Entrepreneur and inspiring speaker, always put my family first and make sure I am the hardest working person in my industry. Developing a culture of work ethic and living our passion daily is within our control. I have no time for ivory tower leadership and will always be on the front lines of helping the newest person see their full potential.
Being raised on the east coast was a blessing and I loved my childhood but to say i was an entrepreneur would be a far far stretch. Most of the people I have seen that owed businesses were all self employed and didn’t have the lifestyle I was interested in. Today if you are not learning how to sell and sell hard you will be squeezed out of business and eventually most jobs!
Selling is not hard its just a skill that has some crazy dumb negative stigma. The most important skill I can teach my son Beau is to sell!! 14 years ago I started in a network marketing company and fell in love with the leveraging aspect of mentoring, products, systems, marketing, time, money etc.
Today I have learned the 10 most important traits of successful networkers are;
1/ Self confidence
2/ They READ daily
3/ Jacked up!! Excitement overload
4/ Activity-tiredless work ethic
5/ Teachable
6/ Honest
7/ Humble
8/ Positive Attitude
9/ Serve
10/ Story Tellers
I will over the next day or so go into each trait on a video and add to this blog.
Throughout my life I have learned that to achieve any goal you need to have belief that it can be done. Whether it was motorcycle racing, body building, business, relationships, or even having my son, I had to believe that I could achieve what I wanted or it never would have happened. Often, the best place to find belief is in the story of another individual who has struggled and came through victorious in what you are trying to achieve yourself. My goal today is to tell you our story and hopefully give you some belief that you can do whatever it is that you are striving for.
My wife and I moved from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia to Kitchener, Ontario for security. We both had money problems in our families growing up and we promised each other we wouldn’t live that way. We didn’t want to have to go through the struggles we saw our families go through. At that point in our lives, we thought money was the answer to security, and Ontario was the place to go if you wanted to get rich. So we left.
Raylene and I were chasing security while we should have been chasing opportunity. Claude Hamilton always says “if you chase security instead of opportunity, you’ll lose both”. Raylene ended up being in an accident at work which dislocated her pelvis and pinched her SI joint leaving her unable to work. While she was off work we got a call from her sister about a business opportunity. We decided that our jobs were not secure enough, so we might as well take control of our own business.
I overheard a CD Raylene was listening to and it peaked my interest so I called Raylene’s sister and asked more about it and ended up being put in contact with Claude Hamilton. Claude called me and, before ever meeting me, asked me to buy a plane ticket and come out to New Brunswick for a Major Function. I was looking for something, I was fed up of losing in my job everyday, not getting ahead just getting more and more tired. Every year I worked, I got farther in debt and I wanted something better for my family, so I bought tickets to the Major Function. I knew that nothing in my life was going to change if I didn’t change something in my life.
At that Major Function we saw the big picture of what we were involved in and what was possible. I heard a gentleman speak from stage about being able to raise his daughters after retiring from his job at the age of 32. Something clicked and I realized that is something I wanted to do. I didn’t have kids at the time, but I knew this was something I wanted to do and I was not going to give up until I had achieved it.
While building our business we went through lots of struggles. From little things like broken pant zippers at meetings, our shoes being chewed by dogs at the door, and forgetting Claude’s name while introducing him at a meeting, to big things like our cars breaking down and costing thousands to fix. Throughout all of it I have learned two things; expect these things to happen, and be prepared for them. We did things that most people called us crazy for doing; gave up trips, sold motorcycles and sold skidoos. Things that people think make you look successful. We liked those things and wanted them but we knew that they would distract us from our ultimate goals of what we wanted our life to look like, real success.
I talked to people at work, telling them that I had found a way to get rich together and every single one of them said no. They wouldn’t even agree to sit down with me. But I had the naive belief that it would work, that I would make it work, and I wasn’t going to quit no matter what. I remember showing the plan so many times that I couldn’t even remember how many I was at, and they still kept saying no. I would go straight from work to show the plan 4 hours away from home, meet with some leaders after the meeting then drive 4 hours home to get 2 hours of sleep before work the next morning. We were tested. We questioned if this was the right thing to do. We couldn’t figure out why we couldn’t get it to work, why we were struggling so much. But looking back now, we know it was not only the right thing to do, but the only thing to do. If you are struggling right now like we did, there’s a reason. You are being tested because one day you are going to lead a big team, and that team is going to be blessed because you went through these struggles and you are going to be able to help them go through struggles that could stop them.
Hunger is the most important ingredient that you need to create success. You don’t need new clothes, a new car, new shoes…you need hunger. With hunger you will ask questions and seek knowledge, you will get more CD’s and books and put good information in your head. You know that when you are learning, there is a sweet sound to truth and when you hear it you know its right and you start to apply it. When you seek more knowledge you get a different way of thinking, and when you think differently you start to make different decisions. Through hunger you will gain correct information which leads to correct thinking which leads to correct actions. These correct actions will lead to long-term results in all areas of your life; finances, family, faith, anything you are hungry for. Most people will overestimate what they can do in a very short period of time, but they will underestimate what they can do in the next five to ten years. The only lid you have is the one you place on yourself. If you put yourself in the arena to grow you can create massive success.
The memories you will make with your business support team are worth all you’ve got to go through to get them. Going on trips, flying off seadoos in Mexico, watching our business partners, Claude and Lana Hamilton, run after and capture their dreams, and having our son Beau are all memories that would not have been possible without this opportunity or the struggle. When you are going through struggles, you will be frustrated but when success finally comes to you, you will be humbled and feel truly blessed. When I left my job, because of the financial stability we had built in our business, I called my dad and we just sat on the phone crying because of what we had accomplished. It’s moments like those that are worth fighting for, worth all the struggles, and worth never giving up.
The third and final section of Claude Hamilton‘s new book, TOUGHEN UP, covers passion and tenacity; the last two strengths considered in the book. When I think of my good friend Claude, passion and tenacity are two of the first words that come to mind. It takes a man of passion to decide to walk across Canada, and it takes a man with incredible tenacity to actually complete the journey while overcoming obstacle after obstacle. In these last two chapters Claude really shows his readers his heart and his passion for what he did and is doing to build an amazing life for his family. The reason why TOUGHEN UP is so engaging and effective is because Claude exemplifies what he writes. He is a man of integrity and has not written anything in this book that he has not lived himself and has dedicated his life to improving. He knows what he is talking about, and we can all learn something from him.
Part three of TOUGHEN UP outlines the last two strengths:
Attitude
Courage
Character
Duty
Honour
Relationships
Passion
Tenacity
Here are some of my favourite sections of Part Three: The Pointy Tip
Passion
“Passion amplifies effort.”
“But when you act and speak from passion, it is electrifying and contagious. People will be drawn to you. Sure, you’ll turn some people off too, but they’re the ones who probably would have been turned off no matter what you did. And even the ones who are turned off will eventually come to respect your commitment if you stick with it”
“It’s the passionate ones, ruffians and rascals though we may be, who really make a difference. As Jim Butcher wrote, ‘Passion has overthrown tyrants and freed prisoners and slaves. Passion has brought justice where there was savagery. Passion has created freedom where there was nothing but fear. Passion has helped souls rise from the ashes of their horrible lives and build something better, stronger, more beautiful’.”
Tenacity
“Quitters quit everything”
“The closer you are to your goal, the less timid you can afford to be. And since its often difficult to see how close we are to real achievement, we should just get in the habit of being more and more passionate as we go along.”
“Tenacity means you know that tough times are coming sooner or later, and instead of wondering about the ifs and whens, you get ready to face them by asking about the hows. How will you preparer yourself to meet challenges, how will you react when they come, and how will you overcome them?”
“Success is more about tenacity than talent, more about perseverance than intelligence. Those who stick with it until they succeed may appear smarter – but it’s because they’ve learned more than those who were unwilling to do the hard things.”
I hope you have all enjoyed reading TOUGHEN UP as much as I have. There are so many little things in that book that could make such a big difference in so many lives. If you haven’t already, take the time to flip over your TOUGHEN UP book and read the back cover.
About the Author
Claude Hamilton grew up in a small town in northern Ontario, Canada. At the age of seventeen, he enrolled and served eight years in the Canadian Armed Forces. After a few years of coping with the demands of an uncertain schedule and constant travel, he became frustrated with his inability to control many aspects of his own life and longed for more freedom to take risks and achieve the life he desired. He knew the life of an entrepreneur was the only life for him. Therefore, Claude became a dedicated student of leadership principles and built a highly successful leadership business with thousands of followers. Then, with his devoted friends, he co-founded the company LIFE. Along the journey, Claude became a passionate promoter of his principles of success and has helped many business partners duplicate his results. His determination, character, and courage make him a powerful leader who persistently inspires people to reach for their dreams. Claude is deeply committed to his family and takes great pleasure in being a father. He also enjoys adventure, mentoring others, and working hard to be the best example he can be to his business partners, friends and loved ones.
What will you choose to be passionate about? What will you make your life’s mission, and tenaciously run after? I hope you chose something worthwhile and never give up.
Part two of Claude Hamilton‘s new book TOUGHEN UP covers three more of Claude’s strengths. These three principles are essential for long-term success and are only mastered through a long-term commitment to pursuing greatness in them, just as Claude has done. As you are reading through TOUGHEN UP I encourage you to really study its principle’s and apply them to your life, not just read the book to say you did. There are so many great lessons that can be learned throughout the entire book that can be used to improve your life in so many areas.
Part two of TOUGHEN UP outlines the second three strengths:
Attitude
Courage
Character
Duty
Honour
Relationships
Here are some of my favourite sections of Part Two: Oath of Allegiance
Duty
“Success means doing the right thing no matter what.”
“I am a firm believer that love, not hope of reward or fear of bad consequences, is the real reason people do their duty. I learned this in the military, and I believe it holds true in other areas of life as well”.
“This is duty to God, family, and country – because when you are your best self, your truly excellent self, you serve God, family, and country at the highest level! This is real. Anything less than excellence means you aren’t quite doing your duty”.
Honour
“Be the kind of person who always honours those who deserve it.”
“Without honour, nothing else really matters in our lives. George Bernard Shaw wrote, ‘The most tragic thing in the world is a man of genius who is not a man of honour’.”
“Honour, on the other hand, is all about enthusiasm! When we have honour, we do the right things because we really, truly feel passionate about them. We don’t necessarily have to do them to be a good person, like we do with out duties, but we choose to do them because we care.”
“As Lana and I started experiencing real success, we felt overwhelming gratitude for Orrin and Laurie Woodward and the others who showed us the way. We felt great respect and a profound sense of honour toward them. We knew we simply could not have accomplished what we did without their help.”
Relationships
“Let them see me cry. It’s okay. I cry sometimes when I cuddle my son. I’m soft with him and tough about pursuing my life purpose.”
“Monday morning I put on my search-and-rescue jacket and combat boots, stashed three samples of the vitamins and other products I sold for my business into my pack, and put my pistol in my belt, and I walked to the highway and started hitchhiking.”
“This means spending a lot of time with those you care about most. Time builds depth, if you approach it with the right attitude. As I already mentioned, I hated that my military work kept me too busy to spend as much time as I wanted with my family.”
“They say the word sacrifice as if it’s something bad. But my military background taught me a different way to think about sacrifice. For me, sacrifice is the production of sacred things. I sacrificed my twenties for my business, but I got the rest of my life with financial freedom.”
I hope everyone is enjoying reading this book as much as I have and learning more about what it takes to TOUGHEN UP! Maybe you know someone who needs to TOUGHEN UP a little in some area of their life, or maybe you know someone who would just really enjoy what Claude has to share. Either way, this book could make an awesome gift for Christmas or any occasion.
Make sure to check back next week for the third and final instalment of my TOUGHEN UP series.
Over the years in the community building industry, I have seen my business partner and leadership expert, Claude Hamilton, exemplify the statement; It’s not only what you tell me, but what you show me. Albert Schweitzer says, “Example is not the main thing in influencing others; it’s the only thing.” Claude’s example as a husband, Father, and business leader have been invaluable in my life.
Claude has many loyal business partners and friends because he loves and serves them unconditionally. I remember the first time I met Claude 10 years ago; by his posture alone I could tell he was someone who was going somewhere. Everywhere he went, people were looking to get time with him and introduce their newest business partners to him. He seemed to be a magnet that attracted everyone that was hungry to learn leadership and business building principles. If you are ever blessed to spend time with Claude, you will quickly realize that his powerful vision and unstoppable work ethic inspire others to act boldly. Many times I have heard him say, “The spines of the weak are stiffened in the presence of the bold.” Claude Hamilton is BOLD!
You can get a glimpse of Claude’s knowledge and wisdom in his new book TOUGHEN UP! Through personal experience in both his military and business life, Claude outlines eight strengths that are essential for real toughness in leadership. Claude reveals these principles, and their importance to toughness, through his real life struggles; from military basic training to financial stresses. Overcoming his struggles and striving for excellence in each of the eight strengths is what makes Claude the great leader he is today.
Part one of TOUGHEN UP outlines the first three strengths:
Attitude
Courage
Character
The following excerpts from the first three chapters are just a glimpse of the wisdom that is etched into the pages of TOUGHEN UP!
Attitude
“Attitude makes all the difference. The tougher things are, the more opportunity we have to analyze our attitude and choose the right posture. Those early rejections defined me because they made me take stock of what I really wanted and decide whether to fight for what our family needed or give in and just let life happen to us”.
Courage
“…if you do the right thing in small matters, you’re going to be a lot more likely to do the right thing when it’s hard. We build courage every time we do the right thing, even something seemingly simple as listening to audios and reading important books. In fact, these things are actually high. Find a great leader with success in your field, and you’re almost certain to find that he or she listens to audios and reads – a lot”.
Character
“…when I say someone is ‘a man of character’ or ‘he has character,’ I mean he has integrity, loyalty, and strength. I mean he will stand for the right things, even when it is hard. I mean he is honest and dedicated. I mean I can trust him to do the right thing”.
“I learned as a military diver that a person’s real character is seen when he faces adversity. Paul Newman once noted, ‘A man with no enemies is a man with no character’.”
Anyone, in any profession, at any stage of their life will benefit from the knowledge they gain from reading TOUGHEN UP! The principles are universal and the values are timeless. I encourage everyone to read this book then pass it on to someone else they care about who they want to see succeed in any area of their life.
Spring Leadership Convention was a HUGE success, thanks to the leadership of Claude Hamilton, Orrin Woodward and the rest of the LIFE founders.
Just one of the many amazing things launched at the convention was THE FREE INCENTIVE TRIPS – these trip incentives are a great way to dream build with people right away. And they are no ordinary trips, they are top-notch, quality, luxury vacations.
Check out some details here thanks to my good friend Alex Nickerson for a great article and some fantastic DREAM BUILDING Pictures and Videos:
Incentive #1: 6,000 for 6 Trip
Qualifications
Trip Tracker – 200 Personal/Customer PV each and every month. For existing LIFE Members, Trip Tracker can start in April or May. For new Members, Trip Tracking begins with the first month in business. If one month is missed, including even the first month for the new member, then the member is no longer eligible for this trip.
PV – 6,000 Total PV for 6 consecutive months with a minimum of 4,000 PV in Team #1 and an additional 2,000 PV, including personal and customer volume, outside of Team #1.
For example, a new member that was enrolled in May would start trip tracking in the month of May and continue to do 200 PV each month through the six month consecutive PV requirement.
If in the months of January – March 2012 a member has not met the PV requirements, they are eligible to qualify for the 6,000 for 6 trip.
Trip Options
1. Disney World, Orlando, Florida – 4-day/3-night stay at Disney’s Beach Club Deluxe Resort. Disney’s Beach Club Resort is a New England-style Disney Deluxe Resort, shaded by broad oak trees and lapped by the gentle waters of the 25-acre Crescent Lake. This trip includes a round-trip airfare credit, Disney Park Hopper Passes, Disney dining meal plan, transportation to and from the airport, and transportation to all Disney properties and theme parks.
2. Arenal, Costa Rica – 6-day/5-night stay at the Arenal Kiori Suites and Spa hotel. Perched one thousand feet above the Arenal Valley, the Arenal Kiori allows for incomparable views of the Arenal volcano, the lush valley, and the surrounding towns that sparkle at night. This trip includes an airfare credit, daily breakfast, canopy tour, volcano hike, and safari boat floating.
3. Oasis of the Seas, Bahamas Cruise – 8-day/7-night balcony cabin cruise. Experience the ship that revolutionized cruising; its revolutionary and breath-taking design includes seven distinct neighborhoods tailored to create the ultimate experience of enjoyment for all passengers. This ship is the largest in the world, watch the video for all the details.
Incentive #2: Leader 6 Trip
Qualifications
Trip Tracker – 200 Personal/Customer PV each and every month. For existing LIFE Members, Trip Tracker can start in April or May. For new Members, Trip Tracking begins with the first month in business.
PV – 15,000 PV for 6 consecutive months with a minimum of 9,000 PV in Team #1 and an additional 6,000 PV, including personal and customer volume, outside of Team #1.
If in the months of January – March 2012 a member has not met the PV requirements, they are eligible to qualify for the Leader 6 trip.
Trip Options
1. Disney World, Orlando, Florida – 6-day/5-night stay at Disney’s Grand Floridian Deluxe Hotel. Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is a Victorian-style Disney Deluxe Resort distinguished as the flagship hotel of the Walt Disney World Resorts and offering world-class dining, entertainment, and luxurious accommodations in its six striking red-gabled buildings. This magnificent hotel sits along the white-sand shores of Seven Seas Lagoon. This trip includes a round-trip airfare credit, Disney Park Hopper Passes, Disney dining meal plan, transportation to and from the airport, and transportation to all Disney properties and theme parks.
2. Maui, Hawaii – 5-day/4-night stay at the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort and Spa, which is located between two beautiful beaches with pristine white sands and endless blue water. This trip includes a round-trip airfare credit, transportation from the airport to the hotel, Lei greeting, and a helicopter tour ride.
3. Ocho Rios, Jamaica – 5-day/4-night stay at the Beaches Boscobel, which takes advantage of its stunning seaside locale to infuse all of its accommodations with the flavor of Jamaica. This trip includes a round-trip airfare credit and access to Pirates Island Water Park. Parent magazine voted Beaches Boscobel among the Top 10 Best Beach Resorts.
4. Celebrity Cruise – 10-day/9-night trip package, including a 7-night cruise from Seattle on the Seattle Celebrity Solstice, 3 nights at a 4-star hotel, and a Mount Rainer sightseeing trip.
5. Princess Cruise – 10-day/9-night Alaskan cruise on the Coral Princess. This trip includes a 7-day voyage of the glaciers cruise, 1 night at Mount McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, 1 night at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge, a natural history tour, and a 1-night Fairbanks with Sternwheeler Riverboat Cruise. This cruise is perfect for witnessing all that Alaska has to offer. Check out the video for all the details.
This is so much FUN, Definitely shows off the Have Fun part of our Have Fun, Make Money and Make a Difference motto. LIFE gives you information to challenge yourself in many areas of leadership and help you Live The Life You’ve Always Wanted.
On top of all of this there are One Time Cash Awards, which the first one will arrive at the same time as the Leader 6 FREE Trip…how does a $3000 BONUS sound on top of a FREE TRIP? It’s available!!!
We are so excited for everyone that is going to run and earn these trips and rewards, which they can go and spend time with their families, when they choose, with who they choose, and with no financial stresses. Absolutely Incredible.
I would love to hear what trip your running for and where you see you and your family spending time together.
In life there are so many people who we come in contact with and they play some role in influencing us in a positive or negative way. This past weekend we have seen why so many people follow and trust Orrin and Laurie Woodward. This couple defines servant leadership. From the time we all entered the Woodward’s 9-Acre property on the beautiful coast of St. Lucie Bay Florida, to the time we all left was nothing short of spectacular. As a group of hungry Canadians, we were inspired to come home and serve even more than we have in the past. To watch the Woodward’s serve the whole day, teaching, inspiring, loving on their teams.
Their property, cars, and yacht were all breath taking and stunning, but the most impactful event from the weekend were the people sharing their dreams and goals amongst each other at the “Gazeebinar.” Having Orrin sharing his thoughts and vision for LIFE and hearing Claude talk about the difference we can all make. Watching and hearing grown men share their inner dreams, goals, and struggles strengthen a team. Orrin said when you try to break one pencil with your hands, no problem, but when your start griping a lot of pencils together eventually they become unbreakable even with all your strength. Building communities of people who share a common vision and purpose is much like the pencil example, strength is in numbers.
Raylene said the best part of the day was Laurie and Lana sharing with all the women at the patio table. It was an amazing couple of hours of loving, information, and valuable nuggets to help any woman move forward in all areas of life. Their amazing ways to serve, answer questions, and share stories was incredible. Lana lead the conversation asking important questions that we all needed to hear the answer to, to help with our thinking and our feelings.
To think and know that this amazing couple started out in the community building industry just like we did is so inspiring. Their exceptional rise to the top of the community building industry is by no accident. They are hungry to learn and grow personally even after all their personal success.
I read an article on Phil Jackson and a reporter asked him, “How do you keep your players so motivated to win?” Jackson response was, “When you have the greatest basketball player in the world, out work daily every other player on the team, it’s easy to motivate them, they have the best possible teacher. It’s easy for me.” This example is how I view Orrin and Laurie Woodward, when you have the greatest community builder in the industry out work, out think, out read, out serve, almost all if not all on their team, it’s easy to see why so many are inspired around the Woodward’s to do more personally.
We also would like to personally thank Claude and Lana Hamilton for being such amazing leaders, always out front and believing in us all. Being a great example to follow in this industry, and making this weekend possible for so many. Check out this video of Claude in action and how amazing he really is: Claude Hamilton – What Voice are you Listening to?
Thank you to the Woodward’s for graciously opening their home and hearts to us all. This experience will be remembered and treasured forever.
Click on the picture of the car to view a short video of Scott Staley, Raylene, Orrin and I in Orrin’s beast of a car, a convertible challenger.
Here are some awesome pictures of our weekend at the Woodward’s.
Some people ask if this will work? Saturday March 10, 2012 at the LIFE/TEAM seminar there were:
many new Team 10’s and Team 25’s and Turbo 10’s
17 New Turbo 25’s
2 New Turbo 50’s
3 New Turbo 100’s
1 New Round Table Member
… I think its working extremely well. Doubled our numbers!!!
Congratulations to all the winners of Operation Advance, Raylene and I are very proud of each and every one of you. Your passion, commitment, and perseverance was outstanding. To all those that ran hard and came up short – Congratulations on your valiant effort, know that your that much closer to your next goal. Although not everyone will cross stage and be recognized, know that your efforts did not go unnoticed and everyone that was there played a huge part in the success of this seminar.
Setting goals and striving for them wasn’t the difficult part for us, it was the frustration of coming up short each time we set the goal. Our mentors, Claude and Lana Hamilton have helped us PDCA (plan, do check, and adjust) and course correct our actions and attitudes toward the process. What I have learned about goal setting is that at least with a goal out in front of me, even if I happen to fall short, I have learned lessons along the way and I am that much further ahead then if I hadn’t set the goal or ran for it at all. We’ve all heard “If you don’t have a goal, you will hit it with amazing accuracy.” In our experience with building communities, we have only ever hit 7 of our goals the first time we set them, but every experience has been life changing whether we hit them or not, and has taught us many lessons in moving forward, with resetting, re-framing and running even harder the next time.
As Winston Churchill said, “Never give in, never, never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense”
“Sacrifice is nothing more than the production of sacred things.” Claude Hamilton
Congratulations to all the teams that were involved with making Aylmer Ontario a great success!!!
This spotlight of LIFE Founders is on Claude and Lana Hamilton. We have known Claude and Lana personally for 9 years now, and they have been such an inspiration in our lives. They have shown us not only through mentorship and guidance on how to achieve our goals and dreams, but also through being an example day in and day out for us to follow. They have become some of our best friends throughout our journey. We truly appricate them, and we are not surprised by all of their succesess, because they have such servant hearts.
Enjoy,
God Bless, Wayne
Featured Life Founders are Claude and Lana Hamilton. The Hamilton’s home is one of the largest in their Canadian province, which isn’t shocking to me since they have one of the largest dreams in the province also. Neither Claude nor Lana come from wealth, so how did this young couple achieve so much with so little? Simply put, they joined a leadership community, learned principles that allowed them to rise to their potential, and acted upon it.
Both of them started in the Canadian military. Lana in the Navy and Claude in the Great White North’s equivalent to the Navy Seal program. With little money, no connections, and no plans, the Hamilton’s joined networking where they promptly struggled for years. In fact, the miracle of their first five years in business is that they didn’t quit. With little outward success to show for years of relentless effort, only huge dreamers like the Hamilton’s would have continued to hold out hope. This hope, however, was the key to their future success and was not held onto in vane.
After missing numerous leadership conventions, since they were convened on the other side of Canada and the Hamilton’s had no money, Claude did the unthinkable. With Lana serving at sea, Claude, hungry to learn the proper leadership mindset, hitchhiked across Canada, attending his first-ever conference. This may sound crazy to some, but the Hamilton’s lifestyle today is also crazy. Great achievements come with great sacrifice, period! Indeed, the higher the mountain, the harder the climb. Claude and Lana vowed to climb to the top.
I met Claude when his organization joined forces with TEAM in 2006. He had already accomplished great successes in community building before I met him. In fact, his huge dreams, drive, and determination were evident to me immediately. Later, I would also witness first-hand his character, courage, and convictions. As Claude is a voracious student, we quickly teamed up and his business began to surge ahead even further.
In late 2007, when legal disputes arose with our former supplier, Claude and Lana displayed their true valor. With many choosing to hide out, fearful of drawing attention to themselves and falling into litigation, the Hamilton’s charged to the front, leading their teams to fast growth. Even when the TEAM income and numbers dropped precipitously in 2008, the Hamilton’s never wavered on their core belief in the community’s right to freedom.
In early 2009, the Hamilton’s defining moment arrived. The Hamilton’s were offered peace and an end to all litigation. However, they quickly refused the offer. Why do you ask? Because as part of the settlement offer, Claude and Lana would have to separate permanently from TEAM, choosing peace over their principles. This Faustian bargain was not even considered by the principle-centered couple. They knew that the best opportunity for their team to win involved staying with TEAM, even if it meant increased personal hardships and severed friendships. In other words, they kept themselves in harms way in order to ensure the best opportunity for their community. This type of sacrificial leadership is extremely rare today, making Claude and Lana Hamilton modern-day heroes and admired by all who know their story.
Thankfully, in late 2010, all legal disputes were settled and the TEAM finally was free to pursue its destiny. The Hamilton’s are Founders of LIFE because they are leaders of character who have proven their mettle on the front lines, not hiding out in the foxholes. Anyone can talk about character, but living it when it counts is what matters. Claude and Lana live their principles daily.
On another note, on top of leading one of the fastest growing teams with the TEAM, Claude also volunteered to be the PC leader over the TEAM events department. In this role, he has greatly improved the quality and profitability of the opens, seminars, and major functions. I cannot imagine the TEAM’s turnaround without the endless hours sacrificially invested by Claude for the benefit of us all.
Laurie and I want to personally thank our good friends and LIFE Founders Claude and Lana Hamilton. It’s because you are who you are that makes LIFE what it is and what it’s going to be. Sincerely, Orrin Woodward
Wayne MacNamara 