How did I become a DIRECTOR with Thirty-One gifts??!

I have been a consultant with 31 since October of 2009 and let's just say, I signed up to get some cute bags and ended up sharing the product with some great ladies.  Look at me now, I'm a DIRECTOR!!

I can't say that I have been that good, I've just been consistent.  Last year I had a few girls find me online and they, in turn are the ones to who I owe my success.  Since I have had a full time job (in a male dominated field) the whole time and not a large amount of friends and family local.  I have had to rely 99% on networking events.  A great website for that is www.meetup.com, you can sign up for business, to find new activities, meet new couples and so much more! www.craigslist.org is also a good place as long as you are meeting in a public place.  That is where I got started 2 years ago this month. 

I would say that facebook helped me get started, then the networking events, it took the pressure off of me having to beg family and friends that I did have immediate access to.  What was so great is that the ladies that I initially was just networking with have turned into some great friends!! We help one another in many ways and not just buying product.   I'll figure out a way to put their links on my page...

The reason for today's blog is that I have as of Jan 1st gone part-time with Residential Elevators, Inc. and have gone FT with Thirty-One gifts.  I now need to reach out, get out of my comfort zone and call people I KNOW and ask them to have parties for me.  Whats funny is this- I listened to a training call on "Booking parties" the other day and decided to try it.  it goes something like this:
 3 groups of names-
A for the people you think will say yes
B for the people you think will say maybe
C for the NO's. 
You are to start with the NO's so you feel good about your odds.  But mentally you are still hoping for a "YES! I'd LOVE to help you out!"
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For those of you who do not know my background, I was a sales trainer, manager and recruiter for years (9.5 to be exact)... You would think I would know all of this by now. I feel like starting my own business is like learning a new language, but also just because I already know ALL of this doesn;t mean that I act on it.
"It doesn't matter what you know, its what you do with what you know that matters".... (I'm not sure who came up with this saying but it is SO true).

Here is what happened to me:

I emailed 5 ladies that I do not have #'s for and well I heard from (2) of them- one replies that she would LOVE to help, another said I am XXXXX and all of my friends are XXXX and we like "designer" items.  SO now, in the back of my mind racial profiling my potential customers (I don't like this one bit)

I called 3 and left messages on 2- I haven't heard back from them and the one that did answer didn't know my # and picked up. I started by nicely catching up and the conversation was flowing smoothly until I got to the part of asking for help or a "favor". Being that I have been in sales FOREVER and so has this acquaintance, immediately I get, "I don't have any friends."  and then I say, "what about work ladies?" She then has another call come on the line and says, "Oh, this is a work call I've got to get it, call me this weekend" well little does she know, when she goes to answer the next call... its still me on the line when she says "YOU WILL NEVER BELIEVE WHO THAT WAS" I then hung up and took that as a NO.  My point here is that I truly feel that I am nice to EVERYONE, if I'm not interested I'll say, I'm sorry its not my thing. BUT, I'd be happy to send an email out to my email list for you. (OR something along those lines.) Needless to say even though I was contacting my NO's they totally deflated my mojo and well made me feel worthless.  So now I need to rebuild my confidence and get back out there... or on the phone.

I called my husband who is being extremely supportive through this change and he just says brush it off- I took out my Jelly Bellies and ate a handful. :)

So to those of you reading this and wondering how I made it to a director and can't take rejection... I'm human and I'll get back on the phone and call an A Lister to boost my confidence. That is just what I did a few hours later, she isn't going to host a party BUT she is going to come to my party next week, and she is bringing a FRIEND.  She is doing this to SUPPORT me, that is what friends do, they support other friends.  So remember this, if you let people know what you are trying to accomplish they just may help. But those people who have their own agendas keep them on your C list and get it over with. 

Did I mention that I am a DIRECTOR?!  I keep mentioning this because as I write I am still questioning my decision to leave my great paying job to build this business that will in a few years be a GREAT paying job but not only that, I BELIEVE in this amazing company "Thirty-One"...

I received this when I promoted back in November.  I use this cup EVERYDAY, I have my note hanging next to my desk (so I can see it EVERYDAY) and it reminds me that I have a team of 31 girls that need me to be successful so that I can help them be successful.  They push me everyday to be a better person- and I am thankful that I have them, they give me a new purpose. 

I just googled proverbs 31 and found this-

My goal for this year is to have 31 new personal recruits this year.  What is funny is that on my 31st Birthday I said I wanted to have 31 girls on my team (I didn't specify how) and sure enough I have 31 girls on my team. Now, the next focus is to call and ask people if they know of anyone who would be interested in hosting a party, not them themselves... I'll keep you posted to see if the terminology change is successful :)

SO that goal means that I need to have 2.5 new team members a month.  SO far Jan 21st I do not have any- I've got to get on it-

Domesticating? How about Creating?

So of course as usual I have not been on for awhile and I have a TON of catching up to do. Well it isn't happening today :)  But since I am all about having my camera in my hand at all times lately I wanted to share a little of my creativity 

The heart is what caught my eye but then (because I learned how to take my camera focus out of auto and into manual) I was able to get the detailed web below... 

Trip to the East Coast...

In the winter Eric and I planned a trip to go back east for a friends wedding in Philly and to seemy family in Upstate NY. Unfortunately my grandmother passed during that time and sincewe were unable to make it to the wake and there were problems at the cemetery, Gram wasn't able to be buried. We were able to be there when she was laid torest and I am so grateful to havebeen able to do this with my family.

The first part of the trip started in Philly withour friend Lou (one of Eric's college buddies) and based on the photos it looks as if we just ate and drank the 2 days away. I have no pictures ofthe wedding but it was BEAUTIFUL!!

Then we headed to NY on Sunday to see my family and along with having the seriousness of my grandmothers burial we had a cookout and saw family that I haven't seen in 6 years. Aunt Joanne, Uncle Paul, Paula and her girls Caitlin and Marissa. I'm not sure how other siblings are but I have a feeling that my siblings and I will never grow up when we are around each other... I really hope that we don't.

Summer TV

The only things I have been watching are The Voice and Kate Plus 8

Being such a BIG fan of American Idol "The Voice" is the next bext thing however doesn't really compare. I am a big fan of Blake Shelton and his 2 girls are too sweet. Xania, I'm not sure that she has the best chance to win but I love how Blake is like her big brother and what a unique voice-

Dia Frampton has a very sweet voice and I think she can win- I only care about Team Blake

Other than that I think the show is kind of lame and will not take over American Idol unless AI goes off the air.

Kate Plus 8 is also pretty LAME... Summer TV stinks so I should just stick to reading - I think I will going forward. My thoughts are she looks GREAT, I wish I was as tan and toned as her, maybe after I produce a few little ones. SHe really needs to loosen up though, she is int he public eye eno9ugh that she should feel comfotable by now and not come off as such a bitch. She needs to learn how to shake hands as a professional and not as a flaky bimbo. Be strong and confident if you are going to go around speaking to people. Just my 2 cents, she should really watch herself on these shows and be more aware of her facial emotions. (Not sure how to say that)-

Dehydrating Veges...

E and I have had a few things going on in the last few months... So now that things have calmed down over the last few weeks we have been traveling which brings bad eating and drinking habits and well... lack of proper exercise in my world. I've gained 7 lbs and am not doing muchto lose it :(

On a recent trip to the East Coast while at a rest stop in NY I paid $4.00 for a ziplock baggie of dryed veges... The things we spend money on while traveling.

Prior to our trip E unpacked the dehydrater that we received as a wedding gift 2 years ago from my brother and made his first batch of beef jerky (from what I hear it was pretty good). Today I headed over to the Farmers market and picked up $16.00 worth of veges (photo below)and am hoping to make a few healthy snacks for us for the next week or so. I'm a huge fan of hummus so I am really looking forward to an alternative to bread and tortilla chips.

Beets: have to be steamed

http://www.howtogardenadvice.com/harvesting/how_to_dehydrate_dry_vegetables.html#dry_beets

Not normally my root of choice but I think they were in the package and they tasted all right dried out with a little bit of salt.

Carrots: peel cut into 1/4" slices and dehydrate (16 hrs) seems like such a long time and I do NOT have patience...

Green beans- these need to be blanched for 4 minutes and then an ice bath to stop the cooking

Lets just say the carrots and beans didn't make it... I'm not sure what I did wrong but I will need a little more practice.

Squash (green) peel and cut in 1/4" slices-

I ran out of room and these take hours so hopefully I will have the energy tomorrow to finish my mix-

The only veges that I could salvage were the beets and the squash. I ate the squash but can't eat the beets because they still taste like... BEETs...

Update on Reading..

The latest book I read was "Heart of the Matter" by Emily Griffin

What I find funny about any book I read is that I dream about them while I am in the process of reading them and up to a week after. So my poor husband has to hear about my dreams of him cheating. This book is good and such an EASY read as are all of her books.

A quick story though on my dreams and cheating.. On our 1 month Wedding Anniversary I wake up after having the WORST dream, my husband cheated on me ... well he comes in in the morning to wake me being all sweet and it was so real that I said "If you ever cheat we are done" (He was like, "huh?" ) Well, I know that I have an amazing guy and the reason I was having these dreams is that I had insecurities and don't ever want to lose him. Every 2 months I had a similar dream and one morning I woke up, rolled over and said, "Now you're a POLYGAMIST"... the next day "Big Love" (an HBO SERIES) shows up from Netflix... my husband was so quick on his feet that I thought maybe he had ordered it and then I dreamed it and we were somehow reading each others thoughts... anyway, we were hooked on the series, but boy do I NEVER want to be a polygamist I couldn't share him :)... SO now I read these books and give him a book report and he thinks I should read more educational pieces... This weekend marks our 2nd wedding anniversary... YAY!!

April Update- mom came to visit!

It was a pretty low-key week since I don't have any vacation time and to be honest I also wasn't feeling well.. so we were able to do a few activities and mom was able to see a few of her old friends a success! This is a picture form the Farmers Market in Huntington Beach- strawberries and crepes... so GOOD!!!