Waffle Street – A Business Lesson from Netflix
Every week while I am printing and assembling our Diva Success System Planners I peruse Netflix mostly to just have some background noise in the office while the printer is going.
I just finished watching Waffle Street – a 2015 film based on a true story. It sounded light and a little silly (and some of it was) but it still had a very good message – one that I think all of us could benefit from.
Even better, in one of the scenes one of my favorite actors – Danny Glover – said one of
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The film is the story of a guy who gets fired from a big paying job in finance for doing something unethical (though not illegal – which was the company mantra) and has to go to work at a 24-hour diner – which he later sees the potential in as a franchise and begins working toward purchasing.
He meets with Glover to talk about going into business together, and the conversation is pretty profound.
He is talking to Glover about purchasing the diner. Glover asks him if he loves the industry… really LOVES the restaurant industry… to which he says “no.” Glover laughs – his point having been made – and then he asks:
“What do you love doing SO MUCH that you would do it for free? “
To be good at anything – you have to love it. I don’t mean like it – I mean LOVE it. In direct sales we go days – sometimes weeks – without making money – ESPECIALLY in the beginning.
There are days you will work until you absolutely fall into your bed at night… and there is a chance you have even lost money that day. The ONLY way to be able to ride it out – is if you truly love what you do, and have a passion for your product and business.
If you do not wake up excited to get to work every day – you are in the wrong business. Period.
Do you love your company so much that you would still promote their products, even if you were not making ANY money?
Would you post to Facebook, tell your friends, tell random strangers – for free?
Would you still use your products if you did not receive a discount – or even more importantly – are you currently using all of your products yourself because you love them that much?
Or are you using something “cheaper?” (Trust me – it is not your secret… it shows in how you run your business.)
Would you still encourage people to join and support your company, if there was no
If you did not answer yes to every single one of those questions – you are in the wrong business.
Finding a product that you LOVE and are passionate about is the #1 tip for success in this industry. The success plan, hostess program, buying discount, etc – all falls behind loving the product in level of importance, yet sadly that is what people ask about when trying to choose a direct sales business to join.
Even if you were making 90% commission – with 50% bonuses, you will not be as successful if you do not love the product. And even if you are somewhat financially successful, you will not be fulfilled and you will eventually feel very burnt out.
Loving MONEY is not enough.
I signed up for my first direct sales company when I was 18 years old. EIGHTEEN. I had not even had a chance to vote yet, and I was building a business.
I had fallen in love with the opportunity – and the industry. I was “in love” with the idea of being my own boss and working my own hours. I was in love with the idea… I was not however in love with the product.
Do not get me wrong – it was a product I still use to this day – but I was not passionate about it. However I spent several years learning as much as I could about the industry and when I found another product and mission that I loved beyond all else – that is where I found amazing,
It was not that I had suddenly discovered the “magic bullet” for success. I had found the passion. I had found the right product.
I learned from that first business that I was on the right road – I just wasn’t yet in the right car.
Waffle Street was a delightfully fun and humorous film – and I never saw such a deep lesson coming from it when I first hit play – but I am so glad I did. It reminded me of just how much I LOVE coaching and helping people to get control of their time and their business and how much love the direct sales industry, and that yes, I would still coach and teach even for free (and often do!) .
If you are needing a little inspiration this afternoon I highly suggest watching it. And, if you feel like you are on the right road but maybe not in the right car… I am here to tell you that is ok.
I will even go so far as to tell you it is ok to get out of one car… to get into another one. I will not tell you the end of the movie – but I will tell you that he pursues his PASSION – and has become a very, very successful man.
So I ask you…
What do you love so much… that you would do it for free?
