Mike Potillo

Who is Mike Potillo?

Mike Potillo

• CEO, MikePotillo.com
• Author of the "Major League Networking Newsletter"
• Creator of the groundbreaking, straight-shooting CD series:
  "How to go from Minor League Networking to Major League Networking"
• International Major League Network Marketer

Dear friend,

Here's my story.

It was a rather typical weekday night in September 1998 for a 20 year old in college. Just got in from a great evening at the Frat house around 12 am and had to cram for a crucial exam the next morning. So, I break out the books and of course, turn on the TV. After flipping through the channels I landed on some infomercial on Real Estate. I left the channel there because it was interesting and something that I could have in the background to study to. So, I open the books and started reading. (Side note, You know, it's amazing how you can read 20 pages of something and finish and not remember a thing you just read!) After 30 minutes or so, of course my mind started wandering and I was glancing back and forth from the book to the TV and getting absolutely nothing done. Then fear kicked in. . .I am a Junior in College, I have a 3.8 GPA in my Major and I simply don't know what I want to do with my life, when all of a Sudden I heard the most Hillbilly country voice I have ever heard say on the TV, "A Formal Education will make you a living, a SELF education will make you a fortune!" I immediately looked up to see who in the world said that! After watching in amazement for the next 20 minutes hearing things like, Travel the world, Wake up when you choose to, If you help enough other people get what they want you will get what you want, Life is based on how many relationships you develop, your business will never grow larger than you do, Our business is in the Leadership Development Business!

I was hooked! This Hillbilly was standing in Hawaii with a beach in the background and was talking about earning millions of dollars. I have never heard anything like that before. But at this point, I had no idea "How" he was doing this. . .my mind started to wander. . .what does this guy have that I don't? About 5 more minutes went by and at the end of the show; it said call for more information on this business and our new Revolutionary Diet Product. Then it hit me! They are getting rich offering a product people WANT. . .because of course everyone WANTS to lose weight. I picked up the phone and called immediately. . .Of course I got a recorded message and was firing me all up about leaving my information. What they didn't realize is that they could have cursed me, chewed me up and spit me out and I was Still going to get involved in whatever this "business" was because I had just had a Life altering experience by listening to this man. I have never heard people talk about the things he did. I only thought Doctors and Rich people (however they got rich didn't occur to me) could do things like he was talking about, but HE SAID, I could Live that life and I was Hooked!

Mike Potillo, Welcome to Network Marketing!

The day I skipped class and waited by the phone for a call from the people on the TV. Yes, I know what you are thinking. . .Didn't you have a crucial exam that day? The Answer, YES. I missed it! And got a D in Chemistry. . .but hey, who needs Chemistry if you are going to be RICH! J All day long I waited and waited. . ..but no call. Later that evening I left the apartment and went to a buddy's house. I realized maybe it took a while to call ALL the people back because tons of people probably called about the information. So, I made my way to a buddy's place kicked back and had a few. After an hour of BS-ing I had to go (if you know what I mean) I made my way to his bathroom and you wouldn't believe what I saw! It was the SAME product that was on the Infomercial with that Guy the night before. I held it and ran out and asked Charlie, "Where did you get this?" He said "My girlfriend's dad sells it and he makes a lot of Money" "How can I get a hold of him?" He said "I've got the number, let's give him a call.

Now at this point it was around midnight and the guy we were calling was around 60 years old and I just thought being a 20 year old that 60 years old was OLD and he wouldn't be up that late but Charlie called him for me anyway. A Voice answered and said "What do you want?" I told him I wanted to do what he was doing to get rich. He laughed and said "how old are you? " I told him and he said Ok, if you want to do what I do, come on over right now and I will teach you. I asked him where he lived and he said Benton, KY. (Over an hour away) I told him you want me to come right now? It's After Midnight. He said "Do you make money while you're sleeping?" I said no and of course he said then do you really need to go to bed? Get your butt over here and I will show you how to get rich!

I will forever be grateful to Jim McDougal for what he did for me. He spent all hours of the night teaching me and training me and telling me How to build this business. He and his wife Dianna saw something in me that few people saw at that point from a business standpoint.

Of course I didn't have any money to get started right away so for 2 months I saved my Beer money and ate ramen noodles to save up the Funds to get started in this Miracle Weight loss business. But unlike most people during those 2 months I didn't just sit around and wait, I was at every meeting that was in a 2 hour driving distance, I was on every conference call and had dinner with as many people as I could that were having success in this business, because after all, they had money to BUY me dinner and wasn't even in yet.

On November 12, 1998 I officially enrolled in my first Network Marketing company. I was now on the road to Riches. I still didn't understand the Circles being drawn and how you made money on others. Lord knows Jim drew more circles those 2 months trying to explain it to me than he had in years. I just thought, I will sell diet pills to everyone who is fat. That's as far as my brain let me go. Sell, Sell, Sell.

Over the next 2 months I did just that, I SOLD. 240 Bottles in Fact! All one on one stuff because that's all I knew what to do. Of course my college courses suffered but I knew I had something great.

Then in January 1999, Jim called me up and said back your bags, we are going to Birmingham, AL for the National Conference. I immediately shot back at him and told him this weekend was my 21st Birthday (January 13 to be exact if you want to send gifts) and I couldn't go because my Frat Bro's were throwing me a Huge bash. Jim kind of Laughed and said "Wow, I was wrong about you, I thought you wanted to be rich!" and then he hung up the phone. Needless to say that weekend I was in Birmingham for the National Conference and I brought in my 21st Birthday with 5,000 of my newest friends.

That weekend changed my life forever. I had my first official "Legal" drink and I met more people making more money that I ever thought was possible. People where walking across stage making 10k, 15k, 20k, 40k and MORE! I simply was amazed.

The night of my birthday (January 13th) 1999 Jim and his wife Dianna took me to a private dinner of some of the Top Money earners and I found out that the guy on the TV infomercial was going to be there as a special guest. Now, as I mentioned earlier I did move a ton of product in 2 months time but I didn't realized you could get "recognized" for doing such a thing. That night was magical. I was recognized for moving up 2 positions in 2 months and the entire party sang Happy Birthday to me. That night I was introduced to the Art of Promotion and Recognition. That alone has made me so much money it's not even funny.

As the evening was about to end, whispers started going through the room that the "TV Infomercial guy" was here. I had to meet him because it was him that hooked me a few short months ago. I walked right up to him and said Hi. He looked at me and ask me my name and what I did. The next 15 seconds changed my life forever. That moment taught me a business lesson that everyone needs to adhere to. Tell People what they NEED To hear, Not always what they want to Hear.

I puffed up my chest and said, "My name is Mike Potillo and I am in College"

Without missing a beat or blinking an eye, The GUY said "Why?" and then he walked off.

Stunned, my heart sank and the embarrassment ran all over my body. I then Realized that this business I was in was A LOT more than just sales. Then it all came back to me from that first night I was exposed to that this industry as a whole was based on Developing Leaders, Personal Development, Relationships and creating a Recurring LIFE TIME INCOME, not the quick Buck!

The year I bought everything I could and attended every event possible and I GOT IT! If you want to make a quick buck 1 time and keep having to sell sell sell, GET A SALES job! That's not what Network Marketing is all about.

To bring you up to speed from there until now. During my "Learning" year my business struggled greatly, I dropped out of college as a Junior with only 60 hours left and moved home in with my parents. I was learning a lot but was still trying to "reinvent the wheel" on the how to's of Network Marketing. I went broke and was ready to quit when I got a Letter in the mail from the "Guy" on the infomercial I had seen a long time ago. It said he was starting his OWN Network Marketing Company. I immediately had the fire back. You see, we all go through Slumps in our business, it's natural, but what keeps us going is the internal motivation to succeed and get everything we WANT out of life.

The second I read that letter I realized that my destiny was going to be this industry and helping people. I knew that if I could just be around successful people and model what they were doing that I would be a success. I called up the office of they Guys new company and ask to speak with him. Of course that didn't happen. So I begged the lady for his personal email and with a little sweet talking I got it.

I emailed him and told him I was going to run his company one day and be his "Apprentice" (remind me later to tell you about my real apprentice with Donald Trump Experience).

About an hour later I actually got a reply from the GUY and he said if I was ever in Kentucky to look him up. Well, he didn't realize who HE was talking to.

I borrowed $500 from my dad, packed a few sets of close and made the 6 hour drive to Kentucky that VERY DAY! I believe if you want something bad enough you fight for it and I was ready to do just that. It was early enough in the day that after a long anxious 6 hour drive I made it to the GUYs office around 6pm. I couldn't believe it, there was cars still in the parking lot, nice cars at that. . .the kind that I wanted to drive.

I built up the courage to walk into the office and when I walked in I was greeted by a guy and told him I had an appointment with the Man. He walked me back to the shipping area and there he was, the guy who I had been listening to and learning from and all that time ago inspired me to change my life.

I looked him dead in the eye and said "Well, I'm here!" He was in total shock. He couldn't believe I drove six hours the first day he emailed me. But, apparently he was impressed because he put me up in a Hotel that night and told me to be at his office at 9am the next morning. That day was April 14, 2000. I still have the Hotel Receipt framed in my office to this day.

The next morning we chatted and I was on cloud nine because I knew he would offer me A TON of money to run his company. After a great chat he said "I tell you what, I will start you off at $8.00 an hour to answer the Order Entry phone." I couldn't believe my ears. . ..$8.00 an hour! I can make more working at McDonalds! But I knew that if I could be around him and others like him everyday and be Coached by them on how to build this business that I would get rich. So I said YES!

The next day I found a dumpy apartment that I could afford with the $500 my dad gave me and I bought an air mattress to sleep on. . ...and then, I went to WORK! Jim Rohn talks about work full time on your job and part time on your fortune and that was what I was doing. I slept on that air mattress for 2 months because I couldn't afford to get home and move my stuff in.

The next 2 years were life changing, I did what the GUY did, I did everything I was told and I learned that the ONLY way to have long term duplicatable success was to follow a system. Once I "got it" I went straight to the Top. I achieved the Top Position in the Marketing plan and money started Flowing in! We had a HUGE team all over the world and I was living the Lifestyle I had always dreamed of. Then the time came 4 years after I arrived in Kentucky to take business to the next level. My coach, the GUY was ready to basically retire so Myself and two partners bought out some of the Product Line and Incorporated our own Networking company with the idea to look for a company that we could ultimately merge in to, and that's what we did officially on December 2, 2004.

Since that great night so long ago in September 1998 I learned from the best and have been able to teach the Core principles to help people become successful. My coach, the GUY instilled in me everything that was right with this wonderful industry. Things like Leadership, Personal Development, Your business will never grow larger than you do, and of course the Gold rule, treat people the way you want to be treated. I owe the Core Development of this business, The truths that lead me where I am at today and where I will go in the future to the "guy" who helped me believe in myself all those years ago and I will forever be grateful to him for the time he took to lead, guide and direct me and show me what this industry is REALLY all about. Not the money, but the person you become, not the "Things" but the people you can help, and last but not least, not making the sale once, but doing it right one time and getting paid over and over and over.

Because of the commitment I made all those years ago to Learning what this industry's core was, today I live a Life that most people can only dream about. The great house, the big money, the travel, and a thriving organization of Like minded people all over the world. . . Just this year I have traveled all over the USA, Went to Italy for ten days, Amsterdam, Holland, London, England and the Bahamas. . .TWICE.

To sum it all up, in one word . . . I have "LifeStyle."

Mike Potillo