John Counsel is the founder and CEO of The Profit Clinic, one of the most respected online resources for network marketers in the world. Its network of more than sixty web sites offers training, support, ideas, information and insights that are refreshingly free from the hype, emotional manipulation and abuse so common in network marketing — and bursting at the seams with fresh, original, practical content. John also consults professionally to the direct selling industry — including network marketing (they’re not synonyms!) — at Direct Sales Counsel.

A few facts about John in his own words

I live in Melbourne, Australia — the World’s Most Livable City. I love living here and have no desire to live in any other city or country.

I’m a teacher, writer, designer, thinker and entrepreneur. I’m fiercely independent and I have the view that small and home-based business owner-managers are the last true entrepreneurs. (In BIG business, everyone — from the board of directors down — is an employee. That says it all.)

I was born on 8 December 1945, putting me toward the leading edge of the Baby Boomer generation (born 1942–1953 — those born from 1954-1965 make up Generation Jones). I’ve had an eventful and interesting life. I’ve never been bored. I’ve been exceedingly blessed.

I married a woman who embodies everything I cherish in life: loving, kind, generous, outgoing, bright, vivacious, witty, outspoken, funny, committed, smart, valiant, selfless, capable, talented, passionate, vulnerable and resilient. She renews my faith in humanity every day. She is so easy to love that everyone who spends time with her ends up doing so.

Like I said, I’ve been exceedingly blessed — including five adult children, their chosen companions and a growing brood of grandchildren. The latest — my Tiny Trio — are Tegan, Loughlin and Jet. Here are a couple of recent triptyches of the three of them, taken in late 2010 and late 2011:

(We’re a wonderfully mixed bunch… our grandchildren have come to us through natural birth, adoption and blending. We don’t care how. We just love them all and what they bring to the family. Mostly joy, laced with occasional pain that eventually turns to joy. That’s life and, in the end, it’s all good.)

The older I get, the clearer I see and understand a few crucial things about life, including…

• Life is its own imperative. It’s all about being happy — having joy.
• Everything else either facilitates this or gets in the way.
• Out greatest joy comes from the things we create. So does our greatest pain.
• There are four great keys to a fulfilling life: accurate perspective, balance, purpose and progress (in that order).
• The most important balance is between quantity and quality. It’s a tough one to maintain.
• What matters is NOT what happens to us. It’s how we respond to it.
• Whether what happens to us is good or bad is almost always down to timing and/or place.
• It’s not WHAT we do in life that makes it good or bad as much as WHY and HOW we do it.
• I can conceive of a life after death that would only be worthwhile if we can continue to enjoy the relationships we form, the character we develop and the knowledge and skills we acquire in this life. Everything else is transitory and inconsequential.

When you understand these things about me, it’s easier to understand why I do what I do, in life and in business.

John Counsel
Updated 17 February 2012