1. What is Authentic Abundance?
Authentic Abundance is an on-line business development company dedicated to increasing authentic earning through mentoring, interactive guidance, support, and encouragement of individual authentic business owners.
Like a food cooperative, Authentic Abundance is 100% co-owned and co-operated by its members.
2. What is authentic income?
Income means earnings received from work or investment.
Thus, authentic income means money earned by being real, while taking meaningful, sincere action in the pursuit of a livelihood that makes your heart sing. In other words, making money authentically.
3. Is Authentic Abundance strictly an online community?
No. We provide much more opportunity for co-creation and connection than a typical on-line only community. Many of our co-creation and community calls are live via telephone conferencing as well as master mind program. Our first on live membership Gathering for celebration and co-creation was heartfelt and vigorous. We intend more live Gatherings to come.
4. What is the service/product?
Authentic business development support, online and telephone courses, master mind guidance and accountability to help each co-owner build his or her own pat or full time authentic money-making income stream.
5. What is your track record?
Authentic Abundance officially began on November 15, 2010 when the original 11 partners came together. In our first full year, 2011, the Board of Directors declared a dividend in every quarter.
Your decision to enroll as a member and fellow co-owner ought to be based on the knowledge that we are a start-up enterprise with a limited track record. We’ll be partially successful because of your participation, enthusiasm and commitment. As early investors and co-owners, we are only as good as the collective competence and confidence of our entire team.
6. Who owns Authentic Abundance?
Authentic Abundance is, and shall remain, 100% co-owned by its members.
Founder & President, Tom Volkar, owns 40% in founding Conception Units, which are also dividend-paying units. Presently, Tom is the only contributor who invests up to 15 hours weekly and, at this time, his 40% share in potential and future declared dividends is the only payment he currently accepts for his significant and valuable contributions.
The remaining 60% ownership is vested through Dividend Units held by all other partners, earned and awarded according to the Compensation Plan.
7. How does a member of Authentic Abundance become a co-owner? Is it automatic?
Yes. All members of Authentic Abundance become owners essentially by the act of enrolling. Officially, ownership units are awarded after three continuous months of dues are paid. Essentially, an Owner and a Member are one-in-the-same, and these Owners/Members legally hold actual ownership units in the company.
8. How do members earn money?
- Earnings from the Member’s individual authentic business.
- Dividend payments from his or her ownership units in Authentic Abundance.
- Revenue from sales of personal products and services on our Authentic Marketplace.
9. How does a member earn ownership units in Authentic Abundance?
Your initial ownership unit is issued after you activate your membership and pay three consecutive months of membership fee. Additional units may be earned by selling your products and services in our Authentic Marketplace and by enrolling others in Authentic Abundance.
See our compensation model for more details.
10. Who manages Authentic Abundance?
All activities within Authentic Abundance and our Authentic Marketplace are monitored and managed by our Board of Managers. These Managers operate the company in accordance with the terms and conditions outlined by the Limited Liability Company Operating Agreement.
The voting power of Managers to make decisions relating to the company’s management is vested in the Managers based on the control held by Managers in accordance with the Operating Agreement and LLC Ownership Units held by the Managers. Founder and President, Tom Volkar, holds 40% voting control via founding Conception Units. The additional 60% voting control is distributed equally between five other Board Members via Management Units.
11. What is the minimum requirement for membership?
The only absolute minimum requirement for membership is that you maintain your monthly dues payment in a timely manner. However there are two instances where it is requested and highly recommended that you offer service in the spirit of co-creation and co-ownership:
- Each member is encouraged to participate in the master mind program, first as a participant and then (after experience and training) as a mentor/facilitator.
- At the Board’s discretion, some new members may be awarded an additional ownership unit for sweat equity contribution.
12. What sweat equity service might I be asked to contribute?
Everyone will be asked to contribute by a committee chairperson who coordinates assignments with the Service Coordinator. Your service may take many different forms. We honor authentic initiative and choice, so if you feel like you have a special skill that could be of service to a start- up, let our Service Coordinator know about it.
You could be asked to contribute your hours in a service of special skill like social media posting, accounting, proofreading, marketing, copywriting or art. Or you may take on a research assignment to report on various software or service options. You may even elect to be trained as an Authentic Marketplace application reviewer.
13. Why would I want to become a co-owner? (What are the benefits of co- ownership?)
The benefits of ownership/membership are:
- Unlimited access to all of our uplifting co-creation and community calls archive and scheduled live
- The right to list one (non-fee) product or service in our Authentic Marketplace
- The right to list approved (for fee) products and services in our Authentic Marketplace at no charge
- The ability to earn Ownership Units by participating in our compensation plan
- The possibility of earning dividend payments based on Ownership Units when a dividend is declared
14. Do I have to commit to a certain time period?
No. You may cancel your membership at any time, but by doing so you will also be giving up your Ownership Units.
15. If I’m not 100% satisfied with my membership in AA, is there a refund policy? How does this work?
Because you are essentially investing in a company, and not making a purchase, there is no refund if you leave Authentic Abundance. However, you may stop your monthly dues payment at any time. Authentic Abundance incurs costs to officially buy back, at a nominal but legally required fee, the Ownership Units when an owner leaves – so there are no refunds.
16. What’s the Authentic Marketplace?
It’s an on-line marketplace where any authentically certified business that passes our vigorous review standards lists products and services for sale to the on-line public.
17. Can I list products in the marketplace without becoming a member?
Yes. Non-members may apply to list products and services, and there is a fee for making application.
If a Seller’s application is approved, all Sellers enter into an affiliate agreement with the Authentic Marketplace and pay affiliate commissions when the marketplace sells their product.
18. What makes Authentic Abundance unique?
This is a revolutionary new business concept unlike anything you have ever seen or heard about. Our seven mighty points of distinction are: meaningful connection, urgent optimism, unconditional support, inspired engagement, playful, vested self-interest, trusted safe environment and, of course, financial prosperity.
19. How is Authentic Abundance similar to network marketing?
We’re similar in that we expand via personal invitation and, like network marketing, we provide a structure where a member may build an income stream while working part-time. But how we are different is the real story.
20. How is Authentic Abundance different from network marketing?
- We teach pressure-free, natural business building techniques.
- We champion the individual and his or her authentic business rather than following and promoting a system, and we do not have one specific product or service that Members are required to sell.
- We foster a cooperative, not a competitive environment.
- Everyone shares in the rewards of our prosperity because we are 100% member owned.
21. Who are ideal candidates for membership?
First of all, our Members all care about earning money authentically: meaning we teach business building to allow all individuals to be who they are and do what they came here to do for their livelihood. Our Members tend to be more spiritual than not and positive possibility thinkers. We live our motto which is: Connect ~ Be Yourself ~ Make Money.
Among our Members are successful solopreneurs, former network marketers, bloggers who want to monetize, employees who wish to cease working for others and already self-employed individuals who want to earn more. We appeal to anyone who wants long-term support and guidance in order to prosper by building a business based on their authentic livelihood.
22. What produces the revenue for Authentic Abundance?
Members pay a $50 US monthly membership fee to have access to our on-line educational offerings, business development support and mentoring. Authentic Abundance also earns affiliate commissions from those who sell products and services on our Authentic Marketplace.
23. May I join you any time?
Yes we have an open enrollment policy so you may enroll and become a memebr anytime but your first ownership unit will not be awarded until the end of your first full quarter.
24. If I inspire other people to enroll in Authentic Abundance, do I have official responsibilities for them?
By referring an individual for membership, you are vouching for her or his authenticity and you become a champion for her or his success.
25. Do I have to be a member of Authentic Abundance to refer someone for membership?
No. If you know someone who would benefit from membership, you may refer him or her as a service to the Member who referred you and pass on the referring credit to him or her.
26. Is there a limit to the number of people I can personally refer in Authentic Abundance?
No. We are changing the world and we have placed no limits on individual performance earned units.
28. Why do you need my birth date and social security number when I enroll?
Authentic Abundance has a comprehensive privacy policy that can be reviewed on the website. In short, we treat all of your personal information with the highest regard for your safety and security. The information we ask for during the enrollment process is necessary for the proper activation and ongoing maintenance of both your Membership account and your position as a legal co-owner of Authentic Abundance. For example, your birth date is one piece of information that will be used for future verification of your identity to assure that unauthorized users never gain access to or make changes to your account or your information. The social security number is required to issue you dividend checks and for tax reporting purposes.
