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What’s keeping you?

Today, I posted this as my status on my Facebook news feed:

Something I am looking forward to
Photo By P.Lynne (c) 2014

” I feel a little disappointed but not down right now. OK, besides just reading my sidebar to see that Leonard Nemoy died, but more personally my sales. Not sure what to do about that, and trying almost everything within guidelines of the company. My question to my FB friends (not necessary my customers) is what is holding you back from trying something at least once in your life? It does not have be related to Longaberger, just anything. Is it being afraid of the outcome? Financial? Or just used to the same old habit and not willing to try something? I am at a loss here, and feel like I am spinning my wheels. Please help me out with this question. As for my sales, I have one more day to make at least $350. I cannot always be my best customer.”

Back story to all of this:  I started my independent consulting career in 2001, one month exactly after 9/11.  Before then, I was trying to find an internship for my marketing degree at Franklin University, because it was time for me to graduate.  After having successful interviews, with some wanting me to start the Monday after most of my interviews, they fell through, either because they ran out of money to pay me (or not having enough in the budget to not pay me), bad business deals, or going in a different direction, I never got a chance to work these internships.  I was getting frustrated, and I had heard that you could make your own internship by just owning your own business. (By the way, I found out that it has to be an actual business hiring you and the school taking credit for that hiring-go figure)  Anyway, I wanted to try direct selling, so I started researching and narrowed it down to two companies:  Pampered Chef and Longaberger.   I met with the Pampered Chef consultant, who was nice, but for some reason, I did not like the idea that I had to cook something at every party.   Not in my budget.   

Then I met Scott, a consultant from Longaberger, and since I already liked the products, I signed up to sell for them. In case you are wondering what Longaberger makes and sells is baskets, pottery (dinner and cookware), and wrought iron products. FYI:  Sell products that you love and do not sell just anything.

At first, I was just in it, because of the products and I have created my own internship, but the more I got into the company, the more I loved selling, and because I was not really motivated to actually selling, I made mediocre sales.  Around year 5, it really hit me that I need to make the most of my new found business.

I want to stop here for a moment, because I am feeling like you think I am writing a sales pitch of some sort.  Not at all, I thought I must admit that if you want to just my team, you can, but this is not a sales pitch post at all.  It is a motivation pitch letter to ask you a couple of questions.

We all have routines and habits.  We all have certain products and brands we like, and we never want to be disloyal to those products at all.  I get that, and I am not trying to take you out of your habit at all.  What I want to know is are you willing to try something new?  If it could be anything, what would it be?  Now that you have that in your head, are you doing that new thing now?  If not, ask yourself why.  Going back to my Facebook status, what is keep you from trying that new thing?  Is it money?  Is it the old question, “What will my family and friends think if I try it”? Are you afraid of the outcome?  

Getting back to my sales for this month, which ends tomorrow at midnight, then I start again, I have advertised within my guidelines.  I am not a pushy salesperson, because Longaberger (as well as the rest of the internet community) consider it spamming.   I have an online party open to receive orders, and I have a Facebook business page that I regularly post to that anyone can see.  Perhaps it is Facebook’s Algorithm that prevents some people to see these ads, or perhaps I am blocked in some areas.  I am not sure.  Or people like the ad, but none of it translate to sales on my website, and that is what I do not get with Facebook.  They want you like a person, but penalizes you if you have extraordinary interaction with them.  As a salesperson, I hate this.

OK, rant over, sorry about that.  The bottom line of all of this is like that Nike campaign, “Just do it”.  Now I am not saying to all if a sudden just spend the money you do not have, but if you don’t have it now, make plans to make it happen.  Invest in yourself.  If your goal is to decorate your whole house, research into the cost, see what is doable now, and write into plan your timeline and do it.  If you want to climb the highest mountain in Europe, research, and see what you can do to make it happen, and do it.  There are ways to get things done, like open a saving account, do a Kickstarter campaign, asking friends and family for support.  Just make it happen.

As for me, I need to get my butt in gear, if I am going to make my sales to at least $350, $500, if I want the incentive of the month.  By the way, the website is www.longaberger.com/patricialogan in case you are interested in checking it out.

It is hard to say good bye…

Snowed in car in 1978 Pickerington Ohio
(c) 2015 Google.com

To January 2015.  I really did not think much about January.  I never do.  It is a hard act to follow after December of the previous year.  Yes, it is the first month of the new year, but if you live in a mini snow belt, like Ohio (the first snow belt being the New York/New England area of the country), it can be a hit or miss. 

There are some years, where Ohio can get as much snow as the first Snow Belt, especially around the Cleveland area.  These are the days, where if you venture out of the house at all, it is to go to the local store, get your goods, and go home, never vowing to go out again as long as you live.  Then there are the years where you feel like that God forgot to let Mother Nature know that it is winter, and temps stay decent and no snow is to be seen for miles (unless you are in Cleveland).  I live in Columbus, so snow is a hit or miss, unless you were around last year (2014) or the Blizzard of 1978.  Now those were some doozies.

In 1978, I was in the 8^th grade.  We had just moved from McGuire AFB, NJ a few months prior.  I was loving my new school, and everything was going great.  My brother was in the 1^st grade, and my parents have never consider being foster care parents (that came much, much later).  My father was working on base as a security police officer, which was totally different than your mall cops (sorry if I am throwing shade at your occupation, you are important).  It had been snowing, but Joe Holbrook (my Grandmother’s favorite weatherman) had forecast 1” or 2” inches, that’s it.  All I remember was there was no school the next day, in fact the next couple of days, and I loved it.  What kid would not?  My father was stuck in a barracks on base, until the streets were clear enough for him to come home.

Last year was a little different.  I do not mind blizzards (especially the kind with chocolate-ok wrong type of Blizzard), but I hate polar vortexes.  These are the kind that do not allow a person to get into their garage of their condo, without taking out their car and/or the side of the building.  I did not do that, but I did not get in.  1998 Honda Accords are not good snow plows to pack down the snow. Now a 2013 Cadillac CTS is.  I went back to my parent’s house and my father went back to my house and mowed over the snow with his car.   Now I see why his car cost more than mine, LOL.  1998 Honda=burnt rubber, 2013 Caddies=snow plow/snow packer.  You know a polar vortex is bad when Mickey Mouse cannot come out and play (Disney saw this thing to and shut down the parks).

January is supposed to end with a bang for Central Ohio, because we are supposed to get a good one tonight.  I am glad that our Mayor, Mike Coleman is not having a new conference telling us how to prepare for the next wave of snow coming.  I would hate to see him end up like the mayor of New York City. (Yellow does not look good on him-egg yolk)

In other news…

Sales are not looking great this month, and I am talking mine. I know this a writing blog, but how would you like to hear about what is going on with my other blogs from time to time?   I am thinking of doing that, and by doing so may mean I have to plop a sale or two on here.  I have a blog called Tricia’s baskets, and I am an Independent Longaberger® Home Consultant.  In case you are wondering what Longaberger sells, it is a direct selling company that makes baskets, pottery, and wrought iron pieces.  They make their sales through independent consultants like myself and in their showrooms.  The company is based in Newark, Ohio, with a showroom called The Homestead.  It was founded by the late Dave Longaberger, and you can read about the history here. I have been a proud member of the sales field for over 14 years.

This is the end of my January posts for the month.  I did not contribute too much in the way of my writing prompts and that is something that I have been trying to do for months.   It is not easy when you have a busy life, even when you are single and have No Kids.  I do help out my oldest nephew, who will have a birthday next month.  Wow, 19 year old.  I remember 19.  More on that later.  My sister is in crisis mode, but I have to get permission to share what she needs.   I made that mistake with asking for prayer for my mom in November, and got chewed out by my father.  I did on Facebook.  He felt it was no one’s business, so lesson learned (or learnt as they say these days)  My brother is good, and so are my parents.

Bye January.

Renewing old habits

I am renewing something that I use to do.  It is a habit that I almost took up religiously.  I had a very distinct routine, and dare I miss one day of it.  The good news is that it was good for me, and I loved every minute of it.  You want to know what it is.   Well wait for it…wait for it…still waiting for it?

OK….

It is tap dancing.  Yes, if you have been following my blog for a while, you know I took ballet and jazz, but I am a tapper also.  I will not say used to, because once you are a tapper, it never leaves you.  The only problem is the last pair of tap shoes is a size 4 ½ and I am a 6-6 ½.  They tell you when you are fitted with tap shoes that your shoes need to be a half size bigger than your street shoe size.  I am sure that I will be comfortable wearing a size 6 ½ shoe size, because my feet are also narrow width, not average width.

Now you may be wondering why I decided to renew this habit.  Well for one thing, it is good exercise.  It increases the blood flow, and tap dancing is like running.  Once you get the combos together (and I thank the YouTube tappers for that), and your heart is racing.  At one point, I had an athletic heart, if you can call it that, because once you flap, shuffle, piddle-diddle, and wing yourself into shape, you heart rate is that of a runner.  I have developed high blood pressure since my last performance as a dancer (all three types) at Susie’s Dance Studio, I had to ask my doctor if it was ok, and of course she said yes.    I am just taking it in strive as I renew my habit. 

My first song I am dancing to is Uptown Funk by Mark Robinson, featuring Bruno Mars.  I could turn it into a jazz contemporary number as well.  I am not sure about it being a ballet number yet.  I am not auditioning to be on So You Think You Can Dance any time soon. There are no other dance competitions I can go to, and since Abby Lee Miller is not excepting adults, I think I will stay at home, unless I decide to try the exercise place in the next town that offers a class, which uses the ballet barre.