It's been a while...

I've been so busy learning and working my new network marketing business, I haven't had time to post here.

Today, however, I saw a posting on Facebook that reminded me that I've never really shared my own career story.  Thanks Therressa for the reminder.  My story isn't glamorous, but it is mine.

As a young adult, I was a stay at home mom until my children started school.  Then I went to work with Los Angeles County government in the Probation Department.  I was the office manager, and sole clerical person in that particular office.  I loved it!  Me & 9 Probation Officers. Fascinating, challenging work.

Fast forward several years, and my kids were grown.  My husband and I decided we'd had enough of the traffic, crime, smog, etc. in Los Angeles.  So, we moved to Arizona.  We did lots of research prior to the move, learning that our destination city had similar jobs to what we'd had in L.A. and jobs were available.

Well, by the time we made the actual move (complications arose preventing us from moving for several months), the type of job I wanted was no longer available.  I worked one minimum wage clerical job after another.  I'd never worked for minimum wage before.  I didn't like it!  Eventually, I was hired by the Federal Probation Dept.  After 6 months, the position was transferred to an office 90 miles away.  I did not go with the job.

Then I acquired my favorite job ever.  I was hired by the local police department, but I was loaned out to the State Gang Task Force, who was housed in the Federal DEA building.  So, I did work for all three agencies at once.  Again, I was the office administrator, with no other clerical positions.  Can you see the pattern here?  I loved being basically my own boss, creating office an office set up and procedures that worked really well.  The job lasted 4 years. Then, that job was transferred to Tucson - 90 miles away.

At that point, I'd had enough!  I started a home typing/resume service.  It never grew enough to make a living at it, but with my husband working full time, it was a nice supplemental income.  After a few years, I realized I wasn't satisfied with just a supplemental income. 

I began searching for a home business where I could actually make a living.  I found a network marketing company, which I loved - for a few years.  I worked and grew my home business.  Some people reading this will know which company I worked with, but I won't name them here.  After six years working with them, the company terminated hundreds of us at one time, leaving me without the lifetime residual income I'd been promised.  

For a couple days, I was terribly depressed.  What I took from that company was some wonderful friendships that I still have today.



Then I started my search for a new company.  I was fortunate that one of my former team mates from the company who terminated me discovered my current company.  I did my due diligence, and then I joined. 

I've only been with the new company for a couple weeks - nearly 3.  So far, I am really impressed with their training staff, the product that I sell and the compensation plan.  I'm off to a pretty good start with them, and I believe I can and will be very successful.

So, here I am today, with a bright future and a positive attitude.  I'll keep you posted!

Practice Makes Perfect?

“It's not necessarily the amount of time you spend at practice that counts; it's what you put into the practice.”    Eric Lindros

So, for the past few days, I've been studying and learning about my new home business. My head is overflowing with everything I have absorbed... Or have I?

• I feel as though I've learned SO much, but when I sit quietly and think about all I've read and all the training videos I have watched, I am certain that I'll have to re-read many things and watch those videos repeatedly before it really sinks in.

I am eager to be finished with my training, but will I ever know everything about the business? 

• Of course not!  On every job I have ever worked and every home business I have operated, I was always learning.  In order to grow my business, and for me personally to continue growing, I will need to constantly and continuously listen to training calls, read books and watch videos.

Practice will never make any of us perfect.  No one can attain that level of achievement.  We can, however, always strive for excellence.   

Start All Over Again...

When I saw this quote, I really heard the message. 

Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect.



Alan Cohen
 
This week I am beginning.  I'm starting out fresh, ready to learn and grow my brand new home business.  It has been a long time since I've been really excited to get to work, but it sure feels good!

I Am Back!

I've had so much going on the past couple weeks, I simply have not had time to post in my blog. 

I have just signed with a brand new network marketing company.  It is a new business for me, and the company itself is also pretty new. I am excited to actually start working. 

Right now, I'm just learning everything about our product, the websites, etc.  Since the company is so new, little by little, they are making changes as the need arises.  It seems each change, however, is made to help reps like me.

For years I've been telling everyone I've recruited, "You will feel overwhelmed the first few days."  In spite of my warnings, I had forgotten what it felt like!

I also have to update all my social networks, create a new Facebook page, etc.  So much to do and learn!  Fortunately, I have no deadline by which I have to have everything done.

I'd love to hear your experiences when you started a new home business.

More Revealing Questions

• If you could change anything about yourself what would it be?

          My response:  What the "Serenity Prayer" says, accept the things I  
          cannot change.

• If you could bring back anyone that has passed, who would it be? 

          My response:  Taking religion and heaven out of the picture is the only way I can
          answer this one.  My sister, who died way too young, was my best friend.  I miss
          her every single day.  I would love to see her again.  However, it is a very selfish
          response, because she was unhealthy for many years, so I would be asking her
          to suffer again.  Knowing that, I would not ask her to return.

I would enjoy reading some of your responses too.  Come join the conversation!

Philisophical Question

I am going to change gears a bit.  To get to know one another, I'll be asking some interesting questions that may reveal a great deal about us.

• Would you enjoy spending a month of solitude in a beautiful natural setting? Food and shelter would be provided but you would not see another person.

My Own Response

• It probably is not fair to add a condition, however, if I had a stack of good books to read, I think the beauty of my surroundingss might bring me peace and slow down my constantly-active mind.  

Your turn.  I hope some of you will respond to this question.

How Do You Want to Be Remembered?

This could be interesting... 

Please post how YOU want to be remembered.

The Goose Story

Next fall, when you see Geese heading South for the Winter, flying along in formation, you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way: as each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following.

By flying in V formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.

When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front.

When the Head Goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point. Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

Finally, and this is important, when a goose gets sick, or is wounded by gunshots and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly, or until it dies. Only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with their group.

What Kind of Leader are You?

• Describe yourself as a leader? 
• What is your leadership style? 
• How attentive are you to your team?  

1. Too attentive
2. Not often available
3. Exactly what believe your team members require.

Luck

Luck, bad if not good, will always be with us. But it has a way of favoring the intelligent and showing its back to the stupid.  John Dewey

What is your definition of luck?

Learning

Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.



Henry Ford

Get Excited!

I feel sorry for the person who can't get genuinely excited about his work. Not only will he never be satisfied, but he will never achieve anything worthwhile. -- Walter Chrysler

I am so glad that I am passionate about my business and the products we handle.  If you don't truly believe in your company and the services or products you market, it is less likely you will ever succeed. 

When you're speaking to a prospect, your passion comes through.  The prospect wants what you have!  Passion cannot be faked.  It seems strange, but people can hear passion or lack thereof over the phone. 

They can also tell whether or not you are smiling.  Try it yourself.  Smile when you make your prospect calls.  It is contagious!  If you think you will have difficulty remembering to smile, put a small mirror on your desk to remind yourself.

When a prospect hears the passion you feel about your business and the joy it brings you, they are far more likely to be interested in joining your team.

Keys of Success

I just loved these, so I want to share them with you...

* Be ready for your opportunity - We never know when opportunity will present itself. So it is our job to be ready.



* Practice - The only way we become good...is to practice. And this goes for anything in life.


* Move on when something bad happens - We all get hit by disappointments. If we keep looking at what happened, we become stuck.

All these quotes are from Danny Woodhead.  They were taken from: 
http://ezinearticles.com/?Motivational-Stories---Three-Keys-Of-Success-an-NFL-Player-Applies-Every-Day&id=5598863

When One Door Opens...

When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us. ~ Alexander Graham Bell

It is important to always be hopeful, to look forward to what is to come.  However, hoping without action gets you nowhere.  If you do not actually do something, work toward whatever it is you are hoping for, you will never get there.

OR, perhaps you did try to work toward that for which you had hoped, but you were unsuccessful.  That is no reason to lose hope or to stop trying.  Oftentimes we have to strive, strive and strive again before making our dreams come true. 

Quitters never win... Winners never quit.

Association of Women in Home Business

The Association of Women in Home Business (AWHB) helps women around the world make more money at home.  They have fabulous resources and a terrific directory.  You can join free!


If you are currently in a home career but need more income...


Great! The AWHB can help you earn MORE income and also help promote YOU and YOUR business. It is so great to have an entire Association promoting us!


If you have still not found the perfect home career...


AWHB has the BEST Home Careers for Women listings for FREE.   Hundreds of women are taking advantage of this prestigious directory and loving it!


To get your copy of the Best Home Careers for Women visit the AWHB website.


To be included, the women in this directory must operate their business/practices with the utmost integrity.


I've joined, and I really think it could help you get your business going stronger too.


Again, it is free to join AWHB.

History of YOUR Life

The history of free men is never really written by chance but by choice; their choice!

Dwight D. Eisenhower

 

When history remembers you, how will you be remembered? 

• Did you accomplish something great? 
• Did you reach the goals you set for yourself? 
• Did you contribute to the good will of mankind? 
• Were you successful?  Money alone does not make success.  There are those who never earn much money, but they are very successful.

You are responsible for your own "book of life."  You are - right now - creating the history of your life.  It is unlikely it will be written in any books, but live your life as though it will be, and you will have lived well.

Association of Women in Home Business

The Association of Women in Home Business helps women around the world make more money at home.  It is a fabulous resource to help you grow or start your home business.
The Association can promote you and your current home business, or help you find a home business.

You can get a FREE copy of the Best Home Careers for Women and/or join the Association for FREE!


Check it out here: http://tinyurl.com/6yhvso5

What is it that you like doing?

• What is it that you like doing? If you don't like it, get out of it, because you'll be lousy at it. ~Lee Iacocca
Find a job you like and you add five days to every week. ~ H. Jackson Browne
• The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play. ~Arnold Toynbee
• Whenever it is possible, a boy should choose some occupation which he should do even if he did not need the money. ~William Lyon Phelps

What do all of the above quotes have in common?  Each one stresses the importance of enjoying the work you are doing.  I won't pretend to believe that every single person can love their job.  Many people are grateful that they have ANY job, even if they hate the work.

I am directing this posting to those who work from home in network marketing.  In this, we have a choice.  There are hundreds of reputable companies with which we can be network marketers.  

If you are just now seeking a home business opportunity, take your time, and be certain it is a good "fit" for you.  Would you buy this company's product or services?  Are their products or services reasonably priced to enable people, in today's fragile economy, to afford them?

If you already have a home business, how much are you enjoying it?  Do you look forward to working?  Do you enjoy talking with your prospects?  Do you truly believe that your products and/or services are great?  Do you have a passion for the company?

If you have chosen well, it shouldn't feel like work at all.  You should be enjoying what you do.  Network marketers should get excited every time they write business or someone on their team does.  It shouldn't get old.  Each transaction, each contact with a new prospect should be like it was your first.  It should bring you joy and great satisfaction.  • If you have a job without any aggravations, you don't have a job. ~Malcolm S. Forbes

No one loves every aspect of their home business.  None are perfect.  Yes, you'll have moments of frustration, perhaps business will slow down on occasion.  But if your home business is a really good match for you, these things should be like small bumps in the road, not mountains you must climb.

If, once you gotten into your home business and learned all the basics, if you then realize that you are not having fun - don't just quit!  Do everything you can to make it fun. 

If in the end, you are certain your current business was a poor choice, while you are still with that business, begin looking for another.  If you have any income from your business, don't give it up.

If you find another business that you think is a much better fit for you, while still working your old business, start and learn the new one.  If your original company pays residual income and you still have money coming, you need not quit the company at all!  You can stop working the business, and still collect your residuals.  Meanwhile, you are growing your new business, and hopefully you chose more wisely and found a business that truly is your passion, not work at all.

The World is Against Me

A Motivational Poem

The World Is Against Me

Poet: Edgar A. Guest

"The world is against me," he said with a sigh.


"Somebody stops every scheme that I try.




The world has me down and it's keeping me there;


I don't get a chance. Oh, the world is unfair!


When a fellow is poor then he can't get a show;


The world is determined to keep him down low."






"What of Abe Lincoln?" I asked. "Would you say


That he was much richer than you are to-day?


He hadn't your chance of making his mark,


And his outlook was often exceedingly dark;


Yet he clung to his purpose with courage most grim


And he got to the top. Was the world against him?"






"What of Ben Franklin? I've oft heard it said


That many a time he went hungry to bed.


He started with nothing but courage to climb,


But patiently struggled and waited his time.


He dangled awhile from real poverty's limb,


Yet he got to the top. Was the world against him?






"I could name you a dozen, yes, hundreds, I guess,


Of poor boys who've patiently climbed to success;


All boys who were down and who struggled alone,


Who'd have thought themselves rich if your fortune they'd known;


Yet they rose in the world you're so quick to condemn,


And I'm asking you now, was the world against them?"

A Brand New Start

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. ~ Author Unknown

What a concept!  I've never heard it said just this way, but I've heard similar.  "Today is the first day of the rest of your life."  "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."  Basically, they all mean the same thing, but I particularly like this one.

Let's say you've been working your home business for a while now, but you haven't reached the success you'd hope for.  Maybe you're even considering quitting.  Instead, why not start over again, beginning today!

Start from step one.  If you have a sponsor or close friend in the business, ask for help.  If you are in network marketing, in particular, nearly everyone is willing to help a new or struggling colleague.

Go back and look at your notes or instructions from when you first started your business.  Review them, and start all over.  You are in a different place when you started before.  Our lives change all the time.  And we can all change our attitudes!  So, using the knowledge you gained during the time you've been working, start all over again.  You're wiser now.  LOVE what you're doing!  If you are not having a good time, you are doing something wrong.  When you're having a good time, your prospects can hear it, and they'll want what you have!

So, today is Wednesday, January 19th - hump day.  You're already at the top of the hump, you have a head start.  Now get going!

“Someday is not a day of the week.”

How many "somedays" are there in your week? 

• Someday I'd like to travel to Alaska.
• Someday I'll start saving money for retirement.
• Someday I'll really start working my network marketing business.

I have a better idea.  Why not make TODAY your someday!  Start saving money for retirement and that trip to Alaska TODAY!

The best way I know to do that is by "kick starting" your home business (or by starting one if you have not yet done so).  If you've simply been playing with your business, working it more like a hobby than a business, it is time to switch gears TODAY! 

Think back to why you started your business to begin with, why you enrolled with the network marketing company you chose.  You did it to improve your life!  There may be many different "why's, but they all come down to improving your life. 

• I want to stay home with my kids... 
• I want to fire my boss...
• I'm tired of working in corporate America...
• I'm unable to work outside my home, but I never have enough money...
• I need to supplement my retirement income...

If your "why" is one of these, or one of a hundred other reasons, doesn't it translate to "I want to improve my life?" 

Forget "Someday."  Go for your dream TODAY!

Patience

Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. ~ John Quincy Adams

If you work in network marketing, you must have patience.  If you weren't patient when you started your business, in order to succeed, you must develop patience.

While we have all seen the websites and ads promising a huge income overnight, we know that in reality, that almost never happens.  And no, you will not be the exception to the rule.  Like any REAL business, you must grow your network marketing business.  Little by little you will see growth.  For the vast majority of network marketers, it will take a few months at least to see a real difference in your financial situation. 

So, remain patient.  As the days and weeks pass by and you are still not earning a living with your business, know that it will happen - as long as you have patience and do NOT quit!

Freedom Isn't Free

Although this message is about an American, it can apply to anyone fortunate enough to live in a FREE country.


The Tragedy in Tucson, Arizona, where 6 people died and many more were injured, has reminded me how fortunate I am to live in America, where this is - thank heavens - a rarity, and not a common occurrence as it is in some countries.

And I'm proud to be an American,

where at least I know I'm free.

And I won't forget the men who died,

who gave that right to me.

~Lee Greenwood

“Enthusiasm is contagious - and so is the lack of it”

Enthusiasm:  "absorbing or controlling possession of the mind by any interest or pursuit; lively interest: He shows marked enthusiasm for his studies. "

Are you enthusiastic about your work?  Are you eager to start calling prospects and help your team members?
 
To inspire your team members, they must see and hear your enthusiasm.  If you are not enthusiastic, or if you appear indifferent, your team members and prospects with whom you speak will hear it in your voice. 
 
If you are excited each time you speak with a prospect or team member, they will feel and hear that too!  It is contagious!  "Get excited and stay excited!" I frequently hear from co-workers.  Try it.  You'll see how effective it is. 

Smiles are Infectious

Smiling is infectious,

You can catch it like the flu.
Someone smiled at me today,
And I started smiling too.
                            ~Author Unknown

Have you ever known someone who has such a great smile that, no matter how you feel at the moment, you simply must smile back?!  It is a good feeling.

Something many of us forget is that you can also "hear a smile."  When you are speaking with a prospective client, you should always smile.  Try it.  You'll hear the difference in your prospect's response.  If you tend to forget to smile, place a small mirror in front of you to remind you.

There is power in a smile.  Use it to the best of your ability in both your personal and professional life.

"Man is the most extraordinary computer of all." - John F. Kennedy

Do not sell yourself short and rely on other means to think for you. When used regularly, your mind will generate ideas and solutions beyond what you previously thought was possible.

If you are in network marketing, you have an upline upon whom you can rely when you need help.  But he/she is not there to work FOR you or keep providing you with more and more ideas to help you grow your business.  If you have a good sponsor, you were provided with a good, solid foundation, a place to begin to grow your business. 

However, as a business owner, once you know all the basics of the products or services you provide, use your own imagination, be creative about how you want to promote them.  Have you thought of a new and unique way to advertise, or are you depending upon your upline for examples or leads.  Think instead how you can generate more leads, how you can gain more interest in your company.  Be creative, and don't be afraid to try something new.  If it doesn't work for you, you have not failed; you have learned.  Don't become stale; always keep growing and thinking of new and different ways to work your business.

As network marketers, we are part of a team, and it is important to work with both your upline and downline, but don't forget about yourself, your own business along the way. 

A Single Paragraph that Says So Much!

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race” 

Calvin Coolidge quotes (American 30th President of the United States, 1872-1933)

Challenge "The Truth"

If we all worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true were really true,there would be little hope of advance.  Orville Wright

So many people throughout history have challenged what everyone around them thought was true.  Of course, the Wright Brothers challenged the centuries old theory that man cannot fly.  Today, we have planes carrying us all over the world and space craft flying to other planets.

Early man believed that the earth was flat.  Then, as evidence to the contrary arose, that "fact" was proven to be false.

Blood-letting was once considered to be a cure for most illnesses. Now a days blood-letting is considered totally ineffective.

Now, bringing those "truths" into our personal and professional lives.  Some still believe that to operate any business, home businesses in particular, you must have experience is sales, management or various other skills. 

Most now know it to be true that nearly anyone can run a home business.  Sure, if you are illiterate (in which case you wouldn't be reading this post), it would be more than a challenge.  The only skills that I believe are required are the ability to work independently, without a boss standing over your shoulder; you must be fairly well organized; and you must be self-disciplined.

However, what skills I believe are required and which I believe are unnecessary does not effect what you believe to be true.  If you state as a "fact" that you know you will not succeed with a home-based business, nothing I say will change your belief.  You will never challenge yourself, try, try and try again until you do succeed.  How sad.

Confidence

"Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right." ~ Henry Ford   

Remember the Little Engine That Could?

This is so very true.  A positive attitude can enable you to begin any task with confidence, knowing that you will succeed with that task.  If, however, you have decided that it is too difficult a task for you to accomplish, you are certainly correct!

Just know that, should you attempt a difficult task and fail, you can just try again.  And try again and again if necessary.  Eventually you will get it right if you perservere and know that you CAN succeed.