From Network Marketer to expanding into her own dance fitness format and events, Tara Romano is proof that network marketing isn’t the be all and end all of your entrepreneurial journey. 

Your network marketing company has allowed you to expand and grow and do things in life that you never thought would be possible, can you tell us about that evolution? 

I started my network marketing business and my venture into the fitness dance world almost simultaneously. I wanted to travel and teach Zumba all over the world, which is why I started my YouTube channel sharing my choreography. 

Network marketing allowed me to learn how to connect with people and it allowed me to do what felt good. Now, when I find myself getting caught up in what other people are doing, I remember why I started this — to connect with people, to connect to myself and connect to what I love. 

It’s about energy and alignment and doing what feels good. 

What have been the biggest shifts that you've gone through that you've had to evolve and step into?

The shifts are honestly within myself.

Thinking back 10 years ago when I first started in this business, I didn’t understand what it was to become a leader and then to become a successful leader. Now I know that I can guide people, but I can never make them do something.

I've seen people on my team create six figure and multiple six figure businesses and then literally stop and sabotage their own success. I used to question how I could have done better as a leader or as a person or how could I have shown up differently, but when it comes down to it, they are the ones that are responsible for how they show up. 

These people that become part of your team also become like family. You really truly care about their success and often you see potential in them that they don’t see in themselves. So I’ve learned to meet people where they are. 

I used to think that people had to do things the way I did but I’ve come to realise that people are all on their own journey and I have to respect that and support them on that journey.

You’ve been in your network marketing company for 10 years what has kept you in it for so long?

I'm one of the most consistent people you will ever meet. I came from a family of five kids and my parents couldn’t necessarily afford to do everything, so a consistent and good work ethic was ingrained into me from ten years old. It’s just become a habit that I’ve created over my lifetime. 

Even when life happens, even when you get sick, you still have to show up - of course, you take time off to heal, but that doesn’t mean you just disappear. 

When I’m teaching classes, I could literally be crying hysterically in the car but people are waiting for me and they have their own problems that they’re coming to my class to process and escape. So I have to show up for them. 

What tips do you have for women who want to be able to build a big team of likeminded women?

This applies, not just to network marketing, but all parts of your journey and your life. 

1. Community and team support is so important
2. Find what you love and what you're passionate about and then show up authentically. Especially in this world of social media — it’s a blessing and a curse.
3. Take little bits and pieces of what feels good to you, and start doing that. 
4. Showup consistently, but know that people aren't going to come right away. 
5. Be prepared to build and rebuild yourself multiple times — I have. It’s a humbling experience but an important one. 

At the beginning of my journey, I was working for a gym that refused to give me a raise and didn’t allow me to teach any more than three classes a week. I decided that I was worth more than that and left to go teach in a gym where I was only teaching one person in my classes a week. Over time, my classes filled up and I started a YouTube channel which led me to literally travel around the world because people wanted me to come to their state or their country to teach. 

It sounds like a crazy story but that's what happens when you show up consistently.  That’s what happens when you try something else when something isn’t working for you. 

What are your thoughts on cold messaging?

I never had to do it. In my opinion, having a connection is the most important first step. I've seen other people send cold messages and do great but it's not just where I come from. 

I don't think that you can say the right thing to the wrong person or the wrong thing to the right person — it comes from your energy.

What advice would you give a network marketer in 2020 who may be feeling unmotivated or stuck?

In a world where everything is online, network marketing is literally the most responsible business that you can be in. Find a product that you are passionate about, a compensation plan that works, and a company that has integrity. 

Gone are the days where network marketing is an icky word. This is a new age business, so wherever you are mentally about your business, make sure you get a hold of that and do what you need to do to reconnect with your passion. Connect with your mentor or get a coach, because this is the business to be in for so many reasons and there is a solution for almost everything. 

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