Better Than A New Car!

Stephanie's experience buying a new car is the "Oooh La La" of being persistent with your home based business. But we all know that for some people, they are not going to approach it in a way where they earn a second income. Some aren't going to earn any income for that matter. Many coaches do it because being a coach helps them stay accountable to their own fitness goals, and it just feels good to help people.

One such coach, Alan Cottrell, started his own WOWY group filled with family, friends and neighbors. He has earned just $177 over the past year. But he's in it for the health benefits he gets and the good feeling of helping people.

My sister Robin makes a hundred dollars here and there as a coach, but is not into recruiting coaches. She has told me she does it just to be part of a healthy group of people, that it keeps her motivated.

I've also gotten to know a coach through MySpace named Angie Cyr. She wrote me the other day and described all the stuff going on her life, which any of us would find it hard to get through, much less also stay focused on fitness and coaching. She has her reasons, as she writes:

Carl -- People always ask me why I've got such a great attitude when so much “stuff” is going on in my life. (My mom and dad live with me and they are sick; Mom physically - a lot - and Dad mentally - getting worse by the minute; My youngest son has had some sort of ailment for the last 5 years that gets him violently ill throughout the year; 5 of those times ending up in the hospital and 2 of those hospital visits have been in the ICU.)

So how am I able to deal with all of this and still be a Beachbody coach while not going insane? Easy: Beachbody has given me the tools I need to keep the stress level down. If it were not for my Beachbody friends, exercise and healthy eating, being a Beachbody coach and helping others with their issues, I would be a basket case.

As a coach, helping others helps keep me from focusing just on my problems. I love being a coach because not only do I get to help others, but I help myself as well. The stress is still there in my life, but thanks to Beachbody I can handle the stress. (Oh, by the way, I also just started a health and fitness ministry at church!)

Angie Cyr

PS: BTW, I first became a coach in order to get a discount on the products I love. (I have EVERY DARN WORKOUT IN THE BEACHBODY STORE!) But I became an Emerald after my success story aired (I was a Sept. 2007 $1,000 winner in the monthly contest) and people started emailing me to tell me what an inspiration I was.

I realized I could really make a difference in someone's life and that excited me. I love getting those touching emails!

PSS: I also head up a message board called Get Ready For Summer Challenge. There are a couple of rules and one of them is they must contact their coach once a week!

Let's Make Mickey A Coach

In case you were wondering if this obesity trend is for real, and whether it's time to stop looking for the next quick fix scam and to start choosing the kind of solutions we offer at Million Dollar Body and Beachbody, check this out: "It's A Fat World Afterall."


Louise Gold from our finance department forwarded this link to me which tells how society is getting so large, that we're "bottoming out" some of the rides at Disney's theme parks!

It's no laughing matter. Imagine the embarrassment a person would feel knowing they were responsible for hanging up an entire boat of sightseers. And you know when the obesity is that extreme, diabetes is not far off. It has to be an awful feeling physically and emotionally. And those are the exact complaints that drive Beachbody product development.

Imagine how excited that person might be to know there was a place where they could plug into legitimate programs that are proven to work that would gracefully help them lose the weight, with a diet plan that is simple, and a community that will help them stay with it when the going gets tough. MDB coaches represent the Beachbody tools that make a healthy choice a reality.

One thing is for sure, the timing could not be better for a business opportunity that truly contributes to the health of our society. Perhaps the "happiest place on earth" could also be the best place to recruit new customers and coaches!

This Is Not Your Father's Home Based Biz Opp

When we began paying commissions on sales of Beachbody products to our customers, with an incentive for them to bring in additional reps to spread the word, the only customer complaints pertained to the seedy reputation of other multi-level marketers as a "pyramid scheme".

That reputation is largely due to the millions of families who are still stuck with inventory of soap, pills, and water filters from business ventures of the past, and the pressure to effectively become the sales manager to your own friends and family members.

After just six months of operation, I can proudly say, we are none of any of that. We are promoters of health and fitness. And for the people who get in and get active with Million Dollar Body, the opportunity is anything but "traditional" network marketing, but with every bit of potential for financial reward.

Actually, I think I've probably offended more network marketers than we've signed up because of my convictions. (I sometimes speak my mind a little too freely. Ask me about the "Pyruvate Incident" sometime.) The reason we may not be immediately attractive to network marketing heavyweights is our commitment to making this home based business opportunity about getting people healthy and active - FOR REAL! That in itself is a multi-billion dollar opportunity if we stay focused on the real goal. The fact that I won't pitch the money potential first and the health benefits second makes me look foolish to those who have made their big bucks hawking business opportunities. The fact that we don't require people to invest thousands of dollars in inventory looks counter-intuitive to the folks who are used just to selling "the next hot breakthrough". But imagine how many millions of people who need a friend to lend them a hand in getting more active would appreciate something that could also earn them an extra income! THAT'S OPPORTUNITY with REAL substance!

And that's why this concept and the Beachbody faithful who are helping it grow are so special.

Exercise will NEVER go out of style. No drug can replace exercise. No electrical stimulation device can make it easier. If you want your body to work and feel good, you need to use it, or you will feel the consequences sooner than you expect. Eating right is simple. We show you how to achieve it. That has value to everyone around you. We are committed to helping people understand how to do it. That is the word we are spreading. Beachbody customer complaints generally stem from those who didn't have the support or accountability to stay with the program they purchased. Million Dollar Body changes all that by connecting people together in a "network" of support. That's the revolution that we're committed to creating here!

The miraculous stories of people who rediscover exercise and how their lives change because of it is the heart of what we do. The financial opportunity and how it has already helped people pay off their mortgages, pay for their kids school, or buy the car they always wanted are also incredible and meaningful. The two go hand in hand with what is so substantial about this opportunity.

The other day in a meeting I made a point about how I would pitch this if I could be a coach. I wouldn't whip out photos of the new car my commissions bought me, or the flat screen TV being installed at the house thanks to my rank advancements, I would show my before and after photos, and tell my friend that they can do it too if they make a simple "20 in 30" promise...

"I hear you complaining about your energy, about how your clothes fit, and how you don't like the way your body looks... If you want to change all that, I promise you, you can. And it can generate an income for you too. If you want to get results, I will help you; All you need to do is promise me two things: (1) Get started on something: Sign up, pick a program, and do at least 20 workouts in 30 days. And (2) Pass it on: Ask two people whose health you care about to do the same thing. That's it. If you don't see results in those 30 days, you can quit and get the money back for the product. But I know you will see results, and your life will change. And people will ask you if you're on a diet. And you'll tell them about this. And you will be in business. That's how easy things happen when you make that simple decision: Commit to at least 20 workouts in 30 days. All you need to do right now is stop thinking about it, and make those two promises to me: Get started, and pass it on."

Will some of our coaches make a lot of money by signing up, getting two more to sign up, and qualifying to help support our customers to get success? Absolutely. And some won't make a thing or care about it. They'll do it so they can feel the same thing I get to feel every day I get a success story email.

We're entering a period of very dramatic growth. The lead pool is going to accelerate in the next few months. The coaches who get in now and share our vision of helping people get healthy are the ones who deserve the financial rewards. The kind of coaches I want to help us build this will be a positive force of health and peer support, and they will reap the rewards. I don't care if you wear a tie (I don't), I don't care if you spend your money on toys or education, I don't care if you walk, jog, or crush P90X. All I care about is that you get healthy, and that you contact your coaches and customers from time to time to help them stay accountable to their plan as well.

You are the Beachbody elite, and together we're changing the state of health in this country!



THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT, AND I AM GRATEFUL TO THOSE WHO ARE STEPPING UP TO MAKE IT HAPPEN!

February Success Story Contest!

As the 1st of February approaches, I wanted to remind members of the Million Dollar Body club that you have just one week left to take a current after photo, update your profile, and submit your success story - deadline is midnight Thursday Feb 1!

We'll be awarding $26,000 to male and female success stories in four age groups:

18-29, 30-39, 40-49, and 50+

Six of the eight winners get $1,000, and the two best male and female success stories get $10,000 each. HELLO! All eight winners are then eligible for the grand prize $250,000 to be decided after twelve months (even more reason to keep pushing play for the entire year!)

Last month there were some age groups in which we only got a couple entries, and one category where we got NO entries. So the chances of winning money for all your hard work and discipline have never been better!

We'll announce the January winners in the first week of February. Look for a new video online from the hosts of the Million Dollar Body Game here on February 5th!

For the official rules, click here

Thank You FTC!

When this news was published a couple weeks ago, I got a bunch of emails from people who were wondering if this meant anything to Beachbody and Million Dollar Body. As far as I am concerned, it's great news, because the more publicity there is saying that a healthy lifestyle doesn't come in a bottle, the smarter our balanced approach looks.

There just is nothing better than achieving weight loss through fun fitness, simple portion control, and a peer support system that helps you stay on track. If you want to lose weight you need to balance calorie expenditure with calorie consumption to create a daily deficit. And if you want to keep it off, you have to support your metabolism with food and resistance training. That's the solution. Anything else is like borrowing a skinny suit for a weekend with the penalty of feeling lousy and gaining more back soon after. Can some supplements help you get results? Sure, in a supportive role to a healthy lifestyle. The pill pushers recommend diet and exercise in the fine print, when our community knows better. Bravo FTC!


FTC fines 4 diet pill makers for false claims
Marketers of popular weight-loss drugs misled consumers, FTC says
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday fined the marketers of four weight loss pills $25 million for making false advertising claims ranging from rapid weight loss to reducing the risk of cancer.

FTC Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras said the products would remain on store shelves, but that the companies would have to stop making the false claims.

“What we challenge is the marketing of the claims,” she said. “The marketers are required to back up the claims with the science and if they can’t do that they can’t make the claim. But we don’t ban the products from the shelves.”

The FTC investigated a variety of claims made — including rapid weight loss and reduction in the risk of osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s and even cancer, Majoras noted.

Fines were levied against marketers of Xenadrine EFX, One A Day Weight Smart, CortiSlim and TrimSpa.

Telephone calls to the marketers seeking comment were not immediately returned Thursday.
Majoras said that some of the money paid as civil fines would be returned to consumers. “We always try to get money back when consumers have been deceived,” she said. “In this instance I’m pleased to say that I believe we’re going to get millions back from some of these products to be able to return it to consumers.”

The largest fine was levied against two marketers of Xenadrine EFX, made by New Jersey-based Nutraquest, Inc., formerly known as Cytodyne Technologies. The marketers will pay at least $8 million and as much as $12.8 million. A federal lawsuit has been filed in Newark, N.J. The marketer was identified as RTC Research & Development, LLC, based in Manasquan, N.J.
A $12 million fine was assessed against seven marketers of CortiSlim and CortiStress. The marketers were identified as Window Rock Health Laboratories, based in Brea, Calif.
The Bayer Corp., based in Morristown, N.J., will pay a $3.2 million civil penalty to settle the claims and agreed to stop ads that say the multivitamins can increase metabolism. TrimSpa, based in Whippany, N.J., will pay $1.5 million.

Placebo more effective Majoras cautioned the estimated 70 million Americans trying to lose weight not to turn to pills.

“You’re not going to find weight loss in a bottle of pills,” she said.
She said the FTC investigation found that the marketers of Xenadrine had a study that said those who took a placebo actually lost more weight than those taking the pill.

“They not only didn’t have studies to support the claim, they actually had a study that went the other way,” she said.

Some of the products marketed their claims through infomercials or celebrity endorsements. Anna Nicole Smith, for example, has endorsed TrimSpa.

“Testimonials from individuals are not a substitute for science,” Majoras said. “And that’s what Americans need to understand.”'