Very few of us will ever be on Notre Dame and get a sack, even if we are taller than Rudy and weigh more than 100 pounds.  However, we all have a million reasons to give in to failure.  Sports are a metaphor for life.  Adversity, struggle, loss, defeat and victory are a part of what we do each day.  Below are some great quotes related to sports (and life really):

Click here to view the embedded video.

“I’m going to go out a winner if I have to find a high school race to win my last race.”
Johnny Gray

“I cannot have survival as my only goal. That would be too boring. My goal is to come back in my best running form. It is good for me to have that goal; it will help me.”
Ludmila Engquist (Olympic champion hurdler facing cancer and chemotherapy)

“There are clubs you can’t belong to, neighborhoods you can’t live in, schools you can’t get into, but the roads are always open.”
Nike

“Pressure is nothing more than the shadow of great opportunity.” Michael Johnson

“I always loved running…it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs.”
Jesse Owens

“Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts.”
Steve Prefontaine

“It hurts up to a point and then it doesn’t get any worse.”
Ann Trason

“Tough times don’t last but tough people do.”
A.C. Green

“What matters is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight – it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower

“The gun goes off and everything changes… the world changes… and nothing else really matters.”
Patti Sue Plummer

“You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can’t know what’s coming.”
Frank Shorter

“Some of the world’s greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible.”
Doug Larson

“It’s lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself.”- Muhammed Ali

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”- Wayne Gretzky

“You can stand tall without standing on someone. You can be a victor without having victims.”- Harriet Woods

“The only one who can tell you ‘you can’t ‘ is you. And you don’t have to listen.”- Nike

“Accept challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.”- Unknown

“I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.”- Michael Jordan

Network marketers have a real opportunity now with people wanting to get into business for themselves but fearing to get started in a traditional business that may suck their bank accounts dry.  There are many people disenchanted with corporate America and there is really no better time than now to get started as an entrepreneur.

Not everyone is cut out to be self employed because of the demands it takes to make a business work.  However, network marketing offers a unique ability for the person to be in business for themselves, without being by themselves like a traditional business startup.  Where a typical entrepreneur is wired to be comfortable with open-endedness and ambiguity, most people are not.  Many of these people who are not comfortable with ambiguity may do great in network marketing with a success system and a mentor.

The articles says:

Self-employed professionals also are known for being optimistic, competitive, creative and organized. They tend to have a head for business, understand what their customers want and act with integrity. And if they’re passionate about their venture, they work as many hours as it takes to get results.

If a motivated entrepreneur with the characteristics described above enters network marketing, they can have amazing results.

If you’re tired of leaving your career success in the hands of others and think striking out on your own is a better option, there are steps you can take to ensure that self-employment is a good fit before going too far down the entrepreneurial road.

See How It Feels

“Observe yourself like a bug and note the situations where you feel most creative and excited,” suggests Ms. Slim. “Hang out with entrepreneurs to see if you like the lifestyle, and go through some of the motions yourself — like approaching a customer or advertising your latest project — to see how it feels.”

It’s also important to consider what’s required, personality-wise, of the type of business you want to start. “Entrepreneurship is a continuum, and there are those who feel most comfortable and have the skill set to start new businesses over and over again, whereas others prefer to dip their toe in and then return to work for an established organization,” says Ms. Slim.

Finally, recognize that any kind of self-employment brings with it a host of new accounting responsibilities, from processing invoices to filing endless tax forms. Whether or not you can cope with it should factor into your decision to proceed.

Jus Momentum 2008

Las Vegas was a great place to launch Jus.  The hundreds of people in attendance had an incredible time and were a part of history.  Before Jus International had officially launched, we had already paid over a half a million dollars in commissions and we were already in two countries.  2009 will be something remarkable.

I was incredibly proud to be a part of a growing team that believes so much in each other and the future of a company can truly make a difference in people’s lives.  At the event we proud to have Troy McClain give us a self-marketing speech, hear from many of our successful IBOs, and announce the Jus Jel that will available in 2009.

We had IBOs from all across the country and two countries: Taiwan and Japan.  Japan brought a great group of people.  Although we had been shipping products to Japan, we were not officially open and we had already qualified ambassadors who were a part of the trip.  We believe Japan has a great future with Jus.  The Japanese IBOs were also thrilled to welcome Rick Durham as he flew in on his private plane for the event.

I also had the incredible opportunity to bring my wife and oldest son.  I am passionate about what this business will do for people involved, but my reason to build this business has everything to do with my own family.  I was so happy to have Parker and Angela with me for this great start of our company. I even found time to go to Circus Circus with Parker and Phil.  We rode roller coasters, got fake tatoos and went rock climbing, it was a great day and a great event.

There are a ton of great photos at Jus Gallery, just click on the link to see a ton of great photos.

The first IBO reward trip was a Bahama cruise.  It was incredible.

The 15 couples that went had an incredible time.  Aside from the great food on the ship, we rode scooters, acted like teenagers on the beach and grew together as a team.  We had an incredible trip.

The Boyle-er Maker: Jus International CEO Jeff Boyle is no stranger to taking big risks
By Lee Vander Boegh
Jeff Boyle doesn’t sleep much. Partly because his fledgling business, Jus International, is growing faster than the stubble he doesn’t have time to shave, and partly because of a constant adjustment to jet lag. He’s sitting directly across from me, shuffling through his iPhone’s calendar in a way that says “What day is this?” With a few quick thumb taps he either shoots off a text message, exits his system or launches a space satellite (okay, so I don’t have an iPhone and can only guess at the marvelous things they do – is that a crime?). He cautiously sets it on his desk and looks up to me. He doesn’t say anything, but his mannerisms sheepishly say “Sorry.”

For a man who has experimented with entrepreneurialism since age eight, business comes naturally. But it’s obvious he’s still adjusting into his chief executive role. He hasn’t mastered the “I-command-the-room-anytime-I’m-here” body language or vocal inflections, and it’s not clear that he even wants to. He seems pleased when clients and visitors mistake him for just another guy at the office.

But his office isn’t a mom-and-pop startup, unless mom-and-pop startups rake in millions of dollars in revenue before they officially launch. It’s the result of strategic planning, constant jet jumping and numerous sleepless nights that have got the company this far.

The demands of Jus International are pretty intense, but it’s by Boyle’s own design. He’s fidgety and can’t sit still for long, so any notion of slowing down borderline repulses him. Besides, it’s this drive that has propelled this company thus far.

“As soon as you stop growing, you start dying,” he said. “You can’t stop setting goals. That’s the beginning of the end.”

For a company that’s only been shipping its product, Jus (pronounced “Juice”) for about half a year, it isn’t likely going to stop growing anytime soon. The business is planning its official launch this fall, which includes a satellite division in Japan – a destination he’s visited several times already.

“It’s amazing to me to see how far this has come in such a short time,” he recently told his staff. “But it’s going to get even better. It will get better.”

Jus International’s growth means that Boyle, who once handled nearly every element of the business with his own hands, has gradually transitioned himself from a jack-of-all-trades technical operator to an organization manager. Though it’s obvious he still itches to get his hands dirty, the workload is simply too tremendous. He’s confident that his staff can handle any task with the same tenacity and attention to detail that he expects from himself. Besides, taking production tasks off his plate gives him more time to do what he built his business for: meeting and networking with people.

“I’d love nothing more than to give my day-to-day activities to a good staff,” he said. “But even then I’d be in the field working.”

Field work is the cornerstone of any network marketing business, and Jus International is no exception. As the company’s face, Boyle’s exposure to new and existing clients is mandatory. Because he has been involved in the industry since college, he doesn’t consider networking a necessary evil. It’s a desired, cathartic experience – like a runner who constantly works for that endorphin kick. Ask him about networking and his entire persona changes; his posture strengthens and his voice relaxes.

“The most fun thing in the world is to build a network marketing business,” he says. “I do miss (working as an independent business owner) on the ground floor.” Remembering his college Amway days, he adds, “I love the idea of working with people and building a business without millions of dollars of upfront capital. And learning from mentors who want you to succeed as they want (to succeed), it’s really unbelievable.”

The ground floor is pretty much the polar opposite of where he’s at with Jus. Instead of building a business within the pre-established framework of an umbrella company, Boyle is the umbrella. He’s ultimately the one who decides on protocols like compensation plans and marketing systems; he was even responsible for the product itself. Instead of building a big personal network, he’s making sure the taxes get paid, the products get manufactured and shipped to the correct places and the customers are happy.

“They have a more fun job then I do,” he concedes.
In many ways, Boyle is a study in irony. He considers himself an adrenaline junkie, yet holds a law degree – something not often associated with extreme lifestyles. He’s jumped out of soaring airplanes and jumps motorcycles, but he drives a modest Ford Focus. He has leveraged his personal assets as often as sports superstars come out of retirement, but doesn’t come off as worried about finances.

“It’s a matter of doing what it takes to get the job done,” he has said, referring to his sometimes acrobatic financing solutions.

Even Jus International didn’t come about without some financial creativity. Starting out with only an idea, he and his partners found themselves at a roadblock. Most companies wanted about $50,000 to develop a product, and another $30,000 to $40,000 to produce the first sample – money that neither Boyle nor his executive partners had. So he created a working relationship with one particular company by convincing them that money was going to come in – and thus the Jus formula was born.

By this time he had also crafted a relationship with Aries Capital, a venture finance company. But when the first Jus prototype rolled out, Aires wasn’t as convinced as Boyle. “Aires wanted to make sure that it was the best product and besides that, they wanted to know that we had people who were going to consume it,” he said. So Boyle and his team created the working model for Jus International and signed people into the program by the masses – all without a physical product yet.  Armed with a solid enrollment base and a product that had just topped all quality scales, Aries gave the nod.

“I was golfing with a friend when they called me and said they were going to do this and I was a mess the rest of the time,” he said. “It was an unbelievable experience to have them tell us yes after so much work, after so much time, after so much guess that it wasn’t going to happen.”

That’s been about a year ago. Since then Jus International has upgraded its office space, streamlined its logistics and strengthened its organizational structure to handle the overflowing response. Jus ads have permeated several media markets, hitting every medium from magazines to television to Internet.

Boyle tries not to bask in the success just yet. By the time this publication prints, Jus will have barely launched on the full scale; that’s when Boyle feels like he can take a second to celebrate. At least that’s what he says. If history is any indication, he won’t even stop to breathe – he’ll just focus on the next milestone.

2009 will be an incredible year at Jus.  Expect the momentum in your downline too, it will happen if you do.

We at Jus do our homework before we enter a new country.  Right now we are doing our due diligence on the Netherlands and Taiwan.  We have not set a time to go or when it will exactly happen, but I was very impressed at how dedicated the people are in both countries to being a part of Jus.

We had over 500 people show up to an event in Rotterdam, in the the Netherlands.  I met with many top leaders from other coutries in Tawain.  The 24,000 miles I travelled this month told me that our product is wanted everywhere.  Our compensation plan is providing hope in a down economy.  And, people in the US are spreading this Jus message in impressive ways.

I am happy to be a part of this growing Jus family.  I can’t wait to see what happens in 2009.

I met today with a magazine, Network B, here in Japan for network marketing with our Operations Director, Kunihito Toma. I was impressed with the Editor in Chief, Takita Shozo, and his questions that he had for us.

Japan really takes network marketing serious.  Mr Shozo had very good questions about what we have experienced in the United States and what we hope to accomplish here in Japan.  The interview was a reminder to me about how important it is that we understand each market and adjust accordingly.  For example, here in Japan we are switching to a Japanese based software so that the back office can be used by the Japanese on there phones and it takes into consideration so many things American software designers are not aware of for this market.

I also spent considerable time today with Kunihito and our sales manager Endo Shin discussing how we can best take care of our ever-growing IBO base here and how to be fulfill their expectations.  I am impressed with many of our IBOs’ passion and desire to spread the word about our product and also our compensation plan.  I know that our management here truly wants to serve our IBOs and I am very positive about the growth we are about to see here.

We are constantly looking to improve our presentation of our opportunity and product, and we are constantly looking for ways to help people make more money selling our product.  I am planning on spending a couple days with our Japan staff to help complete our sales strategy for Japan similarly to how we have implemented it in the United States.  Our goal is to be a world leader in sales similarly to what we have already accomplished with our product, which is head and shoulders above other products in the market place.

One of the problems that we have run into is that the product is so much better than what else is out there, that we talk almost only about it.  We have been neglecting to spend sufficient time teaching people about our incredible opportunity.  Our comp plan is remarkable and the stories about how people are making money with it are as amazing as the product itself.  I spent six years trying to make money in network marketing as an IBO and although I had IBOs in 14 states, the compensation plan I was working with was very difficult to make money without dedicating every waking moment focused on that business.  Although the Jus plan requires diligence, it is certainly rewarding for those who decide to work the business.

My plan for the next 11 days around the world is to help people truly understand that Jus is far more than just a groundbreaking product.  The opportunity is truly special too and affords people the opportunity to make a difference in their family’s life financially and with their health.

It was a fun way to start the trip but we made it. However, our luggage did not. I will be wearing some of Stewart’s clothing until my stuff comes. We are excited to see all that is going on in Japan. Product arrives this week and we expect big things.

*****

We have been home a week and I am finally getting to updating our trip. It was amazing. We had a ton of new people come to our meetings. We also have some very experienced leaders in Japan. We are thrilled with how Japan’s first week with product went. It was nice to have Japanese leaders and new IBOs receiving checks.

The Jus office in Tokyo occupies the 5th and 6th floor near the Roppongi area. Kunio Toma and his team are doing a great job of getting the new Jus members the things that they need. Their presentation is effective and we here at corporate learned many things from them on our trip. We are modifying some of our presentation to emulate some of what they do in Japan. We already have a team of people who will be ready to provide customer service as we begin to plan to be on the ground and out of the Not for Resale period of our company there. It is exciting to see how fast they have gotten up to speed and have attracted experienced network marketers from all over the country. The last day Phil and I were in Japan, 80 new applications were turned in from areas outside of Tokyo.

Before our first opportunity meeting, we had a chance to sit down and meet some of our leaders. It was amazing to see the level of commitment and expertise that have been attracted to our meetings. The key to growing a network marketing business is attracting the right leaders. Japan has the right leaders and they are going to be integral to Japan’s success.

I am grateful I had the chance to be with the Japanese people and hope to visit frequently. It is an honor to have such great people be a part of our team.

The party was just that, a party. We had ice sculptors, shot glasses filled with Jus Antioxidant and plasma televisions showing our latest company overview.

The next day we had a training and recognized the many developing leaders within Jus. For me it was very exciting to see our vision of professional people enjoying themselves, making money, and helping others improve their health with our incredible Jus Antioxidant.

Thank you to everyone who came to both events. They were an amazing success. Check out the photos below. I am also including a video by someone who attended the event. We will have a company video coming out showing what happened at the event later on.

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If you were in attendance at our pre-launch event, you probably noticed our cobalt-blue Yamaha Vino scooter, adorned in Jus decals. We want to give all Jús distributors the chance to win this scooter!

The official rules are as follows:

• Jús Independent Business Owners who signed up for the $499.95 kit are eligible for the promotion
• Jús IBOs have until midnight on June 30, 2008 when the promotion ends
• Jús distributors will earn 2 points for every new enrollee they sign up for the $499.95 kit on their first level (E1)
• Jús distributors will earn 1 point for every new enrollee they sign up for the $499.95 kit on their second level (E2)
• The IBO who earns the most points wins the promotion
• In the case of a tie, the IBO with the largest group will win Grand Prize: The IBO who earns the most points by June 30, 2008 will win a cobalt-blue 2008 Yamaha Vino scooter.

This economic, environmentally-friendly and fun scooter gets 100 miles-per-gallon. Because we want the winner to safely drive away on their new bike, we will throw in a helmet decked out in Jús decals.

For a week in March I had the pleasure of visiting Tokyo, Japan to help with the initial planning of Jus International in Japan. I traveled with Kent Lewis and Stewart Carvlho, from our Japan team, to spend time with Kunio Toma. It was an incredible trip. Although I did get to do some sight seeing, the majority of our trip was filled with meetings with future Jus IBOs.

Kunio Toma is an incredible business man and his addition to Jus is very important. Kunio Toma is very well respected for his networking abilities in Japan, and that is saying a lot considering the level of professionalism the Japanese have for this great industry.

I was very impressed with the Japanese people and the level of professionalism that the Japanese have for the network marketing businesses. We met with some of the largest and most successful men and women in the industry and we are thrilled to have so many of them joining our team.

After meeting so many of these incredible people, I have no doubt that Jus International is going to be a major player in Japan very quickly. Expect greatness in Japan.

It has been an honor for me to see my vision start to become the combined vision of the Jus corporate team and our many IBOs.  I feel fortunate that so many of you are excited and are seeing health and financial benefits from being a part of Jus International.

On January 15-17, Phil and I made a whirl wind tour of the east coast to visit our bottler and also our warehouse. It was pretty exciting for me to see so much of our hard work start to materialize right before my eyes. We were blown away at how impressive our bottler and lab were. Here are some interesting facts about our bottler:

a. Our lab has implemented a comprehensive quality system that enables us to achieve our mission of providing the top products to our customer.

b. Based on the Federal Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP) for foods, our quality system is enhanced to incorporate the unique requirements of dietary supplements. c. The elements of the system are divided between two domains: 1. Quality Assurance — planning, implementation, assessment, and reporting necessary to guarantee that the products manufactured conform to the requirements and expectations of our clients. 2. Quality Control — operational techniques and activities that are used to fulfill requirements for quality. QC activities are used to produce and document the quality of our products.We were also amazed at the capacity and size of our lab, here are some points of interest:

• It has a GMP “A Rating” (highest possible rating) by the National Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA)
• Our lab’s reputation for quality extends around the world to clients in 36 countries. They are one of a select group of manufacturers to have received certification and approval from Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). As dietary supplements for the Australian market must be manufactured to pharmaceutical standards, TGA approval is the ultimate confirmation of superior quality.
• It provides full service testing, including microbiological and stability studies
• In addition to their own highly skilled Product Development group, our lab also maintains a Scientific Advisory Board to help avail us of the latest developments and technical innovations. This multidisciplinary team includes leading research scientists, molecular biologists, physicians, pharmacists, clinical nutritionists, herbalists, food technologists, and sports physiologists.
• Our lab is one of the largest custom contract manufacturers of nutritional supplements in the United States. Their advanced 250,000 sq. ft. manufacturing and packaging facility produces more than 500 million doses per month.

Needless to say, we were impressed.

While we were there, Phil and I also went to see Niagra Falls.  It was freezing, but fun.  Angela, my wife, told me I had to sign “I love you” and send the photos to her from Niagra.  So I did.