On July 4th, 2009, Maakoa used the Stadium of Fire celebration in BYU’s Lavell Edwards Stadium to launch their new product and business opportunity, although their official launch at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City was not held until October 9th and 10th of that year.

With Koopuwa as their primary product, and “Fearless” as their motto, they seek to “re-ignite” the health and wellness revolution, but will the fuse they have lit lead to explosive growth or self destruction?

Before you read another word, one thing I want you to understand is that I am in no way involved with Maakoa, so you can rest easy as you read this review, knowing that I’m not going to snooker you into becoming a Maakoa distributor. (But don’t expect me to stop you either…)  What I am going to share with you is my no-nonsense opinion about the Maakoa business opportunity, and how you can really maximize your efforts should you choose to join.

Is Maakoa a Scam?

There is a lot of crap out there on the internet – both from a scam-n-spam viewpoint, and from those on the other side of the spectrum that try to besmirch the reputations of good companies for what may even be personal reasons.  Take, for example, this article written about how Maakoa and the recently decaying Tahitian Noni International companies are weirdly inter-connected.

Is Maakoa Tahitian Noni’s Red Headed Step-Child?

Here’s the thing… I actually thought that this particular article was a very interesting read.  I mean, the author did some real “homework” on Maakoa.  I would even nominate them for the “Google Geek of the Month Award”…

But after carefully reading it a few times, I feel like some of his points were pretty… well, pointless.  (He DID, however, do an amazing job at tearing apart Kimble Smith’s capricious efforts to conceal how he absconded from Maakoa’s corporate staff.)

Like I said, the information was almost, I dare say titillating, but in my opinion is ultimately irrelevant.  Even if Maakoa and TNI are somehow connected, so what? Lots of corporate staff members of legitimate network marketing companies go on to participate on the corporate staff of new up-and-coming companies.  (Which Kimble actually had never done… he only had some family connections that linked him to TNI.)

Anyway, I guess what I’m really driving at is that EVEN IF Kimble, or anybody else for that matter, had been a part of Tahitian Noni International, would that be considered a bad thing?

First of all, I think that Tahitian Noni was a great company, and not a scam.  They have a good product (even if it tastes gross) that a lot of people benefit from.  I might also add that it is not a magical potion and a claim is not illegal if it is personal experience.  Some people benefit from certain products and others don’t, it’s as plain as that.  Not everybody has the same health needs and/or problems.

Second, just because a company like TNI starts to have a lot of attrition, doesn’t mean that it was a scam.  There are numerous reasons economically that a solid MLM company would experience the difficulties that TNI has experienced lately.  Wouldn’t experience and insights from a struggling company like TNI be welcomed as a valuable asset to a new company that was entering the same niche? It would make sense to me to at the very least pick the brains of the people in the driver’s seat at TNI to see what they could have done better.

The phrase “second to market” comes to mind…

At any rate, my answer to the question, “Is Maakoa a Scam?” is an emphatic “NO”. I think they have a good product and we will see great things from them.

One think you should take away from all of this hullabaloo is that to really insure yourself against your corporate staff’s potential idiocy and to be successful long term in ANY network marketing company, you need to Brand and Market YOURSELF, and NOT Your Company or Product.

Because, really, do any of us have a crystal ball?

What if Maakoa does go belly-up in 5-10 years?  Will all your time have been wasted?

Not if you have focused on the right activities. If you have branded yourself, you will not have to start back at zero like everybody else.

Potion or Lotion?

Potion it is…

Maakoa’s primary product is called Koopuwa in honor of the Cupuaçu fruit from Northern Brazil. (Where’s Oprah when you need her to bust open the doors for an unknown Brazilian fruit?) It has a blend of other fruit juices to add to its benefits, including the Açai and Goji berries. The different fruits are blended together as either powders or purees.

The other two products are powdered mixes that are designed to help you manage your body weight and shape. MXP3 Lean is a protein drink that is designed to help you curb your appetite without denying your body of the nutrition that it needs.

MXP3 Build is a similar powdered protein drink, but it is designed to help you build lean muscle mass in a healthy way. It provides you with various vitamins, minerals, proteins, and fatty acids.

The powdered mixes make Maakoa’s product line a little bit different than the long line of jungle juices and energy drinks, which is actually kind of refreshing.  I hope to try them soon and will keep you posted as to how it goes.

Who’s Running the Show?

There has evidently been some juggling going on in the corporate offices of Maakoa, but they are entitled to make changes to their staff. After all, it’s better to make a change to get the right combination of corporate leaders than to stick with a semi-functional team. After reviewing all of their credentials, I feel like the corporate staff at Maakoa is A-OK. (These descriptions were taken from their corporate website.)

Bruce Davis is one of two founders of Maakoa, as well as the President and CEO of the company. He has a unique ability to lead, which has helped him take companies from ground floor to millions in sales. His talents have been sought after by many top businesses looking for a competitive edge. For the past several years Bruce held an executive position at a leading software company providing best-in-breed infrastructure for MLM companies and their distributors. This experience has given him rare insights into networking marketing companies. This background, along with his ability to lead, makes Bruce invaluable to Maakoa as the President and CEO. Bruce and his wife, Corinne, are parents to 8 children and live in Pleasant Grove, Utah. In his spare time you can find Bruce with his family water skiing at Lake Powell, fly fishing in a canyon stream, or golfing in a tropical location.

David Simpson is the second of two founders of Maakoa, as well as the Chief Operating Officer. He  is a role model for hard work, honesty, and integrity in his family, his business, and his community. When he is not working hard, he is playing hard. David has a love for extreme sports such as motocross, snowmobiling, and anything in the water. David’s business experience is vast. He has an entrepreneurial spirit that is a giant! He loves making something from nothing, and he has been doing just that for the last thirty-five years. David was responsible for the everyday operations of his family ranch for fifteen years. This included managing thousands of acres of land, livestock and other ranch facilities. David also has a passion for Real Estate Development. He built a Real Estate Brokerage from the ground up to handle the marketing of these developments. Most of all David has a passion for living life fearlessly. He is fearless in his pursuit to build Maakoa into a company not like the rest. Maakoa is a company with a conscience because of executives like David!

Jerry Nelson is the Director of Information Technology at Maakoa.  He brings a vast, diverse, and impressive background to Maakoa. He has over twenty-five years experience with an extensive background in corporate management, sales, engineering, and higher education. He has worked with small start-up companies, colleges, and large multi-national corporations. Jerry has several years experience in the direct selling industry supporting technology, marketing, management, and core business functions. He has also consulted with many companies, governments, and educational institutions to improve communications systems and business operations. Jerry and his wife Debbie have three children, and they spend time at their cabin, fishing, hunting, and boating. He has fished competitively and won several tournaments and awards. Jerry has a considerable wealth of knowledge in a number of areas and is the “go-to-guy” to help answer questions on a number of topics. Jerry is an incredibly hard worker with an outstanding work ethic, and you will always find him helping IBOs and fellow colleagues.

J. Allen Henricksen is the CPA and Director of Finance at Maakoa. He obtained his Bachelors of Science degree in Accounting from Brigham Young University and then went on to earn his MBA degree, with an emphasis in International Business, from Utah State University. Allen has an impressive background in finance, as well as in the network marketing industry, currently working in senior-level finance positions in the MLM industry for a total of sixteen years. Allen is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Direct Selling Management Association of Utah, working to increase the standards in the MLM industry through education and cooperation. Allen and his wife Gayle have ten wonderful children. In his spare time, he loves to travel. Allen has traveled throughout the world and has visited many fun and exotic places, both for business and leisure. It is always enjoyable to hear stories about his many past adventures! You will always find Allen with a smile on his face, and he is such a joy to have around the office!

Kyle Wilson is the Director of Communication and Customer Relations at Maakoa. He  is a genuinely nice person with a kind heart, and he is constantly striving to uplift and compliment others around him, making him the perfect individual to fill the Communications and Customer Relations role. He has a well-rounded mind when it comes to business and marketing, and he brings to Maakoa creativity and a strong determination to get work done no matter what. Kyle earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Communications with an emphasis in marketing, from the University of Utah. An entrepreneur at heart, Kyle built a successful landscape construction business in Las Vegas from the ground up. His friendly demeanor, combined with extensive business experience, has also contributed to his many successes in retail management. In his spare time, Kyle enjoys fly fishing and spending time with his two beautiful daughters. You will always find Kyle in a cheerful mood and with a smile on his face, and his positive attitude helps to brighten up the office at Maakoa each and every day!

Amanda Phillippi is a rare find in the business world and truly a valuable asset to the Maakoa team. Amanda is a native of Phoenix, AZ and graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.S. in Psychology and an emphasis in clinical psychology. She loves learning about people and has an extensive background in Human Behaviors. Amanda worked in BYU’s Infant Development Lab and conducted research on the perceptual and cognitive development of infants. Amanda loves being busy and helping out whenever and wherever she can, which makes her a joy for everyone at Maakoa to work with. Among her many talents, one that stands out is her tremendous gift for writing; she is really a go-to person when we are in need of effective communication and quality written material. Amanda is a consistent joy to be around and enhances the fun-filled and successful culture here at Maakoa!

Is the Compensation Plan Fair?

Maakoa has taken a proven compensation plan and put their own twist on it. It is nothing too far outside the box, which should make you breath easy.

More often than they should, people place too much focus whether the compensation plan is the most miraculous one they have ever seen, instead of just making sure that it is fair.  Most compensation plans are tried and tested, and your best bet is to go with one that has already been proven.

In Maakoa’s case, the compensation plan is a hybrid binary plan that allows you to earn money in seven different ways. I will focus mainly on the three or four that most people take advantage of.

The first way to earn income is through the fast start bonuses.  These are bonuses that you are paid as long as you are actively building your business. (See illustration above and to the right.)  You can maximize your earnings here by recruiting two or more new people into your business every four weeks.

The next part of the compensation plan, which is where the residual income starts to kick in, is the binary commissions. (LEFT) This part of the plan allows you to make 10% of your lesser side commissions.  As always, you are required to purchase at least 100 points worth of product each month to stay active – nothing new.  You can maximize this portion of the comp plan by building your two legs as evenly as possible. (However, it is not as big of a problem as people would have you think if one of your legs takes off and the other doesn’t. Keep reading…)

In fact, this comp plan is very similar to that of MonaVie, and if you have been around the industry very long you have probably heard of what they have been doing.  They made it to a billion dollars in annual sales faster than any other company – a mere 4 years.  With a track record like that, I don’t think you can blame anything on the comp plan.

The other part of the compensation plan, where the real money is made, and which makes balancing your legs unnecessary, is with the ability to get a leadership matching bonus on your personal team’s checks.  It is a little too hairy to get into much detail here, but the basics of it are that every time somebody that is in your personal sponsorship tree makes a binary check, you would get a bonus of 15-25% of their check up to seven generations deep, depending on what rank you have achieved. (See chart to the right.)

And by the way, generations and levels are two very different things… (Generations are WAY better…)

Beside these three methods of getting paid, you can retail the product, earn a couple different types of bonuses, and qualify for an auto-ship rebate.

If you have been hemming and hawing about whether or not to join Maakoa because you weren’t sure of the comp plan, stop it.  You aren’t going to find anything much better than this.

Don’t worry about making sure you understand it 100% before you join… You don’t need to understand it to get paid.  It’s a good plan.

How Can YOU Succeed in Maakoa?

If you are going to be successful in Maakoa, you absolutely must learn the way to brand YOURSELF as “the leader with the answers“ that will enable you to really be of service to people that are struggling in Maakoa and the network marketing industry in general.

As Bob Burg and John David Mann state in their book entitled “The Go Giver”,

“Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment… [and] your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.”

So you see, you can only achieve the monstrous, long lasting success that you are probably after with Maakoa by learning and applying the concepts and strategies of The Elite Inter-Networker.

I think Maakoa is a great company and that your chances of success in the network marketing industry are probably just about as good there as with most other companies, but don’t leave your success up to chance!

If you are serious about becoming a top earner in Maakoa, complete the form below to get more information on the training and tools that you will unquestionably need to build your business the right way!

School is always in session…

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To Your Smashing Success,

P.S. If you're sick and tired of investing HUNDREDS of hours online with little to nothing show for it, it's time to take control and change your game plan. Discover my EXACT formula to generating free leads and signing up more reps on autopilot!

Go here NOW! ==> Give Me The Formula!

I absolutely LOVE Dilbert – I think Scott Adams is a genius.

His two strips below are a superb example of what a lot of new network marketers are faced with…

If you have been trying to market your business online for very long (network marketing or traditional) you have probably run into more than one of the many self proclaimed “internet gurus” that promise the world in a hand basket, but really don’t have much to offer you. (Like the veterinarian…)

There are a lot of people that try to cut corners, and the internet is an easy place to do it. It allows people to create whatever image of themselves and their business that they want, whether it’s true or not. They can give themselves any title they can dream up, while the fact of the matter is that they are sitting at home in their underpants scratching their bellies and picking their noses.

Now, the good thing about this is that, if you are sitting in your underwear, scratching your belly, and picking your nose, you have the ability to change into whatever you want to become.

However, there are people out there that don’t want to change – the only thing they are after is a façade that they can hide behind, while trying to trick the poor dumb buggers that happen across their webpage to believe that they are really the professional they appear to be.

The truth is, there are no shortcuts. You can’t morph into something that you’re not – something that you really don’t even want to be.

This isn’t Halloween people. You can’t put on a costume and expect people to really believe you are Superman. Super heroes are much more than just a fancy pair of tights. It’s what’s under the stretchy-pants that makes the super hero. (Pretty sure Superman could still fly if he were naked… But Batman would be up a creek without his utility belt! )

So if you want to become a network marketing super hero, start building a good strong foundation. Start working on yourself so that you will have something better to offer the people you come in contact with.

Leaders are the people that make the real money in network marketing – so become one!

But make sure not to try and trick people into thinking you are what you’re not. Build your business on solid principles – like trust and integrity.

Leaders can be created, but there’s no magic formula. If you’re green, you’re green. With time and the right conditions, you can grow. Daegan Smith, an astronomically successful internet marketer and one of my mentors, said to me, “When you’re green your growing, but when you’re ripe, you’re rotting.” So being green isn’t all that bad after all.

If you don’t know where to start, I would suggest the library.

Here is what the late Jim Rohn had to say about libraries:

Miss a meal if you have to, but don’t miss a book.

Some people claim that it is okay to read trashy novels because sometimes you can find something valuable in them. You can also find a crust of bread in a garbage can, if you search long enough, but there is a better way.

Most homes valued at over $250,000 have a library. That should tell us something.

Everything you need for your better future and success has already been written. And guess what? It’s all available. All you have to do is go to the library.

But would you believe that only three percent of the people in America have a library card. Wow, they must be expensive! No, they’re free. And there’s probably a library in every neighborhood.

Only three percent!

Some people read so little they have rickets of the mind.

I now have one of the better libraries. I admit that I haven’t read everything in my library, but I feel smarter just walking in it.

Don’t just read the easy stuff. You may be entertained by it, but you will never grow from it.

The book you don’t read won’t help.

Books are easy to find and easy to buy. A paperback these days only costs six or seven dollars. You can borrow that from your kids!

It isn’t what the book costs; it’s what it will cost if you don’t read it.

So run on down to the library today and start the process that will change your life. Don’t cut any more corners… it’s suicide!

What better way to finish this post, than with a great video like this. Enjoy!

And by the way, reading inspires adults too…

If you enjoyed this post, do me a solid and share it with with your facebook or twitter friends using the share buttons at the top of the post! (Or just leave me a comment... :) )

To Your Smashing Success,

P.S. If you're sick and tired of investing HUNDREDS of hours online with little to nothing show for it, it's time to take control and change your game plan. Discover my EXACT formula to generating free leads and signing up more reps on autopilot!

Go here NOW! ==> Give Me The Formula!

Get the Rest of the Video Marketing Formula Here!
(And even more free training…)

Video is a very effective marketing medium for anybody looking to make an online presence. However, there is a lot that you need to know in order to be effective, just like with anything else. If you have been trying to market your business online for very long at all, you have definitely heard people raving about how video is the hottest thing and that millionaire’s are made overnight using YouTube alone.

But so what? What does that mean for you?

There are always a few exceptions to the rules – the ones that everybody talks about for weeks and even months on end. Some young punk kid makes it big time with video marketing. You know what I’m talking about.

Most people that follow these hotshots or try to duplicate their success don’t seem to be as “lucky”. In fact, many of them don’t get any results at all.

What’s the difference? Are these promoters holding back some of the keys to really succeeding, or are you just not getting the big picture?

Videos DO tend to jump to the top of search rankings faster than a lot of other types of content. People tend to prefer videos to articles hands down because, let’s face it, people are lazy and it is easier to watch a video than it is to read a boring article.

But will simply posting a video on your mlm company bring you overnight success like it did for Joe Schmoe? Probably not…

You see, video marketing is only one method for driving traffic. Just like any other method, it has its pros and its cons, but more on that in a later article.

What I really want to talk about today is the idea of submitting your video to more than one video website.

Does it really help?

There are many services out there that will help to automate your video marketing efforts, but there is one thing that you really can’t cut any corners on if you are going to really be successful.

You are going to have to actually create a unique, valuable video with a relevant title and keywords.

That’s all there is to it.

No matter how many different sites you submit a video to, it will not make much of a difference if your video looks like it has been put together by a 4th grader that doesn’t know what they are talking about.

Most people are looking for a push-button way to generate millions of leads for their MLM business without actually having to think or work, when the truth is, if they want video marketing, or any other kind of marketing to work consistently for them, they are going to have to become more valuable and consistently display that value. They are going to have to learn more about whatever it is they are trying to market so that they really ARE the expert, and not just some frightened beginner which can take time.

Once you can create your own valuable videos and content, then submitting them to a lot of different sites can make things happen for you.

There is more than one service out there that you can use to submit your videos – the two that I would recommend are Traffic Geyser and Tubemogul.

There are some big differences between the two, first of all being the price tag. Tubemogul is a free service – of course they have their paid options too, but you can do everything that you really need with the free account. Traffic Geyser will give you a $1 trial, but then you will have to pay every month to keep your account active. It can be expensive depending on what account you sign up for. Traffic Geyser does allow you to submit to a lot more directories and sites than Tubemogul does, but really only because Traffic Geyser is a lot more lax about helping to enforce the terms and conditions of the respective video sites.

Either way that you go (I would probably recommend Tubemogul for beginners), you will be able to get your content out to more people by using one of these services, and then if you have put in the blood and sweat to create some really awesome valuable content, you won’t have to worry too much about getting traffic.

Keep in mind that all of this is only one marketing method, and that you shouldn’t keep all your eggs in one basket. I would really recommend branching out and learning as much as you can about two to three different marketing methods and becoming the pro at them before moving on to the fourth. But don’t ever stop learning… keep adding new tools to your arsenal, but only after you have mastered the ones you already have. Until you have mastered them, I recommend putting on the blinders and going to work.

If you enjoyed this post, do me a solid and share it with with your facebook or twitter friends using the share buttons at the top of the post! (Or just leave me a comment... :) )

To Your Smashing Success,

P.S. If you're sick and tired of investing HUNDREDS of hours online with little to nothing show for it, it's time to take control and change your game plan. Discover my EXACT formula to generating free leads and signing up more reps on autopilot!

Go here NOW! ==> Give Me The Formula!

My one year old son’s favorite movie is Kung Fu Panda.  In fact, it is one of only two movies that we can get him to sit still through. Needless to say, it has been played hundreds of times in our house… often times more than once a day.  Honestly, I don’t know how he doesn’t get sick of it.

Anyway, I wanted to share an insight that I think is portrayed very well in the movie.  After a chain of very unlikely and comedic events, Po – a big fat panda – works his butt off to finally get the Dragon Scroll, which is said to hold the secret to limitless power.

Many of us in the network marketing industry spend a lot of time in search of our very own Dragon Scrolls.  We jump from company to company, technique to technique, fad to fad, all in search of the secret that is going to finally make us the network marketing powerhouse that we always dream of…

Problem is, as Po all too soon finds out, there is no secret to limitless power.  The Dragon Scroll is empty.

Most people react the same way that Po does initially when they find out that the Dragon Scroll they were searching for was all a big facade – that their search for the end of the rainbow is over and there is nothing there but an empty pot.

It all comes down to perception.  Thanks to Po’s fathers words of wisdom, he learns that there is no secret ingredient in his famous secret ingredient soup – that the only thing that matters for something to be special is for you to believe that it is.

Many times struggling networkers feel that they will never make it out of the hole they are in because they don’t have any clout.  They have yet to be successful in network marketing – and use it as an easy cop-out for quitting when their efforts don’t yield the fruits they expected.  They feel like they are in a vicious, never-ending cycle that keeps them from attaining their dreams.  Each small failure confirms the negative thoughts that are lurking in the dark corners of their mind.

So how do you break the cycle?

I think that Po (THE Big Fat Panda) provides the best answer to that question.

He started out as a very unlikely candidate to receive the Dragon Scroll.  The movie starts out with him dreaming about the Furious Five bowing down to him because he was a legendary warrior whose skills were the stuff of legend.  When he finally finds himself in the unlikely position of being chosen as the dragon warrior, in spite of the fact that he is obese and a complete novice at martial arts, he starts to doubt himself.

But that’s not all…

The five warriors that he looks up to the most, and even the Kung Fu master with the task of training him are  all… well, against him.

Not until he believes in himself and has a mentor that is willing to teach him does he finally have the recipe for success.

So instead of daydreaming about what you may one day become if you ever find the secret to limitless MLM power, get your feet back on the ground and find a mentor that can teach you the things you need to know, and then consistently practice what it is that you have been taught.

If you don’t already have a mentor that knows exactly how to use the internet to generate lots and lots of glowing leads for your business and how to transform and position yourself as the leader you want to be, please allow me to share with you what my mentors so generously shared with me.

You already are a Dragon Warrior.  You just need to discover it for yourself and believe it.

If you enjoyed this post, do me a solid and share it with with your facebook or twitter friends using the share buttons at the top of the post! (Or just leave me a comment... :) )

To Your Smashing Success,

P.S. If you're sick and tired of investing HUNDREDS of hours online with little to nothing show for it, it's time to take control and change your game plan. Discover my EXACT formula to generating free leads and signing up more reps on autopilot!

Go here NOW! ==> Give Me The Formula!