Hope Inspires Change

Welcome to the “re-launch” of my blog.  For those who have been following me, you know I have struggled with what direction to go.  The inner gremlins of doubt, fear and comparison reared their ugly heads.  I thought I had nothing worth sharing.

TODAY, I am happy to say, I have focus again.

I changed the blog name to “Hope Inspires Change – Living Life on Life’s Terms“.

Growing up, I used to hate the jokes about my name.  Kids can be cruel especially in the 60’s when it was not a common name.  Now, I am embracing the emotion it creates in others.  I am learning just the mention of my name can bring a smile to the face of someone who is struggle.  When I introduce myself to others, I think of it as a God-wink.  A chance to let them know, all things are possible if you are willing to make some small change (baby steps, right?).

So, what does it mean for my blog?  I will be writing about dealing with life on life’s terms – addiction, recovery, relationships, retirement, and whatever life throws at me. I will be sharing my angels and hopefully being able to make a difference in the life of others.  Really, my focus hasn’t changed much BUT the inner gremlins have been kicked to the curb.  Thank you Ruth Soukup of Elite Blog Academy. If you ever considered blogging, check her out. She offers a FREE 3-day bootcamp…. Yup, I squirreled again.  LOL.

At 62 (creeping on 63), I am enjoying life on life’s terms.  Is it always easy? NOPE!  Do I still struggle?  YUP!  The difference is I am learning to “let go” and have some faith mixed with a little hope.  I want to share my strength, hope and experience with you.  And if you need a “guardian angel”, I will have them available too!

So, if you have some inner gremlins and want to learn how I tamed them – follow me.  If you are a fan of angels – follow me.  If you are “old” in the eyes of others but still feel young at heart – follow me.  If you need some inspiration once in awhile – follow me.  You get it, right?

I’m looking forward to sharing with you all again.  I would love to hear from you too on how you live life on life’s terms….

Have a blessed day!

Will You Step Out of Your Comfort Zone?

Yes, it is Monday and we are SEVEN days from Christmas.  Your to do list is a mile long.  Maybe you still need to buy gifts (yup, that’s me) or you need to mail stuff out (yup, that’s me too) or maybe you are totally organized, finished with everything and enjoying the moment (so jealous!).

This is my first week without anything on my calendar as far as events or parties, etc.  I set this week aside to catch up on things personally and get ready for the holidays.  While I am doing things, I have lots of time to think.  I will be driving around in lots of holiday traffic so what better time to start thinking about the new year – personal and business goals for 2018, what will be on my vision board and of course, my word for the year.

Today I want to ENCOURAGE you to put something on your list of goals for 2018 which challenges you to step outside your comfort zone.

I often talk about stepping outside of my comfort zone but when I look back at the past year, I wonder “did I”?

    Was raising the price on my angels out of my comfort zone? YES!  Did it scare me?  YES!  Was I afraid they wouldn’t sell? YES!  The truth was with some encouragement from some amazing ladies, I trusted their business sense and went with it.  It worked.  I may not have sold as many depending on the show BUT customers put more value in the work I did.

When I think of my direct sales business, the biggest step out of my comfort zone was running 95% of my business online.  It really wasn’t scary.  The scary part was locking into a Facebook party style and sticking with it, no matter what.  Did it fail sometimes? YES!  Did it rock sometimes? YES!  Will I continue with the same format? Absolutely!

I say all of this to get you thinking.  When setting your goals for 2018, here are some tips to help you:

1. Do something which scares you, or maybe even terrifies you.
2. Do something you have never tried or maybe haven’t done well in the past.
3. What about the thing you have thought about but put off?
4. How about trying a new way to party to build your business…like social media and Facebook partying?!

Direct sales businesses are changing every day.  It seems everyone is all about partying online, and growing their social media presence.  Building genuine relationships can be difficult.  I like to TALK to people so building my business online via email, messaging on Facebook and Instragram is really “out of your comfort zone”.  What about you?  What type of activity in your business makes you feel uncomfortable?

Try it!  Go for it, I DARE YOU!!

I encourage you to come up with at least ONE thing you are going to do to step outside your comfort zone and work on. It doesn’t have to be a monetary goal, how much you are going to sell each month, how many parties you are going to have, etc. It can simply be something you are going TO DO or actively be involved in because of your business.  It can be so much more than recognition stats.

So, I ask you:  How are YOU going to allow your business to grow you in 2018, in a way which maybe uncomfortable, uncertain, scary, exciting but could lead to things you could never even dream of?

Share your 2018 goal with us or if you did something like this in 2017 share it with us.  You may inspire or encourage someone else to step outside of their comfort zone.  I’m still working on mine but I will share all of my plans for 2018 with you in between Christmas and New Year’s…

Have a ThirtyOnesh-derful day!

Throwback Thursday: So You Want to be a Leader?

June starts a new “fiscal year” with Thirty One and I am sure it is the same with many direct sales companies.  It is when I start looking back, not just at the past year but at my journey. It is when I start setting goals for myself for the new year.

Thirty One is offering an incredible opportunity right now….a chance to earn FREE Fall products AND up to $5000 in Disney bucks.

I love this incentive because the focus is on sharing the gift of Thirty One, NOT becoming a leader.  For some the word leader is scary.  I have heard it a million times, “I don’t want to be a leader”, “I don’t have the time”, “I won’t know what to do”, and the list goes on.  The BIGGEST tip I have given my team is: just share the gift of Thirty One and stop focusing on whether or not you will (or won’t) be a leader.  Have fun.  Help others. Share the excitement and the love.  The rest will fall into place.

This is a blog I wrote back in June, 2013.  I had only been a Director with Thirty One for about 8 months.  The thing is, this is still true today:

I never thought of myself as a leader, let alone a great leader.  I have always been a “behind” the scenes girl.  When attention was drawn to the work I did, I backed away and gave credit to bosses or those on my team, anyone else but me since I did not like being in the spotlight.  When I made the official decision to go into leadership with my Direct Sales company – the thought terrified me (and still does sometimes).  What did I know about being a leader?  I didn’t want to let anyone down – my up-line, my team, my family or friends.   I have been a “people pleaser” most of my life, a follower and not a leader.   

An interesting quote by Direct Selling Education Foundation said “the more others respect you as a leader, the more successful your business will be.”  

Here are some basic tips to help you to be a LEADER:

1. Keep your word.  This is a basic concept for life.  If you give someone your word, it should mean something.
2. Be inclusive, welcoming and make others feel safe.  If you do not get this kind of support from you company sponsor or director, find someone in the company who makes you feel this way.  I have been blessed with an AMAZING Sponsor (National Executive Director) Hope Shortt.  I want to be like her when I grow up.  Yes, I am much older than her but she is a leader I would follow to the ends of the earth.  I want my team to feel the same way. 
3. Encourage creative thinking.  This used to be hard for me, in my years in the non-profit world, as a Program Director.  I lacked confidence in myself so it was difficult to encourage creative thinking in my staff.  As I grew, so did they and so did my ability to encourage “outside of the box” thinking.  I encourage my team to build their business with a solid foundation of company standards (home parties, etc) and then get creative.  Make their business – THEIR business.  Stand out from the crowd. 
4. Allow people to share ideas and concerns.  My early management style was a dictator.  Fear, low self-esteem and lack of confidence had me instilling marshall law. As I got, older and squashed the inner gremlins, I learned to temper my demands and be open to suggestions.  I had a potential recruit come to a team training and share how she felt with my current party style.  It was not pretty.  WOW! In a room full of other consultants, it was a hard pill to swallow.  I listened and thanked her for her suggestions.  Yes, I quickly changed my party style so everyone is having fun (or at least I hope so).
5. Support others and help them grow.  I tell everyone who joins my team, they not only get their kit but they get me.  I am there to help them in good times and bad.  It isn’t just about MY income or MY goals but it is about helping them reach their dreams – big or small.     
6. Maintain an exciting and fun atmosphere.  In my past life, this was tough for me.  I was insecure and thought too much fun was a sign of bad management.  Over time, I found it was important to have a place people enjoyed working and coming to every day.  My team tells me all of the time – You are crazy!  I like to make things fun for them, get them excited and then they share the excitement with their customers and their teams.
7. Hold others accountable for their actions.  I was a tough boss in the workplace but EVERYONE got treated the same – good or bad.  As a leader In direct sales, I struggle with holding my team accountable for their actions/ goals.  I am always afraid they will perceive it as being all about me (and my paycheck) instead of hemming them attain their goals.  I will alway encourage them and help them along the way. 

As I have said before, I originally fell into leadership (as a Senior Consultant) but then I made a conscious decision to be a leader.  I do a little each week to work on my personal development.  I know  if I focus on overcoming my challenges as a leader, I will be able to be a more effective one for my team.  What qualities do you think make a good leader?

Have a ThirtyOne -derful day!

Spring Clean Your Business

The first “official” week of Spring – the air is still a little chilly BUT it is a great time to clean up your business.  How many of you have given up on your “New Year’s” resolutions? Or maybe it is time to refresh your kit?  Have you fallen into the “same old same old”  which may be cluttering your profitability and productivity?

I am on the last week of earning our Leadership Incentive Trip so in the midst of pushing for those final “stars”, I am doing some Spring cleaning with the help of Becky Spieth.  Click the picture to watch her video.

What are you saying about your business?

I will admit, in the past I have fallen into the “no one wants to do party with me” thinking.  What about you?   When you are talking to potential hosts or recruits, are you focusing on what YOU think or need versus what they think and need?  When we shift our focus from us to Hostess/Customer/ Team, we see a difference in the way people respond to us.  I work really hard to focus on my team and not on my needs.  I am not normally a numbers pusher/nagger which makes working towards an incentive which requires team numbers a tad more difficult.

Are you trying to sell?

Aren’t we supposed to be selling if we are in business to make money?  The truth is no one wants to be sold to.  When we ask questions of people, we begin to build relationships.  When we are interested in a person for who they are and not for what they can do for us, we make a difference in their lives.  Once I have the answers to some questions, I like to focus on why our product can help them solve “a problem”, “make life easier”, or make them feel pretty or special.  I THINK our products are great but if they aren’t interested because it won’t help them, I’m not going to have a sale or book a party.    Discover everything you need to know about them.  Make them love you so much they want to share you, how you serve them, and your product with all of their friends.

Are you serving your customers so well they are staying with you?

In an effort to expand your circle to get more customers, have you ignored your current clients? Don’t worry, we have all made this mistake.  We work hard to get our current customers and we want them to stay with us FOREVER.  I can’t tell you how many times I have been at a vendor event, and ask someone if they already have a consultant.  When they respond “I shopped with someone but I’m not sure who it was”, my heart breaks for the consultant and the customer.  I have set up systems to reach out to my customers on at least a quarterly basis after I have done all of my “pink glove” follow-up.  It isn’t perfect BUT I keep moving forward.  Find a system which works for you.  Remember your customers and hosts gave you more than just their money… they gave you their trust.  Trust is more important than money, any day, when it comes to customer care and relationships.  People shop and spend money with people they like, know and trust.  You grow your business based on the trust factor.

Does your kit need to be cleaned and refreshed?

Do you have product in retired prints?  When was the last time you hosted your own party so you could earn FREE products to refresh your presentation?  It is SPRING….so add some Spring color, and fabrics after giving everything a thorough cleaning.  I’m going to host my own party this month to get some new SPRING products. I’m also going to hold a FLASH sale to clear out some of the old stuff.  It doesn’t help me sitting in a box gathering dust.

How will you refresh and revive your business this Spring?  Share your ideas with us..

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

What is Your Addiction?

We are addicted to our thoughts.

We cannot change anything if we cannot change our thinking.

In a recent blog entitled, “9 Addictions that 90% of Us Struggle With”, I was intrigued by how my addictive ways have transformed into other (non-obvious) areas of my life.

Almost every one of us is an addict.  I know, you are probably saying I am not a drug addict or an alcoholic, right?

Here are a few addictions which resonated with me, what about you?

1. COMPARING and COMPETING WITH EVERYONE ELSE.

I will admit, this has been me for LONG time.  Just when I think I let it go, it pops up in another way in my life.  It used to be about “stuff”, then it was money and prestige, and when I started my own business, it was about whether or not I was “as good as” someone else in the company.

UGH!  It is so foolish to compare ourselves to everyone else, I mean we don’t know what their story.  When you stop comparing, you free yourself to accomplish what matters most to you. You may have to remind yourself time and again you don’t have to always be and do what everyone else is.

Instead of competing with others, how about competing with a previous version of yourself, so you become better. It’s as simple as that. You are not in competition with anybody except yourself; plan to outdo your past.

2. SECRETLY WISHING FOR EVERYONE’S STAMP OF APPROVAL.

WOW!  I am a people pleaser – always was and work hard to not be one every day.  The truth is you don’t need anyone’s affection or approval, to be good enough in your own eyes.  When someone rejects or judges you, 99% of the time it isn’t actually about you. I know, hard to believe, right? It’s about their own insecurities, limitations, and needs and not their opinion of you.

Your worth is inherent. You are alive, and therefore you matter. You’re allowed to think things and feel things. You’re allowed to assert your needs and take up space. You’re allowed to hold on to the truth you are worthy. And you’re allowed to remove anyone from your life who insists on making you feel otherwise.

3. BEING MORE LOVING TO OTHERS THAN WE ARE TO OURSELVES.

Believe it or not, life gets easier when you are your own best friend. I LOVE this line! There’s absolutely nothing selfish about self-care. If you don’t take good care of yourself then you can’t take good care of anyone else. Because we can’t give what we don’t have. Treat yourself right and you’ll be life-giving to others.

4. BELIEVING WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH TO GIVE BACK.

You may not have it all, but you have more than enough so don’t be scared to share.

Generosity isn’t just to help others, it’s also to liberate you. Which is why you cannot live abundantly until you have done something nice for someone who can never repay you. Know this and live graciously. There is no exercise better for your heart and mind than reaching down and lifting people up.

5. DREAMING OF WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN, OR SHOULD HAVE BEEN.

Before you can truly LIVE today, a part of you has to die first. You have to let go and bury the shoulda, coulda, woulda of your life.  You can’t change a past experience, opinions of others, or outcomes from their choices or yours. Go ahead! Let go. Forgive. Be present and free.

If you are struggling with any of these things, you are not alone! Many of us are right there with you, working hard to feel better, think more clearly and leave a life free of ALL addictions. The bottom line is, it’s never too late to take a step in the right direction. It’s never too late to break free and become the person you are capable of being. Addictions of all kinds CAN be beaten!

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!