The Ramp: How you get from where you are to achieving your goals

This was written by Carl, our CEO, to coaches, but it has practical application for anything you are working toward.

The Ramp
Carl Daikeler, Beachbody® CEO

This story pertains to you, and it could make the difference between having a business that helps you achieve your dreams or one that disappoints you.

Recently, my 8-year-old daughter was telling me how frustrated she was because her school play had ended, and that now she wanted to act on TV. I tried to explain to her that, in most cases, getting into the "big leagues" takes a lot of consistent work to build talent and expertise. Even child stars like Miley Cyrus were probably constantly singing, performing, and mimicking as early as they could walk. But I emphasized how I truly believe that anything is possible—for anyone—if he or she is willing to put in the consistent effort. She said, "Yeah, but I want to be on TV now."
When she was in my office for Take Your Kids to Work Day, she and I did a little exercise on my whiteboard. I drew a dot on the bottom left and said, "This is where you are now—you're not a total beginner, but you're not professional yet." I added another dot about a foot higher and to the right. "This is where you want to be: either on TV, getting the lead in a play, or being in a movie. You need to go from the dot down here to the dot up there." I drew a line from one to the other.

I didn't put the "TV" dot straight above the starting dot because in most cases, you don't go from beginner to TV after your first play, and if you did, it's pretty likely it wouldn't last, because that kind of success rarely does. You need to study. You need to take action on what you study. And you need to observe your results. Then learn more. Those three things are the tools that build steps up the ramp so when you get to the "TV" dot, you're ready for it, and it's a natural progression rather than some miracle you hope for.

This time she got it, and she spent much of that night practicing lines into a digital camera and playing them back, and asking if she could sign up for some classes that would help her move up the ramp. Learn-action-observation. Smart little munchkin.

As a Coach, the day you sign up is like the first day Ava decided to try out for a play. With no experience and no résumé, it was not likely she was a good one to cast in a leading role, but her enthusiasm got her into the play. Your enthusiasm got you signed up. Getting to Emerald is evidence that you've "got it" and you're serious about helping others get paid while getting healthy and fit.

But what if you're at the point where you haven't paid off your house yet and are thinking, "Hey, I thought I could get rich doing this!" You can if you build your ramp. The dot up and to the right is your success, however you define it. It is your "Extreme Dream." But to get to that dot, you need to apply what author and network marketing superstar Jeff Olson calls in his book of the same name—The Slight Edge. That means consistent effort—day in, day out. To go from the starting point to the success point is not one big break with dramatic results; it is the culmination of days, weeks, and months of consistent action. As a Coach, that means telling two people a day about the opportunity, pointing them to the right tools, and staying connected through a weekly conference call or meeting where you can learn from others. Putting a consistent Game Plan into action, and never stopping no matter what happens, is how you win the long race.

People look at me and assume this company grew fast thanks to good timing and great products. I was in the infomercial business for 20 years before I really understood how to maximize it. And I'm still learning and taking action in order to build my ramp. One of the things we learned was that when you have customers who love your products, they are more passionate advocates than the best shelf space at Wal-Mart®. So, instead of going into retail, we committed to building the first network marketing company with a complete approach to healthy weight loss, including fitness, portion control, and great supplements.

Success is not happening by the mere decision to build the Coach Network. That's yet another dot on the ramp. Up and to the right is a dot that represents a million Coaches and 100 million customers. I have a long way to go to get to that dot. But I'll build my ramp through consistent learning, action, and observation.

If you want to succeed you need to know your "WHY"—your Extreme Dream. That's step one. For my daughter, it looks like acting on TV is the Extreme Dream du jour. And if that remains her dream, I know she'll get it if she builds a ramp on a consistent pattern of learn-action-observation, learn-action-observation, learn-action-observation. The same goes for you. You CAN achieve your dream. You can get in great shape. You can end the trend of obesity. Just keep building your ramp . . . learn-action-observation, repeat.

Shakeology is the Bomb!

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Go Shakeology, Go!

Time to brag a little: Shakeology, a product that so many people said would cost too much, would taste "too green", and would not appeal to our fast-food-drive-thru culture, has absolutely taken off.

We've already sold almost 10,000 units since the summit. That's over a million dollar's worth - without TV advertising. And despite a money back guarantee, less than 1% of the people who buy the product return it. Less than 1%! Better still, the retention of the home direct program is the best in the company's ten year history: 72% of the people who sign up, have stayed in the home direct program.

I have been in the direct marketing business for 23 years. And I have NEVER seen numbers like that. This is an unequivocal home run.

UPDATE 5/7: I was speaking with Seth Tuckerman, our COO who used to be a big shot at Kraft Foods. He said when they launched a new product and achieved a 60% reorder rate, they knew they had a homerun. At 72% reorder, I think we're looking at a grand slam!

People are blogging about it - not just coaches - but customers. THAT'S how excited people are about how they feel. My own cousin sent me an email proclaiming that he lost eight pounds already thanks to Shakeology - that stubborn eight pounds that have been nagging him for years.

But to our shock, most people are looking beyond the weight loss benefits at the health benefits. In fact, I continue to read post after post of people who are fed up with fads, and this time they are putting their money where their health is.

Do you know how big this is going to be? BIG. And thanks for making it happen coaches! Thanks to you, a real nutrition breakthrough has transcended the anti-oxidant-fruit-juice-in-a-wine-bottle craze of the last five years, and the real deal is on the scene. Shakeology is here to stay, and you can only get it through the Beachbody Network at TeamBeachbody.com.

Posted by Carl Daikeler