The ten scrolls are Og Mandino’s greatest gift to the world and no matter which you pick in any given moment, you are guaranteed to find value in it. This time, we take a closer look at the sixth scroll, which talks about mastering emotions. This is the scroll that speaks the loudest to Laurie Ulrich, a fabulous success story from the state of Illinois, who joins Dan McCormick in this live show. In this conversation, Laurie shares how emotional mastery and the rest of Og’s immortal principles have allowed her to achieve success not only for herself, but for many other people as well. Listen in and pick up little nuggets of value that will set the stage for the rest of your life.

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Listen to the podcast here:

What The Scrolls Teach Us About Mastering Our Emotions With Laurie Ulrich

On behalf of the Og Mandino Company, welcome to episode number 33. We love your comments. Tell us who you are, where you’re from. We are going to have a great time. If you’re familiar with the great Freddy Elias, what’s happening with two of my faves. Freddy and I have been friends for many years. He was guest number 5 or 6 on the show if I recall. It is an honor to reach out throughout the globe and talk about this unbelievable philosophy for living that Og Mandino set the stage for us on in 1968 when he penned this miraculous book called The Greatest Salesman in the World.

It was the first book put in my hands. I was a nineteen-year-old young man. I had no self-image, no self-esteem, no self-worth, no net worth. What I had was this insatiable desire to learn and do something with my life. I’ve been blessed now for 33 episodes to be the host on behalf of the Og Mandino Company on this show and wherever you might be reading from whenever. Give us your comments. Feel free to share it to your personal page. You can leave a review for us on The Greatest Salesman Show’s review section. You can watch all of the shows at TheGreatestSalesman.com. It is an honor to be able to talk about a philosophy for living, a philosophy for life that Og Mandino left us with. It is an honor each and every week to have the greatest salesperson in the world. In the house now is none other than Laurie Ulrich from the fabulous state of Illinois. How are you?

The Ten Ancient Scrolls for Success (Og Mandino)

I am absolutely fantastic. Thank you for asking, Dan.

I know you are someone that has a lot of energy. I know that you know that Fred and I have been very good friends for a lot of years. He left me this note and said, “You should have Laurie on the show.” I say, “Why not?” Welcome to the show.

This is such an honor, Dan. It’s not even funny. I remember the first time I met you with Freddy Elias and he dialed you up and said, “Guess who this is?” I go, “I know exactly who that is.” He’s got me on the phone with you. He still keeps introducing us. I’m like, “I’ve met him.”

I’ll re-introduced you as well. People are always in a time crunch and I say, “How do we maximize the value?” I wonder if I can ask you before I get into some of the things that puts you in this hot seat of the greatest salesperson in the world. I wonder if you could share with us three things that have put you here. What shaped your life for each and every day of your life?

Hands down, one of the first thing and the biggest thing that shaped my life is growing up in the restaurant business. I’ve been in the restaurant business since I was born. My grandpa came off the boat from Italy but my family hasn’t. Since I was ten years old, I was working. I was over there helping out. At eleven years old, I was dishwashing. I worked all my life. What that taught me was good work ethic. That’s why Freddy went after me. I told him, “No.” It was a hard no but he knew that’s the life and work ethic that I grew up in. When I grew up, whatever the teacher said, you listened. Freddy caught that right away. Freddy knew I was a hard worker and coachable. All those years working at a young age shaped my work ethic. Which one is it? “I will persist until I succeed.”

That is the way I was brought up. Working at such a young age and watching my grandpa come over from Italy and my family in the restaurant business. That was a huge part of what shaped me. The second thing was when I did leave Illinois for a brief four years. I went to Georgia. I still continued in the restaurant business at that time. My sister took me and we got invited to Tony Robbins. This was many years ago. It wasn’t a big 10,000 people. I’d done his firewalk a couple of times after since then. Seeing him at 22 years old and listening to him, right there I got self-development. That was huge for me. I’ve continued down that path since that. That shaped my life.

The third thing was bringing this company, Freddy Elias and Mark Walker into my life. Freddy changed and reshaped my life. He spoke big time belief into me. I will never forget May 26, 2011. My life has been changed forever because of that man. He wouldn’t give up on me. He never gave up on me. He poured belief into me. With that, I am immediately competitive. I went on my trip rather quickly. I met the founder of the company, Mark Walker. That was another thing that shaped my life years ago is meeting that man. In a human form, he’s the best man in the entire world. He makes me want to be a better person every day. If the flipping Kleenex blows out of the van, I’m going to think, “Mark would run and get it. I guess I got to go run and get it.” Those two men, I’m living a different life because of all those three things. In fact, now I feel like I’m living a Cinderella life. I’m on your show.

Yes, you are. Those are three interesting things. It’s every week people are so creative. I started working at a tennis club at the age of twelve. I had to learn how to clean toilets, showers, wash towels and clean the nine indoor tennis courts, nine indoor racquetball courts. It wasn’t a restaurant. I know the restaurant business was hard and very demanding. You cannot cheat the restaurant business or you won’t get customers. I also went to a Tony Robbins seminar in 1990 that had a huge impact on my life. I traveled the world with Jim Rohn who trained Tony Robbins. All of these things come together.

Your number three is fascinating. I want you to comment and dive into a little bit more about that pay it forward aspect. When Freddy and I met, I challenged him to read the book. In a sense, this is like that chain that kept getting passed forward, the telephone game, but there’s no mistaking that every life is unique and different because those people came into your life. Did Fred come into your restaurant? How did you meet?

No. I had gotten out of the restaurant business when we decided to have kids, and then the recession happened. My husband lost one of his businesses. I had to go back to work. I started a direct mail advertising magazine in my area. God puts things in your life. I started that magazine. Because of my husband’s back, knees, weight gain, he got out of the pool industry that he was in and went into the insurance business. This is how far back God set this up. What happened is he ended up getting fired. He is not an insurance element, but I believe it was all set up because that made me start a second magazine. He’s like, “Don’t worry. You can do another magazine in Peoria,” and I get goosebumps. I know the whole reason because he quits on me as soon as he lost the weight. He went back to pooling, but it was to meet Freddy Elias.

Mastering Emotions: Live in appreciation, not expectation and choose to start your day with love in your heart.

Freddy called to put an ad in my magazine and my life is forever changed. I was like getting the hard sell on the phone and I’m rolling my eyes. Finally, it was about the fourth phone call. I said, “Buddy, I’d been there and done that when I was knocked up with kids. I am not doing that again. Don’t even think it’s going to happen.” He got his buddy and he didn’t give up on me. He kept pouring stories into me. He kept getting me up on the phone. I thought, “If all those average ordinary people are doing extraordinary things, and this guy keeps calling me twenty times in four days.”

On the fourth day, it was Sunday, Memorial week. I’ll never forget where I was standing. I was at a party. Finally, I said, “I’m in. Here’s my credit card. Do whatever the hell you got to do. I’m going back into the party.” That day has forever changed, but I think it was all set up for that. Freddy has done exceptional in the business and his goal is to pay it forward and change other lives. I can’t even imagine where I would be without that man. I’ll never forget a few years ago, my husband and I were driving down Interstate 39. I said, “What if we never met him?”

It’s interesting that you said that because in a sense, I met Freddy indirectly from an ad that I put in the paper in ‘91, ‘92, ‘93 something like that. Maybe it was in the ‘80s. I can’t remember the times now. As you went through the Tony Robbins seminar, going back to your point number two and getting that self-help into your life, when did Og come into your life? How did the Og Mandino book come into your life?

That was one of the first things Freddy told me to do. If he told me to jump, I’ll said, “How high?” As soon as he told me to read it because it changed his life, I had that done immediately.

Tony writes a different way. Tony doesn’t write in parable form. Tony is an amazing teacher with many examples. He’s got great phrases, power words, incredible anchors that get him in his state and so many things about Tony. What was it about this book that had an impact on you?

I love learning in parables. I love learning with the story. What is this? It’s the principles of life. It doesn’t matter if you’re putting it into work. It doesn’t matter if you’re putting it into your family. It doesn’t matter where you put it. These are the principles of life. If you live by them, you will succeed, hands down. There’s no doubt about it. I was glad he told me to read it.

We don’t know each other well, but I’m sure you don’t have a hard time getting fired up. People are hearing you very clearly each and every day. As you told me in the pre-conference, “What do you mean you want me to turn my volume up?”

Dan, with my team, we have a book club and we pick a book. This was the book that we picked for February 2021. On March 1st, we started as a team reading the scrolls. We’re going to see who still hangs on the 31st of December but that’s what we’re doing as a team.

Another guest that I had previously, John Solleder, I’m on his team because they’re all reading the scrolls and they’ve been going at it for a few weeks or whatever. That’s great wisdom. You talked about it’s the principles for life. Og says at the beginning of the book, “Only principles endure.” It’s so cool that you bring that out and you make a referenced it to not just business, but it’s the principles for life like raising kids, how you treat a stranger, “I will greet this day with love in my heart.” Is there a scroll that’s weighing on your mind now?

In 2021, it would definitely be number six, “I will be the master of my emotions” because we’re all about agency. We had this retreat that Freddy lined up for us. We started before the holidays. That was one thing, agency. I’m like, “That is so true. I can decide.” I had this team call and I had a guest that was going to be on. I was all worked up. I couldn’t get the technology. This is when this one clicked for me, the technology. I’m sitting here freaking out. I’m a little Sicilian girl. I’m freaking out in this guest and then I got it with this. I’ll never forget when I first joined this company. I was listening to a training call with Freddy and his buddy.

These calls are always supposed to be 30 minutes. They could not get it going for 35 minutes. They didn’t get stressed out. They didn’t get upset. They hung in there until 35 minutes later, they got it. I thought back about that and I’m like, “I’m getting all upset and worked up for nothing.” It is what it is. Being the master of my emotions, that one is huge for me. I wasn’t the fastest grower in the company. I know this sounds corny, but I feel like I’m Cinderella. I feel like I am living a Cinderella life. It’s crazy. Being on this show is a big thing. When you have more, you can give more. That’s what it’s about. For somebody that didn’t go to college, it’s been crazy. I do feel like I’m living a Cinderella life because I persist. I never gave up. You can ask Freddy that. I cried many tears wanting to quit. He would shove it in my face. He goes, “What’s going to change your life’s family other than this?”

Who’s Torrie Ulrich?

That’s my daughter. She’s a chip of the old block. When I met Freddy several years ago, if he would’ve said that my eleven-year-old daughter would be my first executive on my team, I would be like, “Are you crazy? No way.” What took me six years to hit that level, my twenty-year-old daughter hit it in eighteen months.

I can’t wait to have her on the show someday.

Freddy has been amazing to her too. He pours into everybody. He pours love into everybody.

This is why The Greatest Salesman is such an incredible book. It brings all of us together, young, more mature, male, female, married, single, whatever it might be. There’s application to your life. I’m so glad you picked this scroll because it has been an emotionally turbulent year for a lot of people. I’ve been on calls where technology doesn’t work. I’m all uptight. You can’t get it to work. You’re going, “I could be the master of my emotions.” What a great example. I’m not sure what was going through Fred’s mind on call number 10, 12, 17 to you?

It took twenty calls and, “Here’s the credit card.” He was doing his job and fell in love with the storytelling. Og says in the book, “How much money can someone make just being the master of telling one story?” It’s a great scroll you picked, “Today, I will be the master of my emotions.” Og says, “How will I master these emotions so that each day will be productive? For unless my mood is right, the day will be a failure. Trees and plants depend on the weather to flourish but I make my own weather.” That’s what you chose to do that day. That’s a great example.

It clicked that day. That’s a big one but there are a lot of great scrolls like, “I will greet this day with love in my heart.” Choose to wake up that way. That is a whole different ball game when you choose that. Start your day and follow through with love in my heart, no matter what. Here’s a great one from Tony Robbins that goes with this. I love this. The last time I saw him is, “Live in appreciation, not expectation.” That’s what that’s all about. I will greet this day with love in my heart.

The great teacher, Arthur Patent told Joe Vitale in the book, Money Loves Speed. He says, “That’s what money is all about, to have appreciation of.” Live in appreciation, that’s a good one. Laurie, how many years in the world of direct selling have you been in now?

With this company, May 26, 2021 will be my tenth year anniversary.

Congratulations to you. It’s never an easy journey. You said you’ve had tears. The grind can be real when you have friends that you pour into that you want to help. Maybe they’re behind on the house payment, the car payment, the college payment, whatever it might be. Was there a time when that was weighing on your heart heavy?

Freddy is the master of the vision. He’s interviewing you without you even knowing he’s interviewing you. When he met me, he found out that we were struggling financially. We were losing our home. We had come home two weeks before and I said, “Tim, I am so sick and tired of living for a house payment. Let’s dump it. I’m done.” When we built it, we could afford it, then the recession happened. Finally, Freddy said, “If you could be open and coachable, I could show you how to save that home in 90 days.” That was when I was finally like, “What the hell you want me to do?”

Mastering Emotions: The scrolls may look like an easy read at first glance, but it’s the hardest book you will ever read in your life.

How long did it take you to fall in love with the business instead of “here’s my credit card” kind of thing? How long did it take you to fall in love with the process?

I’ll tell you the story of how that goes. First of all, it didn’t take 90 days. It took one month. My first month I earned almost my house payment to the penny. Dan, I told you, when the teacher speaks, the student listens. I did this on a Sunday. I was leaving for vacation on Monday with my family. On Tuesday, this man texts me again. I don’t know him that well. He texts me. He goes, “What are you doing?” I go, “I’m in Florida on vacation with my family. I told you I’d go to Florida.” He goes, “Great. Get me on the phone with three people there.” I go, “Who am I going to get you on the phone with? I’m on vacation.”

He goes, “I don’t care. You said you wanted to save your home, so get me on the phone with three people there.” I did that. I called friends. I said, “I got this guy. I got this goal now. I got to get it done. Give me ten minutes of your time.” I did it. The next day he texts me. He goes, “What are you doing?” I go, “I’m on vacation with my family.” He goes, “Get me on the phone with three people there.” Dan, I never tried the products. He goes, “You need to go to Zinc Fest. You need to get signed up for it.” I go, “What the heck is Zinc Fest?” He goes, “It’s our next corporate event. You need to get signed up.” How many people would do this, Dan? I’m a student. I hung up. I registered for the event, paid for a ticket. I paid for airfare out to Vegas. I paid for the hotel and I did all that. I never tried the products.

I said to my cousin, “We’re going to Vegas, get your air ticket.” She goes, “Huh?” I go, “Yeah, we’re going to Zinc Fest.” She goes, “What’s Zinc Fest?” I said, “I don’t know what it is but this guy told me to do it and you’re going with me.” When I went there, I saw average ordinary people doing extraordinary things. I said, “I’ll be on that stage in a year.” It was six, but I never quit. I persist. That was a key moment going to a corporate event and watching average ordinary people do crazy extraordinary things. Whether it was a stay-at-home mom, a teacher’s aide, a lawyer, whatever it was. Seeing what Mark Walker was all about and what the company was truly about, that’s definitely when I felt I was never going anywhere ever.

Let me just pause and give a little OG Mandino commercial here. I was on vacation with twelve of my grandkids so that was a lot of fun. If we haven’t met you before, we’re here every week to inspire you through the stories of others of how the greatest salesman in the world like Tim says, “Who is this Freddy that keeps calling me?” It’s like, “Who is this Dan McCormick that keeps calling the greatest sales people in the world every week?” What I want to challenge you to do here is the Og Mandino Company is a coaching services company. We are here to coach, train, talk to people and measure their thoughts about how these things work in your life and how are you applying them.

People show up on your path. One of our clients showed up in 2020 who is a white hat hacker and cannot be known to the public. He has worked at the DOD. He’s worked in the White House. He knows how to make Facebook work for you. If you’re a direct sales person, I want you to go to the website HabitFinder.com/socialvip. What we’re here to do is help you get out of the pond of the people that follow you on Facebook that might be 100 or 5,000 people and open up the ocean of two billion people. It’s changed our company so fast.

We are seeing people change their business life and their connections. Remember, we’re in the business of keeping our funnel full. When this happened for the Og Mandino Company, our world started changing at the Og Mandino Company. Now we can teach people how to make money, how to enhance their contacts by going to this HabitFinder.com/socialvip, and get out of the pond and into the ocean where all of these prospects and friends are. I love being a part of this company because it’s so genuine and authentic in its approach to helping people, Laurie. I know that you have talked so much about the relationship you have with your upline, the owners of your company, etc. I want to go from Laurie down because you have to lead. Freddy is your sponsor but you to your team, what are some of the things that you like to do to lead, to coach, to inspire? Where do you find your rhythm in doing that?

This goes back to the restaurant business too. I’m never going to ask anybody to do something that I’m not going to do. I’ll never forget in the restaurant business, we didn’t know we were supposed to clean the grease wrapper a year. As the manager, I wasn’t going to ask anybody to do it. I did it. I had to throw my clothes away but I wasn’t going to ask somebody to do it before I did it. That’s my mentality. That’s how I lead. We have awards on our team for most new inception, most distributors, different stuff like that. I don’t take those awards but I’m doing the walk with them. I’m doing exactly what I’m asking them to do every day.

What Freddy did with me, every time I was down, he goes, “Laurie, work on you between the ears harder than you’re working on your business.” He preached that to me all the time. He gave me that Jim Rohn CD. I duplicated it. I would give it to all my new distributors but that CD got me through all the hard times because the birds are going to get some. They’re like, “I want to quit,” and I would turn it around. That’s a big thing too that I try to pour into my team and get across. It’s self-development. Those are two huge things.

What Jim Rohn CD did you reference? There are so many of them. I love the one on YouTube about ask because ask is my word of 2021. If you don’t have it, don’t worry about it.

I love that CD.

There are many good ones. Hearing the Jim Rohn voice is amazing. If you turn on YouTube, click on the scrolls and listened to Og read the scrolls to you, to hear the voice, the genuine, authentic Og Mandino is fantastic. I love your analogy with the restaurant. I love the fact that you are never going to ask someone to do what you wouldn’t be willing to do. Get a new customer, sign a new distributor, fly out to the event. Leaders are born at events. You’re showing us your teachability and all of the things that you love.

I bought my kids these books when they were ten. We all had one. We’d sit around on Monday nights and we’d all read a scroll. My girls to this day know about it and they can still quote some of the stuff. It’s brilliant stuff. There’s something else you said that is brilliant. That is, “When the phone’s not ringing, customers aren’t signing up, and distributors aren’t signing up, etc., you work on you.” You said that so well because everybody wants more. Everybody wants to be on that stage like you are, be the greatest salesperson in the world. Not everybody is willing to do what Og says here. He gives you 75 to 1 odds that you’re going to finish the scrolls. What got you through it? Were you able to get through it your first time? I was not.

I wasn’t. I told my team, I said, “You can look at this month’s book and think it’s an easy read. It’s the hardest read you’ll ever read in your life.” I love that I’m being accountable to my team now. I know I will succeed for sure. I love him. “I will act now” is an important one too. I read the book, The Slight Edge. I’m sure you’ve read it before. That goes with scroll nine, “I’m going to do what others will not do now, so I will have what others will have. Five percent are going to do this.” That’s a book that I give for every high school graduation. I put cash in it too, but any graduation I get invited to, I put that in there. I want them to know it’s the 5% in the world that’s going to do what others will not do and to have what others will not have later. I love them all.

There isn’t a whole lot of sales techniques in here. The “I will act now” is pure candor. That’s where the rubber meets the road. One of my sponsors, if I said, “Let’s get together and call so-and-so.” His immediate answer is, “Let’s do it now.” He is unbelievable. He was on the show at the beginning of the year, my sponsor, Nathan Ricks. It’s unbelievable the great teachings that you’re giving people. In some cases, it’s new to people. In other cases, it’s a reminder. Isn’t it interesting as I asked you to reread the book? What was different about it the second time than the first time you read it, or the third time?

I enjoyed reading it again. It was vivid. I could see these people. I could see Hafid and the stars. I got goosebumps. I enjoyed reading the book the second and third time way more than the first. It clicked. We’ve been in the last few months talking about principles. These are the principles. They’re right in front of your face. Here are ten principles to live by, end of story. If you want a successful life whether it’s financial, with your family, with friends, serving whoever, these are the ten principles of life to be successful in any area. There’s no doubt about it.

You said something that is so fantastic. I’m going to try something I’ve never tried before. I want to read this to you at the beginning of the Og book. This is page number six in my book. I’m talking to you, “You have mastered the art of living not for yourself alone but for others.” I can feel that in you. If you can agree with me that somebody that I didn’t even know a couple of years ago, I meet through Fred and here you have mastered the art of living not for yourself alone but for others. That is an amazing thing when you think about when you started the journey.

The restaurant business is interesting because one dirty bathroom, a customer might not come back. One bad meal, a customer might not come back. When you master the art of living and you’re thinking about others all the time, it’s an incredible thing to read “I will greet this day with love in my heart” for people that might not love you for the moment. People are angry. They’re honking at you at a red light. Jim Rohn used to say, “I used to be like you. Calm down a little bit.”

I’m so happy that Larry Shine gave me this book at nineteen years old. I made my friend, Randy read it when I met him. Unfortunately, Randy passed away, who walks into a health food store and meets Fred Elias, who goes into a restaurant and meets you. Who knows who you gave it to? The pay it forward message here is so awesome. I don’t know if I have any greater questions for you because you’re darn good. Torrie says, “Twenty years old with your mom as your coach, I didn’t like her all the time but I can promise you that she says.” In closing, what would you say to your team or anyone that might read this that they’re going through the grind? They’re losing their house. They don’t know how they’re going to make their payment. That’s a heavy weight that you are carrying, you and your husband. There’s conflict. What do you say to people trying to get them through that?

If you keep going, if you persist and that’s what I tell them. It might not happen overnight but it will happen. The only way you can lose is quitting. I’m going to tell you that it’s not going to be easy whatsoever. It’s a simple business but it’s not easy business. What I can promise you is that it will pay off like Freddy told me, just like the book when he tells, “Give 50% of everything.” What will inspire you is when you have that phone call and says, “I felt worthless.” I had this happen, she goes, “I’m so grateful for you, Laurie. I felt worthless. I felt like I had no purpose. Now I feel completely different. I’m excited about this.” That’s why I keep encouraging them because you will change lives. You will go. It’s the going to be the person like The Slight Edge.

You’ve got to keep going. Anything worthwhile isn’t going to be easy. It’s not about the goal. I love this song. I’ve went on stage to it twice. I know you’re going to think it’s corny but it’s The Climb. It’s not about the end goal. It’s about the journey to the goal. It’s about the relationships made. It’s about the lives changed on the way up. If you keep going, yours will be changed tenfold. I didn’t have it easy. You can look at our company. There are people that grow like this. Do you think that drove me crazy? He kept painting the vision. That’s what people need to do for their people. They need to paint the vision, get the why and keep putting it in front of them. That will pay off.

You’re a blessing, a gift and a leader. We know that Og says in the Salesman’s Prayer, “I will pray for guidance. I will pray as a salesman in this manner.” That is why those ten scrolls always are about the journey that you mentioned. It is great that you and I get to share the journey. Hopefully, there are some nuggets along the way here that people will hear. They can go to the app later and download it. They can go to Facebook or YouTube, they can download it. They can listen to the greatest salespeople in the world. You are a gift to so many thousands of people. Your company’s doing hundreds of millions of dollars in business. You told me you crushed it in February 2021. There are many more questions I could ask you about momentum and things like that. You’ve encapsulated it very well. I want to congratulate you. Thank you for taking the time to be with us here on the show. I look forward to perhaps having Torrie on one day.

Thank you so much, Dan. It was an honor to be on truly.

It’s truly a great time. Everybody, go out and make it the greatest day of your life. Go to HabitFinder.com/socialvip and become the greatest networker and greatest salesman in the world. Join us each and every Wednesday. We’re here to help, to serve, to guide, to inspire. You said it best. You mentioned the word principle and only principles endure. Those are best taught right here. If you’re not in the sacred wisdom literature like the Bible, right here is as pure as it gets. She’s Laurie Ulrich. If you want to find her, you can find her on Facebook. We look forward to having you back. It’s going to be an amazing show. Bye for now. Thank you.

Important Links:

• Laurie Ulrich – Facebook
• Freddy Elias – Past episode
• The Greatest Salesman in the World
• John Solleder – Past episode
• Money Loves Speed
• HabitFinder.com/socialvip
• The Slight Edge
• Nathan Ricks – Past episode
• Facebook – The Greatest Salesman
• YouTube – The Greatest Salesman