Out and about.

Out and about
Home
Last few busy weeks in Jan. 2016

Riley in the snow!

It is 7am on the last Saturday in Jan. 2016 and I cannot believe that we have completed a whole month already. All of those BIG plans I had entering into 2016...opps!
I was checking my To do list the other day and although many items are left un-marked I was certainly looking a a FAT 80% complete. Not so bad! I have just a few more items on that list (get paint for the dining room, order business cards & promote my business) that are doable over the next 48 hours....(I could although I am NOT choosing to re-start my diet and exercise program).

One of the many 2016's I have on my list is to work my Close to My Heart business. www.wendyb@ctmh.comwww.wendyb@ctmh.com 

I have been (yes I lost it for about a month) a Close to My Heart Consultant for about 8-9 years now (I honestly cannot remember how long.)
I have never been one of those rising STARs or even had average sales, but I had always meet my quota, enjoyed the discounted items I obtained, the art work I created, and above all the friendships I had made.
My life would definitely have taken a different course if not for Close to My Heart, Some of my dearest friendships have developed as a result. I have been a part of people's lives..watched their families grow, shared in their joys and tears., I have been embraced as a sister (which I have none naturally) and cannot imagine my life without being a part of this organization and a member of my team. Hearts a Flutter.
With all that being said, I have also changed over these last 8-9 years. I have lost many of my few creative customers, I have lost my OWN ambition to seek out others to replace them, and have spent the last 2-3 years maintaining my Consultant status solely on a few sporadic orders from friends (perhaps they feel sorry for me) and from purchases I myself have made.
I have maintained this simply to prolong the enjoyment I have found from being a part of these women's lives.
My little social club has become quite an expensive  (Although worth every single penny.)
As 2015 was coming to an end and I was still several hundred dollars outside of my consultant quota...I had some choices to make. Either I step up my game and give this business a real RUN or I bow out gracefully having LOVED every moment of it.
Me and choices are awful. I hemed and hawed this over for quite some time. Until I finally decided that I needed to make one last go of it.
I have decided to make 2016 my LAST go of it. I have not thrown myself onto the flames, I have tried that in the past and realize that when I go FULL THROTTLE...I get discouraged when I do not see immediate results. (sounds like everything I take on in my life.). So I am taking it slow...
I have decided,,,,,,

1. I can no longer make purchase based upon what I like. (I have nearly 9 years of items "I like" sitting in my craft room taking up space.)
2. I have to treat this as a business....it is after all!!! If this was being treated as such....I WOULD HAVE TO FIRE MYSELF!!!  Business means  dedication, commitment and MOST IMPORTANTLY (this is where I almost always FAIL....)FOLLOW THROUGH.
3. Business's have a PLAN!!!! I do not even have Business CARDS!!! (Yep! nearly 9 years and NO business cards, I am thinking I have NEVER been to serious about this, what do you think?)
 4. Business's have a Schedule's, timeline/DEADLINES and STICK to it! ( I have to be reminded when or if it is the end of a CTMH quarter.)
5. Business's take sacrifice...RISKs...(Ultimately I have to step outside my comfort zone and invite people in. 99% of my past customers have been my friends, not once have I approached a stranger let alone an acquaintance about my business. Worse then that of those 99% who have shown an interest I have DROPPED THE BALL!!!!

I know a ton of people!!!! I know I am NOT shy!!!! I know I LOVE CLOSE TO MY HEART!!! I just don't know WHY I cannot get this business up and ROCKING!!!!


Quick insert of my Last Weekend Hearts a Flutter team meeting!!! These gals and the product is what keeps me going!!!!

With all this being said I am moving forward. SLOW but steady,...I have been pretty good so far. I have committed to addressing a few items on my list per month,

...start a Club. (I start my very first Scrapbooking club on Feb. 7th. (I only have 3 girls...but its a start and I have one more potential.)
...Let people KNOW what I do!!! I hold my very first "Make and Take" at my real job on Feb. 3d.
...GET BUSINESS CARDS!!! (I am ordering today as soon as I get off this blog.)
...Schedule time. Right now I have booked out committed times for Hostess Parties. (They are currently empty...but I am HOPEFUL.
...Make purchases with an intent to INSPIRE and TEACH!!! (I did buy the Regatta Workshop your way because I LOVED it!!! But If I can get my you know what together I might be able to present it as a workshop!!! I also purchased items for Parties, my club and the Make n Takes.

This is the Regatta workshop your way!!!

....Get prepared. Idea books, what I am going to present, layouts, order forms, PREP WORK done!!
( I was done with my first Club layouts sometime last month.)

 I may have already shown these.

 ....Follow up with leads. (this is the one I struggle with and what has usually stumped me...I don't follow through, People will say they are interested, or even might look at a book, some will even say I would love to do this or I have thought about doing this,,,and I have left the hook in the water!!! NO REELING!!!) .....I am sure this has to be some sort of self worth issue but I refuse to Freud myself right now.
I have made a dent in these and Along with re-starting my diet/exercise program on Feb 1st. I am also going to start 100 days of Close to My Heart. What that will include is that I have committed to doing SOMETHING related to Close to My Heart everyday for the next 100 days!!!! It can be a call to a potential customer, design a card workshop, prepare flyers, post on facebook, cut papers...order for the following month...etc. But I am committing to at least one thing CTMH each day for the next 100 days!!! I am hoping that this will make me follow through!!!!!!

 (Studio J which is CTMH's digital scrapbooking will be ending April 31st...I AM SUPER BUMBED)

... Friday evening I was overjoyed to meet up with Doreen and Renee and head out for a meal and shopping. I have not spent time with Doreen in FOREVER!! It was a pleasant reunion.
We had a nice meal at Stella's and then went shopping at Shoppingtown Mall. (which was the local mall when I was a kid...)It is so empty now. What is with all these malls? They seem to be disappearing out of existence. I honestly have no theories. Anyone else?....I purchased a silly hat and mittens for myself on sale.

We had a silly time all evening. Great fun!

 On the way home Renee and I saw this very strange glow in the sky....Creepy.

Saturday Tammy called and informed me of a BIG sale at the Thrifty Shopper. (I know how cheep can you get??? BUT I love it..) Tammy found a silly hat to be silly with me!!!

Sunday I watched GREASE LIVE... here is the link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQppLMH9uLY

Loved it but not nearly as much as the original....


PS-
I know this was not about my TRIP taking, but along with all this other stuff....It looks as if Feb. will be packed FULL of mini vacations and trip taking!!!!
SCRAPPING SLEEPOVER....CANADA.....MARDI GRAS WINE TOUR....ABBA TRIBUTE BAND.... ( and I am sure there will be more) Below I took this shot from my phone heading into work the other day....I thought the sky was simply amazing!!!