Is a Home Business Right For You?
From ski bum to successful home business owner. Dan Graham found the freedom he needed from Youngevity formerly American Longevity
For Dan Graham, a self-professed "ski bum" and a former white water rafting guide, network marketing has provided the ideal solution to the need to make a living while also enjoying ultimate freedom.
Although he's happy with his life now, he wasn't always so content. Dan worked at a Christmas tree lot straight out of high school and soon discovered he wanted much more out of life. A stint working as the guide in Jackson Hole, Wyoming satisfied his need for an unstructured life, bet it left his family feeling cold. "They would say to me, 'Dan, why don't you do something with your life?' he laughs.
Feeling the pressure to conform to a more "normal" lifestyle, Dan ventured into corporate America. He was working as a marketing consultant for a software company when a friend approached him about joining a networking company called Youngevity formerly American Longevity, which markets vitamins and minerals, along with products for people, pets, home and garden.
Dan turned him down three different times. He had done network marketing before but hadn't had much luck with it and for the moment he was happy working his 8 to 5 job. "I was very content. I was working for a promotion," he says.
After a while, however, he began to realize that maybe the corporate world wasn't for him. He worked hard, but never really got ahead financially. And, he didn't like someone telling him what to do. "Being a free-sprited guy, someone who's used to enjoying life, I didn't really like being cooped up in an office all day, with people telling me what to do when I had to do it and how it was to be done."
He was also impressed with his friend's persistence and decided to quit his job and join Youngevity formerly American Longevity full time, something he says he wouldn't necessarily recommend to others."It was a big reality check," he says of his first 90 days with the company. "I had to get out of my comfort zone and learn techniques to assist me further."
At one point, Dan was having a difficult time making a go of the business and he considered quitting it altogether."I had my car repossessed and I was getting kicked out of my apartment." he remembers, when he made a life-altering decision. "That's when I changed my mindset. I decided to attack this business whole-heartedly. That's when I actually committed myself to doing this."
He set his mind to succeeding with the company and he hasn't looked back since. He says he's grateful that he struggled some in the beginning because it only made him stronger. "I've gone through a lot of struggles to get where I am and they have empowered me to get a bigger meaning in my life," he relates. "It has been a total life-changing experience."
Dan has been so successful with his Youngevity formerly American Longevity company, Dang Ventures, and his web site, www.gotminerals.com, that he has been able to pay off all his debts. He and his wife Mylisa and their young son Zachary live in a house that's paid for. They also enjoy the time freedom that the job has brought to their lives.
"I wake up to play with my son," Dan says, who adds that he doesn't think of what he does as a "job." He enjoys wearing whatever he wants to work and especially likes the "12 second commute" to his home office.
"We live a lifestyle that many people dream of," he say, noting that his wife wasn't initially supportive of his decision to become a network marketer, She changed her mind, however, and joined Dan with the business after their son was born when she realized the business offered her a chance to stay home with him while still earning a living.
Both Dan and Mylisa have enjoyed taking an active part in their son's life. "I watched him roll over and crawl the first time, too. I was right there when he walked and said his first word," Dan says. "My wife was right there, too."
When they aren't home enjoying their time together, the Grahams can be found on the road traveling in their 38-foot motor coach. "Our goal is to travel once every month for a full-week," Dan says. "We are big outdoor enthusiasts." He likes to play golf four mornings a week and go fly-fishing and they both enjoy mountain biking.
While Dan is in the process of expanding his business to overseas markets, he is also striving toward so lofty goals. He would like to make $100,000.00 a month and give back much of that money to needy children. "I would like someday for there to be no hungry children in the state of Utah," he says.
Dan notes that while his lifestyle is a big part of his happiness, he also finds immense satisfaction in helping others. "What blesses us is being able to see other people achieve the same success we have," he says.
He encourages everyone to keep an open mind about any opportunities that many come their way, adding, "When someone approaches you and says, 'take a look at this,' take the time out and realize this might be something that will change your life." |
