Choose Your Own Direction

WOOOHOO!  Do you know what day it is?

Yes, it is still HUMP day even though it is a short week for most people since Monday was a holiday.

For those who read my blog often, you know I am a HUGE fan of Carrie Wilkerson and Lysa TerKeurst.  Put the two together and talk about motivation….

Lysa TerKeurst shared this quote recently:

‘You steer where you stare.

Okay, we all know this in our head, right?  Think about when you were learning to drive a car.  I was great for looking at things all around me and as a result, the car went in the same direction.  I was also learning to drive a clutch at the same time.  The two definitely did not mix well.  It made for may heated driving lessons with dad.  We all had to learn to focus on where we wanted to go.  I used to do the same thing when I was walking.  Looking at something on the right and the next thing I knew, I was walking towards it, cutting off anyone who was next to me or in my path.

It is the same, If you are focused on envy or fear or scarcity or lack… it will be near impossible not to VEER towards those.  The Universe will bring you want you are focused on.  Positive brings positive.  Negative brings negative.

When I started this new “eating plan” which was very limited to help control my candida, I focused on the things I couldn’t eat.  Everywhere I turned, there was fruit, seafood, dairy and the dreaded gluten.  With the help of my Weight Watchers leader, Michelle, I started looking at food differently.  I focused on the things I could eat.  As a result, I went from feeling deprived and sad about what I couldn’t have to enjoying what I could have.  The result, the other stuff went away (okay, maybe not but I wasn’t looking for them now).

Apply this to just about anything in your life.  I have positive mantras I read every morning.  Some mornings, I don’t want to be bothered and the result is I lose focus.  When we focus on positivity, abundance, tiny successes, encouraging scripture, and affirmations, we do well!  When we focus on negativity, the end result is a “shitty” day, right?

We need to face FRONT!  Thirty-One Gifts founder Cindy Monroe says… ‘I spend more time looking through the windshield than the rearview mirror. Why would I focus there? I’m not going that way!’

Don’t focus on what you’re leaving behind…focus on what you’re running towards!

Dana Wilde, Train Your Brain, shares positive mantras every day so we can adjust our brain and our vision. It takes time but it can happen.  Steer the boat (or your thoughts) in the direction you want to go and it will happen.  Maybe not overnight but it will happen.

I have changed my focus in my weightless journey and the pounds are slowing coming off.  Inching my way back to goal.  In my business, I no longer talk about “no one wants to party”, I am thinking positively and taking steps to make it happen.  The truth is, I can still have a successful business without parties (I proved it in April when I had no parties but hit my personal goal), it is just easier when you have them.

I dare you to adjust your brain, your vision and your focus today!  Share with us the change you are going to make then let us know how it changed your day so we can celebrate with you.  OR share a struggle so we can help you overcome it.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Grow Your Self Confidence

Did you know 62% of all girls feel insecure about themselves?  How about 4 in 5 women have low self-esteem?  For some low self-esteem feels like a life sentence with no chance of escape.

Self Confidence by definition is realistic confidence in one’s own judgment, ability, power, etc.

With such a simple definition, why is is so hard at times to wrap our head around the idea?   I battle the inner gremlins of low self-esteem as well as a lack of self-confidence.  Honestly, I don’t know when it all started but I’m sure it goes back to those formative years in middle school.  I’ve learned (okay, so still learning some days), we each have our own unique story, and with help we can rebuild our life and rewrite our story.

The words self-esteem and self-confidence are usually interchangeable when we talk about our struggles but there is a distinct difference between the two:

Self Esteem is determined by whether you believe you’re worthy of respect from others

Self Confidence is whether you believe in yourself.

When we rebuild our confidence, we are actually retraining our brain to recognize our worth thereby increasing our self-esteem. Here are a few of my favorite tips which have helped me fight those nasty inner gremlins.

1. Dress for Success.

I am guilty of NOT dressing for success when my confidence is waining and my self-esteem is low.  How often are you worried about what others will think of you based on how you are dressed?  Feel like you are stuck in a rut? Battling with self-consciousness?  Take a minute to focus on your appearance. Scary, right?  When you feel good about how you look, your confidence will shine through.

Have a favorite outfit which always gets you compliments?  Wear it.  Need a hair cut?  Pamper yourself and get one. What makes you feel good?  It is a simple pedicure – go get one.  I’m not saying go on a spending spree, but you need to dress for success.  Use the things in your closet or check out a local thrift store for some great finds.  Working from home, I have found the sweats and no make up are an every day thing.  I find when I “dress” for work even at home with a little bit of makeup, I feel good.  When I feel good, I am confident.

2. Positive Thinking

I know I talk about it a lot but the truth is changing the way we think can change the outcomes in our life.  There are some amazing people out there who teach this – Dana Wilde at Train Your Brain; Eryka Peskin with her fierce cheerleading; and of course, Norman Vincent Peale in his book Positive Self Image or The Secret.

Negative thoughts bring more negative thoughts.  When you learn to shift your mindset, you gain the ability to see things in a new light, which in turn provides new alternatives and better outcomes.  Daily affirmations from Dana Wilde and The Secret have helped me to fight and win most days the battle with the inner gremlins.

3. Invest in others deeply

This one probably sounds the craziest right?  If you have low confidence and low self-esteem, how can you possibly get to know others and build a relationship with them?

By taking the focus off of you and putting it on them.  As you start getting to know someone else, asking questions beyond the surface they will see you are genuinely interested in them.  As we start to care for others helping them to feel seen and heard while building a rapport with them, we are letting our own light shine.

We talk about this a lot in direct sales but the truth is when I do it every day, I have gained confidence.  I started many years ago as a newly recovering addict who was helping individuals during the early years of the AIDS epidemic.  My focus was on helping to improve their quality of life and through it, I became an expert in my field.  Confident, letting my light shine.  Most days, I consider my work in direct sales the same way.  Helping others with organizing or gift giving or just feeling good about themselves.  When I focus on helping others instead of “needing sales”, my confidence sparkles.  As an introvert (yes, I really am), I know it can be hard so it is something I am aware of and practice being more open to receiving every day.

What is your best tip for boosting your confidence or has helped you to raise your self-esteem?  Share them with us…

Have  ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

I Have a Vision

Do you have a vision? Do you want to quit your JOB?  Do you want to pay down debt? Do you want to lose  weight?  Describe your vision with details……

My vision is hubby and I on an all-expense paid cruise surrounded by thousands of other Thirty One leaders. We will be floating in the pink bubble of the Leadership Incentive Trip.  So my “why” is leaving my part time job behind for good and earning Thirty One’s Leadership Incentive trip. I can see it.  I can practically feel the ocean spray on my face.

I have the set goal. They will stretch me.  They will make me push myself out of my comfort zone.  Is you goal slightly out of reach but still attainable with a little bit of work.  If it isn’t, it should be?

Setting the goal is one thing.  The next is changing the mindset to overcome the struggles or challenges along the way.  I am saying “I earned this trip” instead of saying “I am trying to earn this trip”.  The difference is the confidence I have in achieving my vision versus letting insecurities and fear creep in.  By changing my wording just a little bit, I am ready to step out of my comfort zone to get more leads and grow my business.  .

 

So let me tell you about this AMAZING incentive trip offered by Thirty One.  We have just ended Month #1 of the earning period and I am feeling confident.  This Leadership Incentive Trip (LIT) is available to Director’s and above.  Did you know over 200 of the 1,000 plus consultants who went on last year’s LIT were not in leadership when the promotion period started.  That is AMAZING, right?  WE are headed to the Bahamas!  Notice how I said “WE”.  No, it is not official but I going to DREAM BIG and I want you to join me.

What is an incentive trip?  It is a fabulous, all expense paid vacation offered every single year.  Based on your title with Thirty One, you have personal, team and recruiting goals to achieve the trip.

Here are JulieAnn’s top 7 steps for earning your company incentive trip.

1. Choose The Level You’ll Shoot For – This year each level is a trip for TWO!  So, my goal is a romantic get-away gift for my hubby for our 5th Wedding Anniversary.  I am stretching myself beyond what I think I can do.

2. Decide How Many New Consultants You’ll Sponsor – As you’re earning the trip, you’re growing a thriving business and getting rewarded for it. I always recommend you shoot for more new team members than you actually need to earn your trip. You build in a safety net.  My mantra is “I am a RECRUITING magnet”. Once you know how many people you’ll sponsor, then make absolutely sure those you sponsor get qualified. 

3. Use the Incentive Trip to Earn the Incentive Trip –  Use this as a great incentive to sponsor others who might be interested in joining you on your vacation! I LOVE these suggestions:

• Make the incentive trip a part of your opportunity commercial (and talk about your excitement about where you’re going)
• Put the incentive trip destination as well as a photo of the resort/cruise ship/etc. in your e-mail signature block
• If you’re a leader, make it the “culture” in your organization to earn the incentive trip every year.

4. Track Your Progress – Reward yourself for each small victory as you work toward your trip. I have a vision board in my office to remind me of my goals.  Here’s some small steps you can reward yourself for:

• Made at least 5 phone calls each week to either book or sponsor
• Scheduled at least 1 sponsoring interview each week
• Did at least 2 parties each week
• Sponsor at least 1 new person each month

5. Create a Vivid Visualization – Visualize at least once a day, preferably twice a day (right before you go to sleep at night and as soon as you wake up in the morning).  Close your eyes and really feel the feelings of already being there, even if it’s just for a minute or two a day.

6. Encourage Your Downline Using all of Your Tips and Tools – As a leader, you have to lead by example. Make sure your team knows you intend to earn the trip and you would love to take the vacation right along with your entire team.

What are YOUR best tips for earning YOUR company Leadership trip?  Share them with us so that we can enjoy that trip together.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

How to Get More A.F.T.E.R.

WOOHOO WEDNESDAY!  I am playing catch up after working my part-time job on a full-time basis last week.  I must really be getting OLD because I am exhausted.  Not only was I working, I had a busy week in my direct sales business – closing parties, coaching hostesses and working with new team members.

I had an BIG event on Saturday so I am working on follow-up.  We all know it is the key to success, right?  Truth be told, in the past, I was not very good at it. So I am working this week on changing my mindset so I can change my business.  I mean it worked for changing my mindset about recruiting and gained 5 new recruits in 3 months.  So, why not put it to the test for booking and sales?

This is an article I found on DSWA and the thinking process started.  I know scary but sometimes it triggers some really exciting stuff.  At a home party 100% of the people buy something – a sale is a sale no matter how small which is good. I seem to struggle on Facebook/online parties and after vendor events.

The article highlighted the word AFTER as an acronym on how to get more sales..So let me know what you think:

A stands for Attitude.  Your attitude (positive or negative) will determine the results after the event.  Are you positive?  Do you think it is normal for people to place orders AFTER an event or a direct sales party? Or, do you think it is pushy to contact people AFTER the event/party about more sales?  Your attitude will determine the outcome.  Change your mindset, change your attitude.  I have been blessed with repeat business after home parties.  I tend to struggle during vendor events because my attitude is all about leads and NOT sales.  Does your phone weigh 500 pounds, so you can’t lift it?  The Fortune is in the Follow-up.

 F stands for Fun.  The most important part of any home party, right?  Are your parties fun? Would you want to attend or book a party from YOU?  You need to have fun so your guests can have fun.  Even at vendor events, I have fun!   I am learning it is not about perfection, it is about progress.  Thank you Deb Bixler. Who wants to party or be part of a team not having fun, right?

T stands for Tell.  Talk to your hostess and make sure that she knows how to collect orders – if she doesn’t she won’t do it.  I offer an incentive to my hostess for gathering $200 in pre-orders BEFORE the party, this has helped to increase my party averages.  At a vendor event, I tell EVERYONE who will listen how easy it is to host a party with me.  Simply 6 orders of $35 equals a party.  I mean you must know 6 people who are looking for a gift or like to shop.  Telling doesn’t mean DEMAND, it means talk, explain, have a conversation and LISTEN to what they are saying to you.

E stands for Energy or Excitement.  Without this, you don’t have a business – it is the make or break it of direct sales. Translate your excitement to your hostess, your customers and get things rolling.  I get told I am “too perky” – I used to tone things down but not any more.  People want to be a part of my energy.

R stands for Remind, Remind, Remind.  In today’s crazy, fast-paced world, we need reminders – you use post it notes to stop to the store, the grocery list, the to do checklist, and a hundred other things, right?  I’m not alone in this, although, I usually blame my need for reminders on the MS or health struggles. Why would you think your hostess, her guests or those who stop by your table at vendor events wouldn’t need a reminder?  Every time you talk with someone after the initial encounter, talk to them about specifics – an upcoming sale, a product they were interested in or even wanting to book a party.

Things happen AFTER an event or party because YOU have a plan.  What are some of your tips for success AFTER a party or vendor event?  Share your best ideas.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day! #hope

Want to Train Your Brain?

A few years ago, I took a training with the AWESOME Dana Wilde called “Train Your Brain“. I have to admit, I thought it was a little crazy.  I wasn’t in a good place – not ready to clear the clutter from my brain and move forward.  I was stuck!

I have come a LONG way baby!  It took work, personal growth lead to the desire to move my business to the next level.  Tired of being paycheck (or commission check) to paycheck, it was time to kick things up a notch.  It was time to stop playing small.  The funny thing is that when I started working on my business, I saw some changes in my personal growth as well.

I listened to a great interview between Desiree Wolfe and Dana Wilde that broke the “train your brain” concept down into very simple terms.  It can be applied to all aspects of your life, so here are the 4 steps to training your brain:

1. Be aware of ALL of your thoughts particularly the negative ones. Imagine you decide to buy a new car – say a red one.  Maybe you picked that color because it is your favorite or maybe you picked it because you don’t see many red cars.  BAM!  What happens, once you start focusing on red cars, they are everywhere.  The same thing happens with your thoughts.  Yes, it is the Law of Attraction. Focus on the negative, get negative.  Focus on the positive and good things happen.
2. Decide that you are ready to make a change.  When you are sick and tired of being sick and tired… or when you are tired of being stuck – you will make the conscious decision to change your thinking.  This is HUGE step but a very important one.  
3. Talk about the current situation – reframing it.  Maybe you aren’t ready to jump from being stuck to being “I am a ROCKSTAR” or “I am AWESOME”, I know that I’m not.  Take baby steps.  Maybe you just need to trust the system that you are using.  Maybe you just have to trust that you will attract the people (or object) that you want.  Instead of saying “I hope that I will XXXX (fill in the blank)” try dropping the limiting belief of “I hope”.  Be certain that you will do XXX (fill in the blank).  
4. Feel good!  I know you are probably wondering… if I am in a funk or stuck – how am I going to feel good, right?  Ask yourself this question “What’s going right?”.  Maybe you are just having a good hair day.  Maybe you didn’t hit the snooze alarm.  Whatever it is, big or small -CELEBRATE it.  On days I struggle, I write them down in my planner so I can see them.  Set the alarm on your phone to ask you a few times during the day “what’s going right?”.  You will be on your way to training your brain!

The concept of “train your brain” is not all fluff, it is based on scientific evidence that it does work.  If inspirational quotes haven’t kicked you out of the funk, why not give this a try.

Share your thoughts with us.  Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!