Hello, my name is Jerome Ratliff.
My story begins back in 2002 (actually 2001, but that’s another discussion). Anyhow, I had been married for almost year, working in a corporate job when I felt this vehicle wasn’t for me. I could remember back to my younger years. I was about 8 years old. My neighbor and I decided to have a lemonade stand to make some money.
We opened it up on one of the hottest days of the summer. We made a few gallons of lemonade and began selling them for $.75 per cup. Business was going ok when I thought, what if we could make a little extra and give our customer a smile. So, I immediately went to my back yard and began clipping some of the lilacs off of our bushes.
We bundled them up and began selling them for $1 per. With the lemonade and flowers selling like hotcakes, we soon saw the money flowing in. We made a profit that day.
As I began reliving this memory in the spring of 2002, I knew I needed to be self-employed if I wanted to have financial and time freedom. The first opportunity that fell in my lap was working with an insurance network marketing company (I’m sure you know who they are if I told you their name). Six months into it, I had sold a whopping two policies.
I was getting discouraged and I stopped showing up. I quit and jumped right back into giving my corporate job all that I had. Years later, I had gotten a total five promotions and I was making just shy of six-figures. Life was good, except I still didn’t have the time freedom I had desired for.
So, I left my corporate job and replaced it with another one making pretty good money. However, I now had more responsibilities and I was required to put in more time. As each year went by something changed. I got stuck. I was in this rat race, people call a job. The only thing I could do was to get back into network marketing. I jumped right back in, only this time I was doing it part-time and still giving my job all that I had.
Fast Forward to February 2011…My Life Would Never be the Same Again…
I left my corporate job to work from home along with my family and friends. To compliment what we were doing, I searched for a way that can bring my wife and I financial freedom, time freedom and an endless opportunity. As I was searching for the right vehicle there were seven major components it must have and they are:
- Must offer me time freedom
- Unlimited earning potential
- Great product line that could make a difference
- Company had to have a solid reputation
- Great leadership
- A plug-in and go comprehensive system
- Tons of momentum throughout the organization
When I found all of these and some, I knew this was the right vehicle that would compliment what we were already doing. I jumped back in and began learning. This time I decided to forget everything I thought I knew about network marketing, I emptied my full cup. With my cup empty, I was ready to Be, Do, and Have.
Here’s the thing though…
When I emptied my cup, this meant everything I had used in the past was put on the back burner. As I was starting off in this new company, I started with everything I’ve used in the past and my results were GARBAGE. So, I had to surrender (you may have heard that before) to learning this new business, company, team and products. I’m really glad I did because here’s what happened to me.
I immersed myself into full-blown coaching with “TWO” six-figure income earners following their competency-based training program (you know, like what they use in franchises). I realized this was important because I had ZERO competence in this company. I knew very little and in order for me to take inspiring massive action, I knew I had to be competent first. As my competency increased, so did my confidence. It grew so much that my mindset switched from…
“Only some people can do this – to – anyONE can do this, with the right level of coaching”
This was a paradigm shift, and I imagine it would be for a lot of other people too. This competency-based training program was revolutionary that it was not only changing the results our team was getting but it was setting an example for how this industry should really be worked.
Once my competency and confidence were through the roof, I was drawn to take massive action. It was right about here that I blended what used to work for me with what is working now. As result, a strong foundation was put in place and literally was setting a good example for the many people who will walk in my shoes.
SO – What you see on this blog is a compilation of my experiences (old and new), my team’s experiences and other successful people’s experiences.
My initial vision for the Maverick Business Builders blog was to provide network marketing professionals with the necessary tools to fuel their home business and because of what we are doing, it’s stronger than ever. If you’re wondering…why am so dedicated to doing this? It’s because my passion to make a difference in people’s lives and business is deep inside of me. It is my calling – my purpose! That level of passion has been with me since day one and in order to convey that out to the public, Maverick Business Builders was born.
If you’re wondering why “Maverick” it’s because I knew that all people that come in touch with our team could be successful and be classified as a Maverick. The word Maverick refers to “independent minded leaders” and since that was the objective of our team (to create independent network marketing leaders), I thought it was a good fit.
Today, I’m excited more than ever and I’m always eager to share that passion with other success-minded people who aspire for more in life. If you want to connect with me (I love talking w/new people) then visit me on the “Contact” page or if you’re interested in potentially partnering up with our great team “The Mavericks” or just see want to see what we are all about, then you can visit us here at the “Partner With Me” page.
I hope you enjoy this awesome journey you have accepted to be on. I wish you much luck ’many successes’ in your network marketing business and life!
Jerome Ratliff