A mother, an old lady, a young man… Inspirational stories of those for whom network marketing was life-changing

Because people are the most important in business. Perhaps no other trade depends so much on interpersonal relationships. And behind each person, behind each of us, there is a story… When in April 2019, only twenty-year-old Nick Janitschke entered, or rather jumped, on the stage, none of those gathered in a room full of people could imagine that a quarter of an hour later there will not be a single person in the crowd who would not jump up and give him frantic applause.

That was the second day of our company’s annual meeting. Most of the over 16,000 people from all over the world have already left their hotels and headed back home. Only the toughest handful remained, thirsty for additional emotions, inspiration and stories. Fatigue, however, takes its toll. After countless lectures, workshops and hours of dancing at the evening gala on the first day, few were still able to give off more than just a spark of energy for the next day.

And surely no one expected this young boy to do it. Perhaps not even Nick himself. Less than four months ago, this very nice blonde boy, a German junior champion in natural bodybuilding and fitness economics student, spent every free moment at a nearby club, training himself and others. And had it not been for the casual opinion by the coach’s friend: “Hey Nick, I guess you can do more than just make protein shakes for others…” then probably his dream would be to become a manager of some fitness club. And certainly it would never have occurred to him that only a few months later not only would his earnings be incomparably higher than those he could ever achieve working as a trainer, but also that his story, his power, verve, freshness, his vision of the world would not allow all those gathered in the room to sit still…

As I prepared to write this article and looked at my notes over the past four years, I was surprised to see how many of them are people’s stories. For outsiders, network marketing is simply a way of making money. And without a doubt, this is one of the best ways to build a second income for oneself. Fair, for everyone, without major investments. However, network is above all the best example of how each of us, both you and me, can dust off our dreams and make our lives better and more fun. And it means something different for everyone…

I will never forget my first trip to this two-day team meeting, somewhere near Hanover, I think. At one point, a question was asked: “Why are we here? What does network marketing give us? What does our company give us? Financial freedom, the ability to work with whomever, whereever and whenever you want…” All sorts of “whys” rang out from different people. And suddenly, someone said in between: “because 50 euro changed my life”. There were murmurs in the room. Heads turned in one direction.

There was a single mother of three young children. Part-time work, because there was no time for more. Maybe not starving, but certainly not doing great either. The first payout in the network was the 50 euro. Slowly spoken words made you want to ask: “well, ok, and what’s so special about that?” And then she spoke words that changed my approach to our trade. The words that to this day make me feel a lump in my throat every time I remember them. Imagine this woman walking to the kitchen, opening the fridge and… bursting out crying. Because for the first time in years, there are things inside that she likes. Not just the bare necessities, such as to satisfy hunger, but also things that she has not bought for years… It’s only 50 euros. For some, however, it makes the whole world. And without work in the MLM system, she could not have afforded it. Perhaps in a few years, when the children grow up…

About a year later. Kick off in Hanover. A humorous performance in the first part of the event by René Borbonus, a rhetoric specialist, one of the most renowned communication coaches in Germany. Pens can barely keep up from one bon mot to another. However, it is not this speech that made me remember that to this day.

The second part of the day was, as usual, about people’s stories in our network. Their “whys”. Person after person. Story after story. Short ones. Longer ones. Some interesting, and some a little less so. Sometimes there was laughter. Other times, reverie. Smooth change of speakers. This time seniors enter the stage. 70+ year olds. The last lady, a tiny thing, tells her story in a trembling voice. She hands over the microphone to the lead. Applause. Acknowledgments. She leaves the stage and… suddenly she turns, runs to the leader, tears the microphone from her hands and her trembling voice is no longer trembling. It permeates every cell in my body. She says:

My darlings, keep resocializing us. Resocialize old people. Reach out to us. Show us the opportunity. We can still do a lot. Give us this chance to do something for others, to be needed… Remember us. Resocialize us…

Then a young boy to whom life stands wide open. A mother of three who barely makes ends meet. An old lady whose best years are over. Or at least most of us probably thought so, because that’s life… Three stories. Three so different stories… Each one unique, each inspirational. Each with the potential to change someone’s life. To make it easier. To make it more beautiful. Whose life and to what extent? – hard to say. However, there are plenty of these stories and I am still writing them down diligently and will continue to do so… Perhaps one day these will include one that I start. And which will also be remembered by someone and inspire others… Or maybe it will be your story?