It was a more than arduous start in 1991 when the then 46-year old Hagen Horst and now the income millionaire started his Herbalife business. Now over 60 years old, this son from an artist’s family spent 20 years of his life in the hard rocker environment and finally ended up in gastronomy. He learned network marketing through a young student from England. A quick learner, and determined, he was able to put the rejections and resistance behind him when building up his organisation, and he set an absolute benchmark in the industry with over 1,000 sponsored front line partners in just over 2 years. Today, Hagen Horst, who can call several properties in the Caribbean and in Brazil his own, is one of the living icons of network marketing, nationally and internationally. His techniques in recruiting new partners are legendary and have been taken up by the whole network generation.

What makes Hagen Horst what he is, is not his money, because he was always a very unusual person, who lived his life deeply rooted in believing in other people. The imperturbable belief in the people in his teams has brought him, in addition to all that money, a lot of affection and respect – extending beyond the borders of his network. His life’s motto is “Whoever understands how to covert joy into money and money into joy will have a happy and fulfilled life.”

Oliver M. Bracht also started his career in sales early on with HMI Insurance. After a successful start, he founded his own GmbH one year later and sold property and insurance in 3 countries. At the peak, Oliver Brecht led 800 employees in the financial services industry and earned a six-figure Deutschmark sum each month. In total, the leader trained over 15,000 partners in sales. In 2002, he decided to sell consumer products through direct sales. At the end of 2002, he started at Tahitian Noni International.

But now they have both accepted a new challenge and have both joined the network marketing company DubLi. Hagen Horst and Oliver Brecht talk about their reasons in a Netcoo interview.

Mr Brecht, you have been successful for a few years now in network marketing and have made the decision to join the DubLi start-up company. What were the reasons for this decision?

OB: Yes, that’s right! I’ve now spent almost 20 years in sales and in network marketing as my main profession. During this time I have experienced what it’s like to have lots of money and what it’s like to be broke or to have relatively little money. Having a lot of money is better. I spent 4 years at TNI and am now enjoying my passive income built up over that time, just like some other TNI leaders.

From experience, I can say that you have to be ready to accept risks to reach the top. And you need the right timing for getting on board. The necessary qualifications or capabilities are presumed. Otherwise the classic right time is no use at all! A little luck doesn’t do nay harm either. DubLi is a classic start-up company.

It was first founded in 2003. The founder, Michael Hansen had to clear a number of hurdles and suffered many setbacks and did not actually fire the starting shot until the summer of 2006, in a new collaboration. The official start of sales in Germany/Austria and Switzerland was 01.03.07.

I was impressed by the doggedness of Michael Hansen. He proved to me through this that he is serious about his aims and vision because, as he said, he has worked for over three years on “his DubLi” and has never given up. I’m tremendously excited about being in, to a global extent, at the start of such a new type of company, and perhaps writing history. It may be that in future the monthly income for DubLi consultants will reach levels not previously considered possible. But there will also be many “simple” networkers at the same time, in addition to those for whom it is their job, who can simply offset just their housekeeping costs, working from home using our system that is really simple to duplicate. Life has become very expensive, and for some people it will be impossible to exist in the future without additional earnings. We can offer new opportunities from home. And without having to sell! Lots of people are frightened by this. You can even gain anonymous customers with us. You do not have to work through your circle of acquaintances.

Can you please explain DubLi’s business model in just a few sentences?

OB: DubLi wants to set a new benchmark in Internet trading. The aim is global and borderless Internet trade. Selling, buying, selling at auction, buying at auction, all without language or currency problems! And more cheaply than with other suppliers. In principle, to eradicate all the weakness of the others and convert them into benefits, at unbeatable conditions! In addition there are a few unique selling points, such as no set-up costs, and our new digital Shop system with global Internet advertising on all portals for our customers. We don’t sell anything, we just help our customers to trade! Our customers sell or buy. DubLi is unique of its type. We do not have any competitors in network marketing! So DubLi is unique!

It was a surprise to hear that Hagen Horst, who became a millionaire himself through Herbalife, is also starting at DubLi as a second pillar of support. You are his sponsor; how did the contact between you two come about?

OB: I have known the name of Hagen for over 12 years in the network industry. He is a living legend for me. I have always admired him because he has shown like no other that ANYTHING is possible in life if only you want it.

Hagen got in touch with me by e-mail due to my automatic employee recruitment system on the Internet, just like Lieschen Müller and Fritz Schulze. I first thought it was a joke by a colleague or a crossed line! But when he called me later on, I knew it was the real Hagen Horst!

It shows that my system functions. We then met at a secret location, and after 7 hours of hard negotiations and convincing we were pretty much agreed. We took to each other at once. However, a few questions needed clarifying. After a second meeting at my house at Lake Constance over 2 days, everything was clear and we fixed our common aims and vision!

Mr Horst, you are, let us say, a living Herbalife legend and have earned a fortune with Herbalife. You could enjoy your passive income in peace. In the past, you’ve seen may companies come and go, so what were your reasons for starting for a second time with DubLi: were you looking for a new challenge?

HH: Yes, that’s right! I’ve enjoyed my passive income for many years. But I wasn’t inactive during this time and I built houses in the Dominican Republic and in Brazil. In addition, I was present at Herbalife events in many countries.

I created new sponsor tools, wrote a book and I’ll continue to enjoy my passive income from Herbalife. My reasons are personal reasons. A main one is that I would like to prove to certain people that it is still possible to build something huge in network marketing if people are ready to pay the price, work hard and smart for it, and stay the course.

Your start at DubLi caused disquiet, and there have since even been rumours that Herbalife will suffer the consequences of your decision, and there has even been talk of terminations. What is the situation currently and what about these rumours?

HH: Why the disquiet? I received the OK from herbalife, which shows how ethical this company is. Since when has it been forbidden to help people be successful? There are many people who work hard all year long and still aren’t successful. I think it’s great fun giving other people tips and helping them, so that I can later hear: “Hagen, your tips work!” No matter whether I earn money from this or not, and no matter which network marketing company these people work for. This has brought me a good reputation in the industry. I know what it’s like, when you’re standing there alone and no-one will help.

How did those downline at Herbalife (including the top networker Markus Lehmann, Ed.) react to this unusual decision; after all, a few overzealous consultants attempted to woo people to DubLi using your name.

HH: Actually the reaction was totally positive. My firstline managers don’t need me any more. Of course, I don’t think it’s good at all that other DubLi consultants misused my name and tried to woo away other consultants from Herbalife! They have all been cautioned. This is a case of a very personal decision, and it should not serve as an example for other Herbalife consultants!

What is the company’s potential, in your eyes?

HH: I can see a very unusual opportunity through the unique combination of the Internet and network marketing. Many people have said to me that I’ve waited a long time for such an opportunity! DubLi is really unique and is not in competition with any other network!

The Internet is one of the fastest growing markets in our time. Online auctions are much loved, not only in Germany. The best known company is undoubtedly eBay, the global market leader and forerunner. Does DubLi want to follow in the footsteps of eBay?

HH: You would have to ask the company founder Michael Hansen that. However, I think, from what I have heard so far, that eBay is and was certainly a benchmark, but it is not the only model! eBay also has weaknesses, which I am continually being told about by different so-called power sellers. There is a dangerous type of dependency on shop operators there. What if DubLi could eradicate all of the weaknesses of eBay and could offer even more, better and cheaper services?

Apart from the sales model, how does DubLi differ from eBay, for example, and other online auctions?

OB: DubLi will be unique and will itself set the benchmarks in future. It will certainly take 2-3 years before DubLi can really keep pace! But eBay also started small! The most significant differences are and will be that there are no set-up costs. Only pay fees on sales! No dependencies on shop dealers. DubLi even helps the shop operators to make more sales and be independent! Then there will be no language barriers or currency barriers!

Try to sell your mobile phone on eBay in 10 countries using 10 different languages! After one week on the net, the fees are higher than the sale price of your phone! Apart from the fact that it isn’t even possible to do it there. This will be possible in the future with DubLi, and at no additional cost! Then there’s our unique customer recommendation program! Our customers can also earn money and continue to expand the regular customers for us networkers.

In the long term, the “model” of network marketing will make sure that DubLi will have enormous customer growth! Work out what will happen if 5 million DubLi consultants around the world (this could be the situation in 5 years’ time) were each able to recruit 50 customers. That would be 50 million, and almost at a zero cost for the company.

Then no-one would be able to compete any longer apart from eBay. And I, personally, could live with “working” in the second largest Internet portal in the world. Even when I know that Mr. Hansen wants to be no. 1.

Now we come to the sales route. What is the USP for a DubLi consultant? How can a person earn money with DubLi?

HH: Each DubLi sales partner or, better, each DubLi licensee has the opportunity to build up his or her own independent business. Each licensee is entitled to acquire customers and new licensees worldwide.

They can recruit quite normal customers for the portal using banners and Internet links or flyers and visitor cards! On each sale or purchase or other trade for which fees have to be paid to DubLi, the licensee also earns. Also on the fees produced downline. Up to 56 % of the fee commission is paid out to the partners.

There is also other commission income through the supply commission from customers who are recruited through new licensees! The new Shop system holds unimagined opportunities for income! Everyone can be a customer at DubLi!

In principle, a consultant only has to guide the interested parties through his or her personalised customer link on the website. The website does the rest. We don’t have to sell anything! As a result, our consultants have unlimited opportunities.

What are the next steps, and what are you both planning for the next few weeks or months?

HH: We have, I believe, the skills and experience that are needed to make the business partners who trust us successful! In addition, we have a system that functions fantastically and which is child’s play to duplicate. Oliver is a motivated, honest and direct person. He is very genuine and he’s nobody’s fool. He calls a spade a spade, and doesn’t beat about the bush.

In Oliver I can see a dynamic leader with a lot of passion, great abilities and a huge vision. Such leaders occur very, very infrequently! Therefore I decided on him as a sponsor.

OB: Thank you, Hagen. I am doubly and triply honoured to hear that from you! Personally, I think that we are a great team who complement each other! I want to introduce completely new tools to DubLiTeamEurope, such as the automatic Homeparty DVD and the automatic customer recruitment website, and much more. My vision is that our system can really be duplicated by anyone! And all for very little money. We want to be the strongest team in the world and take lots of partners to the top! We are planning a European tour in spring and then a world tour later on. I think Hagen will have to add a few new interesting chapters to his book.

Mr Horst, with your life history, you are a living example at numerous events that anyone can really reach the top in network marketing. What qualifications do you need for this?

HH: If you seize the right opportunity at the right time, apply the right system and do everything necessary for your success, then anyone can do it! I’m the best example of that.

To conclude, how about a tip for success for our readers?

HH (laughing): Simply use my formula: Z + P + G + Z = E – and I’m happy to explain that to you personally.

OB: I can quote a sentence, which has left its mark on me all of my life:

“The doubts in us are traitors! They prevent us achieving what we could achieve if we didn’t fear the attempt!”

Thank you for this friendly discussion.

The interviewer was Andreas Graunke.

Article from "NetCoo" International Business & Lifestyle Magazine (issue 10, 2007) www.netcoo.info