Meet the Stuarts (Part 1 of 4)!

Having written these monthly spotlights to highlight top Lifemax leaders for the past year, I’ve grown accustomed to being able to judge how the interview is going to go from the first words out of the leader’s mouth. Conferencing Todd and Susan Stuart together on my iPhone during a busy Friday afternoon to tap their energetic minds, I got my first clue into what was in store for this Leader Spotlight. Here’s a hint: Todd answered (the usual southern drawl fully kicking) with, “Dominos Pizza! What can I get ya?” Now THIS is going to be good, I thought to myself. And the next hour and a half did not dare disappoint.

We jumped from one topic to the next covering all of the things Todd and Susan felt were contributing factors to their rise to superstardom (though their humility keeps them from recognizing themselves as such). As we’ll share with you below, there are quite a few things that help the Stuarts keep one foot on the ground while reaching for the stars. This couple is truly on a mission to share the opportunity for health and wealth with everyone they meet—even those who initially seem to be a ‘Doubting Thomas’. We hope you enjoy this special peek into the lives of Todd and Susan Stuart who are…ahem…brand new GLOBAL Directors!

Starting with the most basic question, why are you in this business?

“It’s fun!” exclaimed Susan, “We are fueled by our passion for the product and by our love for people. At this point, we owe it to everyone to tell them how great Mila is!” Todd added, “Mila has unexpectedly become the foundation for a healtheir lifestyle for me. I’ve really opened my eyes and ears to the importance of nutrition, and because of that, I want everyone to know about Mila and the choice to be healthier.”

What’s the biggest strategy you introduce to your teams, and why does it work?

“It’s all about helping people expand their horizons, grow together, have fun together, and be held accountable,” said Susan. “They like thinking they might one day be a leader, and I’m constantly thinking about the diamonds in the rough we are seeing emerge.” Susan went on to explain the 90-day sprint calls they participate in and how much those calls benefit their team. The concept of accountability is ingrained in the “Sprint” calls, and we’ve touched on it in these leader spotlights before with the Kelly family and others, so it was no surprise to hear this recurring theme pop up. “We expanded that accountability role to this group,” recounts Todd. “The 90-day sprint calls are giving people a greater sense of value with Lifemax, and when they have that, they want to do more with it.” “And I can stay connected without hovering,” added Susan as she explained how sharing accountability with call participants works. “We switch moderators giving everyone an opportunity to host at least one weekly call during the 90-day sprint. The host provides the agenda, runs the call, and spends extra time preparing for the topics we’ll discuss that day.” Not only does this give each participant an opportunity to run the show and learn what it feels like to have others hold you accountable, but it takes pressure off of the leaders who were previously doing all the planning themselves.

Tune in next week as we dive deeper into accountability, good decision-making, and how our new Global Directors, the Stuarts, grow their business without letting it “fall flat on its face!”

Part Two with the Stuarts!

As promised, we are ready to dive deeper into the story behind how our new Global Directors, Todd and Susan Stuart, grow their business without letting it “fall flat on its face!” In our second of four posts on this power couple, we’ll ask two of the toughest questions yet. Will the secrets they reveal inspire you to build a bigger business? There’s only one way to tell…

Talk to us about working together. Do you hold each other accountable in this business?

“We’re holding on, holding strong, and holding each other accountable,” said Todd, which got a chuckle out of Susan and me. “Todd’s right,” Susan said, picking up where her husband left off, “Early on, Todd and I saw our legacy to be two-fold; we were a husband and wife team, and we were starting our own small business to seek out—and reach out to—other couples to teach them how to do the same. Having a partner in the business makes it a lot more fun and easier to be successful.” Susan remembers exactly how she came to learn this valuable piece of advice: “Mary and Sara (Susan’s cousins who are also Lifemax Independent Distributors) spoke on a Go Diamond call about accountability partners and that’s why I grabbed Todd and said, ‘You’re going to do this with me.’”

But the Stuarts issue fair warning to couples who join this business and are seeking out a Lifemax accountability partner: “Don’t choose the person you’re sitting on the couch with!” They went on to explain that they work together as a team and certainly hold each other accountable to the extent that any married couple could, but that reaching outside of your marriage to find another accountability partner is the right move.

What’s the best decision you’ve made for your business since becoming a distributor?

“Hire someone to do what you’re not good at,” Susan answered without missing a beat, “so you can focus on what you ARE good at!” Todd and Susan quickly agreed that the best decision they’ve made so far in this business (and trust me, they’ve made a LOT of good decisions so far) was hiring Carrie Lucado. “Minutiae is not my thing,” admitted Susan. “My children and my family come first. I had to delegate efficiently in order to continue the quality of life I had with my family, and Carrie was the solution.” Carrie, who had a personal relationship with the Stuart family before they were introduced to Lifemax, began using her babysitting money to purchase a bag of MILA once she had her first taste of this superfood. Since then, she’s worked more and more closely with the Stuarts to help with business administration, accounting, and providing follow-up with new distributors and prospects which is so important. This has not only helped her to build her own distributorship, but also frees up Susan and Todd to continue high-level training, events, and growing their business. “Fostering Carrie’s success is something we are passionate about,” shared Susan, “and without her, our business would fall flat on its face.”

Be sure to check mylifemax.net next Wednesday when we post the third of four posts in this Leader Spotlight which will address prospecting, tapping into upline leadership, and mentoring downline team members.

Part Three with the Stuarts!

Sandwiched between her cousins Sara Whiteford and Mary Barber (and proudly sharing the same newly achieved title of Global Director), this beaming southern belle, Susan, and her beau, Todd, will address the hot topics of prospecting, tapping into upline leadership, and mentoring downline team members in this week’s Leader Spotlight.

You mentioned reaching out to couples in an earlier question. Who else do you specifically seek out?

“We love meeting new people, finding out who they are, what they do, and what they want! Do they regularly exercise? Are they entrepreneurial? What are their interests? We like to peel the layers back, find common interests, and bring Mila into the conversation organically.” There is a great deal of strategy that goes into the Stuart family’s prospecting plans (which has worked wonders on business professionals from police officers to veterinarians to athletes and beyond). “We brainstorm a lot with respect to individuals or markets where we think MILA has a nice fit,” explained Susan. “You have to get out of your own sphere of influence and play in other sandboxes. Having a simple conversation with someone, finding out who they are and what they do, and introducing them to Mila and Lifemax just becomes automatic.”

Where should new distributors turn for help getting started in this business?

“Tap into your upline,” Susan exclaimed. The Stuarts have had great success in reaching up to top leadership, and they’ve been pleasantly surprised with how accessible the top earners in this company have made themselves to anyone needing help. Not only are leaders a great resource for help in getting started, but they are an excellent source for behavior modeling as Susan points out that, “You can become a leader and place your mark on Lifemax yourself because this company is looking for break-out superstars, rising stars, and the usual leadership traits found in the network marketing books we’ve read.”

If new distributors should turn to their upline, what should leaders do for their downline?

“Susan and I have a real desire to do everything we can to make our distributors and their teams successful,” said Todd. “Keeping the lines of communication open is so important. Follow-up is so important. We try to do our best to make sure our team has the best chance they can possibly have at success in their business as long as they put in the effort. It’s a minimum two to three year commitment.”

What kind of approach works best for you?

The Stuarts have grown to love Mila and the business they share together so much that approaching prospective customers and distributors is a daily routine. Nine months in the business, they now reach out to anyone and everyone whenever possible to introduce Mila and their whole raw food business. When asked what line of work they’re in, the simple reply is, “Our ‘real jobs’ are practicing law and engineering, but our ‘fun job’ is our whole raw food business.” Todd laughed as he recounted, “Susan almost ran into a cop one day, and the next thing you know, he had a Mila brochure and DVD in his hand before they parted.” Even more important than the approach, however, is the takeaway. “When asked, ‘Where can I get more of that?’ we simply say, “We’ll get it for you.” The relationship is born, the Mila is being shared, and the business opportunity will soon follow.

Come on back for a wrap-up on the Stuarts next Wednesday! Susan will explain why ‘Come if you want to’ just doesn’t work, and Todd will…pump your gas?! Hmm…you might want to tune in to find out what that means! Don’t miss Part Four with the Stuarts!

Part Four with the Stuarts!

This beautiful family looks like they are ready to take the world by storm, don’t they? Global Directors Susan and Todd Stuart are ready to wrap-up their four-week Leader Spotlight by providing you with a practical plan to make the most of events, success tips for getting the most enjoyment out of your Lifemax business, and a few shout-outs for good measure. Take it away, Stuarts!

You make it look easy, but what challenges do you face in this business?

The Stuarts confess to never being completely satisfied; their work is never done. “There’s always more you can do—more prospecting, more training—so there is never that sense of completion,” Susan explained. “Diamond Director Katie Fredricksen’s 90-day sprint call has taught me to have action-oriented/task-oriented goals rather than measuring success by end results alone, because end results are out of your control. To have that sense of accomplishment makes me happy so that I can feel like I’m doing what I’m supposed to, I’m reaching my goals, and I don’t have to beat myself up.” Todd, a man who puts people at ease with his warm, light-hearted humor, quipped, “My goal for this week is to find someone to approach with ‘Can I pump your gas and tell you about Mila?’” Humor aside, that’s exactly how Susan and Todd handle this business. They’ll talk to anyone, they’ll make friends with everyone, and they stick to their goals. Susan’s goal-setting formula? Each day, she reaches out to three new prospects, follows up with two or more from the previous week, places one downline call, and rounds out the day by dropping three reminders on upcoming event attendees to ensure they show up.

On that note, can you tell us more about driving event attendance?

Susan and Todd have a simple formula for increasing event attendance. “‘Come if you want to’ just doesn’t work; people need a process to sink their teeth into,” said Susan. “Each person we invite to our next event receives a Save the Date call, a flyer with a hand-written note in the mail, and a text or email the day before the event. It’s simple, but it works. It shows we want that person to be there and their attendance matters to us.”

Can you share any additional success tips for our readers?

“Include your children in the business,” the Stuarts suggested. “It doesn’t take away from time with [Sally, 10 and Henry, 7] when you simply include them!” Todd also suggested having a “pointed, focused attention; no crazy multi-tasking but instead, deeper, more productive, more focused work.” And both Todd and Susan wanted to be sure to add, “Don’t pre-judge!” That particular tidbit of advice was a recurring theme throughout the interview, and as is evidenced in the anecdotes above (from cops to carwashes and everywhere in between), you just never know who might be interested in joining you to Change the Health and Wealth of the World.

Shout-outs!

The Stuarts asked to give a shout-out to a few Lifemax leaders (Diamond Directors Chris Prefontaine and Katie Fredricksen, Global Directors Rachel Garcia, Mary Barber, and Sara Whiteford), to Carrie Lucado, our Lifemax Founders, and the Home Office team.