IN THE COACH'S CORNER: LINDA OWEN LAKEY, MORENO, CA

Linda Owen Lakey

Linda and her daughter Shasta
I didn't realize how my thought process would change, just by making "Coach's Corner." I have always enjoyed YTB, but did it more as a hobby. Now that I am in Coach's Corner it has given me an additional spark that I wasn't intending. I feel like I am actually walking on clouds now!

Welcome Linda to Coach’s Corner!

Linda joined YTB in May 2007. She joined "just for the travel" and more as a hobby, but says, "I own a mortgage company and have always been highly successful, making a lot of money – millions over the years - until January 2006, when things started spiraling down. I am an optimist, so I continued to think things would get better over the next 21 months and that did not happen. In September of 2007, I emailed my brother, Andy Lakey (Level 4 Director and MVP of YTB National Convention 2007) and asked him what I need to do to be successful in YTB. He emailed me one line: 'Get to know the heart of the people and the heart of the company… in your heart.'

I was baffled and did not understand, however since then, I have been to Red Carpet Day two times, have gone to all the Scott Tomer events in southern California, and qualified for and went on the Birthday Bash Cruise, where I met so many wonderful people who are highly successful in the business. I realized that they are normal people just like me…nothing different…the only difference was their commitment level in working YTB. I realized that if I made the same commitment, I would be just as successful!

On the last day of the Birthday Bash Cruise, my brother and I had a talk. He asked me how YTB was working for me and I answered "OK." He then asked me how many hours I was working YTB a week and my answer was roughly two hours a week, earning around one-two thousand dollars a month. He asked if that was paying my bills and I said no. He then went on to ask how my mortgage company was working for me. I told him that it wasn’t good; I was working 40-50 hours a week, and had closed only three loans in the past three months, instead of the usual 12 per month, and that wasn’t paying my bills either!

He then said something that changed my thinking. He told me that if I put the time into YTB that I was putting into my mortgage company, I would be a Director in no time, and would continue to grow to the point of his success. That’s all it took! I came home from the Birthday Bash, closed the mortgage business, and am now working YTB full time. I spent six weeks learning from one of my brother’s closest friends, Circle of Champions member TV Wilson. I now understand what Andy meant. I now have YTB in my heart… and from this point I will be a force to be reckoned with!

Although my concentration is on the marketing side, I plan to book a lot of travel. My goal is to be like Director Kevin Fitzgerald – a cruise and tour connoisseur – also making money from selling travel! I have made millions over the years in the mortgage industry, but when the market declined, so did my income. YTB will allow me to retire. How sweet is that? My hotel is booked and I will be attending the National Convention. I plan to be on stage being awarded Director and am hoping my brother can present it to me!