How Anthony Robbins Transformed My Life

Today is Day #3 of the 21-Day Blogging Challenge. Thanks for coming back to read my blog again.

If you missed Day #1 or Day #2, be sure to go back to Day #1 and/or Day #2. And please leave a comment below each time! 🙂

So … Day #3 is all about the question …

“Who/what has positively impacted your life?”

It’s a very open-ended question.

I do remember a specific tipping point for me.

In 1994 (not yet the tipping point!) I started a radio advertising sales career for 93.5 WTPA-FM in Harrisburg, PA. I was super proud of myself to interview and get hired at my favorite radio station and, at the time, start living my dream lifestyle.

I met a lot of business owners that year, since they were my potential clients. It was an incredible 3+ years of learning the in’s and out’s of just about every type of business …

Bars, nightclubs, restaurants … to retail, wholesale and sporting goods stores … and occasionally some cool “events” like the Carlisle Car Events (still thriving today!)

Just as an aside, I’ll always remember my boss, John Butler, who was just about the most laid-back “cool as the other side of the pillow” sales manager you could ever ask to work for. He took me to my very first sales call … “Al’s Diamond Cabaret” in Reading, PA. (You can Google it at your own discretion! LOL Let’s just say, it was a memorable first sales call!)

Sorry … I got way off track there. But I figured you’d enjoy reading about that.

Stick with me … in the coming weeks I’ll have a “Lessons Learned from Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio Sales” week reviewing some of my biggest “A-ha” moments that’ve shaped me into who I am today.

It was a hysterical time working in radio, however, it wasn’t getting toward my “financial freedom goals.”

I was always “paycheck to paycheck.” (I was also the 5th in line in the sales department behind the owner, manager, and two longer-tenured sales people, so a lot of the “good” accounts were taken!)

And … I had to do business from Harrisburg, PA.  Beautiful springs, awesome summers.  But, autumn and winter were just not my cup of tea.

I wanted to have control of my income.

The ability to work when I wanted to,

From whatever location I wanted to (by the beach or in “perpetual” summer!)

Without “worrying about (lack of) money.

That’s my definition of freedom.

But I had no idea how to start down this path.

During this period of my life, I discovered network marketing and its potential.

But, like just about every other “newbie,” I struggled.

1994, 1995, and again in 1996.

I never generated more than $300 income in a month (which, realistically was almost breaking even when considering the cost of gas, tolls and driving to so many appointments back then!)

I actually was thinking of giving up because “it wasn’t working.”  (Of course, I later realized it was ME that wasn’t working!)

Everything changed for me in the summer of 1996.

I traveled to Orlando for a Melaleuca convention.  It’s hard to remember exact stats, but I think there were about 15,000 people there.  I sat in the back.  The “newbie.”  Not sure if I belonged.

Heck, on that flight (this I vividly remember!) I sat in the MIDDLE seat in the BACK row of the plane both ways (with the toilet just a “thin” wall away!  LOL)

I saw the “glitz” and the “glamour” of the six- and 7-figure earners at the front of the convention center.  Behind those “red velvet ropes” in the V.I.P. sections.

But I had trouble seeing me up there on stage!

(Okay, I just realized I’m rambling again and have yet to get to the main portion of the post).

After that week in Orlando, my “upline” in that company, my long-time friend Tom Farrell, recommended I get my hands on this new CD series from this guy named Tony Robbins.

I thought to myself, “Who’s Tony Robbins?”  And why should I pay $397 (or whatever it was) to buy a 30-day CD set.

Tom insisted that I did if I wanted to have success in my business, so I did.

And, wow, what a transformation!!!

Over the course of the next 30 days, I dived into that CD series with my workbook and completely altered my way of thinking … crossing the “bridge” from employee to entrepreneur!