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Can you imagine every single person that you meet wearing this sign aroung their neck? I was taught this early on in my direct sales business by Mary Kay Ash herself! Discoving this secret of recognizing everyone, will boost your success in whatever business or ministry that you are involved in!
So many people go through life without anyone taking the time to let them know that they are appreciated. When was the last time that you heard the sound of applause for something you did? Chances are for many people that was when they graduated from high school or college. In my business, we try to recognize people all the time. When I see a woman achieve a little success, I let her know that it’s important. Little successes build bigger success.
My unit of Independent Beauty Consultants and I are celebrating our 22nd anniversary this month. Some of them have been part of my business the entire time, others for a decade or two. Thinking that I don’t always tell them often enough how important they are to me and how blessed that I am to have them in my life, I recently sent out an email with a video link for them to watch. I’d like to share it with you today. The message is very powerful!
In honor of today being International Women’s Day, I am about to share the secret behind those diamond bumblebees. You may have seen me wearing them, but don’t understand why, or what they mean. A diamond bumblebee is something that is only awarded to top performers in Mary Kay.
In 1968, Mary Kay Ash chose that award first of all because she felt that a diamond appeals to every female. Not only that, but diamonds hold their value, last forever and their beauty and sparkle make them desirable. But why a bumblebee?
You see, a bumblebee is a special symbol that Mary Kay chose based on her intuition. She thought that it would be a perfect symbol for women who have flown to the top. Here’s why- According to scientists, bumblebees should not be able to fly! Their wing span is not nearly big enough to support their bodies. However, bumblebees don’t know this, so they go against aerodynamic principles and fly anyway!
Mary Kay said that women are like that, too. She was told that her business would never work! Women are told they can’t do certain jobs and especially couldn’t run their own business. Women don’t know that, they just do it anyway! Just like the bumblebee!
That diamond bumblebee is among my most cherished possessions. They are more than a handsome piece of jewelry, it’s also a merit badge! My Queen bee has 21 diamonds and weighs 1.75 carats, and my runner up bees are only 1.10 carats and have 19 diamonds. Those are some merit badges, wouldn’t you say?
How does that apply to you as a woman? Don’t listen to negativity coming from within or without. (the bumblebee didn’t listen to the scientific study that said it couldn’t fly, did she?) Surround yourself with positive people. Follow your dreams. Bee-lieve that you can do whatever it is that you set out to do, whether it’s as an entrepreneur, or another calling within your life. You can do it!
I just returned from my Company’s Leadership Conference that was held in Phoenix Arizona. This is an event that is held each year in different locations in January for leaders in my direct sales company. I am filled with emotion from the reflections of previous conferences and my 23 years in business.
You see, it was this same Leadership Conference in 1997 where I had the opportunity to speak to Mary Kay Ash for the last time. I had qualified for a special dinner with her that year in Phoenix. As always, she never ate at those functions. Instead, she went around and talked to each of us, making us feel as though we were the only ones in the room. ( even though there were several hundred of us)
Looking back, that was about halfway through my career. I can hardly believe that it was 12 years ago! Just a couple months after that conference, Mary Kay had a series of strokes that left her without speach for the rest of her life. So you can imagine how much more I treasure that conversation now!
At that time, I had worked my business through a messy divorce and was a single mom supporting my three sons on my business alone. Sure, there were challenges, and life was difficult for me, but I can’t imagine surviving at all without that business. So as you can see in the photo above, I was thanking her for all that my business had meant to me and my family with tears in my eyes. She listened intently, wiped my tears, and simply told me to “Pass it On.”
How ironic that this same Conference would be the location where my National Sales Director retired last week. She has been my leader for my entire journey. Although it is sad that she is retiring, the Family Security Program that is provided for those at her level will pay her 60% of her average income for the next 15 years, including the Cadillac of her choice every two years! The position is definitely one to aspire to achieve!
Like all retirement dinners, there were flashbacks and stories of “through the years”. How exciting that I was part of half of the history of my Company! Sometimes you can see things more clearly when you look backwards. I would like to say that I was an overnight success, or that it is a “get rich quick” business, but that is not the case. Setbacks and disappointments were there for all of us, but persistence is the reason I am where I am today.
We were told at the Conference last week that with the uncertain economy that exists today, an average of 175,000 women will decide to start an at home direct sales business EACH DAY. All companiesare not the same. Here are just a few reasons why my business is different-
We have Customer Brand Loyalty, recently rated number three behind Google and Avis in an independent study!
Our culture is contagious ! Positive people are encouraging and deliver hope to others!
A Direct Sales Company needs inexpensive products delivered in a convenient manor.
My Company is the gold standard that others model!
Are you looking for a “Plan B”? This business may or may not be for you. I would love to help you explore the possiblitiy! (After all, I am just doing my part in “Passing it On“!) Fill out the contact form below if you would like a no obligation opportunity to chat with me about it. I am in this business for life! How many other people’s lives can I impact along the way, creating my own legacy? You could be one of them! You never know!
(This is a story that was told to me 23 years ago as a young new business owner. I’d like to pass it on!)
Once Upon A Time…an attractive, ambitious woman went into a beautiful store that has a reputation for excellent quality merchandise. She said to the owner,
“Sir, I would like to work for you. I will work hard, I will do a great job, and in return I would like the following:
1st…for everything I sell, I want to keep 50% commission!
2nd…I will find other sharp people to sell for you, but I want to be paid commission on everything they do, say 13%!
3rd…I want to work my own hours so that sometimes I can work a lot and sometimes I can just take time off!
4th…After 4 months, I would like the use of a car and I really prefer something elegant and rich! By the way, I want it to be FREE…and of course, you would need to pay the registration and insurance!
5th...My family must come first regardless of any other appointments!
6th...When I sell, I want ample recognition…not dumb little things like hams and turkeys. I mean luxury trips and dazzling diamonds!
Last...I want to promote myself into management entirely through my own efforts! Can you give me these things?”
The store owner was in shock! After he was revived, he began to roar in condescending laughter. Then he said, “Lady, you can’t be serious…you’re living in a dream world! You can’t find that kind of opportunity anywhere!” But little did he know that there IS an opportunity like that, and I have been living it for over 23 years now, helping others along the way!. We DO live in a dream world & the difference is our dreams DO come true. Why not let me help you make your dreams come true?
My direct sales company has had a tradition of showing that we care not only by a hug and/or a handshake, but also by handing out a small pink puff of softness called a “Warm Fuzzy”. I have collected and passed out thousands of these through the years, but the first one that I personally received came from our founder herself when I met her. Of course, she told the story behind it, in great detail.
She is no longer with us, but her legacy continues. Although I am telling you this story from my own “fuzzy” memory, I will try to maintain as many details that I can remember from the way that she told it and we all loved!
Once upon a time there was a company that grew from a small storefront near DallasTexas to a global success, empowering women along the way. This place where the company started was called the HappyValley and it was filled with warm fuzzies. The name came from having many happy people living there and passing and sharing the warm fuzzies with one another. This valley was different from any other valley at that time (before computers, internet, and iphones) because the residents of HappyValley gave each other a warm fuzzy each time they met, bringing about great happiness. It was an exchange that simply meant that they cared.
The warm fuzzy tradition continued for many years and the happiness grew as fast as HappyValley did, spreading wide and far. The one day, an ”evil one” decided that he didn’t like all this happiness. What could he do to stop them from being happy all the time and doing kind things for others? He started out by creating a rumor that there was a shortage of warm fuzzies.Then he told them about lots of other shiny new things that could make them even happier! People started to become fearful, and this interrupted their happiness.
Of course the residents of HappyValley reacted the way that most of us would if we heard that there was a shortage. They started to look elsewhere for their happiness and hid their warm fuzzies in dark closets, and under the bed. They stopped going out and living life fully, meeting people and looking for ways to help them, they stayed home and began to believe everything that they heard or saw on the computer or television.
Soon people began to mistrust one another and fear, hate, and loneliness came to HappyValley for the first time. After months without warm fuzzies turned into fuzziless years, HappyValley became just like all the rest of the world.
Then one day a grandmother was looking through an old photo album with her grandchildren and remembered the story of the warm fuzzy. After telling them the story as she remembered it, the children became so excited that they immediately wanted to go to this HappyValley and search for some warm fuzzies!
Can you imagine the excitement as these children started to find these warm fuzzies? They immediately began to share them and they began to multiply! Once the adults saw how happy the children were who were once again sharing these soft pink puffs, they started to hand out warm fuzzies to everyone too, spreading the happiness even more and watching them multiply!
Within a short time valleys all over America were becoming happy! People were becoming filled with integrity, honesty, good feelings, dreaming big and reaching big goals! This movement started to spread all over the world!
Could this be the time to revive the warm fuzzy? Can you imagine what would happen if everyone started to give a warm fuzzy to everyone that they met all the time? A warm fuzzy is something that allows another person to feel special. It can be a hug, kiss, or random act of kindness. It could be reaching out to someone who is lonely or sick. Or it could be stopping to help a stranger who is stranded and out of gas or offering to watch a young mother’s children so that she can step out alone for a break.
All of our lives will be happier and more fulfilled by caring and sharing those warm fuzzies. What would happen if we all took the time to do this each and every day?
Well that is the story the way I remember it. If I left out anything, please comment and pass it on. You might even have a great day by doing so!
"Leaders teach. They motivate. They care. Leaders make sure that the way to success is always broad enough and straight enough for others to follow." —Mary Kay Ash
If you have an at home business or ever dreamed about it, learn timeless principles that Mary Kay Ash used - a must read for you.
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In honor of today being International Women’s Day, I am about to share the secret behind those diamond bumblebees. You may have seen me wearing them, but don’t understand why, or what they mean. A diamond bumblebee is something that is only awarded to top performers in Mary Kay.
