The direct sales industry offers so many opportunities for learning and training, and Modern Direct Seller is no exception! We’re committed to personal development, because investing in yourself can result in growth that you never imagined. Still, with so many opportunities out there to choose from, it can be difficult to find the training that work best for you. Today on the podcast, we’re not only discussing the different ways in which you can put time and money back into your business, but also how to find a community that can help keep you on track to your goals.

Considering a community membership? The Modern Direct Seller Challenge is officially open for the spring! It’s a free, five-day trial full of tips to grow your business, and it’ll give you a taste of the benefits of the Modern Direct Seller Academy. Sign up at ⁠ModernDirectSeller.com/Challenge⁠.

Show sponsored by CinchShare. CinchShare is the #1 social media scheduler for direct sellers and online creators, and they’re offering our listeners a free 30-day trial with code “Game Changer”! Get started through the app or by visiting ⁠CinchShare.com.

Time based notes:

• 1:35 Becky’s coaching backstory
• 4:38 Invest in a business coach
• 8:40 Invest in paid memberships
• 11:41 Invest your free time
• 13:15 Invest in a network
• 13:43 Invest in company conference
• 16:30 Invest in developing yourself

Where to Invest to Better Your Business

The direct sales industry offers so many opportunities for learning and training, and Modern Direct Seller is no exception! We’re committed to personal development, because investing in yourself can result in growth that you never imagined. Still, with so many opportunities out there to choose from, it can be difficult to find the training that work best for you. Recently on the Modern Direct Seller Podcast, Becky talked a little bit about investing in yourself and investing in your business, because she grew up in a world of training and personal development, and it’s a topic that she feels so passionate about.

Becky’s backstory

When I got started in my professional career, right out of college, I got an incredible opportunity to work at a company called The Center for Creative Leadership, which was a company that I knew nothing about, but surprisingly, was nearly right across the street from where I went to my undergrad. The company does nonprofit work and supports the education sector and smaller businesses, but primarily focuses on serving Fortune 500 companies and name brands and their executives as they’re leading their team and leading their organization and navigating challenges.

And so, I got a job there in operations. So, I was totally behind the scenes. I did a lot of scheduling. I did a lot of budgeting. I really jumped into this job not knowing what it entailed, but what I learned was not just the technical skills of the job, but that I was surrounding myself with people that were invested in themselves and in the mission to develop leaders worldwide. And, at the time, programs that we were offering to corporate executives ranged from somewhere between $6,000 and $25,000 for a week of leadership development; these were not inexpensive initiatives. But, companies were willing to invest in their employees that they saw potential in.

So, this was my upbringing. And, I moved into a couple of different roles, from operations to product management to marketing strategy, and I say that because I feel like it’s important to understand my context and my background. As I stepped into entrepreneurship, and I started my own business, I had this core value that investing in yourself and investing in your business was really important to accelerate your growth, to help you become more self-aware, to help you navigate changes in the market, and to help you overcome challenges. Here’s how that’s looked for me.

Investing in a business coach

So, back in 2017, not only was I in direct sales as a leader, developing my team, investing in their development and their success, but I also started training people outside of our company. And, I realized that I also needed a business coach. So, I made a big investment. I remember being so scared to push the button and submit my credit card payment to start working with my business coach! And, now I look back, and that’s a fraction of what I invest in myself every single month these days.

So, when I stepped into that first program, I really wanted to soak up everything I was learning. And, I knew that I wanted not only a coach to support me and guide me as I was launching my business, but I also wanted accountability, connection, and community. I was connecting with incredible people that were on the same entrepreneurial journey as me, that could support me, lift me up, brainstorm with me, and in fact, we’ve collaborated together. They’ve come into my community; I’ve come into their community. I’ve referred them business; they’ve referred me business. That was really important to me.

So, back in 2017, I made that four-figure payment online, and I think it was one of the best decisions I made as a new business owner. And now, seven years later, I still have the same business coach. I’ve moved up in the programs, I’ve met new people, and we’re at a different stage of business, but I’m pretty loyal. And, through that experience, there’s a couple of things that I’ve realized. Investing in myself has not only helped me get the answers or the solutions I need faster, because people are pointing me in the right direction, but it also saves me a ton of time. When we’re thinking about investing in ourselves, we often look at, “How much of my budget is going to go to that program, or to that coach, or to that opportunity?” And, for me, it was more than just how much money I was spending; it was also how much time I was saving. If it wasn’t for my community, I’m sure I would have gone down many, many rabbit holes, and that would have cost a lot of time, and time is money, right? There’s value in that time, and in the incredible people that I’ve been able to connect with. I’ve learned so much about how I run my business today from being part of a community and part of a coaching program that’s guided me and supported me.

Investing in paid memberships

At this point, I have three paid memberships that I am a part of that I leverage in my business every day, and I think Jeremy has one. So, let me share the differences between them, to help you understand how, when you’re investing in yourself or investing in programs, you don’t have to do everything. Now, that’s really important, because sometimes you jump into a program, and you think, “I’m not getting the full value unless I show up to everything, and I do everything, and I utilize every resource.” That’s actually not true at all. You can pick and choose what you need without losing the value of that program.

So, one of the programs I’m part of is with my business coach, Amber McCue. I work with her every single week. I don’t always work one-on-one, but when I need one-on-one support, I get that support. Sometimes, it’s only once a month, or a couple of months go by before I really need a one-on-one deep dive on strategy in my business. But, it’s so important to me that when big things are going on or coming up, I have that available to me.

In the second membership, I literally go to nothing. And, that sounds really bad. But, I don’t go to any of their live events. Occasionally, if it’s a topic I’m really interested in, I’ll listen to that replay. But, most of the time, I am looking at critical updates that are happening in the online marketing space. I don’t have the time to show up for all the collaboration and all the connection, but what I really gain from that one is having an eye on the trends, and grabbing a new tool when I need it, or trying to do something a little bit different, and following what’s really happening inside the industry.

Now, the third membership I’m in is a much lower-ticket membership; I think it’s maybe $29 a month. And, that one, I really just grab stock photos. And, there’s a whole lot more to it. There’s a lot of training. There’s a lot of good stuff in there. Occasionally, there’s a topic that I tune into. But, I mostly use it when I need really beautiful graphics.

Jeremy has a group of techies that he works alongside and has weekly mastermind with, and he’s part of that larger community. A lot of small business owners are a part of his group, as well. So, between the two of us, it is about four different memberships and probably around $1,200 a month that we’re investing in ourselves and our own business.

Investing your free time

There’s a lot more you can do beyond a paid program! I know it is easy to scoop up every deal, every offer, every course, every program; I know a lot of us are learners at heart and want access to everything. But, I really find that having a small circle of people that you learn from and you trust makes all the difference in the world. If you listen to everyone, you’re going to get conflicting advice, and you’re not really going to be diving in and doing the work. So, it’s okay to keep that circle small. I could probably count on my fingers the number of people whose advice I trust and implement into my business.

So, when you’re thinking about investing in yourself, look at free options. You can check a book out from the library. You can listen to podcasts, like the Modern Direct Seller Podcast. You can read blog posts. You can watch YouTube videos. There’s lots of free training and development out there that you can use to support that need to continue learning.

We have a free challenge coming up; that’s another one you can hop into. Our Modern Direct Seller Challenge is officially open for the spring. It’s a five-day challenge full of really actionable strategy, and it gives you a taste of our Modern Direct Seller Academy program as well as some real, current information on how to grow your business and be relevant here in spring 2024.

Investing in a course or a community  

After some of those free trial options, when you’re ready, consider investing in a membership program or a course or a community or a networking group. Of course, I’m partial, because we have the Modern Direct Seller Academy, and I think that’s the very best place to hang out if you’re a direct seller. But, there are many, many memberships out there. You’ll find a coach that has a personality that jives with you, where you understand their training and feel like it’s simple and actionable and fits the needs that you have.

Investing in company conferences

I have to say, after coaching hundreds and thousands of direct sellers, so often I’ll ask a question like, “When did you know you were all-in on your business?” And, more times than not, the response I get is, “I knew when I went to conference that year. One of our company leaders was talking about what the potential could be for me in my business, and I knew right then that I was ready to be all-in.”

I know I’ve had a lot of eye-opening moments like that at company conferences. You leave feeling reinvigorated about your business. You have clarity. You have ideas. Not only that, but you learn about new products, and you get to meet other leaders and other people that are doing the exact same things you are, but in different areas of the country—or the world, for that matter. So, it’s a pretty incredible opportunity, not to mention somebody makes your bed every day, and you get hot meals, and you can spoil yourself and take that time away from the day-to-day. It’s a great time to invest in yourself.

In fact, if you are going to company conference this year, I would encourage you to stay an extra day, if you can. You’re going to get so much information thrown at you—in a good way—that sometimes it takes a minute to process, especially if you’re a leader. As a leader, conference can become about taking care of your team, and supporting them, and making sure they’re having a great experience, so give yourself that extra day to soak it all in. It’s so easy to jump back on that plane, or hop back in the car, and head back to real life, and take all your conference notes, and file them away in a corner. And, that’s the last thing I want you to do. I want you to take what you learn and implement it in your business.

Strategic steps

That’s a lot of information about why to invest in yourself and why I am so passionate about training and community and having coaching available to help you grow your business faster. And, yes, I love the Academy, and I’d love for you to find your place with us and make that your community. But, more so, I want to encourage you that you are worth it. Your business is worth it. Take some time to identify who those people are that you trust, that you want to learn from, that you want in your circle, and use a little bit of your paycheck, and dedicate that to developing yourself.

So, I’m going to leave it here: Think about how you can invest in yourself today.