Well, it's over. Christmas is done and something very terrible has happened; my coat shrunk. I'm not sure how this happened. Could it be the bulky new sweater I got? Is it to blame? After watching "The Santa Claus" with Tim Allen, I had a quick flash that maybe I had been chosen to be the new Mrs. Santa Claus, and I was being bulked up to fit the role? Nope. I really doubt it. I must admit, it's true, I've "put on". I have to face the facts. So as I was thinking about New Year's Resolutions and my strategy on how I'm going to lose the weight, I thought I would share my insights... so here we go...
Top 6 ways to lose 10lbs in one week. Well, this title might be misleading. *disclaimer: Really, this is How to feel like you lost 10lbs ... but wow, I sure got your attention!
#6 Clean something that is a big mess. I don't care if it is your garage, your desk, a drawer or whatever. Don't you feel like you have lost weight after organizing something that has been a big mess in your life? It's a great way to lose the weight on your mind! And my guess, it will also keep you out of the cookie jar!
#5 Complete your to-do list. Women in general need to "take a page" from the book of most men. Have you not seen their to-do lists? They are usually a 1-inch long piece of paper torn off of a used envelope and there are 3 important things written on it. Most women I know (including me) have a full size sheet of paper and list 25 things on it. Remember, keep it short and important, and no putting showering or brushing teeth on your to-do list either. And exercise being on the list ... could help a little too?
#4 Pay your bills. Schedule a weekly time to pay your bills, and check in on your finances. The worst feeling is paying a late fee because you forgot to sit down and schedule things. I personally love Quicken and online bill pay - it really helps me to stay ahead of the game. And if it ever happens that you paid too many bills and now you don't have money to go out, CALL ME and I will give you a great healthy recipe to make for dinner!
#3 Buy clothes that fit you. This will help you LOOK like you lost 10lb. Best tip, shop at the Good-Will store. I know you are all saying "I don't want to buy ANYTHING until I am the weight I want to be!" Ya, I know, I've said it. But seriously, tight clothes, don't do you any favors. You have to sift through some odd stuff at Good-Will, but jeans for $6 in a size that fits you? That is the way to go. ALSO remember, when you lose all that weight you are going to lose, you can re-donate them back to Good-Will and then take the tax write off for it!
#2 Get a great new haircut! I really think that it's a good strategy! It may only result in a 1-2 lb loss, depending on how long your hair is, but wow, you will look and feel so good! And a tip on the same line from my mom- SMILE. Whenever you aren't feeling good about yourself, SMILE, it will distract them from your trouble spots! (I may have paraphrased... sorry Mom!)
#1 Fatten your friends. I know it seems harsh, but really, if people would only get fatter around you, you would feel way better, right?
So I think to summarize what we have learned here, is that for our New Year's resolutions we need to keep it short, sweet, organized and looking good. And I better dash, I have a turtle fudge skillet cake I'm about to pull out of the oven... want to come over for a slice?
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Thanksgiving - take 2
It's November 29th and I'm pulling a 16lb turkey out of my oven, whisking gravy and chopping up celery and onions. A little late you might think? It's not all my fault. My husband is half to blame.
This year, around 1pm on last Thursday, yes, THE famous Thursday, I looked around my kitchen and stared at the clean room. We had out-of-town family coming in, so I wanted it to be in respectable condition. The day before I hired a "Rescue" cleaner to help me out, as this is my busiest time of the year in my business. I opened the cupboard to look at the perfectly clean bowls, the roasting pan tucked away on the shelf in the closet, meat lifters, and gravy separator, longing for action! German steel cutlery shiny and at home, in the knife block. Not only was I NOT hosting this year, I was told to bring an appetizer. An appetizer, yep. That is it! A boring, old veggie tray even. Nothing fancy.
It's true, we have great cooks in our family. All under-utilized this year. Highly skilled, Karen was bringing wine, Mary, "queen of the home-made chex mix" off the hook. Mo was out of town, and Grandma was not even required to make her traditional "moldy saddle" (also known as a "molded salad") ... Only Megan, a professionally trained pastry chef was making anything - and it was a delicious apple cake and a peanut butter chocolate pie (Good call on that one). My dad was making everything else! My Mom was assisting. Second seating was at my Mother-in-law's house - and we were having turkey sandwiches for the second Thanksgiving meal, since it was a later-night get together, so I didn't need to bring anything there either! All done. Don't get me wrong, it's really nice to show up and not bring anything. No pressure, no last minute running around. Very relaxing.
What is wrong with me then, you ask? Why am I duplicating a menu that I did not have to do this year?
I confess, something is clearly wrong with me. I actually enjoy it. That, and the fact that we didn't come home with enough left-overs! It was Matt's idea to make the turkey, and thanks to a big turkey sale at Sam's club yesterday, here we are! The good news is we have plenty. (I am shaking my head thinking, really, what am I doing??) Let me know if you are hungry, dinner is served at 5pm.
This year, around 1pm on last Thursday, yes, THE famous Thursday, I looked around my kitchen and stared at the clean room. We had out-of-town family coming in, so I wanted it to be in respectable condition. The day before I hired a "Rescue" cleaner to help me out, as this is my busiest time of the year in my business. I opened the cupboard to look at the perfectly clean bowls, the roasting pan tucked away on the shelf in the closet, meat lifters, and gravy separator, longing for action! German steel cutlery shiny and at home, in the knife block. Not only was I NOT hosting this year, I was told to bring an appetizer. An appetizer, yep. That is it! A boring, old veggie tray even. Nothing fancy.
It's true, we have great cooks in our family. All under-utilized this year. Highly skilled, Karen was bringing wine, Mary, "queen of the home-made chex mix" off the hook. Mo was out of town, and Grandma was not even required to make her traditional "moldy saddle" (also known as a "molded salad") ... Only Megan, a professionally trained pastry chef was making anything - and it was a delicious apple cake and a peanut butter chocolate pie (Good call on that one). My dad was making everything else! My Mom was assisting. Second seating was at my Mother-in-law's house - and we were having turkey sandwiches for the second Thanksgiving meal, since it was a later-night get together, so I didn't need to bring anything there either! All done. Don't get me wrong, it's really nice to show up and not bring anything. No pressure, no last minute running around. Very relaxing.
What is wrong with me then, you ask? Why am I duplicating a menu that I did not have to do this year?
I confess, something is clearly wrong with me. I actually enjoy it. That, and the fact that we didn't come home with enough left-overs! It was Matt's idea to make the turkey, and thanks to a big turkey sale at Sam's club yesterday, here we are! The good news is we have plenty. (I am shaking my head thinking, really, what am I doing??) Let me know if you are hungry, dinner is served at 5pm.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
How to handle a Heckler
I don't care what kind of speaker you are, whether it is in direct sales, consulting or teaching, once in a while you get a heckler. Definition of heckle: heck·le (h
k
l)tr.v. heck·led, heck·ling, heck·les:
kl)tr.v. heck·led, heck·ling, heck·les: To try to embarrass and annoy (someone speaking or performing in public) by questions, gibes, or objections; badger.
The first of my top two favorite "heckled moments" was when I was at a cooking show and someone was constantly questioning the competency of my products. As I was showing the apple peeler, the woman shouted at me from across the room: "That can't work!" As I disproved her first heckle, she then said "ya, but I just use a knife, it's faster!" And I continued calmly finishing my recipe. Several more comments came and my patience was definitely being put to the test. She forged on and shouted "I bet it won't work on green apples!" So finally I stopped what I was doing and said to her, "Lisa, come on up here, and finish this recipe for me - I want you to help me show everyone how easy this really is." After objecting and shaking her head, the crowd turned on her and started pushing her up to the front and saying " ya, Lisa, go ahead!!!" It was clear to me at that moment that I had the crowd on my side. A now red-faced Lisa came to the front of the room and quietly helped me complete the recipe, peeling, coring and slicing the last of the apples. Quickly sitting down after the recipe, I never heard a peep out of her the rest of the show! Solution to heckling situation #1 - make the heckler come to the front of the room.
The second heckler was a man at the show. The only man at the show, mind you - but he was constantly asking questions during the demonstration. "Can that go in the dishwasher? Cause if it can't, I don't want it!" "Is that big enough to fit in MY microwave - cause if it doesn't, then it's NO GOOD!" The questions kept coming and they all had the same "it's not good if it can't pass my test" kind of ring to it. I just kept trying to calmly answer, and field one at a time. Finally I got the Kitchen Shears out - and as I was snipping something, I said "And they are strong enough to cut through Chicken Bones." And Tom, the heckler yells out "YES, but can they cut through LEATHER~!???" And I snapped back, "I don't know! Go get your COAT and we will find out!!! He stopped heckling me at that point. Solution to heckling situation #2 - heckle back.
It's hard to be patient all the time.My best advice is that even if you snap, do it with a smile on your face and always laugh afterward. Even if you aren't enjoying it, people will think you are!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Ode to Grandma -It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without the Stollen
I have to make a confession, I hardly worked at all today. Today was "Stollen Day" at my Grandmas and Stollen is no quick bread! One of my favorite perks of a Direct Sales business is the "Flexible" workday. Many people confuse the Flexible with Optional and I know it is misleading from the front door looking in.
If you know my Grandma, you know that she is 100 years old. You'd also know that she gets around pretty good for 100 too. Making Stollen is one of the things that her Senior-Citizen- Children ask her for every year. The hardest part for her is the kneading of the dough so that is what her servant is for (that is me, in case you were wondering). My Grandma is so good she has the recipe memorized. She knows what the temperature of the "sponge" needs to be by touch. (The "sponge" as she calls it, is the foamy milk/butter/sugar mixture that she then adds yeast to.) She is so old school that her recipes call for Oleo (butter?) and Nut Meats (When asked what that was she replied "well it's the meat of the nut!" she was kind enough not to say "duh" at the end.)
But the best part of cooking with Grandma isn't learning her recipes or even eating the results. What I love the most about cooking with Grandma is the funny stories she tells me. Today she said " you know the story about cutting the end off the ham, right?" I hadn't remembered this one... So she started... "There was a lady that was making a ham and right before she put it in the pan, she cut the end off. And her husband said, "Why did you cut the end off the ham?" And she said "Because my mother always did!" So then one day her mother came to dinner and the husband said :"why do you always cut the end off the ham?" And mom replied, "Because my mother always did!" And so one day, they went to visit Grandma and the husband said "Grandma, I'm dying to know why you always cut the end off the ham!?" And Grandma replied, "Because it didn't fit in the pan!"
If you know my Grandma, you know that she is 100 years old. You'd also know that she gets around pretty good for 100 too. Making Stollen is one of the things that her Senior-Citizen- Children ask her for every year. The hardest part for her is the kneading of the dough so that is what her servant is for (that is me, in case you were wondering). My Grandma is so good she has the recipe memorized. She knows what the temperature of the "sponge" needs to be by touch. (The "sponge" as she calls it, is the foamy milk/butter/sugar mixture that she then adds yeast to.) She is so old school that her recipes call for Oleo (butter?) and Nut Meats (When asked what that was she replied "well it's the meat of the nut!" she was kind enough not to say "duh" at the end.)
But the best part of cooking with Grandma isn't learning her recipes or even eating the results. What I love the most about cooking with Grandma is the funny stories she tells me. Today she said " you know the story about cutting the end off the ham, right?" I hadn't remembered this one... So she started... "There was a lady that was making a ham and right before she put it in the pan, she cut the end off. And her husband said, "Why did you cut the end off the ham?" And she said "Because my mother always did!" So then one day her mother came to dinner and the husband said :"why do you always cut the end off the ham?" And mom replied, "Because my mother always did!" And so one day, they went to visit Grandma and the husband said "Grandma, I'm dying to know why you always cut the end off the ham!?" And Grandma replied, "Because it didn't fit in the pan!"
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Gastric Distress
I realize that I'm on a sickness tangent ... but I had another flash back. I shuddered as I recalled a night, somewhat like tonight, around 11 years ago. (Sorry, I couldn't help myself, with Halloween just past, it feels like I'm telling a ghost story...) I had recently given birth to my daughter Madeline and was just getting back to business. The hostess was expecting a BIG crowd. I remember her being very concerned that there would be enough seating. I always tell my hosts, "I have NEVER had a party where we had to turn people away at the door because they didn't fit!" But she rented chairs anyway!
So I arrived at the party about 30 minutes early and started setting up my table. A couple friendly faces started to arrive, including my high school friend, and her mom, and a couple other ladies I knew. All of a sudden, I started to have shooting pains near my stomach and radiating into my back. I was near doubled over and swiftly dashed to the restroom. I was certain that my body was under attack, but did not know what was going on. As I was sitting on the stool, I looked down and to my surprise I saw a magazine rack full of Playboy magazines. In the first floor powder room? Really?? Anyway, back to the pain. I was sweating and whimpering, and finally someone knocked on the door to ask if I was ok. I opened the door and told them if I wasn't better in about 10 minutes, I would consider calling the ambulance.
Luckily, the pain subsided quickly and I was able to proceed with the show. It was a good thing, because 25 people were there, and $1,000+ later in sales, and 3 bookings, I would have been sad to leave! Of all the drama that happened that night with my gallbladder, I couldn't stop thinking about who has Playboy magazines in their first floor bathroom? The next week I had my gallbladder removed, and was only out for a few days. NEXT!
So I arrived at the party about 30 minutes early and started setting up my table. A couple friendly faces started to arrive, including my high school friend, and her mom, and a couple other ladies I knew. All of a sudden, I started to have shooting pains near my stomach and radiating into my back. I was near doubled over and swiftly dashed to the restroom. I was certain that my body was under attack, but did not know what was going on. As I was sitting on the stool, I looked down and to my surprise I saw a magazine rack full of Playboy magazines. In the first floor powder room? Really?? Anyway, back to the pain. I was sweating and whimpering, and finally someone knocked on the door to ask if I was ok. I opened the door and told them if I wasn't better in about 10 minutes, I would consider calling the ambulance.
Luckily, the pain subsided quickly and I was able to proceed with the show. It was a good thing, because 25 people were there, and $1,000+ later in sales, and 3 bookings, I would have been sad to leave! Of all the drama that happened that night with my gallbladder, I couldn't stop thinking about who has Playboy magazines in their first floor bathroom? The next week I had my gallbladder removed, and was only out for a few days. NEXT!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Matt's Debut
As I just got off the phone with one of my consultant's who has been struck down with the flu, I had a flash back to one of my least favorite things ... sickness! I'm sure you can imagine how disturbing it would be to have someone cooking for you that was sneezing, coughing, or worse, feverish. But as an independent consultant, also known as "self employed", there are no sick days. Well, sick days, yes, sick pay? No. So here goes the story of one show that I ALMOST had to cancel.
It was a Sunday, 2pm show and the hostess was my friend Amy*. You remember the one, that gal that I pushed down when she was learning to walk? Amy, the one that I call "Betty Crocker". The gal that told me "if you ever get invited to a show, go because they have really good food!" (*see September Blog posts) YES, that Amy. Amy typically hosted a show for me every year, without fail. But Amy, worked full time and was picking up an extra weekend job and this was going to be her last show for a long time. It was Sunday morning, very early, and I woke up to a terrible sore throat. As someone who got Strep throat for every year of my life, from age 6 on up, I recognized the symptoms. I knew I had Strep. So I told my husband I needed to go to the clinic and get a strep test. Shortly after we returned with a positive result. At the time, like most other times, we really needed the money that the show was going to bring in. So I said to my husband, Matt, that Amy was probably not going to be able to reschedule. An idea popped into my head, "I wonder if Matt would do the show for me???". As soon as the thought bubble reached the top of my head, Matt said to me "so, do you want me to just go and do it for you?" He had read my mind.
I was hurriedly thinking of how to explain the recipe that I was going to make, it was a rather complicated one. And he started getting dressed with his khaki pants, a button down and he grabbed the denim apron. I had packed the night before, so he was pretty much ready to go. I started to explain this 8 step recipe to him and he said " I have a better idea, how about I just make a cake and show them the cool decorator set?" And so it happened. The crowd was very friendly (my Grandma, my mom, Amy's family and neighbors were there). And Matt, donning his denim apron, dazzled them by decorating a chocolate cake. It was a great show with over $500 in sales. And he still brags about how his show average is $500. Once in a while, I slip in that you have to have 3 shows to have an average. Most of the time, I just smile. He is really cute.
It was a Sunday, 2pm show and the hostess was my friend Amy*. You remember the one, that gal that I pushed down when she was learning to walk? Amy, the one that I call "Betty Crocker". The gal that told me "if you ever get invited to a show, go because they have really good food!" (*see September Blog posts) YES, that Amy. Amy typically hosted a show for me every year, without fail. But Amy, worked full time and was picking up an extra weekend job and this was going to be her last show for a long time. It was Sunday morning, very early, and I woke up to a terrible sore throat. As someone who got Strep throat for every year of my life, from age 6 on up, I recognized the symptoms. I knew I had Strep. So I told my husband I needed to go to the clinic and get a strep test. Shortly after we returned with a positive result. At the time, like most other times, we really needed the money that the show was going to bring in. So I said to my husband, Matt, that Amy was probably not going to be able to reschedule. An idea popped into my head, "I wonder if Matt would do the show for me???". As soon as the thought bubble reached the top of my head, Matt said to me "so, do you want me to just go and do it for you?" He had read my mind.
I was hurriedly thinking of how to explain the recipe that I was going to make, it was a rather complicated one. And he started getting dressed with his khaki pants, a button down and he grabbed the denim apron. I had packed the night before, so he was pretty much ready to go. I started to explain this 8 step recipe to him and he said " I have a better idea, how about I just make a cake and show them the cool decorator set?" And so it happened. The crowd was very friendly (my Grandma, my mom, Amy's family and neighbors were there). And Matt, donning his denim apron, dazzled them by decorating a chocolate cake. It was a great show with over $500 in sales. And he still brags about how his show average is $500. Once in a while, I slip in that you have to have 3 shows to have an average. Most of the time, I just smile. He is really cute.
Monday, October 10, 2011
The Dreaded Muffin Top
Oh, Muffin Top! It has at least two meanings to me. I am thinking of how one was directly related to the other for me tonight. I have a compulsion to please... as you may have read in an earlier blog. And because of the nature of my business the pleasure medium I tend to work in is food. So how I got involved with muffins is a short story that has to do with a Business Leads group that I am involved with. Fox Valley Business Connections is the name of it, and we have been meeting in a location that does not have a cafeteria. So 20-25 people meet at 7:30am in the morning on Tuesdays and have no breakfast unless someone buys it and brings it.
So how does that involve me you ask? I of course volunteered to make something to bring. No, i didn't say BUY something to bring. It is against my genetic make up to BUY breakfast food. I make breakfast food, I just can't seem to help it. SO I racked my brain and came up muffins as the perfect solution. Now I'm not talking about an Otis Spunkemeyer type of muffin. I believe that if you are going to spend the time to make something at home, there should be one of three reasons: 1. It tastes better. 2. It is WAY cheaper or 3. It is WAY healthier. Now when you are talking about a "cupcake type muffin" theirs probably would TASTE better, but when I make a muffin, it is CRAZY cheaper, and WAY healthier. So I dug around for a good recipe online and found a recipe called "Easy Oatmeal Muffin" that got great reviews. So I'm off to the kitchen! A couple weeks ago I woke up at 6am and made these muffins (you know the ones with great reviews?) and they totally taste BLAH. I had no time to make something else, so I brought them anyway and everyone was very kind. They not only were bland, but the top was flat. They did not "crown" like a good looking muffin does! I'm not sure why, but I volunteered to make muffins again, (maybe to redeem myself?) and they all said "GREAT!" which makes me think they have either no tastebuds, or they are just all really cheap and don't want to buy breakfast... so I agreed again!
Now this time, I am not messing with the oatmeal recipe. I'm making the tried and true Zucchini bread muffin recipe that is delicious and I have made many times. Because of my weight watchers way though I half the fat and do a substitute of flax seed meal. (Can't help it). AND I have a lot of people so I better double the recipe. So it's 10:30pm and I decided, I will make these now, instead of getting up at 6am and I researched how to make the Muffin crown properly so I'm ready to try it out! I am so excited as I take out these perfectly crowned muffins and I thought, well, I better taste one... BLAH! They are not sweet at all. I just realized I didn't double the sugar! UG. I had already put ALL the muffins in the oven and so I start taking them out and sprinkling sugar all over them and then I rolled them in sugar etc. And now my kitchen is covered in sugar. So sadly I ate 3 of them testing them with cinnamon butter, a cinnamon/sugar glaze...and rolled in sugar. I bet you have guessed where the second Muffin Top comes in.... feeling fat, I am heading to bed. And I will just apologize now for the beautiful but odd low sugar, low fat muffins, drenched in sugar on the outside... Seriously I have got to stop baking.
So how does that involve me you ask? I of course volunteered to make something to bring. No, i didn't say BUY something to bring. It is against my genetic make up to BUY breakfast food. I make breakfast food, I just can't seem to help it. SO I racked my brain and came up muffins as the perfect solution. Now I'm not talking about an Otis Spunkemeyer type of muffin. I believe that if you are going to spend the time to make something at home, there should be one of three reasons: 1. It tastes better. 2. It is WAY cheaper or 3. It is WAY healthier. Now when you are talking about a "cupcake type muffin" theirs probably would TASTE better, but when I make a muffin, it is CRAZY cheaper, and WAY healthier. So I dug around for a good recipe online and found a recipe called "Easy Oatmeal Muffin" that got great reviews. So I'm off to the kitchen! A couple weeks ago I woke up at 6am and made these muffins (you know the ones with great reviews?) and they totally taste BLAH. I had no time to make something else, so I brought them anyway and everyone was very kind. They not only were bland, but the top was flat. They did not "crown" like a good looking muffin does! I'm not sure why, but I volunteered to make muffins again, (maybe to redeem myself?) and they all said "GREAT!" which makes me think they have either no tastebuds, or they are just all really cheap and don't want to buy breakfast... so I agreed again!
Now this time, I am not messing with the oatmeal recipe. I'm making the tried and true Zucchini bread muffin recipe that is delicious and I have made many times. Because of my weight watchers way though I half the fat and do a substitute of flax seed meal. (Can't help it). AND I have a lot of people so I better double the recipe. So it's 10:30pm and I decided, I will make these now, instead of getting up at 6am and I researched how to make the Muffin crown properly so I'm ready to try it out! I am so excited as I take out these perfectly crowned muffins and I thought, well, I better taste one... BLAH! They are not sweet at all. I just realized I didn't double the sugar! UG. I had already put ALL the muffins in the oven and so I start taking them out and sprinkling sugar all over them and then I rolled them in sugar etc. And now my kitchen is covered in sugar. So sadly I ate 3 of them testing them with cinnamon butter, a cinnamon/sugar glaze...and rolled in sugar. I bet you have guessed where the second Muffin Top comes in.... feeling fat, I am heading to bed. And I will just apologize now for the beautiful but odd low sugar, low fat muffins, drenched in sugar on the outside... Seriously I have got to stop baking.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Party Train
Since I have been in Direct Sales, for years, my company would host two Conferences. One always traveled to different cities, and the other would be in Chicago in the summer. This was a forum where many consultants would gather and learn how to make the most of their business. We eat, sleep and socialize together and I envision it the way I would Summer Camp. So imagine, a company made up of about 99.9% women, varying in ages from 18-80 descending upon a town. In my company the personalities range as vastly as the ages. We have diversity of age, creed, race, and even family structure. So a giant melting pot is a good way to describe the group.
There are always those that head right to the hotel room after the dinner or banquet and settle in to a good book or a phone conversation with the husband and children. There are some that resume work and begin brainstorming and re-hashing the meetings or classes. There are the party animals that hit the strip of "establishments" as fast as lightening. And then there are the rest of us that do a little of each! One night, we got sprung a little early and the ladies I was with were interested in going to a local piano bar. Cocktails consumed, dancing began and as I looked around I noticed that we were not the only conference in town. Gentleman dressed with their business casual/convention attire surrounded us. I am sure I saw a name badge swinging from a lanyard or two. The group of ladies I was with numbered about 12 and as the night went on different trios of the group started to head back to the hotel, the morning meetings were fast approaching.
As I looked out on the dance floor I noticed one of my friends dancing closely to a new friend. As a couple of us danced up to her, we said "Shirley, we are going to get going... are you ready?" And a very intoxicated Shirley very decidedly said "NO, i'm staying here with Jeff!" A five second internal struggle happened, as I thought to myself, this really isn't my business ... and then I thought about how unhappy Shirley's husband and family would be with me if I left her at this bar alone with "Jeff". So the three of us that were left, hatched a plan. We started all dancing in a circle around Shirley and acted as if we too were going to stay! And then I whispered to my co-conspiritor to "hop on" the party train. We began a conga line/ party train and yelled, "Shirley! Party Train!" And as we sandwiched her in the middle we party trained right out of the bar and into a cab that was waiting and off to our hotel. Shirley was a little unhappy with us for a minute, but then she fell fast asleep and then thanked us many times the next day!
There are always those that head right to the hotel room after the dinner or banquet and settle in to a good book or a phone conversation with the husband and children. There are some that resume work and begin brainstorming and re-hashing the meetings or classes. There are the party animals that hit the strip of "establishments" as fast as lightening. And then there are the rest of us that do a little of each! One night, we got sprung a little early and the ladies I was with were interested in going to a local piano bar. Cocktails consumed, dancing began and as I looked around I noticed that we were not the only conference in town. Gentleman dressed with their business casual/convention attire surrounded us. I am sure I saw a name badge swinging from a lanyard or two. The group of ladies I was with numbered about 12 and as the night went on different trios of the group started to head back to the hotel, the morning meetings were fast approaching.
As I looked out on the dance floor I noticed one of my friends dancing closely to a new friend. As a couple of us danced up to her, we said "Shirley, we are going to get going... are you ready?" And a very intoxicated Shirley very decidedly said "NO, i'm staying here with Jeff!" A five second internal struggle happened, as I thought to myself, this really isn't my business ... and then I thought about how unhappy Shirley's husband and family would be with me if I left her at this bar alone with "Jeff". So the three of us that were left, hatched a plan. We started all dancing in a circle around Shirley and acted as if we too were going to stay! And then I whispered to my co-conspiritor to "hop on" the party train. We began a conga line/ party train and yelled, "Shirley! Party Train!" And as we sandwiched her in the middle we party trained right out of the bar and into a cab that was waiting and off to our hotel. Shirley was a little unhappy with us for a minute, but then she fell fast asleep and then thanked us many times the next day!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
I forgot
As long as we are talking about forgetfulness, one thing you need to be successful in Direct Sales is a good memory. Ok, maybe that isn't true. What you have to have are some really good tricks and ways to improvise when the inevitable happens... the forgetful moment.
As I outed myself earlier (and as I outed a few things that have happened to friends of mine...) what is crucial in the forgetful process is the recovery. Like in the example of going to a demonstration and forgetting your entire bag of catalogs. If you can get your hands on even ONE book, you can pass it around and give everyone paper to write down their orders on. If you forget your products, you can make some calls and see if guests can bring some of their own, or see if you can borrow from the host. But remembering names can sometimes throw you. Have you ever had an encounter with someone that YOU know, but does not remember you? And sometimes they handle it well, and say graciously, "I'm sorry, I have forgotten your name." And other times they say something awkward like "And you are???" Don't you feel bad? I always feel awkward and "forgettable" when that happens.
Now we all can't own a button like my husband's that says "HI, I can't remember your name either!" (He wears this primarily at reunions.) Instead a one word generic phrase usually works until you can find some context clues. Here are a few commonly used, "Buddy", "Pal", "Dude", "Sweetie", "Honey" or "Hun", my word of choice is "Friend". Now as a disclaimer, I call most people that I know and like "Friend" even when I do know their name. And that is why it really works for me.
So one day I was standing at the name tag table at a fundraiser and someone I recognized came up and was holding a baby. She says to me "KATHY!!! HOW ARE YOU!!???" And greets me with the most warm hug. I say "friend, it is so great to see you! Your baby is getting so big!" (my brain has completely malfunctioned) I can not think of her name, but my first bluff has gone by with out a hitch! (The baby was hers!). So then she chats it up with me, asks a few thoughtful questions and then realizes there is a line gathering and she needs to move along. So she says to me "do you mind filling out the name tag for me - my hands are full!" And thinking myself so clever... I say "would you spell your name for me?" And she looks at me with a "you dummy" look... "K-I-M J-O-N-E-S." Busted.
As I outed myself earlier (and as I outed a few things that have happened to friends of mine...) what is crucial in the forgetful process is the recovery. Like in the example of going to a demonstration and forgetting your entire bag of catalogs. If you can get your hands on even ONE book, you can pass it around and give everyone paper to write down their orders on. If you forget your products, you can make some calls and see if guests can bring some of their own, or see if you can borrow from the host. But remembering names can sometimes throw you. Have you ever had an encounter with someone that YOU know, but does not remember you? And sometimes they handle it well, and say graciously, "I'm sorry, I have forgotten your name." And other times they say something awkward like "And you are???" Don't you feel bad? I always feel awkward and "forgettable" when that happens.
Now we all can't own a button like my husband's that says "HI, I can't remember your name either!" (He wears this primarily at reunions.) Instead a one word generic phrase usually works until you can find some context clues. Here are a few commonly used, "Buddy", "Pal", "Dude", "Sweetie", "Honey" or "Hun", my word of choice is "Friend". Now as a disclaimer, I call most people that I know and like "Friend" even when I do know their name. And that is why it really works for me.
So one day I was standing at the name tag table at a fundraiser and someone I recognized came up and was holding a baby. She says to me "KATHY!!! HOW ARE YOU!!???" And greets me with the most warm hug. I say "friend, it is so great to see you! Your baby is getting so big!" (my brain has completely malfunctioned) I can not think of her name, but my first bluff has gone by with out a hitch! (The baby was hers!). So then she chats it up with me, asks a few thoughtful questions and then realizes there is a line gathering and she needs to move along. So she says to me "do you mind filling out the name tag for me - my hands are full!" And thinking myself so clever... I say "would you spell your name for me?" And she looks at me with a "you dummy" look... "K-I-M J-O-N-E-S." Busted.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Dumb Question?
Call it what you want, we all have asked them, and we all have heard them. Sometimes we can blame it on inexperience, or a "brain fart" ... and some of them we just have a good laugh over.Here are a few, let's call them "Silly" questions that struck me funny:
We have a $1 recipe book that I call the "dollar cookbook". And people ask me all the time "how much is that "dollar cookbook?"
I had someone call me and say, "I'm in the cake mix aisle at the store, but I can't find any CUPCAKE mixes. Where are they located?"
"I bought a cutting board, and it's getting CUT MARKS in it when i use it, is it defective?"
"How do you pre-heat the oven?" (ok, she was 12)
Dumb questions are often funny, but dumb acts can sometimes really throw you for a loop! Most of the "dumb acts" that happen to me or my team tend to be more forgetfulness or inexperience. Alright, a lot of these are mine... and you already know some of them...
Chopping your avocado with a food chopper and not knowing there is a pit in the middle.
Chopping the peel of your onion and adding it to your recipe.
Putting our plastic microwave pot on the burner and turning on a flame at a party! It's plastic!
Putting a Stainless Bowl with silicone on the bottom on the open flame burner. Melted silicone makes a terrible mess!
Going to a party and forgetting to bring your tools.
Going to a party and forgetting to bring your catalogs.
Going to a party and forgetting to bring the address of where you are going.
If you want to be successful in direct sales one of the top skills you must have is being able to improvise, especially if you (or your hosts) are forgetful.
Forget your tools? Who and where can you borrow some from?
Forget your books? Where can you find even ONE book everyone can share!
Forget the ingredients (or host buys the wrong ones)? Find a recipe that you can make that you HAVE the right ingredients for.
Forget your prizes, think of something else you can give away -like free shipping, or candy from your purse.
Forget the address? Hope that you didn't forget your phone.
Forget your phone? Stop by a cell phone store.
Forget your brain? Just fake it.
We have a $1 recipe book that I call the "dollar cookbook". And people ask me all the time "how much is that "dollar cookbook?"
I had someone call me and say, "I'm in the cake mix aisle at the store, but I can't find any CUPCAKE mixes. Where are they located?"
"I bought a cutting board, and it's getting CUT MARKS in it when i use it, is it defective?"
"How do you pre-heat the oven?" (ok, she was 12)
Dumb questions are often funny, but dumb acts can sometimes really throw you for a loop! Most of the "dumb acts" that happen to me or my team tend to be more forgetfulness or inexperience. Alright, a lot of these are mine... and you already know some of them...
Chopping your avocado with a food chopper and not knowing there is a pit in the middle.
Chopping the peel of your onion and adding it to your recipe.
Putting our plastic microwave pot on the burner and turning on a flame at a party! It's plastic!
Putting a Stainless Bowl with silicone on the bottom on the open flame burner. Melted silicone makes a terrible mess!
Going to a party and forgetting to bring your tools.
Going to a party and forgetting to bring your catalogs.
Going to a party and forgetting to bring the address of where you are going.
If you want to be successful in direct sales one of the top skills you must have is being able to improvise, especially if you (or your hosts) are forgetful.
Forget your tools? Who and where can you borrow some from?
Forget your books? Where can you find even ONE book everyone can share!
Forget the ingredients (or host buys the wrong ones)? Find a recipe that you can make that you HAVE the right ingredients for.
Forget your prizes, think of something else you can give away -like free shipping, or candy from your purse.
Forget the address? Hope that you didn't forget your phone.
Forget your phone? Stop by a cell phone store.
Forget your brain? Just fake it.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Sexy Can Opener
I know what you are thinking, "oh really? How exactly can a can opener be sexy?" Well, I have to laugh because I didn't realize it at first either!. I think it all started with the Everyone Loves Raymond episode about the misunderstood can opener. Everyone Loves Raymond Can Opener. We added a new smooth-edge can opener to the line and it was HUGELY misunderstood. No one seemed to be able to understand the concept that this can opener is not put on the side of the can.
Some of the consultants were really struggling with how to explain how to use it. We would often get calls asking us for help. So, I was at one of our meetings and I was asked to give my can opener explanation. And it goes like this: "First you take the can opener and put it in the horizontal position. Then you open up the legs of the can opener and bump it up to the can. Once you are touching the can, you close the legs and slowly turn the handle and go all the way around. You will feel a slight release of pressure. Then you take the can opener, and using the small wrench on the side, you take the top right off. And you are finished!" I had NO idea any of this sounded risque until my Director said "No WONDER you are selling a ton of can openers - wow!" And something sort of clicked in my head of OHHH.... Not one person had giggled, ever, when I had said it that way. YET.
So after that point, I could never say it with the same innocence. As soon as I would start "and you put the can opener in the horizontal position." I would start to smirk. And so it went. At almost every show that I used the can opener I would get anywhere from embarrassed giggles to uproarious laughter. Mostly being ladies in the crowd, we would sometimes get almost a "Bachelorette Party" moment. I had learned how to read the crowd - the moment I would say "put the can opener in the horizontal position," I would then look up and see if anyone had picked up on it... or I would start with "this might sound a little risque..." Anyway, it worked for me. It was just a funny moment. I could tell when to play it straight and when to crank it up. I had shared this funny way of explaining the can opener to my team of consultants and even at a Conference word had spread and we would laugh and I would share it. All somewhat innocent fun.
But unfortunately there were casualties. One of my new consultants started in on the "sexed up" can opener and she went a little overboard. I believe she may have even added a hip-grinding motion and she referred to the can opener as "HER". So it sounded a little more like "when you bump HER up to the can (insert hip grinding motion...)" Sadly this crowd was a VERY religious group and the hostess was mortified. She apparently sent my poor new consultant a nasty note the next day. The host was so upset she wrote apology letters to every guest. Yikes. I don' t know what to say. I guess you really have to know your audience when you sex-up the products.
Some of the consultants were really struggling with how to explain how to use it. We would often get calls asking us for help. So, I was at one of our meetings and I was asked to give my can opener explanation. And it goes like this: "First you take the can opener and put it in the horizontal position. Then you open up the legs of the can opener and bump it up to the can. Once you are touching the can, you close the legs and slowly turn the handle and go all the way around. You will feel a slight release of pressure. Then you take the can opener, and using the small wrench on the side, you take the top right off. And you are finished!" I had NO idea any of this sounded risque until my Director said "No WONDER you are selling a ton of can openers - wow!" And something sort of clicked in my head of OHHH.... Not one person had giggled, ever, when I had said it that way. YET.
So after that point, I could never say it with the same innocence. As soon as I would start "and you put the can opener in the horizontal position." I would start to smirk. And so it went. At almost every show that I used the can opener I would get anywhere from embarrassed giggles to uproarious laughter. Mostly being ladies in the crowd, we would sometimes get almost a "Bachelorette Party" moment. I had learned how to read the crowd - the moment I would say "put the can opener in the horizontal position," I would then look up and see if anyone had picked up on it... or I would start with "this might sound a little risque..." Anyway, it worked for me. It was just a funny moment. I could tell when to play it straight and when to crank it up. I had shared this funny way of explaining the can opener to my team of consultants and even at a Conference word had spread and we would laugh and I would share it. All somewhat innocent fun.
But unfortunately there were casualties. One of my new consultants started in on the "sexed up" can opener and she went a little overboard. I believe she may have even added a hip-grinding motion and she referred to the can opener as "HER". So it sounded a little more like "when you bump HER up to the can (insert hip grinding motion...)" Sadly this crowd was a VERY religious group and the hostess was mortified. She apparently sent my poor new consultant a nasty note the next day. The host was so upset she wrote apology letters to every guest. Yikes. I don' t know what to say. I guess you really have to know your audience when you sex-up the products.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Betty Crocker
Some people think that being a good cook is a skill you have to be born with. I completely disagree. Let me tell you a little story about my friend Amy. I always say Amy grew up in my backyard. Technically we just lived in a subdivision where our houses backed up to each other. And Amy likes to say that we have known each other so long that I pushed her down when she was learning to walk. I was 10 months old at the time, when will she get over this?
Amy is an amazing artist and she loved the idea of creating things. One day when her mother left for an errand, she decided to bake something. I think we were twelve years old at the time. I always knew what she was up to because she would call me and say, "This is Betty Crocker calling..." This particular afternoon she called me and told me that she needed my help immediately because the cupcakes BLEW UP in the oven, and she had not been given permission to bake! "Baking Powder and Powdered Sugar -what is the difference?" "When it says "pre-heat the oven" what does that mean?"
Still, Amy kept on baking whenever she got the opportunity. Now she has a family of 6 and has become one of the best bakers and cooks that I know. She LOVES to create things and she just dropped off homemade muffins, cookies and a quiche that is to die for... all this with a newborn baby at home. What a great friend. And wow, Amy, you have come a long way.
My theory is that there are three types of people who "don't cook". If I've missed a category, let me know!
#1 People who don't have the skill. They were never trained properly. They were either at swim team, gymnastics, baseball or chess club when back in the day they would have been cooking at home with mom and grandma.
#2 People who don't have the right tools. You probably aren't roasting a chicken or making a cheesecake if you don't have a roasting or springform pan.
#3 People who don't have the time/energy. Cooking can take some creative thought processes and when you don't plan ahead, you often go for the drive-thru or the frozen pizza.
If you fit into any of these three categories, we need to talk. I can't tell you how many people have gone from "don't cook" to "Betty Crocker" with a little help with skills, the right tools and tips.
Amy is an amazing artist and she loved the idea of creating things. One day when her mother left for an errand, she decided to bake something. I think we were twelve years old at the time. I always knew what she was up to because she would call me and say, "This is Betty Crocker calling..." This particular afternoon she called me and told me that she needed my help immediately because the cupcakes BLEW UP in the oven, and she had not been given permission to bake! "Baking Powder and Powdered Sugar -what is the difference?" "When it says "pre-heat the oven" what does that mean?"
Still, Amy kept on baking whenever she got the opportunity. Now she has a family of 6 and has become one of the best bakers and cooks that I know. She LOVES to create things and she just dropped off homemade muffins, cookies and a quiche that is to die for... all this with a newborn baby at home. What a great friend. And wow, Amy, you have come a long way.
My theory is that there are three types of people who "don't cook". If I've missed a category, let me know!
#1 People who don't have the skill. They were never trained properly. They were either at swim team, gymnastics, baseball or chess club when back in the day they would have been cooking at home with mom and grandma.
#2 People who don't have the right tools. You probably aren't roasting a chicken or making a cheesecake if you don't have a roasting or springform pan.
#3 People who don't have the time/energy. Cooking can take some creative thought processes and when you don't plan ahead, you often go for the drive-thru or the frozen pizza.
If you fit into any of these three categories, we need to talk. I can't tell you how many people have gone from "don't cook" to "Betty Crocker" with a little help with skills, the right tools and tips.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Spreading like wild fire
About six months into my business, I had finally convinced my sister Mary to host a show for me. Mary had never been interested in hosting a home show before and definitely was doing this as as favor to me. She did not want to mix her crowds of people - she had teacher friends, neighbors, old friends etc. So she wanted me to do two shows in one day. As I was still in the Pleasing Stage, I, of course agreed. We chose a recipe that we were all drooling over - it was a brownie pizza with chocolate and peanut butter cups. I had never made it before, but it looked really easy. (Are you starting to get nervous yet?). The brownie "crust" you make with a box mix and you omit the water (or add flour to the batter to thicken it) and spread it on to a parchment lined round baking stone. I started the recipe in the family room on a card table and then handed her the raw brownie - ready to pop in the oven. I had made one mistake though, I had added the water but did not add the extra flour. Within minutes, the brownie batter poured off the baking stone and was on FIRE on the bottom of her oven. So as my sisters closed the kitchen door and madly opened all the windows in the back half of the house, handling the fire... I continued on with my demonstration, unknowingly.
Karen had slipped back in to the family room to discreetly tell me what happened. They scraped off the batter that was still on the stone, added some flour to thicken it and gave it another run. Luckily they saved my butt and by the second show, I did the recipe correctly! We laughed, and about 8 hours later, I actually had decent sales and a couple of bookings that I am still getting shows from 15 years+ later. Thanks sisters!
Karen had slipped back in to the family room to discreetly tell me what happened. They scraped off the batter that was still on the stone, added some flour to thicken it and gave it another run. Luckily they saved my butt and by the second show, I did the recipe correctly! We laughed, and about 8 hours later, I actually had decent sales and a couple of bookings that I am still getting shows from 15 years+ later. Thanks sisters!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
The Pleasing Stage
If you hadn't figured out from the mayo and onion story, my experience with cooking was pretty limited when I began my Cooking show business. I loved to bake, and I had mastered mixes, hamburger helper, mac and cheese and just about any type of pasta. But one of my weaker areas was Mexican cuisine. You might wonder why I would agree to make guacamole at a show when I had never worked with an avocado before? I like to call this the pleasing stage of my business. I was so happy that someone booked a show that I was willing to make whatever they wanted me to make. It was sometime later when I realized that the consultant should minimally steer the host as to a recipe that makes a good demonstration and/or one that the consultant is skilled in making. Quite a concept, eh?
So I'm at a show and the hostess hands me the ingredients for a homemade guacamole... I very confidently held the rock-hard avocado in my hand without dismay. That was because I did not know what a ripe avocado felt like, and neither did my host. I grabbed my vegetable peeler and did my best to peel this slimy mess. And it was a mess, but not as messy as you would have thought! It was completely unripe and hard. I took my fabulous chopper to it and to my surprise, found a gigantic PIT in the middle. Once I dug out the pit, I resumed chopping the avocado only to find out that it was so unripe that it did not mix with the ingredients at all. By this point, someone had come forward and suggested it might not be ripe enough ... but the funny thing was that most of the crowd were as clueless as I was. I remember people staring at the avocado like it was a gift from an alien. The black peel, the green color, the giant pit! Now when I mixed all the ingredients together, I have to admit this was the worst tasting guacamole ever made. But I think because only one or two in the crowd had ever had it, no one seemed to know better. To my surprise, I again sold a lot of choppers, many vegetable peelers and I even got a booking.
So I'm at a show and the hostess hands me the ingredients for a homemade guacamole... I very confidently held the rock-hard avocado in my hand without dismay. That was because I did not know what a ripe avocado felt like, and neither did my host. I grabbed my vegetable peeler and did my best to peel this slimy mess. And it was a mess, but not as messy as you would have thought! It was completely unripe and hard. I took my fabulous chopper to it and to my surprise, found a gigantic PIT in the middle. Once I dug out the pit, I resumed chopping the avocado only to find out that it was so unripe that it did not mix with the ingredients at all. By this point, someone had come forward and suggested it might not be ripe enough ... but the funny thing was that most of the crowd were as clueless as I was. I remember people staring at the avocado like it was a gift from an alien. The black peel, the green color, the giant pit! Now when I mixed all the ingredients together, I have to admit this was the worst tasting guacamole ever made. But I think because only one or two in the crowd had ever had it, no one seemed to know better. To my surprise, I again sold a lot of choppers, many vegetable peelers and I even got a booking.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Mayo and Onions
By my introduction, you would never suspect that I could have been successful in this new business. But the next couple of shows had many people and better yet, bookings! And I really branched out. The business doesn't go far with just the relatives. My girl friend's show had 4 bookings and they were all people I had never met before. I did shows up in Elgin, in Montgomery and one booking landed me in Chicago. These opportunities helped to spread my business, as well as give me some much needed cooking experience!
One of my next shows, was a crowd where I didn't know anyone... a booking from a booking! A true opportunity to branch out. Juanita was my hostess and she picked a recipe that I had not made before. (This is not a smart idea for a new consultant.) One of the ingredients was onions. Believe it or not, I had never cut up an onion in my life. I would never touch onions or mushrooms - I hated them both. So I started cutting up this onion and I was so proud when I told the crowd... "our chopper is so great and sharp you can cut up the peel as well!" I literally threw most of the peel into the dish - and the look on their faces was priceless. I soon learned that the bitterness of the peel does not enhance your dish... I did sell a ton of choppers that day though.
At the same show I had put a hot baking stone on a trivet on the kitchen table. And after the show, the host said "your stone left a ring on my table!". I wasn't worried at all, I had heard you can get a moisture mark out of a wood table by spreading mayo on it. Apparently mayonnaise is not a condiment of choice in Hispanic homes, so when I suggested this idea, I got the same "onion peel look." I went to the store, bought some mayo and brought it back after the show. I proceeded to spread it all over the mark and rub it in for about 20 minutes. There was one problem. This was not a wood table. It was a plastic table. I believe it is called plood, a wood look, but plastic material!
Why it took me that long to figure out, I don't know - but the good news was that our company insures us, so I gave up and called the insurance line and they took care of it for me. Sadly though, 0 Bookings, but wow did I learn a lot that day!
One of my next shows, was a crowd where I didn't know anyone... a booking from a booking! A true opportunity to branch out. Juanita was my hostess and she picked a recipe that I had not made before. (This is not a smart idea for a new consultant.) One of the ingredients was onions. Believe it or not, I had never cut up an onion in my life. I would never touch onions or mushrooms - I hated them both. So I started cutting up this onion and I was so proud when I told the crowd... "our chopper is so great and sharp you can cut up the peel as well!" I literally threw most of the peel into the dish - and the look on their faces was priceless. I soon learned that the bitterness of the peel does not enhance your dish... I did sell a ton of choppers that day though.
At the same show I had put a hot baking stone on a trivet on the kitchen table. And after the show, the host said "your stone left a ring on my table!". I wasn't worried at all, I had heard you can get a moisture mark out of a wood table by spreading mayo on it. Apparently mayonnaise is not a condiment of choice in Hispanic homes, so when I suggested this idea, I got the same "onion peel look." I went to the store, bought some mayo and brought it back after the show. I proceeded to spread it all over the mark and rub it in for about 20 minutes. There was one problem. This was not a wood table. It was a plastic table. I believe it is called plood, a wood look, but plastic material!
Why it took me that long to figure out, I don't know - but the good news was that our company insures us, so I gave up and called the insurance line and they took care of it for me. Sadly though, 0 Bookings, but wow did I learn a lot that day!
Friday, September 9, 2011
Aunt Helen
So Aunt Helen, my mom's sister, was gracious enough to host my second party. She lived about an hour away and I really thought this would be a fantastic way to branch out . I have a ton of cousins and many had established homes. But like my mom, I really don't think my Aunt had ever hosted a direct sales party in her life.
I arrived and soon later, the house was packed! I felt like this show had some real possibilities! I had selected a recipe that used a ton of my tools and I was so proud of successfully coaching her on inviting a good amount of people. I went into the kitchen to get the ingredients ready for the party. And I discovered that Aunt Helen had bought everything I had asked for already chopped, sliced and processed! All I had to do was mix and heat it up. The cheese was grated, the vegetables were even chopped, the meat cooked and sliced. The problem was that my job was to make this recipe in front of everyone showing off the tools I was selling. Cheese grater, Choppers, Knives, Cutting Boards... I had few skills, and even less to show now, and I felt my fate was sealed when Aunt Helen announced to the crowd, "Why would anyone EVER buy ingredients any other way - when they come already done?!" The guests (my cousins) were all very kind, and I had some token sales. Example of poor host coaching #2. and 0 Bookings, 0 Recruits ...
Aunt Helen passed away a few years ago. She was a wonderful, generous and sweet woman. We miss her so much.
I arrived and soon later, the house was packed! I felt like this show had some real possibilities! I had selected a recipe that used a ton of my tools and I was so proud of successfully coaching her on inviting a good amount of people. I went into the kitchen to get the ingredients ready for the party. And I discovered that Aunt Helen had bought everything I had asked for already chopped, sliced and processed! All I had to do was mix and heat it up. The cheese was grated, the vegetables were even chopped, the meat cooked and sliced. The problem was that my job was to make this recipe in front of everyone showing off the tools I was selling. Cheese grater, Choppers, Knives, Cutting Boards... I had few skills, and even less to show now, and I felt my fate was sealed when Aunt Helen announced to the crowd, "Why would anyone EVER buy ingredients any other way - when they come already done?!" The guests (my cousins) were all very kind, and I had some token sales. Example of poor host coaching #2. and 0 Bookings, 0 Recruits ...
Aunt Helen passed away a few years ago. She was a wonderful, generous and sweet woman. We miss her so much.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
List of 4
The first joke here is that in our industry your first "shows" come from your friends, family and colleagues and we make up a list of 100. My list was of 4. I did not have a deep lineup. My Mom, My Aunt, and two girl friends. I think everyone in my family and friend circle was skeptical of this new venture of mine. This was not something we ever really did. I had been a guest at a couple candle parties, and maybe a Tupperware party, but I don't have any memory of my mom hosting a direct seller/home show of that nature in my lifetime. I'm pretty sure the first show she hosted was mine.
I had given Mom the host packet with invitations and extra catalogs. I called her the day before and asked her how many people we might be expecting and she said that ALL of the people that she invited were coming. She didn't invite too many - only about 20! So excitedly I packed and prepared for the BIG SHOW. I arrived early and got set up... and we waited. Luckily all of my sisters arrived... (2 of them lived there, they were ages 12 and 14) Oh ya, My Grandma was there. And I have a vague memory of one neighbor also arriving. And there it was, the party of about 2 buying guests. I asked Mom, "did the guests call you and tell you they were coming?" and she said "No, I thought they were coming because they did not decline." The optimist in it's true form. This is what we say in the business is an example of POOR host coaching. This was a great practice show but the worst thing about this party (other than the sales) was that my family heckled me during my demonstration! I made a dessert and one sister said "why didn't you show the garlic press?" And they interrupted me constantly! Good thing I'm not sensitive. 0 Bookings. 0 Recruit leads
I had given Mom the host packet with invitations and extra catalogs. I called her the day before and asked her how many people we might be expecting and she said that ALL of the people that she invited were coming. She didn't invite too many - only about 20! So excitedly I packed and prepared for the BIG SHOW. I arrived early and got set up... and we waited. Luckily all of my sisters arrived... (2 of them lived there, they were ages 12 and 14) Oh ya, My Grandma was there. And I have a vague memory of one neighbor also arriving. And there it was, the party of about 2 buying guests. I asked Mom, "did the guests call you and tell you they were coming?" and she said "No, I thought they were coming because they did not decline." The optimist in it's true form. This is what we say in the business is an example of POOR host coaching. This was a great practice show but the worst thing about this party (other than the sales) was that my family heckled me during my demonstration! I made a dessert and one sister said "why didn't you show the garlic press?" And they interrupted me constantly! Good thing I'm not sensitive. 0 Bookings. 0 Recruit leads
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
And so the story begins ... a kitchen consultant was born.
I had picked up a few hours working the front desk at the park district. One day, a co-worker handed me a post card invite to a Cooking Show that she was hosting. I had a vague memory of my girl friend Amy saying "if you ever get invited to one of those, go, because they have GREAT food!" So I called up my friend and invited her to go with me. We loved what we bought and Amy and I later decided to host our own party together. The consultant watched me as I stared with my mouth wide open the whole party - I wanted everything! When she told me that she thought I would make a good consultant, I was very flattered, but there was no way I could add another job! Four odd jobs and a small baby were enough.
Six months went by when Consultant Jeanette sent me a newsletter in the mail and said she would love to talk to me more about starting. With Christmas on the way, and still no money in the bank, I talked to my husband about this opportunity and he said what every woman wants to hear "if that would make you happy, give it a try!"
Six months went by when Consultant Jeanette sent me a newsletter in the mail and said she would love to talk to me more about starting. With Christmas on the way, and still no money in the bank, I talked to my husband about this opportunity and he said what every woman wants to hear "if that would make you happy, give it a try!"
The History
"Tales from the Kitchen" was born when my good friend JSP was sitting in my kitchen and we were sharing the funny stories about our Direct Selling Businesses. We both have been in Direct Sales for near 16 years, and you better believe there are some great stories. I just hit a milestone of 1600 "parties" in my company and just can't keep this funny stuff to myself any longer.
And so the story begins...
Alright, I better give you a little bit of history behind present day Direct Seller. Very few people have written on their Kindergarten paper Graduation hat that they want to be involved in "Direct Sales" as their future career. I went away to college to become a Journalist. I fancied myself reading the news in front of millions ... but soon found out that Journalism majors are news JUNKIES. They live, sleep, breathe and eat the news all day, every day. And I shared no passion for this in any way or form. I was perfectly content reading the sale ads and an occasional good book. So in a mad dash my Junior Year of college I searched frantically for a major that I could accomplish within the 4 year parameter that had been expected of me. (Even if that was only in my mind). Quite coincidentally ALL elective classes that I had taken were English classes. They were always my favorite. So as I approached my Senior Year, my guidance counselor mentioned to me that should I be up to taking 5 x 400 level English classes I could graduate on time with a BA in English... So there it was. 40 novels later... by the skin of my teeth... I left the University of Missouri with a BA.
Home bound to the Chicagoland Area with a BA in English did not exactly prepare me for entering the work force. My Dad insisted I move home to save some money and he was certain he could get me a job at the bank that he worked for until I knew what I wanted to do. So my banking career started. I took a job at River Valley Savings Bank in Lombard, IL and earned a big fat $15,000 a year salary! Almost enough for a new wardrobe! Good thing I lived at home and didn't have to buy food! I worked my way around that bank and was involved in the Mortgage servicing area. I held many various positions and graduated to Loan Officer by the end of year two. The Loan Officer job was my dream job. I was certain (similar to the Journalism fantasy) that THIS was going to be something I was good at! I loved talking to people, and I was certain that meeting people and taking applications was going to be a CAKE job. However, similar to the Journalism gig, I soon realized that Loan Officers often had one thing in common - a financial background of some sort and a passion for it. They often talked with Realtors about rates, financial docs, credit etc. And I had one major flaw. I never even had a mortgage myself! Maybe some training would have helped? Maybe once I matured, got a mortgage of my own, took a class? I don't know, I never got a chance to find out. My bank was soon bought out and I was given notice (I was the weakest link).
At this time, many other things were also going on. I had met the love of my life, Matt. We married SHORTLY later and baby #1 was on the way. So my career as a loan officer ended near the same time as my son Jake's birth. Since I had a newborn at home and only about 2 loans under my belt from my Loan Officer career... I did not pursue another career in that.
I started looking desperately for a part-time job. I did not want to put my baby in day care. The jobs I found paid LESS than my River Valley days. I took the minutes for the Aurora Art Commission twice a month. I taught a class at the park district. I worked at the local card store. The problem was that I had to work for a month of Sundays just to make a hundred dollars. I soon added "Director of Admissions" for my high school to my pile of name tags, another part time job. But none of these seemed to fit, financially or my personality. Little did I know that around the corner I would be spreading cream cheese on a crescent roll, making some great cash... and putting out a few fires, figuratively and literally!
And so the story begins...
Alright, I better give you a little bit of history behind present day Direct Seller. Very few people have written on their Kindergarten paper Graduation hat that they want to be involved in "Direct Sales" as their future career. I went away to college to become a Journalist. I fancied myself reading the news in front of millions ... but soon found out that Journalism majors are news JUNKIES. They live, sleep, breathe and eat the news all day, every day. And I shared no passion for this in any way or form. I was perfectly content reading the sale ads and an occasional good book. So in a mad dash my Junior Year of college I searched frantically for a major that I could accomplish within the 4 year parameter that had been expected of me. (Even if that was only in my mind). Quite coincidentally ALL elective classes that I had taken were English classes. They were always my favorite. So as I approached my Senior Year, my guidance counselor mentioned to me that should I be up to taking 5 x 400 level English classes I could graduate on time with a BA in English... So there it was. 40 novels later... by the skin of my teeth... I left the University of Missouri with a BA.
Home bound to the Chicagoland Area with a BA in English did not exactly prepare me for entering the work force. My Dad insisted I move home to save some money and he was certain he could get me a job at the bank that he worked for until I knew what I wanted to do. So my banking career started. I took a job at River Valley Savings Bank in Lombard, IL and earned a big fat $15,000 a year salary! Almost enough for a new wardrobe! Good thing I lived at home and didn't have to buy food! I worked my way around that bank and was involved in the Mortgage servicing area. I held many various positions and graduated to Loan Officer by the end of year two. The Loan Officer job was my dream job. I was certain (similar to the Journalism fantasy) that THIS was going to be something I was good at! I loved talking to people, and I was certain that meeting people and taking applications was going to be a CAKE job. However, similar to the Journalism gig, I soon realized that Loan Officers often had one thing in common - a financial background of some sort and a passion for it. They often talked with Realtors about rates, financial docs, credit etc. And I had one major flaw. I never even had a mortgage myself! Maybe some training would have helped? Maybe once I matured, got a mortgage of my own, took a class? I don't know, I never got a chance to find out. My bank was soon bought out and I was given notice (I was the weakest link).
At this time, many other things were also going on. I had met the love of my life, Matt. We married SHORTLY later and baby #1 was on the way. So my career as a loan officer ended near the same time as my son Jake's birth. Since I had a newborn at home and only about 2 loans under my belt from my Loan Officer career... I did not pursue another career in that.
I started looking desperately for a part-time job. I did not want to put my baby in day care. The jobs I found paid LESS than my River Valley days. I took the minutes for the Aurora Art Commission twice a month. I taught a class at the park district. I worked at the local card store. The problem was that I had to work for a month of Sundays just to make a hundred dollars. I soon added "Director of Admissions" for my high school to my pile of name tags, another part time job. But none of these seemed to fit, financially or my personality. Little did I know that around the corner I would be spreading cream cheese on a crescent roll, making some great cash... and putting out a few fires, figuratively and literally!
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