Karla Ingolio

Karla Ingolio’s Millionaire Training Story

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My background is waitressing and for a while, I was working at a doctor’s office in San Francisco, California. That’s where I heard about Herbalife.  My doctor was looking for a weight loss program that was going to be healthy and nutritional to put into his practice, and his doctor friend recommended Herbalife.

Now, I had done a lot of things to try to lose weight and get healthy.  There were so many crazy things I tried. One thing I personally had done is a seven-day fruit juice fast.  I lost 10 pounds in seven days and gained it back in one day of normal eating and I was so frustrated.

Anyway, I was an overweight waitress, going to college and did my two part-time jobs.  As a waitress I was only making about $800 a month, and with all the time of commuting over the Bay Bridge, paying for tolls and gas to work at the doctor’s office, I only profited an extra $250 a month.

My doctor had me invite all his patients into the office to hear about the Herbalife program where they could lose weight and be healthy.  This lady, Pam, drove all the way from Aptos (80 miles one way) to give that meeting.

I thought, Okay, this sounds really healthy and I’m going to try this because it’s something that’s natural and herbal.  And, if this doesn’t work, I just need to accept myself as being fat and overweight. (I was splitting my size 16 pants so I never imagined I would go into a size 8.)

I started on the product. I was just a customer and had no interest in doing any business.  What happened was my energy tripled that very first day and everybody at work noticed my energy shift.  Soon, they started seeing me getting smaller and smaller.

They started asking me, “Karla. What are you doing?”

I told them, “Oh, I’m on this Herbalife stuff. It’s amazing.” 

They said, “Karla, go get me some!”  I thought, Shoot instead of referring everyone back to my doctor, maybe I can just get, you know, get a discount and pay for my own product that I’m using.

That was my first goal was just to have it where I could use the products for free.  Before I knew it, this amazing thing happened where that person got results and then their person got results.  Everybody was getting results.  The first month, I was only working five hours a week with Herbalife because I was going to school, working at the doctor’s office and waitressing so I had very little time.  But, I made $800 that first month which matched what I was making as a waitress, and I wasn’t even really trying!

I became like a billboard.  Everyone could see what was happening!  I had never done any type of business and I never saw myself in any type of business. 

I was 21 when I started Herbalife and Herbalife was growing so fast then that even though I registered, I didn’t get my distributor kit for two and a half weeks because they were putting them together by hand.

When I received my registration pack, it had my own product to use, but it also had a list of things I could buy.  One of those things was a set of The Millionaire Training cassette tapes.  My sponsor insisted that I needed to get these. He told me, “They are done by the vice-president of the company.  It’ll really help you.”

When they arrived, I played them in my car and everything he was telling me was simple.  But, it was also so profound.  It was something that I could apply.  I was basically on my own and in a place where I didn’t have a support system, and The Millionaire Training tapes became my support system.  I would listen to them over and over and over again. Some of the concepts that were on there and what I learned and what I applied made a huge difference. 

So, as an example, when Larry talked about when he went to buy his Cadillac Eldorado, and when he wanted to buy his first house and up until the final day that he only had the down payment.  Larry and The Millionaire Training taught me that you put your intention out there, you work hard, you have a great attitude and you just keep going forward with it. It was a persistence and consistency that I could see.  I thought, You know, I might not have the skill, but I do have persistence going for me!

Larry said, “What you lack in skill, make up in numbers.” So, I believed that if I just kept going, I could do like this guy did. And, he was so down to earth. That’s what I loved the most about listening to Larry.

When I started building my business, something happened in my life that I didn’t expect. You know, life can take certain turns.  I thought my life’s purpose was to be a chiropractor, so that is why I started working at the chiropractor’s office to begin with.  But, when the office manager embezzled $92,000 (which almost put the doctor under), I was the first to go.  My chiropractor who got me on the product said, “You know, Karla. Because of this, and given that you’re the newest employee, we’re going to have to let you go.” 

I started crying and I said, “But this is what I want to do!  The other people who work here don’t want to be a chiropractor like I do.” 

He sat me down and said, “Karla. Don’t worry, you can get rich with Herbalife.”  I looked at him and I started crying more.  Brand new person, right?

Well, I started my business in the worst part of Oakland, which I found out later had the highest crime rate in the whole Bay Area.  Even though it was a rough area, my business started picking up.  The second month I made $1,200. And then the next month, I made even more.

I did what Larry and Mark told me to do.  They said, “Use the product, wear the button, and talk to people.”  I didn’t know anything about ads. I didn’t know anything about flyers. I thought the only way a person could talk to people was if you were asked about your LOSE WEIGHT NOW, ASK ME HOW! button. That’s how backwards my thinking was.

I would just put the button on and go about my day. Sometimes, I forgot that I even had it on.  I’d be in line at the grocery store and somebody would say, “How?”  I’d be caught off guard, but I’d start talking.  It worked, because I was too shy otherwise to go up to talk to people.

In 90 days, I started experiencing some financial freedom.  I was making extra money.  I was going to school and getting people at school on the product.  Then, the doctor’s office called me back and asked if I wanted to come back. I said, “Um, can you let me think about it over the weekend?”

Over the weekend, I realized that I could help more people with what I was doing. I felt confident because I had The Millionaire Training tapes and was being taught what to do, and how to do it. I learned about The Gold Mine Attitude which kept in my mind that even though it feels like you’re digging and digging and digging and digging, you could be an inch or two away from really striking it. Every time I would talk to people, I would think, Okay, maybe this is it. This is it. This is it. That attitude kept me going. And what’s so amazing is Larry and Mark said, “If you just use the product, wear the button, and talk to people on a part-time basis, you can make $30,000 to $60,000 a year.

My very first year, part-time, I made $30,000.  They told me, if you put in more time, more energy and build an organization, you can make $30,000 to $60,000 a month.

At that time, the most I could think about was doubling my income because that is what Larry and Mark taught me.  When I started making $2,500 a month, I thought, Oh my gosh, what if I could make $5,000 a month? 

My sponsor was no longer doing the business and it was Pam, my upline, who would call me every so often.  It seemed like she only called just to say, “Karla, you were the number one producer this month.” 

I thought, Really? In an organization this big, I’m the #1 for volume in retailing the product?

I was encouraged by that. I had to learn how to employ myself, which is in The Millionaire Training and putting the 10 pennies in one pocket and then crossing it over to the other pocket.  They said, “If you just talk to 10 people a day about the products and 10 people a day about the opportunity, that’s all you need to do.” 

Well, at the beginning, I never got to 10 people a day, but I knew that if I was persistent and consistent and didn’t let go of my dream, my ambition, my goals that it was going to happen. 

I became a Supervisor, which was $2,000 in business volume two months in a row, or $4,000 in business volume in one month. I did the $2,000 two months in a row. That qualified me for Supervisor School, which was in Sacramento, two hours away.  It was my birthday and my fiancé at the time said to me, “You’re going to go to another meeting?”

“Yeah, I am,” and I drove my army green VW Bug with primer on it. It really wasn’t the prettiest thing in the world, but it got me everywhere. So, I drove all the way.  This was the first time I got to meet Larry and Mark in person.  I was so blown away. I just sat there after hearing Larry and Mark that I sat in that room after everybody had left.  I was looking at my notes and gathering up my things when Larry, who was still in front of the room looked up saw me.  He looked at me then came down off the stage and walked up to me.

“Hi, I’m Larry Thompson.”

“I know. Oh my gosh, it’s so great to meet you,” I said.  “It’s actually my 22nd birthday today. And, I felt like there was nothing more I could do better than to be here today for my birthday for my future. And being here learning from you is my present.”

“Oh my goodness. Happy birthday,” and he gave me a hug. I thought to myself, Oh my gosh, to meet the vice president and being so new, and this is the guy I’ve been listening to on The Millionaire Training cassettes. It was so surreal.

I listened to The Millionaire Training on the way there and on the way back.  I memorized those tapes. I listened to them so much, I knew what was going to be said next.

The Millionaire Training talks about how easy it is to have a great attitude when everything’s going great for you. But what happens to you if you have a flat tire? Your real true attitude comes out during adversity. 

My fiancé and I broke up.  I was devastated.  My mother passed away from cancer.  My dog died. All of it was within 90 days’ time.  Everything that was closest to me was gone.

I had to move from the Bay Area down to San Diego with my brother and my sister.  I’ll never forget this.  The day I was moving my brother and I loaded up a truck and my little VW Bug. It was 12 o’clock noon, and I said, “I’ll go get us some some snacks and stuff for the road.” He was continuing to pack the truck. 

I was only gone 15 minutes and when I came back there was a cop car there, which wasn’t unusual in that area. And I said, “What’s going on?”

“Well, your two suitcases and nightstand were just stolen out of the truck.”

My brother, Blake, loves joking with me because I’m very gullible. I said, “No. Come on.  Why are they really here?”

“No, Karla. I went in, just to use the bathroom for less than two minutes. And when I came back out there were two huge guys running down the street with your suitcases and the nightstand.” 

All the clothes I owned were in those suitcases.

As we started down the road, I cried for the first four hours driving to San Diego because of my heart break of leaving my relationship.  I cried so much that my head was hurting, but I was listening to those training tapes.

Moving to San Diego, I gave away my entire business that I had built.  Back then, we didn’t have places where we could ship like we do today, and we had to buy in case lots.  It also cost a lot to make long distance phone calls then.  All my business in the Bay Area I gave to one of the distributors in my 1st line, Francesca.

We’re driving through LA in my VW Bug. I’m noticing my lights are getting dimmer and dimmer and dimmer. By now, it’s nighttime.  I tried to honk the horn to let my brother know that there was something wrong and my horn wouldn’t work.  So, I finally flashed the little bit of lights that I had left at my brother.  

My car died in one of the worst places of LA. I gave away my business and all my clothes were stolen.  I’m leaving the guy I thought I was going to be with for the rest of my life.  And, I’m moving to a place where I only know my brother and my sister. 

Blake and I had to stay at a hotel.  I didn’t sleep that night because given we were in a bad area of LA and all my stuff was in the truck, I was worried more stuff was going to get stolen. I kept looking out the window throughout the night.

The next day we took my VW Bug to the shop.  Now, the funny thing is that in a VW Bug, the battery is in the backseat.  I had put my plants in the backseat and the water I added to the plants ahead of time leaked onto the battery.  Luckily, all I needed was to have my battery jumped.

I made it down to San Diego.  Now here I am with no customers and no distributors.  No clothes.  Hardly any money.  And that was the only time I ever thought, Maybe this isn’t for me.  Maybe I need to do something different.  I remember thinking I would have to stay on these products because I feel so great. And, if I stay on them, I’m going to have to talk about it.  So, I was only ever out of the business for 10 seconds.

Besides, I remembered Larry saying, “The skills that you build can go anywhere with you.  If we were to take a parachute and throw you out in any city and you had to start from scratch, and you had a briefcase of skills or briefcase of a million dollars, which would you want?  You want the skills.” 

I got back up and rebuilt my business, and it was nice being in Southern California because then I could go and see Larry and Mark in person because I was down there and it was my dream. 

On The Millionaire Training tapes, Larry talked about what you put in your mental projector.  I would put in my mental projector my intentions of what I wanted, and I made a dream board. I just worked towards that.

One of my dreams was to become friends with the president and the vice president of the company (Mark and Larry), which seemed like way too big for me at the time, but I did that. I also wanted to be friends with the top two distributors who were women; Geri, the grocery checker, and Larry’s sister, Tish, the lady truckdriver, because I looked up to them and they were the first two women millionaires in the company. Mm hmm. I thought, If they can do it. I can do it. 

I became close friends with both of them. 

I went back to waitressing because I thought I needed a center of influence. I thought, I’m going to pick where I want to work. I picked this beautiful place called the Boat House.  The boats would come up to the dock and they would come into the restaurant.  It was beautiful right on Harbor Island in San Diego.

The lady who interviewed me ended up being one of my top distributors. (She also married my brother.)  I started getting royalties and my business was growing.  I constantly listened to The Millionaire Training. Anyone I registered who was serious about the business had to have The Millionaire Training tapes, too. 

That was a staple because it taught me how to get through adversity. It taught me how to Employ Yourself.  It taught me The Goldmine Attitude.  It taught me so many principles that I could take and apply in my business and my life.  It would help me get through the rough times.  

Through the major controversy in 1985, we went from almost 500,000 distributors down to 20,000 distributors in less than six months.

It was a massive Exodus.

I knew then that this company was going to make it because Mark and Larry were leading it.  I just knew it was. I never even had a doubt.  You need to keep that projector clear in your intent because “Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, he can achieve.” 

I truly believed in Larry, and Mark got me to believe that anything that you want, anything that you desire will come true – unless you give up on yourself.

I thought, I’m not going to give up on myself. I chose consistency and persistence, no matter what, and I’m NOT drawing a line in the sand.  (Drawing a line in the sand is saying, “I’m only going to do it “until,” unless this happens.  For example, I’m only going to do this for 90 days unless this happens.  I’m only going to do this for the next year, unless this happens. So, NOT drawing a line in the sand means that you do it until you do it.)

All the people that I have ever exposed to The Millionaire Training tapes were very fortunate to be able to listen to them. Now, to be able to read it and have it at your fingertips, highlight it and have as a business guide, What a gift.

Herbalife has given me an amazing lifestyle for decades and I was in semi-retirement for 17 years raising my two girls and being a very present mom. I had an assistant to help me with my business, a cleaning lady, gardener, a cook at times, so I could be the one with my girls.

I was the team soccer mom and the one-day-a-week volunteer in their classroom. (I loved being the treasure box lady.) I had the most amazing sleepovers for them and their friends.  I took them to swimming lessons, softball, soccer, volleyball, even one of them to acting lessons.  I have always been their biggest cheerleader! I gave them EXTRAVAGANZA birthday parties that would last six- to eight hours and kids would cry when the parents wanted to take them home because they were having such a blast!  I helped them do their annual 4th of July Lemonade and Brownie sales at the local parade where they would earn $85 to $110 for 1 ½ hours’ worth of work starting at age four.  I started them young to become entrepreneurs!  Now both girls are Herbalife distributors and my oldest, at age 25, just upgraded to her 2nd home with over 3,000 sq. ft. on six acres in Missouri.