< src="https://dev-thompson-burton-wpms.pantheonsite.io/mlmattorney/files/2015/01/Direct-Selling-Live_Cover-2015-240x300.jpg" alt="Direct Selling Live_Cover (2015)" width="240" height="300" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1614" />If you've been following me, I think you'll agree that I never self-promote. Ever. I just try to create relevant material that helps people better understand the issues around network marketing. If those people see fit to share the content, it's great. If not, no big deal. It's a pretty simple (and pure) marketing strategy. This post might be a bit out of the ordinary.

Joe Signaigo

I'm going to tell you about my grandfather, Joe Signaigo. He would often say, "When you get in the end zone, act like you've been there." He was my father-figure, and he taught me the importance of speaking more through actions and less with words. As the son of immigrants, he had to produce his own results because nobody was doing him any favors. I guess that hustle in him found its way to me. He was a WWII veteran, Marine Corp Golden Glove champ, all-[caption id="attachment_1628" align="alignright" width="205"]< src="https://dev-thompson-burton-wpms.pantheonsite.io/mlmattorney/files/2015/01/Signaigo-205x300.jpeg" alt="Father-Son Banquet" width="205" height="300" class="size-medium wp-image-1628" /> Father-Son Banquet[/caption]American football player at Notre Dame and later served in the Korean war. He later found a way to acquire a beer business in Memphis. When my mother was on her own, the smartest thing she ever did was move closer to her parents. I latched onto Joe Signaigo and modeled him as best I could, until the day he died.He told me something that left a mark after I got into trouble at school with a bunch of other kids: "I expect you to be better. You've got to be able to burn hot without exploding." The "burning hot" remark was about the ability to absorb pressure without crumbling.I get asked by people "Why do you care? Why do you bother?" The answer: Because I do and because I can. I learned from the best. If I'm not burning a bit, I'm not doing enough. We're not on this earth to live in the lap of luxury, we're here to grow and improve. If I see a problem that affects real people, I'm not going to sit there and pretend everything is fine. I'm going to be the one that injects clarity. And after all, how hard is it to write a few articles and steer a conversation towards improvement? As a lawyer in this space, I see some nasty stuff. And I'm in a position to talk about it on a broad scale. It's not like I'm pretending to be Batman.

Defining the Gray

Six years ago, I wrote an ebook titled "Saving the industry by defining the gray." I recognized that if scams were allowed to proliferate unchecked, all while pretending to be legitimate network marketing companies, it would inevitably lead to problems.And it has!So I push.I was recently recognized as "2014 Person of the Year" in the 2015 edition of Distributor Magazine (published by Direct Selling Live). It's an undeserved title, for sure. There were 49 people in the Top 50 that deserve the distinction more, along with over 100 people that were not even on the list. But...it's encouraging to see that being an advocate can be good for business.

The more I communicate, the more I realize that there are a bunch of people, scattered throughout the industry, that sense the need for us to "grow up." I'm not alone.

Why was I chosen? I believe it had to do with the fact that I threw some punches in 2014 and took some shots of my own. Keeper Catran-Witney, editor at Direct Selling Live and fellow puncher, noticed. Keeper is a no-nonsense kind of man, the kind of man that stands for truth and lets the chips fall.

Advocacy

These are some of the chances I took in 2014:I went on Bloomberg TV to discuss Herbalife.I gave an honest assessment of reasons why Avon left the Direct Selling Association. This led to a lot of high-fives, some "eat garbage" emails and a threat (Thanks, TalkFusion).I got an anti-pyramid bill passed in Tennessee. It's not perfect, but it's better than nothing.I provided several suggestions on ways to improve the Code of Ethics, with the main suggestion revolving around the need to disclose private deals with networkers.I wrote about the futility in sending Cease and Desist letters to distributors, unless there's serious harm being done.I provided an in-depth review of the BurnLounge case, written in plain-English.I ended the year with the most viral post I've ever published. It was about the need for MLM special deals to end. These deals are blatantly fraudulent, toxic and need to stop. It's like steroids in baseball: it's a material advantage that creates a false-impression of success. The distributors that follow the leader, without any idea of the existence of a special deal, eventually end up as road-kill. The cure: DISCLOSURE. That's it. (Jeunesse, I'm talking to you)

Conclusion

Check out the article below (or click the link here if you're reading this via email). Keeper asked some great questions, which led to a great discussion about the serious issues. We also chat about our thoughts about the future of the industry. I hope you find it helpful and informative.