Standing Order Tape

Mission Accomplished

2006-08-04T08:23:00.000-05:00

It has been one year since I started this website. I started out to simply fill a missing niche in the Amway/Quixtar debate, namely, that although there have been many testimonials and stories about the horrors of the motivational organizations I have never come across details as to what the system is actually teaching. Finding this missing niche, I sought to fulfill it. Although I have never run a blog before, never asked anyone to link it, never advertised it outside of my single post in the Qblog forum, this site has grown to over 25,000 hits. I have seen it linked to Answers.com, skeptics dictionary, Wikipedia (before all blogs were removed), and numerous other places. It has been my prayer that what I wrote has drawn glory to Jesus Christ foremost, and next, led people away from the dangerous teachings of the motivational organizations.

Now that I have accomplished this, I would like to announce my retirement from the great debate. In the event that people come here just to read my writings, let me please explain a few things and at the end, I will tell you where you can still find my writings.

When I first set out to do this work, I was not certain if it was something that I would be doing long term, or short term. Like all things, I took it to the Lord in prayer. It was actually something that I prayed about for over six months. I was pretty sure in March that I was going to stop, so I selected the one year anniversary the founding of this site as the appropriate closing day. Since that time, I have been planning the series of final posts that I have written. It was critically important that after spending such a time detailing the actual teachings of BWW that I leave everyone with a more concise outline of what Word-Faith is and what it teaches.

I wish to extend a special thanks to Eric Janssen, aka, Qblog for the privilege of writing for QuixtarBlog. I certainly never sought out to do such a thing, but I guess that God was with me in helping to get the message out through that site. I also wish to extend thanks to Drew Bahn for giving me spots on Quixtar Inside and Out Radio and for being a person that I could bounce some things off of. Thanks to Preston for providing some insight to WWDB and some of the leaders. Thanks to a reader who wishes to remain anonymous for providing tapes to other motivational organizations, and thanks to Imran for some help with the Standing Order Tape website early on.

There were several things that I liked about being involved in this debate over the last year. The first is meeting some of the people I met. I got a chance to meet two people personally, a few more over voice chats, and numerous over email. I enjoyed learning about Blogging and getting a very deep applicational study of Word-Faith based on the Bible.

A few things precipitated in me wishing to leave this debate. The first is that the time required to post these detailed analysis of tapes was astronomical. I have spent over 20 hours a week many weeks to get posts up for this site, Quixtarblog, research, etc. This time has prevented me from doing other things that I wanted to do. Running this site also cut into my time in the Bible. Prior to running this site, I have read the Bible at least one time a year, but I have finished about half of it since starting this work. Further, I have had to run a little less ministry while running this site, and it also cut into the time I was able to work at home for my job.

Now, I would like to point out that many pro-Quixtar people will say that if you leave this business, you are nothing but a loser, you are interested in no one but yourself, you will be broke your whole life. That is simply not true. Since I have left this all-consuming business, I have been mentor to over 40 kids in some way. They seek me out. I have been a requested teacher in a few small groups as well as other things professionally. I have a great job with good pay, and I am looking forward to moving on soon.

I would like to recap now with a brief accounting my life since I saw this thing. It was July 2000 when I first saw Quixtar. I first became a member, then an IBO. Since early on in my involvement, there were two major negative impacts on me. The first was my grades in college dropped drastically. To give you an idea, it was that single semester that caused me to drop from Summa sum lauda to Magna cum lauda. My interest in college work stopped almost instantly. This was a very bad thing. The next thing that happened is that I started to accumulate debt. I was totally against credit card use prior to Quixtar, but afterwards, it was easier and easier to use a credit card because of the fact that material things were seen as being so important. There were other negative consequences to me but those are the two that are the deepest seeded and they are the ones that still get in my way today. I have also noticed that with the sole exception of a small period at the end of 2004, ever since I have seen Quixtar in 2000, it has dominated a large chunk of my life, both as a participant and a critic. I wish to recoup that lost time in my days, weeks, and months.

I am pleased to report that my credit cards are paid off, but I still have over $25,000 of other debt due to my involvement in this business.

Should you wish to keep up with me, I will be devoting a little of the time spent on this site to my new ministry site, Religious Debates Forum, and Blog called Our Walk in Christ. I will also continue to check my email should you with to contact me: xanadustc@hotmail.com

With this, I say farewell, it has been fun. Good luck in your endeavors,

Over and Out,

Xanadustc

Imagine For a Moment

2006-08-02T06:47:00.000-05:00

I want you to use your imagination. You are a person that has lived a life that was very hard. Your father was an alcoholic and was never there. Your mother did the best, but you still have to take care of your younger brothers and sisters. When you were old enough, you went to the military and were placed in the command of a large operation. After this, you went to college and ended up working a job in another field. In this time, you lived a some-what party like life. You often spent more money than you could, going into debt to buy a plane. You participated in dog fights, and even lost $10,000 in a fraudulent business opportunity.

After a period of time, you were offered a different opportunity where you quickly made a lot of money, but one night while you were showing some other people how you made your living, someone stood up and said to you, a person who was not really a churchgoer, that the Bible says that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. When he made this comment, you didn’t have an answer, so you threatened him with bodily harm to keep your posture. Since that question so bothered you, you bought a computer with Bible software and started to look through it. You also started to look for people talking about money and the Bible.

As you performed your research, you likely found people teaching three different things. The first is that people taught that money will inhibit your entrance into heaven. The next would be people teaching that the quantity of money is not consequential, but only the condition of the heart. The third type is people teaching that God wants you to be rich. Now, understand that you lost a lot of money, had a hard life, worked a job outside your college degree, and now you have quit your job because you make so much money doing your new opportunity. You have no training in the Bible at all, but you have degreed preachers teaching three different views.

Which one do you follow?

The story about is the story of Bill Britt, the founder of Britt World Wide. Based upon my years in BWW, my knowledge of Word-Faith, and my study of scripture and the context behind it, I understand why Bill made the choice that he did. You see, this meeting happened to Bill right in the middle of the days when the Word-Faith teachers were extremely popular and main-stream. It was easy to find material that agreed with what he was doing.

He found that first, the message would be motivational. Next, he could sell materials based on this, third, the system would drive up retention. Bill seems to be a fulfillment of

2 Timothy 4:3-4 -

³For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,

⁴and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

When Bill had set up his system and became a self-proclaimed biblical guru, he ignored sound interpretation and followed preachers who mistreated the word of God. From that, a whole host of downline with the same problems sprung up and became those gurus themselves. This of course, led to the abuse of the Bible to teach people false doctrines, and has led to a widespread impact on people who are now confused about the true teachings of the Bible.

Twisted Scriptures

2006-07-29T15:14:00.000-05:00

Now that we have seen a 3-part series on Word-Faith, it is important to examine some scripture in light of BWW and see how it compares to the historic, orthodox Christian interpretation. Before we do this, I need to make a point.

I have authored over 100 poems. Some of those are easy to figure out what I am talking about, but I also have many that are totally metaphorical. In some of my poetry, you might read it and get inspired. That inspiration may have nothing to do with the meaning of the poem as I wrote it. Is your interpretation wrong? Yes, if you are reading it outside of the context and meaning that I wrote it. I am the author, and as the author, I am the standard for proper interpretation. In light of this, I would like to point out that God is the author of the Bible. Yes, it is true that humans had an inspired part in that, but it is God that holds the testimony of what it is. As the author, it is God that determines the interpretation. The study of proper interpretation is called hermeneutics. While it is true that there are some interpretive challenges among knowledgeable Christians, most can agree as to what those verses are, but the Word-Faith interpretation is totally self-centered, illogical, and lacking in historical context. You see, if I were writing a letter about a situation during World War 2 relating some war-related issue, you could not properly interpret my letter without a knowledge of what was happening in the world at that time. Such as it is with the Bible, particularly since the New Testament is almost entirely letters including some of the Gospels such as Luke.

The Twisted Scriptures

These will be taken from a 10 minute scripture bend that Larry Winters did at a Saturday night weekend conference (where Quixtar Rules tell us that Religion should not be included by the way). These are also recorded on BWW151, “The Badge of Honor”. I use this because Larry pretty much sums up all the wrong interpretations of importance that are found within BWW and other motivational organizations and Word-faith movements in three basic clips.

He says the formula for success is (note that formula):

You need to work

You need to have faith,

He uses this verse:

Faith without works is dead. (James 2:17)

Larry’s Interpretation: This verse is used to bash those that did not show plans; if your calendar is empty you are not working by faith. You should not be checking for results, but instead should simply know that results are there because you are doing the work. You don’t check what you are doing to see if you will win (go Diamond), but you look at what God says. Notice how it is self-serving, for this world, and turns your actions into proof that you are actually doing a human work.

Historical Orthodox Interpretation: First, the context is James talking about a person who professes to be saved, but is embracing what we might call ‘antinomianism’, which crept up early in the church. This was a belief that since we are saved by grace, all we need to do is confess Jesus and then we can live any way we choose, violations of His commands or not. James is saying here that if you profess to be a Christian, your life will demonstrate Christianity. He goes on to explain what that might look like: ministering, sharing your excess goods, loving people if they can love you back or not. This verse is about how our works demonstrate our salvation, not about how our works fulfill a human plan.

Getting what you give:

As you sow, you reap, you will get if you do not get weary in well doing, you will be blessed abundantly overflowing. Larry ends this one by saying that he read this in Deuteronomy and the New Testament. He says that everything that Paul said lined up with Bill and everything that Bill said lined up with the Bible.

This one demonstrates a common Word-faith theme: attaching several verses together (most if not all out of context). This is a combination of:

Galatians 6:7b - Whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.
Galatians 6:9 - Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary
Malachi 3:10b - if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows
Luke 6:38 - Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure--pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.
Bits and Pieces of Deuteronomy 28, the classic blessing / cursing chapter.

Larry’s Interpretation: Larry uses these verses in combination to say that if you are just out showing the plan, than at some undisclosed amount of time, you will suddenly make more money than you could ever imagine.

Historical Orthodox Interpretation:

To examine all this, I will consider Deuteronomy 28 first. This chapter is the conclusion to the Israelite Law. God promised blessings if that people at that time followed that law. He offered a promise of curses for turning away from that law. To quote that chapter as your promise also requires you to follow that law, sacrifices in all, so let me ask you few questions if you are claiming that: When was the last time to you went to the priest to report a mildew problem? Did you give your required cattle sacrifices lately? Have you totally forgiven every debt against you lately? I think you get the idea…if you claim this promise, you are claiming the Israelite law as yours.

Now it is on to Galatians. Notice that Larry can quote 6:7 and 6:9, but he left out the 6:8 - For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. It can be argued that throwing all your devotion to a controversial business model to make yourself rich is certainly sowing to the flesh. Now, I say this understanding that some people may want all that money to give to ministry. I say again, God is more interested in your heart and your money, I will not reinsert all the balancing points to this argument because they are already all over this site.

Again, the context of this Galatians verse is to the spiritual teachings of the apostles, not a means to gain wealth by giving all devotion to a business system.

The verse in Malachi is in reference to the tithing in the Israelite culture. You see, they were a Theocracy, that is, the governmental policy was directly controlled by the central religion. In that system, they were required to give a tithe, not of 10%, but closer to 33%. In fact, their tithe and our (America) tax system are essentially the same thing. It was the love offerings in that culture and the donations in our culture which are the extra giving.

The verse in Luke is a restatement of a summary of true Christ-likeness. If you follow the rest of the text, he talks about the standards of judgment, pardons, forgiveness, and finally giving.

There is an interesting teaching in the middle of this that I found interesting. Larry says that he will only listen to two men: Bill Britt and Paul Miller. If he hears a preacher (or someone like me) and what they say is the same as Bill and Paul, he will listen, but if what they say is contrary to Bill and Paul, without any examination, he will reject that person and listen instead to Bill and Paul.

What God wants for you:

“Beloved, I wish above all things…beloved…that’s me!...I wish that thou may prosper…and be in good health, so that you can enjoy [your prosperity], comma [yes, they always say the word ‘comma’] even as thou soul prospers.”

This is from 3 John 2 - Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.

Larry’s Interpretation: Larry makes it easy for me because he says “You know what that says in Larry’s term? ‘Hey, Larry! I’m God, I want you to do good, I want you to be healthy, all you got to do is learn some of my spiritual truths. You grow in me, I’ll grow in you and we both win.’”

Historical Orthodox interpretation: Larry actually did not come up with that, Oral Roberts was the first to make that twist to the scripture in the 1950’s, and now it is spouted out like truth. In reality, that verse is not a blanket statement of God talking to all Christians, it is the salutation to a personal letter in that time! You know, very similar to the ‘Dear so and so’ that we start our letters with today.

Another interested point, Larry says that Bill and Paul “Studied certain teachers that were anointed in teachings”, like those are the teachers that God put here and the rest are not of God. Larry never lists them, but I know who he is talking about. They are the Word-faith teachers that I have listed elsewhere on this site.

Next, Larry sets up the straw man by taking the opposite extreme, namely, the poverty gospel, and using he classic ‘whining insult’ voice to make fun of people who do not think that God is interested in blessing people. He even says, “I can tell you don’t believe [God wants to prosper you], I look at your life: disease, catastrophe, lay-offs, average, mediocre.” Sound familiar? I covered these points over the last three posts.

Conclusion

Now, we have seen the three verses with a modern, self-centered, human exulting interpretation. We have seen how these are in stark contrast to the historical orthodox interpretation. Which is correct? Well, let us examine a few things.

First, the earliest church writings were most consistent with the protestant teachings that resurfaced in the reformation (note that it was a reformation, not a revolution). The Bible was the standard, but had to be understood in proper cultural context. The theologians of history understood the language and culture of that people. Further, we have writings which date back to the times of, and shortly after, the apostles. In nearly 2000 years, these amazing truths of healing and business success were hidden from people who have done nothing but study their Bibles all day long? That is absurd!

Next, the focus of the Bible, as well as early church writings, consistently pointed to the coming glory of God, the resurrection, trials ahead for the believers, grace, and service to man-kind. These new teachings are man-centered, self-serving, teach the seeking of worldly things, etc. Which are we to believe? You can follow a man if you want to, but I will follow the Lord in the understanding of who He revealed Himself to be within the context of the whole of the Bible.

What is Word-Faith? Part 3

2006-07-24T21:56:00.000-05:00

The Teachings of the Word Faith Movement

As a brief introduction to what this movement teaches, we need only look at the back cover of many of the books sold by this movement. One of the better examples is the BWW Booklist book “Hung By The Tongue”, by Francis Martin:

Success is yours.
Victory and Defeat are born in the mind.
“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”(Proverbs 23:7)
Humans speak what they believe and think, often causing defeat.
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”(Proverbs 12:21)
Jesus said, “My words are spirit and life.” (John 6:63)
Fear will prevent you from speaking victory.

This like Book, Hung By The Tongue, has helped many to rise from their defeated condition to a VICTORIOUS life.

THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY. WILL YOU PASS IT BY AGAIN?

To sum up the teachings, whatever you speak is what you will get, whether it is good and intentional, or bad and unintentional. Martin starts the introduction with the classic proof text Mark 11:23, Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Martin goes on to explain that we need to read the Bible “literally” and we get what we see. Whatever we speak will come true, as this is a spiritual law which can not be broken even by God. The problem is that although the Bible is meant to be read literally, there is also a good deal of hyperbole, analogy, and metaphors. That is why it is important to study the Bible in the context that it was written. This particular verse is an example of a contextual issue. Jesus was referring to people who today we might call incredible, who were known to accomplish a lot of ‘impossible’ things (not in a literal sense, but things that are very difficult). In effect, Jesus was teaching to rely on the power of God. The Word-faith teachers, on the other hand, use this as a proof text to coerce God to give them what they want simply by saying it.

I asked a Word-faith teacher once how he handles a person who is confined to a wheelchair. He asked what I meant and I explained that if a person can not stand up and get out of the wheelchair after saying this verse simply does not have enough belief. His reply was that he would never say that, but I reminded him that he didn’t have to say it; his theology says it loud and clear. Of course, to battle this, the modern day Word-faith teachers have added a stipulation that Christ has never promised when these are happening, just that they will. In effect however, they cover the charge by sidestepping the issue because the reality is that the Word-Faith teachers believe in this healing happening here and now.

Now that you get the basic idea, I am going to go fast through a few of the teachings and verses taken out of context. Please understand that hundreds of books, papers, lectures, sermons, etc are on each side of the debate. In one simple post, I can not do much justice to this topic, so I encourage you to look further if this interests you. D.R. McConnell’s “A Different Gospel” is the best place to start.

The Teachings

For simplicity sake, the general teachings of this movement fall under two categories: health and wealth (hence one of the common names Health and Wealth Gospel). It goes so far that Charles Capps places in his best selling “The Tongue – A Creative Force” a chapter called Gos-Pill Capps-sules which consists literally of mantras to “confess…three times a day.” (page 151) These are under the categories of Worry and Fear, Material Needs, Wisdom and Guidance, Comfort and Strength, and the Healing ones are scattered throughout the book. These are all Bible verses, mostly taken out of context.

Faith

Before we move into these two teachings, we must examine the doctrine of faith in the context of this movement because it is critical. The first thing that you will notice in any book produced from this movement is that faith is reduced to a formula. If you simply follow the steps, you will make it. In fact, this was the first thing that a person tried to teach me one night at Eat ‘n Park. The steps are in Mark 11:24, just following their favorite faith verse: Desire something, Pray for it, Believe you have it, and Receive it. Of course, if Jesus visits you like he visited Hagin, He would have told you the steps he gave to Hagin: Say it, Do it, Receive It, and Tell it. In this movement, God did not create the world first, he created a series of universal laws which all people, believers or not, are free to use. It was God’s faith in His own words that created everything. He then gave us that same power to create with. In essence, God is not a personal God, but an impersonal force, the cosmic watchmaker who set things into action and then stepped back. As McConnell notes, the formula for faith in this movement can only make sense in the light of the metaphysical cults.

The concept of faith as a positive confession originated with Kenyon. It has its root in speaking out loud that which you already have, even if it is not apparent that you have it. Therefore, if you speak that you are defeated, sick, broke, etc, you are claiming those things for yourself and thus you have those. This concept goes as far as to suggest that you never confess these things at all, which is certainly a twist that Satan wants you to have because we are indeed commanded to confess our problems, struggles, sins, sicknesses, etc, with one another so that we can pray for one another (James 5:13-18). This whole idea of spiritual laws that are always at work begs the questions: Is God sovereign or subject to these laws? Is God a person or a principle? Is man a creature or a creator? Will God’s Word or God’s Will prevail? These are many more are addressed by McConnell.

Healing

The doctrine of healing in Word-faith is interesting. It actually teaches that the root of sickness is not physical, but spiritual. All disease is the result of Satan and his forces, so the only true healing will come from the word of God. Interestingly, this is the basis of disease in metaphysics, but not historic orthodox Christianity. This teaching goes so far that if a believer is ever sick, it is automatically assumed that there is unconfessed sin in their life. This goes further to suggest that one of the causes of sickness are negative confessions (which is confessing the words of Satan). Examples of negative confessions are any mental or verbal acceptance of disease in your body. In some cases, believers are told to deny the symptoms of sickness as a sign of belief. What about the pain of these symptoms? Well, they are the test of your faith. If you believe that you are not sick through that than you are healed.

With these beliefs about healing, many (though not all) faith teachers reject medical treatment. The first radical instance of this was the Freeman cult where many people died of treatable diseases. Before you (like many Word-faith Teachers) accuse Freeman of turning the teachings into a cult, I want you to understand that him and his followers did not need to add any real extreme, but instead, they faithfully lived out their belief in the Word-faith teachings and reaped the crops of that sowing. Since this has occurred, many teachers are not very open about allowing for medical treatment (they allow this for the weak in faith), but they will also parade in front of the crowd a person who has denied medical treatment. Many faith teachers believe that taking medication is a denial of faith.

To be sure, healing can be a part of the work of God, but it is not a promise. Some are healed, others are not. The teaching of the Word-faith movement, however, takes this issue and parades it before people as a total promise to be enjoyed here and now. This is a teaching that many people want. It is so prevalent that I have obtained a copy of an Oral Roberts issue Bible that still has a paper in it apparently written by a person who was trying her hardest to live these principles. The paper stuffed in the Bible had a whole series of daily confessions that leads me to believe this person eventually died of cancer. I picked up the Bible at a flee market; the paper is still in there as a memoir to how deceptive this movement can be, if not for the body, than for the soul.

The reality is that the creation groans under the curse of suffering (Romans 8:19-21), and that does not go away by becoming a Christian, in fact, more often than not, it gets worse! One curious thing that I discovered is that there is no doctrine of Glorification in the Word-faith teaching. Glorification is the final promise of perfection in heaven after the resurrection (this DOES include total healing). The absence of this doctrine makes sense in the light of the fact that Word-faith is about here and now while orthodox Christianity is always focused on the future with God. Even in the Bible itself, not all believers were healed. Timothy had a stomach problem, Paul had an issue with illness, Paul also left companions behind because of illness. Is the great apostle Paul now confessing evil in the Bible? I don’t think so! Another contradiction is Job, who was afflicted without having done anything to bring upon him the punishments of Satan. In contrast, Job was given sickness for following God as a test to show Satan that Job was a faithful servant of God…often times that is why we suffer.

Money

This is the core doctrine of interest in BWW as it is the basis for the godspeak at the functions, on the tapes, in the books, etc. It is this twisting toward the accumulation of wealth that becomes the draw to bring people in and keep them under the pretense of following God. In this area, we need to understand two types of doctrine on wealth:

· Egocentric – This is a promise made to bestow material riches from God on a person who donates to a particular ministry

· Cosmic – This is a promise made to bestow material riches from God on those who know and/or practice the laws that govern prosperity.

Here is where BWW diverges a little bit from the Word-faith teachers. Most (but not all) of the faith teachers are Egocentric. Oral Roberts once said from stage that God was going to take him if his viewers did not send in a large amount of money. Of course, they sent money all the way. Other teachers promised a 100 fold return on anything that they sent in and even encouraged them to use credit to do it because God would return that money.

In BWW, they tend revert back to the New Thought Psychology which teaches the universal principles (the God that made the laws and then stepped out of the picture). Of course, if you are giving lots of money to a faith teacher, you will not have as much to buy books and tapes!

The early foundation of the teachings of prosperity from Kenyon were actually very close to sound in that he did not teach gross materialism as is taught today, but he only taught in reference to needs (not wants, and not being sneaky and making out your wants to be needs). While it is true that God is interested in the well-being of His children, he is not like the spoiling parent who wants to give his whining child everything that his little heart desires. This, in fact, is contrary to the principles in scripture.

Once the teachings moved beyond Kenyon, it got worse, convoluted, and progressively sinful. Once of the deceptive points today is that many of the teachers tell you that God wants you rich so that you can give more money to the cause of Christ. The problem is that the Bible itself warns about wanting to get rich, for even though the intention is good, it often leads to a snare and pulls you away from God. If you are a faithful servant intent on serving God, you work hard and faithfully, you might just find yourself with a lot of resources, but the bottom line is that God is more interested in your heart than your money. As such, He does not wish you to turn towards it.

Of course, this drive for money has progressively been towards getting material things because God wants you to have those so that you can make a good impression on the world. This is the approach that Danny Snipes often takes as he talks about the kids wanting to know what you know instead of wanting to know what the drug dealers know.

The Biblical truth behind this doctrine is easy to address. First, the Gospel is clearly about self-denial and reliance on God with a good dose of common sense. We need an amount of money to meet our clothing and food. God will provide opportunities for those needs. In our opportunities, God may call us to wealth, but like health, it is not a promise for all people. The next problem is that God becomes the means to the end. He is the deliverer of goods so that you can do the work (or have fun and play). In this case, the money is what it is about and God is just the path to jump on to get it. And finally for our purpose, prosperity focuses on things of this world, not things from of God. The command to leave behind the world is silenced in the drive for money. The Bible is, however, full of warnings for the rich because rich people tend to rely on themselves over God. Being rich is not a sin, but neither is being poor. God has not promised either way.

Conclusions

That pretty much sums up as briefly as I can some of the key teachings and problems in the Word-faith movement. I often used McConnell’s book as source material simply because it is the best organized for this purpose. Please understand that I simplified this argument drastically, but I also know a vast amount about this movement, being once a follower of it myself.

What is Word Faith? Part 2

2006-07-19T23:46:00.000-05:00

Brief History of Word Faith

The first thing is that the history of Word-faith has been confused on different levels. I will start here: Word-faith was often attached an extreme end of the Charismatic movement. This was because about half a decade ago, the Charismatics did a bad thing in that they decided to cast off general discernment regarding doctrines. Their intentions were noble in that they were interested in helping people and of course, doctrine can divide. Now, I will argue, as does the Bible, that is a good thing because doctrine is the core of the Christian life. Never-the-less, although they did this, many Charasimatics maintained sound principles, but some extreme groups found acceptance in the non-confrontive movement. This allowed a foothold into the Christian arena and that has lead to where we are now, which I will pick up next week.

But from where did it come?

Although there are a few different thoughts, the very best analysis and history comes from the work of D.R. McConnell. If I was not sure by the time I finished reading his book, I certainly was when I encountered a Word-faith teacher who basically confirmed that the roots of this movement go back to E.W. Kenyon, not from sound people losing some doctrinal integrity as another author suggests.

Kenyon was a man who was involved in many cults. Now, let me say this, I came from a background where I practiced magick. I am certainly no stranger to these types of teachings, but the thing is that when I came to Christ, I cast them all off, I acknowledged them as lies, and sought sound doctrine in the Christian life. Sadly, Kenyon did not do this, instead, he sought to find the ‘good’ in these things and incorporated these into his theology. What were these things?

Metaphysics

To fully understand the significance here, you must know that in Kenyon’s time (post WWII) there were a series of healing revivals. These typically fit under three classes: Pentecostal, Wesleyan-Holiness (of which most became Pentecostal), and Metaphysics. The metaphysical end was not connected to Christianity at all (not in any orthodox sense anyway), but was the healing practice of the mind science cults including Christian Science, New Thought, Unity School of Christianity, and Science of the Mind. Indeed, Kenyon participated in some of these (and other) groups, incorporating doctrines into his own writings which he used the Bible to prove his doctrines to the Christians. In fact, as McConnell is detailing the life and ministry of Kenyon, he writes:

One of the mysteries of E.W. Kenyon is how to account for the discrepancies between his theology and his ministry. Early in his ministry, Kenyon moved in Methodist circles and late in his life in Pentecostal, but his theology reflects neither. In fact, his theology contradicts both Methodism and Pentecostalism. Even those who knew of Kenyon’s cultic ties still have trouble categorizing his theology.

Kenyon even enrolled in a college well seeped in metaphysics. If he had done this for a Biblical analysis, it would be a good thing, much like I analyze the teachings of BWW on this site. But he did not do this; he incorporated these teachings into his philosophy.

Metaphycis is basically defined as the control of your person, perticularly healing, by your mind.

New Thought

New thought is the design of Phineas P. Quimby, who was a secular hypnotist initially, though he later created a quasi-religious method of healing. Since the New Thought was never formally incorporated into any system itself, it became adopted as the core of many of the mind science cults including Unity School of Christianity, Divine Science, the Church of Religious Science, and more. Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science also studied under Quimby.

Curious and very significant for those that are involved in a motivational organizaton like BWW, and even for those who used to be involved but have not realized it, New Thought is the basis of most self-help and motivational books such as Magic of Thinking Big, How to Win Friends and Influence People, The Power of Positive Thinking, Think and Grow Rich, among almost all of the others.

Now for a definition, New Thought is a broad world-view of which followers (whether intentional or unknowing) will pick and choose their particulars: The mind is the primary cause of all effects on our lives, God is an indwelling spirit and pantheistic (that is God is found in everything as opposed to being a creator of everything), evil is the absence of good, not a present reality, man is divine (or at least able to control his whole person), sin and disease are caused by improper thinking. It basically is a reinstatement of ancient Gnostic beliefs where people believed in higher levels of people which had a greater revelation of truth. These people could teach the ways for others to receive this exulting gift and thus could achieve themselves.

How did that get in?

Kenyon was undeniably interested in growing the church, but indication would be that, much like today, he was trying way too hard. Kenyon was discouraged that many of these cults were growing at unprecedented rates while the church floundered. In an attempt to explain why, he came to the conclusion that the church was dry and the doctrine started to be ‘boring’. Now, I need to say that although Kenyon had close ties and intimate knowledge of the cults, he did disagree with a lot of their practices, however, he was the same toward Christianity as marked by his constant association with many denominations from Methodists, Baptists, Pentecostals, and eventually, he created his own system. He created his own theology by a principle known as Syncretism, which is the blending of contradictory religious systems into one system. Kenyon’s writings are full of cultic beliefs mixed with Biblical references often taken out of context to prove why the cultic teaching is correct. I would like to add that this syncretism is much more deadly than outright lies because it is harder to spot and determine it is dangerous. Look at it this way: Is it easier to spot a poison in a labeled bottle under the sink or a bowl of candy laced with that same poison? You might even have to be an expert to find the poison in the candy, though it is still deadly. Although Kenyon started with good intentions, he probably did far more harm to the world than all those cults combined.

Connecting the Story

Now that we discussed Kenyon, let us see where he fits in to the modern Word-faith movement. We need to jump ahead a few years to Kenneth Hagin. Now, Hagin is known as the ‘father’ of the Word-faith movement. Although he claims to have made many trips to heaven and hell as well as having face to face conversations with Jesus Himself, the majority of these divine revelations are actually direct plagiarisms from Kenyon, whose writings were not very well popularized in Hagin’s time. It is from these writings, cultic beliefs in all, that the movement has been refined. You see, if I give you a book full of twisted Bible verses and false interpretations, but you are so new to the scripture that you don’t know any better, you might start to believe that is what those verses really mean.

Do you remember that verse I shared last week (2 Timothy 4:1-4)? There is another factor that fits in here. It is not just the false teachings and that Hagin did not know (or chose not to know) any better, but also that we are still sinful and we will have a tendency to try to justify with our mind what the heart wants to do. What better way of doing this than to find a book full of feel good things that exult you all the while being full of Bible references?

And so on

Once Hagin started to get real successful, his work became the basis for more teachers than can be counted. He has influenced so many people who preached about health, money, success, personal fulfillment, and all sorts of other doctrines that people like to hear.

That is a very, very brief summary of how all this occurred. If you would like more information, please consult D.R. McConnell’s book “A Different Gospel”. I would also like to point out that there is another book called, “The Health and Wealth Gospel” by Bruce Barron, but it is not very well detailed, analyzed, nor does it take a discerning approach. I have read both of these books as well as many others, talked to many people, and am very familiar with the teachings of these groups. I can attest that McConnell has the much more thoroughly researched book.

What is Word Faith? Part 1

2006-07-10T22:06:00.000-05:00

Introduction

I have been talking for a long time about the Word-Faith movement. The time has come to share a little about this movement and how it relates to Quixtar and the motivational organizations. To start, let me clarify a few things. The first is that Rich and Jay were Christian to the best of my knowledge. To my understanding, they did not prescribe to the apostasy that I am about to introduce. Further, not all motivational organizations subscribe to this, but I have more than abundant evidence that BWW and LTD do subscribe to this. I have good reason to believe that WWDB does as well. I do not have information on most of the MOs to this point.

Names of the Movement

The first thing to tackle is the various names that are used to label this theology. It is known by the Word-Faith, which I will be using exclusively, but other common names are Faith Movement, Health and Wealth Gospel, Prosperity Gospel, Name it-Claim it.

Participants

Although it is impossible to know all of them, I can list that some of the classic Word-Faith teachers have been Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, Robert Tilton, Paul Yonggi Cho, Benny Hinn, Marilyn Hickey, Frederick K.C. Price, John Avanzini, Charles Capps, Jerry Savelle, Morris Cerullo, Paul and Jan Crouch. I often add Robert Schuller and Norman Vincent Peale, but those names are debatable (they hold some characteristics, but I agree that they lack key others.) One of the fast rising stars of this movement is Joel Osteen.

Why the Examination?

I need to point out the need to examine why we need to look at these the teachings of these people. We know that sinful people will set up teachers for themselves which will teach the things that they want to hear. In fact, it is so bad that they will set up these people and turn away from Truth so that they can do what they wish. After all, the heart is deceitful and wicked, often times using the mind to justify what it wishes to do. We also know that some things that appear to be coming from good are actually from evil. And further, not all people that profess Christ belong to Him and will share with Him in paradise. Let us examine a few scriptures.

2 Timothy 4:1-4 - I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: ²preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. ³For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, ⁴and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 - But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; ²²abstain from every form of evil.

Jeremiah 17:9 - The heart is more deceitful than all else; And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?

Matthew 7:21-23 - Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. ²²"Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' ²³"And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

In all this, we can not appeal to an emotion, a feeling, or an experience. The Word of God, the Bible, is the authority. So how do we handle the Bible? I will not get into this deeply, but I can say that the Bible is a unified book which tells of the fall and redemption of man, as well as how to live up to the standard of God. The main (and certainly not only) problem with false teachers is that they will tend to view the Bible as a series of one liners taking verses clearly out of context to prove their point.

In the next part, we will examine some history behind this movement.

Official Position on Quixtar

2006-06-28T20:38:00.000-05:00

In the event there is any controversy, I wanted to write a post on my official position on Multi-level Marketing (MLM) in general and Quixtar in particular.

Problems with MLM.

First, we need to keep in mind that we are stewards of the resources that God has handed us. We have the obligation to handle our money well and use it in a way that honors God, and even multiplies wealth (Matthew 25:14-30). How you handle money will be a reflection of how you handle other kingdom matters. In order to keep the talk about money Biblical, there are also many warnings about hording money and having a single consuming desire for money, even if that money is pledged to God (1 Timothy 6:6-10; 17-19). In short, we should seek to do the best we can in our respective industries, not seeking to be wealthy, nor seeking to be in poverty. Now, we need to ask if MLM is good stewardship: No, it is not. In general, MLM is not a good stewardship because:

1. Cost of MLM products are generally much more expensive than that of competing products. There are some exceptions to this, but not many. The reason for this is that companies selling products tend to want to sell them, as such, they are sold for as little as they can, but in an MLM, a whole line of people need to pull profit out of the sale of that product. This will drive up the cost. In this respect, some companies manufacture and sell their own products; they seem to not be any less expensive. It is not good stewardship to pay more money than you need to for common household items.

2. Since the product sales to customers outside of the organization are generally lower, worthwhile amounts of money are not often made by marketing these overly-expensive products. Because of this trend, money is in growth of the network, so more emphasis is generally placed on recruitment over customer sales. This adds another point: While one person (the one with downline) may be making a large income, virtually all the other participants will not make worthwhile amounts of money. It is not good stewardship to spend time trying to build your own little way up at the expense of others who only have equal opportunity by repeating what you did, thus having a whole group of downline without profit.

3. Since the price of MLM products tends to be higher, there is a first barrier in selling product at all; the second barrier is the price: the markup on products for sale to customers is generally too small to make a significant profit.

4. Since most people do not make money in MLM, you will have a large amount of people who quit. This means that the time required to build and maintain a network far exceeds the reward for doing so. Reliv boasts to have one of the highest retention rates, but SEC 10K documentation reports the retention is a little over 50%. It is not good stewardship to use your time to rebuild a network with a small potential of monetary reward.

5. The stigma about MLM tends to drive people away from you thus risking your reputation. Remember that in the words of Jesus, if anything interferes with your reputation, it had better be the truth, not something else. MLM is often the social unacceptable joke to pop. Since I have been a critic of MLM, I have heard MLM references in Moody Presents [Unknown sermon], Adventures in Odyssey [All the Difference in the World], Renewing Your Mind [Wealth and Poverty], many movies, cartoons, etc. Some might call this discrimination, and it may be, but it is a fact that MLMers will tend to use social events of all kinds to recruit people, thus causing an annoyance to people.

6. Often times an MLM will be associated with an ‘educational system’ of some sort. In extreme cases, these are cults, in less extreme cases, they are simply bad for the Christian to be involved in. They are based on secular business motivation and self-help industry which is well rooted in Though Reform Psychology, a branch of ‘science’ that is antithetical to Christianity due to the core beliefs it teaches.

This being said, I do not consider MLM to be illegal, but it may be sinful. It is well known that the drive to build your group often leads to a growth in covetousness and a zeal that consumes the passion that we are supposed to reserve for Christ alone.

Problem with Quixtar

Now, outside of the listed opinions above, the only other reservation I have about Quixtar is that they have know about the abuse in the tools system since the 80’s, but have not taken action steps against the high level distributors that are responsible for that abuse. It is clear from the many testimonies that there are many people violating the Quixtar rules, many people are getting hurt, many people are going broke, yet the corporation appears to look the other way.

I have not vanished

2006-06-26T09:15:00.000-05:00

Just a brief note that I have not vanished.

Typically, my only time to update this blog is Sunday afternoon, the last two of which were totally consumed by higher priority items. I have set aside some time this week to catch up a few things, perhaps tonight or tomorrow night, so stop by then.

X

I’ve Been Teaching the Same Thing for 30 Years

2006-06-11T15:11:00.000-05:00

Tape: EDC Leadership, Go Diamond 2003 Part 4

Speakers: Rex Renfrow

Stock Number: BWW137

Recording Type: ‘Basic Mix’

Motivational Aspects:

Rex tells us that we can do it because he did it with no money, a long job, kids, and healthy problems.

Cult-like aspects:

“Some of you won’t be back next year. You are going to listen to the losers, you’re going to listen to the wrong people, you’re going to see something or read something. Something’s going to steal your dream. Something’s going to steal your why. You think there will be something better to fulfill your why and you’re not going to find it.” [We call this Information Control. Rex’s words are meant to keep you from listening to or examining any other source other then the leaders in the business or else you will not get what you want.]

Rex goes on for a long time about how Quixtar is the best business in the world. He talks about a lot of other companies seeking to replace them, people who can not see how good this business is, etc.

Rex also goes on about the board works only for the people. He says that the upper level guys that serve on that board do it for the people, not the leaders who make enough money not to need to go. [It appears that Rex is setting up how high and holy the leaders are. The simple truth is that if there was not a board, the whole business could have fallen apart long ago, thus the leaders would have to get J.O.B.s.]

Rex goes on about how BWW is the best system in the world. More disturbing is when he is challenging people who question the system. He admonishes to go make your own, and how would you make it better?

He then goes on to criticize the people who complain that the price of tapes increased. He says that they would otherwise go out and spend it on movies that are ‘negative and clutter up your mind with junk’ instead of a good tape with good information about how to succeed. [The movie that is wretched is at least discernibly so, but the false Christian teachings on all those tapes is a more deadly poison.]

Rex talks about finding the one thing that will stop you from building this business and then questions if that one thing is worth it to keep you from “this future”. He then says that “you deserve what you get.” He goes on to give an example from 9/11 that some of those people probably said no to the business and had to keep working. [This is exit phobia indoctrination, the indoctrination that makes you think that you are going to surely fail if you leave the organization.]

“What’s your relationship with your wife? Is she proud of you? Is she proud of your commitment that you made to provide for them? Are you just saying words [about building Quixtar]? Are your actions backing it up? Are you sitting around doing things that you know if not what you should be doing, and you should be devoted to this business.” [DeVos spoke directly against this kind of material in his Directly Speaking [MP3] tapes. First, if you are expected to be the provider of your family, you will not succeed. That is God’s job. But, you need to carry some responsibility, you know, WORK! And there is nothing wrong with having a job. Finally, why is he criticizing people for spending time with their wife instead of building Quixtar?]

“It didn’t work for you? Yes it will work for you! Just be honest and say, ‘I didn’t want to work it.’ It will work for anybody that works it properly.” [This takes all blame for a faulty system from the people profiting off that system and places it on the victim of that system. No person can guarantee anything to work 100% of the time if you just follow a simple set of steps. To suggest otherwise is a flat out lie. This is another form of exit phobia indoctrination.]

Talking about God, Rex tells us that there is no better place to fulfill His mission for us than in the Quixtar business.

BWW Tapespeak:

When you know the Why, you will figure out the How.

Other Notes:

Rex starts his tape by saying that people in BWW are constipated with knowledge. He says that the ‘how to’ has not changed in over 30 years. [This is interesting. With this in point, wouldn’t it make sense to say, “OK guys, if you have heard our training, here are the notes, we will be saying the same thing this session, so you don’t have to come.” Or at the very least, let the people come back a few times and let them realize it themselves. But the problem rises when the BWW teachers keep on saying that you have to keep coming back with the classic “optional, but required for success” talk.]

Rex allows for your Job to interfere with building the business. This is good, if it were applied across the board, it would eliminate some of the problems with the System.

Quixtar Rules Violations:

“If you are committed, you got your act right, and you are willing to pay the price, you got somebody who will help you [somewhere in the upline]” Funny, Quixtar rule 5.3.3 says:

IBOs must be able to train and motivate the IBOs they have registered with a minimum of assistance from his or her first upline Platinum or above. If the IBO is a member of an established business-building system, he or she may make arrangements for his or her IBOs to be trained and motivated by the activities and BSM of that system, but under no circumstances may an IBO be forced or coerced to participate in the system. If a downline IBO is unable, for any reason, to access the system or chooses not to use the system, his or her IBO must be able to provide training and motivation.

Which is Better?

2006-06-03T21:43:00.000-05:00

Which is better? Going to a weekend function with your motivational organization? Or going to a weekend for your hooby? My cost is about the same, meeting is less than a BWW function, hotel is a little more (staying by myself), so it averages out to the same cost.

At a BWW function, I would get there Friday night and go right over for a mind-wasting 5 hours of people talking but saying new, go to a night-owl so they know you are serious, get 4 hours of sleep, go to 5 hours of people talking but saying new, have about 4 hours off to have lunch, etc, go to 5 hours of people talking but saying new, get about 5 hours of sleep, go to a worship service where they twist around the Bible and scare you into making a "decision" with long-winded words and many-times-repeated emotional verses, then to go 5 hours of people talking but saying new, and then trying to drive home so absolutely exhausted you can barely see straight, but MAN ARE YOU FIRED UP!

I am currently at a conference relating to my hobby. I got here Friday night and met up with people that I have done business with online, but never met. We had a nice long meal, then I went back to my hotel about 10:30 or so, got several hours of sleep before waking up and going to two sessions of seminars, interacted with more people, bought some supplies that I planned in advance on buying, went out to a nice lunch, went to the hotel room to relax for a few hours, went out to walk around the town and see the sights, went to a nice banquet, back to the hotel by 10:30, get several more hours of sleep, and I plan to drive home early in the morning to worship with my friends in a sound church.

Which sounds better to you? (And I know I will get some Ambot telling me that I can learn to make millions at the BWW function, but not at a conference for my hobby. Save time now and ask what evidence you are basing that on?)

Website Update

2006-05-31T22:20:00.000-05:00

Hello all,

Just a brief note to let everyone know that my new website is done. I have started to blog on the Our Walk in Christ Blog, which is to teach doctrine, history, and responses to current events.

Also, the forum for religious discussions is open. I think I have the catagories finalized now.

Until next time,
X

You Don’t Go Diamond Without God

2006-05-28T15:09:00.000-05:00

Tape: EDC Leadership, Go Diamond 2003 Part 3

Speakers: Rocky Covington

Stock Number: BWW137

Recording Type: ‘Basic Mix’

Motivational Aspects:

Rocky tells us that BWW is the best business building system there is. If it is so great, why is the success level so low? Look at the stats on a Quixtar affiliate business site:

The following are approximate percentages of Direct Fulfillment IBOs of record in North America who achieved the illustrated levels of success in the calendar year ending August 31, 2005: Diamond .0120%; Emerald .0320%; Q-12 Platinum .1683%.

Wonderful Faulty Theology:

A real man is looking for a battle to fight! No, that is a SINFUL man. A real man is kind, patient, gentle, peaceful, you know, all the things Jesus told us to be on the Sermon on the Mount and other places, too. Though a real man is the provider and protector of his family, he would be in sin if he were out looking for a battle to fight.

Rocky tells us about faith by quoting Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (KJV). He then tells us that is our dream, what we want, that we need to focus on what we want and believe in faith we will get it. This interpretation is actually blasphemous. While the context Rocky gives this verse is about us getting what we want, the real context of this verse is faith of our coming salvation. The substance spoken of is the history of what has already come, hence, the author of Hebrews takes us through a tour of the past (vs. 4 and on). The things that have already come on the Messianic Timetable (God’s timing), in conjunction with the prophecies of God, provide the proof of what God will do for the prophecies that are not yet fulfilled. To use this text to sell a self-serving message is dangerous.

Teaching Points:

Rocky starts out by suggesting that everybody needs to read Wild at Heart, which is a “Christian” book (though theologians are in debate over that) that we might remember hearing about a few weeks ago. He gives us three traits of a real man:

1. A real man is looking for a battle to fight (see “Wonderful Faulty Theology” above)

2. He is looking for an adventure to live.

3. He is looking for a beauty to rescue. (see comment below under “Other Notes”)

“Faith will not exist in a mind that is negative”

“Anybody that will put down the books and the tapes and going to functions really doesn’t want you to succeed because they don’t want you to build faith because faith is the number one ingredient you got to have to be successful in anything.” No, actually, as I have clearly documented in over 100 posts in this website, they are damaging to true faith, they cost you more money than you will make on average in Quixtar, and they provide information that is common sense if not useless. I celebrate great success with many people, myself included. It does not take some “faith” that you build up with reading books and listening to tapes to achieve, it takes good old fashion hard work.

Other Notes:

Rocky tell us that a real man is looking for a beauty to rescue. First, I find it funny that the only single male EDC (or at least the only one who has not been married in the past) is talking about that. Indeed, in my time in the business, people were always trying to “hook me up” with some pretty young lady to “complete my life”. I have the gift of singleness, a Godly gift, I might add. Now, because this type of teaching, I imagine that it is getting worse in the Motivational Organizations if you are single and choose to stay that way. I was even warned by an upline to avoid people who choose to stay single.

Rocky tells us that we need complete faith that we will make it to Diamond. His proof text is Hebrews 11:1 (See above in “Wonderful Faulty Theology”.) What is the evidence for this? Nothing, but the fact that fewer than 1 in 400 will ever make it to an income of less than $50,000 provides clear evidence to the contrary.

Next, Rocky starts talking about self talk. You need to speak what you want into existence.

Rocky tells us that he did not start to grow until he started to have faith in God.

“Your business will never out grow your spiritual self image” Whatever THAT means?!? He goes on to say, “I have tried it with Him (God), and I have tried it without Him, and it don’t work without Him. You don’t go Diamond without God.”

Rocky tells us that we need to get to a point where we show a plan and if they are looking, great, if they are not looking, that is great to, but “if they don’t get in, by the time you walk out that door, (snaps) you forgot their name. You’re thinking of the next person you’re going to show it to, that’s faith.”

Quixtar Rules Violations:

Rocky tells everyone that they need to read Wild at Heart, which being a “Christian” book, is against the Quixtar Rules of Conduct [PDF]:

3.1 Registration Form and Registration Pack: To become a duly authorized IBO capable of merchandising the Corporation's products and services and registering other IBOs, an applicant must complete and sign the IBO Registration Agreement and possess only the Business Services and Support portion of the Registration Pack. IBOs shall be formed initially by the individual applicant(s) as sole proprietor(s) or as non-formal (e.g., husband and wife) partners. The IBO Registration Agreement must be sent to, and accepted by, the Corporation for authorization in accordance with the provisions of Rule 3.5. No IBO shall present the business as anything other than an opportunity available to anyone regardless of race, gender, nationality, or religious or political beliefs to any person. (Emphasis mine.)

Further, on IBOfacts.com, a site to send business prospects to for answers to their questions, we read:

Question #19

Am I required to hold certain religious beliefs to be accepted?

No. Respect for every individual is a foundational value to this business. This has always been an equal opportunity business, open to people of all walks of life, varying religious convictions, political affiliations, nationalities, ethnic backgrounds and racial origins.

Some Things

2006-05-22T09:29:00.000-05:00

Hello all,

I have begun the site redesign. The archives are not re-formatted yet, but they need to be since some of the old posts use bright colors that will not show up well on the new backgroud. I hope this change makes the site easier to read and follow. It may take a while to get all the archives re-colored, so be patient.

Also, my new website is more or less open. The blog over there is not, but the Forum is ready to go. It is for any type of religious discussion or debate, sharing ideas, etc. I also have some lessons up (I am still working on that part) and will be posting some other things as I move along. If there are any other forum catagories I might need, let me know, as I am still testing everything out. As any internet community, it is only as good as participation leads.

The site is www.ourwalkinchrist.com

Committed to the Cause

2006-05-21T16:02:00.000-05:00

Tape: EDC Leadership, Diamond Club 2003 (Part 2)

Speakers: Angelo Nardone

Stock Number: BWW137

Recording Type: ‘Basic Mix’

Cult-like aspects:

Angelo emphasizes the importance of the “9 habits”, of which regular participation in the Standing Order systems. [These are means of information control.]

God apparently wants you in this business or else you would not be in it.

Wonderful Faulty Theology:

The Good Lord wants you in this business, and if not, you wouldn’t be in this business. [I would suggest instead that if you are flat broke, have not made anything, and are constantly struggling, you have turned down all promptings that God has given you and you have been handed over to your lusts and passions as per Romans 1:24-25. This statement is made in total deliberate contradiction to the self-help / motivational books which tell you to let nothing get in your way of achieving your dreams. I have detailed greatly on this site why this business holds practices contradicting sound interpretation of the Bible.]

Teaching Points:

Angelo gives us pitfalls to avoid:

1. Not building the Eagle structure fast enough [Drew has details on Eagle here].

2. Not developing the Nine Habits [The nine habits are: Show the Plan 5 or more times per week, do 150 PV (single, or 300 PV (couple) per month, Develop 50PV Minimum Member / Client volume per month, Listen to tapes daily: Standing Order Tape Program, Read Daily: Book of the Month program, Attend all business conferences and seminars, Associate regularly with counseling sheet, Build business with integrity and accountability, Subscribe to Communicate.]

3. Putting other down to build yourself up. [Take Angelos advise here. This is never a good thing to do in any industry.]

4. Not building up your downline. He tells us to edify them to tell people how well they are doing. [This would be good except, as QuixtarInsideOut Radio tells us, often times they are lying about how successful that person really is to make the opportunity look good or to motivate downine. In fact, Angelo talks about this on another tape (I think it is Accelerated Sponsoring through Good Communication or 1000+ Protocols) about saying how ‘smoking’ someone is doing, even if he doesn’t have anything. He says this under the heading of “never exposing your group to your group”.]

5. Showing favoritism. [Again, good in principle, but often not the reality in practice based on experience. In my case, there was a great deal of favoritism, those that did not get attention “didn’t want it bad enough”. Perhaps (as will above), this is the reason Angelo is addressing this point.]

6. Not being coached properly.

7. Not laughing a lot.

Other Notes:

Angelo tells us that there are basically two types of people that come to these weekends, those that are new wanting to learn how to grow, and those that have been in a while wanting to know what is wrong, why they are not growing. [That last part seems a little ominous, does it not?]

The biggest problem in the business is that people only do the minimums.

Quixtar Rules Violations:

Although not a complete violation, I would like to point out that participation in the 9 core steps as this tape teaches could easily transgress into a violation:

5.3.3. Training and Motivation: IBOs must be able to train and motivate the IBOs they have registered with a minimum of assistance from his or her first upline Platinum or above. If the IBO is a member of an established business-building system, he or she may make arrangements for his or her IBOs to be trained and motivated by the activities and BSM of that system, but under no circumstances may an IBO be forced or coerced to participate in the system. If a downline IBO is unable, for any reason, to access the system or chooses not to use the system, his or her IBO must be able to provide training and motivation.

I hope You Aren’t Castrated!

2006-05-14T15:01:00.000-05:00

Greetings everyone!

I will be doing a series of shorter tapes for the next month or so. This is to free up some space for an internet ministry project that I am working on. I will let you know the details of that as soon as it is public. In the mean time, enjoy Danny Snipes:

Tape: EDC Leadership, Go Diamond 2003 (Part 1)

Speakers: Danny Snipes

Stock Number: BWW137

Recording Type: ‘Basic Mix’

Brief Review:

This is yet another tape where the BWW people have used the book Wild at Heart to tell the men that they are not really men unless they build this business. Although he never actually mentions the book, anyone with an understanding of the book will know that is what he is quoting. Ron Puryear did a similar speech on FED16: Dreamers.

Motivational Aspects:

“God’s hand is moving right now and it is bringing people into this business and it’s preparing people to look to this business because we’ve got answers for them.”

Cult-like aspects:

“This business gives you a chance to go into the unknown, to see if you got what it takes to do it, and I know you do because God made you a man, he made you a provider, he made you a conqueror” [ I guess I am not a real man if I don’t try this business then, I must also not be a real man if I don’t do it?]

“I hope you haven’t been castrated. I hope you got enough left in you that you say, ‘I want to be a man’”. He continues this analogy with a wild stallion being castrated to make it tame work-horse, but a tame work-horse can not bring life. [I guess now that if I have a job, I am not a man anymore and I am not supporting my family?]

BWW Tapespeak:

There has never been a time like now!

Wonderful Faulty Theology:

Danny tells us that since this organization (BWW) has been doing it right for so long, God is now going to bless it and give it the fastest growth out there. [Although God does indeed bless people who do things right and that blessing may (though often is not) be though financial means, it is also possible that you worked hard, denied all things, including the true Gospel, and have been so hard bent driven for the coveted Diamond Pin, that God gives you over to your sin.]

Danny tells us that Bill always knew the economy was going to crash, but he didn’t know when that would occur. His message was to not put your confidence in the stock market. [Danny suggests we put our confidence in BWW instead, but God tells us to put our confidence in Him for all things. Read Matthew 6:25-34. If BWW and Quixtar actually helped a large percentage of people earn a living, it would be fine, but it does not, it denigrates work (which the Bible commands), and it shifts your dependence to itself. While I do affirm that the financial situation is shaky for many people, Quixtar is not the answer. The answer is sound budgeting.]

Teaching Points:

Danny tells us that before, if you showed the plan to a kid (18 years at least, I would hope) he talks to his Dad who instructs the kid to go get a good education. He says that the kids see that does not work, so they are open to looking at Quixtar because the dad has no more credibility.

Danny teaches us that many years ago, the business (Amway) had home care products, so it took a long time to go through the products, but now with all the consumables, the people can do 100 PV every month easy, in fact, he says “We can eat our core volume in a month’s time”. [What about the cost? On the list, Danny mentions Double X, Balance health with Ocean Essentials, Concentrated fruits and vegetables, 2 cans of XS, 1 protein and 1 meal replacement bar a day, and uses a skin care system. He says this is 150 PV. Even at the VERY VERY conservative $2 per PV, that is $300 a month. That is not a good diet either. This $300 per person in on top of any real food you might eat in the given month. Is it worth it?]

Other Notes:

Danny says that the founders (DeVos and VanAndel) down to Bill Britt always does everything right and the decisions are based on the right thing to do, not a quick dollar.

Danny claims that divorce is “way down” compared to the world. I question this statement because 1. all the reported divorces in the upper levels of the business and 2. There are no credible reports of this to be found.

Danny tells us that Quixtar is not only going to be number one in health and nutrition on the internet, it will be number one in health and nutrition in the world. Then, the people in Quixtar are going to be healthy and wealthy, and people will “beat down our doors to learn what we know!”

Danny starts to give us an analysis of how men and women were created as adapted out of Wild at Heart, by John Eldredge.

Website Makeover

2006-05-10T09:41:00.000-05:00

Greetings everyone,

I have been pondering a site makeover. The things that I thought about were:
1. moving it from a blog site to a standard website which would make it more like a database. The problem is that would cost money and I not really interesting in spending money on this project, my time is valuable enough! Still in the thoughts though.

2. I have pondered changing the template.

3. Haven't much more time than to think about those, so I am asking you. This site has achieved over 16,000 hits in less than a year. That says something to the effect of people are interested in this topic. Please give me your thoughts or suggestions. Should I cover more topics? Should I make the posts longer or shorter? Should I break up long tapes? Any other thoughts?

Thanks,
Xanadustc

A Little Break

2006-05-07T20:24:00.000-05:00

Greetings everyone,

I am taking a little break this evening to work on the website for my hobby (you know, those things that BWW tells you to stop doing for 2-5 so you can chase the dream). If you beg and plead, I might post it...

If you need a BWW tape fix, I doubt you have REALLY read this whole site, so check out the Site Index for a post you have not read yet. If I am feeling zesty, I might indeed post a tape in the middle of the week, or (as if pigs fly), I might post the reast of Magic of Thinking Big! (I am thinking too small to do so at the moment.)

Enjoy,
Xanadustc

Britt Tape

2006-04-30T17:10:00.000-05:00

Greetings all,

In a disccusion on the Qblog Forum, I said that I was going to do a Bill Britt tape, it turns out that I lent that tape to someone, so it is no longer in my collection. I truely did want to do that, but I simply don't have it anymore.

If it means anything, he parrots the same exact things in all his tapes, so since I already posted one, I didn't feel the need to post again. The only exception to that is the tape I wanted to talk about had a long rant where Bill was saying that all gods of all religions are THE EXACT SAME GOD. I take objection to this.

Xanadustc

A Wilderness Experience that Became the Promised Land

2006-04-30T17:05:00.000-05:00

Tape: The Victories

Speakers: Orrett & Christine Channer

Stock Number: BWW277

Recording Type: ‘Basic Mix’

Motivational Aspects:

“If we can, you can…all we did was pay a price and stayed steady”

“Keep your focus in front of you.”

“At the end of that rainbow is a huge, huge pot of gold. And the gold is just trickling. It’s raining gold. That’s because we were focused.” (I hope that new S230 Mercedes is in the garage away from this rain o’ gold.)

Catalog of covetousness for those materialistic people:

White S320 Mercedes Bends (though he did not know how to open the gas tank)

One payment plan cash Christmas to London

Escalade EXT: White, new sound system (2 12 inch speakers with bullet proof plexiglass to drive bass, 3000 Watt amplifier), 22-23 inch spinners with low jack.

$500 in clothes

And another $500 in clothes

Wonderful Faulty Theology:

This is an iffy point, but when the checks came, Christine wanted to leave the checks on the table to look at for about a week before putting them into the bank. Orrett suggested to keep a photocopy of the checks on the table instead, but they finally compromised and put one in the bank and one on the table to look at for a week. [Is this a violation of Exodus 20:4-5? I am undecided.]

Teaching Points:

“Wilderness is working two jobs and working in the hole, at a sewers in New York City”

Orrett starts to go off on Dream’s that people have had and the results of them. He uses these highly emotional examples to probe the audience as to their dream.

Do whatever it takes to realize your dream.

“Britt sent some checks, too. Because when you’re Diamond in the Britt System, they take care of you because they consider you as someone who has value.” [So what are the rest of IBO’s? The rabble that comprises the income stream for those important people?]

The steps to succeed:

1. The birth of a dream – To know why you are building the business.

2. Nurturing of the dream – Relationships of the upline, counseling.

3. Preparation of the dream – Setting goals and plan of action and setting daily habits.

4. Action towards the dream – Showing the plan five days a week.

5. Testing of the dream – Testing the dream when obstacles arise.

6. Refocusing of the dream – Getting back on track after a testing of the dream.

7. Living the dream – Finally arriving at the Promised Land.

8. Passing on the dream – Spread the good news (which one?)

Other Notes:

His boss didn’t know he quit…that is certainly not good ethics. If you quit your job, the ethical thing to do is tell your boss!

Christine tells the people not to let the downline see your sweat, but to always paint the dream to them. [Isn’t it better to present the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? If these people were truly “walking by faith” they would not have to lie and deceive to build their businesses.]

In this business, they talk about all the free time you can get with your family, but Christine is telling about all the trips you get to go on for Diamond Club and the other places with the corporation, and the kids are not allowed to come. To the IBO’s, did you know that if you want to take your kids on those trips, you have to pay their way, and it is pretty pricey even for Diamonds.

They are doing the Dream Weekend here this week, but they are off to the UK again for the next weekend to do a Dream Night there. Is this really the totally freedom that they are talking about?

Orrett had a dream to have John Crowe know his name. [Why? John is a person]

Orrett and Christine lost houses and cars during their time in the business. They had cars repossessed and houses boarded up. They talk about not having any money, yet Orrett always worked multiple jobs. I have to ask why? Were they putting all their money into the BWW system? Where they abusing drugs, alcohol, or tobacco? I will say this: The financial state of the world is not nearly as bad as the BWW team makes it out to be, however, it does take some level of discipline to living properly.

Orrett talks about the “goodie” stage. This is when a person first goes Diamond and since they are making all this money, they splurge and start to buy all sorts of goodies for themselves. This comes in the form of houses, cars, clothes, toys, etc. Orrett proudly states that he is in this stage at the moment.

You Should All be Fired Up!

2006-04-23T16:34:00.000-05:00

Tape: You Have Permission to Dream Big

Speakers: Wayne & Suzanne Callender

Stock Number: BWW277

Recording Type: ‘Basic Mix’

Motivational Aspects:

“At first, the dreams are small”, Suzanne starts with saying that she just wants to get the bills paid on time, but later, the cars and houses came into her dreams.

Suzanne starts her speech saying how much her uplines toilet seat motivated her. (No, I am not joking.)

“Can you imagine the day when you do not need that job any more, when you can have your limousines…with all your Platinums in it.”

Cult-like aspects:

Wayne tells us that his boss at work has never drove him around neighborhoods showing him the kind of house he will help Wayne build, but the upline will do that.

“You are special; you are a child and a kid of the King. It is about you recognizing that God did not create any junk, if you know that you have divine permission to succeed, Our simple question is to ask you, ‘When are you going to recognize it yourself?’” [This is a form of phobia indoctrination because if it is true that you have “divine permission to succeed”, then you will fall out of favor with God if you do not.]

“You can be some ones example, or you can be some ones excuse.”

Catalog of covetousness for those materialistic people:

$200 toilet seat (wow…now, am I the only one who thinks this is MESSED UP?)

New Porsche

Wonderful Faulty Theology:

She says that if you do not have a lot of money, you worry about where you are going to get money for things. [While I agree that you should not worry about where you will get money to pay for necessities, the solution is not the acquisition of money, but the reliance on God. Read Matthew 6:25-34 to learn about where to go to for these things. It says that reliance on God is the source, but the Gentiles seek after the fulfillment of these things. We need to rely on God and be wise with our spending.]

Suzanne says that life is all about having a good time because it is short. [To the contrary, life is not about playing and having fun. While relaxation is good and desirable, a balance must be kept. Remember that work is also a biblical command. I have concerns over the children who grow up with everything already provided for them. If you ask me the meaning of life, it is not to have fun and play all the time because life is short, it is to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ because life is short. I can work to spread the Gospel as well at work as I can anywhere else, but if my life begins to be about playing, I can lose focus. Matthew 24:44 says, “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” You also need to be ready all the time to defend the faith (2 Timothy 4:2).]

Other Notes:

Suzanne uses the messed up analogy regarding air and money. If you have a lot of air, you don’t think much about it, but when you do not, it is all that you think about. Well, in BWW, several groups teach that money is the same way. If you have a lot of money, you don’t think about it, but if you do not, you think about it all the time. [This is not an accurate analogy. The amount of money that you have does not have bearing on how much you think about it. What has bearing on how much you think about it is if you are hung up with money. If you have desires to buy yourself a whole bunch of goodies to play, you are probably going to be hung up with money, but if you are living a frugal life, you will not be.]

Suzanne criticizes getting an education and working for your wages as “selling your soul” Instead, she says “we should really be building up and nurturing yourself, and taking care of yourself, and relaxing and enjoying you life, and living it.” [Work is a noble thing, and while relaxing is important, if your whole life is devoting to relaxing and playing, it will most likely lead to problems rather than solutions. After all, we were created and placed in the garden to work it before the fall, and even after the fall, it was six days of work and relax the seventh.]

Wayne addresses in his speech that this business is not about getting things to flaunt, but it actually about humility. Shortly after this, however, he talks about a woman whose family thought that she was wasting her life because they did not believe how much money you could make in Quixtar, so Wayne took out the money in his pocket and had her hold it fanned out, he put on the Rolex watch and the Britt Diamond Ring, he took a picture of her and said to take it home to show her family.

Wayne tells us that when they get all the goodies and show the cars and houses, it is not for them, it is for all of the IBO’s in the group, to motivate them.

Ravi and the Witnesses

2006-04-18T18:04:00.000-05:00

Greetings all,

I was reading my Spring 2006 issue of Just Thinking from RZIM and there was a section that I thought resembled BWW greatly. This account starts on page 14, or about 2/3 of the way down the page if you are reading the online article.

Ravi had his first exposure to western religion with Jehovah’s Witnesses when he was a child. He said, “So the Smiths came to our home once a week, and for the next year and a half they sat in our living room and taught us for an hour or two at a time.” They would eventually bring Ravi and his siblings to assemblies and show movies. “One of these movies featured tens of thousands of people attending a Jehovah’s Witnesses rally at Yankee Stadium in New York City.” He says that they were awed by the size of the group.

Ravi continues on, “Yet, in retrospect, it shows how easily the human mind and heart can be manipulated…seeing that movie, with all those highly successful-looking people gathered in a magnificent stadium, my siblings’ hearts must have raced as my heart did.”

Ravi was highly impressed, motivated, and excited. Until, “we continued to study with the Smiths until the day Mr. Smith came to the chapter on heaven in the book of Revlation. He stopped there and told us that, according to Jehovah’s Witness’ teaching, only 144,000 people were going to make it to paradise.”

Ravi, being concerned that there were probably more than 144,000 people at Yankee Stadium, asked Mr. Smith about this: “Sir, how many people are there in your organization…Do you have more than 144,000?” “Oh, Yes” replied Mr. Smith.

Ravi’s next statement is great, “I thought of the Smiths’ constant praying, of all their efforts to reach more and more people—and yet even they had no way of knowing where they were going after death.” Ravi makes an interesting statement next, “Mr. Smith, before you came, I didn’t know where I was going after I died…but now, after all this study, I still don’t know where I’m going after I die.”

After this, the Smith’s stepped out of the picture and their superior came in, but this only led to frustration and Ravi deciding that this whole “Christianity” stuff was useless.

The amazing thing is how similar this is to a close encounter of the Quixtar / BWW kind. In fact, it is spooky how similar it is once you are in the realm of hindsight! Permit me to break it down:

The Smiths came faithfully to serve. If you are in (were in, or are considering) Quixtar, you will be ‘served’ by an upline. They will come over to teach you, help you, etc. This is required by Quixtar. But be warned if they start promoting tapes, seminars, etc. You do not have to attend these and if you do not, the upline is still supposed to come help you. If they don’t, call Quixtar! More to the point, just because someone “serves”, it does not mean they are serving in a Godly, or even ethical way. Examine the situation. Not everyone is going to be serving in a bad way, and not everyone is going to be serving in a good way. Just be cautious, particularly if people are edifying all this “serving” since true and pure servitude comes from the heart.

Be cautious of large gatherings. If they are saying to attend such and such conference because it will help your business succeed, find out the full details. If there are going to be vendors, product demonstrations, a few presentations or even tailored agenda, it should be fine, but if it is a big rally where people gather for long speeches of motivation, they are trying to get you excited. There is something magical about these settings that cause someone to be drawn in based on emotion, not thought process. If they are relying on your emotion to get you in, beware.

Only a few will make it, it rarely depends on you. I know this flies in the face of the BWW teaching, but it is reality. I worked the 9 core steps as much as many other people did, but there is a bazaar combination of unknown things that will elevate certain people up fast. I know people who were very high in the business and did the core steps faithfully. All it awarded them was a few dollars and a 40+ hour work week with no benefits. Just like the JW’s who have to work all their life by a rigid set of man-made rules, the IBO’s trot along paying homage to the Diamonds, doing as they are told, and only a very small number make it. That number in 2004 was 0.0176%. There were a total of 65 people that made the mark out of 370,000 in those statistics.

If you give your sponsor a run for his money, you better believe that they will be back with their sponsor. This was best exemplified as a Reliv distributor was trying to recruit me. Since I know a little bit about MLM, I was asking all the serious questions. I was first referred to his upline, and eventually to his up-upline. The final answers to my questions were deception. [If you would like to see a copy of that report, email me and I will get it out to you.]

If you finally go through all this and realize that these crazy Bible-thumping religious radical BWW Diamonds have turned you off from Christianity, I want you to know that they are FLAT OUT WRONG in many of their points. If Christianity is a turnoff to you because you were involved in Quixtar, please give me an audience to point out their errors to you in private. For a start, read the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Thanks for considering.

Xanadustc

Had an Industry Briefing?

2006-04-16T22:16:00.000-05:00

Greetings all, instead of a tape analysis, I decided to talk about a new means of contacting that some groups in BWW are using. This is called ‘Industry Briefing’. Now, I have a theory as to why this came about. When you are calling people to ‘check interest’ in building a Quixtar powered business, the most common question that you are asked by the person on the other side of the phone is, “what is this all about?” Now, we would typically use a blanket statement which more or less side-stepped the question and that would be something like this:

“There’s no way I can explain what we do over the phone. I would need to show you several things. I have a brief CD ROM or 10-minute video which will basically explain what we are doing. Then we’ll see where you could fit into what we’re putting together. I have ________ or _________ night available. Which is best for you?” (From the BWW Basics Manual BBAS 6/02, Pg 20)

The problem with this approach is that you can not give them a means to get that tape or video for at least a day.

What the Industry Briefing (IB) does is that it bypasses the delay by referring people to a phone number they can call to get that information. The number would be a long distance call if you are not local to the New York Area Code 212.

In short, you will be called, probably on a Sunday night (though it could be any time). You will be asked if you are interesting in making extra money. If you say yes, you will be given a phone number to call and asked to listen to the recording and call the person back (or they will call you in 30 minutes).

The phone numbers can be found on the My Coaches Corner website for Joel Griffin’s coaching network. Joel is a Diamond in Angelo Nardone’s business, and he is an EDC in Rex Renfrow’s business, and he is an EDC of Bill Britt. As for the other phone numbers listed, Lord Errol and Aris Pavlides are in Nardone’s business. Dave Taylor is the other EDC leg of Rex Renfrow. One thing that I will not make much argument on for the time being is the video under the link ‘Meet the Coach’, Joel says that he started his ‘consulting business’ to help other people succeed. In reality, he started an Amway business and switched to Quixtar in the 1999 conversion.

An Analysis of the Industry Briefing

Let us start with an interesting quote:

“If they find out that this is the Amway business that you are going to show to them, you got a real problem right there, and that is called deceit because are deceiving people by telling them this is the Amway corporation.” – Ron Puryear, “The How and Why of Contacting and Inviting” [Stock Code EA31]

Ron was actually talking about some people in the good old days who would say they are an employee of Amway, and this might be an issue at Boston University now. But Ron takes his teaching one step further by suggesting that you simply NEVER MENTION AMWAY at all. As such, you begin to use the ‘curiosity’ approach almost universally because you are worried that people have a false concept of Amway (now Quixtar) and thus, you need to keep that information from your prospect. Why is this?

I bring this point up because chances are, if you heard this IB, you have not been told it is Quixtar they are going to show you. I want you to know that they do not leave the name of Quixtar off because they want to deceive you, but because that would be a violation of the rule 9.8 in the Rules Compendium (PDF). Come to think of it, however, how they currently have it, it may STILL be a violation. {If there is a Quixtar Employee reading this, please check into this.}

Now, although each speaker puts their personality into the recording, they all say the same thing. I will use Joel’s call unless otherwise stated.

Analysis

In the introduction to all of these, the speaker is said to be “sought after”, though I can not find any verification about this except in the BWW functions.

Joel says that his income was determined by other people. He asks us three questions:

1. Are you on track to get to where it is you want to go in life?

2. Is your current income enough to take care of you in the future?

3. If some thing were to happen to you today, would your family be provided for?

Joel answered the first of those three questions and found that he needed a better way, so he prayed and then someone called him about the Amway business. He was then able to build a life that he could only dream of. I find this funny from a man who claims to put God first in all areas. If that were true, perhaps to words from the lips of Jesus from Matthew 6:25-34 would have come to his mind. Also, take note of 1 Timothy 6:9-10 and 1 Timothy 6:17. Now, was Amway an answer to his prayer? I highly doubt it because of the track record for more damaged persons than helped. I am not advocating a life of poverty, but rather, the vast time commitment required to build this business is certainly not fitting with God.

At this point, Joel talks about the beginnings of Quixtar. He talks about the two wealthy men (Rich DeVos and Jay VanAndel) fully funding Quixtar. They are indeed as wealthy as they stated to be. Jay was on the Chamber of Commerce. What he says about this is true, but he starts to walk on shaky ground when he talks about the rapid growth…it is the truth, but not the whole truth. In June 2001, Forbes magazine talks about this fast growth:

Indeed, [DeVos] boasts that Quixtar hasn't spent a dime on advertising or employee acquisition. However, it is more likely that most of Quixtar's rapid growth came at the expense of Amway. As its reps move their business to the Web, Amway's worldwide revenues have remained flat at about $5 billion.

He starts to talk about how high Quixtar rankings are. Indeed, in 2004, they were number 14 on the Internet Retailer list, but the article boasts of “Upgrades, but sales remain at status quo.” Keep in mind that the listing may or not have anything to do with how good or solid the company is. There are a lot of criteria that goes into that report and since it costs money, I am not going to buy it to find out what their criteria is.

He starts to refer to Harry Dent’s “Roaring 2000’s” and starts to imply that since E-Commerce is ‘pre-knee’, it will take off and all the people involved in Quixtar will get Hog Nasty Rich! I am not holding my breath since last year sales dipped and I do not see a lot of growth for this year either. Perhaps when this years sales report is out, I will be proved wrong.

The next part, Joel talks about the Quixtar IBO’s take the place of the middle man like the big stores such as Wal-Mart do, and thus they get that money. I have two problems with this:

1. He says that they are the middle man to the other companies. For clarity, Quixtar has Exclusives, the Store-for-More (an online department store), and Partner Stores. If you buy from a partner store, it is exactly like going to that online store directly, except you might receive $6 back on a $100 sale IF you are a Platinum. The Store-For-More section, even with your ‘wholesale’ price, many items you will be expecting to pay the same if not more for the identical item at the local department store. For the exclusives, the price of similar items tends to be very high, such as $4.10 for toothpaste, $5.05 for a small bottle of liquid hand soap, $10.50 for 6 bars of soap (smallest available quantity), $8.90 for 1 liter of dish detergent, etc.

2. You are not the ‘middle man’ of this operation, you are a customer of Quixtar, in fact, he even says that “we predominantly are Business Owners, and so they have a vested interest in buying.”

Now, he starts talking about ‘Anyway’ money, that is, money that you have to spend anyway on household goods. He says that if you spend that money at the local store, you are spending it, but if it is at your own business, it is investing. This makes NO SENSE AT ALL!!!!!!!! You are SPENDING, but instead of Wal-Mart, Wegmans, Giant, etc getting your money, Quixtar is. The products are much higher price and you will effectively be LOSING money, not even breaking even, if you convert your whole house to Quixtar products.

He starts talking about how much money he made and basically says that it will happen to everyone. I would like to draw your attention to probabilities and incomes from the Quixtar approved site ThisBizNow:

$345,000,000 in bonuses to 370,000 IBO’s: Averge income of $932.43. That is before the big pins get there chunk, so try to follow this from the link above:

Number of Diamonds: 370,000 * 0.0176% = 65 Diamonds @ $175,116 is $11,382,540

Number of Emeralds: 370,000 * 0.0420% = 155 Emeralds @ $70,954 is $10,997,870

Number of Platinums: 370,000 * 0.2440% = 903 Platinums @ $40,970 is $37,898,910

Number of Rank and File: 370,000 – 1123 = 368,877

Money left for Rank and File: $345,000,000 - $60,279,320 = $284,720,680

Average Rank and File income: $284,720,680 / 368,877 = $674.26 per year or $56 per month. That is what the 2004 – 2005 snapshot of their business looks like. Could you become one of those few people at the top? YES, but according to Jon Talyor, you have a greater chance to succeeding at wealth creation by rolling the roulette in Vegas (PDF)!

When talking about people they are looking for, the Aris Pavlides recording specifically targets people like me as ‘failures’ who want to make other people failures, basically like a crab in the bucket pulling down the crabs that are trying to get out. That is not the case, as you can see on this post, I have documented clearly the major objections with this organization. I recommend that you study it freely from ALL perspectives (not just the perspective the recruiter wants you to) before you make up your mind.

Next he talks about the three things you need to do:

1. Get back to the recruiter to find out the details how it works. They will take you on a tour through the website as well as talk about the training and support system that will help you (WATCH OUT, THE TRAINING SYSTEM IS THE PART TO BE CAUTIOUS OF!!)

2. Get to a meeting. (Note, this is a meeting for the support system, most likely an Open meeting, but they may bring you to others as well. I have compiled a detailed list of descriptions, costs, and what to expect on the Types of BWW Functions post.)

3. Sample the products and learn the ‘value’ of them. In reality, they are nothing special. Some are good, some are bad, most are over priced.

Joel ends with a warning against people like me, but since I am done writing now, I guess I can’t do you any more harm!

Mistaken Identity?

2006-04-14T07:10:00.000-05:00

I did a rare thing this morning. I read the latest Qrush post! It actually caught my eye since it was talking about Joe Markiewicz, a former member of BWW, and member of the Extreme Freedom Team. The curious thing is that Qrush again attacked Bo Short for being an anonymous blogger attacking Joe. I got to thinking, is he thinking of me? I analyized one of Joe's tapes on Sunday.

The evidence that I think he is refering to me:

I just made the post about Joe.
There are not a whole lot of bloggers on Quixtar at the moment.
I have not seen any other post about Joe Markiewicz.
He never referenced the URL.

If I am right, sorry Qrush, I am not Bo Short! But have a nice day anyway!

Get Your Overpriced Lotions Potions and Diet Cookies Here!

2006-04-09T20:30:00.000-05:00

Tape: The Solution for Your Future

Speakers: Joe Markiewicz

Stock Number: JM25

Recording Type: This is the tape that was included in the info packs from 2002 to 2004 or 2005. Since Markiewicz is on the Winters team, they are no longer in BWW since they formed their own Motivational Organization, but never-the-less, this is most likely one of the more widely distributed tape following closely being Private Franchising in a Dot Com World (Greg Duncan) and Power Wave (Bill Hawkins).

This is one of my longer posts, but I feel it is worth the read. I will be putting it on the sidebar under ‘site resources’.

Brief Review:

Since this tape was made to be distributed with the information packs given out to BWW prospects, it follows a clear format designed to make Quixtar out to be the best business opportunity out there. The tape is broken down into 10 tracks so that will be the format of this review. Analysis will follow each section.

Reality Check

The industrial revolution changed how commerce operated, and now, the internet is causing yet another change.

Here, we will learn about a business model “designed specifically for the internet.”

This is a business that will allow you to achieve your dreams and goals.

This opportunity will allow you to take part in the internet explosion by owning a web based business.

Joe says that he chose to be an engineer “for the rest of my life” just because that is what his dad did.

“I didn’t know it back then that I was setting a course for the rest of his life based upon how I was programmed to think about success and my career.”

He says that everyone should ask the question, “Where will I be in five…ten…twenty years.”

A co-worker asked, “Joe, do you every look for ways to make extra money?”

Joe’s co-worker took about 20 minutes that night “mapping out a business strategy of a way that I could own a business based out of my own home.”

Joe liked that he did not have to have a large investment, land, employees, etc.

Since it does not take much to get started, it challenged his concept of what it takes to be successful in society.

Not his boss nor college professors knew what Forbes magazine called, “A foundation for a new industrial order.”

Analysis

First, I will not argue that the internet is a great new addition to commerce. I love many aspects because one online store that I buy from has a wish list and interest list, when an item goes on sale, I get an email with a link. I have ordered the item in less then two minutes. For many items, by spending a short period of time, I can find things that I would like to buy and have them shipped to my house or work. I imagine that I am not the only one who likes this convenience. One the other hand, I do not believe that internet sales will totally ‘eat up’ retail establishments because it is a lot easy to buy many things at the local store.

Now, let us tackle the statement, “Here, we will learn about a business model ‘designed specifically for the internet.’” Is this model designed specifically for the internet? No, it is the same Amway model which the same IBO’s (formerly distributors) get the product online instead of through a catalog (though the catalog is still available for those desiring it). The statement that Joe makes is an attempt to disconnect Quixtar from the Amway roots and make it sound like a brand new thing. It simply is not.

Will it enable you to achieve your goals? I will paste in a point from a previous post and let you be the judge of that:

To be fair, I will define ‘successful’ as a person who has reached the level of Q-12 Platinum. We must be careful even here, because a person can be a poorly structured Platinum and make a lot less than the typical, but we will grant that ALL Platinums are proper. Now, according to the Quixtar affiliate site, ThisBizNow, only 0.244% of people make the Q-12 Platinum level. So, out of 2000 people, 5 will become successful. Note that the average income is $115 per month.

Next, do you really own your own business? Once again, NO! You have become a repeat customer of a business. You are regulated by a series of rules (read them here [PDF]), you can be removed from the system (i.e. FIRED), there are limits to where you can sell, and how to promote. You can not use mass media advertisements, and you can not send out blanket messages, etc, etc, etc.

Joe does seem to knock down jobs and employment, as well as education. If you spend a little bit of time around this business, you will find that is very common. Does education pay? Yes. According to some statistics, the greater your education, the greater your pay. Compare the average of a B.S. in 1999 of $52,200 to the average Quixtar IBO pay of $1,380 and ask which is the better course?

Next, Joe says that it does not take a large investment. True reports demonstrate that the majority of people lose a lot of money in Quixtar because of involvement in an MO. Although an exact average system cost (tapes, books, seminars, etc) can not be known, over $3,000 a year for a single person is pretty close. Two high level (not BWW to the best of my knowledge) IBO’s recently reported their system expenses to Scott Larsen. The first did not specific which organization they were in, the second was AllianceNet Solutions.

Unfulfilled Potential

Joe was impressed with the ethics and success of the people he met.

There were people from all backgrounds.

Joe was moving up in his job, but still had the feeling that something just was not right, particularly when he was going to work in the morning and evening, and on Sunday nights.

He says that the feeling is that he was living an average life with so much unfulfilled potential. Something was wasting away.

“I started asking myself, ‘what if this did work? What if the effort from this business produces more results than the effort that I put in working for somebody else?”

Analysis

The ethics and morals of the people is nothing to write home about. Scott Larsen has a list called the Amway/Quixtar Hall of Shame where he has documented some of the mishaps of these people. Now, we can not expect these people to be perfect, but there appears to be more of a fakery than honest people with slip-ups. I have documented clear examples from at least one person who is downline from Joe. Doug Weir has lied to get people to sign up, produced a video where he lies about being a ‘professional driver on a closed course’ but the camera slips and you see Doug driving down the highway in excess of 135MPH. There are also conflicting stories about getting paid to speak, which I document here. Also, Larry Winters, on the tape “The Ball is In your Court” (not yet analyzed) Larry promotes violating Quixtar’s rules by edifying a 15 year old person who is an IBO (You must be 16 to register and 18 to recruit other IBO’s according to page D-2 in the compendium under ‘Minimum Age Requirements’)

Although there are people from all backgrounds, it is clear from many testimonies that many backgrounds are frowned upon. I personally witnessed one such example in the Sunday morning worship service Bill Britt declared more than once, “Are there any Democrats in here? BURN IN HELL!!”

As far as his last point goes, there is nothing wrong with what he calls an ‘average’ life. A life that is well lived need not be large and flashy. It need not be full of wealth, but it should be full of faith and full of love for all others. After all, God did command us to work for our needs, not to play all day long. It can be argued that the Diamonds have earned their wages, but I would ask at what cost? The facts are quite clear that for one thriving BWW diamond, there are thousands of IBO’s under them going bankrupt to support that Diamond and pushing money from other endeavors into a false dream of success in Quixtar.

The Intangables

Joe says that he will not talk about the many material things the business has supplied, but he will talk about the intangibles.

Time, quality time, with his family.

Time and income to travel to places they could not travel to before.

The ability to give more to worthy causes.

To impart the qualities and principles in their kids.

He says that since the business has provided this for him, you should thank the people who shared the opportunity with you.

“I urge you to evaluate this seriously; just like you would any other business decision. Now, forget about any perceived hype here. Simply from a business perspective, this is the best business opportunity in the country today.”

Joe says that you can compare ANY factor and you will come to the conclusion that this is simply the best business out there.

Analysis

His intangibles at the beginning of this are noble things, though they seem to lack the teaching of responsibility…or do they? According to some site visitors of Scott Larsen’s page, the ‘time together’ and ‘freedom’ were never a way of life as children of an Amway business. Further, a friend of mine (who is now married) became an ‘Ama-kid’ in her early teens, but the family is still struggling. More recently, a Quixtar critic talks about his own experiences, “I told my upline I owed no one an explanation other then my kids who were neglected during this time in our life.” He writes further, “With all of this going on I slip into a depression. I am a wreck, I can’t eat much, I cry when I do the finances, and I can’t even spend time with my kids. On top of all of this my wife is really putting on the pressure to get out and get recruits.” It looks that Joe is the anomaly of what might happen if you start a Quixtar business. In the end, the proper and balanced thing to do is to love your children, you are related to them, but now you need to be affectionate, their protector, a builder of their minds, bodies, and souls, and provide their needs and a few wants. Statistics show that a loved child with nothing is far better a person than a wealthy child (under any circumstances).

Joe urges you to examine this business like you would every other. That is good, but please, examine it with ALL the facts, not just the one side that the IBO will give you. I am convinced that point for point, this is among the worst businesses in the world. Here is a partial list of why:

Cost of MLM products are generally much more expensive than that of competing products [this appears to be to pay all the people in between].
The money is in growth, so more emphasis is generally placed on recruitment over customer sales.
The markup on products for sale is generally too small to make a significant [i.e. living wage] profit.
The time required to build and maintain a network far exceeds the reward for doing so [especially since the MLM I know of with the highest retention rate is Reliv @ a little over 50%].
If you ever do succeed in turning a significant profit, it is always for having a large network of people who are making little if any money at all
Statistically, 99.9% of people lose money in MLM

A Unique Digital Destination

The BWW team uses Quixtar to show people how to access the good they would otherwise buy.

Are they solid? Quixtar had reported 40 million hits per day “most of that is because of word of mouth.”

“Quixtar will be the fastest, easiest, and most affordable way for anyone to tap into this exploding internet market.”

“By simply sharing what you know of the savings, and the convenience available to hundreds of well know manufacturers and online retailers at Quixtar.com that result in purchases, you can build a substantial online business.”

Joe explains that this is more than an online mall, but rather it is about choices: a great shopping experience or a path to reach your financial goals.

Analysis

Quixtar did not grow so fast due to word of mouth, it grew so fast because all the Amway distributors moved over to Quixtar. Are there that many Amway people really? Yes, but to quote Dave Severn on ‘Passion’, “If a million people do a stupid thing, it’s still a stupid thing!”

Next, it is interesting that Joe only mentioned savings and convenience in his statement, but to run a proper business, you have to have sales, and frankly, for it to be a good business, your sales should vastly out number your personal use. That is to say, if you own a restaurant, most of your sales should be to customers, not to yourself. Robert Fitzpatrick of Pyramid Scheme Alert did a comprehensive analysis of MLM’s (PDF), including Amway, and found that very few people ever make a sale.

How is the shopping experience? Not bad in my opinion. I never had a problem except for the high prices of the products.

A Better Way

Joe claims that the prices are very competitively priced, particularly at the ‘Hot Buys’ section.

The site is set up as Exclusives, Store for More, Partner Stores, and Hot Buys.

The best place to buy is the Exclusives section which you get the highest PV/BV for. They are also repeat sales.

“You will get the benefit of your shopping instead of some big chain.”

“What we really do is promote a better way of accessing thousands of products and services.

Analysis

The prices are not very competitively priced at all, unless you live in downtown Manhattan or a tourist trap. Now, the Hot Buys section can be cheap, but usually consists of re-furbished items, and poor quality garbage. The Store-For-More (department store) are the same things you can get at any other retail store, except they are much higher in price, and you have to pay shipping and handling on top. The partner stores are almost exactly like going directly to the store online itself, except a few differences, for example, Barnes & Noble, you can not use your 10% membership discount with the Quixtar promotion.

To look for a moment at the exclusives, however, here are a few items of interest (All prices IBO): 6.75 oz. toothpaste: $4.10; 100 uses mouthwash: $6.75; 10 oz. 2-in1 shampoo/conditioner: $7.80; 75-150 loads laundry: $28.10; 16 oz. hand soap: $17; 6-150 g bars of soap: $10.50; 6-15 oz. boxes of General Mills Cheerios: $21.16; 24 packs microwave popcorn: $16.20. Once you have your products, you need to get them shipped. Calculate your shipping fees at the Quixtar Delivery Options Page.

He says that you will get the benefit of your shopping instead of some big chain, but the realty is that big chain upline will be receiving the benefit of your shopping. If you spend $300 on what might otherwise only cost you $200, you will get $7.50 back on your purchase. That is not quite supporting you.

Redirect your Buying Power

To build a business with Quixtar, you simply need to redirect your buying power.

Joe says that it is a myth that many people have that you can save your way to financial independence, but that is not right. He gives an example. “When someone buys a hundred dollar item at a 40% discount, they don’t save $40, they spend $60. When they take $60 from their net worth to buy a consumable, they not only lose the $60, they lose the ability to invest that $60 and to grow more money over time.”

He says that shopping clubs (Sam’s Club, Costco, etc.) are very appealing, but they never one time give a rebate for items you purchase.

He says that in BWW, they teach you to become the store, redirect your buying power, and buy products and services right out of your store. By referring other people to your store, you will get financial rewards, i.e. an asset.

Analysis

Here we have the essence of Quixtar. It is not customers that many IBO’s are after (in fact, a Dave Severn tape ‘Width, Depth, Momentum’ taught to CAP your clients and members to 10-20 people MAX), it is IBO’s that give you profit. In effect, it is a whole group of people that are simply buying at ‘wholesale’ and you get money in the form of rebates as the team grows. To actually get that rebate from your Downline Differential (the portion of your rebate coming from your downline), you have to have 50 M/C PV or 10 customers or $100 in sales (See rule 4.22 in the Rules Compendium [PDF]), but many IBO’s have found a loop-hole in this system of either buying samples for themselves by themselves, or simply calling mom. In reality, if you have a ‘business’, you had better have customers. At this point, it might be worth reading the analysis of A Unique Digital Destination again from above.

Now, for Joe’s example, let me expand on it. First, if you NEED that $100 dollar item, buying it at $60 IS saving $40, but buying it from your ‘own business’ for $120+ shipping and then getting $3 back is NOT a smart thing to do, as you have effectively LOST over $17 not counting the sale boosting your loss to $57! For example, I once paid $1.65 for 12 oz. of toothpaste because I knew I would need it. If I instead bought the 6.75 oz. for $4.10, then got back $0.95 (assuming 25%), I paid 3 times more for toothpaste than I needed to.

Every wise and prudent person who has achieved a level of financial success has learned that you need to save more than you spend. That being said, you need to get disciplined about what is a NEED verses what is a WANT and you need to live prudently. That is biblical, but BWW teaches to get more and more to fill your hearts desires which actually detract from the power and devotion to God.

A New Business Model

You make money by collecting the points which are attached to the products.

You get a bonus check based on the volume of products sold through your IBO number in a given month.

Clients are casual shoppers that you get the difference between wholesale and retail as well as the points. Members pay an annual fee to shop at the wholesale price, you get the points, and an IBO gets the points and rebate money back based on his sales (his rebate comes out of your rebate.)

Quixtar tracks all volume on the business management center on the Quixtar website.

He makes the comment, “I am not beating someone up by trying to sell them some overpriced lotion, potion, diet cookie, or some other exotic product line out of my garage.”

Analysis

Since I have never covered any detail of the Quixtar plan, I guess I can do a very brief explanation for those of you who have recently been contacted and are looking for information. The complete details can be read for free in the Rules Compendium [see above for download]. First, you need to learn the definitions:

PV – Point Volume: The points associated with a product used to determine your percent rebate.

BV – Bonus Volume: The points that would roughly correspond to the cost of product. For the Exclusive line, it is often over the IBO cost of the product, for Store-For-More is it significantly less.

Performance Bonus – The bonus rebate awarded. It is calculated as 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 23, 25 % of the BV. The percent is determined by the PV at 100, 300, 600, 1000, 1500, 2500, 4000, 6000, and 7500.

Downline Differential – The portion of your performance bonus that is paid from your downline volume.

Now, if you get 4000 PV for example, and have 6 legs at 600, and assuming a 1:2.50 PV:BV ratio, your performance bonus from your personal PV is $210. Your total rebate is $2100. The downline differential is $1890. Now, the downline performance bonus comes from your downline differential. Each downline receives $135, so $810 comes out, so your total performance bonus is $1290. Now, that is not typical. It is more typical to have one large leg, and perhaps, a small leg or two. The usual would be a 4000 PV with a leg at 3000 PV, and a for example, 2 300PV legs. In that your check drops to $660. Now, keep in mind that if that leg goes over 7500 PV and you do not have 2500PV side volume (volume in another leg), you lose all that volume to the next upline who DOES have 2500PV. If you are being prospected, insist to see the structure of your sponsoring IBO AND his upline Platinum, chances are, however, they will not show you.

Now, for Joe’s final statement, here are examples of what he is trying to sell:

Overpriced Lotion – 3.4 oz. of Tolsom hand lotion - $34.80

Potion – 90 tablets Carb Blocker 2 - $42.00

Diet Cookie – 12 Protein Cookies - $23.99

Exotic Product Line – NAO (whatever THAT is?)

And we all know that Amway/Quixtar products DO line the garage and basement shelves…need I say more…

Spectator or Player?

The internet is exploding, many people are going to shop online, are you participating in making money through YOUR store?

It is simple, but not necessarily easy.

The infrastructure is already in place and built.

Analysis

Although there is a large market for internet sales, Quixtar does not appear to be the place to get them all. We have already detailed that it is not your own business, you are not in control, and statistically, it does not work except for a very few and those few appear to get rich off of the motivational materials sold by the upper level IBO’s.

A Winning Team

Here, Joe starts to talk about the importance of the educational system.

Britt World Wide (BWW) is there to help the Independent Business Owners to achieve the highest level of success possible.

BWW has a 30 year track record of helping others to achieve success in their own business.

BWW provides tapes, CD’s, literature, conferences, multimedia, business homepages, and a communication system.

Analysis

Under the analysis for ‘Reality Check’, I included in purple a statement of the level of success in the Quixtar business. In light of that, I have to ask on what basis do they make the claim that they have 30+ years of experience in helping others achieve successful businesses. If BWW were a consulting firm to help businesses, their track record would have left them bankrupt many years ago. Remember that in the whole of Quixtar, only 1 in 400 ever make it to a level where they make less than the nation (USA) average for a B.S. degree. That is not a good record.

Now, I have detailed the analysis of this system everywhere on this site, but I would like to draw your attention to the following places for more research:

Types of BWW Functions

Types of BWW Recordings

Types of BWW Tools

The Key Ingredient

Joe asks if you are satisfied with where your life is going to be in five, ten, and twenty years.

His final appeal is to take time to get more information about this business.

Analysis

I agree with Joe’s final appeal to get more information. I would like you to get a whole series of questions together and ask (politely) the people showing you this business. Ask such things like:

How much money do you currently make after all business expenses are cleared?

What is the structure of your business?

Ask to see their profit and loss statements.

Now, listen to any tapes they give you, read the information they give you.

Next, visit the following websites and ask the people showing you this business to sit down with you, after all, if it really is a good business, there will be good and logical explanations for all the clearly stated objections:

Check out the Index for this website.

Quixtar Blog

Amway / Quixtar Business Analysis Page

Quixtar Inside Out

Freedom of Mind Amway Motivational Organization Page

Merchants of Deception

Pyramid Scheme Alert

MLM-The Truth

Quixtar Demons

God of the Bible vs God of MLM

FTC page on MLM businesses

And since Greg Duncan (Private Franchising in a Dot Com World) always likes to tell you not listen to what half cocked negative people on the internet have to say, but listen to respected business journals have to say, here are the articles about Quixtar by Forbes:

Amway.com – Basically tells us that Quixtar is Amway on the internet. The article details that Quixtar did grow fast, but that was due to the shift to Quixtar from Amway. The article warns at the end about getting involved in businesses such as Amway and Quixtar.

One of the ‘Must Read Tech stories points to Quixtar in the Google-bombing stunt that it tried to pull to bury ‘negative’ information in the internet. The article it points to is from Annenburg Online Journalism Review.

Building Quixtar with BWW Part 8

2006-04-04T22:55:00.000-05:00

BWW Basics Manual (BBAS 6/02)

Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2.1
Chapter 2.2
Chapter 2.3
Chapter 2.4
Chapter 3

Chapter 4 – Staying on Track: The “Eagle” Program: The Roadmap to Success

Once again, in this post, my analysis is spread throughout the post instead of being at the end.

This chapter begins with an interesting quote (pg 52): “Britt Worldwide has established a proven track record of helping people build their own successful businesses.” I wrote on several previous posts:

To be fair, I will define ‘successful’ as a person who has reached the level of Q-12 Platinum. We must be careful even here, because a person can be a poorly structured Platinum and make a lot less than the typical, but we will grant that ALL Platinums are proper. Now, according to the Quixtar affiliate site, ThisBizNow, only 0.244% of people make the Q-12 Platinum level. So, out of 2000 people, 5 will become successful. Note that the average income is $115 per month.

This is a Quixtar wide statistic, but even if BWW comprises 95% of the total of those Q12 Platinums, I would NOT say that is a good track record.

Further, there is a quote from Bill & Peggy Britt (pg 52): “In thirty years of helping independent business owners build their own successful business, we have seen that anyone who consistently follows these success principles can achieve a significant level of success in their own business.” What are these ‘success principles’ they are talking about? The 9 core steps (pg 53):

Show the plan three or more times per week.
Personal circle: 150 PV or 300 PV (couple)
Develop Clients and Members (50 PV minimum)
Listen to tapes daily: Standing Order Tape Program
Read Daily: Book of the Month Program
Attend all business conferences and seminars
Associate and counsel regularly
Build your business with integrity and accountability
Subscribe to Communikate

The last part of this chapter lists the activities and structure for Eagle, Double Eagle, and Ultimate Eagle. I will not expand on these at all because Truth at Quixtar Inside Out did a wonderful job detailing these as well as doing some serious number crunching on the theory behind Eagle. Please see his category called Archive for the 'Math of Eagle Program.'

Recommended Tools:

GS4 – Core to Diamond ($7.50)
EGB – Eagle brochure ($6.00 / quantity not specified)
AN73 – Roadmap to Success ($7.50)
RJM19 – Eagle ($7.50)
BPB193 – Fly with the Eagles ($7.50)
BPB238 – The Philosophy Behind the Eagle Pin ($7.50)
CS1 – Counseling Sheet (I hope this is not for sale because it is a free download)

The CFP Has Spoken…Quixtar is the BEST

2006-04-02T19:28:00.000-05:00

Tape: The Right Business at the Right Time

Speakers: John Sestina

Stock Number: BWW25

Recording Type: Teaching – About how thriving E-Commerce is and how Quixtar fits in.

This tape started out by listing all of John’s professional qualifications in the financial planning industry.

Teaching Points:

In the 60’s and 70’s, products were sold door to door, 70’s, the shopping centers, malls, and catalogs obtained favor, 80’s had specialty catalogs and TV sales (QVC, etc.), not it is online sales. [This is absolutely correct.]

John tells us where it is going to be in the future, getting the audience excited, and then asks how they will participate in this opportunity to make money.

He tells us that you need a website, so if you go out and make one, you need people to find it, but the infrastructure is the costly part. Getting people to the site is the hardest and most costly aspect. You need a way to ship, keep track of product, and people to manage everything. In short, John tells us that we need to be a millionaire or borrow all the money to get everything started.

He moves in to tell us that Quixtar is a marketing arm and that thousands of companies are lined up asking Q to move their products. [In reality, many companies allow their store to be used in whatever model of ecommerce is available. Check out the other ‘online malls’ (which Quixtar is often compared) to see how many stores overlap. Here is a partial list (In preparing this, I typed the search term “Internet Malls” in Google and I received an article about internet shopping mall scams involving business opportunities as the first hit!). The last time I checked, Quixtar and Upromise had a large overlap in the online partner store sections. The point is that Quixtar is nothing special, these stores will flock to anyone that opens up a portal to their business. For John to bring this up the way he did is a little bit of twisting the facts around.]

John talks a whole lot about how Quixtar is superior to the traditional business systems in that there is no overhead, no competition with your current job, and a joyful, helping attitude where everyone is looking to help everyone else succeed. [Many people will take much debate on these points. I will not provide details here, but check the stories and you will see all these points to the contrary.]

John then tells us that we have the power to negotiate pricing because we are the market end with no competition.

John then goes on to say that people are basically broke and can not afford to live without a business (this, BTW, is a major point in his own business, though there is quite a list of businesses he does not recommend.

Next, he attacks everyone with their kids in day care with a story from a communist country that requires all kids to be turned over to the state at 2 years old so the mother can work… “In this country, we do it voluntarily” he responds.

John next goes on about if it takes you 15 years to go Platinum, it is like having a portfolio with $600,000. [This is not correct, because the portfolio investments stayt pretty much still, the Platium will wax and wane like the MOON, and if you are not putting new life into it, it will die entirely leaving you with noth!]

He tells us that the best option is for everyone to recognize that this is the best business and to follow all the principles that the leaders teach to build it correctly (i.e. the Motivational Organization programs that are very costly.)

In summary, this is the best business in the world, but what are YOU doing with it? [NOT!]

Victory from Defeat

2006-03-28T21:45:00.000-05:00

Magic of Thinking Big

Chapter 11 – How to Turn Defeat into Victory

David J. Schwartz

Outline

The author opens this book talking about the people on Skid Row. He contrasts them with people in high successful positions and states that the demographic for both groups is the same. The difference is that the ones on Skid Row have let defeat get to them, while the successful ones have overcome all trials. In short, all of our set-backs have good lessons to be learned, if we learn from them, we will become successful.

The next section expands on the first. The author tells us that we need to fully examine our life and correct everything we can so that we can near perfection.

He concludes with two ways to better success:

Tell yourself, “There IS a way” – He goes on to explain that the thoughts will control the reality. If you think you are beaten, there is no way to succeed, if you think you will succeed, there is no way to fail.
Back off and start afresh – Take a break and move away from the work to rejuvenate yourself on a regular basis.

Christian Response

If only his reasons for the people on Skid Row were that simple, we would have solved that problem long ago. God is in control of events. Some people are going to be successful, some are going to suffer in this life, God will bring all things together for his people (Romans 8:28). Regarding his ever present desire for ‘success’, I say that if you wish to sacrifice all for your position in this life, God might just grant you that, but it will certainly be at a price. Read Matthew 19 to learn that price. With all that being said, there is indeed great value in the wisdom of mistake, but they are not the cure-all for the strife of the world.

When we examine ourselves, like the author suggests, we need to examine ourselves for the unrighteousness in our lives. We do not need to be seeking perfection, we need to be seeking righteousness (1 Corinthians 11:23-34).

I will say nothing about his first point save this: God is in control, not the foolish tongue in your mouth that you can not even control anyway (James 3:1-12). Who are you to tell God what you will do (James 4:13-16).

His second point is biblical; I have no words about it.

Building Quixtar with BWW Part 7

2006-03-27T23:24:00.000-05:00

BWW Basics Manual (BBAS 6/02)

Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2.1
Chapter 2.2
Chapter 2.3
Chapter 2.4

Chapter 3 – Creating Volume

This chapter is broken down into the sections:

Eat 100 PV
Use 100 PV
Sell 100 PV

My analysis is sprinkled throughout.

There are tips before those sections officially begin. The first thing you need to learn is how to prioritize your buying. If you are familiar with Quixtar, you know that there are three levels to shop:

Exclusives – These are the brand names that Alticor, the parent company to both Amway and Quixtar. These have the highest PV; $2.50 per PV (some argue that it is more like $2.70, or more. I agree with that after doing a brief price analysis, but I am reporting what BWW says)

Store for more – These are other brands which Quixtar buys from the supplier and acts as the middle man to the consumer. It is about $6.00 per PV. This includes clothes, sterios, household appliances, etc.

Partner Stores – These are actually a group of stores which provide you access through the Quixtar portal. These are all online stores and they credit a tiny portion of your sale to Quixtar which in turn gives you a small amount of PV and BV. Depending on the store, $5-15 could get you 1 PV.

You are instructed to always plan on purchases from the Exclusive line since they give the most for the dollar.

Even in this topic about products, we read (pg 37), “Our goal is to help get your business up and running as soon as possible, and that starts with making your 100 PV circle work and getting your education started.”(Italics mine) There is a little ‘How To’ box down the page, “How to Order Your Product.” Curiously, the very first thing on the line is “Call-In schedule for BWW support tools and products (These do NOT have PV)” (There is a blank for the day and time). This form only lists how to order Quixtar products on the bottom as online, by phone, or by calling your upline.

There is a section on assessments, but the product assessments have been removed from Quixtar to the best of my knowledge. I can tell you what I remember of them: You fill out this big multiple choice form and then it lists the ‘recommended’ products, which always seemed to consist of a $500 or more order a month!

Recommended Tools:

BPB194 – Owning a Profitable Business ($7.50)

JM20 – Volume, A Key to Achieving Your Dream ($7.50)

AN72 – Ditto Delivery ($7.50)

AN86 – Why Nutilite? ($7.50)

RJM23 – We Get Paid on Volume ($7.50)

LPW99 – Fundamentals of Health & Nutrition ($7.50)

NXT – The Next Trillion (By Paul Zan Pilzer, an external speaker) ($7.50)

LPW79 – Checklist for an IBO / Ladies Business Mentality ($7.50)

BQ904 (New Code: EB770) – Pro-Sumer Power ($10.95)

Eat 100 PV

We are told that this is simple: Just replace things already in your diet. Quixtar has recognized the drive to want to eat better, so you should replace your snacks and meals with protein bars and energy drinks. To do all this, they recommend the following for a single person, for the couple it is more, obviously:

1 Box of Double X ($51.65 for an IBO, $74.75 retail)

2 Cases of Protein bars ($198 IBO, $257.40 retail).

Total monthly cost: $249.65, and I HOPE you eat a dinner on top of all that at an extra cost. Here is my monthly single person’s food bill: $80. To suggest that a person eats $249.65 just for snacks, breakfast, and lunch is absolutely ridiculous.

There are other means to eat 100 PV though, if that is not to your liking. There is the basic package: at $270 a month, the Ladies package at only $269, the Active package for $285 (that is the high protein version), and the men’s package at $270. Don’t forget that this is PER PERSON and does not include real food!

Use 100 PV

You get to shop from your own store, or so the book says. We are told (in little print I might add), to “Focus on core-line products” with a suggestion to “buy one of each of these core-line items (average 5-6 products per week) for a total of 100 + PV.” Am I the only one that thinks this is a little excessive? I am still working on a box of laundry detergent I bought in 2002, and frankly, it was more expensive per unit than anything else I can get around here. If you want to die of price shock, compare the Tolsom line of men’s skin care products to comparable ones in the local store. The pricing at Quixtar is so high that you might spend 2-3 times more at Quixtar than you might at the local store.

Selling 100 PV

If you thought that $249.65 is outrageous (let alone absolutely boring due to lack of variety) for breakfast, lunch, and snacks, try asking a retail customer to pay $332.15 plus tax and shipping for the same. I think you can get the idea as to why the vast majority of Quixtar IBO’s don’t have clients.

Here are some tips (pg 43):

Personally register members and clients

Take new registrants on a tour through Quixtar.com

Give product samples

Encourage repeat sales items

They suggest at the end that you set up your clients on a plan to spend on $8.48 a day on snacks and nutrition. This consists of Double X twice per day, 2 protein bars a day, and two Orange drinks a day (I assume in the newer versions of this manual, that has been replaced by XS which is comparable in price). There is a note that if they do not think they would spend that much, to have them check their habits because they probably do. Fair enough. Let me check MY habits:

Morning: cereal ($1.79 a box), get about a week out of it, so $0.36

Mid Morning: Hot Chocolate or Tea: $0.13

Lunch: peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich with crackers and Juice: $0.66

Total over same period: $1.15

Now, I know people that might spend over $8 because they like to go out for lunch. I do this about 3 times a month or so. It is not a good habit to spend $8 a day on a regular basis, so for them to be simply redirecting that money through them does a disservice to the person. If you are that concerned, suggest they balance and budget better. We are stewards over our resources, not owners. We will be accountable before God of our spending. I would like you to know that it is doable. How? I plan ahead. I buy hot chocolate and tea in a bulk quantity and then take it to work so it is there. If I have the munchies at work, there is something nearby that is cheaper than the rip-off shack down the hallway. It is called planning!

This chapter ends with a statement about the member and client rules and than encourages to get your clients on Ditto Delivery, which is an automated monthly ordering system.

Chapter 4

Kool-Aid Drinking Critics #5

2006-03-26T18:35:00.000-05:00

Well, all, I went through a period of time where I really did not get a whole lot of seriously negative criticism (at least not any worth talking about), but for reasons that I am not going to report, there has been quite an influx lately. I received this one Saturday morning or so and I certainly felt it was worthy of examination. I will let you read it, then I will comment on selected passages. I like this comment because this person really makes my point for me. I wish him the best, and I hope he realizes how destructive BWW is for his person, mind, and spirit. Hold on tight…here we go:

This is the third comment on the first Adventures of the Extreme Fredom Team post.

optimistic relationship builder said...

I know exactly why you call yourself X. You have Xed yourself out so you want others to join. I really feel sorry for you being such a sad Individual. Because of your short comings you put out your opinions about what you think know. I am sure there have been some jerks in this business, but I bet its some jerks at all jobs and even churches. It's amazing how people like yourself would rather knock others for wanting more and willing to sacrifice than to encourage and help give hope. At least these guys are willing to get out and drive the miles to try and help people they don't even know. I'm no dummy, I know these guys benefit but so do I based on the work I do.

I have a gym membership that was sold to me by a salesman who told me I could look like Rocky but it's amazing, I've had this membership for 3 years and I still have gut and my arms are getting softer. I am really disappointed. I've paid for this thing every month, but the disappointment is in me for not doing what was required of me to get the results promised upon purchase.

I went to college for five years and paid at least 7000.00 a year. As my grades went down and I could not receive free schooling, so what, the financial aid kept giving me more loans to continue and it did not work. Here I am five years wasted, about 35,000 and I still don't have a degree. Who should I blame? The guidance counselor told me I could do it and he believed in me, but it just did not work. Who do I blame?

These guys are trying to help people who want to own their own business. But it's not a free lunch, it takes work and money. My wife and I work in the corporate world and we are 26 years old and we have always wanted to own our own business and we saw this and did not know what to think but as I checked this business out I saw it was real. I'm an African American and none of my friends are in business with me but I went out and found some guys who wanted more out of life and was willing to find out what it would take to make it happen and its happening. It's not a pie in the sky, it's not a get rich quick scam, and it’s a business. Just so you know; most of the people who get out of this are those you are looking for a get rich quick scam. It's not brainwashing, brainwashing is telling people what to think. The freedom team teaches people how to think. There is a difference. To identify the negative is nothing special, try coming up with your own thing.

I'm done, but don't try to come at me about the bible. Trust me; you don't want to go there with me. I have studied what it says about money save that conversation for someone else...

Sat Mar 25, 10:55:55 AM EST

The Origins of My Username

ORB says: “I know exactly why you call yourself X. You have Xed yourself out so you want others to join.”

It is an interesting, but expected twist attacking my character and name, especially since this person does not know who I am. But just in case anyone is interested in the origins of my name, I thought I would talk about it a bit. Unlike ORB, I did well in college. I enjoyed the manifest pleasures of academia seeking time in the sciences and arts. My username is the name of the mystical land of Xanadu from the poem Kubla Kahn by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, which I had read before college, but I did some further study out of that poem. When I first got the internet, my username was simply Xanadu, but when I moved out from the small world of the local dial-up services to the vast expanse of the internet, I noted that many people had the name Xanadu already. Since I hate the usernames with numbers after them, I had to find a creative way to have a name which would change as little as I could get it to from crazy free online service to service. To best accommodate it, I used the three initials from the author Samuel Taylor Coleridge and added it Xanadu to arrive at my username Xanadustc. ‘X’ is just an abbreviation since many people do not want to write it. There you have it.

Opinions and Facts

ORB says: “I really feel sorry for you being such a sad Individual. Because of your short comings you put out your opinions about what you think know.”

It is interesting to note that I am one of the few people who does NOT post my opinions. I post detailed and verifiable facts as they are applied to solid biblical exegesis using sound hermeneutics as opposed to Word-Faith teachers who have repeated taught apostic doctrine. On the contrary, this person jumped in and attacked my character, ignored my facts, and gave a biased opinion.

What is ‘Help’?

ORB says: “It's amazing how people like yourself would rather knock others for wanting more and willing to sacrifice than to encourage and help give hope.”

Where have I ever knocked others for wanting more? If this person indeed READ the post that he commented on, he would have seen this paragraph:

With these points in mind, I want you to know that having money is not a sin. Going on a good vacation, having a nice car, a nice house, etc, are not sins. The problem arises when you use a deceptive system of mind control to fleece people out of hard earned money so that you can buy a whole lot of things, make videos about it, and post them to motivate people to do more of the same.

As you can see, my problem is not the possessions these people have, it is the system that use to get it.

ORB says: “At least these guys are willing to get out and drive the miles to try and help people they don't even know. I'm no dummy, I know these guys benefit but so do I based on the work I do.”

How much does this person really benefit? I do not know, but I am willing to bet that he losing money. There are 5 in 2000, or 1 in 400 who make it to the Q-12 level. I commented on this in a previous post, here is the relevant paragraph again:

To be fair, I will define ‘successful’ as a person who has reached the level of Q-12 Platinum. We must be careful even here, because a person can be a poorly structured Platinum and make a lot less than the typical, but we will grant that ALL Platinums are proper. Now, according to the Quixtar affiliate site, ThisBizNow, only 0.244% of people make the Q-12 Platinum level. So, out of 2000 people, 5 will become successful. Note that the average income is $115 per month.

Now, what is required for the ‘help’ that this person eludes to? Well, I detail this on the series of posts called “Getting Started with BWW and Quixtar”. The links are here:

Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2.1
Chapter 2.2
Chapter 2.3
Chapter 2.4

Chapter 3 (Not Posted Yet)

Chapter 4 (Not Posted Yet)

From the introduction, I note:

Although there are some ‘better’ and ‘worse’ uplines, most of them will only help you if you are plugged into the BWW system in it’s entirety. Obviously, they will make exceptions for people that are in what would be referred to as the ‘Honeymoon Period’, namely being a person who is up to 6 months - 1 year.

From Are You Discontented?, I write:

Jack talks about book of the month and then criticizes everyone that is only reading one book, calling the Book of the Month program doing the minimum.
Tape of the week is done the same way. He says that you should be buying more tapes than that. He says to use the business to finance it.

From Secrets to going to Platinum, I quote:

Jake says, “this is the number one secret: The Britt System…You must learn how to promote and edify…if you will plug into it at all cost, it will give you life and a life of more abundance.” And Doug confirms, “I also figured out that the Britt System was the key, and if I was going to sponsor people, I had to have the books and tapes to get them started right.”

From Keep Your Dream, I write:

There is some controversy over what the functions are actually for. Many system IBO’s will say that this is about ‘teaching’ and ‘training’, but Terry even brings up in this tape the issue that they DON’T talk about such things (except that they will talk about it the next day for a bit). He emphasizes that they talk about the ‘why’ to build the business, i.e. motivation. So in effect, people are constantly buying into a system that gives them nothing new but new stories of motivation and very little else (I think I have 2 tapes on products, about 15 on basic mechanics, which all contain the same information, and about 500 tapes on basic motivation.)

How much do we benefit? The statistical answer is NOT MUCH! It takes putting thousands of dollars of money into the system (which is not even required in the academic sense) to your success in Quixtar. If you fail to put that money in, you are not going to be in good standing, and thus, you will not get the help as is recorded on their own tapes (Note again the honeymoon phase vs. someone who has observed all information and decides not to participate in the MO). Now, please define the very vague word ‘help’. It is used over and over in a very meaningless way.

Now, how much work is required for you to get money in this system? You have to talk to everyone you know, more than that, and work through the numbers of 3 out of 100 people MIGHT get in. Those that do, only a few will remain. Even to maintain a high pin such as Emerald, many former IBO’s say they have worked 60 or more hours a week to do that. I will stick to my 40 hours and make the same money, thank you, because I have better things to do with my time than chase a dollar bill.

An example of Work

ORB says: “I have a gym membership that was sold to me by a salesman who told me I could look like Rocky but it's amazing, I've had this membership for 3 years and I still have gut and my arms are getting softer. I am really disappointed. I've paid for this thing every month, but the disappointment is in me for not doing what was required of me to get the results promised upon purchase.”

This is interesting. First, what this person says is true! You have to work to make achievements. But, just because you are working, that does not guarantee an achievement. The Quixtar and BWW system combination is a broken machine. In this case, MOST (though not all) people in this situation would have actually lost weight if they had exercised. This person makes a true statement, the membership to the gym did not give him a firm body in itself, as such, a registration in Quixtar does not automatically grant an income, you have to do the work. But the problem is that this fool, and I use that term appropriately, ASSUMES that I and all others did NOT work, thus, they are simply spewing forth the blame on the PERSON for not succeeding despite the FACTS about the reality of this system. If you are reading this, ORB, read my STORY before you make a half cocked assumption about my work!

He continues on: “I went to college for five years and paid at least 7000.00 a year. As my grades went down and I could not receive free schooling, so what, the financial aid kept giving me more loans to continue and it did not work. Here I am five years wasted, about 35,000 and I still don't have a degree. Who should I blame? The guidance counselor told me I could do it and he believed in me, but it just did not work. Who do I blame?”

Well, in this case I will ask DID YOU WORK? Even if he did, it does NOT grant success. Not all people are designed for college. I was able to finish Organic Chemistry in the third position in my class without much study. My friends had to study their brains out (quite literally) to manage a C in the class. I am simply built for better academics than others. Does that mean that it is only me that is the problem? NO. Here is a partial list as to why:

The system TEACHES that anyone can make it – thus, they drive to get everyone totally plugged into the system at a high cost, I might add.
People are required for achieving levels – thus success is NEVER a matter of my own discipline, but rather, depends on other people staying in.
The turnover causes most of the work in the business to be focused on replacing lost legs and volume.
The general negative attitude on MLM is JUSTIFED by the general population, which poses a problem to recruitment and retention.

Where are your Facts?

ORB says: “Just so you know; most of the people who get out of this are those you are looking for a get rich quick scam.”

Where are the statistics? I never even MET anyone involved who was looking for a get-rich-quick scheme.

He continues: “It's not brainwashing, brainwashing is telling people what to think. The freedom team teaches people how to think.”

Actually, brain washing is coercive, from the hands of the enemy, and for the purpose of a sudden reversal of values. It is attained by torture and long-term mistreatment. That is NOT what is used in BWW. BWW, however, uses MIND CONTROL, which is also called Though Reform. It is very subtle and sophisticated and is attained by intentional manipulation of a person by ‘friends.’ (Hassen, Steve, Combating Cult Mind Control, 1988, One Street Press, Rochester, VT; pages 55-56). To see how BWW fits this, please see my own experiential analysis here, or see professional cult analyst Steve Hassan’s analysis here.

He says that there is a difference between telling people how to think and teaching people how to think…I find that very interesting since you hear on many BWW tapes that if you are not succeeding yet, you don’t have your thought process working right yet. Any more differences this person would like to tell me about?

He concludes his wonderful message with: “I'm done, but don't try to come at me about the bible. Trust me; you don't want to go there with me. I have studied what it says about money save that conversation for someone else...”

Ohhhh!!! I am shaking in my boots now. ORB, I would like to tell you that if you are getting your analysis from the authors in the following list, I would not be so willing to stand before God with them:

Charles Capps

Kenneth Copeland

Kenneth Hagin

E.W. Kenyon

Edwin Cole

Jerry Saville,

John Avanzini

Paul (or David) Yongi Cho

Paul Crouch

Pat Robertson

Steve Covey

Napoleon Hill

W. Clement Stone

Robert Schuller

Robert Tilton

Paul Crouch

Norman Vincent Peale

These authors are all word faith authors, and curiously, many are on the BWW booklist. These authors all teach that God wants you to be rich. That is simply not the case, if it were, Jesus Christ, all the apostles, and nearly every person in the early church, as well as the church today are outside the will of God. Sorry, FOOL, I will respond with the scriptures if I so well please. I will repeat EXACTLY what is already written on the post that you commented on:

Money and the Bible

I would like to point out the Biblical basis for wealth as it will be important while reading this series. The money is neutral. I am not using this post to preach a poverty Gospel, however, it is clear from the teachings of the BWW system that they are teaching a prosperity Gospel. To set it straight, here is SOME of what the bible says about money (there is a lot, I will pull out the relevant points here).

First, read Matthew 19:16-22. This passage does NOT mean that a person must give everything away to be saved (yes, there have been apostic theologies called ‘poverty Gospels’ that teach this). In this verse, Jesus is testing just how well this young man kept the commandments. In fact, he failed the first one. This man loved his money more than God, which is why he went away grieving. For him, his property was worth more than his soul. POINT NUMBER 1: Money is a problem when you put it before God.

Next, read 1 Timothy 6:3-6. In this verse, we see the problem with using the platform of Godliness to gain material goods. In the last part (vs. 6), we see that contentment, not dreams, is the way to gain. Contentment and dreams are two opposing sides of the spectrum. POINT NUMBER 2: Contentment is the path to sound living.

Next, read 1 Timothy 6:9-10. It is clear from watching these videos that a total all consuming love for money is the motivation behind the actions. POINT NUMBER 3: When your focus is earning money, you are subjecting yourself to great temptations for practicing evil.

With these points in mind, I want you to know that having money is not a sin. Going on a good vacation, having a nice car, a nice house, etc, are not sins. The problem arises when you use a deceptive system of mind control to fleece people out of hard earned money so that you can buy a whole lot of things, make videos about it, and post them to motivate people to do more of the same.

Sorry, but your wordless blanket statement about you knowing more about the biblical basis of wealth than I do is utterly foolish. If you have an issue with this analysis, comment biblical exegesis and we will work it out from there.

Building Quixtar with BWW Part 6

2006-03-22T07:16:00.000-05:00

BWW Basics Manual (BBAS 6/02)

Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2.1
Chapter 2.2
Chapter 2.3

Chapter 2 – The BWW Basics: Building Your business

Part 4 – Follow-up and Getting Started

The Follow-Up

This part of the manual teaches how to get people started, which is the last step to lead people in starting their business. At this point, the book says that “a higher percentage of prospects become Members or IBO’s.” For those that need to “think about it” they suggest (pg 32):

Book an appointment with your prospect to get together within 48 hours.
Ask your prospect what level they see themselves.

If they want to be an IBO, you begin the process over again by starting the list of names (the registration is not until they are ‘ready’). For the clients and members, they are signed up immediately and shown the advantages of shopping from Quixtar.

There is a key phrase I want to draw attention to (pg 33): “A key attitude you need to maintain is that you expect them to get involved at one of the three levels.” And further, you tell them that they need more information if they are undecided and try to book them to see the plan again.

At this point, they recommend to give out audiotapes that “have or had the same profession” the prospect does.

If at this point, they are not interested in being an IBO, “then set them up as a Client or Member on the Dittp Delivery Service.” (pg 33)

Getting Started

Under this list-based section, the objective of this appointment is to (pg 33):

Register – Fill out all paperwork including the Arbitration Agreement, sign up for One Domain, Communikate, MCI, Standing Order Tape, Book of the Month

Set up Ditto Delivery and place the first order – Review the Ditto program, look at products, and have the new IBO select the products they want.

Review the game plan for success – Talk about dreams, dates for success, discuss commitments to the MO program, talk about business structure, BWW support system (details below), the Eagle program (detailed below), develop list of names.

Book the next meeting – schedule meetings to show their prospects the plan, promote the next BWW meetings.

BWW support system and Eagle program

I wanted to comment specially about these because they are listed in bold in the manual. In these sections, it is told to promote the system in their detail. These are the areas that are taught as the most important, and curiously, the ones that cost money. Such costs are not needed to build the Quixtar business.

Recommended Tools:

GS1 – What to Do next ($7.50)

GS2 – How to have a Meeting ($7.50)

GS3 – How to Show the Plan ($7.50)

LPW85 – Follow Up / Doing a Home plan ($7.50)

LPW87 – Getting Started & Follow Up with the BWW Sytem ($7.50)

LPW89 – Starting a New IBO ($7.50)

RJM5 – How to Follow Up and Follow Through ($7.50)

BPB248 – How to Start a New IBO Properly ($7.50)

BPB187 – Paint by the Numbers ($7.50)

JM25 – The Solution for Your Future ($7.50)

EGB – Eagle brochure ($6.00 / quantity not specified)

BLD – Building Your List Brochure ($6.00 / quantity not specified)

Analysis

As can be seen above, it is not truly about simply ‘exposing the business’ and letting people make a choice, it is about getting people in any way you can. If they are ready, you sign them up and avoid any possible questions. If they are not, you give them totally biased information from the motivational organization to simply try to convince people that this is for everyone.

Further, it is not about Quixtar, but BWW. People are told that the only way to succeed is through the BWW system. To do everything that is required will cost a lot of money. The basic breakdown per month is this:

Standing Order Tape – $30 + S&H
Book of the Month – Average of $10 + S&H
Functions:

Opens - $6-12
Trainings - $4-6
Rally Seminar (once per quarter) - $10
Weekend Function (once per quarter) - $100

One Domain - $14.95 + $87.50 annual fee
Communikate – About $30-40 per month
And also many, many other tools that highly recommended.

And don’t forget travel, food, and hotel expenses.

Chapter 3
Chapter 4

The Goal is Eagle

2006-03-20T20:36:00.000-05:00

Tape: Eagle Steps: A Pattern for Living

Speakers: Ardith Griffing

Stock Number: BWW198 (3 Message CD)

Recording Type: ‘Basic Mix’

Teaching Points:

“I’m not saying [the job lifestyle] is wrong for them, for me, after seeing this awesome opportunity, I didn’t wan to go back and make that rut deeper and deeper, and deeper.”

To find out where you will be in five years, find a person that has been working where you are fir five years longer and look at them.

You break out of your J.O.B. rut by making the eagle activities habit.

You need to listen to the tapes to break the old habits J.O.B. habits, but it is a choice: Do you want to stay in the rut or get out?

A pattern for Living (She quotes this from the book ‘Courage for the Chickenhearted” by Becky Freeman):

Material: Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Faith, Goodness, Gentleness, Meekness, and temperance (For those curious, those are from Galatians 6:22-23; King James version).

Notions: Elasticity, Variety, Sense of Humor, Forbearance, A Lip Zipper, A Back Bone Stiffening. (These are NOT from the Bible)

Measurements:

How wide is your understanding?

How long is your patience?

How deep is your love?

Ardith uses some common sense points to talk about end results and how it is difficult to discipline yourself to get to those results. She uses this to tie into doing the core steps (Standing Order Tape, Book of the Month, Attending all Functions, One Domain, Communikate, etc.) to get the end results in the business. If doing those things actually lead to building a successful business, there would not be a problem, but in reality, those are just empty tools of motivation that rarely work serving no real purpose except enriching the pocketbook of the top of the group.

She ends her talk with a quote from Psalms 139:

“For You created our inmost being. You knit us together in our mother’s womb. We praise You because we are fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Kool-Aid Drinking Critics #4

2006-03-19T16:08:00.000-05:00

Greetings all,

Sorry for not posting last week. Still very busy, but I will get back to it soon.

I have not had a comment that I felt worthy of a Kool-Aid Drinking Critics post in a while, but something struck me about a very small comment someone left me just today. The short comment is:

bigdreamer said...

maybe if you spent your time more constructively by truly following God and building a successful business by serving others, you would not have time to put together this ridiculous site!

This was on the post here.

I would like to examine this a little bit. First, let me consider this:

maybe if you spent your time more constructively by truly following God

He makes a few assumptions, the first is that I am not using my time constructively, and the second is that I am not truly following God.

Anything which exposes the truth about how people twist the word is God for their own purposes is constructive, next, it is always truly following God to expose such errors.

Now, please give me the latitude to explain:

A pastor by the name of Darren Hunter put together a very good little explanation of the MLM movement and the church. The PDF file is for download at the MOD website. In this article, the author takes a realistic approach to how MLM’s function in the context of churches. Being in MLM’s and studying them I can assure you that if your MLM has a motivational organization attached to it, this article will apply with dead accuracy. He highlights such things as the invitation, the gospel, the sacrifice, and many other aspects that are very similar to the church, but in this case, they are applied to the MLM.

The problem is that God deserves and desires our devotion, but the MLM also requires the same devotion. The motivational organizations will try to counter this by saying that the J.O.B. (Their acronym for a job that means Just Over Broke, or in some cases, Jackass Of the Boss) requires that devotion. This is not the case. First, God commands us to work, and to work six days, and rest the seventh. To contrast, the MO will teach that God desires you to have fun, to play, and not to work in ‘bound slavery’ (the J.O.B.). Next, the job does not require the devotion that the MO or God requires.

Now, the MO’s teach you that God wants you to be rich. That is so contrary to the truth that it isn’t even funny. I have copied the same comment several times now, and it is appropriate to do so again, so here is the biblical basis for wealth. Starting on page 11, the article does a good job, too.

Biblical Basis for Wealth

First, read Matthew 19:16-22. This passage does NOT mean that a person must give everything away to be saved (yes, there have been apostic theologies called ‘poverty Gospels’ which teach this). In this verse, Jesus is testing just how well this young man kept the commandments. In fact, he failed the first one. This man loved his money more than God, which is why he went away grieving. For him, his property was worth more than his soul. POINT NUMBER 1: Money is a problem when you put it before God.

Next, read 1 Timothy 6:9-10. It is clear from observing the BWW system that a total all consuming love for money is the motivation behind their actions. POINT NUMBER 3: When your focus is earning money, you are subjecting yourself to great temptations for practicing evil.

Which System?

With these points in mind, following God is not by committing to the motivational organizations, it is by obeying the commandments in the Bible, to be witnesses of the faith in Jesus Christ, to love one another in truth, and to make disciples of the nations. This is not done in the context of MLM’s, which get confused as to which gospel to share. In a sermon by John MacArthur called ‘The Foolishness of God’, he makes the observation that when human philosophy contends with divine revelation, the people always take their philosophy. This means that the most likely occurrence will be sharing the gospel of MLM and when the gleaming eyes drool with how to do it, you tell them that God wants you to be rich and ask for His power to do it. This further leads to a false wealth-based gospel.

What is Success?

Next, consider further the passage:

building a successful business by serving others

Let us show just how successful this business has been. From a previous post, I wrote:

First, we must define ‘successful’. To be fair, I will define ‘successful’ as a person who has reached the level of Q-12 Platinum. We must be careful even here, because a person can be a poorly structured Platinum and make a lot less than the typical, but we will grant that ALL Platinums are proper. Now, according to the Quixtar affiliate site, ThisBizNow, only 0.244% of people make the Q-12 Platinum level. So, out of 2000 people, 5 will become successful. Note that the average income is $115 per month. So, this person statistically helps 5 out of 2000 people ‘succeed’. Not very good odds for a system that costs about $5,000 (single) to $10,000 (couple) per year to run according to a profit and loss analysis.

As far as ‘helping other people’ to succeed, are we really helping them when we give them a false gospel? Are we helping them when we give them the latest in the business motivational or psychological research even if it teaches contrary to God’s word? Are we really helping them by teaching them to be discontent and putting their hearts on worldly things, even though the Bible tells us not to love the things of the world? The appeal of these MO leaders to ‘help people’ is not to help them. That is a vague term devoid of meaning. People may seem to be ‘helped’ in some aspects in the beginning, but the reality is that far more leave the system than stay in. Those that leave rarely have good or neutral stories. Fair people around the world have reported near identical horror stories about this business and it’s diverse motivational organizations. When will YOU stop drinking your Kool-Aid and examine the facts?

Building Quixtar with BWW Part 5

2006-03-07T23:51:00.000-05:00

BWW Basics Manual (BBAS 6/02)

Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2.1
Chapter 2.2

Chapter 2 – The BWW Basics: Building Your business

Part 3 – Showing the Plan

Summary of Showing the Plan

The book lists the three ways to show the plan:

One-on-One
Home Meetings
Open Meetings

There are steps they list to ‘keep in mind’, I will not list them all, but a few of note are:

Show the plan, don’t sell the plan
The more you talk, the more you sell
Build their dreams
Lead them to the next step

They suggest that many tools are good for showing the plan:

Audio and video
Flip charts, “Legal-size yellow notepad and a red felt-tip pen”, board and easel
Demonstration products

There is also a list of keywords to remember, some of them are:

Savings
Compounding effect
Below retail
Profit potential
Rewarded monthly

The five steps to show the plan are detailed (Quoted from page 29):

Setting at ease and explaining the concept
Dream building
Explain the “2-5 year plan” vs the “40 year plan”
Explain the 6-4-2 business model
The five-point wrap-up

Interestingly, at this point, there is a side block where you are explained the Quixtar process is like a large mall where you get paid for shopping there and get paid further for referring people to shop there.

The last step in this section is the Meeting After the Meeting, which is promoted as one of the most important things. Briefly, this is after the plan is completed, people can meet the speaker and ask questions. This is also where many of the products come out for demonstration. There is a side note that is in the text and is openly taught: Always book a meeting from a meeting.

Recommended tools in this section:

GS2 – How to Have a Meeting ($7.50)
GS3 – How to Show the Plan ($7.50)
LPW73 – Secrets of a Successful Open Meeting ($7.50)
FCH – Flipchart ($20)
642 – 6-4-2 IBO Business Plan ($5 for 25 sheets)
LPK – Literature Pack ($10) – IBO’s are often instructed to have several of these, in fact, on GS2, you are told to have one pack for every person you have invited to your meeting.)

Analysis

I want to start by saying that if your motivation is lead to the person to the next step and book a meeting from a meeting, you are going to sell the plan, not share it. Although many people do show the plan, many also sell it. I would also like to make note that the terminology may be changing. In my last team training, it was drilled into up that we do not “Show the Plan” because that is reminiscent of the old “A” way of doing things. It is now “Share the Presentation” (Still STP), in the event you start to hear that one. It might a few years to be fully incorporated.

As for the steps in the plan, the most important is the Dream Building step. There is a list of the most popular dreams that people say. If they are not giving you responses, you are supposed to ‘prime the pump’ by suggesting these things. This step is supposed to be the longest because you are getting people excited, which drives the business as indicated on the tape Monday through Wednesday (Doug Weir, removed from catalog possibly due to a new MO recently split from BWW by Larry Winters). In that tape, Doug teaches that with you’re “A list” (friends and family), you do not get them in by facts, but on excitement.

Chapter 2.4
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

Incoherent Unification

2006-03-05T19:59:00.000-05:00

Tape: Unified Through the System

Speakers: Annamae Wright

Stock Number: BWW198 (3 Message CD)

Recording Type: ‘Basic Mix’

Brief Review:

This is a talk about unity, and it appears to be given to the ladies panel at a specialty conference. Annamae is really all over the place (especially for a talk on unity, which she comments on these aspects at the beginning) with her ramblings. I’m not even sure if she said anything coherent throughout the talk. This is another short talk, but some good research went into it.

Notes:

This business is good because it has been around for so long.

You have to be strong to build this business.

You have to be submissive to build this business.

You need to be teachable to build this business.

You have to be accountable to the upline, the business, and your spouse.

Annamae says that she was even counseled by one of her uplines and were told they were too excited, so they got rid of that person, and two years later were diamonds. She said that you have to be excited.

According to Bill Britt, groups that grow fast are unified and excited.

Some people are in the business that they start to “forget all the things that they should be remembering”. This amnesia is brought on by such things as disunity.

“God never gives you anything, He never puts anything in front of you that you can not succeed at. You have everything inside of you to do whatever you need to do in this business.” [I fully disagree here. First, who said that God put you near this business. It is clear that Satan operates as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), remember also that people who seek after wealth fall into the trap of sin and destruction (1 Timothy 6:9-10). It is clear that we are tested for many aspects of the faith, and here in America, there is no greater temptation than that of desiring to get wealthy. Next, you have NOTHING of any redeemable quality in you outside of the spirit of God (if you are not a Christian, you don’t even have that, but the Gospel of Jesus Christ will show you how to get it). The contrary opinion is rooted in the modern psychology which believes that within us is all power to glory and salvation. Nothing could be further from the truth (see John 15).]

“You need to learn how to appreciate the system you are in because it is absolutely awesome. It is a system that has created wealth, it has created peace of mind, it has created lifestyle beyond wildest dreams.”

“You need to be doing core, you need to be doing that so you can teach core. You need to be going eagle so that you can break eagles.”

She speaks of a bad situation in her life that she came through “only because of my own tenacity”, her self assurance, the pathways that she laid down for herself. “You all have it too.” [I warn that to put that glory to yourself is the same pride that destroyed Satan, and here is a woman on stage teaching people to work hard at gaining that very power. I will say that if the experience she mentioned on the tape is true, giving credit to yourself for that and not God is the ultimate blasphemy.]

“God is all inclusive in taking care of all of us.” [I don’t know if she is hinting at Universalism here, but in any case, this comment is not supported by scriptures. There is the common grace which all men receive, but there is a special grace which only His people receive.]

She ends with a brief quote from Ecclesiastes, and then tells people to put on the armor. The armor according to her is the BWW system. For the people that have been in awhile, she admonishes them to polish is, while the new people need to toughen it up by being core and eagle. The swords are “our attitudes, goals”, etc. [I’m sorry, but the armor we should be wearing is outlined quite nicely in the bible (Ephesians 6:10-20). When the armor of God is attached to yourself, I trust you will be able to see the BWW system for what it is: a scheme to lure people after the temptations of money.]

Building Quixtar with BWW Part 4

2006-03-01T00:16:00.000-05:00

BWW Basics Manual (BBAS 6/02)

Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2.1

Chapter 2 – The BWW Basics: Building Your business

Part 2 – Contacting and Inviting

Summary of Contacting and Inviting

Once you have a list from which to work, you can get to the process of removing names. You should learn and regularly use the ‘buzz words’:

Online
Internet
Savings
E-commerce

“The ultimate goal when contacting and inviting is to get new prospects to see the plan.” The best approach is to invite the prospects to an Open meeting or a home plan. You can also do a One on One with the flipchart. Videos are also recommended, especially for people that are asking questions.

The book gives a series of examples of invites for in person or telephone contacting. There are approaches for different age ranges (pg 14):

18-29 year olds – Internet and income approaches
30 and over or regular ‘fitness buffs’ – Health and nutrition approaches

Phone teams are also recommended on Sunday night “between 7:30 PM and 9:30 PM, to catch people at home while they are thinking about having to go back to work after their weekend off.”

The manual lists 18 different approaches to set up a meeting with yourself, 1 for calling for a downline for a One-on-One, 1 more for downline calls to book to an Open or home Plan, 2 for how to call a friend or family member, and 2 for ‘bold’ face to face contacts.

Along with all these, there are tips:

Always give two ‘Yes’ options
Always call them back while their interest is peaked

If the prospect asks what it is all about, they give this phrase (Page 20):

“There’s no way I can explain what we do on the phone. I would need to show you several things. I have a brief CD ROM or 10-minute video which will basically explain what we are doing. Then we’ll see where you could fit into what we’re putting together. I have _____ or _____ night available. Which is best for you?”

The final part in this section is the Overview or One-on-One (Page 25):

1. Set at ease – This is not a time to make a decision, or get money

2. Market areas – thousands of products without the middlemen that drive up costs of the products.

3. Quixtar and BWW relationship – Quixtar covers the product end and BWW provides the training end.

4. Benefits – “Strong source of secondary income (to be discussed at upcoming business seminar)”, ongoing income options, global market expansion.

5. Four concerns are discussed:

Captial – “Get started for less than $200” (Q approx. $100, B approx. $100)
Risk – “No capital outlay”, “100% money back on most products”
Expertise – BWW has the experience
Time Compounding – “You put in 5 hours, but get paid for what happens in 40 hours”

The recommended tools for this section are:

FCH – Flipchart ($20)
GS3 – How to Show the Plan ($7.50)
RP891 – Private Franchising in a Dot Com World ($7.50)
QXB – Quixtar brochure ($7.00 for pack of 10)
One Domain website ($87.50/yr + $14.95/month)

Analysis

I analyzed a contacting tape by Charlie Durso already. Refer to it for more information.

The first major problem I have is that they teach not to sell the plan, but show it, however, you are always to give “two Yes options”. That is selling, not showing. I realize that you are not ‘showing’ it at that point, but such high pressure sales tactics are a real good reason that such things as the Do Not Call Registry was created.

I would like to add that if you are an IBO, you are REQUIRED to check the list before you call someone you do not have a business relationship with. Please check the IBO alert on this issue here (May be password protected)

I will not comment on any of the approaches used. I think that most of them are deceptive, high pressure, and/or inappropriate. Some of these are detailed in the tape analysis above.

Regarding the steps to do an overview:

Market Areas:

Quixtar IS a middleman for all products that are not exclusives. If you are not buying your Nike shoes from anyone but Nike, the place you bought it from is a middleman. Quixtar is a middleman for many companies and the IBO is simply a customer of Quixtar with the ability to resell products again, but most of the products are more costly to the IBO already, so selling them is a chore.

Benefits:

In my many years in the business, I have seen very few people (less than can be counted on the hand of a man who lost some fingers) who have actually succeeded in making $150,000 annual income like this book says. They do exist, to be sure, but only 5 out of 2000 people ever make it to Q-12 Platinum which is $41,970 per year. Is the 30+ years of BWW experience really paying off especially at the cost of the system?

Four Concerns:

If you are fully doing what is ‘recommended’, you are going to spend $125 plus tax and shipping just on Quixtar. The breakdown is:

Quixtar Buisiness Support Services - $31
IBOAI Support - $9 (You can request a refund for this)
IBOBA Insurance - $5 (You can request a refund for this)
Product Intro Pack - $60 (Optional, but highly recommended)
IBO Publications - $20 (Optional, but highly recommended)

And for BWW, the Getting Started Pack is $95, but they also ask you to start attending all the functions and getting on Standing Order tape.

The Time Compounding is a joke. This is deceptive because they never apply it to the condition that you have 7 other people working in your business. This concern is NOT dealt with.

Chapter 2.3
Chapter 2.4
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

I Had Tapes to Get High on and Books to Get High on!

2006-02-27T20:37:00.000-05:00

Tape: Free Enterprise is Alive

Speakers: Jim Brooks

Stock Number: BWW102

Recording Type: ‘Basic Mix’

Brief Review:

This tape is a shortened edit of the classic tape, “Blue Light Special”. They edited out all the ‘A’ words (Amway) and made it a good motivational tape. This tape quickly became a favorite of many people, myself included, and it is often used for deep motivation because it is short and full of energy, I am talking about the kind of energy that someone has when they are gulping down Black Beauties and Mini-thins.

Motivational Aspects:

It’s 95% motivation!

“You’re looking at a 39 year old man that has been retired for four years because of the Free Enterprise System!”

Five years ago, Jim didn’t have a dream, he had nothing going for him, and look at him now!

“Free enterprise is like water in a bathtub: if you pull the cork on the water in the bathtub, the water’s going down the tub and if you pull the cork on free enterprise, America’s going to follow down the tube!”

“What we all are in this room today, we’re the plug to free enterprise!”

Learn to live like a child with adult responsibilities instead of living like an adult with child responsibilities.

Wow! There are two things that Jim Brooks CAN NOT do!!! He can not fail and he can not lie.

Jim thinks that he can do everything…my challenge to you, Jimbo, FLY…no airplane, just fly…make a bunch of food an give it to the poor, or save me from my sins…you can’t do ANYTHING without God, and I hope you realize that before you have to stand in front of Him.

Jim had tapes and books to get high on, so he didn’t have any wine to celebrate his last day of work. [I wouldn’t have had the wine myself, but high on tapes and books is just frightening!]

Cult-like aspects:

“Quit giving me all these excuses” Jim also keeps on repeating many other things like “If you think you are dumb, get smart, and a whole host of other things. [The implication is that we are not where we need to be and that we can get there by a matter of simply choosing it. Some aspects of our choices are true, but many are not. We simply have no control over some of the things that God gave us to work with. I am an academic, very few people can keep up with my ability to learn, organize, and teach, but if you want some good laughs, watch me play sports! I would be a fool to waste my time trying to be good at football, though there may be value in me playing a game from time to time.]

Jim splits people into dreamers and people who couldn’t dream.

“Your dream might to be walk into a room like this and affect someone who thinks he is a man” [what, is a person not a man if he is not in Quixtar or Amway?]

“I was a loser, but I’m willing to change!”

According to Jim, all we need to do is change our thinking and start talking positive and then success will start to roll in.

Jim encourages the crowd to challenge the mindset of working for a living and suggests that the Amway / Quixtar business is the true path to success and happiness.

God told Jim that He gave him a choice to be bound with chains around his neck [the job] or to be free.

BWW Tapespeak:

The man makes the dream then the dream makes the man

If you don’t know where you’re going, you won’t like where you wind up

Whatever a persons mind can conceive and believe he can achieve because….

The only difference between a ditch digger and a millionaire is the way they think!

J.O.B. = Jackass of the Boss

It takes Guts to get out of the Ruts

The problem most of us are not on the stage is because of Stinkin’ Thinkin’

I was sick and tired of being sick and tired of being sick and tired…

Wonderful Faulty Theology:

According to Jim, you must learn to love yourself before you can love someone else. He says that this is how to love yourself. “Take your hand right now and put it on your breast or your chest and follow me. Say, ‘I love me’ tell yourself, ‘I like me, I love me, I’m going Diamond, Period, that’s it. You gotta be able to do that Monday morning, Tuesday morning…every morning of your life. [The first part that you must learn to love yourself before you can learn to love others is mostly true, but I am far more concerned with the teaching of the second part. According to God, you need to recognize your utter hopelessness and need for God, then you will be able to humble yourself to accept the sacrifice of God. All men have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and the wages of our sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life (Romans 6:23). Christ died on the cross to pay that penalty for us, but He warns that you must be willing to give this life on earth for Him to be considered worthy of Him. It is not about personal fulfillment, but personal denial. Only when that sacrifice is yours and the joy of the Lord is flowing onto you can you understand agape love. For more information, please read the Gospel of Jesus Christ.]

“You got to realize the best person in the world is you. Y – O – U!” [Dead wrong buddy…Mark 9:35 says “Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."” The implication of this verse is that one must realize that we are not all important…in fact, believing that one is all important is a good step to selfishness and many other sins. Be very cautious of the advise of this man and others like him.]

“You got to develop love for you, you got to develop pride, you got to develop confidence.”

Apparently, God told Jim that He was going to help him become successful if only he developed guts. [Here is an edit from a previous post about money and the Bible:

I would like to point out the Biblical basis for wealth as it will be important while reading this series. The money is neutral. I am not using this post to preach a poverty Gospel, however, it is clear from the teachings of the BWW system that they are teaching a prosperity Gospel. To set it straight, here is SOME of what the bible says about money (there is a lot, I will pull out the relevant points here).

First, read Matthew 19:16-22. This passage does NOT mean that a person must give everything away to be saved (yes, there have been apostic theologies called ‘poverty Gospels’ that teach this). In this verse, Jesus is testing just how well this young man kept the commandments. In fact, he failed the first one. This man loved his money more than God, which is why he went away grieving. For him, his property was worth more than his soul. POINT NUMBER 1: Money is a problem when you put it before God.

Next, read 1 Timothy 6:3-6. In this verse, we see the problem with using the platform of Godliness to gain material goods. In the last part (vs. 6), we see that contentment, not dreams, is the way to gain. Contentment and dreams are two opposing sides of the spectrum. POINT NUMBER 2: Contentment is the path to sound living.

Next, read 1 Timothy 6:9-10. It is clear from watching [the Extreme Freedom Team videos] that a total all consuming love for money is the motivation behind the actions. POINT NUMBER 3: When your focus is earning money, you are subjecting yourself to great temptations for practicing evil.

With these points in mind, I want you to know that having money is not a sin. Going on a good vacation, having a nice car, a nice house, etc, are not sins. The problem arises when you use a deceptive system of mind control to fleece people out of hard earned money so that you can buy a whole lot of things, make videos about it, and post them to motivate people to do more of the same.

Other Notes:

Interesting that the ‘rebellious’ attitude that I spoke of with Doug Weir comes out in Jims talk. “I am sick of bureaucratic rules and regulations, I’m sick and tired of being taxed here and taxed there, I’m sick and tires of someone telling me what I can and what I can’t do.” This is totally against the norm of scripture where we are commanded to be in submission to authority whether a boss, police, government, etc. There is nothing wrong with working, in fact, as best I can remember, it was work six days and rest the seventh, not the other way around like the Diamonds always say. Paul carries that on in the New Testament as he works to support himself on his journeys.

He says “don’t give me that word ‘can’t’” in the context of driving a Porsche as fast as you want (see the above argument). He explains that you can go out in the Porsche and ‘zing down the road’ with the ‘largest room in the world… the room of self improvement’ while you listen to a Bill Britt tape and he gets you so fired up you can’t control yourself. You just need to buy a road that is a hundred miles long. Then you need to buy two cars and make them be police cars and hire some people that ‘couldn’t dream’ and put them in the cars and then they can catch up to you and you fire them and hire two new ones….I again refer you to the above argument.

1 Week Break

2006-02-20T09:22:00.000-05:00

Greetings all,

I have a lot of things to do / catch up on this week, so I am taking a brief break. I will be back next weekend with the tape Free Enterprise is Alive, by Jim Brooks (This is an edited version of the classic 'Blue Light Special'). The next Building Your Quixtar with BWW post will be on contacting and inviting, and I hope to finish up Magic of Thinking Big in two weeks. I will be looking for suggestions for the next book. I have in mind to do Pro-Sumer Power since it is the recommened read on the Getting Started tapes or The Quixtar Price is Right, which comes with the BWW starter pack. Any thoughts?

If you have started to read this blog after I started it, take this week and go back through the archives and it will be like new! You can use the Site Index to search for specific BWW materials.

Have a good week, I will see you then.

X

Building Quixtar with BWW Part 3

2006-02-15T23:15:00.000-05:00

BWW Basics Manual (BBAS 6/02)

Introduction
Chapter 1

Chapter 2 – The BWW Basics: Building Your business

Part 1 – List Building

This chapter is broken down into the ‘Four basics’:

List building
Contacting and Inviting
Showing the Plan
Follow-Up and Getting Started

This post will cover just the first basic.

According to this short section, you should “be proud of your business and share it with as many people as you can”, but of course they add that conditional to watch they are as ambitious as you are.

You should include people who are interested in both savings and making money. Never prejudge people that you think would be interested or not. They include a list of prospects to include on page 12 which basically includes every person you know, work with, and even see.

When meeting new people, you should always show genuine interest, then they will be interested in getting to know you. Use the F.O.R.M. acronym:

F – family
O – Occupation
R – Recreation
M – Message (often taught as Money)

There are a few tools that I want to explain before I give you a list of the recommended tools for this section:

PNA Sheet – The this the Potential Network Associate sheet. This is a carbon copy sheet that you fill out your list (up to 20 per page) that you keep one and you give your upline the other. I have seen these used to keep a list of a person after that person has decided not to continue in the business.

BLD – Building Your List Brochure – This is a ‘memory jogger’ sheet with a list of names on side and occupations on the other. The purpose of the BLD is to think of people you otherwise would not have thought of.

Recommended Tools:

RR102 – Getting Started with BWW and Quixtar ($7.50)
LPW81 – The Four Basics ($7.50)
RR103 – Prospecting Approaches ($7.50)
PNA – Potential Network Associates Worksheet ($5.00 for 25 forms)
BLD – Building Your List Brochure ($6.00; Quantity not listed)
LG671 – How to Have Confidence and Power in Dealing with People (New Stock Code: EB7289 $12.95)
LG160 – Skill with People (no longer listed)
NC365 – How to Have Confidence and Power in Dealing with People (New Stock Code: EB4 $7.99)

Analysis

I understand that people are the basis of this type of business, and we need to keep that in mind as we proceed. On top of that, there is nothing wrong with developing ideas to further your business. If you opened a regular business on a street corner, you would certainly let people you know about it.

That being said, there are a few problems I would like to address. The first being the comment about talking to people at “your ambition level or above”. I have already responded in a previous post to comparing ourselves to others, as this chapter teaches. Here is what I wrote regarding Magic of Thinking Big Chapter 4:

When the author is talking about assets and comparing your assets to that of someone else, I was reminded of a passage of scripture. This is from the Book of John, 21:20-22

Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?"²¹So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, "Lord, and what about this man?"
²²Jesus said to him, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!"

In this passage, Peter is questioning Jesus about the life of John. You can read the response to that question above. We must remember that each person has his own gifts from God; we don’t need to compare ourselves to anyone else for anything at all.

Next, among the people that are listed as people to put on your list are “People who said, ‘No’ to the business and are not using the products.” It is taught on some of the tapes that if a person says ‘No’ to the business, you always ask the people to buy the products they will be embarrassed to tell you ‘No’ twice. As far as I am concerned, the people know you have the business, if they have seen the IBO business plan than they know what the products are, so you should let them come to you if they want to buy from you.

Next, I have commented somewhere, though I do not recall where, that you can not be ‘genuinely interested’ in another person if your purpose of the conversation is to prospect him for your business. Those are two mutually exclusive points that can not co-exist: You are either taking a genuine interest (which is inherently neutral) or you are prospecting, so which is it?

Chapter 2.2
Chapter 2.3
Chapter 2.4
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

Remember the Feeling You Have in the Core of Your Gut

2006-02-12T16:24:00.000-05:00

Tape: Poised for Major Growth

Speakers: Ed & Elise Vicinanza

Stock Number: BWW225 (2 Message CD)

Recording Type: ‘Basic Mix’

Sorry this is brief, but with a 13 minute tape, not much can be said. In short summary, this was nothing more than motivation. It was on Sunday afternoon at an FED, probably near the end of the weekend. Ed & Elise are motivating speakers and totally committed to the Britt team. They are Diamonds, downline of Ray & Joanne Melillo (EDC) and Angelo & Claudia Nardone (EDC).

Notes:

“Clear your deck and do whatever it takes to do those 9 core steps.”

They keep talking about their lifestyle video and crying over how wonderful it is.

Take what you have been given as a gift this week (the business), and within 24 hours, you need to sit down and have a talk about commitment in this business.

Elise talks about just doing the steps. [First it was the 8 core steps, then it is the 9 core steps, now Elise talks about the 9 core steps and then some.]

“Get a big babysitting list.”

Ed talked about this being the best function he ever attended (a common phrase heard at every single BWW function), with the only exception being the second function he was ever at when “I heard Angelo [Nardone] give the 2-5 minute plan and I went forward”. [That is BWW talk for Angelo preaching a message on Sunday morning and offering an invitation to go forward. I would caution about organizations that give such calls to ‘come forward’ and then try to say that everyone is saved. To be sure, some will be, but read Matthew 13 to get the parable that Jesus gives in direct relation to this event. While you are in Matthew, look at Matthew 7 as well.]

Identify what you want once and for all.

You need to sit down with your growing upline and learn once and for all what everyone on stage learned: The power of Submission, the Power of Unity, and the Power of the Spoken Word. I reviewed these three points on a previous post at the bottom of the page.

Here is the bottom line teaching point that Ed leaves us with: “Have another meeting”.

Find a Way to Get What You Want

2006-02-09T19:59:00.000-05:00

Magic of Thinking Big

David J. Schwatrz

Chapter 10 – Get the Action Habit

Outline

“There is a shortage of top-flight, expertly qualified persons to fill key positions (pg 165)” is how this chapter begins. This chapter will be arguing that the most missing component of good workers is the ability to get things done.

The author states that “everything in this world…is just an idea acted on.” The premise of this statement is that ideas must come to action to be useful.

The author again asks us to look at ‘successful’ and ‘average’ people. He calls attention to a trait where by the ‘successful’ people are active and are called ‘activists’ while ‘unsuccessful’ are passive and are called ‘passivationists’. The author calls us to categorize these people (pg 166):

Activists get things done, whether it be a vacation, going to church, getting notes passed on, starting a business, in short, activists do things. Passivationists, on the other hand, also agree that these are all good things, but he finds a way out of them. The reason listed is that the passivationists wait until everything is 100% perfect before they begin things and that is not possible to achieve.

The author gives a few case studies. The first details a man who is not married but wants to be. This person wanted everything to be so perfect that he wrote up a contract detailing all aspects of the marriage. Obviously, he is not married. (A passivationist) (Pg 167-8)

The next case study covers a man who really wants to get a new house, but does not know how to find the extra money. He really wants it because other people his age are getting new homes and there is no reason that he can not as well. He cuts the budget and goes to get extra work to afford his new home. (An activist) (Pg 168-9)

The final case study here talked about a man who had landed a comfortable job, but wants something more. He had the knowledge and experience to start his own business, but he kept having set backs including new children, lack of money, restrictions, etc. (A passivationist) (Pg 169-70)

The author lists two steps to acting without perfect conditions (Pg 170):

“Expect future obstacles and difficulties.” Although you plan and prepare, you expect difficulties to arise.
“Meet problems and obstacles as they rise.” When the above difficulties arise, handle them.

Since this chapter focuses on activity, it merits a discussion on ideas, since those are the substance of the action. The author lists two thoughts for the reader (Pg 171):

Give your ideas value by acting on them.
Act on your ideas to gain peace of mind.

You can see how this chapter relates to Chapter 3 in that action will cure the fears of a major step you want to take.

Here are some other suggestions the author gives to develop the habit of action:

“Use a mechanical way to accomplish simple but sometimes unpleasant business and household chores.” (Pg 174) This is to do something instead of think how much you don’t want to do anything.
“Now is the magic word for success. Tomorrow, next week, later, sometime, someday often as not are synonyms for the failure word, never.” (Pg 175)
“Get the ‘Speak up’ habit.” (Pg 177) You will gain strength every time you speak up in a meeting where your opinions are asked for.
“Tell yourself, ‘I’m in condition right now to begin. I can’t gain a thing by putting it off. I’ll use the ‘get ready’ time and energy to get going instead’” (Pg 178)
“Be a crusader. When you see something that you believe ought to be done, pick up the ball and run.” (Pg 179)

Christian Response

With regards to this chapter, I will place in the forefront that action is certainly the mechanism of work. This is certainly a biblical truth frequently found in Proverbs. My objection with this chapter is the pragmatic approach and the love for worldly success. With that in mind, here are the objections I have to the practical wisdom given in this chapter.

First, I have already responded in a previous post to comparing ourselves to others, as this chapter teaches. Here is what I wrote regarding Chapter 4:

When the author is talking about assets and comparing your assets to that of someone else, I was reminded of a passage of scripture. This is from the Book of John, 21:20-22

Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?"²¹So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, "Lord, and what about this man?"
²²Jesus said to him, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!"

In this passage, Peter is questioning Jesus about the life of John. You can read the response to that question above. We must remember that each person has his own gifts from God; we don’t need to compare ourselves to anyone else for anything at all.

Next, regarding the advice to act and figure out how to make things work, I will remind you that to follow God, you should be content with your needs (1 Timothy 6:8), not running around trying to get another house or car because other people your age have them. That is not wise living.

I would encourage everyone that to follow the teachings of this book will lead you down a path of destruction. To seek after worldly things often leads to sin (1 Timothy 6:10). I wish to save you much grief, not because I want to see you fail, but because I want to see you holy. There is nothing wrong with a good job, and you should be doing the very best that you can do on that job. There is also nothing wrong with getting excess money in that, nor is there anything wrong with buying things for yourself, but there is something wrong with loving things of this world and trying to endear yourself to pragmatic approaches to get all you want. It is not about our life here, but God who is beyond this life, and when we have a goal to get all sorts of toys for ourselves, it may be a reflection of our hearts.

Building Quixtar with BWW Part 2

2006-02-07T17:42:00.000-05:00

BWW Basics Manual (BBAS 6/02)

Introduction

Chapter 1 – Training and Support System

This chapter is broken down into four sections. I already detailed many of these points on previous posts, which I will link in the respective sections.

Meetings and Conferences
Business Support Materials
Cutting Edge Technology Tools
A Proven System

Section 1 – Meetings and Conferences (See Types of Functions for more information)

Although there are actually more meetings than they list, the only meetings they list are Opens, Teem Meetings, and Major Weekend Functions. All of these and more are talked about in the link above. Prices for these are also in the link above.

Open meetings are held in cities all over US and Canada. According to the manual, these are best used for introducing a new person, or for a second look for a person who has seen a home meeting or a one-on-one. At the end of the Open meetings is a training session for IBO’s which allows training to people across the country.

Team meetings are held monthly or bi-monthly. These are great for teaching new IBO’s about the basics of building the business.

Major Weekend Conferences are “where thousands of IBOs come together to learn success strategies.” These meetings are held by the most successful business leaders and will diverse enough to relate to any person that goes to a weekend meeting. “Most successful IBOs will tell you that their biggest revelations about succeeding in this business came from something they learned at a Moajor Weekend Conference.”

Section 2 – Business Support Materials (See Types of BWW Tools for more information)

Standing Order Tape Program is a weekly tape offered to each IBO on the team as a cost effective way to train the whole team.

Book of the Month Program is selected by the committee and most of these will be new releases “available to you before being offered through retail outlets.”

The lamplighter is a free publication with articles relevant to BWW business which includes schedules, new materials, and stories about lifestyles of high level IBO’s.

Section 3 – Cutting Edge Technology Tools (See Types of BWW Tools for more information)

Online Support is an internet service provider available (dialup) internet. It is well priced at about $15 per month.

IBO Business Websites (these were replaced by One Domain) give a “professional Online Presence with your own personal IBO Business Web Site.”

Communikate is a communication system to keep in touch with upline, downline, and contacts. It can store 2000 contacts, screen calls, send/receive faxes, and more. The scary thing is that the Goads actually wrote a song to promote Communikate. It was featured on the business songs album “The Dream” (Note that if you did not know it, The Goads write songs about building Quixtar for sale to BWW IBO’s.)

Section 4 – A proven System

“If you are going to build a strong income through your personally-registered groups, this system will prove to be invaluable.”

“Please understand that you are not required to use any aspect of this system. It is available for your use, as you see fit, and as your business budget dictates.”

Recommended Tools

GS1 – What to Do Next
PM137 – The BWW System: Education for Financial Freedom (Snipes)
RR102 – Getting Started with BWW & Quixtar (Taylor)
RJM23 – Get Plugged In (Grogan)
RR101 – The BWW System (Durso)
RC41 – Owning A Business System (Bell)

Analysis

I pretty much covered an analysis of these points on my previous posts talking about the basic teaching and tools. Those links are:

Types of BWW Functions

Types of BWW Recordings

Types of BWW Tools

I will not take a whole lot of time talking about things I have already covered, but I can talk about a few things new.

First, I will draw your attention to a few comments from tapes that I already posted an analysis:

From Are You Discontented?, I write:

About the system:

Jack talks about book of the month and then criticizes everyone that is only reading one book, calling the Book of the Month program doing the minimum.
Tape of the week is done the same way. He says that you should be buying more tapes than that. He says to use the business to finance it.

From Secrets to going to Platinum, I quote:

Jake says, “this is the number one secret: The Britt System…You must learn how to promote and edify…if you will plug into it at all cost, it will give you life and a life of more abundance.” And Doug confirms, “I also figured out that the Britt System was the key, and if I was going to sponsor people, I had to have the books and tapes to get them started right.”

From Keep Your Dream, I write:

There is some controversy over what the functions are actually for. Many system IBO’s will say that this is about ‘teaching’ and ‘training’, but Terry even brings up in this tape the issue that they DON’T talk about such things (except that they will talk about it the next day for a bit). He emphasizes that they talk about the ‘why’ to build the business, i.e. motivation. So in effect, people are constantly buying into a system that gives them nothing new but new stories of motivation and very little else (I think I have 2 tapes on products, about 15 on basic mechanics, which all contain the same information, and about 500 tapes on basic motivation.)

Next, I would like to point out a few rules in the Quixtar Rules Compendium:

Rule 7 (Business Support Materials)

In the body of this basic point, we read, “IBOs who choose to sell or distribute SM must emphasize that the purchase of SM is strictly voluntary”

Rule 7.5.3 states “IBOs who choose to sell BSM shall not say, suggest, or imply that the use of any such materials will guarantee success”. Please contrast this with the exact quote from above: “If you are going to build a strong income through your personally-registered groups, this system will prove to be invaluable.”

7.7. Limiting Expenditures: “Each IBO who chooses to purchase or sell BSM must ensure that the quantity and cost of BSM are reasonably related to the sales volume and profits of that IB.” There is an exact quote from many tapes that says, “If your car is running out of gas, do you take gas out or put gas back in? The tools are the gas of this business, if you are not doing well, don’t stop your tool flow, you need to increase it”. I first heard this quote from Kumar, but I have since heard it in Nardone’s group as well.

7.8.2. “Each IBO who chooses to sell tickets to seminars, rallies, and other meetings is obligated to buy back tickets purchased for the purchaser’s personal use for a period of 30 days after the event, provided the IBO attended the event.”

Concluding Remarks

Although one little sentence in this manual suggest that tools are optional, the overall teaching of the system is that they are required. Please heed the rules above regarding this, particularly the rule 7.7, you should not be spending more money than you are making, however, the speakers always belabor that it is not spending, but rather, investing. Take note that 85.9% of the tapes I have are all about motivation. They are not teaching you through this system, they are making you the ultimate and repeat customers that fill their pockets with money month after month.

Chapter 2.1
Chapter 2.2
Chapter 2.3
Chapter 2.4
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

Getting Started on Quixtar Inside and Out Radio

2006-02-07T13:06:00.000-05:00

Greetings everyone,

I recorded the first analysis of a tape on audio. Go over to Quixtar Inside and Out Radio for a discussion on the tape Getting Started (GS1) from the Britt World Wide Getting Started Pack.

They teach in BWW that this is the best way to get a new IBO started, all for the low cost of $95, you will get the 4 Getting Started CDs (GS1, GS2, GS3, and GS4), a flipchart, the book The Quixtar Price is Right, by Bill Quain, some brochures, and a few other odds and ends.

Enjoy,
X

I Saw the Coliseum Full of People and I Realized I Was Not The Only One Who Was Nuts

2006-02-05T15:10:00.000-05:00

Tape: The BWW Team

Speakers: Ray & Joanne Melillo

Stock Number: BWW225 (2 Message CD)

Recording Type: ‘Basic Mix’

Notes:

“When you are free, you get to wake up when you want, unless you are on the Britt team and we are here to serve.”

You are the magic of the Britt team. The 9 core steps that the people are doing to go eagle are what the big pins are professionals at.

Joanne tells us that everyone in Britt have the ultimate coach in Bill and Peggy Britt.

“You are on a championship team. You’re not just part of the farm system, and the farm system is essentially the 2-5 year plan. The bottom line is: You’re going pro. If you want to go pro, you are going to stretch those muscles and pay the price and come to the practices.” (Note that she is using a sports analogy).

Joanne suggests that after going to her first weekend conference, she saw all the people who all thought that it was a good thing, so she concluded for herself that it was a good thing.

Joanne says that they are growing because the people in this business are will to sow, water and reap. She uses a lot of biblical based analogy to talk about growing the business (mostly out of context I might add.)

“I just hope that you’re carrying the light everywhere you go and that you have chosen to separate yourselves and to be part of the farm system that’s going pro.”

An interesting comment came up where Joanne was at a sports game with her kids and they were all in the dugout getting reay to play the number one team when anther parent came up and wanted to know how everyone is doing. She said, “I am not asking you [Joanne] because we never get the truth out of you. Everything is always good, great, etc.” Joanne comments back (trying to be smart) “I know, don’t you hate people like that.” [Joanne is deluded at this point, it is not black and white ‘always grumbling’ or ‘always great’. There is a fine line between a positive attitude who is real and a faker just says ‘I’m great’ all the time.]

Ray says that all the great values of America are fading everywhere except in this BWW team.

“I’m not sucking up to no paycheck for 22 years and then getting laid off and taking a half pay for the next 22 until I get put out to the pasture at 60 and then live until 80 begging some relative to put up with me while I’m senile.” [Do you really want to follow a man like this? If you don’t want your relative to take care of you, properly plan for it. May I recommend Crown Financial Ministries?]

“I’m not interested in a 70% divorce rate.” [Really, this article from the NY times lays total waste to that thought. The divorce rate is actually getting better and at last count was 0.38%. The reason they said this is that one of the selling points of BWW is that marriages are saved.]

“I’m not interested in what America stands for unless America stands on the word of God and on the principles of honesty and integrity that I have learned from the Britt team.”

“Your boss is looking to drop kick you the first sign that his job is shaky and I don’t want anybody in here getting punted, so lets stand tall partner, lets stand firm, lets share the dream 5 nights a week, and lets come up here with a couple of dozen diamonds next year.”

Do You Think I’m Here Speaking for Free?

2006-02-01T22:55:00.000-05:00

Tape: For Your Information

Speakers: Charlie & Ann Durso

Stock Number: BWW271

Recording Type: ‘Basic Mix’

Brief Review:

This is a very disturbing tape. I am not sure, but I think it is a Spring Leadership. The tape detailed how much money is available by taking advantage of the BWW system. He talks about Emeralds and above making money from functions, One Domain, Communikate, SOTs, BOMs, speaker engagements, the Britt rally circuit. He does such a good job promoting the necessity of tools that he violate the corporations rules regulating them. He also brags about breaking the law by speeding in his car to impress the college age students he was driving with. He concluded with a very deceptive way to get a new person to a function.

Motivational Aspects:

They have “Others First” hanging up on the refrigerator to remind them to always help fill other people’s needs first.

Cult-like aspects:

“You need to be in Diamond Club just to be around them, just to see how they interact together.” At this point, Ann talks about being around Bill and Peggy Britt and watching how Bill serves Peggy. She paints a wonderful; picture of how well their marriage is and implies that they will provide the example to grow your marriage strong. [I checked on the date of this tape: 2004. I would like to point out that November 2003, Bill & Peggy were legally separated over the issue of money. The promise of a better marriage is often used as a recruiting tool. The facts have not been conclusive, though many people while still in the system will say that it is better, those same people when they leave sometimes say that it really wasn’t. My overall point here is that there is no evidence this business will save a marriage, but there is evidence that a lot of high level people do indeed break up, remarry, and often times in a non-biblical way.]

Ann continuously talks about unconditional love. [I will grant that unconditional love is a good thing to have, but is this what these people really have? I do not think so. Unconditional love is when people love others, as demonstrated by actions, without any expect of return. It could be said that these people are only ‘loving’ the people in their downline (as evidenced by coming to help them show the plan or whatever, their exact actions are never defined) to get the money out of the group. The proof of this is that they do not continue to help someone who rejects the plan because such a person ‘does not want help.’]

“When we came down to our first function, we left that weekend. It wasn’t so much what we learned, as much as what we felt. At the end of this weekend, I hope each and every one of you that are sitting out there, you feel the pull to be part of this elite Diamond Team.” [This is funny because they keep on talking about being in an education business, but it is not about what you learn, but what you feel. Indeed, we are emotional creatures, not factual creatures, and that means that we are swayed by wherever our feelings take us. That provides short term action, but not long term conviction. This is the goal of several weekends a year, and further, opens, team trainings, rally’s, etc. They keep you motivated while losing money until you either make it to a level where you are doing that to many other people for money or else you go flat broke.]

“If I get a person on total faith. Now lets think about that, we’re talking faith. We’re not talking about you knowing that you can do this thing. We are not talking about you leaving this weekend convinced that you can be up here. We’re not talking about you showing people this business and in your mind you think everyone you show is going to get in, everyone that gets in is going to do this thing. Just on total faith, you step out and in two years, absolute total faith, two years, you give your business five nights a week. Total faith…there’s something magical about five nights per week…” and then Charlie literally drones on for several minutes without actually closing his point

“People want to be a part of something because they have nothing to be a part of today.”

Charlie does the usual attack against a college education where the professor puts you to sleep by reading from the book. You need to catch up, so you just read the book. He contrasts that by saying the in BWW, they are giving people the ‘information’ from their heart. [The implication is that college is bad, but this business is the way to the truth.]

Charlie says that the only secret is to show the plan 5 nights a week, for 2 years on total faith {this means if nothing is growing or happening}. He says that a good presentation will not get in someone who shouldn’t be in, but a bad presentation can not keep someone out who is supposed to get in. It is, therefore, a numbers game.

“When Bill puts challenges out there, winners meet the challenges.”

At one point, Charlie talks about not believing his age. He is taking a car fullof college students somewhere and talks about laughing and cutting up, and ‘hanging with the boys.’ [This is not intrinsically wrong, but I point it out to demonstrate another cult parallel, This is an appeal to people who want to ‘fit into a crowd’ and live a ‘free’ life.]

Try to follow this one. Charlie is talking about how to get people to the functions. “I had a guy, I said, hey, listen. This is the best thing you can do: Get to this weekend. I had just showed him the plan…It was six days later…Do you really want this thing to work for you? He said ‘Yeah’. What do you want out of it? He said, ‘I’d like to be free’…If I was to tell you what you needed to do to become free, would you want me to tell you? ‘Yeah’, Great, you need to be at that weekend function. I’ll pick you up a ticket. He said, ‘fine’. I called him back, I said, ‘I got your ticket.’ He said, ‘Well, I was thinking, you know, I wasn’t sure…”{cuts off}, ‘Well, I got you a ticket. You told me you were going.’ I GOT NOTHING! I didn’t get his ticket! {Crowd laughs} We went down to the function, I said, I got your ticket, I’ll be right back, I walked over to the ticket booth and got him a ticket.”

Teaching Points:

Ann teaches that people are to be seen as good friends, emphasizing the relationship. They are not to be seen as PV. [I have two problems here. The first is, why does the upline never seem to demonstrate being a ‘good friend’ with a downline who has quit (generally speaking) and two, how can they say this when the upline leg starting with Ray & JoAnne Melillo holds the ‘Eagle Cup’ game every month where the winner is the largest growing person on the team?]

There is no secret; you must build the business five nights a week.

Other Notes:

Charlie references the “$150,000 for 6 Platinum legs” in the plan and says that kind of money is a joke.

Charlie talks about the money that is to be made in the BWW system. As he explains in brief, the Platinum’s get a ‘differential’ in the costs from the rest of the downline, and above that, the Emeralds and above get a further differential to cover ‘administrative costs’. [I have a problem, if it is ‘administrative costs’ that are being ‘covered’ by the extra, why is it that about 50% or more of the income is derived from System money verses Quixtar money. Another question, are the terms of this exchange disclosed?]

“We need CD’s. I could not build this business without CD’s. I need to get in my car, I need my spirits uplifted. [There is a Standing order Tape program that they recommend everyone be on. It is a tape a week at $7.50 plus tax and shipping ($8.25 total on my team) which is about $429 a year, but many teams in BWW refer to that as being the minimum, thus you need more.]

“As we read books, I read constantly…We need the books.” [The books come once a month, but again they suggest more. This will cost in excess of $10 extra a month. The discounts and such detailed above apply. The books will cost in excess of $120 a year.”]

“How many of you here on One Domain? That’s our business.” [One Domain is the BWW personal website, it costs $87.95 for the domain name a year plus $14.95 a month for a total of $267.35 a year. Again, the upper level pins (Emeralds and Diamonds) make money on this according to this very tape.]

“How many of you here have ever picked up Communikate. That’s our communication system. There are profits, it is very reasonably priced.” [Communikate is $31.95 a month for the regular which they teach to get. Many of the Diamonds teach to get the full version instead of the light version. This price does not include extra minutes, conferences, and a few features which can raise it in excess of $10 a month. To be conservative, the annual cost of the regular with nothing extra is $383.40.]

Next, Charlie talks about Diamond Clothiers and suggests that you need to buy clothes from there. [The funny thing is that the IBO’s don’t even get PV/BV on these items, but the store is owned in part by Bill Britt. According to this tape, the upper level pins profit from the sale of Diamond clothiers.]

“Do you think I’m here speaking for free?” He talks about the costs involved in putting together the function. At one point, he even mentions the band, which gets paid to perform. This is either Goads or Day One, depending on what weekend it is. He talks about the people running the booths, the camera men, the sound equipment, etc. [This is funny because another tape clearly states that the Goads do NOT get paid to perform at the function. That is the tape “Dream Your Way to the Top”, by Brad Duncan (BWW-5 [note – this tape was removed from the BWW Registry]). On another note, for long we were hearing that no one made money from speaking engagements, then it was external speakers made money, not it is apparently all the people who talk.]

Without really going into the details, Charlie teaches a brief bit about literally manipulating people into seeing your plan. I have covered many details from this tape, so I will leave out the details of this lengthy session.

We seem to have some violations of the law: “Look at this straightaway here, ain’t nowhere a cop can hide anywhere on any side of this for the next couple of miles…Let me open up the top to my sun roof here…you see any helicopters? Because sometimes they get us from up above…hold on {makes fast driving noises then screams with excitement}…man that was awesome! ‘Alright Charlie…!!!’” At this point, he starts to cut down his old J.O.B. again. The crowd goes wild at these stories and contrasts. [The wholesale rejection of legality for the purpose of impressing people is WRONG, STUPID, and FOOLISH. We have the direct command to obey the authorities, but I see many references in this business to reject authority (1 Peter 2:13-17; pay special attention to verse 15.]

Quixtar Rules Violations:

Rule 7 in the Quixtar Rules Compendium (pages D32-34) are about the BSMs (tools). We read many interesting statements:

“IBOs who choose to sell or distribute SM must emphasize that the purchase of SM is strictly voluntary”

“7.5.3. IBOs who choose to sell BSM shall not say, suggest, or imply that the use of any such materials will guarantee success”

However, according to Charlie, the tools are required to build the business. Such quotes as “We need CD’s” and “We need the books”, as well as many other statements that I did not directly record, Charlie is seriously violating the policy. What is worse, he is doing so to promote the money that can be made in the system. In the good old days, they hid this aspect, now they are not.

Building Quixtar with BWW Part 1

2006-01-24T19:00:00.000-05:00

Greetings everyone,

The next series of posts will be a brief analysis of the little book ‘BWW Basics’ (BBAS) which teaches new IBO’s how to build their new Quixtar Affiliated business. This post will cover the Introduction, and following weeks will contain the four chapters: Training & Support System, The Basics, Creating Volume, The Eagle Program.

Summary of the Introduction

Your upline is looking forward to helping you succeed in your BWW affiliated business. BWW has over 30 years of success in helping people develop successful businesses. They even say, “We want to make sure that you have the answers to all your questions.”

The system makes teaching materials available nationwide, so that people at distance teams can learn what it takes to build a successful business. BWW should be used as a store: you should take what you want from it, and leave behind what you don’t want.

“If you desire financial independence through a business that can produce a six-figure income, then you’ll want to use the BWW support system.” They say that you should have at least 12 growing legs, and to be using the complete BWW system and create new habits of doing the ‘four basics’: work, listen, associate, change your buying habits.

Analysis

Since this is the introduction section, I will not go into the specifics, just tell you what kind of information you will find out through this series.

Although there are some ‘better’ and ‘worse’ uplines, most of them will only help you if you are plugged into the BWW system in it’s entirety. Obviously, they will make exceptions for people that are in what would be referred to as the ‘Honeymoon Period’, namely being a person who is up to 6 months - 1 year.

Although they say that they will answer all your questions, that is pretty far from the reality. I will pull out exact quotes from EDC’s in BWW who teach ‘not to worry about it, just show more plans’ when confronted with questions. There are also a lot of round about refutations to objections that never really answer legitimate questions.

The store concept is a very good thing, and if that is what was taught, it would be a good thing. The reality is that many people teach that if you want to be successful, you have to take full advantage of the BWW support system, some even teaching to go beyond that calling the Standing Order program ‘Minimum Wage’. Some leaders teach on tapes that if you are not fully plugged into the system, they will not even help you.

I will try to figure out what is behind the very vague basics ‘work’, ‘listen’, and ‘associate’. I think that ‘changing your buying habits’ is pretty self explanatory.

Chapter 1
Chapter 2.1
Chapter 2.2
Chapter 2.3
Chapter 2.4
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

The Evolution of Contacting

2006-01-24T09:52:00.000-05:00

Greetings all,

I have done a brief analysis of the evolution of contacting and prospecting on Qblog radio.

The link is here.

X

They Leave Better People

2006-01-22T17:18:00.000-05:00

Tape: Boats Don’t Have Breaks

Speakers: Doug & Amie Weir

Stock Number: JM33

Recording Type: ‘Basic Mix’

Brief Review:

This is a classic ‘basic mix’ which had absolutely no teaching, nothing of any real redeeming quality, and certainly didn’t have much to do with building a Quixtar business, it is nothing but Rah Rah. We hear about the Porsche, the boat, and little motivational tidbits of common sense data.

Cult-like aspects:

Doug is talking about the Porsche and says that kids are open about it being a ‘cool car’ but adults don’t have a good enough self image to appreciate a cool car. The people in the business, however, are open to such things. The root of adults not acknowledging that you have a cool car is status. [This point suggests that there is a serious problem with your self-image that they can fix in this business.]

This business is an adventure, a challenge, and Doug describes that his co-workers at IBM were doing nothing with their lives, even calling them ‘boring’. He basically moves through all the things that people were doing to have fun living and suggesting that all of them were boring except one thing: BWW. The BWW people were going on road trips, staying up late, listening to tapes, going to conventions. [First, many former cult members site a ‘sense of adventure’ in what they were doing, even if it was a mundane; the reason for this lies in having a sense of accomplishment as the group moves in the same direction. Second, how could he find listening to tapes, staying up late talking, and going to conventions as exciting? I do not follow from am outside perspective.]

Amie is talking about loving people and using things and says that they do not put things up on a pedestal, but they do put up people out of respect. [This is scary, and something I have commented on before. In this system, there is so much loyalty to the upline that they are one step below being worshiped.]

Amie starts to talk about priorities and suggests that people’s priorities are out of line. Her early personal example is that she did not want to miss volleyball night to go to an Open Meeting. She said “My mind was so messed up that [volleyball] was a priority that I didn’t know how to make my financial future a priority.” [The implication is that they have the solution here in this business to keep the priorities properly in line.]

“We’ve got a unique ministry because we meet people at their needs and we meet needs that no other ministry no other group of people are out their meeting.” Doug goes on to talk about how people are in their downline not for houses, cars, etc, but because they needed someone to believe in them which this couple does. “There is a huge part of the numbers of people that are coming into your business and a lot of them will go. They’re the ones that we minister to. They’re the ones we affect; they’re the ones that after their association with us they leave better people, they are the ones that we made a difference to.”

Catalog of covetousness for those materialistic people:

Amie has a new Porsche with the license plate ‘JOB FREE’

He has a new motorcycle, but got a Ford F-150, paid cash, extended cab, extended bed, just to transport the motorcycle in.

Cobalt 232 boat

All the Ruby ladies went shopping for brand new dresses and other clothing for the function.

Wonderful Faulty Theology:

Doug starts to go off about his car, first looking at it and thinking, ‘this is a cool car, I don’t believe this is my car’, but later, people start looking at you as having a really cool car, and then that makes you feel good because you have a really cool car. He ends this by sating that ‘maybe that is wrong, but its really fun having a cool car’. [A few verses come to mind when I hear this: James 4:6 – “God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble.” And the other is 1 John 2:15 – “Do not love the world, nor the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Does this mean you should not have a nice car? No, but this talk makes it clear that Doug derives a satisfaction from that car. Such satisfaction is to be achieved from God alone.]

Doug says that the Diamond lifestyle is the “Ultimate Lifestyle it is the ability to do whatever you want, whenever you want because you are no longer controlled by money.” [This is deadly; God is in control, not you. You are to take all your worries and anxieties and place them on Him. Having money is not the path to freedom; it is a dangerous path which many fall into the temptations of the love of money (1 Timothy 6:8-10).]

In all this, Amie lists her priorities: God first, Spouse and children next, country. [These are directly repeated from Bill Britt tapes. Let us perform the ‘priorities in line’ test from Matthew 19:16-26. Let us see, do you love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul? Doug lies, demonstrates and teaches civil disobedience, and breaks the law. People who place God as their first priority do not demonstrate such characteristics. Please read Matthew 7:15-23.]

Teaching Points:

It will take some trying and failing to build the business, but your upline is always there to coach you on what to do next.

Doug and Amie are doing this to help people, even if the people do not stay in the program.

Other Notes:

As is common with Doug Weir, he demonstrates disrespect for authorities, in this case, the legal issues as he pokes fun at the disclaimer, stating it jokingly at the start of his talk. Everyone laughs at this. He continues this same attitude making a joke about a ‘professional driver’ getting the Porsche up over 62 MPH.

Amie gets the kids of her downline motivated about the business by picking them up in the Porsche or boat so that the kids will ask when they will go diamond and get a Porsche or boat.

The Adventures of the Extreme Freedom Team #14

2006-01-18T17:13:00.000-05:00

Site: www.extremefreedomteam.com

Video: A DAY IN THE MOUNTAINS

Video Summary:

This starts with nice soft guitar and a few scenes, then gets thrashy with scenes of a car driving down a road, soft again with a mountain overlook then one of the Extreme Freedom Team members in a hot tub (of course with an XS), then it moves to a few other party scenes with all the participants including a time lapse table hockey game that apparently went on over several hours, perhaps a day or more…the video clip lasts quite a while. Like a few other videos, there are scenes of everyone eating a catered meal. We finally get into the bulk of the video: the white water rafting tour. We end with a sign that says, “Rip Roaring Adventures”.

My Thoughts:

Some adventure for the Extreme Freedom Team. The cost of a trip at Rip Roaring Adventures is $39.95 per person, but you can get a $10 discount on the website. Sounds fun! Lets all of us negative broke losers go and do the same thing, make our own amateur video and post it on the internet…any takers with that?

X is on Quixtar In and Out Radio

2006-01-18T09:48:00.000-05:00

Greetings everyone,

The conversation I had with Truth at Quixtar In and Out Radio is posted. Here, I covered how I got in Quixtar, out of Quixtar, and the How and Why of Standing Order Tape.

Here is more of my Quixtar Experiences.

I have the next Aventures of the Extreme Freedom Team completed, but I could not get online last night, I will get it up tonight.