•Tom "Big Al" Schreiter  •Ken Seto  •Rod Cook - Contributing Editors

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Sometimes You’ve Just Got To Do What You’ve Got To Do 
by Ken Seto

It was the winter of 1948.  And things were not looking bright for 16 year old Herbert Woo.  He was born into a country that shortly after his birth, had changed over to a communist regime.  When Herbert was eight years old  he lost his father to tuberculosis.  Being the only male in the family, he had to quit school and start working to put food on the table.  He did whatever work he could find, for an 8 year old boy.  Yes, some would say that he had some misfortunes, but Herbert had a dream of a better way of life. 

At the age of 19, he finally had the opportunity to leave communist China, to come to Canada.  But there was a price for that too.  Back in 1951, in order to be eligible to be sponsored into Canada, you had to have immediate family already in Canada.  Herbert didn’t have that.  Herbert did however, have a distant uncle in Vancouver who learned of a man in the Chinese community in Toronto Ontario, who had the rights to sponsor his son from China.  But this man’s son had no interest in migrating to Canada. 

As with many immigrants, Herbert’s uncle purchased the immigration rights from the man in Toronto.  This right was at a cost of $5000.  So on February 4, 1952, Herbert Woo left China for a new life in Canada under another family’s name.  He traveled by ship for 20 days and landed on the shores of Vancouver BC on February 24, 1952.  Herbert spent the next 4 years of his life paying for that right to come to Canada.

He was later able to legally claim back his family name of Seto.  Years later, through an introduction from a friend, he met the woman of his dreams, but she was in Hong Kong.  Finally after 8 years of writing letters, Herbert had enough funds to travel back to his native land to claim his bride.  In the course of the next 2 decades, Herbert was able to help two of his siblings and their families to immigrate into Canada. 

One of the great lessons my father taught me was that life is not always simple.  He also taught me, by example, that if you are willing to pay the price, you can make your dreams come true.  Building your MLM business is not always simple.  Sometimes you’ve just got to do, what you’ve got to do.  In our MLM businesses, we have challenges.   Sometimes, it’s the downline’s fault and other times, it’s the company’s fault.  Most of the time, it’s the UPLINE’S fault (or at least that is what many people think). 

The question is, why did you decide to get involved in MLM?  What are your dreams and aspirations?  AND…who’s life is it anyway?  It’s NOT your upline’s aspirations, goals and dreams that are important, it’s YOURS!  Are you willing to take ownership of your life and pay the price of success?  Because there is a price….there are no free rides. 

I’ve met a lot of people over the past 9 years who wanted to be successful in their MLM business.  But when “push came to shove”, most of them backed down.  I would encourage you to do what you’ve got to do, to be successful in MLM.  If that means being better on 3-way calls, do it.  If it means being a better public speaker, become one.  If it means going beyond your fears, do it.  Do whatever it takes.  Life is too short to spend a lot of time building “if only” stories.  Don’t talk about the one that got away, go out and make it happen. 

Whenever I have moments of doubt or start feeling sorry for myself (yes, all leaders have these kinds of moments) I try to remember the sacrifices my father made following his dreams.  He did whatever it took and paid whatever the price to make it happen.  I’ll bet your father’s had much of the same metal as mine did.  By working hard and making it happen, we honor them and our heritage. 

I promise you, whatever price you have to pay, you’ll be glad you did.