Success Stories

A Success Story of Carlos' Team in Canada

Simon Abboud

In 1999, Simon Abboud became involved in the direct selling industry because he was deeply in debt and wanted to find a way out. “I was $25,000 in debt and living with my parents,” he says. “I had never had a job or a business of my own-it was the first work experience I had.”

Simon decided to become a representative for a direct selling company, and small successes soon came. “At the end of five years, we had a large team that was doing well,” he says. Despite his success, there were challenges. “The owners of the company changed many times, which meant a lot of the integrity was lost. Often, the company would over-promise and under-deliver. So, we decided to look at other direct selling companies.”

Meeting With Destiny ... While Simon was evaluating other direct selling opportunities, he received a phone call from Carlos Rey, his mentor and sponsor, who told him about the telecommunications direct selling company ACN. The next day, Simon and Carlos left for an ACN international event in Amsterdam. Having experienced some disappointments in the past, they cautiously approached the new opportunity. But things changed when Simon and Carlos met ACN’s four Co-Founders-Robert Stevanofski, Greg Provenzano, Mike Cupisz and Tony Cupisz-and spoke with them in person.

“I had prepared 19 questions that I wanted to ask them,” Simon says. “I asked hard questions. I was trying to find out if anything was wrong. But with every answer, things got better and better. It was obvious they understood the direct selling industry-they weren’t just sitting at their desks. They had been-and still were-in the field. They understood what it was like to be a representative.” After the meeting, Simon was convinced that ACN was built on a firm foundation and had a solid future, and he joined the company as an independent representative.

Double Dollars ... “For me, it came down to three things,” he says, “ACN has a product that makes sense-people will always need to communicate with each other. ACN also had a compensation plan that allows people to earn residual income. Most important, the ownership of the company is made up of people of integrity who had a history in the direct selling industry.”

While he admits that the money is a wonderful part of working with ACN, Simon couples it with the freedom the business affords him. “I have the freedom to do whatever I want, whenever, wherever, and with whomever I want,” he says, “That’s how ACN has changed my life.”

Free At Last ... In just a few years, Simon has come from being in debt to owning Montreal Canadiens season tickets and traveling to see the World Cup finals in Germany. Finding his way out of debt was his goal initially, but now he hopes to share his success by helping other people discover the same financial and time freedom he has found.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling to share with as many people as possible-to see them better their lives and find freedom,” Simon says. “I’ve heard that the No. 1 cause of disease is stress, and 85 percent of stress comes from financial problems. So, really, ACN improves lives!"

“I know why I wake up in the morning,” he says. “I have total freedom with no stress. And the best is yet to come. ACN is poised to be the largest digital phone service company in the world. It’s perfectly positioned to grow its revenue. We have so much international expansion ahead. Now is the time to become an ACN representative.”

“I have won my life back!”

Nekoda Bragg

Working more than 70 hours a week at three jobs and going to school part-time was no life for Nekoda Bragg. His work ethic certainly should have delivered him from low-income housing and replaced a car that was older than he was. But it didn't. And by age 21, Nekoda felt like he was just working to survive.

After discovering the concept of residual income in a book by Robert Kiyosaki, Nekoda realized there was a better way to win. When a friend told him about the opportunity to earn residual income through ACN, Nekoda didn't hesitate to get started. He stepped outside his comfort zone and challenged his fears of speaking publicly, building a large organization over three years that culminated in his promotion to Regional Vice President at the Phoenix International Convention.

"Now, I don't have to trade my hours for someone else's dollars," he said. "I control my own schedule and income. I feel like I have won my life back! I am able to spend more time with my family creating a business that continues to pay me even after I clock out."

Congratulations Nekoda!
 

“Nothing would stop us from succeeding!”

Simon Turcotte & Jonathan Déziel

Simon Turcotte and Jonathan Deziel experienced many struggles in their path to success, but a never-quit attitude guided both in building a powerful team in a journey that culminated in their promotion to Regional Vice Presidents during the Fort Worth International Convention.

These two Canadians came from different backgrounds before finding ACN and building a powerhouse organization together. One of them spent four years making doors and windows with his hands, a job that often required him to work 70 hours a week and left him exhausted. His friend supplemented his accounting job by working as a representative for an unstable telecommunications company.

When the two friends were introduced to ACN, they were astounded by the opportunity to earn residual income on products people use every day. While their friends laughed at them for joining a direct selling company, they went to work and built a strong organization that made them two of the top producers in the company.

But it didn't come without a few trials. "Did I pay the price? Yes, and big time!" Jonathan said on stage in Fort Worth. "But to be honest with you, it was the most incredible adventure of all my life. And it's only the beginning."

Today, these two gentlemen are getting the last laugh as they are living their dreams of time and money freedom. They advise new representatives to stay clear of negative influences and never stop believing in themselves.

"Never quit," Simon said. "If it takes you three months, six months, a year, or two years, it's nothing, nothing at all in a life."

Congratulations Simon Turcotte & Jonathan Déziel!
 

“You have to give it everything you got.”

Maxime Butera

Maxime Butera grew up with the words of his father stuck in his head: “You can either work for the system all your life, or find the system that will work for you.” That’s why he quit a $20-an-hour job leading a call center for a security alarm company. He was hungry to achieve more.

“I wanted to prove to my father that I could be someone, prove to my family and to show them I could get paid for what I am worth, not for what people told me what I was worth,” he said.

Maxime tried another opportunity for five years before realizing it was the wrong vehicle for him. Then a friend spelled out the ACN Opportunity to him using a napkin in a restaurant, and he started immediately. He was not only impressed with the ACN compensation plan but also the support available from others.

With the help of a mentor and his willingness to be coached, Maxime built a large team, culminating in his promotion to Regional Vice President during the Baltimore International Training Event. On stage, he reflected on the last three years in ACN: “I worked hard for this. For three years, I gave it everything I got. I did a lot of sacrificing. I did sacrifice with my family, sacrifice with my girlfriend.”

Maxime thanked his upline for helping him grow financially and personally: “It's not only money that you make in this business. You can find other stuff. You can find love.”

Congratulations Maxime!
 

‘Follow people who succeed in this business and listen to them!’

Mathieu Lamontagne

Mathieu Lamontagne, from Montreal, Canada, was promoted to the prestigious level of Regional Vice President during the ACN International Training Event in Baltimore. Carried to the stage on the shoulders of his very supportive team and accompanied by his beautiful new bride Gabriela, Mathieu teared up as he spoke to and thanked his team and his upline.

With his team lined up at the front of the stage cheering him on, Mathieu ran up the ramp where the Co-Founders of ACN placed the 14K gold RVP pin on his lapel. Mathieu then humbly approached the podium to tell his story.

His story began 19 years ago with another network marketing company. He was a full-time student and basketball player looking to make a better life for his family. He was dedicated and motivated and worked hard for two and a half years. But unfortunately without warning, the company for which he had dedicated so much of his life closed its doors.

He received a telephone call with the news that his job was suddenly gone while he was on vacation with his new fiancée. Needless to say, he was devastated. But in that same telephone call, he was also introduced to ACN. Although he was terrified and doubted himself and his ability to start over, he signed up immediately.

Any of the fears and doubts that he had faded quickly as he surrounded himself with positive and ambitious people in ACN. He found more success in the initial weeks with ACN than he had ever had with his previous company. Today he has more than 2,200 representatives in Canada, the United States and six European countries and supports more than 10,000 customers.

Congratulations Mathieu Lamontagne!
 

‘Follow people who are where you want to be’

Nathan Goldberg

Nathan Goldberg spent six years as a waiter at a breakfast restaurant before he decided he wanted more out of life. He discovered network marketing through two other companies and enjoyed the idea of building a business by helping people succeed. But he never reached his goals and dreams with those companies.

Introduced to ACN, Nathan was impressed with the compensation plan and the company's integrity. By remaining positive and sticking to a personal goal of approaching 10 people a day, the Canadian built a solid business quickly.

During the Detroit International Training Event, Nathan was paraded to the stage for his promotion to Regional Vice President, a position he reached in just 15 months. On stage, he advised representatives to stay focused, remain coachable and surround themselves with leaders they admire.

"I am always asked, 'What’s your best words of wisdom?' Here’s my best words of wisdom: Your broke friends can’t teach you to make money. They can only teach you to be broke," he said. "Follow people who are where you want to be."

Congratulations Nathan Goldberg!
 

‘I found ACN, and it's Friday every day of the week!’

Gaétan Grimard

Before discovering ACN, Gaétan Grimard was a very successful businessman. By his mid-30s, he was already earning a salary that most people would envy. He thought he had it all: Good job. Loving wife and family. Nice home. All of the things he associated with success.

But something was missing. He went through his 9-5 workday feeling trapped. He tried vacations to try to relax, but even time away from the office did not help ease his mind. He thought long and hard about himself and his dreams and looked inside himself for the answers.

Gaétan finally realized that he was working for all the wrong reasons and that his attempt to attain the perfect life had actually caused him to lose sight of what truly made him happy. He was missing freedom, passion and joy. But most of all, he was missing his inner spirit.

So Gaétan refocused all of his energy, drive and ambition into seeking a new career. He knew deep inside that there was a life for him that would allow him to feel good about himself and his career. In the midst of his search for self-fulfillment, he found ACN. ACN stood for everything that he needed – a company with historical stability, strong leadership and a lucrative compensation plan – but most of all, ACN allowed him to help other people. And that is what he had truly been missing in his life.

With his passion, he built a strong organization that led to his promotion to Regional Vice President at the Baltimore International Training Event. On stage, he talked about how ACN made a difference not only in himself but in those around him. And that, he decided, was true happiness.

Congratulations Gaétan Grimard!
 

‘It's going to happen if you don't quit!’

Viken Atalla

Viken Atalla has grown from a security guard who patrolled parking lots to a Regional Vice President of ACN who is financially free and knows he can achieve anything. He drove himself to success with ACN by refusing to quit and following his mentor.

Viken came to ACN having previous experience with another direct selling company, but in his first six months he felt he learned more than he ever had before. Viken immediately attended an ACN International Training Event, an experience that changed his life.

"When I went to the International event after four days in the business, I saw the best people that I needed to stick with to be at the top of my life," Viken said. "ACN is a real family. We have the best, honest people that really want to help us better our lives without only thinking about their pocketbooks."

Viken celebrated his RVP promotion during the Salt Lake City event, where he told representatives to remain coachable, refuse to surrender and share the opportunity as much as possible. "It's not who finishes the race first, it's who is going to finish the race - period," he said. "It's going to happen if you don't quit, simple as that."

Congratulations Viken!