John Milton Fogg – Isagenix Interview

 

John Milton Fogg is a legend in our profession. He's been called The Napoleon Hill of Network Marketing and for more than 25 years he's been Networking-the-Networkers, writing books and articles, doing interviews, tele-conferences, hosting seminars and developing on-line communities. John resides in North Garden, Virginia, USA, with his wife Katyusha and their two children, Ele age 10 and Anais who is 6.

He's the author of the million-selling industry classic The Greatest Networker in the World, founder of Upline and Network Marketing Lifestyles magazines, creator of the Upline Masters Weekends and has spoken to tens-of-thousands of Networking audiences around the world. John is also the co-author with Ted Nuyten of BusinessForHome.org's Plan B.

At age 64, John recently signed up as a Network Marketer to build a business for home with the U.S. based company Isagenix.

John's sponsor, Jimmy the butcher Smith— Isagenix's #1 income earner who with his family (his daughters Kathy & Grace are the #4 and #11 income earners) and has made over $32 million in the past 10 years— said,

 I've been learning from John Fogg about Network Marketing since I first got involved in the industry 24 years ago. He's probably forgotten more about this business than most people will ever know. He's been looking for the right company for 25 years and he found it. I'm honored he chose my company.

And, I'm impressed by how coachable and teachable he is. John's wide open to learning, always asking, 'Jimmy what's the best thing to do with this person? How do I do that?' I guess the best teachers are also the best students.

Ted Nuyten had the honor to interview John.

John, what made you get back into MLM as a distributor?

I'm in it for the money [Laughs]. No, that's true. Network Marketing is the ONLY way I'm ever going to earn the kind of income I need and want to provide for my family. There's nothing, no thing else out there for me.

I know. I know. I'm a successful author who's written a couple of dozen books that have sold more than three-million copies. But like so many other things, both the book and speaking business has changed dramatically. Unless you're Dan Brown or J. K. Rowling, you're not making much money selling books today. Same with speaking. The days when companies gave me first-class plane tickets and $30,000 to speak to 25,000 people in Moscow's Olympic Stadium are bygone. Bye and gone.

So, I'm in the same boat as so many, many people everywhere today— and, I'm 64. Hardly any opportunities for people my age, no matter how many books they've written or where they've spoken.

Meet John Milton Fogg

What attracted you to the company you chose?

A 'perfect storm'— it was a number of things coming together. First and foremost was my sponsor, Jimmy Smith.

I'd known Jimmy for years. Interviewed him. Wrote about him. He's got such an amazing story: Forced to retire from the one-and-only thing he knew and loved— being a butcher for 40 years. He didn't get into Network Marketing until he was in his 60s. Worked his way up in a couple of companies. Then, at age 74, he walked away from a $5000 a week income to join Isagenix. Turned his back on a rock-solid quarter-of-a-million dollars a year! People thought he was crazy. And today, Jimmy's 84, he and his family have earned more than $32 million in the last 10 years.

For seven or eight years, I'd been chasing Jimmy to do a book about him. This February, he finally said yes. So, I interviewed him numerous times over the phone— we've never met in person— and the more I learned about who and how he really is, just how much he knows about this business and how his life is totally devoted to helping other people, the more intrigued I became.

Jimmy's helped more than 30 people become millionaires in our company and I interviewed seven or eight of them. I interviewed the owners of the company, too. And they all said the same things about him: How generous he is, how smart and savvy, how much he taught them and how much he did for them. They all love the man— love him! Jimmy Smith is the real deal. It just blew me away.

Jimmy said he won't work with anybody who doesn't love the products. So, I was excited to try them. But I have to say, I was prepared to be disappointed. I came from 20+ years in the natural and health business and as good as many Network Marketing company's products are, most weren't good enough. Most have disappointed me. Plus, I'd been fat my whole life. Tried darn near every diet there was. I spent almost 20 years on the Macrobiotic diet— brown rice, miso soup and vegetables. I did two full months of the HCG diet— that's only 500 calories a day!— and I was STILL fat!

But I gave it a try. Did everything wrong, too. Completely messed it up… AND, lost 15 pounds and 5 inches off my waist in 21 days. I thought what's going to happen if I do this right? Then I did and I'm down 25 pounds, 8 to 9 inches off my waist. AND, for the first time in my life, I have muscles. They're growing more and bigger every week. I can see it! At 60-plus year's old that's not possible! I can't walk past a mirror now without flexing and admiring my arms and shoulders. [Laughs]

So, I signed up— even with all my fears and doubts— I signed up.

John Milton Fogg's MLM Best Seller

 

What do you mean fears and doubts?

Look, I may be an 'industry expert,' and I've probably interviewed and written about more of The Greatest Networkers… in this business than anyone else, and way back when over 25 years ago I started off like a rocket building my first business, but I'd never built a huge organization. To make matters worse, I'm a writer, a hermit. I'm shy and I have way more than my fair share of self-doubt when it comes to speaking with people. Oh yeah, I can stand up on stage, but one-on-one, the three-foot rule, knocking on doors, dialing for dollars, cold calling… NO WAY!

Plus, I have NO warm market. My friends are all big leaders in this business. What am I going to do, call Randy Gage, Jordan Adler, Donna Johnson, Tom Schreiter, Sandi Cohen… and ask, Hey, do you keep your business options open?

But Jimmy believed in me. He said, Okay, you don't have belief in yourself, yet. Here, borrow mine. I KNOW you'll make it. I KNOW you're going to be a big success. I'll help you. He has. And he was right. It's working— working great! And he told me he'd help me become a millionaire. Gotta' love that!

What's your approach to building your business?

Right out of the pages of my book. I'm using the vision and values of The Greatest Networker in the World to build my business. Long before it was popular I was insisting we're in the 'Relationship business.' Lead with the product? Lead with the business? No! You lead with the Relationship. It's Shipping and Receiving: Relationshipping, Friendshipping, Partnershipping and Leadershipping. Do all that 'shipping' well and rightly and you receive the rich rewards of success in this business.

I believe there's only ONE WAY to do this business, and that's the way that works best for YOU. Too many upline leaders are lazy. They make these duplicatable systems they can just drop people into because they don't want to take the time to actually help their people learn the skills, take them by the hand and show them exactly how the business is done. That takes time & effort, but that's what we're paid for. That's Leadershipping.

I had a leader tell me the other day you have to have a system a three-year old could understand and do. Really? When was the last time you sponsored a three-year old. Cookie cutter? I'm working with people, NOT cookie dough.

My business philosophy is GET RICH SLOW. It takes time to get to know people, who and how they are, what they need and want, learn about their skills and resources. If you don't know that, how do you know if your product or business is a fit for them? You don't. You can't. GET RICH SLOW really is the fastest way of all.

And, I'm doing my business on-line— almost exclusively. Ten year's ago, with GreatestNetworker.com, I coined the term InterNetwork Marketing. We had profile pages with pictures and personal and professional information. We called them 'face pages.' Today we have Facebook. Works the same way. InterNetwork Marketing saves time and effort. It allows you to qualify and select people. It's the best way to make sure you're saying the right things to the right people, which is what marketing is all about. It's magic for me. I don't think I could build my business otherwise. And that's the approach I'm teaching the people on our team.

Any last words?

Sure. I know the secrets of success in this business. I've been learning them from The Greatest Networkers for 25 years. I'm just putting into practice what they taught me, getting success and then helping my people do what I've just done successfully myself.

My success is inevitable, BUT that's NOT what important. This is NOT a 'Me' business. It's a WE business. That's why I call the team OurIsagenix, not MyIsagenix. The success I desire, dream of and deserve for my self, I want that EVEN MORE for the people on our team. That's what Network Marketing is all about.

Contact Details for John Milton Fogg:

www.facebook.com/TheGreatestNetworker

www.facebook.com/JohnMiltonFogg

Email: [email protected]