The Journey of John Kalench

Introduction to the
Special Edition For Nikken Distributors
“Every time John put this book into the hands of a
friend he told them to read the first chapter before
they went to bed that night.
I would like to pass that advice onto you...”
To my fellow Nikken distributors:
On the next page, you will begin the journey
of John Kalench, my beloved husband. I must tell
you now how that journey ended. On May 9,
2000, John lost his battle with pancreatic cancer.
and Jackson. Nikken met all our criteria and
became our company of choice because, as John
said, "its philosophy was something we could put
our dreams and reputation behind."
But in reality, John’s journey will never end.
The work he began with his books and his teaching
will live forever, passing from friend to friend, from
distributor to distributor, and from generation to
generation. This was his gift to the world.
This book contains John’s two decades of
experience and wisdom in network marketing. He
would be so pleased to know that Nikken is
embracing this book, and I am proud to carry on
John’s work and continue my association with the
company.
Although he achieved great success with his
own company, Millionaires in Motion, John reevaluated his life after becoming a father. He
wanted security for me and our young sons, Cole
May you find the same excitement and
inspiration in this book that John brought to all
those he touched.
The Journey of John Kalench
network marketing companies, has spoken to
nearly one million people worldwide, and has
personally coached tens of thousands of network
marketers to achieve their dreams of success in
this industry.
Why this Top International Trainer
and Author
Changed his Career to Become a
Network Marketer
with Nikken?
A decade later, he startled us all again. He
actually hung up his badge, re-entered the field,
and is building an organization of his own that’s
spreading like a grass fire on a hot summer’s day.
Fifteen years ago, there was no "network
marketing industry." There were individual
companies. If you wanted good materials or great
training for your downline, you had three choices:
use your company’s, pray for brilliant upline, or
make it yourself.
We met up with John recently at his home in
San Diego, where he lives with his wife, Yvonne,
and their two sons, Cole and Jackson.
John Kalench has helped change all that. His
books, Being the Best You Can Be in MLM, The
Greatest Opportunity in the History of the World,
and 17 Secrets of the Master Prospectors have
been printed in 16 languages and are industry
classics. He has been the keynote speaker at
conferences and conventions for more than 200
"I was first introduced to network marketing
almost 21 years ago. Prior to that, I was in
conventional business, working as a salesman for
orthopedic devices. Eventually, I became their
sales manager. That was my first experience in
teaching and training, and I fell in love with it."
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He also quickly learned the limitations of
working for others. "I was making them a lot more
money than they were willing to pay me. By the
time I was 31, I got bit by the entrepreneurial bug
and branched out on my own."
some of my best. They were the best learning
years, but they were also some of my most
turbulent." Like many, John had thought that in
order to do well in the business, you had to get
involved with a startup company. In his first nine
years, he built three large, successful networkswith three different companies. "Back then," says
John, "our industry was quite volatile. None of the
three stood the test of time." Discouraged, John
turned to full-time training.
The Entrepreneurial Journey
John founded a company that specialized in
the distribution of innovative orthopedic products
and devices.
He began contacting small
manufacturers of innovative products and offered
to set up distribution networks for them. He then
created and trained a national field of distributors and earned a percentage. Within a few years, he
had built a very successful brokerage business.
"I saw the vision that one day, people would
embrace network marketing with open arms. By
creating Millionaires in Motion, I found a way of
participating in this industry that I loved." John
launched Millionaires in Motion in February 1987,
and today it is recognized as one of the world’s
premiere training and educational companies for
the network marketing industry.
"I was making more money than I’d ever
made in my life, more money than I even thought I
was worth back then." But John realized that he
needed more than money-he needed to do
something he loved with a passion. That’s when
he was introduced to network marketing. A friend
invited him to a meeting.
Over the next 11 years, John jetted around
the world, training, speaking at conferences-and
making friends. "Honestly, I never expected that I
would be back building a business again as I am
today. I thought I’d found my niche. I knew I could
have made more money as a distributor, but I was
doing very well financially as an independent
trainer, and I had freedom and independence. I
was able to serve the entire industry- and I wasn’t
vulnerable to any one company."
"That night, I fell in love with the concept of
network marketing. I recognized then and there
that this was a business where my success was
totally dependent on helping other people become
successful.
"I had always wanted to be a teacher, to
contribute to my fellow man through sharing
information, education, and the principles that
have made a difference in my life. In my medical
brokerage business, I was actually penalized for
doing that: often the people I’d trained went out
and set up competing businesses! So I found
myself holding back. No matter how much money
I earned, it never made up for the dissonance this
caused with my values. When I saw network
marketing, I said, "Hey, the more you give, the
more you get-you never have to concern yourself
with competition. Just contribute, and add value
to everyone."
Turning Point
In 1994, John’s son Jonathan Cole Kalench was
born. "The moment he was born and I held him in
my arms, I knew that my life was going to change.
I had a whole new priority now." As much as he
loved doing what he was doing, John realized that
he was gone six months out of the year, if not
more. He knew that he wanted to be home with
his wife and new child.
"I wanted to be
instrumental in Cole’s development and nurturing.
I was 50 and ready for this. I didn’t want to miss
these wonderful years.
"I remember coming home from the hospital
the night Cole was born, thinking to myself, ‘God,
John, you’re going to have to change because
things are different now’ I knew I needed to go
back and build a network because it would give me
the time and money freedom for my life’s new
priorities.
A Million Friends
That very first night, John was so intrigued
that he lay awake all night. "I set a goal right then
and there that, by the time I die, I want to have a
million friends. That has been my goal ever since.
I named my training company Millionaires in
Motion after that lifetime goal."
John went home that night, pulled out a note
pad, and started making a list of criteria for
choosing a company. However, John’s situation
"I jumped in with both feet. I wish I could say
that my first nine years in network marketing were
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was very different than that of the average person
getting into network marketing.
happened: the more I recognized that this was the
company, the more difficult it was for me to make
the decision to do it, even though I knew it was the
best thing for me and my family.
"I knew that the moment I put my name on an
application and aligned myself with one company, I
could never go back to being an independent
trainer again. I was burning a very handsome and
lucrative bridge-a bridge that had helped me
establish a very credible and reputable name."
The Decision
"Every once in a while in our lives, we get to a
point where we recognize, intellectually, that
here’s the wisest decision, but we have some
emotional baggage that holds us back from that
decision. That’s where I was. After 11 years as an
independent trainer, my number one asset was my
reputation: ‘John can be trusted.’ I knew that the
moment that I made a decision to join a company,
that trust would be questioned. Some people
would understand; most wouldn’t."
Why Nikken?
"So I listed a criteria of everything that needed
to be in place for me to align myself with one
network marketing company again-and I made a
promise to myself, everything had to be in place.
• It could not be a start-up company. You
see at this time of my life I was risking everything I
had and stood for. So the company had to prove
itself to be one of substance and history while
holding close to its heart a vision for an even
brighter and bolder future. A company that was
committed to changing the world and had the
resources to live their vision.
John also recognized that his action would put
Millionaires in Motion at risk, and affect the lives
of the people he’d brought into his company,
potentially with disastrous consequences. John
felt paralyzed.
"I needed some kind of sign that would tell
me it was okay for me to put my family first. A sign
that said, ‘John, you’ve done good; you’ve added
value to a lot of people and to an industry that you
love ; things have changed for you, and now it’s
important for you to identify these new priorities
in your life, to move towards them, to embrace
them."
• There had to be products that were timely,
exclusive, innovative and touched people
physically and emotionally. For ten years now I’ve
personally seen how Nikken products have
touched people-to the level where they feel
emotionally compelled to tell others about their
experiences.
The Sign
• I also wanted a compensation plan that
rewarded people for their efforts and their energy,
not just for being in the right place at the right
time.
That sign was on the horizon. In October
1997, John was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
The statistics were grim : fewer than three percent
survive. "It came out of nowhere," recalls John.
"It’s a miracle that I’m here today." Yvonne was
five months pregnant with their second child,
Jackson.
• The company had to have a strong
infrastructure and support system solidly in place. I
no longer wanted to be the magic in my life and
business-I wanted to be able to join a support
organization whose sole purpose was bringing out
the best in everyone-regardless of whose line they
were in. I wanted to be a drop in a rich pool of
talented resources where we all helped each other
grow and win.
Three days after his diagnosis, he underwent
major surgery. His physicians went into the
surgery optimistic-and came out very concerned.
The cancer had spread into the bile duct and likely
invaded his liver. Only a pathologist’s report would
tell them for sure.
"After much research, I began to recognize
that Nikken was the company, and Team Diamond
was the support organization. Everything was in
place for me to put my family’s future and dreams
upon, and my reputation behind.
"During the three days we waited for the
pathology report, news of my condition leaked out
to the industry. The networking word spread so
quickly, it was just unbelievable. My office was
inundated with thousands upon thousands of
faxes, cards, emails, messages from people who
"It became evident that this was a company I
could feel unconditionally comfortable aligning
myself with. And something unexpected
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plane, there’s no jet lag-I walk out of the room,
and there are my two boys. I can pick them up,
hug them, and finish breakfast. This is freedom.
were praying for me and my family all over the
world."
When the pathology report came back three
days later, the doctors said that it was nothing
short of a miracle : the last dissection was
absolutely free of cancer. They couldn’t explain it.
But John can. "I believe it was the result of prayers
from all over the world. If there was ever a time
when I could say that I had collected on my goal of
having a million friends, it would be those three
days we waited for the pathologist report."
Prospecting: The Soul of the Business
"If there’s one thing I’ve taught over the years
that being back in the trenches has confirmed as
an unshakable truth, it’s that prospecting is not an
event; it is a process.
"Don’t look at people as prospects: look at
prospects as people. Put the relationship first.
Recognize that people make decisions to do
important things based on what is going on in their
lives.
That was all the sign John needed to make his
decision. In May ‘98, seven months after his
surgery, John became a Nikken distributor. His
team pushed him to the Diamond level in only
seven months, the fastest it has ever been done.
"Prospecting is a process. Everybody has his
own window of time. Appreciate that, honor that
first, and you give those around you the respect
they deserve in making the decision to join your
team. This opens the possibility for a serious
win/win relationship. The relationship is the
critical factor."
Technology: The Pathway to Freedom
"When I started, I made a promise that I
would not use Millionaires in Motion or any of my
prior contacts within the industry to build my
business. Of all the people I ever introduced or
sponsored, there were only two whom I knew
before joining Nikken, and one of them was my
sister."
Creating Momentum, Creating Balance
"When I start a new distributor, I do
everything I can to help get his or her business off
to a fast start. Create momentum in the first 30 to
90 days. I have people identify their top 30 to 50
people to contact right away. This gets your new
distributor feeling really good about the business;
they see something happening, and they get
excited because they’re getting results. I always
encourage people to start their organizations
locally. Working at a distance simply inhibits that
early momentum.
Using the classic networking tools of threeway calls, conference calls, home meetings, and
large events, John added the tools of the newer
technologies, especially video-teleconferencing.
"Video-teleconferencing has been an incredible
boost to my new business-I can be in eight living
rooms at once."
"Technology has become an instrumental
force in building a successful network in the new
millennium. We still use large events to bring the
family, the unity, the camaraderie, for people to
catch the big vision. However, it’s technology that
allows us to leverage the personal contacts that
really make a difference in building an effective
team.
"It’s also critical to create independent
business associates, not dependent ones. This is
key. Many new networkers equate leadership with
‘being the star’ and don’t learn to delegate
responsibility. They don’t encourage their people
to take ownership of their business, and don’t
empower them to do it on their own. This creates
dependency, a co-dependency, if you will, that
inhibits their business from flourishing. You will
never tap into the enormous rewards that this
industry can offer until you step away from being
the star, and learn how to be a star-maker.
"The Internet, teleconferencing, conference
calls, three-way calls have transformed business in
the 90s. In building my Nikken network, I’ve used
video-conferencing extensively. I have a videoteleconferencing unit right in my home office that
allows me to be in different cities, living rooms,
community colleges, and Kinko’s around the
country. I can get up in the morning, have a cup of
tea or coffee, and speak to a half a dozen different
sites in different cities, reaching hundreds of
people. When I’m finished, I don’t have to get on a
"If there’s one word that describes true
happiness, it’s ‘balance’-being able to balance all
the things that are important to you in your life.
This is what networking allows you if you do it well.
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at the way the business works, within a team or
within a company, it is the synergy of everybody
working together that creates powerful results.
Why would it be any different within the industry
itself? Only when all the companies come together
and work in synergy will network marketing
emerge as a powerful force.
"I also know that in order to do that, there are
times when I have to choose to be out of balance-a
‘season of imbalance.’ Sudden growth or a
particularly promising individual may dictate times
when you really take a run in your business.
"Look at a tightrope walker: here’s a person
whose entire life is about balance. But take a
closer look at what they really do. They stand still
and focus their attention on getting into balance.
They’ll take a few seconds to do that; then they’ll
take three or four steps, kind of quickly, and stop,
to get themselves back into balance. And that’s
pretty much the way our business should be."
"In the first two phases of growth, less than
three percent of a given population or culture will
participate. Ninety-seven percent wait until there
is enough evidence to assure success. Here are my
words of encouragement to the reader: if you’re
out there talking to people about your network
marketing opportunity, and you hear the words
"scam," "pyramid," or "illegal," get excited. It only
proves that you’re still in the three percent. And
believe me, the Self-Evidence Phase is around the
corner."
Our Biggest Challenge
"The network marketing industry, like all
opportunities, has to go through three phases. The
first phase is called the Ridicule Phase, where most
people think it’s absolutely ridiculous. Network
Marketing continues to prove that it is quite
capable of surviving the ridicule of its misinformed
critics.
The Future
How did he do it? Simply by following his own
advice-the same advice that has supported the
success of hundreds of thousands of others.
"The second phase is called the Opposition
Phase. It survives the ridicule, begins to prove that
it’s viable, and then it gets opposed. The network
marketing industry has received distinct
opposition-from corporate America and the
governing business authorities. Many companies
have undergone serious scrutiny and taken
potshots-and we’ve survived. What concerns me
most is that our greatest opposition comes from
within.
Now at home and with his family Yvonne,
Cole, and Jackson, John reflects on the future. "As
wonderful as the last 12 years have been, I’m even
more excited about the next 12. As I see it, the
industry is on the threshold of establishing itself as
the distribution system of the new millennium.
What it’s going to take for that to happen is for a
handful of companies to step up to a new
standard, a new benchmark for how this business
should be conducted. "A new moral and ethical
standard is emerging, that rewards and blesses us
in ways that add value to our community and
society as a whole. I believe Nikken will be the
company that sets this new standard. Get ready,
Networking is coming into its own."
"The only way we are going to emerge from
the Opposition Phase and enter the third phase,
Self-Evidence (when the masses really start to
join), is for the industry to come together and
realize that there’s room for everyone to prosper.
Our strength is in our unity. When you take a look
"Looking forward to seeing you on the Nikken highway"
John Kalench
Excerpted and reprinted by permission of Network Marketing Lifestyles.
Web www.nmlifestyles.com • Phone 877-898-8882
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"In addition to being a man of incomparable
integrity, John Kalench serves our industry well by
representing the heart and life of this endeavor
called Network Marketing. Being The Best You Can
Be In MLM effectively communicates the realities
of building a successful organization. John has
created a valuable tool that can be used by our
newest members and our most experienced
distributors."
"You’ll want to refer to Being The Best You
Can Be In MLM time and time again. It’s fun, easy
reading with great stories and countless lessons to
be learned."
Tom "Big Al" Schreiter Author
The Big Al Series
"John’s book captures the very heart of
Network Marketing. No other book that I know of
so completely and enjoyably lays out the path to
success in our business. Light Force is proud to
add a copy of Being The Best You Can Be In MLM in
every one of our New Distributor Kits. Thank you,
John, for this wonderful contribution to our
dynamic industry!"
Wayne B. Watson President/CEO
LifeTrends International
"John’s professional and ethical teachings
makes one proud to be in the MLM/Network
Marketing industry. Anyone can follow these
proven and practical principles. Everyone that
does will become the best they can be... inspiring
and powerful!"
Pope McElvy
Vice-President
The Light Force Company
Doris Wood President
MLMIA (Multi-Level Marketing International
Association) and Executive Consultant for
TWIG
"Once you read Being The Best You Can Be In
MLM, you can’t help but feel good about yourself,
your business, and how to make it all work for you.
Being a sponsor and advocate of John’s seminars
and workshops for years... this book is an
affordable hands-on reference that everyone
should own."
Sharon and John Farnsworth
Executive Directors (Top 5)
Sunrider International
"John Kalench’s incisive book provided me
with tremendous insight into our dynamic
industry. It’s written in a lively style full of useful
recommendations and is worthwhile reading by
anyone involved in Network Marketing. I applaud
his work!"
J.F. Robert Bolduc
Co-Founder/Co-Chairman
Matol Botanical International
Chairman
MLMIA (Multi-level Marketing International
Association)
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