How we love such interviews!!! We simply love to hear about such extraordinary stories and about such extraordinary people. We love to hear about their strength of character, perseverance and how network marketing changes people’s lives. Ladies and gentlemen, today Ranking MLM is proud to present you with one of such stories. Ladies and Gentlemen, today we present you Mr Steve Ottewell!
HELLO STEVE! THANK YOU FOR ACCEPTING OUR INVITATION. WE ARE FLATTERED TO HAVE YOU HERE AT RANKINGMLM.COM! IT IS ALWAYS A GREAT PLEASURE FOR ME TO TALK TO YOU!
Steve Ottewell, ASPIRETOINSPIRE
STEVE, YOUR STORY IS THE STORY OF A MAN WHO OVERCAME MANY ADVERSITIES BEFORE ACHIEVING WHAT HE ACHIEVED. LET’S START FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. IF YOU DON’T MIND, PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND.
Hi Peter, it is an absolute pleasure to speak with you and thank you for the interview invite. Yes, Peter sure, I was raised by my Single Mum along with 3 sisters we had our struggle and challenges making ends meet but even at an early age I was a dreamer. Many times, I would be told stop living in cuckoo land a Northern expression for a land that did not exist.
But nevertheless, Dream I did and continued to do. I left School with zero qualifications because I never paid attention as I had what I call a chip on my shoulder about my dad leaving, although for everyone it was the best thing, he could have done. I was not afraid of hard work as that was all i knew however with zero qualifications, I had to take any job going, which was usually the jobs others would not do. I was still dreaming and achieving some of those dreams. One was to get a motorbike and pass my test which I achieved. I gave 100% to every job I did but what was quite clear was someone doing next to no work in the same job as me would pick up the same cheque at the end of the week which I thought was unfair.
I knew there and then that I had to find something that paid me for my value not my time, just one problem everyone I knew had a job, not one owned their own business so who do I ask? I started picking the brains of the people I worked for so I could start learning more. Which lead to me eventually opening my own Gym with two other partners and my Journey to entrepreneurship had begun or so I thought.
AS A YOUNG MAN YOU STARTED YOUR CAREER AS A BODYBUILDER, WITH GREAT SUCCESS BY THE WAY. PLEASE TELL OUR READERS ABOUT THIS PASSION OF YOURS AND YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS.
I came across bodybuilding as I needed to change my habits as they were not serving me well. I have an addictive personality I think most of us do and I must replace one thing with another, and I needed a healthy addiction to keep me on the straight and narrow. A few friends I worked with said come to the gym and when I did, I have to say fear set in as everyone looked great and here was a skinny young man who looked like a good meal would not go a miss.
They told me about a show coming up called the Mr Universe a Show Arnold Schwarzenegger had won, and as he was one of my inspirations, I thought I best go check it out. I invested in a ticket and attended. I was blown away everyone looked like they had been carved from stone and people looked on at them in a way that got my attention too.
I said to myself I am going to do this I am going to build a physique that will stop people in their tracks, and I had found my passion. I ask many of the Bodybuilders how they got started and they gave me a lot of great advice, which I was able to implement and in 1990 I Entered my first show. I got no call outs and realised I had to up my game to a whole new level which I went on to do. I competed for 15 Years 5 times a Year and Won many Titles at a top Amateur level in the UK.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? WHAT WERE YOUR FIRST STEPS IN BUSINESS?
Next although still no qualifications, but because of the way I looked I was able to get work as a Door Supervisor and my income started raising, I was then able to move up the ladder and become head of security which paid more again, which led me to be able to save funds and with two other friends from the gym we set about setting up our own gym. So, I could live my passion in the day at the gym and work security at nights to pay the bills. My entrepreneurial journey had started or so I thought.
Long story short I was very Naïve in business just passionate however I was soon to realise that the gym was not going to work and the people I was in business with really did not understand business at all. 2 years later I had to make the hard decision to close the gym however I had a taste for busines and had learnt a lot along the way, especially that you are not a true entrepreneur while you’re still working as you have a safety net. In 2003 I cut the net left my security job and set up a Supplement company which did very well.
Steve Ottewell, Network Marketing leader, a customer base of 110,000 in 31 different countries
OK STEVE, AND HOW DID YOU GET INTRODUCED TO NETWORK MARKETING AND, HONESTLY, WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE FOR YOU?
Again an interesting story say I was on a collision course with the network marketing industry, in 2008 I looked and felt great from a fitness perspective and in the previous year had won a top bodybuilding show and plans had already been laid for the 2008 success story, however the powers that be had a different idea and I woke one morning to find I was paralysed down my right arm, after seeing experts I was told a virus had attacked my nervous system and paralysed the arm and I may get feeling back in it in a couple of years or I could be paralysed for life. As much as I respected what the Dr’s said, I said in this day and age I cannot believe there is nothing that can be done so I set off on my mission to sort it and quite quickly it became apparent that the cutting-edge technology was in the network marketing industry. I tried several products without success and had joined a company to be able to get the product at the cheapest price.
I saw and understood the concept of network marketing, however, did not 100 percent believe in the product and in my first 2 years of Network marketing I spent $3,000 and earned $300. It was quite apparent like my bodybuilding that I needed someone who knew what they were doing to mentor or coach me. However, I am an incredibly positive person and as so look for the positives in everything and I met my now Mentor in that company and became a student of his and we went on to do great things together in 2012
AND WHAT IS THE BUSINESS FAILURE – IF YOU HAVE ONE – THAT YOU MOST CHERISH AND WHY? WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM IT?
That would be the Gym we set up, it was a baptism of fire that taught me how much I did not know about business and also taught me you can own a busines, but really it owns you. I also learnt to do your due diligence research everything even the people you are going into business with, however I also learnt connecting with people is the biggest gift you will ever have as because of the connections I made through the Gym I have lifelong friends and business associates who have taught me many things I would never have known.
PLEASE ALSO TELL US WHAT PEOPLE AND EVENTS POSITIVELY AFFECTED YOUR LIFE? BUSINESSLIKE AND OTHERWISE.
I would say the Mr Universe show as it took me on a journey to learn Self-discipline, planning, having a competitive nature and how far I could push myself which was usually a long way further than I initially thought and my coach Adam Shaw, as he taught me that knowledge and action is Power.
In business My first convention as a bit like the universe it became real, I saw the bigger picture and saw what could be achievable with Knowledge skills and action. As a person my Mentor Torsten Sedlmeier who allowed me to dive into his 30 years of skills in the network marketing profession and become a student to mirror what he had achieved.
One of the greatest moments was when I helped my leaders from Hungary earn in a week, what the average monthly wage in their country would have taken them over a year to achieve, it really is humbling when you impact lives on that scale.
END OF PART ONE
Editorial staff
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