THERE IS NO BOX!

This past weekend I attended the closing ceremony of a leadership seminar that my high school sophomore attended. I happened to catch something one of the directors mentioned to the students in his remarks. He reminded them that there was no box. I sat there in the audience and had a ‘light-bulb moment’. I have been thinking and saying to sales consultants that they need to think outside the box when it comes to looking for growth opportunities. After thinking about it I realized that the most successful sales consultants run their business as if there was no box – ever! Imagine if you were to look at your business without any limitations, never allowing yourself to be boxed in by anyone or anything. What would that feel like to you? The only person who puts limits on what you can achieve with your business is YOU. Limitations are self-imposed because for every roadblock there is a detour that still takes you to your destination. So how do you have a THERE IS NO BOX attitude? Here is what I have learned:

If you want to have a prosperous and growing business you have to be committed to do what it takes. Commitment to the company mission and your own personal goals will help you ride the ups and down in a direct sales business. Commitment goes hand and hand with passion. Are you passionate about what you do? Are you having fun helping women enjoy the jewelry? Are you proud of what you do? Are you excited to share this company with others? There will always be challenges we face from time to time in our personal business and thankfully the growing pains we have experienced as a company are normal as well and will soon pass. Those who remain committed to our company and its mission will experience unlimited growth potential as we move forward. Choose to be committed to your business!

Be competent! This means that you need to learn all that you can about your jewelry as well as how to effectively run your business. There are so many opportunities to learn with Inspiranza that there simply are no excuses to not have knowledge. Don’t reinvent the wheel – learn from the leaders who are willing to share!

Commitment and competence lead to confidence! If you have ever been part of a team raising money for a favorite charity or cause you will know what I mean! When you are committed to raising money for breast cancer awareness because your mother has battled breast cancer - you are unstoppable. If your child is sick with an illness you do not stop until you have found the answers you need and the appropriate treatment – you are unstoppable. Get the picture? When you put that same level of commitment and competence into your business you will be confident and UNSTOPPABLE. You will not be thinking of ideas that are ‘outside the box’ because for you THERE IS NO BOX!

Shine BRIGHT and be UNSTOPPABLE!

Motherhood and Direct Sales

My first job on this earth is motherhood. I take it very seriously. I have 4 fantastic kids. Direct Sales has allowed me to work right out of my home. I have always been able to go on all the field trips. I am always home when the bus pulls up. You understand what I am talking about. I have worked my home based business so that I can earn a great income that allows me to concentrate on what I truly value God's greatest gift - my kids. You just can't put a dollar value on that and I have never taken it for granted! My 4 kids are growing up very fast, and two of them are now away at college. Recently I was reminded of the flexibility of my business. My daughter attends college in a major city, 5 hours away from our home. On a Sunday night I got a terrifying call from her that she was extremely ill and needed medical attention. The EMT's were called and she ended up being admitted to the hospital. I was tormented about whether or not I needed to go to be with her. The nurses were telling me that she looked terrible but that it was probably just strep throat. So what to do? Well, I just couldn't stay at home knowing that she was in the hospital so far away with a high fever and no definitive diagnosis. In less than an hour I was packed up with my clothes and my laptop and I was on my way to Boston. She ended up in the hospital for 3 days with a high fever and was actually quite sick. It was a blessing that I could go and be there to take care of her. No one knows their own child like a mother....no one! Having a direct sales business like mine allowed me the flexiblity to pick it up and go with it! All my contacts are on my laptop. I was able to communicate with my team while she was sleeping and even held a training call on one of the evenings. If I had to work a 9 to 5 job I certainly would not have the flexibility to just pick up and go. I would need to ask for permission. I would have to deal with the repercussions upon my return. Working for yourself as a mother is just a wonderful opportunity - but it is work! I have worked hard over the years to have a base built up in my business so that when emergencies or family gets in the way - I always have a business to return to! I feel truly blessed and thankful for my wonderful family and my chosen career path.

Added Perks of Your Direct Sales Business!

One of the perks I have come to realize with my direct sales business is the amount of friendships I have gained. Working from home can be a solitary environment, but not when you are in direct sales party plan! There are so many avenues to reach out to the other women who are doing exactly the same thing as you. You may be living in completely different parts of the country with different circumstances but you have a tie that binds - your business. You have a connection with all the other consultants within your company! You belong to a huge family! With our company we have ongoing live training calls. Women from around the country call in so you get to 'meet' each other from time to time on the calls. It may be brief, but you begin to familiarize yourself with different names and voices. You look forward to hearing from the regulars on the calls as well as the anticipation of the new people with their excitement and enthusiasm. We also have a YahooGroup site as well. This has really taken on a life of its own recently as we continue to grow. It is wonderful to see women posting and asking and answering each others questions. The genuine support of each other is such a wonderful thing to see. A couple of months ago my 18 year old daughter created a Facebook account for me - wow - that has been amazing! I have been able to actually see the faces of many of our consultants! What I thought was for kids I am learning is a major networking resource for adults of ALL ages! If you haven't created a Facebook account - you are missing out! Not only can we now connect in a business sense, but it makes it even more personal if you can see pictures of each others family.

Creating this bond is essential to the success of anyone starting out in a home based business. It is so easy to feel alone and get discouraged at times. By joining the groups, participating in the discussions, it creates a network of support and friends. It eliminates all the distance and helps keep you motivated. You will create lasting friendships that surpass your business needs and bring value to your life in many ways. I know I speak from experience!

Shine BRIGHT!

LeeAnne