About 80% of women who make more than $100,000 per year earn it in network marketing. In fact, women make up three out of four network marketing distributors.

It makes sense, though. The model works really well for building a part-time income and being able to do so while raising a family, or working at a temporary full-time job.

Women are also (typically) more social than guys, and creative when it comes to marketing products.

Anyway, the reality is that women usually take the lead with network marketing business opportunities.

At some point between earning her first $10 and $100,000+, men start to pay attention. Money talks.

When it becomes apparent that this “thing” his wife does in the evenings and on weekends is more than just a hobby, he gets curious. Sometimes, husbands come around to the idea of playing a role in the business, too.

Note: Throughout this article, I use the terms "wife," but also include "girlfriends" or "significant others." I just didn't want to keep writing "your wife, girlfriend, or significant other." It's annoying. So, please understand that "wife" could be used for any of those variations.

I got curious about five months after Vanessa first enrolled with our company. She showed me her first five-figure check.

A month later, I listened as she painted a picture of us working the business together.

Ten months after she enrolled, she surpassed my income.

Three months after that, I resigned from my Senior Director role at Life Time and joined her in the business.

Some guys jump in earlier than I did. Others take longer. But, at some point, most express an interest in contributing to their wife’s business.

I learned the hard way…there are some “right ways” to transition into the business with your wife. There are also a lot of “wrong ways.”

Before you add value, you’ve got some preliminary work to do, both in mindset and skill development.

If you read something in this article that rubs you the wrong way or even pisses you off, hold the thought for a little bit. Think about it. Chop some wood, mow the lawn, or wash your car. Then come back to it and see if there isn’t some truth here.

In my opinion, if I don’t stir a little irritation or frustration, I'm not direct and honest enough. I wish another guy would have made these points for me when I got started with Vanessa.

One other note: I presented this topic at a recent men's event, and since I had already created the slides, I included them in this article for some "visual interest." 

Here we go.

Don’t Be a Jock Strap

What’s the purpose of a jock strap? To keep your cojones in place, right? In a single word, a jock strap’s job is “support.”

If you ask most guys what they do with their wife in the business, they say “I support her.”

But what does that even mean?

Do you support her by giving her a pat on the butt when she’s feeling down, and encourage her to get up and try again (If you do, that isn’t very helpful)?

Do you mean by support, that you earn the income so she can pursue what you believe is an expensive hobby?

Or, when you say you support her, do you mean you follow along behind her holding her (figurative) balls in the air, so they don’t drop?

In my opinion, the word support takes a guy off the hook for committing to anything of substance. And when his wife uses the word, she often has a much different perception than he does.

Have you ever told a co-worker that your wife supports you in your corporate job or trade? Could you imagine a friend asking you what your wife does, and then responding, “She supports me.”

Heck no!

Stop saying, "I support her."

Figure out what you can do that’s meaningful and enhances the business, even if it’s a short list, and do it.

I handle our schedule, write drafts of most of our content, teach classes, make travel arrangements, and deal with many of the emotionally-charged relationship issues.