Hi Everyone!  I'm taking a bit of a "stay-cation" for the next couple of weeks.  I had originally blocked out the first 18 days of May as time to take a trip. But with April's big recruiting promotion, I decided to do my vacationing here at home and use the time to get some spring cleaning done and prepare for what my family calls "Opening Day of Deck Season".  That means pressure washing everything to get the green slimy stuff off the seems to grow on every surface during the winter and early spring. And trips to the nursery for flowers to plant in my pots and hanging baskets.  It's raining today so I spent time creating, doing conference calls and going over the amazing growth our team has had last month.  Here is a card I created dedicated to each of you!  I miss all the ribbon we used to carry so I had to shop my stash to embellish this simple monochromatic 4x4 card done in Crystal Blue.

 Business Bit: 

Mind Aware - This is a great series of FREE interviews just for Direct Sellers!  Our very own Kristine Widtfeldt was the first one.  Here is the link to register for the series.  Kristine's interview will be available for just a few more hours.  The second interview has great information as well!  Check it out.  Replays are available for just 48 hours after the original air time.

http://themindaware.danawilde.com/tma-season-five-registration/

Kristine Widtfeldt,
Close To My Heart

Do you feel like you’re not making enough money in your direct sales business? Would you like to know why? Do you ever wonder how to get some momentum in your business? It’s Kristine Widtfeldt of Close to My Heart to the rescue!
Kristine Widtfeldt leads the marketing and product teams at Close To My Heart, where she has been vice president since 2004. Kristine is a popular keynote speaker and has written more than a dozen books, consulted for several industry-leading network marketing companies, and even appeared on the ABC national news show 20/20.
In this interview, Kristine gives a clear picture of WHY you need to get your team members off to a fast start in the first 90 days and backs it up with the numbers. She reveals the biggest mistake she sees leaders making, and HOW to gain some traction in your business. She even gives her formula for how you should be spending your time if you want to maximize your results.
If you are tired of working, but not seeing enough of a profit, then make sure to listen to this replay!

http://themindaware.danawilde.com/tma-season-five-replay/?inf_contact_key=8dfe93321bffcab217bca054a53a40cc53b59334f476f5159881aa858d9dc7cb

 Shout-Outs:
These team members not only had significant team growth, but also outstanding personal sales!  Kudos to each of you!

April Top Personal Sales 
Over $4000.00
     Ginni Candelaria
Over $3000.00
     Lynn Como
     Angie Hofmann
     Meg Cheeseman
     Joy Tracey
Over $2000.00
     Debi Squires
     Judy Larsen
     Jenifer Benner
     Dr. Phil Wilhelm
     Tina Lovell
 
Quote of the Week:

One More Day to Share! - A Great Article for Business Builders

This is a card I worked on today for my June
card classes.  It's hard to see in the photo, but
I used a Sharpie marker to color the Sparkles to
match the Crystal Blue paper.  I'm focusing
on quick cards in June.  The hat can be changed
to any image to fit your occasion.

Wowee!  What an amazing month our teams have had!  As of today, we have grown an incredible 36%!!!  My hat's off to all of you for your great work of sharing your passion for CTMH.  I'll post the stats next time.  There is still one more day, so keep on spreading the word. Call, email or text those last few people, sometimes the urgency of being the last day is what they need to act.

Shout-Out:

A quick update on Susan Hopkins who I've been posting about this month.  I'm proud and so pleased to announce that she has gone from Consultant to Manager in less than 1 month and is super excited to continue to build her team and attend Convention, but to also qualify to attend Leadership Day too!  Way to go, Susan!

 

 

Business Bit:
This is a great article to share with anyone who wants to make CTMH a business.  They are 5 great tips for working from home.  I do all of these things and I think they have been key to my success with CTMH.

Work at home businesses are a great way to earn money on your own terms.
You work your own hours, take vacations when you want, hire who you want to work with, and work in whatever attire you wish.

However, there are some inherent problems that may arise when working at home. The most common problem experienced is how stay focused on your work.   When working at home, it may be easy to get distracted. Instead of working, you may think about cleaning the house, walking the dog, going to the gym or doing some extra gardening. To get anything accomplished in a home business, it is essential that you stay focused on your work and not get distracted by all the home chores that need to be done.

5 Tips To Stay Focused While Working at Home

1. Do a few chores at home before you work.
When you do a few of the more pressing household chores before you begin your work day, you will not feel as pressured to do household chores while working.
Start your day 30 minutes later than normal, and use that extra 30 minutes to clean the dishes, walk the dog, vacuum the house or go for a run.

2. Use a to-do list every day.
One of the best ways to stay focused on your work is to have a specific list of items that need to be done each day. Without a to-do list, it is easy to get distracted or to not dedicate the proper time to important tasks.

3. Do the simple tasks first.
There are certainly people who prefer to do the most difficult tasks first, but those people are the exception rather than the rule.
Most people procrastinate at some time and put off difficult tasks. When you perform some of the easy tasks on the list, you can cross those items off and feel good about what you are accomplishing. With a few items crossed off, the list will look less intimidating and overwhelming.

4. If you have to deal with deadlines in your work at home business, it is important to stay ahead of those deadlines.
Putting everything off until you have a tight deadline is often a recipe for disaster. Waiting until the last minute also takes away any flexibility you would have in performing various work duties. Something that needs to be done immediately will take precedence over everything else.

5. Have a comfortable and dedicated work space.
Your environment has a significant amount of influence on your concentration.
When you are working at home, it is crucial to have a dedicated work environment.
A private room with a door is the best choice. However, an area that is separate from other living areas should work as long as the space is used only for your business.

A work at home business is a business; treating it like one is an important ingredient in success and prosperity.

 

More Awesome Skylark Artwork - Part 2 of 10 Success Tips

Happy first day of spring!  The sun is shining here in Seattle and the first flowers are starting to peek their heads out.  I've been busy in my studio creating artwork for my April classes.  When I get them finished I'll share them with you.  In the mean time, I'm sharing more from the Rediscover CTMH event swaps.  Enjoy!

Creative Corner:
Today I'm featuring more artwork from 2 talented team members.  I love the way these 2 cards by Joanie McCall and Mary Thomas really showcase how well our papers coordinate with our inks, cardstocks and accessories to create a cohesive feel.  That is the strength and beauty of our product line that is hard to find through craft stores and online outlets.  These cards can easily be recreated for your customer clubs and workshops.




By Joanie McCall - Oregon



By Mary Thomas - Washington

Business Bit:  Part 2 - Today's Tip - From The Success Factory

I loved the tips in this article since it pertains to our type of business - Direct Sales. It's different in so many ways from traditional jobs. It has it's special challenges that if we can find systems to overcome, has rewards of flexibility that far outweigh the challenges

Subject: Ten Success Tips for your Direct Sales Business. Part 2of 3

4. ASK don't TELL. Sometimes we are so excited to talk about our product or our business opportunity that we can leave our prospect with 'hurricane hair'. Be sure that you are taking a breath and asking for the appointment or the sale.

5. A 'NO' is just one step closer to a 'YES'. Don't take a 'no' personally. If someone says no to you they are saying no to what you are offering, they are not rejecting you as a person. We are in the business of sorting and not convincing. Statistically you will need to ask ten people to join your team to get one recruit and you will need to ask five people to book a party before one says yes. When you are first beginning your business and refining your technique, those stats might vary a bit. However, knowing that you will need to work through several 'no's' as you edge closer to a 'yes' will help to keep things in perspective.

6. Schedule office hours. Some kind of structure is important; especially when working from home. Depending on your season of life (especially if you have young children) these office hours will change over the years. However setting and KEEPING office hours assures that you not only GO to work, but that you can also GO HOME from work each day.

7. Have a work area. If you have a separate room that is your designated office that is always the ideal situation. However, your 'office' may just be a closet or desk and file box for your business supplies that goes with you to your gatherings or classes.

 
Quote of the Day:

 

Awesome Skylark Artwork - 10 Success Tips



Hi Everyone!



I'm back in my office and back to work.  I hope you found some useful information and creative inspiration in my posts these past 2 weeks.  

Team News: 

The Rediscover Events are incredible!  I would encourage everyone, especially those who have never been to a corporate event or are unable to attend convention this year to register if there is one in your area.  Kristine had a message about the power of network marketing - how to find new customers by working with people you already know.  They may not be interested in CTMH but they may know someone who is.  I have done this with my hairstylist and my nail gal.  When people ask me about my hair or nails and I give them Michael or Julie's card.  Both of these people have lots of potential customers for me!  I challenge you to ask someone in your life to become your referral partner to help each other build your businesses.

 

Reminder:  There are just 13 days left in the quarter.  Be sure to check your quarterly minimums to be sure you hit your $300.  For leaders, contact your team members to remind them.

Creative Corner:  

As part of our brief team meeting at the Seattle and Portland Rediscover CTMH events, we did an art swap with Skylark as our theme.  Here are the 3 winners from the Oregon meeting.  Congratulations to Tarina Holloway, Tera Boring, and Nancy Reding!  

 

1st Place- Tarina Holloway



2nd place - Tera Boring



3rd Place - Nancy Reding





























Business Bit: Today's Tip - From The Success Factory 
I loved the tips in this article since it pertains to our type of business - Direct Sales.  It's different in so many ways from traditional jobs.  It has it's special challenges that if we can find systems to overcome, has rewards of flexibility that far outweigh the challenges

Subject: Ten Success Tips for your Direct Sales Business.  Part 1of 3

As a longtime volunteer in an organization in my community; one of my jobs is to help to replace women who leave their positions with the organization. This year we lost one of our most valued leaders. Her family finances had become challenging due to down sizing in her husband's company and so she was off to get a job herself to help make ends meet. She decided on direct sales; immediately asking me to join her in her business (I declined). However, I congratulated her on her enthusiasm for her new venture and asked her to sign up for our free email tips!

Recently I had a chance to visit with her and ask how her (3 month old) business was going. Her business, she told me, had come to a screeching halt. Another volunteer commitment was in crisis and was now taking ALL of her time and so, she was not currently working her direct sales business.

The story was familiar. I experienced it all too often in my own direct sales organization. As a leader, I never did get over the feeling of disappointment each time it happened. Someone with amazing potential who was a fast starter was gone before they'd even gotten started; LIFE had taken the place of her business.

The field of direct sales can be exciting and given today's current economy, many people are giving it a try. No resumes or interviews are necessary; just a small amount of capital to purchase a kit. So then what is the secret to success in direct sales? What steps can be taken to ensure one's success?

1. Have goals and find a buddy for accountability to those goals. Whether you want to make enough money for your child's college tuition, a car payment or a kitchen remodel; working towards something tangible is important. Break that goal into bite-sized chunks. What amount of work will it take in order for you to earn the amount of money you need to attain your goal? Share your goal with your spouse, your manager or a friend and ask them to hold you accountable for your weekly and daily activity.
 

2. Make lists. Working in direct sales means that you are your own boss. That means there will be no one but YOU to tell you what to do each day. If you are reading the daily email tips from The Success Factory, that is a great start as we always endeavor to help you with ideas to help you grow your business. However, making a daily 'to do' list will keep you on task so that the distractions of working from home do not side-track you.

 

3. Stay positive and enthusiastic. Make a decision to always look at the positives in every situation. When you experience difficulties, DECIDE to look at them as challenges that will help you to grow stronger. If you are having a hard day, always DUMP UP to your upline or recruiter. Staying positive for your team members is an important key to success as they will follow your lead. ALSO, do not complain to your spouse about your business as they may just encourage you to quit. Having the support of your spouse is another important key to success.

 

 Quote of the Day:

Success is not dependent on your ability to do this business well, but your willingness to do it regularly.

 

A Masculine Card - Quote of the Day

 

I'm on my way to sunny and warm Costa Rica with my fellow incentive trip earners!  My husband, Dave and I decided to do a bit of exploring on our own in the Arenal Volcano area before joining up with the CTMH crew at the Westin Playa Conchal.  If I get a good Internet connection, I'll post some photos here.  But for now, I'm sharing more of my artwork to inspire you - feel free to use anything you find here to help you in your business.  All I ask is a bit of credit :)  I've got posts ready for the next couple of weeks so be sure to check back on Tuesday's and Thursday's.

 

Creative Corner:
For my card classes I always try to include at least 1 masculine card.  They seem to be much harder to make for a gal who loves bling!  Here in one from my February classes.  It is quick and easy and features Timberline papers.  As usual for my class cards, it uses mostly bulk papers and cardstock with a bit of the others. The stamp set is D 1525 Casual Expressions from the Cricut Artiste Collection and you can easily change the sentiment to others in that set or many of our other stamps.  A bit of bulk Hemp Bakers Twine and bulk Triangle studs help to accessorize the card.

Quote of the Day:
Service is the lifeblood of any organization.  Everything flows from it and is nourished by it.  Customer service is not a department...it's an attitude.

From 212  - the extra degree by Sam Parker and Mac Anderson

Mini Business Bit: Invest in Your Business, Creative Corner

Most people understand that when they start a business, it will take a lot of hard work to make it successful. But everyone also understands that when a young business is successful, the rewards are enormous! Here are a few quick tips on what to invest into your growing business. My personal favorite is the "emotional investment" because many of us overlook the emotional toll that it takes to get a business up and running!

Shout Outs!: Costa Rica Trip Earners - Creative Corner

Business Bit: News Flash!

Log into your OBA and check out the new Aussie stamps that CTMH made for the Australian/New Zealand customers. All Consultants can order 2 now during the preview period: C1586, D1596, C1585, D1597, D1598, D1601 and then yes, your customers can purchase them as well beginning February 1st.  

Shout Outs!:
With the 50 degree winter weather in Seattle, I know I can't wait to get down to Costa Rica in March! So many of our team have worked so hard to get there too. Congratulations to the team members who made it and a very special shout out to Joy Tracey who is the first to earn the Aulani Hawaii Trip 2015! 

I am SO EXCITED!  Today is opening session of the 2013 CTMH Convention in sunny Florida!  For those who are unable or have chosen not to attend, you can catch the excitment via all manner of social media throughout the weekend.  Check Jeanette's blog, CTMH Facebook and Twitter #vivactmh and #ctmhdreamteam and the CTMH website ad well as the countless consultant blogs.  It's not the same as being here, but it will give you a taste and I'm sure you won't want to miss it next year!

In the mean time, here is my bi-monthly blog/newletter.

Special offers for everyone, from Close to My Heart

This month is full of great special offerings for everyone, from Close to My Heart!

For our customers and consultants:

Let’s Get Patriotic
The patriotic stamp sets were made exclusively for this campaign and can only be purchased during June and July 2013.

It's THAT time of year!

When I re-started my blog/team newsletter back in January, I shared with you my struggles with priorities.  Well.....it's time to test my strategy for not procrastinating and getting it ALL done without dropping one of the many balls I keep in the air!

Now is the BEST time....and Convention TEAM PARTY!

I'd like to wish all you Moms a Happy Mother's Day!  The day is still bitter sweet for me as I lost my amazing Mom 3 years ago.  I treasure her memory and the legacy she left through her scrapbooks.  It reminds me of the importance of what we do and offer our customers.  I hope you share your passion for memory keeping and paper crafting with those in your life!

Increase your Sales with Dream Pop!

The view from my office window

Spring has finally sprung in my corner of the world - here in the Pacific Northwest, we are famous for all the rain we get - and for good reason!  This time of the year we celebrate when the sun finally comes out and with it, we are blessed with a riot of green and a multitude of colorful flowers.
As I sit here in my office I want to share with you the view out my window.  Each year the big cherry tree in my backyard greets the spring with a blanket of delicate white blooms that drift in the wind like snowflakes.  It is so fleeting and lasts just a few days.  Today, my husband and I are going on our annual trip to the see Mother Nature's artistry in the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.

What's Your Story?

Twenty Two Years with Close To My Heart

The first DOTS catalog - all the artwork was done by Jeanette

I just realized that this week marks my 22nd anniversary as a CTMH (DOTS) consultant!  When I signed up, the company was just 6 months old.  I was a stay-at-home mom with 2 kids ages 5 and 7 and I was looking for a way to earn $500 a month after expenses for the "extras".In those days, things were very different!  The company was known as DOTS - Dozens of Terrific Stamps.  One of my friends was having a party and shared the catalog with me.  I was in LOVE!  I loved all those rubberstamps and thought that embossing was magic! 

Album Retreat and Much More!

My table mates - Michelle Nist - Studio J contest winner!
She and her customers ordered 603 Studio J Layouts in Feb.!
Me and my upline, Karen Morris.

March has been a great month!  I made it a priority to attend the CTMH Album Retreat March 14-16th in Salt Lake City, and what a treat it was!  The album that CTMH designed and we created during those 2 days taught me a lot about some of the new products that I hadn't even noticed before, much less used.I tried some scrapbooking styles and new techniques that took me outside my comfort zone.  I'm happy to report that although I didn't finish my album at the retreat, I did finish it when I got home!  My new mantra is "practice imperfection" and one of my favorite new saying that was shared by our keynote speaker, Stacy Julian is "Tell the negative committee that meets inside your head to sit down and shut up!" ~ Ann Bradford

So far, So GREAT!

Hey everyone!  I'm super excited to be off to The CTMH Album Retreat in Salt Lake City!  I'm looking forward to spending time crafting with many of my CTMH sisters.  It's been interesting doing the "homework assignments"  which has been a journey of self exploration, what and who is important to me in my life.

Spring Cleaning!

Spring Cleaning.....

Here in my rainy corner of the world, tiny signs of spring are popping up all over.  I am so excited to see the spots of color in the crocuses and early blooming plum trees.  In reflection, I've loved creating with the new spring and summer papers in Cotton Candy, Pear and Ruby.  I'm also still in pursuit of getting my life, home and office whipped into shape.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to all of my CTMH family!

Last entry I shared a bit about my struggles with procrastination.  I find the best part and one of the hardest parts of my CTMH business is being my own boss. My success is up to me.

Blog Take 2.....

MY BLOG TAKE 2!

It's been 9 months since my last blog post....on my list of work related tasks to do, my blog seemed to always end up at the bottom of the list.  My goal for 2013 is to move it up and take a smaller bite this time.  I am putting it out there that I WILL post to my blog on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month.  Since there are 5 Thursdays this month I'm going to start today.

So Much Excitement!

Hey Everyone! 

Wow, what an EXCITING few weeks it has been!  Since March 1st our team has grown by an AMAZING 380 members!  You are to be congratulated for your efforts.  As a follow on, many of you may be in search of Spring/Summer Idea Books for your new team members.  Email me if you need Idea Book as I have a few gals who have some to sell.  njsmith@wolfenet.com .

Aloha!

Aloha and Happy Spring!  I am so envious of you who are experiencing early summerlike weather.  Here in the Pacific Northwest, we have barely left the cold bleak days of mid winter.  In fact I woke up to snow this week.  It has made me appreciate my time in Hawaii just that much more.