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#1: Gets Measured, Gets Improved

"Numbers don't lie. Build a Quantified and Data-Driven Business." -Michael Thomas

  • Part-timers should earn at least $25k, and strive for $50k+. Full-timers should earn at least $50k and strive for $100k+.
  • Your business management must fact-based and data-driven.
  • A fundamental principle in the field of Kaizen (improvement), is that what you track, gets better.
  • Whether it is business, fitness, finances, health or hobbies, if you graph the progress it keeps you focused and opens opportunities for improvement.
  • What gets reinforced, gets repeated.


The Four A's

  • Average Monthly Revenue
  • Annual Recurring Revenue
  • Active Advisors
  • Average Revenue per Advisor


#2: Everything Goes to Those Who Build a Big Team

""Everything goes to those who build a big base shop." -Mike Sharpe

  • The long term glory, consistent income and security goes to those who build a Big Team.
  • A strong business is a Branch of $100,00+ monthly, and Base + 1st of $500,000+ monthly.
  • $1,000,000+ ARR through Base and First.


#3 Go Wide to Ensure that You Control Your Business

“The only way to ensure that you “run” your business, not your downlines/clients is to go wide.”

  • No one downline Rep/leg should represent more than 50% of your team's production.
  • No one downline Rep's production should be responsible for you winning the Financial Independence Trip. In other words, if your top Advisor did no production you should still win the trip.
  • No more than 25% of your ARR should come from any one client.


#4 You should be training a Champion or in hot pursuit of a Champion

“The most important activities as a Team Builder are to Go Wide, Field Train and Develop Productive Advisors.”

  • You can’t have too many direct, productive Advisors.
  • One is too small a number to achieve greatness.
  • Train them until they're fully-licensed, independent, and making money.
  • It is easier to run a large team, than a small one.
  • You usually have the highest "spread" via your directs.
  • You have the most influence over your directs.
  • Work hard to find the next "Hero" of your business. Work with the "average" ones, while prospecting for the Champion.


#5 If your People Frustrate You Then You Don't Have Enough of Them

“Never let your people frustrate you. They don’t work for you. If you have enough people the winners will emerge and then the others won’t frustrate you any longer.”

  • Not everyone will be a superstar, nor will everyone stay on your team forever.
  • Realize that you can only get so much out of the people you have.
  • Most downlines have "found their place" in your team. Only they can change themselves. NOT you. Leaders "self-select" themselves.
  • Instead of trying to motivate your people, attract more motivated people and put them in our system.


#6 Present yourself as a Deshika, not a Guru

"" Deshika literally means ‘guide’ in Sanskrit. Strive to be that."

  • Offer your Reps tools and possible insights, don’t tell them what to do.
  • Surrender to your teacher, but only as a guide, not as a guru.
  • The ultimate responsibility for you getting good instructions lies not with your teacher/manager but with you.


#7 It’s Not What You Do, but What You Cause Others Do

"Bosses tell people what to do. Leaders get people to want to do.”

  • You pay bills with what you do. You build an enterprise by what you cause others to do.
  • You don’t get paid to “recruit” Advisor, but to get them to do what they don’t want to do, but need to do.
  • Your job is not merely to inform or “transfer data” but to persuade and influence.


#8 Culture is Your Behavioral Counselor

"Sometimes we have to trick people into making money.”* -Mike Sharpe

Read Robert Greene's TDL 06-10 - Infect the Group with Productive Emotions PDF

  • Behavior is the solution for investing and building your business.
  • The three things that affect your behavior the most: yourself, a mentor, and the culture.
  • Culture is the environment/ambiance/climate of your workplace. The right culture can motivate you and your associates to improve behavior and performance.
  • Examples: competition, targets, contests, awards, public recognition etc.


#9 Give your Team Targets to Attack

"“Professionals need targets in order to focus their efforts.”

  • You want to aggressively promote targets for your Advisors to shoot for.
  • It’s best to use the built-in targets of the AdvisorFirst Group System.
  • Examples: Promotions, Annual Recurring Revenue, Watch & Rings, AdvisorFirst Polo, Leaders Board, Monthly Contests, 10/1 Club, Break a Record etc.


#10 Four Things to Promote to Recruiting Prospects

  • Our Philosophy.
  • Our Platform: Systems, Business Structure etc.
  • Our Products: Access to the independent market.
  • Our Support: A guide (you!), Training, Team Help etc.


#11 Ok & Disengage

Offer help. If you get rebuffed or encounter push-back, just say "ok" (nothing else) and disengage.


#12 Often Wrong, Never In Doubt

Read Ryan Holiday's Daily Stoic lesson This is The Reward For Being A Leader PDF