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October 15, 2007

“STOP IT!  Or I’ll bury you alive in a box!!!”

“STOP IT!  Or I’ll bury you alive in a box!!!”

Yes, you read that correctly.  Believe me, its not quite what you think!

Its absolutely no secret that everyone wants to be successful in their life.  Now, some of us- do “everything right”.  We make out our goals, put up vision boards, practice the Law of Attraction, work on our business skills, train with experts. 

Now, everyone asks us- all of the time- how it is that we do have such a great and forward moving team as well as unusually high team wide success rates.  I ALWAYS answer that questions with the fact that its really in the “sorting”.  Lots of people ARE interested- and frankly- we could make sales left and right if that was where our interest lay.  (Trust us- there are MANY directors are that are not as selective).  But, our primary focus is helping people- and if we know from the get go- that they are going to be difficult to work with (not coachable, trainable, responsible, self motivated, willing to take our advice, ask for help or simply do the work) then we simply NEVER get back to them.   We don’t ask for a LOT- simply good communication skills, a minimum of 12 hours per week, and the willingness of follow our advice and plug into our system.  That system REALLY DOES do over 80% of the work FOR us- so we work smart, not hard.  Now, we won’t tell you to sit back and do nothing- but we DO NOW that if you follow those simple guidelines- on average, you will see profit in your business in 60-90 days.  If you ask US- it’s a no brainer.

In fact, our very simple sorting policy- is 3 strikes.  Really- if someone doesn’t get back to us in 3 phone messages or emails, or doesn’t look at the information that they inquired about and committed to review and have been reminded and accommodated on 3 occasions- they ARE NOT the kind of person we want to work with in our business.

Yes… but…. Maybe something happened that meant they couldn’t get back to you, or didn’t get the message.  Sure, we have had more then a few people get back to us later apologizing up and down that they had to leave town suddenly or whatnot.  The POINT is- they did get back to us and they DID apologize.  But truly- if someone really misses 3 voicemails- they really should NOT be running a business.  In our opinion- we are really looking out for THEIR best interests by not chasing them around.  Chances are they aren’t interested- or quite possibly that they simply aren’t competent.  Think about it- what if in the future they can’t get promptly back to their CLIENTS voicemails??  Not good, right?

But.. but.. but…

Which is actually the point, friend- of this latest blog entry!

The biggest reason holding 95% of people back from their dreams for a bright future is the most deadly social disease of ALL time. 

Excuses.

Really, making excuses to ourselves and others- it’s a socially acceptable “reason” for FAILURE!

The Dog ate my homework didn’t get us anywhere in school.. so why all of a sudden is it considered REASONABLE as an adult to say

 “I couldn’t do __________ because of __________” or similar?

Think about it- is there really a valid excuse (aka “reason”) for most things in life?  I would tell you- NO.  The point of being an adult is to be accountable and responsible.  This involves being pro-active, not making excuses!

Really- there are only 3 things that I recommend (in a nutshell) to become successful in your life- if you want to get ANYTHING you dream or desire into your life, there is only 2 ingredients

1. Set clear, specific goals into writing and review them often
2. Develop action plans to achieve your goals- take one SMALL step towards them daily
3. Do NOT make excuses for ANYTHING, in any area of your life- big or small, important or not.

That’s it- I assure you that with those 2 things- you WILL change your life dramatically
 
Now, if you want to hear a better then GREAT audio recording about this social disease we call Excuses- and learn valuable techniques that will help you rid yourself of this social epidemic that leads ONLY to the failure and mediocrity which is the hallmark of unfulfilled human potential results in a dis-satisfying and generally MISERABLE life then drop by this website and pick of a FREE copy of the valuable Dani Johnson audio CD entitled “The One Things Stopping You”

www.WorkAtHomeProfitZone.com/theonething

( Believe me, I don’t put out recommendations that I don’t SWEAR by- this is well worth the shipping cost!)

Now, for a great belly laugh that also illustrates my point (and explains the whacky title of this entry) we turn to the GREAT Bob Newhart:

(Especially with my background- this had me on the floor!!!  Enjoy!)

October 14, 2007

The question of Support…

“Every positive change--every jump to a higher level of energy and awareness--involves a rite of passage. Each time to ascend to a higher rung on the ladder of personal evolution, we must go through a period of discomfort, of initiation. I have never found an exception.”

Dan Millman- 21st Century Philosopher

Wow!  We would like to thank all of you for the great feedback and support that we have gotten with the start of our new blog!  We really appreciate all of the great feedback and suggestions!  As always, our goal with this site is to improve your experience, add to your knowledge and give you a bit of an “edge” with your Coastal Vacations business-even if you have not yet started.  “Why?” you might ask- because- it important to US to give back to this great business of Coastal Vacations and contribute our experience and knowledge with the Coastal Synergy Group.  We KNOW that starting out in your very own home based business is a major life decision:  one of those positive changes that will involve a period of initiation- and it is our greatest honour and pleasure to serve.  We believe- there simply IS no higher purpose then Service.  We KNOW- that what we do always comes back to us.

We would like to thank our reader “Jack B” from Arkansas in particular for the following great idea!  What we would like to do is get YOUR questions answered- so if you are wondering about something in particular- just drop us a line and we will do our best to accommodate you.  We always say that the only “stupid” question is the one not asked- so don’t be shy—chances are that if it is on YOUR mind others are wondering to.  So- just zip us off a quick email to jadepeaks@the-truth-about-coastal.com and we will do our best to provide you with a complete and honest answer to your burning question!

The topic of the day (and one of our most passionate subjects of regular discussion) is SUPPORT.

Dear reader:  here are the cold, hard facts…. Most people who start a business (home based or otherwise) WILL fail within their first 5 years.  That is a statistical fact.  Sad but True.

There is absolutely NO mistake that our team motto “Superior Support the Reach the Summit of Success” is also our mission statement.  We wish to be of service to those starting or established in home based business- Coastal Vacations and the Coastal Synergy Group in particular.  Pierre and I serve by providing exceptional, comprehensive support and listening to feedback.  We always are looking for ways to improve that support- and recognize that no system is ever perfect or comprehensive enough to meet the needs of EVERY unique individual.  Make NO mistake- starting a home based business with Coastal Vacations and the Coastal Synergy Group DOES take work on your part- but, in our experience- there is simply NO substitute for a supportive director who will guide, mentor, provide constructive feedback and problem solving ideas when the inevitable challenges arise on your path the success.  We have noticed a rather concerning situation:  far too very often (but NOT always) when someone becomes very successful in their Coastal Vacations business- (we know of people taking on 5-15 personal sales a WEEK with literally HUNDREDS of people on their team)- individual support, mentoring and guidance suffers.  These are not bad directors necessarily- just very BUSY people!  The goal here is more TIME, more TRAVEL, more MONEY and thus FREEDOM.  The problem we have seen is often people have the money and get to travel but simply do NOT have enough time for their team- so they come up with time management solutions that do not often cater to the unique, individual needs of their many team members.

Have you ever heard of the Peter Principle?  The Peter Principle is a theory that says: anything that WORKS will be used in progressively more challenging applications until it causes a disaster.    In the case of massive success with Coastal Vacations- the reality often tends to be this:  directors who are really good at making sales and training people to duplicate tend to grow very large teams VERY quickly.  The business model is designed for us to obtain massive success, and quickly in comparision to most traditional businesses.  On average- Coastal business owners find themselves in profit within 3 months.  That, in itself is remarkable, revolutionary and VERY exciting!!  The problem for YOU (and the resultant disaster according the the Peter Principle)- dear reader- is that sadly and too often- you get started in your business and purchase your package and find that you CAN’T get face time with your director, when you need it, as much and as often as you need it, and how you need it.  This doesn’t necessarily mean that your chosen Director is a “bad person”, a “con artist” or anything like that- it just means that they are GREAT at making sales, and that they are victims of the Peter Principle.  They have to employ time management techniques by changing their training format- and thus, their failure rate in the business goes UP- because people are left- more often then not- to sink or swim and figure much of it out on their own.  People with more natural talents or sheer grit and determination DO find success with these Directors- but the WHOLE POINT of this business- in OUR humble opinion- is that ANYONE with the desire, that gets that all critical SUPPORT and the benefit of a DUPLICABLE system CAN be successful. 

We see this as a critical flaw in the business model.  This exact discussion between Pierre and myself is WHY we formed Jade Peaks. 

What ends up happening then, in most cases- is that the director who needs to find a way to train everyone- starts doing most trainings in a forum or group environment.  This makes sense- training people all in one place and one time on the same topic.  It has some benefits- no doubt- especially for the time crunched Director.  Some even hire industry experts to train their groups FOR them!  On one hand- that is GREAT enrichment training.  But, we ask- what about the basics?  What about information specific to YOUR Coastal Vacations business?  What about follow up calls (we are available for well over 95% of our associates in trainings calls- in our humble opinion they are CALLED training sales, because we are TRAINING our associates during those calls!)  What that means- is if you miss the training- you most often have to email questions to your director or try to grab them on the phone for 5 minutes.  Now, we have seen variations of this- some much better solutions for the unique needs of individuals then others- but the fact remains:

When your business grows to the point of critical mass- you have to CHANGE the way you train and support people- so often you change the very model that brought you success in the first place.  More often then not- sadly, when a Director gets to this phase in their business- their failure rates start to climb- just because people don’t get the personal support, feedback, follow up- we believe that PERSONAL support is critical- there is only so much that any system can do.  Granted- this IS your OWN business- no Director on Earth is ever going to do it FOR you.  But- they should be around to support you, listen to your concerns and questions, be on the phone with you daily and be available to you as much as you require-within of course, reasonable limits.   Yes, you are starting your OWN business- but here is something that people often overlook:

There are SO many external factors other then straight skills and knowledge that factor into your success- ESPECIALLY when starting a business from HOME!

You see- we are doing so MUCH more with our team members then simply showing them how to use the proven, tested and duplicable CSG MAC system.  There is many more factors that go into peoples success of failure then just knowing the product, knowing how to connect and talk to people, knowing where to find answers.

This is a PEOPLE business.  Everything we do in life- involves people.  Just like when little Johnny has problems in school suddenly and the teacher asks about his home life- our role as Directors and Mentors to our team members is to SUPPORT them and help them meet challenges in their lives that impede or affect their ability to garner rapid success with their BUSINESS- in addition to teaching the “hard skills” involved in actually running the business itself.

We know this- MONEY is never a problem- it is a RESULT.  We also know- most people are looking to start a business- because they want more money.  I don’t know many people looking to start a not-for-profit from the discomfort of their spare bedroom- do you??  The thing is this- you have to CHANGE what it is you are doing to bring about the desired result:  More Money.  Making the decision to make changes in your life is a huge step- getting the tools you need to run your business and a solid support system in place is crucial to your successful follow through. 



October 2, 2007

No, WE ARE NOT MARRIED, and I’m NOT A STALKER!

Dear Reader…

Well, this is our very first blog post!  I know it is long awaited, but Pierre and I have been VERY busy since we merged our businesses in July 2007!

Now, most of you don’t know that I speak to many people on a daily basis because of this website.  Much too often, they are Coastal Vacations business owners just dying of curiosity or perhaps looking for support and advice- which, sadly- they are NOT getting from their own directors.  That is a peeve of ours.... more about that in a later posting.  Thankfully, this is rarely (if ever) the case with the Coastal Synergy Group.  More on that later too!  I am always delighted to hear from people, whoever- who have found this site to be a valuable resource in their decision making process- whether or not they choose to work with us.  That was my very first intention when I dreamed of creating this site- I really wanted people to have a one stop info stop- that provided straight facts all in one place when they were researching the business.  I continue to use the CSG MAC system daily- it is how I started my business successfully and how I run it to this day.  Pierre as well- duplicability is our highest priority- and we KNOW we can’t teach and espouse what we do not in fact do!   When I was starting my due diligence process before starting my own business, no information resource (like this site) was available.  Please, keep sending us those comments, suggestions and encouraging words.  This site is a labour of love, and a lot of work- it is so worthwhile when we hear from you!

But, I wanted to get this out of the way before anyone else goes getting any “crazy” ideas.  Not that the idea of marriage IS crazy.  I know many happily married people- as does Pierre.  However, if you are one of the people wanting to speak with my husband- sorry to disappoint!  I don’t have one!  If what you are interested in knowing about is the benchmark standard support, training and tools offered by the Coastal Synergy Group and our team- Jade Peaks- then Pierre is your man.  But he’s still NOT my husband, and he never will be.

So, actually here is how Pierre and I met.  Hold onto your hats, because it is tale of cosmic proportions.  Those of you who know me- KNOW I swear by the Law of Attraction.  How Jade Peaks came to be, is just another piece of “proof” in my opinion.

Here is how it happened….

Pierre actually started his Coastal Vacations business with the CSG a full 2 years before I did.  Now, on the over 30 live training and support calls a week that the Coastal Synergy Group hosts- we hear “Pierre from Quebec” quite often.  He has a rather charming voice and distinctive Québécois accent, for those of you not familiar.  So, I was familiar with Pierre, and in fact- thought he was from Montreal-being both perfectly bilingual and in Quebec, this was the logical conclusion.  Most of Quebec is Francophone- and much of the English speaking population does reside in Montreal (as it turns out, he was born there!).  Pierre also has several exceptional trainings recorded in the Coastal Synergy Groups back office members only “dashboard”, so I was quite admiring of his personal business ethics, philosophy and skill set.  Suffice it to say, I knew who Pierre was even before I started my own business with Coastal Vacations in September 2006.  He had NO CLUE who I was.  Apparently, few people do.  I’m on many of the calls and global theatre presentations-  my name is spelt “Jani” but pronounced “Yawn-ee”.  So, it’s easy to understand. 

Flash forward to New Years Day, 2007.  My business had taken off, and I was having brunch with a long time girlfriend (we went to high school together).  She was spending the holiday with her mother in Toronto, Ontario- and we were catching up (as girls do) over eggs benedict and mimosas.  It WAS New Years Day after all!  I was hearing about her exciting new job in Montreal (she had moved there 4 years prior) and was sharing with her my plans for the upcoming year.  I mentioned to her, that I really wanted to move out of the city.  I grew up in the country, had horses for most of my life- and REALLY wanted to raise my then 18 month old daughter away from the noise and bustle- in the dreamy fresh air of the countryside.

She told me about this FABULOUS horse farm, which just happened to be in a very nice area and- better still- available April 1st.  Fresh spring air, in the country- right at the perfect time to indulge in my dormant passion for gardening, which had been put on a shelf while being an apartment dweller!   I wrote a cheque, there and then- sight unseen and gave it to her to pass on to the property owners.  One of the BEST decisions I ever made.  I knew my friend very well, and I trusted her word.  If she said it was PERFECT for me, I knew that it was.  It is!  I LOVE it here!!

A few weeks later- Pierre from Quebec and I happened to be on the very same Coastal Synergy Group training conference call.  I STILL had not even seen a picture of my new home!  However, being the enthusiastic type that I am- I blurted out on the introductions “Pierre from Quebec, This is Jani from Ontario!  Guess what!  I’m moving very close to where YOU are in Montreal!!!  We simply HAVE to get together!!!” Or something along that line.

Pierre, I know now- thought I was completely loony!  We aren’t allowed to exchange contact information on the calls.  Apparently, he tried to find me- but my name isn’t pronounced anywhere near to how it is spelled- so he did not have any luck.

A few more weeks passed by, and I decided (alright, I tend to do things a little backwards at times) to go out and visit the home I had just written a rather large cheque for- as I was about to give notice on the apartment I had lived in for 10 years in Toronto- I thought it was perhaps wise to assure myself with my own eyes that I was moving my daughter into habitable conditions in another province and I was completely unfamiliar with.  It occurred to me, that I might want to get in touch with Pierre (as I knew no one here save my high school girlfriend) for coffee.  So, I looked him up- I know how to spell AND pronounce Pierre!

So, crazy Jani gives this poor, unsuspecting guy a call wanting to meet in Montreal for coffee.  Remember, I thought he lived there.  He said, where are you moving to exactly?- I said St. Lazare.  Pause…

St. Lazare is a very small town about 40 minutes west of Montreal.  Little did I know at that time- Pierre from Quebec was about to be my neighbour- literally less then 3 minutes away.  I also had no idea that he was recently single.  Pierre got a real case of the jitters, thinking I was some kind of cyber-stalker!!!

Meanwhile it never even OCCURRED to me how creeped out he was- and I was completely unfamiliar with the area- I had no idea it was a REALLY very small town (The “country” here in Quebec is entirely different then most places- my dream horse farm is on town water and there is a fire hydrant on my front lawn- properties are narrow and deep, but still fairly close together- in old French colonial style) , saying- “Oh, we are going to be NEIGHBOURS! How nice to be able to have coffee meetings like the rest of the world- in person! Where is the nearest Tim Horton’s?”   Until that point, I had never met a Coastal Synergy Group member- most of our trainings are online or over the telephone, and I was really very enthusiastic about the idea!  Poor guy- he had no idea what to think of this crazy Ontarian!

I guess some ladies will go to great lengths to get a good looking date. 

Needless to say, Pierre somehow avoided me (and I of course was completely oblivious) until a full week after I officially moved in on April 1st- when curiosity finally got the better of him.  We met at a café in town- what was supposed to be 20 minutes ended up being 3 hours of “shop talk”.  I invited him and his wife and children to a housewarming party- and was surprised that he knew she could not attend that far in advance, little knowing of his separation.  3 months later, we were business partners.

That is how it happened, folks!  So no- he isn’t my husband, he has no plans to be, we don’t live in sin and really met through and BECAUSE of this great home based business!  That’s the Law of Attraction in ACTION!!!  We are so blessed by the Coastal Synergy Group - it continually amazes me- we have the same vision, long term goals and ideals- and seem to think and work together almost seamlessly.  It is beyond co-incidence that we do in fact often complete each others sentences and often have the same thought or idea right at the same time.   It’s completely understandable that some people would THINK we are an established, long time married couple.  However, we are just 2 people that have resonance with each other.  This is why our idea to create Jade Peaks Mentoring came into reality, and why we are having the incredible results we've experienced to date, creating SUCCESS through SYNERGY for our team and the many people we come into contact with on a daily basis.  We are positively LOVING it!!!  Like Forest Gump said- we go together like “peas and carrots!”  At least now that Pierre knows I’m not a stalker!!

So, just in case you were one of our valued readers wondering.. That is how it all started!  We look forward to sharing with you more current news in coming posts!  We have LOTS of exciting things happening with the Coastal Synergy Group and many upcoming developments with Jade Peaks Mentoring!  If you haven’t already subscribed to the updates feed and gotten your informative free report “How to create maximum success in your Coastal Vacations business:  The importance of choosing the right director for YOU, and why duplicable success is absolutely critical.”  Then may I suggest that you do that now, before you miss anything!