Bill Andreoli is the President of Wakaya Perfection, a network marketing company that has changed the lives of many people. While still a teenager, Bill learned how having the right work ethic can bring success. He began his career in the restaurant business, working with his family at their popular diner, MaryAnn’s. As his leadership skills flourished, Bill was given the opportunity to put those skills to work in the direct sales industry.
It was his drive to succeed and relentless pursuit of providing for his family that has helped Bill find success with all of his entrepreneurial endeavors. Still active with the family’s restaurants, he has now been in network marketing for thirty years, first as an independent distributor, and now on the corporate side. Bill has a firm belief in providing life-changing products to consumers, but he also loves providing a pathway to success for his Ambassadors (distributors). The sky is the limit for those dedicated to the work.
When not building business, he enjoys spending time with his wife of 23 years, Duyen. Together, they have three children and love to attend their sporting events and other extracurricular activities. They also love to travel as a family.
How did you get started in this business? What inspired you to start this business?
Being a restauranteur my whole life, I wasn’t afraid of hard work. People took notice of that and I was approached by someone asking if I wanted to try a different way to make money. When I researched and found a way to make a residual income on something you sell one time, I was intrigued. I could leverage my own efforts and the efforts of others. I could build a team of people who wanted to go out there and sell life-changing products as well as change their finances.
I also wanted to free up my own time, running a restaurant is very time-consuming. I didn’t want to miss the fun stuff when our kids were young. I have been in the industry for thirty years now and it has changed my life. I used to never be able to speak in public, but through my own personal development I have accomplished that and so many more things I never thought I would.
How do you make money?
Wakaya Perfection has independent distributrors, we call them Ambassadors. They make money by marketing nutritional, health, weight-loss, and energy boosting products. We have a powerful product philosophy called the GT Core, that surrounds two powerful superfoods, ginger and turmeric, which we source directly from the Fijian islands. These ancient health secrets help to detoxify the body, fix digestion and improve gut health, and so much more.
Our Ambassadors are typically people who have tried our products and have found them so helpful personally, that they want to share them with others. They become walking billboards, attracting others to our products and income opportunity. This helps to build an expanding network of people using our products and sharing our story. Each time a customer purchases product within that network, commissions are shared among the Ambassadors that helped to introduce our products to that customer.
How long does it take for you to become profitable?
In today’s “gig economy”, it’s essential to provide opportunities with a very low start-up cost. Our Ambassadors invest as little as $25 to get started. We provide them with sales materials, ongoing training, and a state-of-the-art online personal shopping site. With such a low threshold, Ambassadors can become profitable relatively quickly, but ultimately, it is based upon the effort they put in.
And there really is no limit to the possible income if you are willing to go out and market the products. Some people don’t have that drive and they will never be profitable, others hit the ground running and have significantly changed their financial situation. We do provide a roadmap for our Ambassadors, and we have support systems in place to give them encouragement and a path to follow.
When you were starting out, was there ever a time you doubted it would work? If so, how did you handle that?
When I first started in network marketing, there was some definite doubt. Some of the most successful people I saw were so charismatic and confident, basically everything I felt I was lacking at that time.
The more involved I got though, I saw that I could do very well by consistently going out and doing the work. I had that driving force that I wanted to provide for my family. Because of that goal, I started stepping outside of my comfort zone. I told myself to push the doubt aside and keep moving forward.
How did you get your first customer?
I got my first customer the same way most in this business do, I became an advertisement for the products. I took them myself and I noticeably lost weight. My friends and family, even customers in my restaurant would ask how I had lost it. I would tell them about it and people started to buy it. Once they started asking, all I had to do was share my experience and they wanted to have the same results.
The products we have not only help your body with detoxification and reduction of inflammation, it also replaces the nutrients that your body needs. This means you’re not only looking better; you’re actually feeling better also. People want that. They want to feel healthy.
What is one marketing strategy, other than referrals, that you’re using that works really well to generate new business?
What a lot of our ambassadors are doing is using social media. This is something I didn’t have access to when I was starting, so it’s a whole new field. People are taking before and after pictures for weight loss or maybe skincare.
We have rewards when you reach a certain quota and our ambassadors are sharing their pictures of a vacation they’ve earned. Those things get people interested and asking. From there, it’s up to the ambassador to sell the products. It has been a great new strategy that has brought a lot of success.
What is the toughest decision you’ve had to make in the last few months?
We just had our Bula Bash in May with a lot of people who have been really successful with Wakaya Perfection. It is always really tough for these corporate events to pick and choose who we want to highlight. There are just so many great testimonials and great success stories to choose from. It’s always a challenge to make that selection.
What do you think it is that makes you successful?
I think one thing that has helped me be successful and step out of those comfort zones was identifying people that were doing better than me. I didn’t want anyone to outwork me. I just had to find my passion. My parents had raised me to have an excellent work ethic and that followed into my restaurant, and then into this field.
There is a saying, “there is nothing more powerful than a made-up mind,” and I feel like this has helped guide me throughout my career. So many people don’t make that decision and put in the full court effort of doing something until it is done. I was not going to let anything get in the way of me being successful.
What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
Every time I am at an event or every time I get to hear our ambassadors and customers sharing their stories of how their lives have been changed. Each of those moments are my most satisfying.
These products have literally changed people’s lives. We make a positive impact on people. We are on a mission to change as many people’s lives as we can. I am a part of that. There are too many of those moments to be able to point at just one as the most satisfying.
What does the future hold for your business and what are you most excited about?
Wakaya Perfection is still a young company and we have an excellent caliber of people involved. We have great products and great management. I am most excited at what the future holds for us. This is just the beginning, the word about who we are is just starting to spread. I’m excited about everyone who is currently involved and everyone who will soon get involved because the future looks great.
What business books have inspired you?
The Magic of Thinking Big by David J Schwartz is a favorite of mine. I am always looking for books that make you dream bigger, that let you know there is no limit when you believe in yourself. I feel like those are the books that can really change how you see yourself and the world.