Willy Nelson

I was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri other than a short stint in Englewood, Colorado and Rock Springs, Wyoming. I was raised in a very middle class family born the oldest of three kids. My parent's sacrificed to make certain that we were in great schools. My parents moved us from the south side of KC to Liberty, Missouri which is one of the northern suburbs of KC. I was a very shy kid growing up. During my early years in school I was average at best, in fact my final year in South KC (Westridge Elementary) I really struggled. It was a teacher at Franklin Elementary in Liberty in my fifth grade year that really took me by the hand and challenged me to greatness! Mrs. Donnie Meyers! I am sure you had a teacher just like her! That began a real shift in my attitude towards school. I became a straight "A" student!

My grandparents were members of Westport United Methodist Church. It was very much a Church family in every sense of the word. I had a great time in the church and taking part in youth camps every year. But it was during my years at Westport United Methodist Church that my faith was defined and I had a chance to learn leadership skills that I would use later in life. It was during that time that my morals and ethics were created! I had a real mentor in one of the Pastors of the Church. Reverend Gene Cole. He took me under his wing and had me as a guest liturgist on a regular basis as well as put me on the board as a youth member. Those early days taught me a lot about responsibility and accountability.

School Years

My parent's owned horses and we began to show them. I rode and showed horses from the 5th grade until I graduated from high school. It was the local 4-H program that really helped this very shy kid come out of his shell. It wasn't long before the local leaders were encouraging us to take part in public speaking. So I began to learn how to speak in public settings through the program. With 4-H we could choose from raising pigs, to showing horses, to cooking classes, to public speaking. It was a lot of fun! During my 9th grade year I was asked to run for the local 4-H Ambassador program. It was a new pilot program and it sounded like fun. So I said sure! That was a great year and I had a chance to meet some incredible people. The next major influence in my life was a gentleman by the name of Mr. Leon Moon. Mr. Moon was in charge of the State of Missouri 4-H program. He encouraged me to interview for the State 4-H Ambassador program. I wasn't sure exactly what that was or what it really mean't but I agreed. I went to the state 4-H convention the summer between my junior and senior years in high school. There were many who interviewed and four were chosen to represent the state of Missouri 4-H program on a member level. I was one of the four! The Spring of my Senior year in High School I got a chance to travel to Washington DC and represent the thousands of Missouri 4-H'ers before our Congressional leadership. We met with our House of Reps and Senators and its was an enlightening time. We spent time at the National 4-H headquarters and even took part in the National 4-H council meetings. I came home after the trip and represented the 4-H program for an additional year as an Ambassador. We went to the State Capitol on a couple of occasions lobbying for the program. Its an organization that taught me civic responsibility and volunteering. It was organization that changed my life!

During my Freshman year in High school I joined the FFA, Future Farmers of America. It was another great youth organization this time connected through the school. I was awarded the Green Horn award in my Freshman year and in my sophomore year I was elected Reporter for our Chapter. I went to the State FFA convention and even had the chance to attend their national convention held in KC. I had a chance during my Sophomore year to take my responsibility very serious. That year the School Board put the program on the chopping block. The community was growing away from the Agricultural roots and needed to update its programs. It was my job to report and be a voice for our chapter. Through this year I got a chance to get to know the Administration of the school and all the school board members. The local news stations came out to report on it as well! It was quite a fight that we eventually lost! It was through that experience that I learned all about politics even at a school level. I also created alliances that I would later be able to use for my benefit.

The FFA program was replaced with several of the Arts programs. One of the programs was the Debate team. I joined it during my Junior year. I debated Lincoln Douglas Debate (Thats one on one) not team debate. I did very well in the program as I had great coaches! Suzie was a student at William Jewell college and was an excellent coach! I also took up acting that year as well. My next mentor was a teacher by the name of Ms. Alice Oman! She was one of the best teachers I had in High School. She was in charge of the Drama department and Forensics. Those were some incredible times! We were competing in the Forensics programs and I also was competing in the debate programs too! I was the Assistant Forensics director in my Senior year and was in the both the high school musical called "The Music Man" and was Mr. Kirby in "You Can't Take it with you!" the high school play

My Senior Year play... From Left Willy Nelson, Davin Leed, Josh Dugdale, and far right Leslie Boswell

Those were the days! It was those days that would influence the rest of my life so far!

Young Adulthood

I went off to College believing that I was going to major in Political Science go off to law school and become a politician. It was the 1992 election that changed my career path. I would learn that politics was no longer that of the Reagan years, it was new! It was no longer my career path of choice. I would instead go to work for Wal-Mart. A real change of direction, huh?

I would work for Wal-Mart almost three years before at the age of 24 I would come to my senses or was fed up working as a slave to Corporate America and took the advice of a friend of mine, Mary Coop. She invited me to attend a meeting where I would learn about the concept of Network Marketing. I was young when I found it!

At the time I was a Wal-Mart manager working 70-80 hour work weeks.

Over the next 8 years I would learn from some of the best trainers in the business. I would learn all the wrong ways to grow a successful business.

During my College years of Network Marketing (company #1) I had some great mentors. Eddie Bestoso was the top earner in my first company. I learned a lot from him. He taught me that it was important to find and work with other like minded entrepreneurs who had previous experience in the industry. I had a great mentor in Lucille Friesen (a 80 something missionary) from Springfield, MO. She taught me a lot about the business and was a real coach! It was also at the first company that I would meet Terrilee Jenks, RN

During my graduate school years (company #2) I had some great mentors as well. The company President Dr. Corey Gold taught some very key building techniques that would help me tremendously when I found my home at my current company. One of the key pieces of advice that I am grateful that he shared was: "Any team that you bring on board in your business will create no more than six months of momentum. He said its important that you have a new team ready to go every six months." Another great mentor came in my enroller Gregg McIntosh. Gregg taught me every wrong and right way to grow this business! He had been there and done that! He had all the t-shirts so to speak. He was a key example of failing forward! Thank you Gregg! It was during my graduate school years of Network Marketing that I met some of my best friends today!

Willy Nelson and Gregg McIntosh

As fate would have it, Chris and CeCe Elliott would go looking for a company and found my second company through an ad in "Home Business Journal" magazine. As a leader in the company they were placed in my business as a referral! It was the greatest referral of my career! I found great business partners and best friends! They invited me to visit beautiful Incline Village, Nevada (North shore of Lake Tahoe) over the fourth of July 2004! I simply came to visit for a week. Instead I came to visit and moved to Incline Village, NV the very next month!

CeCe and Chris Founders of Why Not Profit, Inc.

I came to Tahoe a Country boy very stuck in my life. It was Chris and CeCe that helped me tremendously during that time. If you were to ask CeCe it has been a work in progress! :) I share this story because I think its important that you know that every leader goes through slumps in their life and its great friends and mentors that help you stay on course during those times! Also because some of the greatest friends of my life have come through Network Marketing!

There are friends put in our life for a reason. There are friends put in our life for a season. Finally there are friends put in our life for a lifetime!” Author unknown

Lake Tahoe overlooking Incline Village

Adulthood

It was once I reached Lake Tahoe at the age of 31 that I truly grew up! It was the distance from family, friends and loved ones that caused a real growth stage in my life. With all growth, comes growing pains. Its that back against the wall and the pain that comes with it that creates meaningful growth! (Thank you Chris and CeCe!)

During my season of growth and solitude in Tahoe, I came to terms that my days at the second company were numbered. I had graduated from Graduate school and it was time to get started in the real life of Network Marketing! It was during this time that I realized I was more than ready!

In August of 2005, I began a search for the right company, a place I could call home. I had a very good friend of mine, Terrilee Jenks, RN that had been with FreeLife International for 5 years and her business was taking off like a rocket ship. She asked me to take a serious look at FreeLife before I made any decisions.

Terrilee and Willy overlooking Donner Lake

So on August 11, 2005 after trying Himalayan Goji Juice I started my FreeLife business. WOW! What a journey it has been! I believe that the journey since 1997 was preparing me for this business! After 2 years in the business, I have an annualized production of over $1,500,000!

I have had the chance to take some incredible vacations paid for by Freelife to places like the Ritz Carlton, Maui, Hawaii, Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach, Cancun, Mexico, and now the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas!

Like I said earlier in the story, incredible friendships have come from this business! My leadership team (you will find them under the Leadership team tab at my blog http://homebasedbusinesscentral.wordpress.com) are all very dear friends of mine. Please check out their stories! This business has brought leaders from all walks of life into my life!

Many of my dearest and truest friends have come into my life from Network Marketing