Could it be their Athletic Advisory Board which includes such well respected leaders as former NBA player Mike Glenn? Or maybe it is because of Richard Renton who has quad majors in Sports medicine, Health, Physical Education, and Chemistry. Or maybe it is because of NBA player Theo Curtis Ratliff, or head coach Ken Cole, or Gene Nelson, Mr. all natural bodybuilder himself? It might even be the fact Dr. Stan Frager is a vital part of the Youngevity Athletic Board.

Whatever the reason, leaders like Suzanne Somers place their trust in Youngevity to protect their brand by formulating, manufacturing, marketing and/or selling products with their name attached.

Suzanne Somers is very protective of her name and the companies attached to it. So when she picks a company to manufacture, and market her exclusive products, you can bet she has done her homework. Here is a little more about Suzanne Somers “Sip of Sunshine.

The question folks will be asking is what is in Sip of Sunshine?

Youngevity is one of the original MLM companies to join the Distributors Rights Association, proving their loyalty and love to their distributors.

If you have read our first article on Youngevity, you know this is where Tom and Denice Chenault landed after their practice company left the MLM arena. It is easy to see why, they made this choice.

Living An Epic Adventure,

Troy Dooly

INSIDE SECRETS OF M.L.M. COMPENSATION PLANS  Presented by MarketWave CEO and DRA board member Len Clements

Compensation plans can be one of the most mysterious and confusing aspects of a network marketing opportunity. Although most companies employ qualified compensation plan consultants to assist them in developing efficient, ethical pay plans, there are a not-so-small minority that do not. Whether it be due to incompetence, deliberate deception, or a reluctant but necessary effort to remain competitive, there are several comp plan aspects being employed today that look great on paper, in theory, that rarely live up to the hype. Some companies are counting on the ignorance and naïveté of their distributors and prospects when designing their pay plans.

That is, they weren’t counting on you hearing a presentation like this one.

Inside Secrets of M.L.M. Compensation Plans is a presentation much like that of a rogue magician who exposes how all the tricks work. Once they’ve done that, the illusions lose their power to persuade. Len intends to do the same thing with M.L.M. compensation plans.

Here are just some of the points that will be covered in this presentation:

1) Why your compensation plan is the least important aspect of your opportunity’s income potential.

2) The importance of where a plan is “weighted” and how most plans today are weighted the opposite of what is most optimal.

3) How BVs and CVs are used to manipulate you and water down a pay plan.

4) Why every plan has “breakage” (unpaid commissions) and how to spot it.

5) Why no plan can pay “infinitely” in depth, and the catch among those who claim they do.

6) Other illusionary pay plan benefits that rarely benefit anyone, and why.

This will surely be a controversial, but extremely enlightening presentation. But to be clear, this discussion will not favor any one type of pay plan over another (see #1 above). The aspects exposed during this 60 minute training will be applicable to any and all types of plans, and every distributor is vulnerable to them regardless of what type of plan their company uses.

Please attend, and tell your team!

Thanks for your support of the DRA training calls, and your commitment our great profession.

Association of Network Marketing Professionals

As division of the Distributor Rights Association

The call is at 5:30 PST (8:30 EST), Thursday, Feb. 4th. To listen only, call: 712-432-1001, access code 485438492# To participate in Q&A (time permitting), call: 712-432-1000, code 569864201# Thanks. Len

Last night I have the privilege of being a Fly-On-The-Wall of several Global Verge calls, but the best one was a Private Triple Diamond Call, where the most current and up to date information was given to the top field leaders by Michael Petschel, current CEO of Global Verge, Ben Piilani, CEO of Zer01, Craig Perry, COO of Global Verge, and Steve Lewis (Not sure of his official title).

Ben Piilani, reiterated Zer01 long term commitment to Global Verge, and did make it clear that Zer01 and Global have an exclusive agreement giving Global Verge the exclusive marketing rights to the MLM profession.

Ben, also made it very clear that Zer01 is NOT Limited to Global Verge, and eventually will have their service and phones in big box stores like Sear, Wal-Mart, Best Buy and others.

He, also made it very clear that Global Verge would have the lowest price available. (Which has been one of my concerns.)

Steve Lewis and Craig Perry (the new Global Verge COO) both were very excited that Global Verge has retained World Renown MLM Attorney Gerry Nehra and his law partner Richard Waak.

This in and off itself was the #1 best piece of information I heard last night. Gerry was my corporate attorney when I ran ProSTEP, and is a great friend to the Distributors Rights Association.

If Craig Perry and the rest of the corporate staff will listen to Gerry’s advice then they just might have a chance at getting through these hiccups.

Craig Perry did make it very clear he is bringing in a staff of attorneys and other experts to go after all non-company approved websites and shutting them down.

This again has been one of my major warning signs. When a company allows their reps to dictate the marketing, then the companies never last. This is a great move on the part of Global Verge.

Steve Lewis, also announced that the company was not leaving the reps without a marketing platform. Global Verge will be launching in the near future (not sure what that means) a company controlled online marketing system.

Steve Lewis, also told the Global Verge Triple Diamond Leaders, that Buzzirk Wireless now has 400 of the special Zer01 phones in the warehouse, and that Sim Chips would be in stock within 8 to 30 days. (Not sure why 1 to 4 weeks.)

He also mentioned, that Zer01 has found over 200,000 Ericsson phones which are ready for the Zer01 Sim Chip. (Now sure about that piece of information. Erriicsson just inked a 6 billion dollar deal with Sprint, Sprint might not like them selling phone to a new competitor)

Steve Lewis also explained that the Global Verge credit card processor, had halted their merchant account, when Global Verge started processing thousands of orders per day. Which is why Global Verge asked their reps to use ACH (automatic withdraw from checking accounts).

(On the surface this makes 100% sense. However, there are some outstanding questions about some of the founders and corporate staff, that could have also caused this action.)

As I wrote earlier this week. When a company doesn’t collect fees, they can’t payout commissions. Plus, if fees are not collected, then the Distributor Agreements are not actively enforce, and no commissions are owed.

In layman’s terms, their are a boatload of folks who think they are marketing Buzzirk Wireless, and recruiting folks into Global Verge who are not even active in the compensation plan yet.

Steve Lewis also made another great announcement. Because of all the credit card issues, the company has decided NOT to Charge Cards without Global Verge distributors going back into their Global Verge back-office and reaffirming the fact they want to be Global Verge Reps, and that they want to be charged for Autoship (Not sure what monthly autoship means in this case, since Zer01 mobile / Buzzirk Wireless have not launched a monthly service yet.)

Steve Lewis also made it clear they were giving reps three choices when it comes to receiving commissions.

1. Reps can continue as if everyhing is completely normal (my paraphrase)
2. Reps can cancel everything until they feel Global Verge is rock solid (again my paraphrase) In which case Global Verge will wave the 6 month waiting period and allow the reps back in when they are ready.
3. Reps can stay in the Matrix, but go off autoship and not be entitled to commissions.

This third option is hazy for me. For a company to be legit, they can’t keep commissions from reps on personal sales. Steve Lewis made it sound has if ALL commissions would be with held and not just override commissions from level two and beyond.

All in all if what was said by all the principles involved is true, and they can get all their software, credit card processing, legal and corporate staff issues taken care of, then they should be able to charge cards, pay commissions, and grow a successful company.

However, if they are blowing smoke, and this is just a way to keep from paying back those fees they have collected, before their credit card processor closed them down…

Some folks will go to prison, some will go bankrupt, and others will never show their face in Network Marketing again.

This call was good and the strategies shared do show the company is moving in the right direction.

Never Give Up,

Troy Dooly

UniVera Sciences called him a disgruntled distributor I call John Terhune a Servant Leader. John is willing along with Marshall Douglas and Joe Land, and standing up to a company with a long history of abusing their Distributors and saying enough is enough. See Lawsuit Press Release.

Troy’s Truth: What makes this case so different from some of the others is the fact John Terhune is a former Trail Attorney, and is not afraid of a fight. Especially one he knows he can win. Someone at UniVera Sciences should have done some background work!

Like other former Amway Distributor’s Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady, these guys are fed up with companies who while they are building their respective business to “talk to everyone”, “go after everyone”, then when the field leaders get fed up with the abuse, decide to take the business they built to a new home decide to use every means in their power, like termination, holding commission checks, slander, propaganda, Intimidation, Bullying, and Unfair Trade Practices to keep them from talking to their own team members.

However, unlike when Orrin & Chris left Amway and went to war over when, where and how they communicated with their former Amway team members.

UniVera Sciences, is really at war with their former CEO Derek Hall, who resigned a few years ago and who this year launched a new Network Marketing company – Qivana.

So, think about it for a second. If the CEO who the top distributor’s loved, resigns, then decides to launch his own company, doesn’t it make since that he would contact these close friends and tell them what he is doing?

And doesn’t it make since, that if they buy into his vision they would tell their friends and together they would all launch a new company?

And, yes, if I ran the former company, I would be going nuts, and want to figure out a way to stop the mutiny. But, this is America, and even though we have seen some crazy changes in the Free Enterprise System over the last few months, I still believe we as distributors who have used our sweat and blood to build our own personal Marketing & Distribution Home-Based Businesses, have a right to go where we believe our teams will continue to grow.

I look at this in the same like as Agel telling Randy Schroeder he can’t join his long time friend Dallin Larsen in growing MonaVie.

Yes, it sucks to see top leaders jumping from the companies they helped to launch. Randy Schroeder left Agel. Robert Dean left Noni. Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady left Amway. Reco McDaniel left lightyear, and now John Terhune, Marshall Douglas and Joe Land leave UniVera.

Why can’t the founder and officers of these companies realize the issue is not the leaving of these great leaders to other companies. It is the break down of communication and trust that has taken place over months if not years before the final decision to leave takes place.

And, NO this does not happen at all MLM companies.

As a matter of fact I was on the phone with a million dollar earner from XanGo this last week, who was sharing with me a situation that should be the leading example for ALL OTHER NETWORK MARKETING COMPANIES!

See, XanGo had made a change in their P&Ps over the last few months, that went 100% against distributors. In the stroke of a pen, XanGo went from being one of the top distributor friendly companies to one of the worst.

So, some of the top leaders (who are members of the DRA) contacted us at the Distributors Rights Association to see if we could help. We contacted XanGo’s compliance officers and had a very good conversation. After the conversation the company called their top distributors into the home office, along with three of the founders and their corporate staff.

After giving great gifts to the top distributors, feeding them a great meal, everyone got down to the business of reviewing the issues with the changes in the P&Ps.

The meeting lasted for over an hour, and as the meeting was coming to a close, the distributors were told “we’ll review your requests, and get back to you within 30 days.” However, one of the Founders said, before we let these distributors leave and go back home, I would like a sidebar.

The officers and founders left the room for about 20 minutes, and upon returning, it was decided that instead of waiting 30 days, the company had already came to a decision…

The Founders of XanGo and their top Executive Officers, decided that the changes the distributors had asked for, would be made, and the company went back to being one of the top distributor friendly companies in MLM.

So, why can’t other MLM Companies realize that the relationship between Distributors and the Companies is really a partnership? Maybe if more Founders and CEOs would take back control of their companies from the money hungry attorneys, who on their best day, couldn’t get past the first rank advancement of any comp plan.

Maybe now would be a good time for everyone reading this post, to join the DRA and join the only association in Network Marketing focused 100% of the time on acting on the behalf of Distributors, both with the companies and in Washington.

$50 dollars a year, tax deductible is all it cost to protect your future. Look most of us waste $50 a year in food we don’t eat in our fridge.

Never Give Up,

Troy Dooly
The Maverick Leader

As most of you who read my blog on a regular basis know, I happen to help lead the largest team in INVISUS Direct. And over the last few years we have been blessed to attract over 40 of the top six and seven figure earners to our team.

However, Jerry & Evelyne Ball of Melaleuca are not on that list… At least not as Distributors.

Jerry, Eve and I have been friends for years, but out of respect for their love for Melaleuca I have never once tried to recruit them into INVISUS Direct.

However, since INVISUS Direct does offer the world’s first and only Managed Internet & Identity Theft Protection, I did make sure Jerry was one of my clients. And I had him do some web design work for our team.

Jerry & Evelyne Ball have been my clients for years with both INVISUS Direct and MLM Leads, and during this time we have supported them and their Melaleuca team.

Because of the purported and biased rumors that have been running around both online and offline that “Jerry Ball is a distributor in INVISUS”, I asked the Co-Founders of INVISUS Direct to help me set the record straight.

Here is what James Harrison the CEO and Co-Founder wrote to me yesterday.

“From: James Harrison [mailto:@invisus.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 6:59 PM
To: ‘Troy Dooly’
Cc: Jerry Ball; ‘Jeff Nichols’; Brent Standing
Subject: statement regarding Jerry Ball

James Harrison
CEO, INVISUS Direct”

View Letter Here

I also know that a top Melaleuca leader called INVISUS this week to see if Jerry Ball was a distributor with INVISUS. During the conversation, one of our customer service reps made a statement along the lines of “Yes Jerry is one of our top leaders.” This was a totally false statement, but was based in part because of the web work he has done for our team, and the fact that I have been blessed to have one of Jerry’s close friends John Counts as one of my top leaders, and I have posted several pictures over the years with the three of them together.

John had also submitted a photo a few years ago with both Jerry & Eve included, and the INVISUS web team, just never cropped the picture.

As a Director with the Distributor’s Rights Association (DRA) I found it very unethical for anyone to spread unsubstantiated rumors, knowing that the end result could be the termination of leaders like Jerry & Evelyne Ball.

I just watched this same thing take place at XanGo, and in the XanGo case, a predatory upline who started the rumors, did get one of their leaders terminated, but in the process, they went from a five figure a month income, to a five figures a year income.

Although I can’t prove who started these rumors, I do know for a fact that they were started in the hopes that Jerry & Evelyne would be terminated by Melaleuca based on the Melaleuca Non-Compete Policy.

Unlike some, I do not fault Melaleuca’s President and CEO Frank VanderSloot for creating this Policy, taking it to the Courts and winning. Frank is known as a controversial leader, and not everyone will agree with his values or actions. But as the leader of his company, he is willing to fight for what he believes in. As a matter of fact, that also includes his personal life. People always know where Frank stands on every issue.

So, if anyone has any questions on Jerry & Evelyne Ball, I strongly suggest you call me personally or better yet, call James Harrison the CEO and Co-Founder of INVISUS Direct!

Never Give Up,

Troy Dooly
The Maverick Leader
Executive Manager
INVISUS Direct
850-650-0557

When I thought YTB’s issues were under control, the Travel Industry comes out blazing showing their hate for the MLM Travel Industry.

From reading the following articles over at Travel Pulse, it is now very clear that the professional Travel Agents in America are not going to allow their careers be go down the drain any longer and are now lumping YTB in with Card Mills.

Article One

Article Two

Article Three

Rod Cook – The MLM Watchdog has written a great opinion on the MLM Travel Industry. Click Here.

If you are a YTB agent, or are with other companies like “World Ventures”, “TraVerus, or “Global Resorts Network”, then I would strongly suggest you take three specific actions.

1. Join the DRA (Distributor’s Rights Association) so you can have someone fighting for your rights, and not just the company protecting their financial interests. Reps from Burn Lounge did not take my advice, and the company killed their field force, and still went out of business.

2. Put on a very thick skin, because things are going to get rough, before they get better. And if you are one of the top 25 earners in your company, I strongly suggest you get yourself a great Distributor focused attorney on retainer.

In researching and reading through some of the current cases top distributors are also being sued by the AGs and named in cival actions against the companies. And beleive me the company is going to look out for #1, they will not be representing you.

3. Have a plan “B”. Don;t wait until it is to late and your income is completely gone. If you want the names of some great leaders or companies contact me personally and we’ll talk.

Never Give Up,

TroyDooly

The Maverick Leader

What do MLM companies YTB (Your Travel Biz) and Liberty League have in common? Well this is a question that most distributors have no clue, and one I want to bring to the surface.

First let me say, I have great friends in both of these companies. Some are top leaders and others are just getting started.

Over at DeskPing and MLM Leads we support distributors with both of these companies by providing them company specific real-time leads.

But no matter how good the distributors may be, the ultimate success or failure of a company is truly determined by the CEO and the team they have running the corporate side of things.

So back to the question… What do YTB and Liberty League have in common?

This last week they were both hit with major class action lawsuits.

YTB – hit with 100 million dollar Class action suit.

Liberty League – Hit with RICO Class Action Lawsuit.

So what should distributors do to make sure they know their rights?

Take time right now to join the Distributor’s Rights Association by Clicking Here!

Never Give Up,

Troy Dooly
The Maverick Leader

Over the last few months I have received several requests about a company called MyShoppingGenie.com. So I thought I would take a little time today and share a little about the company.

MySHoppingGenie.com is owned by a company called MyNet Universe based out of TX. and is run by several people who have been in and around network marketing for years.

Now if you do a Google search you will find some very interesting comments about some of the people connected to MyShoppingGenie.com. However, I want to say right up front that I believe everyone deserves a second chance. Even a third or fourth, if they will finally learn from their mistakes.

The concept of MySHoppingGenie.com is to allow authorized licensed reps to distribute free of charge the MySHoppingGenie software. The software is a desktop widget that connects to some of the largest most respected online shopping sites on the web. Sites like eBay and Amazon, and the company plans to add other sites in the near future.

For those who might be looking at MyShoppingGenie.com here is something to think about.

Will the 3×5 matrix hold up under TX & Federal laws governing MLM and business opportunities. The last time I looked for a compensation plan to be legal commissions had to come from the sale of products to the end user, not from signed up fees or the sale of licenses to new distributors.

With the A.G. of Calf filing suite in the tune of $25 million dollars against YTB (Your Travel Business), as a pyramid scheme after years of successful business, it makes me wonder what will happen to MySHoppingGenie.com when he gets wind of them.

Or maybe we should look at the $53 million dollars in assets seized by the Secret Service and the U.S. A.G. this week from Ad Surf Daily, another company who had a compensation plan payouts based on new money coming in and not from the sale of products or services to the end user.

I love the profession of network marketing, but as distributors we must not fall prey to the slick sounding story of those who have a vested interest in taking out money. And as for MySHoppingGenie.com I am still looking for distributors who are earning high payouts from the eBay partner program, because people who have downloaded the free software are buying more stuff of eBay.

My suggestion is to contact the DRA (Distributor’s Rights Association) before you join any company that sounds to good to be true.

Never Give Up,

Troy Dooly
The Maverick Leader

Now what I find interesting is that just last month YTB filed with the SEC their intent to move away from the Network Marketing business model by next year and move to a more traditional franchise business model.

I have trained, supported and provided top quality MLM Leads to YTB distributors for year, and have seen countless distributors earn four and five figures a month with YTB. So to say it is a “gigantic pyramid scheme” is what I would call a “gigantic publicity stunt.”

This would also be a good time for me to put a plug in for the Distributor’s Rights Association. If you are wondering about your MLM company or you are a YTB rep. Then you need to join the DRA and keep informed on your rights, and what you can and can’t do if your company is effected by an over agreesive AG.

Never Give Up,

Troy Dooly
The Maverick Leader