Read The Entire Steve Thompson Interview Transcript Below:

Vince Reed 0:00 – 0:02

Network Marketing Nation, Episode Eleven

Steve Thompson 0:03 – 0:13

You cannot succeed you way to success; you have to fail your way to success. So be ready, suit up, and get out there and start failing as rapidly as you can.

Vince Reed  0:14 – 0:25

You’re listening to Network Marketing Nation, where six and seven figure top earners share their stories. My name is Vince Reed, Internet marketing trainer and coach. Prepare to be inspired.

Vince Reed  0:33 – 1:45

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Alright, I’m extremely excited. I’m here on the line with Steve Thompson and his story is incredible. Steve Thompson is recognized as a leading authority in network marketing. He is the number three money earner in his company as well as being the number 11 money earner in network marketing worldwide by Business for Home magazine earning millions of dollars per year. Steve has developed automated training programs as well as live trainings embraced by thousands across the US and Canada. He is a sought-after trainer, speaker, and consultant for direct marketing companies. Now he’s here on Network Marketing Nation to share his six and seven figure success story with you. Steve, what’s going on, my friend? I’m excited to hear your awesome story. Are you ready to rock and roll?

Steve Thompson 1:45 – 1:54

Yeah, having a great day, great to be on and man, I really appreciate what you guys are doing to share these stories with people that are in network marketing or just looking at it.

Vince Reed  1:55 – 2:21

Absolutely, and it’s an honor to have you. The people we bring on are people that are actively out there promoting, people that are making it happen and I think for people out there getting started, it’s important for them to know that there are people that are getting amazing results and it’s possible for them. So we appreciate you for coming on. So, you know, your story was incredible as I mentioned earlier.

Was there anything that you wanted to add to maybe fill in the blanks? Is there anything I may have left out that you want to share?

Steve Thompson 2:21 – 2:56

Well, you know I’ve been with 5 companies now. Most of my career was very part time. I’ve got over 21 years in network marketing and I started in vitamins, went from that to TelComm, went from that to helping launch a skincare company, then I was in travel for a few years, had my first really big success and then came over to Ambit Energy just a few months after they started and it’s the biggest thing I’ve ever done. But you might sum it up by saying I have failed my way to the top and after 20 plus years I’m an overnight success.

Vince Reed  2:56 – 2:58

That’s awesome, man.

Steve Thompson 2:58 – 3:46

And I do want to share with everybody, I’ve written a couple books. I was blessed, my last one was a best seller on Amazon: Relationship Marketing; View from the top and what it really takes to get there. And if somebody wants a school book, if you will, a textbook on how to do it, I tell the whole story right down to training programs and everything available in there. And then also some of it on my NeverQuitSteve.com website. So really like to share the information. I’m so serious about sharing it that even though it was a best seller and still selling, I’ve been blessed with my network marketing income that I donate 100% of the proceeds from the book to the food bank to feed the hungry. So get a textbook, learn more about network marketing, and help feed some people.

Vince Reed  3:47 – 4:30

That’s awesome, that’s incredible. I mean, it’s amazing, as I do a lot of these interviews, you’ve obviously earned millions of dollars and it seems like, you know, everybody that I talk to they always have this giving spirit and they’re excited to share, and that’s the one thing I notice in common. So awesome and kudos to you for that. So let’s jump into it. I have a few questions here for you and, you know, you’ve earned obviously seven figures in network marketing. In fact, you were ranked as high as the top 11 in network marketing period. I mean, think about that: money earner. I mean, that’s an awesome accomplishment. How does that actually feel? When you got started, was this something that you sought after?

How does it actually feel to have reached that goal?

Steve Thompson 4:31 – 6:58

It’s pretty amazing. I will say when I started, I always had visions of that and really my career changed about a decade ago, was before my current company when I started to get serious about the business, take it serious, become a professional in this industry and hold myself out as such. And that was the big turnaround. That moved me up to the number 12 money earner in the travel business in the country, and then of course when I hit the ground with my company now, I knew what to do, been in the industry 13 years, took it very serious. And it’s amazing. But it’s funny though; I always watch the list of top money earners – it’s something you just keep an eye on, it’s kind of like having your eye on the stars. And I’ll never forget that one time I was scrolling down the list of top money earners just seeing who I recognized, and all the sudden I got to number 80-something and it was my name. And I had to hit refresh to make sure they were talking about me, and from then on I was watching that list and then it was in the 50s, then the 40s, and then I was shocked when I got down in the top 15 and it is a life dream. But I want to tell everybody, you can do it. I didn’t start with any special skills. I failed my way to the top, I just kept trying again and trying again and listening to other leaders, following other mentors. A great of list of mentors guided me, and if you take this business serious, it’s life changing. I owned an insurance company for 31 years; 3 years into my current company, I was making so much more money from my energy company than I was in the insurance that I sold, my 31-year-old insurance company. In the last 5.5 years, I’m pretty much living my dreams, I keep making more money and having more time to enjoy it. And it’s all about being willing to get out there and do it. Not just try, just keep doing it. Fail, learn from it, get up and do better. And I tell people, how many people are having trouble, how many are getting rejection, how many are having people laugh at you, how many people are saying no? If you can say yes to all those, you’re on the right track. That is the roadway to success. You cannot succeed you way to success; you have to fail your way to success. So be ready, suit up, and get out there and start failing as rapidly as you can.

Vince Reed  6:58 – 7:26

That’s so powerful. I mean, we’ve kind of been conditioned it seems like in society to be afraid of failure, and failure I believe is life’s biggest learning lesson. So that’s so powerful. So tell me this: obviously you’ve done extremely well in this industry. I mean, I’m sure people are going to learn a lot from you throughout this entire interview. Share with everyone listening, you know, why do people join you?

You know, what makes joining your team different than let’s say joining someone else getting started?

Steve Thompson 7:27 – 8:42

Well you know the most important thing and the part that I’m most proud of is not really even my own success or financial success; it’s the number of people that I’ve been able to help mentor on our team. I mean, there’s now 160-plus people at the executive and national level. There’s a dozen or more million dollar earners and some multi multi-million dollar earners, and that’s what makes me so proud. We have a team that is all based on sharing and helping other people, and it’s like I tell every night when I speak to groups: you can’t make a lot of money for yourself, but if you’re truly focused on helping other folks, you’ll get everything you dream of, just like Zig Ziglar said. And that’s what’s most important about our team. We’re all pulling, we’re all running. And honestly, I tell people even that I personally sponsored, I do still personally sponsor. I say, “If you want to run, I’ll run with you. If you want to walk, I’ll walk with you when I have time. But I’m not going to sit on the bench with you.” And that attitude permeates most of our team and that’s why literally almost half the company is in our downline now. We’re blessed with that and more than half the top leaders. So we build leadership.

Vince Reed  8:42 – 9:02

I love that, that’s a powerful quote. That’s one to rewind and listen to again.

So tell me this: you know, if you could go back in time, what piece of advice would you have given yourself when you got started?

I mean, you’ve been in a few companies, you’ve pretty much seen it all. Is there anything you would have shared with yourself on that day one when you first got started?

Steve Thompson 9:02 – 9:24

Man, I wish I could go back and shake myself and say, “Take this serious. It is probably the biggest thing you have ever had a hold of in your life, and if you take it seriously, be proud and hold yourself as a professional in this industry.” I think if I had that advice and had listened to it, I’d had been at the million dollar level a decade ago.

Vince Reed  9:24 – 9:33

So true, so true. It seems like a lot of times it’s almost like a hobby, right? We treat it like a hobby instead of a business and that’s a big mistake.

Steve Thompson 9:33 – 10:03

Yeah, I tell people that I used to say, “I own an insurance agency, I have a music management production company, I’m a real estate broker, and oh by the way, I do a little network marketing.” And I would kind of mumble about the network marketing. And it’s a decade ago when I changed my mind and said, “Okay, I’m a professional network marketer, and I’m spearheading the expansion of my company in your area.” That’s how I introduced myself. And then I also owned some other businesses. But you’ve got to become professional.

Vince Reed  10:03 – 10:32

I think that’s powerful just that shift. I mean, you made network marketing the thing and then it’s like, “Oh, and now I do some other things as well.” I think that’s powerful. So for all of you out there that are embarrassed or putting it on the back burner, take it seriously.

So this is a fun question and probably one that I always get a kick out of hearing: how did your first sponsor actually recruit you onto their team?

I’ve heard some crazy stories and I’d love to hear yours, because I wish I was that guy.

Steve Thompson 10:33 – 12:03

I didn’t really even back then know anything about network marketing. I was in my insurance office and a guy that was a client of mine – but I barely knew him – came by and said he was in the vitamin business, and if I took vitamins I’d be healthier. And I was into health things and I said, “You know, that sounds good to me. I’ll take a month’s worth.” He said, “Well before you write the check, you know, if you sign up as a distributor for the company, you get 25% off.” It was pretty inexpensive to join so I joined to get the discount, and I just took my vitamins and didn’t talk about it. A month later I called him and said, “Hey, I want to get another month’s worth of vitamins.” And he said, “Well, you know, if you buy $1,000 worth, you get 50% off.” And I said, “What am I going to do with $1,000 worth of vitamins?” And he said, “Well you should sell them to your friends and family; they need them too.” And I started doing that and I laughed and say it was 2 to 3 months before I even found out I was in network marketing. And you know, that guy quit but it went on to be a pretty strong income for me. The life changing moment then was when I went to a seminar and got to see Mark Hughes speak by satellite TV. We all went to a church and set up a satellite, and watching Mark Hughes – the founder of Herbalife – I realized it wasn’t about vitamins, it wasn’t even about money. It was about helping other people reach and become better people and better families and reach for more. And at that moment, that’s when I really got in network marketing. I said, “That’s what I want to do. I want to go out and change lives.”

Vince Reed  12:03 – 12:24

And you’ve done that tremendously, so that’s awesome. So with that, I mean, with the success that you’ve had, I mean, clearly with anything you’re going to experience more no’s than yes’s.

So does any story of rejection stand out, maybe when you got started?

Was there ever a point where you asked someone or you shared your bid with someone and they rejected you?

Steve Thompson 12:24 – 13:29

The hardest one for me – and I shared openly with people – is I love my family, but my family all turned me down. They wouldn’t even look. They still won’t look and they even tell their kids, my nieces and nephews that what Uncle Steve does is weird and you ought to stay away from that and to have a real job. And I watch as some of those guys struggle financially and they still won’t take a look. It’s hard to ever get passed that. You fit into a burning reason that you continue to push on, to show them that yes, it is weird. Because instead of working 40 or 50 hours a week for 40 or 50 years, you work real hard for 4 or 5 years and take the rest of your life off. That’s not normal. But you have to be prepared that what we do is not normal and normal people will try and put it down. So my biggest story of rejection is to this day, with my being a top money earner and all the success I’ve had, my family members are not involved.

Vince Reed  13:29 – 13:33

Wow, and what kept you going?

What do you think was the drive that kept you going even throughout all of that?

Steve Thompson 13:34 – 14:30

It was that I knew I could do it. It reminds me of when I started my insurance company. I started not making any money, not having any clients, but I read the history of people, picked out a town and long distance mentors that had success and I said, if they can do it, then I can do it. And that’s what always kept me going is when I was discouraged or down or my family or someone else tried to tell me it was ridiculous and I couldn’t do it, I simply started reaching out to read about people that have had success. And I knew the only difference between me and them was understanding the system, learning to follow it, and helping a lot of people. So if they could do it I could do it. People often asked me when I joined my company 8.5 years ago, “Did you ever think you would make $1 million?” I said, “Absolutely, I wouldn’t have joined if I couldn’t. My intention all the way.” And no amount of rejection was going to make me stop.

Vince Reed  14:31 – 15:03

Wow, that’s so powerful. So I think all of you listening, there are some powerful lessons in there. Number one, don’t worry about it. Even the very best, one of the top earners in the entire network marketing industry faces rejection and still to this day, and he still keeps going. So you can make it happen. So with that, enough with the negative stuff. Let’s get into some of the positive talk here.

What’s your best story of success?

Maybe that moment where you’ve said, “Man, I’ve made it.” And maybe if you want you can share a story of success of maybe someone on your team.

Steve Thompson 15:03 – 17:24

And that is the best that ever happened to me. My last year in the travel industry, I met a guy that was struggling in the business. He wasn’t in my pay line, I couldn’t get paid for it. He had huge desire but he was broke and he had lost his home, lost his car, and lost his marriage and family. But he wanted it bad and I spent almost a year talking to him and even traveling to go help him build his business. People laughed at me, “Why are you helping that guy so much? You don’t make money off him.” And I said, “You just help people that deserve your help and it will come back to you.” So when I joined my current company I called him to recruit him and he actually hung up on me. He said, “I’m up to where I’m making a couple thousand dollars a month; I can’t leave this.” And he hung up. But he called me back within a few seconds and said, “I’m so sorry, you’re one of the top earners. I’ve got to hear you out and hear what you have to say.” And we went from there to looking at the business and getting him started. He had to borrow the money; he couldn’t come up with $400. I told him, “You have until tomorrow at 5, we have mutual friends. I’ll start calling them tomorrow night if you’re not in the business.” And the next morning he had found somebody to lend him $400 and he started, and I remember his first goal was he wanted to be able to get a sport coat and a shirt because he didn’t own one. He’d go to meetings in tennis shoes, jeans, and a T-shirt at first. And the first few weeks we went out shopping and got him a sport coat. And when he made his third big promotion, I remember taking him shopping and buying suits for him for the firs time as a bonus to him, and watched him become one of the greatest leaders in the industry. This is Chris Atkinson I’m talking about. He went from dead broke, having to borrow the money to a $5 million plus earner, author of books and a leader of literally tens and tens of thousands of people creating more success. And that’s the greatest success story of my life. It wasn’t my success; it was seeing someone that had nowhere to turn. I mean, this guy was on probation after being in jail and losing everything, and now he’s one of the most dynamic leaders ever. I’d recommend you interview he and his wife Debbie.

Vince Reed  17:25 – 18:25

I would love to, we’ll definitely talk about that later. And that’s just so inspiring to myself and I’m sure to a lot of people listening. I mean, one, you helped someone and with no gain in sight. I mean, they weren’t even on your team. You were still willing to give yourself and time to that person, and then later on it winds up being one of the best decisions and your number one success story. So for all of you guys listening, again, it all starts with you just becoming more, learning, and then sharing that information. You can make amazing things happen. Thank you for sharing that, that’s awesome. So tell me, you know, these are very similar questions but very different at the same time. What would you tell the person getting started in network marketing? So they just got started, they just sent their money in, they just got their autoship, their vitamins or whatever it is and they’re brand new to the business.

What would you tell that person getting started?

Are there any steps that you would give them to get them off to a good start?

Steve Thompson 18:26 – 20:27

First step is to be committed. What I mean by that is make a decision and stick with it; don’t wake up every day or every other day second guessing your decision. That indecision will ultimately be a decision to put you out of business. So make a commitment to build this business. Not just to try it, but to do this business and if you’re brand new today, if you promise to do it a little bit every day for one year, you will have success. So that’s the biggest key, is to make a huge commitment and go to all your company functions that you possibly can. I watch a lot of people get in and try to figure it out on their own. This is the one industry where the very best people in the whole industry will literally share everything they know with you frequently at no cost to you. Don’t try and do this on your own. This is not a business of innovation; it’s a business of duplication. So get hooked up with a team. If your immediate upline is not the team, find another group to work with. Don’t worry about coding or bonuses or incomes, just worry about who you can connect with because you’re not really in your network marketing company until it gets inside of you. Once it’s inside you, if you’re a product company, be a product of your product. If you’re a service company, be a believer and you’ve got to believe in your leadership, you’ve got to believe in your company. And when you go out to approach people, the most important thing they’re going to look for is your commitment, your professionalism, and your excitement. If you don’t have those things now, borrow them from some of the leaders on your team, use their commitment, use their excitement, use their success stories to build your own. Do not fake it til you make it. Do not make up stories about yourself; share stories of other people and eventually, you will build your own story.

Vince Reed  20:28 – 20:56

That’s powerful. I can see why you’re where you are today. Awesome stuff. So tell me about, you know, the struggling veteran.

What would you tell that struggling veteran?

Maybe they’ve been in a few companies, kind of like your buddy that you shared, Chris, earlier. They’re making $1,000 or $2,000 and they can’t quite get over the hump, maybe they’re on the verge of quitting. People are losing faith in them and they’ve been around for a while. Is there anything that they can do shift everything and kind of move forward in the right direction?