Raising Your Standards, Recruiting With Influence, and Why Top Leaders Never Stop Building featuring Debbie Neal

Episode Summary

Here's the truth: the most dangerous place to be in this business isn't struggling. It's successful. When the check is good, the team is built, and the rank is secured, something quiet happens — the why stops growing, the pain points disappear, and a leader who used to build starts managing instead.

In this episode, Rachael sits down with Debbie Neal — 20-year industry veteran, keynote speaker, best-selling author of Level Up Your Leadership, and host of the Level Up podcast — who reached the top of her company in five months and has stayed there for two decades. Debbie breaks down what actually happened after she promoted, why she still personally sponsors today, and the difference between leaders who keep building and leaders who quietly start docking. If you've ever caught yourself saying "I think I need to rebuild," this conversation will make you rethink the question entirely.

Why You Should Listen: What You'll Learn

Recognize When You've Started Arriving Instead of Building
How entitlement creeps in after a promotion — and how to catch it in yourself before your organization feels it.

Lead From the Front by Staying in Personal Production
Why Debbie still personally sponsors after 20 years, and what staying on the field does for your credibility.

Build Independent Leaders Instead of Codependent Ones
The difference between developing vision in someone and simply carrying them — one scales, the other caps you.

Understand That Influence, Not Effort, Is What Makes People Join
Why your certainty and energy sell the opportunity long before your words do.

Relight Your Fire Without Chasing a New Opportunity
What Debbie tells stuck veterans first — and why the answer isn't on the outside.

Raise Your Standard of Comfort Before Your Results Ask You To
How to set the next goal on purpose, so you rise by lifting others instead of pushing them away.

About Debbie Neal

Debbie Neal is a 20-year network marketing leader who reached the top rank of her company in five months and has held it ever since. She's a keynote speaker who has spoken in every country her company operates in, the best-selling author of Level Up Your Leadership, and the host of Level Up with Debbie Neal, which has surpassed four million downloads since launching in 2021. A former director of training for CVS Pharmacy, Debbie left corporate to raise her four children before building a global organization from her kitchen table. Her current podcast series is a year-long movement on raising our standards, and her second book is in progress.

Connect with Debbie:
 👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debbie_neal/
👉 Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/levelup.debbieneal/
👉 Podcast: Level Up with Debbie Neal — available on all podcast platforms
👉 Book: Level Up Your Leadership — available on Amazon

Resources Mentioned

Apply for a Free Mini-Session so we can connect 1:1, review your goals, and talk through opportunities for business growth
 👉 https://www.rachaelbodie.com/mini-session

Social Selling Leadership Edit (Free Email Series)
 Weekly insights on leadership skills for network marketers, recruiting systems, duplication, and sustainable growth
 👉 https://www.rachaelbodie.com/leadership-edit-email

Instagram – Daily leadership insights, social selling strategies, and behind-the-scenes mentoring
 👉 https://www.instagram.com/rachachelbodie/?hl=en

Elevate for Social Sellers – Facebook Community
 A space for social sellers focused on mindset, systems, and sustainable growth
 👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/elevateforsocialsellers

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:01

Welcome to the Social Selling Leadership Podcast, the show for six-figure network marketers ready to scale with alignment and simple systems. I'm your host, Rachel Bodie, network marketing expert and industry veteran. Each week you'll learn the strategies and systems top leaders use to enroll high-quality recruits, create duplication in their downline, and lead with confidence. Let's dive in. Welcome back to the show, you guys. I am so excited for today. We have a special guest, Ms. Debbie Neal. And Debbie is really just incredible. She's been in the industry for 20 years. What's so cool about Debbie is she went to the top of her company within five months and she's been there for the full 20 years. She's a keynote. She's actually keynoted in every country that her company is in. She's a speaker. She's a best-selling author. So I just finished her book, Level Up Your Leadership. And we were just talking before the podcast. Her podcast, which she started in 2020, has over 4 million downloads. So we're in for a special treat today.

SPEAKER_00 1:06

Debbie, welcome to the show. Thank you. It's so fun to be here. I actually started it in 2021. And the only reason I'm correcting you is I'm like, I'd have more if I had that extra year.

SPEAKER_01 1:16

Sorry, 2021. This is why I type my thoughts down.

SPEAKER_00 1:21

I'm like 2021.

SPEAKER_01 1:22

Birds of a feather. So I totally get that. Um, and we actually just started this. I started this podcast in 2026. So I'm gonna be really new. You're brand new. Welcome to the space. Brand new. Um, but just appreciate you being here. And I would love to maybe start by if you share, can share a little bit about how did you get into the industry?

SPEAKER_00 1:41

How did I get into the industry? Okay, I love stories, you guys. So I hope you all love stories. So I was someone who I was actually in corporate America when before I had children. So I was one of those women before I had children that I was like, I am never gonna be a stay-at-home mom. I don't understand stay-at-home moms, I don't know what they do all day. Now, mind you, if you do personal growth, and I know you do, you wouldn't be listening to this podcast. I did, I didn't have any in my life. So I was actually judging. So, long story short, I was the director of training for CVS Pharmacy, and I did love my job. I love to train, I love to develop leaders. And then I had my first baby, Brooke, and I laid there in the hospital and I was like, I love my job, but not more than her. She's my entire life, and I have no, so the blessing was so I've been with my company 20 years. I was a stay-at-home mom for five years. So now we're going back 26 years. I walked away from that job making about 160,000 when I left it. So today I know that that's not that much, but back then 26 years ago. Yeah, back then it wasn't, I wasn't living the life of Riley, but it was it was an enough that I had to keep that income, right? It was too little to walk away from and too much to you, you get what I'm saying. Yeah. So P.S. When I was pregnant with my second, I I got to a point where I was like, I don't, I don't want to do this anymore. I asked for a rate, I got a promotion, I got a raise, it wasn't enough. And my boss is like, like, I think you're worth a million dollars, Deb, but I can't pay you what you're worth. I could pay you what the position's worth. It felt like a Jerry Maguire moment, and I'm like, I quit. And then the plan was to like work the last five months because we were having another home built. So, long story short, I was a stay-at-home mom. I loved it for the first two years. I'm like, this is the best I have arrived. And then after two years, I actually had this feeling of guilt. And if you guys know energy, guilt is one of the lowest forms of energy you could possibly have. And the guilt that I felt was am I, how could I love my kids this much? But it's not enough. Not that being a mom wasn't enough, but I felt like a piece of my soul had died, fire, ambition. And all of a sudden, in the first two years, that honeymoon phase of just hanging out with moms and doing whatever and kibbitsing, and I was like, this is not enough for me. And so I started praying and I started journaling, and I didn't know what I wanted to do. And I just started writing things like, I want to own my business, I want to own my life, I want to travel, I want to develop leaders, I want to live on my own terms, I want a merit-based business, I want to get paid for my effort, all of these things. And then I'm at a backyard barbecue, and I believe what you're looking for is looking for you.

unknown 4:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:27

And there's a complete stranger there. And we're making conversation. What do you do? What do you do? And then all of a sudden she told me what she did. So I seemed interested because that's what normal people do. And then it clicked what she did for a living. And I'm like, oh my gosh, because I showed interest, this woman thinks I want to do this business, and I don't want to do this business. I'm too good for this. Mine, you're at a backyard barbecue with my Louis Vuitton and my overalls. And what I left out is I needed to make 50,000. I needed. So when I quit and walked away from the 160, I was babysitting some kids.

SPEAKER_02 5:05

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:05

That's right. I'm now I'm a stay-at-home mom. I have four kids, six-year-old, four-year-old, my twins are one and a half, and I'm watching seven kids under the age of five. And I thought I was above what she I was wiping butts for a living. And I thought she was above, I was above. And then she not only shared the business with me, but she casted a vision for me. And most people today share their products, they share with their brain, they share with logistics. And I said no four times before. I don't know what she said, but all of a sudden my life was spinning and it looked big and it looked bold and it looked colorful. And I was like, this is the answer to my prayers. I have no idea how I'm going to do this, but I will build to the top of this company. I you're such a great storyteller.

SPEAKER_01 5:58

So it's it's uh I love storytellers. I love all the detail that you share too. I think there's many things that you share, but one of the things that I think um I hear all the time is just is like this guilt for wanting more. And it's not just at the earlier stages. I mean, there are women who are making a lot of money every month and they're like, but but I should be happy. And it's like, because I want to is a complete sentence, right? You get to decide what you want. You don't, you don't have to apologize or and I think I think you just hit on something there. Um I also love what you said. In fact, you said no four times. So everyone out there listening, we all know, right? You have to keep following up.

SPEAKER_00 6:40

It's more than the follow-up to, you know, what I've learned and I've and I've seen in my 20 years of building this business, and every everybody teaches a different thing, but it's like, you know, one of the things we teach is to get in front of 40 faces, like in other words, tell the story to at least 40 people a month. Yeah. And I I I feel that most people will be like, you should they could have easily been like check mark, talk to somebody at a barbecue. Like, are we looking to check off a box? That's 100%. Or are we looking to get inside somebody's heart and soul?

SPEAKER_01 7:13

That's it a hundred percent. And this is in alignment with what you were sharing um in the book, in terms of what is the intention or energy behind what you're doing, right? Is it is it about checking the box or is it about hey, I have something that can change your life and I know this can help you? And that's the energy, right?

SPEAKER_00 7:32

And most people like I live in New Jersey now, but I'm from Long Island. So you could take the girl off Long Island, you can never take the Long Island out of the girl, okay? And so when she was talking, and I'm a very um, I don't have a poker face. So as she's talking to me, my immediate energy without saying anything was if you could get out of my personal space, that would be awesome. So, and I'm a very kind person, but like I know that that was my energy. So she could have most people when they get um rejection or they feel that energy, they pull back. Yeah, they pull back. And and she leaned in. She's no longer in the business, she's been out of the business for for a long time, um, which is another, which is another whole topic is people like nopline left. Okay. They're grown adults, they could do whatever they want. Yes, and I think a lot of people hold their success onto that. And once somebody shared the opportunity with me and I signed up, anything she did after that was gravy. She owed me nothing. Yes, I love that. I totally agree with you.

SPEAKER_01 8:36

Yes, so good. What about with you? You got in, you had great success in the first five months. Can you share a little bit about what contributed to that? Like, what did what did you have to solve? What was the biggest bottleneck to come in and just hit the ground running and create that success?

SPEAKER_00 8:53

Well, one of the things is my husband at the time was working a job that was giving him literally anxiety attacks and he was driving his car off of the road. And I'm someone like I've learned through my personal growth to become a lot softer. But I was like, like I couldn't even understand why this was happening. Like, I'm the type of person that like I can push through stress and anxiety. So I wasn't really, but long story short, one of the things I realized, like if I don't do something, we're gonna have a problem here because I was making $50,000 babysitting, but you know what that was paying for? Oh, gymnastics, oh, you know, we're having a barbecue. Oh, I used to love to have like the Easter bunny. I used to pay the Easter bunny $300 to walk through the door for 15 minutes and hand my kids the baskets. Like I I love that stuff. Like it was it was the extras, it was not supporting a household. And so I was like, I need to get to $20,000 a month as quick as humanly possible. And so that drove me. And I also realized my kids were young at the time. And I was like, you know, one of the things I was thinking about was like, how what's the plan for college? Like, what is the plan for college? And then I thought about it and I was like, now I'm very blessed. All my kids are 4.0 students, they all got merit. So we get this thing, like I know you live in the US too, but people if they're listening, they don't live in the US. You know, my kids' college without merit is close to $100,000. And so because of their good grades, it would bring down, you know, to about $50,000, but it was still $50,000. So long story short, I'm like, I need a million dollars to put four kids through college. I need one million dollars. I actually hate the word need, but it would require one million dollars. So I had a big sign, which I think I talked about in the book too, wrote out one million dollars. And every time I didn't feel like picking up the phone, and every time I felt like cutting a corner, or anytime I felt like arriving because I had this amazing team and massive momentum that I was like, I have enough to keep myself busy. I was like a million dollars, Deb. And every time I had an obstacle or somebody quit or somebody insulted me or somebody judged me, I would hear that quiet voice that said, What are you willing to do?

SPEAKER_01 11:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:08

A million dollars.

SPEAKER_01 11:10

Yeah, I love what are you willing to do?

SPEAKER_00 11:13

Like, I I didn't join this to make $200 a month. Now, the great thing about our industry is you can. I was like, I'll just watch another kid. Like I'd rather shave my eyebrows. Like, I'm not, I'm not here for that. Like, I'm either gonna, if I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do this.

SPEAKER_01 11:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:28

And and and another thing was like I read, I wanted to like read about not only the people that were making millions of dollars, but I wanted to read about the people that quit, the people that say they failed. And I say failed in parentheses because I believe anyone can succeed, but I do believe it is more challenging for some people because everybody comes in with a different level of discipline, confidence, right? Moment, urgency, leadership. Like I was a tennis player my whole life and a competitive athlete. So I knew what it was like to win in the dark.

SPEAKER_02 12:05

Yeah. Right.

SPEAKER_00 12:05

So I'm not saying you have to be an athlete to be successful, but we all come to the table with different things. So I read about the people that walked away, and I was like, okay, there's I need to outwork everyone and I need to know people quit this business. And so I never, I was always grateful for my team, but I worked like they could quit tomorrow. And that wasn't a scarcity thing, it was a strategic business plan. I wanted to be in a position that I could love people and lead people for what they were looking for, not drag people so I could get what I was looking for. That is so good.

SPEAKER_01 12:45

I think that is a big problem for a lot of women and people in the industry where they're so attached to what their team is able to produce. And when your team feels like you need them, that's not a good dynamic, right? Right.

SPEAKER_00 12:59

It's really and I love the community, like people thrive better in community. And I do think teams rise and fall on leadership. So amen. Right. So we know that our leadership plays a huge role in in the success of other people, but at the same time, I can't, I'm not anybody's boss. I can't, I my goal is to inspire people that they want to do it themselves, not just motivate them for, you know, they get off a good call or they go to a good conference or or whatever. So I just knew early on, work consistently. So you never have to work constantly. And what we see in a profession like this is you hear people say, I think I need to rebuild, I think I need to rebuild. It's like nobody says in a corporate job, oh, I think I have to start going to work again.

unknown 13:49

Right.

SPEAKER_00 13:50

No, nobody says that. I mean, what's what do you what do you mean, rebuild? Who told you to stop building? When did you think you arrived? And people are arriving really early today. They're like hashtag dream life. I'm like, dream life. You live in a nightmare. What do you mean, dream life? What is a dream life? Because if you can't live on what you have for an extended period of time, it's not a dream life, you know? Uh oh, that's so, so good.

SPEAKER_01 14:16

I love what you just said too, like on your way up, really having that vision at the forefront, that million dollars, and asking yourself, what am I willing to do? But also all those things that you just named, it's I think it's about a willingness to feel like you were willing to feel embarrassed, discomfort, defeat, all of those emotions that feel so uncomfortable, right? Um, and being an athlete, I think you, to your point, you had some experience in having to show up through the hard and the loss and the failure. So um I really love that example. Can you talk about a specific season where you really stepped into team building? Or did you really start that from the very beginning of your business?

SPEAKER_00 14:59

Very beginning. Okay. The reason I grew so quickly, like you could say belief and vision and work ethic, I started building teams immediately. Like I, you know, what I love about my company, and I'm sure many companies out there were a hybrid of direct selling and network marketing. Yeah. So, but my passion is not selling. In fact, when I was introduced to the profession, I'm like, I've never sold a thing in my life. So one of the questions I get all the time is what do you lead with, the business or the products? Now, I feel I sell the best products on the planet, which everybody should feel the same way about their company.

SPEAKER_02 15:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:36

But if if there was only the opportunity to sell products, that's it. I'm out. I'm out. I, it's a vehicle for me. Yeah, I love the products. Everybody's gonna be buying these products anyway. I want to educate them of the difference of mine versus somebody else, some other product, but I'm gonna lead with the business. I I don't believe people are going to bed, as much as like I'm in the health and wellness space. I think a lot of people obviously today want to be healthy and wealthy, healthy, but I don't think people are going to bed praying about their wrinkles. They're going to bed praying how they're going to retire, how are they going to pay for weddings, how are they going to put their kids through school? How are they, how are they going to survive? I mean, even if somebody says to me, I don't know if I could afford that product, I'm like, then you really need to take a look at my business. Like, I'll lean right in. So bad. So I've led with the business and have built very big, very strong from day one. From day one.

SPEAKER_01 16:39

I I definitely agree. I think the business opportunity is the hero product for sure. That's how I built my business too. Did do you find either in the beginning or even now? So do you have people who then come in straight for the business without having tried the products, or do you have most of your business builders first have a product experience?

SPEAKER_00 16:59

Um, I've definitely had people come in. Um, I don't say without trying the products, I'm like, oh, take this home. We need to use this, you know, take this home. Right, right, right. And in that interim, they're like, yep. But they've they understood like the years of longevity. The I remember when I left, so I was introduced to my business, I left with product. She's like, you have to use this. You are gonna love this. Like they are, it's the best. And I remember like reading the stats, and at the comp at the time the company was in business 27 years, and now they're whatever, you know, obviously in the mid-40s. And yeah, and I I was like, look at the numbers, look at the growth, look at the opportunity. We haven't gone global yet. Look at this business model, look at the way you make money. I remember taking the products and I'm like, dear lord, please, as long as I have a face in the face. And and I ended up totally loving the products. And if you were to come in my home, if my company sells it, I have it. You know, that's another thing. People like, you know, do we have to buy, you know, you don't have to get started with with product, but if my company sells it, I own it. I want to be a walking billboard of my product. So I have had people, and then I've also had people that say, you know what, I don't think the business is for me, or I don't see myself doing that, or blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, great, what can we get you started with today? And they get started on the products, and there's been many times that people are like, what am I doing? I'm watching you grow, I'm watching you travel, I'm watching you live your best life. And I'm like, this is not for me. I'm like, what about it? It's not for you.

SPEAKER_02 18:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:34

And so then they end up joining. But my goal for them is that they see the power in it right away. But but not everybody does. Everybody doesn't, I get more no's than I get yeses. And a lot of people don't realize that they'll see a top earner and they'll be like, oh, that everybody must say yes. No, I get more no's than yeses.

SPEAKER_01 18:55

Yeah, I I love that concept of like focusing on the next yes. It doesn't matter when you're in sales and recruiting is selling.

SPEAKER_00 19:03

A no to me is a not now, or I don't know enough, or sometimes it's a no, and that's fine. I'm not, it's not personal to me. You know, my my I think a lot of people in this industry, or if they think about getting in this industry, their biggest fear is somebody saying no to them. Like how, like they take it very personal. Yeah, and so my fear is not saying no to me. My fear is somebody looking at me and saying, Deb, why didn't you tell me how big this really was? Why did you play it so small when you shared it with me? Oh, I love that. Most people play it really small, they shy away and they slither away at objection. And that's why it's not working for them. It's not just being willing to do more, it's willing to become more, to become the person that people want to join and follow.

SPEAKER_01 19:53

I love that. Can you say more about that? What does that mean? What does that look like? Because I think you just hit on something huge here.

SPEAKER_00 19:59

You know, to really succeed in the and and not it's probably any profession, but I'm in right, this profession. We all come to the table with something special and unique, but we need to change. Change is the only constant. And you know, from working with John Maxwell, leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less.

SPEAKER_02 20:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:21

Okay. So it's not about how hard you work. It's, I mean, obviously, work ethic plays a part in it, but it's having the ability to influence people to join, to work, yes, to sell, to stay, to promote. It's influence, it's coaching people. And when you're sharing the opportunity, it's being passionate enough and knowledgeable enough and belief and having the energy. I mean, I've had people say, I don't even know what you're selling, but I'm in.

SPEAKER_01 20:55

But I'm in.

SPEAKER_00 20:56

But I'm in. And it's and what it is is it's influence. That it's it's the way that I show up, the way certain people show up. It's not luck. Luck, we've all heard this is you know, opportunity dressed in overalls and a lot of work. When I started this business, I practiced the opportunity over and over and over and over again. I would line up my kids, I would line up pillows, I'd record myself, I'd watch myself. And at the end, I was like, Dev, would you join you? And sometimes it would be like, yes. And sometimes it would be like, yeah, no, no. I felt it's not the words that you say, it's how you make somebody feel. It's it's how you make somebody feel, and that comes from becoming, like becoming the person, you know, people like I'm just not an excited person. Well, you can continue to tell yourself that story. You don't have to be me, you don't have to be you, but you have to be your best version of who you are. People want to join excitement, they want to join. Visionaries. They want to be a part of something special and moving and sexy. Speed is sexy. Like when people like, you don't have to go fast. No. Do you want to get on a bus that, you know, let's say there's two buses, and one says, I'll be in New York City in 90 minutes. They're going to go the speed limit. Okay. And then the other bus says, I'm going to get to, I'm going to get to Manhattan in two and a half weeks because I'm going to take the slow road to China. Nobody wants to get on that bus. So the reality is, is speed is not everything. But when you're consistent and you create momentum and you do the ass and you're in activity and you do all these things, then that influence just becomes contagious. And people want to be a part of that. But most people in this business, and when you guys hear this, listeners, this should encourage you. But it's like most people don't want to become. I did miss some nights of tucking him in, but I just funded his college and his wedding. And I don't say that to impress anyone, but to impress upon you, every choice has a consequence or a rule.

SPEAKER_01 23:41

That's so good. I love what you said about the passion that your certainty and belief will sell on your behalf, right? Your certainty, your passion, your belief in the vision, that energy is magnetic. It's contagious. People want to be a part of it. I also loved how you said that you practiced. I did that too. John calls it the love of the dress rehearsal, but like, you know, you practice, you don't just show up at the event or the barbecue not being practiced. And I think people want the end result, but they don't want to go through the reps. You know, I was um leading um a retreat in Punta Kana with a a number of six six and multi-six figure earners. And several of them, we were talking about when someone asks you what you do, what do you say? And several of them are like, well, I feel kind of weird saying what I do. And I'm like, what is happening here? We've got to shift this. Like, if you don't feel excited in belief and confident in sharing the business opportunity, this is a problem, right? And to your point, like raising your standards, it sounds great, but it feels awful, right? It's so uncomfortable. I wanted to ask you more about that. Um, let's actually go there right now. What is what does it mean to raise your standards for someone who's already crushing it? For someone who's already successful, already disciplined. Like what does that look like? Or what is that?

SPEAKER_00 25:06

Having the next goal. You know, the the most dangerous place to be as a leader is very successful.

SPEAKER_01 25:15

Oh, safe. Can you say more about that? Because I coach on this a lot. Safe more place.

SPEAKER_00 25:20

It's a very dangerous place because if if our why doesn't grow, we get comfortable. If our pain points aren't there anymore, we get complacent. Right? So it's like a lot of times your why makes you work. And when we become successful, I don't think people do it intentionally, but we could become entitled. And we could end up relying on our team. It's like, oh, we've arrived. And then it's like all of a sudden we notice because why isn't this person doing this? And why isn't this person doing that? Why? It's almost like we've become entitled.

SPEAKER_02 25:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:57

And no matter what level you're at, we're we're human beings, we're always in motion. We're either moving forward or we're moving backward. So when you have that level of crazy success, especially in this profession, what comes up must go down.

SPEAKER_01 26:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:16

And so that's why it's so important to have the next goal. Because when we don't have a goal, we end up strategizing with our team versus leading our team. And I'll give you an example of two different conversations. Like when you have a goal and you're hungry and you're obsessed and you can't sleep, that people think like, oh, that does something to my nervous system. I'm like, Yeah, it's called growth. I don't know what this whole thing is with our nervous system, our nervous system, our nervous system. Like stop. Okay. So when you have that uncomfortable feeling, you're like on the phone, I'm like, you could do it. You know, like I could, you could call somebody that said, I'm throwing out numbers, like they're at a thousand dollars in sales to the month, like, you can do 10, you can do it, and you're coaching them. That's what it sounds like when you have a big goal. Otherwise, it's like, I'm here if you need me. Let me know if you have anybody that needs to talk. I'm here. Anything you need, I just want to let you know that I'm here and I really believe in you. Two different conversations, two very different results. When we're in the driver's seat and we're hungry for the next level, we rise by lifting others. Yeah, we don't sit. When we sit, we end up like pushing people away. And that's why it's so important, even when we when we grow to any management rank, that none of us, including myself, when I grew to the top of my company, I didn't grow there on skill. Of course I had skills, but I grew there on will. I was willing to do anything, literally anything. And so what happens when we promote to that rank is we need to realize we haven't formed habits, and neither is our team. Like they were in this crazy momentum and doing things, and it's the clothes and they're selling the dream. But if we all of a sudden stop that atmosphere, they don't know what to do. They haven't formed the habits yet. They were following the leader. And that's when, like, if you like think about this, like a rocket ship taking off, takes off with all this energy and momentum and it gets up into orbit. But if it goes in docks, that's what happens when a lot of leaders promote to a level. Like when I promoted to the top of my company, the number one thing I realized, and it wasn't negativity or scarcity, I'm like, everybody could quit tomorrow. And so I just kept going, like I never got to the top of the company. I just kept building, like I never got to the top of the company. And I'm so grateful. I did a training, we're at our our top leadership thing last January, and I showed a picture. When we grew to the top, we we have these things like you took pictures of your team and you wrote your story. Now I grew to the top strong. I grew to the top wide, and I was like, just so you guys know, the only people left in those pictures that are still standing today is my family and one person.

SPEAKER_01 29:02

Never stop building.

SPEAKER_00 29:03

So if I and I didn't like just get there, like I blew through the qualifications, but it's what happens following a promotion that really dictates your long-term success. Anyone can get there with enough fire and willingness that's building those skills. And I kind of got off from your topic, but it's really dangerous to arrive. And I hear people say all the time, like, I don't know what happened, or people couldn't maintain a management level. Maybe it's the industry. Um, no, it's not. We've become very entitled. I don't know where anybody in corporate America that gets a promotion, like, you know what, I got a promotion. I think I'm gonna, I think I'm just gonna take off for the next three weeks because I got promoted.

unknown 29:44

Right.

SPEAKER_00 29:45

The same thing. Like, why your boss would fire you.

SPEAKER_02 29:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:49

So, like, you need to raise the standard, like you own and operate a business. Like, if if if you worked for you, your level of effort, the time you put in, the goals you set, what would you pay that person if they actually were on your payroll? You know, when people have said to me, my check has gone down, I'm like, Well, you're overpaid, your effort's gone down.

SPEAKER_01 30:12

So good.

SPEAKER_00 30:14

Divide that hourly, you are overpaid.

SPEAKER_01 30:18

Tell it like it is. I like it. I'm here for it.

SPEAKER_00 30:21

I do.

SPEAKER_01 30:22

I do tell it like it is. I really do love it. I think I even think like, you know, the ultimate leader, Jesus, he spoke truth and love. Right? Yep. It was it was a combination of both. For you now, do you have a what is the what are the leadership rhythms look like for you in your own business, either daily or weekly? What are those constant things that really help you stay rooted in who you want to be in Bacon and also in just in the activity?

SPEAKER_00 30:51

Um, the the the number one thing for me is I'm constantly sponsoring personally into my business. That keeps me in love. And when I'm in love, because love is the ultimate energy.

SPEAKER_01 31:05

Yes, the highest vibration, highest vibration.

SPEAKER_00 31:08

Okay. And so when we are always in love, then leadership becomes really authentic and really truthful. Like I always tell people, if you at any point resent your team, then you need to take a good hard look in the mirror because you're not doing enough. We we've become, and trust me, I would be lying if I didn't say that. I didn't have moments of when I anything I'm saying, I I felt, and that's when I look in the mirror and I'm like, Deb, you you could do more. You could do more. Let's take the mirror and put it really, really close up to your face. So, like I always make it a point to lead from the front because I believe it's the only way to lead, and it keeps me on the field, it keeps me relevant, especially being in the business 20 years and I'm I'm 54 years old. So there's new things that are done now that I have to figure out. Like, even yesterday I was trying to figure stuff out. My my podcast that has just been a podcast is now going to be a YouTube channel.

SPEAKER_01 32:08

Oh, fine.

SPEAKER_00 32:09

And I was gonna ask my son to set it up, and he's like, I could do it in two seconds. I'm like, no, I have to figure this stuff out. Like technology and me, we don't get along, but I have to figure out how to be friends. I was asking ChatGBT, and then I was like, you're not explaining it clearly because I don't get it.

SPEAKER_01 32:25

Like treat me like a third grader chat GPT.

SPEAKER_00 32:27

Right. So I I want to stay relevant, I want to know how to do things so I can truly teach people. And so then then, because I feel so blessed, my business has really, you know, I have a big business after 20 years. I have the the luxury of coaching and leading the people that want it.

SPEAKER_01 32:46

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 32:47

Instead of convincing people that they should.

SPEAKER_01 32:52

Can you say more about that? How do you coach, mentor, duplicate without micromanaging? What is that? What is it how is that? I don't do it.

SPEAKER_00 33:04

I just don't do it. I am, you know, it's one of those things where someone's like, oh, you know, I'm gonna be directed to Debbie Neil. I'm like, that could be your best thing or your your worst nightmare. And sometimes, and I say that because my goal is to create independent leaders, not codependent leaders.

SPEAKER_01 33:20

Oh, yes, I love that.

SPEAKER_00 33:21

And I I think a lot of times people think, oh, the more you do for someone, the the stronger your business is, but it's not because it can't it can't scale. Right, right? It can't scale. So I don't really have I'm really big on systems, but I don't one of the questions I get all the time is how long do you work with somebody? I don't really have an answer to that because I work with someone that has drive and wants it, and they've got they gotta call me more than I'm calling them. They'll never work their business, but I'm gonna work with somebody till I find vision, either in them or somebody that they bring in. Because workers get tired, visionaries don't.

SPEAKER_01 34:01

Yes, that's really so.

SPEAKER_00 34:03

Once I help somebody develop a vision or find somebody that they know with vision, then I can start leveraging my time. But until then, I think that's what people do though. They're like, I did two events with them, they're good. I'm like, like I'm I'm willing to do more. So there's not like a yeah, an exact formula. Yeah, but I'm a network marketer, so it's not just about people that I personally enroll. It's I want to work their network.

SPEAKER_01 34:31

A hundred that right there. Ding ding ding. It's like we work. People miss that too.

SPEAKER_00 34:36

Yeah, like they're having an event, they could do it. I'm like, what are you doing home? How bad do you want this? Like get in your car, like we've gotten really lazy this world since 2020. Like everything can be done over, everything can't be done over, and I will I will die on that hill. But you know, every company went through some attrition after the big thing of 2020, like everybody did. Yeah, and but the people that stayed are the people that like I have community with, I have relationship with, I've been in their home, I know the color of their carpet, I know their why, like they're they're connected, connected. Like I get on planes if I bring people into this business. I I get I'm not above that because I know I might be people like, well, you're just gonna fly out to let's say Texas or Canada to do one event. I go, it's not one event. I'm gonna have coffee with that person, I'm gonna have breakfast with that person, I'm gonna get to know their hopes, their dreams, and I'm gonna sit with them for 24 hours and I'm gonna know exactly what's holding them back. So it's like people are just not making that time investment. Yeah, and I will.

SPEAKER_01 35:44

I love your, I mean, wow. I I mean, uh, I love what you just said. It really is, it's not just saying that you value someone or you want to help them, it's putting your money where your mouth is.

SPEAKER_00 35:56

And your time, because frankly, you know, I put my time, I could smell commitment. Yeah, I could sniff it out. I'm not, I'm not getting on a plane flying to another country, and I'm not, you know, I've had people like, you know, would you coach me? And I'm like, Yeah, you haven't been on the last three calls that I've done.

SPEAKER_01 36:14

Right.

SPEAKER_00 36:15

No, like I'm not it and it's not punishing them, but I'm not, I want to teach them the system for success. And the system is is plugging in. Plugging in is a huge part of it. But you know, it's amazing even today how many people plug in with their camera off. Why? Yeah, like I I jet people like, you know, I'm driving. Why are you driving? What if I had a meeting in a hotel room right now? Or like I'm making spaghetti. Why are you making spaghetti right now? Why? It's like coming into a meeting with a bag over your head. Like you want to be seen. You I mean, that's that's kind of like 101 when I started my business, like be up front, be seen. Be up front, be seen. Like I would get there early and be in the front seat. Yeah, whoever was given the meeting. I remember going to meetings and I'm like, I don't even know what they're talking about, but I'm here. I'm in. You know, I was just so grateful and in the front seat.

SPEAKER_01 37:05

Which is another, I think, commonality of some of the top layers. And I know you were you shared in your book that gratitude is one of your values, and I think that that's so, so key. You know, you just said something and it made me think when you say plugging in, what what is the infrastructure you have with your team? Are you doing like a weekly team call and then yeah, and are there other things that you question I did a lot?

SPEAKER_00 37:29

I do a weekly team call, but you know, so at my level, there's several people, like lots of people at my level. Right. And not all of them speak English. So some of them do their own calls, right? Like, and that's that's fine. Like I want them to, they I'm always there. I have a big mother page where they could always know where I'm speaking. Yeah, but I also encourage them to do your own thing. Like it's totally fine. So I do a weekly call, but then once a month, I have higher level leadership calls that they could that they could plug into.

SPEAKER_01 38:02

Love that. So you have a system there. So, question for you. I I ask this on every podcast. Um, I'd love to know what would you say for a veteran leader, a veteran network marketer who feels stuck. What advice would you give to him or her?

SPEAKER_00 38:19

Well, I think the first piece of advice I would give is you don't need a different opportunity. You need a better version of you. I think we're living in a world today that people feel stuck, so they're shopping. Now, I'm not here to judge, and maybe it is time for some people to make other moves. But sometimes, you know, we've heard this saying those who look on the outside dream, those who look on the inside awaken. So I think instead of that's so good. I've never heard that before.

SPEAKER_01 38:46

Oh, I love that.

SPEAKER_00 38:47

I definitely didn't make it up. It's so funny because I said it the other day, and somebody's like, I think you made that up. I go, No, I don't think so.

SPEAKER_01 38:52

I don't know, but maybe you'll I'll go, I'll fact check it.

SPEAKER_00 38:54

I think it's a quote. Um, but a lot of people are looking at their company, they're looking at their team, they're looking at the environment, they're looking on social media, and they're not looking inside. And the very thing that built every veteran in this business is fire and belief and vision. And without that, you will be stuck. You will be stuck. You have to figure out how to relight your fire and get back to work. And it also, you mentioned the word gratitude. We need to have some serious gratitude for the business. When was the last time you took out a journal and every single day wrote down what this business or industry has done for you in the last X amount of years? There are people, whether it's being retired, pay for colleges, groceries, whatever level, right? What you're grateful for multiplies. And what you're not grateful for, you will lose. And that's the thing. People are in blaming mode, they're in justifying mode. I think we're living in a very distracted world. Instead of just putting your head down, building the basics and getting to work, I think people are spending a lot of time with people that also have a lot of stuff to complain about. And your circle matters. My circle is small. It is. My circle is small. And the people who know me in my company and out of my company, I will not participate in any negativity. And there are times where I'm like not feeling great about different things, but I will journal them, I will take them to Jesus, but I will not take them to any. I think when somebody talks to anybody else, whether it's in their business, in their success line, in which your downline, whatever people call it, or friend, that is selfish and poor leadership. How dare you? And people like they're my friend. I go, you're not their friend. You are poisoning them to the industry and the company. And so those people, they're not in. I might say hello to them. I might smile, but they're not in my network. They're not in my circle of influence. We are living in a in a blame justification mode. And those most of those veterans, at one point, they worked in the dark. They didn't know anything that was going on in social media. They had no idea who was working, who wasn't working. They just found joy in what they were doing and they built it out of love.

SPEAKER_01 41:28

Yeah. That's a great answer. Um, I love that advice of practice, actively practicing gratitude for what you have, for what the industry has created for you. Not only is it just a beautiful practice to feel gratitude and joy, but it's a great precursor to marketing to share about all the things that you know the business has done for you. Um so much gold on today's show. I mean, you are incredible. Where tell us more? Well, let's let me just say um, if you don't have Debbie's book, Level Up Your Leadership. So, so good. Great stories, of course. You're an excellent story. We love stories, but there's there it there's a lot of tactical uh goodness in the book, too. So if you don't have it, pick it up. Tell us all the places where we can connect with you.

SPEAKER_00 42:18

Um Instagram, Facebook, and I am on Instagram, okay, Debbie underscore Neil. I am on Facebook, Debbie Neil. I am gonna and my podcast you can find on any level up your level up with Debbie Neils on any podcast platform. And starting with the new series that I just started the beginning in July, which is gonna be a whole year of raising our standards movement. Every week we're gonna be talking about an area of our life that we can be raising our standards. I'm actually gonna put those videos, like just like we're doing now, because I just record a podcast, they'll be on YouTube.

SPEAKER_01 42:52

Oh, that's so fun. And we didn't even mention, hopefully, we're allowed to mention there's something else that's coming.

SPEAKER_00 42:59

They'll I am in the process of writing the next book. So I don't think it'll be born for a year. Okay. Um, but I am in the process because I already know, I already have all the chapters and I've already started writing it. So that is coming.

SPEAKER_01 43:12

That's so fun. Well, I will be sure to tag everything in the show notes and so everyone can find you and just appreciate you so so much for being here today.

SPEAKER_00 43:18

Well, today was a lot of fun. Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_01 43:20

Pleasure. Okay, guys, if this episode resonated, be sure to share on social media and tag us, and we'll see you next time. If you're a six-figure network marketing leader and you know your recruiting and duplication systems need a revamp, this is exactly the work I do in my private one-on-work chain. I help established leaders become the mentor their dream team is looking for so that growth becomes duplicatable, scalable, and sustainable without the burnout. If this episode resonated, you can apply for a free mini session using the link in the show notes. We'll look at your current systems and goals, identify what's actually creating the ceiling in your business, and map out the top three shifts that will position you to double your monthly income.