Austin Zulauf is someone special. He has been the #1 Earner in 3 separate companies and built a team of 34,000 paid members in 1 year. He is a documetented 7-figure earner and a published author. He is also a professional hypnotist, quotes Lao Tzu and can do nothing at all for 9 days… In our opinion Austin Zulauf is one of the most talented and the most extraordinary people in the whole MLM world.
Austin Zulauf: Sincere desire + study + consistent positive action = success!
HELLO AUSTIN. THANK YOU FOR ACCEPTING OUR INVITATION. I’S GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE AT RANKINGMLM.COM!
Totally my pleasure, Peter! Thanks for having me.
AUSTIN, YOU STRUCK ME AS A VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD PERSON, SO LET ME ASK YOU A STRAIGHTFORWARD QUESTION AT THE BEGINNING. YOUR BUSINESS MOTTO: „FUN, FREEDOM & FRIENDSHIP”. AT FIRST SIGHT, IT LOOKS MORE LIKE A GROUND RULE FOR HIPPIES THAN A BUSINESS FILOSOPHY. I MEAN, ON THE ONE HAND WE HAVE THESE THREE VALUES, ON THE OTHER ONE IT IS „SWIMMING WITH SHARKS” IN THE BUSINESS WORLD. HOW CAN THESE TWO VIEWPOINTS BE RECONCILED? HOW DO YOU DO IT? AND HOW COME ARE YOU SO EFFECTIVE?
LOL! Well, I can definitely see your point. How I feel is, even though there are sharks out there, a whale doesn’t fear them. A whale is peaceful even in the midst of sharks because a whale thinks bigger, he IS bigger and often, sharks are just concerned about the meal in front of them.
I start with vision…a vision for my end result, my end goal. I stay focused on that no matter what arises and I make it a point to enjoy the process of getting there. Time will pass, challenges will arise, there will always be unexpected things occur and even having unexpected things occur is expected and when you know where you’re headed and why and your vision is strong enough, all of those things along the way are just part of the story. You may as well enjoy it because the other option is to be miserable and who wants that?
Fun, freedom and friendship…Those are things I want and I find most people do and since we’re a mind with a body, we can choose each one of those things. I’ve been a friend to people that considered me an enemy because they didn’t know any better but I come from a position of strength, not fear. Fun, freedom and friendship are everyone’s birth right, they just need to claim them.
By the way, I’ve also proven that I can swim with the sharks as well. It’s good to be versatile enough to do what’s necessary for the moment and when you come from a position of strength at all times, you don’t have to react harshly, rather just handle the situation appropriately.
AUSTIN, I THINK IT WOULD BE FAIR TO SAY THAT YOU ARE OFTEN DESCRIBED AS „A CONTROVERSIAL FIGURE” IN THE NETWORK MARKETING INDUSTRY. WHY IS THAT?
LOL! Well, I’m not totally sure why someone would say that other than my way of thinking may not blend in with the crowd. I live a mostly stress free life because I believe everything pretty much just works out well for me. Not because I’m privileged, not that at all! I work VERY hard but most of the work I do is work on MYSELF. Mental, spiritual, skillset etc. and I’ve found that when I add value to myself then share that value in abundance with others, good things happen for me.
I saw a quote one day that read “If you truly love the world, the world will truly love you back!”. I’ve found this to be true, however, I’m not ignorant to the fact that there are people hurting out there and “hurt people, hurt people”, so I try to inspire folks to mend the hurt they feel as well.
You described my philosophy as almost “hippie-like” before and I could see where that partially could be true. After all, peace and love are things most people would revere if they felt, wouldn’t you say?
HOW DO YOU CREATE YOUR PERSONAL BRAND?
A LOT of personal development lol…I believe that which you share, multiples and that which you withhold, diminishes. With that in mind, I’m in a constant learning and personal growth state. I take what I learn and what I realize, I stay congruent with my message of betterment across all platforms and even while having in person conversations and I don’t take days off because this isn’t work for me, it’s my purpose.
I use every way of getting information out that I can : social media, video, speaking on stages, interviews and even this forum. In the book The Greatest Salesman in The World, Og Mandino writes about these secret ancient scrolls. One of them says “enter the world with love in your heart”. I feel like when you do that and it’s part of what people think of when they think of your brand, they’ll want to come back IF you’re also adding incredible value to their lives that they can actually use. Not just hype or fluff.
I THINK THAT YOU WILL AGREE WITH ME IF I SAY THAT SPORT IS BASED ON ONE THING: COMPETITION. FOLLOWING THAT LOGIC, WE CAN SAY THAT WORK IS BASED ON EFFECTIVENESS, FRIENDSHIP ON TRUST AND ADVERTISING ON HAPPINESS, FOR INSTANCE. HOW ABOUT NETWORK MARKETING? WHAT IS THE ONE THING THAT NETWORK MARKETING IS BASED ON?
That’s a good question! It’s not based on one thing but if I had to say one thing, I’d have to say it’s based on someone’s resolve. This profession will show you who you are and who you aren’t. It’ll show you your strengths and where you need to improve. There aren’t really any shortcuts but if there were, I’d say the shortcut would be to learn through the experience of those that have been there.
With that being said, if you’re willing to step up, put in the work and KEEP putting it in then the only possibly outcome is success. Attitude + activities = results. Better yet, Sincere desire + study + consistent positive action = success!
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SALES TECHNIQUE? AND BY THE WAY, IN YOUR OPINION, HOW TO BE INFLUENTIAL WITHOUT BEING MANIPULATIVE?
My favorite sales technique would have to be making a genuine connection through listening and good communication… asking good questions. People don’t like to be sold but they love to buy! So if you LISTEN, ask the right questions and listen some more they’ll tell you how to close them and the point isn’t always to close, but to continue the relationship. Your closing ratio on a long enough time line can go WAY up! Don’t be hasty, there’s great reward in someone who can keep their patience.
As far as being influential, just add a boat load of value without necessarily asking for anything in return. You do that consistently and generously, you’ll gain the influence you need with the right people.
AUSTIN, WHAT IS THE BUSINEESS FAILURE THAT YOU MOST CHERISH AND WHY? WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM IT?
Well, I’ve had A LOT of business hiccups along the way MLM LOL! I think every successful people has. However, I lost over $2 million in one year due to trusting the wrong people with investments so now, I’m way more careful who I trust with investments. Not as willing to take major risks with my earnings either. It was a lesson I needed to learn, for sure.
Austin Zulauf: I want to change the world, that’s all! Make it a better world for this and future generations.
YOU HAVE ALSO ACHIEVED CONSIDERABLE SUCCESS AS A WRITER. PLEASE TELL OUR READERS ABOUT THAT? BY THE WAY, ARE YOU PLANNING ANOTHER BOOK?
My book, Acting Classes: Design Your Dream Self, Attract Your Dream Life, shows people how they can design their dream selves as if they’re designing a role in a movie. Then explains how they can slip into that role, therefore becoming that very best version of themselves and attracting their very best life. It works and I know this because that’s what I did. I’ve got another book I’m working on here and there but it’s not a top priority right now. I’m sure I’ll write a couple more though, eventually.
OK, RIGHT NOW, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THIS QUESTION DIRECTLY TO MR. AUSTIN ZULAUF, THE WELL RESPECTED COACH AND TRAINER IN SELF-DEVELOPMENT. HOW COME IS IT SO HARD TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF?
Why wouldn’t it be difficult? Most of us have been conditioned our whole lives to be mediocre and to play it safe. We’re fighting years, perhaps generations of mental conditioning. We have a certain belief system about the world and about ourselves. People who try to create a new personal reality and keep the same personality realize that doesn’t work. You literally have to become someone else. It’s not being disingenuous, it’s evolving, it’s growing.
Recognizing limiting beliefs and self-sabotaging habits is a HUGE step! Once you recognize those, you can replace them with better habits and beliefs but it takes conscious effort and time and it’s SO worth it! It’s a lot easier with a coach because they can look at it non-objectively.
AUSTIN, I CAN’T WAIT TO ASK YOU THIS QUESTION. WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 5 BUSINESS BOOKS? THE ONES THAT HAVE REALLY CHANGED YOU AND SHAPED YOU AS AN ENTREPRENEUR AND A HUMAN BEING. ALL RIGHT, LET’S GET CRAZY! PLEASE NAME YOUR TOP 10 SPECIAL BOOKS.
1. Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu… So much of business and life is about mindset and I believe this has helped me tremendously with mindset.
2. Believe and Achieve by Samuel Cypert… It’s about W Clement Stone’s 17 success principles and delivers a boat load of value and direction without convoluted junk. It’s easy to understand and apply.
3. Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek… It’s got to be my favorite book on leadership philosophy! John C Maxwell has some great leadership books but this one is IT for me.
4. Growth Hacker Marketing or ANYTHING from Ryan Holiday is great for marketing ideas and inspiration.
5. My First Year In Network Marketing by Mark Yarnell should probably be required reading for someone just starting in this profession.
AUSTIN, WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREE TIME? ARE YOU ALL ABOUT WORK OR ARE YOU MORE A „WORK SMART, NOT HARD” TYPE OF A GUY?
I’m big into self reflection and solitude. I love people, I mean, I REALLY love everybody but I also love myself and truly enjoy time alone. Solitude is my treat for myself. Last year, I took 10 days, went somewhere no one knew where I was, turned my phone off and did NOTHING for 9 of those 10 days. It was incredible. I do a lot of meditating, self-reflecting, creative thinking, dreaming…I kind of life in a world of my own (as everyone does) but I’ve designed this world to be peaceful and loving. I’m super big into personal development, as well.
I’m also a professional hypnotist and enjoy that as well as learning about how the mind works. EVERYTHING is in the mind and reality can be shaped so I enjoy learning more and more about subjects like that.
Austin Zulauf: Solitude is my treat for myself.
WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF NETWORK MARKETING? IN WHAT DIRECTION WILL IT EVOLVE? WHAT WILL IT LOOK LIKE IN TWENTY OR FIFTY YEARS? WILL TECHNOLOGY AFFECT THE INDUSTRY IN ANY WAY OR MAYBE THE ”HUMAN FACTOR”, HUMAN INTERACTIONS WILL ALWAYS BE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING?
That’s a great question too! If I had to say, I’d imagine we’ll go through a period that technology will play a bigger role but human interaction will always be effective. I believe eventually, we’ll get back to enjoying home meetings and personal meetings once we go through that tech phase but more people are learning about the technology they can use to build with than ever before.
One important way we’ll change is we’ll become more PROFESSIONAL. What I mean by that is too many people are involved in this profession and treating it like a hobby. As soon as you introduce the business to someone, you’re partially responsible for their experience. People are starting to learn more and become more responsible with their roles as sponsors and I believe that’s long overdue. It’s time we elevate this profession to the same esteem as doctors and lawyers, it’s our next evolution and it’s all of our responsibility.
AND WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?
I plan on continuing to do my part in elevating this profession but also elevating the minds of everyone I can possibly touch. I plan on AustinZulauf.com being a place for, not only network marketing professionals, but anyone that wants betterment for themselves. I enjoy speaking on stage as well as private interview-like situations, I suppose I just enjoy communicating so I plan on continuing my mission of enlightenment and personal growth for as many people as I can touch by growing my reach, fine-tuning my message and methods while inspiring folks to not take life so seriously but still do all they can to leave the world a better place than when they arrived in the world.
W. Clement Stone said it best : “I want to change the world, that’s all! Make it a better world for this and future generations.”…that’s one of my motivation goals as well.
THANK YOU AUSTIN ZULAUF FOR THIS INTERVIEW. IT’S BEEN A GREAT PLEASURE!
Editorial staff
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