Rhonda Clark on MLM Blog Syndication and Meeting Gary Vaynerchuk
Rhonda Clark is a wife, mother of two children, nurse, and network marketer. She had a chance to meet Gary Vaynerchuk recently. Her story.
Thank you for this interview, Rhonda! I’m excited to learn more about you. So, let’s get started!
Where were you born and raised, what was childhood like, and what did you want to be when you ‘grew up?’
I was born in Silver Spring, MD and raised in northern Baltimore County in a small town called Freeland. My dad was a college student at the University of MD when I was born, him and my mom were highschool sweethearts.
He decided to follow his passion, farming, so we moved back to where my mom and dad’s family were from…Freeland, MD.
My childhood was pretty simple. We lived in the middle of the woods surrounded by farmland. The closest neighbor was one half mile in either direction.
I was a child before there were cell phones, cable tv, answering machines, microwaves and all the things that make our lives different today. Microwaves and answering machines came out when I was in high school.
Needless to say, my sisters and I had huge imaginations. I have two sisters one is a year younger than me and the other is seven years younger than me.
We spent a lot of summer days outside all day and rainy days were spent rollerskating in the basement of our house.
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What did your parents do for a living and was there any Entrepreneurship in the family?
My mom stayed at home with us until my little sister went to school. My dad has always had is own business farming land and raising dairy cattle. He left the house at sunrise and came home after dark many nights.
After my little sister went to school, mom got a job as an accounts payable manager at a film company. Health insurance was a benefit of the job and the price of health insurance was very expensive for a family of five.
My mom dabbled in some home businesses. This was before the internet and she always ran out of warm market, so she ended up giving it up for a regular job.
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When did you become a nurse and what were some of the pitfalls and perks with your profession?
I started the pre requisites of nursing school when my two daughters were toddlers, they are now 16 and 17 years old. I was a stay at home mom, and I decided to go into nursing because my ex husband (my girls’ dad) had health issues and when my youngest daughter was born, there were complications.
She spent a few hours in neonatal intensive care. I had no idea what the nurses were telling me was wrong with her, and they acted like I was dumb for not understanding.
The pitfalls of nursing is most nurses eat their young…LOL…they are very competitive people. Even in nursing school. My ex husband was abusive, so I ended up getting divorced in the middle of nursing school, which got me picked on by one of the instructors. It was no easy ride and it was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life.
Moving into the working world of nursing, some of the nurses weren’t much better, always waiting for someone to make a mistake. Nursing never stops, it runs 24 hours a day 7 days a week. I knew that going into the field and accepted working holidays and weekends.
As my children got older, I missed soccer games, school events, holidays, so I found a way to make the nursing field work for me. I got out of the nursing home and hospital part and found my niche in home health care. I still worked some holidays and weekends, but the schedule was more flexible for my family.
The perks of nursing are learning all of the ways your body works together. It’s an incredible machine. I was able to finally understand all of the medical jargon. I also enjoy helping people.
The best part is that there are so many areas of nursing to go into, there’s no need to limit myself to crazy shifts and every holiday and weekend.
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When did you discover network marketing, what was your first two years like, and can you tell us what you would change if you started over today?
I discovered network marketing about 5 years ago. The first two years were a huge struggle and learning experience. I was in a company that teaches to call all your family and friends, post the products on social media, you know, stuff that doesn’t really work.
I spent a lot of money on a lot of different advertising and got no results. That’s when I decided to hire a coach. That was the best thing I could have ever done. It sped up the learning curve quite a bit.
I learned about providing value, the value of branding oneself, and building relationships. If I had to start all over again, I would have started with a coach instead of listening to my upline, and hypey calls…just because you have skin doesn’t mean they are a candidate for your cream or business. Qualifying people and solving their problems is huge.
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What is the biggest mistake you see new network marketers make, and how can they fix it?
The biggest mistake I see network marketers make is not branding themselves, providing value, and solving problems. Businesses are built on relationships.
Just because you put your website out to the universe doesn’t mean that the website fairies are going to come buy from you.
Just because you make a video applying your makeup doesn’t mean people are going to buy from you. New marketers need to understand that the whole point behind business is solving people’s problems.
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I love your blog! How old is it, how many posts are on it, and what is your daily traffic like?
Thanks! I started it in October of 2015. I have hundreds of posts. I used to blog daily, but as my business grew I have cut posting back to once a week or a couple of times a month. I have some pillar content that I run ads to drive traffic.
Also, when not running an ad, I will post pillar content or fresh content around the internet to drive traffic to my blog. I belong to a couple of syndication groups as well where we like, comment, and share on each other’s blogs. Traffic varies daily.
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Should every internet marketer blog and why?
I believe every internet marketer should have their own domain branding themselves, giving valuable content whether it be written, in video, or podcast form.
The person should enjoy whatever medium they pick to provide value to their audience. It helps to stand apart from all the other people out there selling the same products.
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Your blog has a great Alexa rank and over 35 backlinks pointing to it. Can you tell us some of the ways that you syndicate your blog?
I use syndication groups, use paid ads, and also when not running ads I will post my blog content around the internet in Facebook groups, Twitter, and other social media platforms.
When doing webinars and live streams I always send the people to my blog. I usually do two webinars weekly and 5-6 live streams weekly.
You met Gary Vaynerchuk recently. Can you tell us what that was like, and what do you like about Gary V’s marketing style?
Yes, I did have the honor of meeting Gary V. My mentor helped promote his #AskGaryVee book. She created a very intimate event where we celebrated her birthday, had lunch, and met Gary V along with receiving his new book signed by Gary V (and many copies to give out, sell, or whatever).
There were a total of 32 people at the event. We got to ask him questions for a total of two hours. He liked the questions we were asking so much he stayed an additional hour and a half. While his wife was texting him telling him he was late for dinner.
I love his raw and real attitude towards business. I was introduced to Gary V during my first coaching program and have followed him ever since. He is a hustler and full of wisdom.
I like your YouTube channel. Can you tell me a little more about the 30 day bootcamp?
Thank you. The 30 day boot camp was designed to bring in new recruits take them under my wing (and my partner’s wing) and help them brand themselves, set up the marketing platform I use and get them generating leads and learning how to provide value, while generating an additional income stream for themselves.
What’s the best way to generate leads for you these days, and can you share a technique?
The best way to generate leads for me these days is through paid ads and Facebook live streams. Live streams can either have a paid ad run to them or throw them around the internet for free to generate leads.
Facebook is my prime social media platform, if you aren’t doing live streams, your engagement goes way down. It has taken me a couple of years to build my network, keeping up with the way Facebook changes their algorithm is key. Facebook is favoring paid ads (as usual) and live streams.
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You suggest so many great books on your blog. What are your three favorite and why?
What to Say When You Talk To Yourself, by Shad Helemstetter, Ph.D; Excuses BeGone!, by Dr. Wayne Dyer, and Magnetic Sponsoring, by Mike Dillard.
Magnetic Sponsoring introduced me to the world of attraction marketing, and has completely transformed the way I do business.
Excuses BeGone! I have on audio and listen to it in my sleep. Everyone at one time or another has made excuses. This book was a pivotal point in my business. I realized how many excuses I was making.
What to Say When You Talk To Yourself, basically outlines a lot of things that have gone on in my mind, the book also give you affirmations on what to say back to those bad thoughts.
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What are your goals for 2017?
Continue my Boot Camp each month helping people create financial freedom.
To rank up twice in the marketing platform I use.
To rank up in the organic company that I am with.
To help as many people as I possibly can start living their dreams and get out of the shackles of someone else dictating how they spend their life and time.
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What is your favorite quote and why?
Forget Everything and Run
or
Face Everything and Rise
This is my favorite quote. Everytime I face a fear I grow as a person and so does my income.
Thank you so much for this interview Rhonda!
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