Overcoming Network Marketing Obstacles

My 12 year old son is a sports fanatic. Instead of watching movies, cartoons or anything else, when he sits down and turns the television on, ESPN is the first thing that comes on. And he loves it all. From baseball, to Nascar, to basketball to football, he can carry on an adult conversation about the rules, the regulations, the players and how each of these teams are performing.


And to top it off, he loves to play sports. And although he’s not a real big guy, he doesn’t let his size stop him from excelling. He uses his strengths such as his speed and his smart decisions to his advantage.


Two years ago he decided he wanted to take his baseball game to another level. One of his goals is to play sports some day at the college level (at the very minimum). And with his size, he figures baseball might be his ticket. We live in a very small, rural community in Oklahoma and he has participated in our summer league program since he was four.

Hanging with his friends was always fun, but he always had a burning desire to get better. Competitive by nature, he wanted to learn, improve his game and meet new challenges. So, when he expressed an interest of finding a more competitive league, I knew as a parent, I had to do my part. He was willing to step out of his comfort zone and go 8 other boys who shared his passion.


To sum it up, two years later, he is playing with one of the top teams in the country. His first spring and summer he played with a AA team and was quite successful and the following fall he was “recruited” by a “major” coach. Yes, at the age of 11 he was recruited.


The biggest change for him, he is no longer the big fish in a small pond. His teammates are equally as good, some are better, but it has pushed him to improve and shown him if you want to succeed, it takes commitment, focus and consistent hard work.


And he met some obstacles along the way. His majors team is made up of players from all over our state. Our practices are about 100 miles from our home town. So, there is sacrifice from all sides. And we travel to many states from March to the end of July to find other teams to compete with.


And yes, when he decided to step outside of the box, there was ridicule, some hard feelings and many who said we were crazy. His friends didn’t understand and gave him a hard time. Parents didn’t understand why he wasn’t playing with the local summer league team. Even family members just “didn’t get it” and some still don’t.



As a parent, it has been one of the best decisions we have ever made. My 12 year old son has made some life long friends. Some of his “best” friends are his baseball bros. He has learned how to win gracefully and lose with dignity. He has learned that success doesn’t’ always come easy. He has learned that being coachable and teachable is one of the keys to success. And the time we have spent as a family traveling to and from practice, to and from games has brought our family closer.


So, what does this have to do with Network Marketing? The journey is so similar. People will ridicule you. People will think you are making a mistake. Challenges will occur and obstacles will be placed in front of you.


But your focus, and your desire to succeed will allow you to over come those. Don’t let anyone stand in your way or steal your dreams. When the road gets tough, surround yourself with like-minded people and those that understand your desire.


If a 12 year old can do it, so can you!