Don Szymik

My business success has been based in part on being in the right industry at the right time. That happened most dramatically with a venture into the long distance service industry early on. I founded a company we named DialNet Inc. that within seven years grew into a 17 state regional operation with revenues of $115 million per year. We sold the company for over $100 million dollars to Worldcom and retained ownership in the new entity in the form of stock that split four times. At one point my wife and I had almost 2 million shares of Worldcom stock at $97 per share.

Over the years, we have owned or invested in dozens of companies, that have generated many millions in profits (some losses too). We own and maintain a nice collection of cars, several high performance boats, multiple homes and a jet airplane, in addition to traveling around the world. Current ventures include significant investments into alternative energy and other future trends. So you might be wondering why someone like me, who certainly doesn't need the money, is a member of Waiora.

I'm not the only business investor to see the power and potential of network marketing as a distribution channel. Warren Buffet includes a direct selling company as part of his investment portfolio, and Donald Trump has publicly praised network marketing, too. No savvy business person will ever turn down another good income stream or source of cash flow. But my reasons for believing in network marketing go far deeper. Network marketing allowed me to escape the rut of a corporate job and paved the way for my subsequent success.

I grew up as a poor farm kid in northern Wisconsin, where I attended a two-room country elementary school. To attend high school I had to go to the "big city" – a metropolis of almost 3,000 people! Kids there looked down upon me as a dirt-poor farm kid. During my high school years, I spent a lot of my idle time daydreaming – doodling pictures of cars, airplanes – everything I had seen on TV that I dreamed I could have. Despite our humble upbringing, my mother had instilled in me a belief that I could do anything I wanted if I put my mind to it. That support gave me the confidence to look at others and say, "If they could do it, why not me?"

I joined the military (USAF) and quickly learned that I would not be around beyond my enlistment period. While not yet an entrepreneur, I had an entrepreneurial spirit and railed against the authority imposed by military life. I found myself at 19 years of age, married with a son, living in the military environment. It was an enormous responsibility for my age and served to motivate me to chase after my dreams even more. While in the military, I went to night school to learn the latest new technology at the time, which was computers. After I left the USAF, I was hired by a large educational consortium in Minnesota where I worked for many years as the Director of Computer Services. But as anyone who works in a job can tell you, you usually don’t realize your true dreams there, no matter how good the job is.

While working there, I discovered a network marketing company called Amway, which at the time, was smaller than Waiora is today. I found my voice there – I was able to talk to people, share the business with them and it grew. My wife and I built a significant business with that company (still get checks today - 20 years later) and we were able to start living some of the lifestyle that we each had daydreamed about in school. With the income we were receiving from Amway, I was able to break away from my job and begin exploring business options. Soon after that breakaway, I founded my first significant company (DialNet) with many more to follow.

The reality is that most people won't do what I did - I realize that not everyone can start companies that make millions. But what everyone can do is create a leveraged, residual income in network marketing. Then they'll be in a position to leave behind their jobs if they so desire and start living the way they want to. I want to see more people realize their dreams and I firmly believe that network marketing is the way they can go about it. That's why I'm here supporting my teams – I want to see everyone in my downline get to Ruby, Emerald, Diamond and more so they too can reap the rewards of their success!

I first heard about Waiora from Dave Jordan, and when I started to see what kind of money he was making, I began paying attention. Dave's energy and enthusiasm is infectious and he's just getting started! In taking a closer look, I found that Waiora had excellent products. Not just Natural Cellular Defense (which I tested in independent facilities – passed with flying colors) – but also a great anti-aging product with Healthy Aging Formula, Superior Fiber Blend and a great liquid supplement –Essential Daily Nutrients. I went to the National Conference and met Stan Cherelstein, Eddie Stone and Rik Deitsch. I checked out the company and them, too. By every measure, Waiora looks good, smells good and has all the right pieces in place.

Anyone who's ever been a player in the industry will tell you that you're looking for a company that will last. Like any type of business, plenty of network marketing companies have gone under. By my estimation, Waiora is rock solid – it has all the potential in the world, yet it's still a ground-floor opportunity. Needless to say, I didn't pass it up and neither should you.