Mitch Sanders: Living the Dream
Most 20–year–olds would love to own an Xbox360 or a car. One Australian 20–year–old had both, until he sold them to start his Agel business and help pay for travel expenses to attend an Agel event in Australia and later AgelWorld 2006.
“With Agel I saw a great opportunity sitting in front of me and I just couldn’t let it pass by, so I did everything in my power to be apart of it,” said Mitch Sanders. “I tried applying for five loans, three credit cards and an overdraft to be a part of Agel, but they were all knocked back.”
When Agel team member Chris Lianos explained the Agel opportunity to Mitch, he did what any 20–year–old would do. He sold his Xbox360 and personal cell phone to pay for the cost of starting his Agel business and to attend the Australian Grand Opening.
“My friends thought I was a little silly, but they knew I had found something very special,” Mitch said.
Triple Diamond Director Randy Gage found something very special in Mitch when he heard about the story of the young man who changed his life, quit his job and sacrificed his personal belongings to join Agel and attend the Australian Grand Opening.
Randy took to heart his story and did something unexpected at the convention, that which represents the heart and soul of Agel—teamwork. That night Randy Gage called unexpectedly called Mitch on stage and presented him with the trophy he had received that night.
“When I was asked to come on stage back in Melbourne last year, in no way was I expecting anything,” Mitch said. “But when a Diamond Director is calling you up on stage your mind starts running like a horse at the Melbourne Cup.”
The emotional evening ended with a commitment from Mitch to pass the trophy on to another Agel team member who needs a jumpstart of motivation and belief. He is still looking for that team member.
After the Australian event, Mitch rode the excitement and confidence that came from that event to attend AgelWorld 2006, except he had one problem—once again; he didn’t have the necessary funds.
“The only thing I had left was my car, so I sold it,” Mitch said. “It gave me more than enough money to attend AgelWorld and continue running my business. I would do it again if need be.”
Again Mitch was recognized for his sacrifice and enthusiasm to do whatever it takes to build Agel. At the convention he was presented with the Standing Ovation Award, a new award inspired by Mitch’s determination. The award will now be presented each year at AgelWorld to a team member who exhibits an extraordinary ability to overcome obstacles.
Now, Mitch is not only thriving with his Agel business, he is living a lifestyle he said he never imagined possible until he found Agel. He has traveled across the United States, Canada and Australia as an Agel representative and can often be seen dining at some of Sydney’s nicest restaurants—things he wasn’t able to do at his corporate job.
“Without this business, I would still be a very lost, confused young man,” said Mitch.
Prior to Agel, Mitch lived a life that involved drugs and crime. He grew up in a single–parent household without a father figure. His younger brother died at a young age, leaving just him and his mother. All these events created a lifestyle that was filled with broken relationships, heartache and confusion.
According to Mitch, that changed when he became an Agel team member.
“Agel has changed my life because it has opened me up to the world of personal development,” said Mitch. “I no longer want things to be easier, I just want them to be better.”
Mitch now focuses his adjusted life on personal development and on being the kind of mentor to others that Chris Lianos and other Agel team members are to him.
Mitch’s success and desire to live and “do life” shows that people of all ages are impacted by the dream that is Agel.
Check in with AgelWorld 2006 "Deal or No Deal" Winner; Gail Trembly
Gail Trembly had been an Agel team member for less than two weeks when she decided to attend AgelWorld 2006. Little did she know, her experience there would prove to be one of the most uplifting and renewing of her life.
"After AgelWorld, I realized that there were still dreams to be had," said Gail. "I learned that it was okay for me to dream again and achieve new levels of personal development."
Gail has spent most of her life dedicated to others, namely by being a foster care provider to dozen's of children over the last 18 years, and mother to three biological and two adopted children for the last 27 years. Though she loves every moment she spends caring for her kids, Gail found her daily routine to be mundane and draining, full of laundry and cleaning and with very little adult interaction.
Her son, Real Salt Lake City soccer player and Agel team member, Seth Trembly, first introduced her to Agel last summer. After several attempts, Seth finally called and told his mother that she had to start thinking about her future beyond taking care of children. He signed her up on the spot and told her to book a flight for Salt Lake City to attend the AgelWorld convention.
At the time, Gail knew the trip would be a stretch. She had four foster care placements, plus her two adopted children to care for, but in the end, she made it happen, booking her ticket and making the short flight from Denver, Colorado, to Utah.
While at the convention, Gail said she felt reinvigorated, playing off the spirit and excitement felt by others. It wasn't until she was chosen from among the thousands of team members in attendance to participate in the Deal of No Deal game that she understood the depth of generosity and goodness found in Agel's team members and corporate team.
During the course of the game, Gail asked her son Seth to come on stage and help her at her shot to win $25,000. She also asked fellow team member and mentor Julie Mirr to be on stage. Her final invitation went to two other Diamond Directors, Randy Gage and Eric Worre.
In a contest where picking low numbers is the name of the game, Gail seemed to single out every high number on the board. For her, a lot of the evening was a blur, however, for those in the audience she had captured their hearts, sharing her sweet story of being a foster care provider and what the money would mean to her family. By the end of the game, Gage and Worre had promised to pool together and match Agel's final offer. Later that weekend, Double Diamond Directors Nicky and Rob Horkings surprised everyone and handed Gail their bonus check for hitting Diamond Director in the amount of $7,500. Paul Caldwell later offered a separate personal check; bring Gail's take-home total to over $15,000.
But at the end of the event, Gail walked away with more than a monetary bonus; she walked away with a newfound lease on life.
Gail said that upon returning home she purposely chose not to do anything with the money right away. Instead, she wanted to think about how to best put it to use. At one point a number of items seemed to present themselves as possible ways to spend it, such as a broken transmission on her car. At that point Gail remembered the words of Randy Gage. He said that while uses for money may present themselves, it is up to us to reshape our situation and choose what we spend our money on.
One of the first things Gail chose to do with her prize money was to sponsor a friend into the Agel business who had been out of work. Next she sponsored her 24-year-old son so his wife could stay at home with their children. She then bought a new couch so she could more comfortably host her private business receptions, and a laptop to help her run her business.
Gail also purchased a horse and pony to use as therapy for her children. She already owned two horses but they had become expensive to board. Seeing as how a great portion of the money was donated by the Horkings, who have a passion for racehorses, Gail thought it appropriate to set aside some of the money to board the horses so her children could continue to ride.
Gail reminds her kids everyday that they are not put on this earth for their selfish reasons and that their responsibility is ultimately, to give more than they take.
"Someday I want to get to the point where I can do the same thing for others that was done for me at AgelWorld," said Gail. "I'm still amazed at what took place. For me, it showcased what this business builds - compassion and generosity."
Patrick & Carla Cloonan
Despite his competitive nature, Patrick Cloonan didn't set his sights on winning the Agel Run with the Horses promotion when it was announced at AgelWorld 2006; at least not at first. Initially, he was motivated by a leader's declaration to hit Triple Diamond by the end of the month to get his five managers in and secure one of the $2,000 bonus checks.
"At the time I was so concentrated on creating managers in my team that I wasn't focused on the car," said Patrick. "After I got my five though, I started thinking that maybe I could win that Mustang. And then, I really committed and decided that if anyone was going to win the car they'd have to go through me to get it."
Patrick was handed the keys to his 2007 Mustang at Go Diamond, held February 2-4 in San Diego. His wife, Carla, and son, Noah, joined him on stage. For him, the moment was overwhelming; especially considering a majority of the team that helped him get there was in attendance.
He later said the entire experience taught him the importance of setting goals and allowing yourself to dream. Which is what he did, recruiting the support of Carla and his five children. The promotion became a family goal as they posted a picture of a new Mustang in plain sight. Carla committed to taking the kids to school each morning so Patrick, a landscape architect, could get to the office one hour earlier, which allowed him to spend more time building his business at night. He said that during that time, his children learned the business of setting goals, working through disappointments and see results, the same way he had learned the business.
Patrick and Carla got involved in network marketing 10 years ago. At the time, Patrick, who's been self-employed for 17 years, and Carla, a pharmacist, were looking to start a family. Five years and five children later, they were one of the many industry success stories as a part of a major telecommunications company. They made over a million dollars, however, due to the change in telecommunications, they've sat on the sidelines of that company for most of the last three years.
That was before finding Agel, or really, Agel finding them. Patrick got a call from a guy in California, who got his name from someone in Hawaii who had his business card, which he had passed out while in Baltimore. Patrick said that while he got calls to recruit him all the time, this one was different and after only two hours, he was in. And twelve months later, he is proving to be one of Agel's up and coming powerhouse leader.
When asked his best business-building tip, he responded that it is to create leaders and be a manager-making machine. He said it is also important to help people walk through the system.
"This business exposes every weakness and fear inside of you," said Patrick. "Everything you are or are not will be thrown back at you. It is my goal to help my people develop into leaders so they can then do that for their people."
The Cloonan's hope to hit Corporate Director very soon, followed quickly by Diamond Director. They are also concentrating on developing the leaders in their down line.
"My philosophy is that massive action brings massive results," said Patrick. "I never stop."
