a journey, as had Jon a few years prior, each with our own goals and aspirations.  No, we did not know each other at that point, nor did either of us know how a chance meeting would effect our futures.  We were, quite simply, two ‘noobs’ attempting to chisel out a future in the same place, at the same time – the internet.

We both came from far different backgrounds, with no other commonality than the innate desire to see where this new adventure ‘online’ could take us.  I mean, he was from Canada, far younger than me, and already had experienced more ‘online’ than I had.

Given the wild and wacky  way the universe works, our paths crossed in what seemed, at the time, mere happenstance.  If only we had known then what we do now, Jon would have ran screaming from the encounter!  (OK, probably not, but it sounds good!)

 

A brief history to fill in some gaps:

I had sold an offline business in 1999, taken a couple years off to travel some on the Harley, and then realized that not having anything ‘to do’ was, actually, quite boring!

I had to accept that what I once valued as ‘success’ turned out to be but a stepping stone on a much longer journey.  One that would take me down many a varied path, present new obstacles to overcome, provide exciting challenges, and yes, entail the inevitable failures along the way.  The latter of which could be seen as the most valuable aspect of this new adventure.

 

Failure is only a problem should we not learn from the experience

I have made MANY mistakes in my life, as has everyone else.  To do so is to be ‘human’, after all.

And it was because of the mistakes I had made when I first came to ‘conquer the internet’ that I stumbled, quite by accident, upon the means to learn from them.

I did the same as many of you probably have.  Turned on a browser (Netscape, at that time), and sought out the means to live a life free from the toils and turbulence ‘offline’ business offers.  I found . . . (wait for it) . . . MLM!  

Oh heck yeah!  I was ‘set’ now!  My future was in the bag (the person that recruited me said so!), and all I had to do was advertise a link.  What could be simpler?  No need to have a business plan, a ridiculously small financial investment required, and all I really needed was time – of which I had an abundance.  I could fire up the Harley, and ride my way into financial and business bliss!  I was set up, and ready to . . . FAIL.

And let me tell you, I did so in a dramatic way!  An epic ‘ride’ on the road to disaster.  So what happened?  How could I go from building a successful brick and mortar business to flailing aimlessly in a sea of internet ineptitude?  It was simple actually.

I had failed to plan, and as such, planned for failure!

Yep, I made the one ‘mistake’ I should have known better than to do!  In my zealous quest for internet stardom, I allowed myself to be misled by my own agenda.

I could have blamed the people that recruited me.  Claimed they somehow failed to give me the support I needed, or lacked the resources to make my dreams a reality.  But, alas, I have no one to blame but myself for my own failure to not have taken what I learned before, and applying it to what I was doing now.

The saving grace from all of this?  I realized my mistake, and took action to rectify it.  I didn’t give up, I moved FORWARD!  And this is the part where Jon Olson and I met.  (I know, about time I got to the ‘good’ part of this story!)

 

Meanwhile, back at the chatroom . . .

A group of people, all involved in the same program, (just to be clear, not the one referenced in the above paragraphs) began to talk.  The name of the program is not important, it was the discussions that evolved that are of importance.

Every one of us had made the same mistakes!

And, more importantly, we had all made the same conscious decision – that this was an opportunity to learn, and continue on our various paths.

We, Jon and I, became an integral part of this group of somewhat ‘less than stellar’ marketers.  We were nobody’s.  Our prior attempts at creating an impact upon the internet could be compared to a firecracker having an effect on a nuclear bomb.  BUT, and I want this to be specifically noted, we knew we had the power to change what once was!

Yes, we paid our dues, but we had the chance to drag ‘opportunity’ – screaming and kicking, fighting us all the way – from failure.  AND WE DID IT!

 

When the power of the group is greater than that of the individual, amazing things can happen!

The impact this opportunity has had on my life, and those – like Jon – that were involved has, without exaggeration, changed our futures!

But was it truly ‘chance’, mere luck, that brought this group together?  Or, was it that we had all taken that next step towards achieving what we had set out to accomplish?  Here again, I believe it was the latter that made the difference, with just a touch of the universe interceding on our behalf.

 

So, what the heck does this have to do with me posting here?

I was invited by Jon to post my thoughts, offer what knowledge I have accumulated over the years, and perhaps, add some humor and discussion here.

Due to my almost 15 years of friendship with Jon, and the various successful businesses we have worked on that developed from our association during this time, I take this invitation with the utmost sincerity, and shall endeavor to deliver upon what he has entrusted to me.

I hope to offer a glimpse into the past, a foray into the future, and a heart felt offer for YOU to become part of the amazing journey this may offer.

I want this medium to be able to recreate that group of people that, by working TOGETHER, accomplished more than they could alone.

You see, if it were not for that group of people coming together so many years ago, and openly exchanging our thoughts and ideas, I may not be here today.  I owe the past for my future.  I want to add my two cents in helping others have that ‘past’ from which to grow, and realize their future, as I was once offered the opportunity to enjoy.

 

The future awaits.  However, opportunity requires action.

So won’t you join in on this new, and exciting, opportunity to learn with me?  Let me know how I can best present what I may have to assist you, the valued participants of this group, as we move forward.  I ask that you also share your knowledge here as well, so that I – and others here – may learn from you as we develop our horizons together.

 

PLEASE post any comments or questions you may have.  I can’t do this alone!

 

With Sincere Thanks

Richard Taylor

“The only limits we have are those you impose upon yourself. Remove the limits!”

 

 

(P.S.  If you are looking for brevity, good luck!  I tend to expound at length on topics I truly believe in.  But I shall attempt to keep my ramblings appropriate to you, and the environment Jon has worked so hard to create here.)

 

 

2 thoughts to “Hello World!”

  1. Looking forward very much to the awesome contributions you will make to the blog sir.

    Thanks very much for your support over the years. The decades in fact lol

  2. Interesting Article and makes good sense, everyone I know, myself included would agree that MLM is a Team Sport, In fact on a lighter note just about every business is, and it’s Team Work that makes the Dream Work!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.