What Network Marketing Taught Me About TravelingWhat Network Marketing Taught Me about Traveling

 

Never quit!

 

Those are the ingrained-in-my-brain, famous words of one of my mentors. I thank Rudy every waking day for having reached my heart and being part of my life. You are probably wondering why on Earth I would ever quit network marketing, quit chasing my dreams, I even quit believing in myself. Have you ever felt like this, too?

A dear friend would give me answers in a gut-wrenching conversation. After returning from a quarterly event hosted by my network marketing company I couldn’t wait to talk with her. But, before I share this conversation and its results with you, we must go back to the beginning of this trip leading to this particular event. I warn you, the details of this entire weekend are not for the weak of heart nor one who has zero internal fortitude, i.e. GUTS.

Travel to network marketing event

 

Our morning started early when my friend picked me up for the two and a half hour drive to the airport. We enjoyed this alone time with no interruptions and no phone calls; after all, it was 3 A.M. With coffee in hand, we drove excitedly down the freeway talking about our goals, our dreams, and network marketing businesses. It’s exciting to wonder what new ideas we would learn from the leaders on stage. We also talked about why it wasn’t working for us, wondering what we weren’t doing right. Time would tell.

Arriving at the airport we caught the shuttle and headed to the check-in desk. My friend’s son is an airline attendant and graciously provided us with passes to fly standby. I’ll always be grateful to Jerry for without those passes I wouldn’t have been able to attend so many events. The cost of flying was just too expensive when combined with the event, hotel and food costs. (Another lesson for another post)

Early start, long day

 

Flight after flight left the tarmac, full. We rolled, that’s what they call it when there are no seats available for non-revenue passengers. Finally, my friend was able to get a seat leaving me behind. Assuring her I would be fine, I instructed her to go, get a seat and get there. The last flight of the night I was able to get a seat to Phoenix. Arriving in Phoenix we reconnected and made our way to the gate to St. Louis, MO. We grabbed a quick bottle of water and a meal as we were ravenous and didn't know when we might eat again. As we settled into our seats we began watching others filter in not knowing what lie ahead. The end of a very long day ended on a sour note, not one seat was available and all flights had left for the night. The only option for two broke, tired network marketers was to spend the night in the Phoenix airport. I'll never complain about hotel beds again after sleeping on those hard seats with our baggage, neck pillows and each other.

If you have you ever tried to sleep with lights on, people vacuuming, cleaning and talking, leave a comment below; I want to hear your experience! Needless to say, not a lot of sleep was had by either of us that night.

The morning after

 

With puffy eyes and swollen ankles, we hobbled to the restroom to clean up, brush our teeth and grab a breakfast sandwich and coffee. The first flight out was full, as was the second and third. By this time we began to wonder if we would make our event in time for the opening talks. Finally, the crew called our names and off we flew into the wild blue yonder, destination St. Louis, MO and our event.

Five hours later our plane landed, we gathered our luggage and headed to the inter-city train. Both my friend and I are country girls clueless to the dangers of larger cities. Our limited budgets didn’t allow for expensive cab rides, so the train seemed the logical choice of transportation. Tickets purchased, boarding the train we began heading toward our hotel and event. We were not prepared for the train experience either, how to get off or the short amount of time the stops allowed for passenger loading and unloading. In the amount of time, it takes to shut your eyes and open them again, explains how quickly the train arrived and departed each stop. We asked for help from other passengers who glared at us as if we had a third eye. Those looks bounced off of us, we are in network marketing so sticks and stones, right? But, there was one very nice lady who offered to help us. As the door opened she got off; but, by the time we got to the door it shut in our faces and we were on our way to the next stop. Panic set in as the train rocked and rolled down the tracks. It was so surreal, my friend’s luggage in the hands of a complete stranger, at our stop that we missed. By now, I was so over this entire trip. Scared, exhausted, hungry and stressed out with a migraine I just wanted to get to our room, check in and get to the event I had paid for.

We both departed the train at the next stop. My friend Beth caught the train going back to find the kind woman who had offered to help. An hour passed as I stood on the corner, in a strange city, alone with baggage; what was I thinking? Finally, she called to tell me she had found the woman with her luggage. Getting our bearings we found our hotel and walked toward the check in desk. The check-in process did not go smoothly either. After briefly sharing the details of our trip and breaking into tears, the desk clerk intervened on our behalf. She instructed her co-worker to finish checking us in, called for the bellhop and came around the desk to hug my friend and me. She assured us everything would be alright now.

Care for us she did; ushering us into the lounge she seated us returning to the bartender. Looking our way, he gave a curt smile and busily prepared two glasses of complimentary wine. Shortly after receiving our beverages the waitress came to take our order. We told her we wouldn’t be ordering, she let us know that our meal was already paid for, compliments of the check-in clerk. What a blessing, an angel waiting for two traveling friends who almost called it quits before it began. We did not make the first day of the network marketing conference. Instead, after our delicious wine and meal, we found our way to our room where we relaxed, regrouped and prepared for a weekend of networking and learning.

If you caught a glimpse of the lesson we learned here, great! If you didn’t its okay because, in the moment, we didn’t either. If you gained any tidbit, nugget or wisdom from this post, feel free to share with your friends. We are all on this journey called life and it’s our duty to help our fellow man when they are down.


As a special thank you, I'd like to give you access to a webinar that blew me away. This week you'll learn the “Insider Secret To Reach Incredible Incomes on The Internet“. Click here to grab your free seat while they are still available.


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Carla Gardiner is a mom of two, fiery grandma of seven and married to her husband of 38 years. She is a focused, driven business owner who made a big move in her late 50’s which rocked her entire world. Transitioning from her native hometown to her new home three states away took guts, work, and dedication to get the job done. Now, she is focused on helping others make the transition to a simpler, more relaxed lifestyle that they have been dreaming of, one step at a time.